The chain-link door closed behind the volunteer, casting the cage into darkness.
Cold concrete pressed against his golden fur as he settled onto the thin blanket. Various scents overwhelmed him – ammonia, the fear-sweat from the terrier next door, and the metallic smell of despair. He recalled the velvet cushions in his past surroundings, where incense lingered in the air. Now, it was replaced by stale kibble and hopelessness. His tongue hung out in a pant that was not of fatigue but of assessment. Reborn as prey, he thought, in a world devoid of threats… only weaker beings. A small creature in the adjacent cage barked continuously. His ear twitched as he sensed its frantic pulse.
It was oddly ironic – the predator confined by those he once hunted.
He experienced fragmented memories: a poisoned blade causing pain in his veins and a chilling glare that hurt more than any weapon. Their animosity had been… rich. Like pomegranate seeds bursting in the mouth. Here? Blank expressions. Whimpering sounds. His tail thumped against the bars – not out of joy, but as a rhythm. Thump-thump. Like a heart he never had. This was a nightmare, had master punished him in this strange new world, not that he has seen much of it himself, but he was wanting, oh boy was he wanting to see it all for himself and learn and understand about it, as he huffed out and sighed.
The earlier comments of the shelter worker ("Who’s a good boy?") echoed in his mind. Good boy? He had consumed both the virtuous and the wicked. Now they sought affection. He silently chuckled, his breath visible in the cold air. Humans seemed so amusing now, more than he could remember. As he sighed again, he had been bested, by a cage, and trapped here, well … not really, he could get out any single time that he wished, it was more a matter of wishing to remain here and not cause mayhem and madness with him slipping out.
Another animal across the aisle trembled, filled with fear; this place felt like a slaughterhouse too. The scent of ammonia grew stronger. His nostrils flared. Fear. That smell had remained unchanged. Strangely familiar beneath the bleach and disinfectant. He recalled someone’s trembling hands as they held another animal, the salt of their fear just before they jumped into danger to escape him. His tongue brushed against sharp teeth.
Even in this new form, the hunger persisted – an emptiness beneath his ribs. Women. Always women. Their essence called to him. But here? Only uniforms and sterile gloves. Beneath his golden fur, muscles were taut and ready. Patience, he thought to himself. The cage door would open eventually. All he needed to do was wait. He saw how this worked, a time limit, a certain limit to how long they would keep him here for until, they no longer wanted him or needed him, either way if someone came to take him, or not, he would get out one way or another.
@sunsblaze
