#i told my big sibling she looks like danny devito. who's with me

[dashing-hyphen]

[jenni42085]

Week Two

Writing Prompt

Topics: Flowers, Puppies, and Alarms

Week Two: June 14, 2020

Waking up in a cold, small, dark room Apple, the beagle puppy lets out a small “Yelp!”  Afraid of where she might be her small paws try to scratch at the bars but with no luck there is no way for her to get out.  

“No point in trying kid.  You’re stuck.”  The old bulldog across from her said in a gruff voice.  “Just relax, you’re little and you might be taken away soon.”

“You can understand me?”  She replies.

“Well, yes I can.  Name is Felix and I’ve been here for a few months or so.  They feed you and gives you shelter but that is about it.”  He replies.

Fear sets in with Apple because the last thing she remembered was running with her brothers and sisters running through a field with tons of flowers that always made her so excited and safe.  But then she fell and accidentally got left behind by her siblings.  She vaguely remembers being shoved in a box but after that she can’t remember anything else.

Apple paces in a small circle trying too figure out what to do next.  “So there is no way out?”

“Don’t you think if there was a way out I would be gone by now.  There is about four of us total.  Just settle in and hang out.  Someone in a white coat will probably get you soon to run test.”

“Test?  What kind of test?”

Felix roll his eyes then lays back down watching the newbie panic.  “Well, it varies.  Since it is your first day it’ll probably be something easy like weight and how healthy.  I think they will try different foods and stuff on you.”

“What does that do?”

“Honestly, I don’t know but I can’t imagine it is anything good.  Some try the stuff and never come back.  Me, I act like I eat it then throw it out and poop to cover it up so they are none the wiser.”  Felix says with some pride.  

“Umm ok.  But what is that supposed to do if you are still here?”  Apple replies making more notes of her surroundings.

“Well, it’s better than the alternative.  I can’t imagine that the ones who don’t make it back are in a better place.”

Despair sets in.  But Apple does see a few ways to leave the small cage she is in.  She wonders if she makes a run for it when they try to get her would she be able to make it back home.  “Has anyone ever tried to make a run for it?”

“Oh yeah, but no one gets very far or anywhere at all.  This building is kind of a maze so it is a waste of time to try and leave.  Just relax kid this is the rest of your life.”

A few days or weeks have past and Apple wasn’t sure anymore everything kind of ran together.  She was still yearning to be free and play in the flowers.  But thankfully no one has given her any test food yet, but while she was carried back and forth a few times she was able to get some intel on the building and thinks she might have figured a way out but something troubles her.  When she was taken back for the first time the guy in the white lab coat left her alone so, she was able to walk around the lab and saw a file of her face but with another picture of a young black girl with big curly hair.

Was it her?  Was she changed in some cruel joke?  Seeing the picture made her try to remember more but all she could remember was flowers.  Just a big field of flowers, even the memories of her siblings were fading.  Maybe there was something in the water that was making her forget.  This new revelation is even more troubling.

“Hey Felix.  Can I ask you something?”

“Sure kid.  You look confused.”

“Do you remember your life before this?”

“No, should I?”

“I don’t know, but when I was first taken back to the lab I saw myself but with human picture.  Do you think we were humans?”

“Kid, I highly doubt it.  Maybe they are trying to adopt you out to someone.”

“You think?”  Apple replies with some hope in her voice.

Felix looks at her and worries that she won’t make it because of being contained for the first time.  Granted his thoughts also went to his life before all of this and he couldn’t remember anything minus his name.  He remembers everything about his time there but prior he can’t remember a thing.  Maybe she was on to something but he didn’t want to tell her.

“Maybe, just get some rest.”  Felix replies as he lays down on the cold hard concrete.  

“Night Felix.”

Both were in a deep sleep when a loud alarm sounded throughout the room causing them and few other dogs to wake up and panic and dark.  The alarm was loud and caused two lights to flash bright red lights in the previously dark room.

“Felix! I’m scared.  What’s going on?”  Apple shrieks.

“Stay calm we will figure it out kid.”  He replies pacing quicker trying to see what is going on.

Suddenly the door burst open with a lanky black girl holding a mystery vial and syringes.  “Dad!  Dad! Where are you?  Please be in here.” As she says this, she was running from cage to cage letting the animals loose but not before giving them all injections then running out the room.

“What was that injection?  I’m feeling all sorts of weird from it.”

“I don’t know kid but here is our chance at freedom if we ever want out of here.  Let’s go!”  Without being told twice Felix and Apple along with the other animals made a run for it.  

“Felix we are almost to the front door!  We might actually make it.”

“Keep running.”

The animals ran through the door and finally smelled fresh air. Feeling invigorated from the air and seeing wide open spaces for the first time in a long while.  Apple and Felix were first to run out and take it all end.  In their excitement of leaving they didn’t notice the background of news vehicles, ambulances, and cop cars.  The pair didn’t bother to stop but kept running into a nearby park.

“Felix, I don’t feel too good.”

“Me either.  We need to find a place to hide first.”

“I don’t think I’m going to make it.  What was that stuff she gave us?”  Apple replies as she lays down next to Felix for warmth and security.

“Rest your eyes kid.  We will figure it out once we wake up.”  Sleep takes them over and they sleep in the empty plastic tube.

Sunlight hits Apple in the face but, she isn’t where she remembered.  She hears beeping and feels a little dizzy, as she was trying to get up her body felt completely different.  Looking down at her hands and not paws made her jump and panic.

“She’s awake!” The lady from last night yells.  “Hi Apple.  I’m Libby.  You are in the hospital and you are safe.  Felix is my dad.”  

“Where am I?  What happened?  Why am I not a puppy anymore?”  Confusion and shock took over she started to shake and cry.

“Hey hey now, it’s ok.  Dad is going to come in here and explain.”

As if on cue a short fat black guy kind of resembling Danny Devito is wheeled in.  “Hey kid, you made it.”

“Felix?”

“That’s me.”

Apple rubs her head trying to alleviate the headache coming on and cocks her head to the side.  “Am I going crazy?”

“No kid.  Apparently we were lab rats, the reason we couldn’t remember anything is because we were kidnapped and turned into dogs.  My daughter had been looking for me for over a year and finally figured out where I was and she found the reversing serum and gave it to us.  I have your records but I couldn’t find anything about your family in it.  It looks like you were an orphan.”

Hearing that information made Apple’s heart drop but everything starting flooding back to her.  The family she remembered was other orphans in the orphanage, making her realize she was actually alone.

“What am I going to do now?  How old am I?  This is a lot for me to take in.”  Apple says.  

Felix rolls closer to her and puts his hand on her hand.  He had always looked out for her and helped her through and already knew he just couldn’t let this girl go back into the system.  Especially, after everything they had both been through together.  “Well, if you are okay with it, I discussed with Libby and my wife Olivia.  Would you want to get adopted and move in with us?  I know it’s all kind of sudden but what do you think?”

“You’d really let me stay with you guys.”

“Most definitely kid.”

A few months later. . .

Adjusting back to human life was kind of hard but eventually Apple adjusted to life with Felix and his family.  Therapy and the fresh air helped her adjust and felt like Felix and Olivia’s true kid and enjoyed her life there.  Felix had made sure that she always safe and to help with that he decided to put a small field of flowers in the backyard to make sure that she always felt connected to her past.