Sick as a Dog

It was cold, so dark, and the sky was clear. Surprisingly, I didn’t have the desire to sleep yet, so I just laid down, in my small house, and looked anywhere.

I noticed again, the sky was just to clear. So perfect, like I’d never seen it before. I wish I could go up there. But, impossible, I answered myself again. How was I supposed to triumph in this world, to do great things, when my ‘masters’ think of me as a complete idiot?

They give us balls and bones to use and play with, but they just don’t realize, we want more. We could do more. Everything they did and will do and have done. We could do it all.

And so I thought, and tried to number the stars, and imagined that suddenly I lived in a different world, that suddenly we had as many privileges as they had, and that it was easy for me, and for anyone that wanted, to get up there.

The front door opening, with its casual creek took away my fantasy, and out came him. He called my name. Tom, Tom…!

What the hell? It was the middle of the night…! So abusive…! If they would just listen to me, understand that I was tired, and yes, I needed my own time too.

And so I decided the night was way too beautiful, and ignored my master whatsoever. He called a couple of times. Ignore. I wondered, whether he would venture out into the cold, and actually look for me, and oblige me to get up. I hope he wouldn’t, and prayed for the night to get colder. Why was he calling? Had he any peaky visitor, who pretending to be amused, wanted to see my tricks?

I wasn’t any clown either. Tricks, ha. Talking about humiliation.

Or else he wanted to feed me, and I wondered which was worse, between being starved, or just over-nourished, or something. You can look for food when you’re hungry, you could bark whether you are starving. But, what can you do, when they keep filling your plate with filthy…supposed ‘dog-food’?

I gave in some effort, to ignore his voice, and prayed for steps inexistent. Then, something happened, and I stood up.

Shooting star. Right there, a second ago. I felt my heart beating. The star…where, where?

First time in my life I’ve ever had the chance to see. I remember, once we were at some place, and the kids were telling me to bark and play with the ball. And so I heard the adults outside being amused, and say shooting star at some point. And I tried to run to the door, but not only was it closed, my tail was being pulled by the kids. How they loved me…how I didn’t.

But this time I had seen it. I had to see it again, to observe it. I thanked God, for I didn’t have a chain, and ran.

I heard his voice, the one I was leaving behind, and I thought…screw them. 9 years of total control and power, and now it was time for my mini-revolution. Time to do my things, the way I wanted. Time of being capable.

I jumped the fence, and onto the road, and searched everywhere, and my legs were giving me as much strength, such an amount of energy that never had I felt, received. My body wanted it. So did my spirit. And I kept running.

It suddenly shinned again, far ahead. Faster, faster, almost there. See it, see it…again.

I was suddenly aghast. But I needed to see it again, just had to. And it shined, brighter, and brighter, and I saw it so big, and my amazement and excitement were immeasurable. And I didn’t stop, didn’t think, not even when the car—was finally so close to me.