A Strange Walk

I fell asleep with my head in a book

Laying on my side like a newborn about to enter the world

The left part of my face resting peacefully like a flesh covered bookmark

And woke up in a usual place

The bed now replaced with hardwood floor

The kind that meets tile nearby, clearly a kitchen

And as I got up to explore where I was

A collar tugged me tightly back into position

A collar? A bell ? A dreadful feeling in my stomach

That this wasn’t the place I should be

Was I being held captive

But my mind didn’t look down at my body once to see if I saw myself

Instead I heard footsteps louder than my thoughts

And a shadow appeared on the counter

Taller than a giant and hairier than a bear

Bestial eyes stared back in a halfway friendly glance

a Werewolf! I thought, my mind screaming inside . All that exited my mouth was a yelp !

The beast got closer to me and now I could see clearer

It’s a Doberman pincher …in a suit. Walking on his back two legs in a very formal way. The realization strange and funny at the same time

And it talked to me! “There there” he said . Pouring water in a bowl next to me

Then he grabbed a briefcase on top of the wooden counter and left

Another shadow was coming and I felt my teeth bare a little, even though I didn’t tell them to

This time it was a poodle and her dress was a beautiful asymmetrical pattern

Her heels clicking like a principal coming down the hall to make sure all the children were in class

She clipped a leash to my collar while rubbing my head with her paw and took me out the door

I couldn’t resist an excited gait

There were all types of animals as we trotted along. Walking in all different types of clothing.

A grey cat drenched in goth attire. A bird strutting designer on its wings. A mountain lion walking paw and paw with a strange looking baby koala (it had a matching man that suggested relation). A rat ironically pushing a cart full of what was undoubtedly garbage contents.

My “Walker” made sure not to get too close to that one in particular.

I realized I had an urge to pee and it started to trickle out before my brain received the message.

I looked up embarrassingly at my “Walker” who didn’t seem to notice on her phone call, even though she stopped walking simultaneously.

We turned around and started back for the wood floor place

Once there she clipped me back in my place, put some pebble like food in a bowl next to my water and took off out the door without a word.

I took a sip of water.

A draft was coming through the window and I made a human? Ball out of myself to keep warm.

A set of loneliness crept in. A wanting to be free and run around. Snoop in things that didn’t belong to me but smelled familiar.

I fell asleep wondering how long I’d be alone. And woke up back in my bed with the book stuck to my cheek .

the first thing I did…

Was unclip my pitbull puppy from her leash

And throw it away