My Parents, Their Pet, My Hell

ything, squeezing the life out of jobs, savings, and hope. Our small apartment felt colder each day, the

all this, my pa

er they found shivering in an

aching, just to bring home enough money to keep the lights on. I' d walk in

e'd say, but his eyes

ue rent or the dwindling food

with pictures of happy, healthy dogs. They bought him toys, a plush

ell of roasted chicken filled the apartment, a luxury we hadn'

he floor, cooing as she hand-fed shredded chicken to

sked, my v

id, not looking up. "Buddy was s

pot of thin, watery potato soup on the stove. Buddy finish

ere, a deep-seated malice. He lifted his lip just enough to show his teeth, a silen

My parents' world shrank until it contained only him. Their conversations were about him, thei

parents were out, I opened the apartment doo

voice trembling with rag

ng, hateful eyes. I shoved him harder. He spun around with

tumbling back, clutching the wound. Blood

walked in. Susan shr

oor baby, what d

cking him for injuries. My father storm

e shaking. "You tried to hurt him, did

eeding arm. "You pr

vet for a check-up, "just in case," and left me to tend to the deep, painful b

one of them. The eviction notice was the final blow. It was taped to o

ubsidized housing complex, a safe zone with food, shelter, and security. The

lyer, a flicker of hope in

ion process, how we had to go to

istening. They wer

his eyes wide. "One for me, one for

aid, my voice rising in panic. "They

r face contorted. "He's family! He's

oved with a frantic, desperate energy, dragging Buddy with them. The

sps. I was slower, weakened by hunger and infection. By the time I got there,

my father, my mother, and then, unbelievably, at th

ed through the gate.

screaming their names. "Dad!

r a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes, a sha

ed at me, hi

rned and w

the outside. Through the bars, I saw them being led

wide, triumphant

grew colder. The hunger was a constant, gnawing fire in my gut. I died a

udden, vi

d apartment. Sunlight streamed through the dirty

cheerful voices drifted

d us all the way home!

e happy ba

cold. I kne

n the wall. It was the day

as

cold. I would find out why. Why they chose a dog over th