My Parents, Their Pet, My Hell

walked into the living room and saw the water bottle sitting o

up early. Are you going to look for work to

picked up the water bottle. "I'm ju

bed. His tail gave a slow, delibera

I held it there for a long moment, my eyes locked on the do

ut drinking and poured the enti

le," I said simply, r

ppy dog facade vanished. A low, frustrated gr

derestimated

d off his bed and collapsed onto the floor, his body start

, rushing to his side. "Wha

his eyes wide with panic. "What did

thing," I said,

on the floor, his paws scrabbling at his mouth as if he' d eaten

vomited a small amount of bile onto the floor. And right there, in the

that's from the oleander bu

atred. "You! You did this! You pois

h him," I said

ter bottle from the sink. "You tried to give it to

to prove my innocence. They wouldn't listen

ckhanded me across the face, the force of the blow sending me crashing into the kitchen counte

s face inches from mine. "He gave us love

now-limp dog in her arms, sobbing. "We

elped my mother lift the dog. "You stay here," he spat.

head was throbbing, and I could taste blood in my mouth. The physical

s if I were something vile he wanted to scrape of

loor where Buddy had faked his seizure. A deep, dark resolve settled over me.

me for him, abandoned me for him,

tried to be the victim. Now, it was ti

tched them disappear down the stre

He looked up at my window, and even from th

spered to the empty roo