Cody is a German Shepherd and usually he is a Very Good Boy. That’s what the big, hairless pack leader with two paws always said; the pack leader who gave him food and water and shelter. The pack leader is Cody’s best friend. Right now the pack leader would call him a Very Bad Boy because Cody notices two legged food with feathers waddle past the back gate, and as there is one weak spot in the fence he is able to push the panel aside with his nose and squeeze through the gap. He catches the two legged feathered food and shakes it until it stops moving. He rips at its neck and feels its hot, sticky water. But the feathers are too much; they catch in his throat and make him cough. He spits it out and leaves it in the long grass on the side of the hard track. The hard track is a puzzle to Cody. The Big Creatures with no legs run very fast along the hard tracks, and inside them are hairless pack leaders. Sometimes the Big Creatures kill dogs if the dogs are not careful. Cody is careful. There is only one Big Creature along this track and it is far enough away that he can cross it without the big creature killing him. Cody crosses it and feels safe again. He thinks it strange that the Big Creatures with hairless pack leaders in them only stay on the hard track, but it is comforting nonetheless. On the other side of the track Cody smells wet grass, trees, flowers, birds, and further away meat of some kind being burnt over fire. All these smells mingle into one big smell but Cody is able to separate them and know them in their original forms. There are no big kennels on this side of the track, only lots of grass and trees. He can smell the big kennel that is far away on this side, but only faintly. A new smell arrives. It’s a pup from a hairless pack leader! He smells and hears it walking through the grass. Cody loves pups from hairless pack leaders as they play a lot and rub his tummy! Cody bounds through the grass, past the trees and into a large meadow. There it is! Cody runs up to it and leaps on it. It smells of fear; sour and salty. The pup shoves him back and tells him to Sit. Cody Sits, his tail wagging and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. The pup pats his head and the sour smell wafts away. Cody loves this pup. It smells of soap, dirt and meat. This pup has another smell, a deeper one. It reminds Cody of a dog with it’s tail between its legs but is forced to fight. The pup bends and grabs at Cody’s collar. ‘Cody,’ the pup says. Cody wiggles his bum on the ground, glad this pup knows what his own pack leader calls him. ‘Come on, boy,’ the pup says. The pup walks further into the meadow, Cody at his side, frequently looking up at the pup as they pass more trees and approach another hard track. The smell of meat burning is stronger now. Cody can smell sticky water too. The pup crosses the track and so does Cody. Now he can see a large kennel, like the one his pack leader has. This one is made of wood and has grass in it that’s taller than Cody. He can also see two dead Big Creatures, they’re empty of pack leaders and don’t have those smelly, circle legs. Cody is so happy! He loves seeing new kennels and new pack leaders. And sometimes they give him food (he hadn’t forgotten the burning meat smell). They walk around to the back of the kennel and Cody sees a smaller one, just big enough for one or two pack leaders, and the pup opens the door. ‘In there, Cody.’ Cody goes into the kennel and the door closes. ‘Is that you, Jeffrey?’ Cody hears an alpha male ask. ‘Yeah, Dad.’ The sound of the pup fades. Cody can smell a dead cat and a dead bird in this kennel. Also a dead dog, but he can’t reach them as they’re on a shelf that’s too high. Cody lays down on the cold floor and thinks of his new friend and all of the smells he sniffed today. There is a line of light coming from the bottom of the door and it starts to fade. Cody is hungry and thirsty now. He hears the pup come back to the kennel, his feet crunching the wet grass as he walks. The pup opens the door. He smells like burning meat. Cody sits up, wagging his tail. The pup has a length of rope with a loop at one end. Cody wags his tail harder as he thinks he’s going to go for a Walk. The pup puts the noose around Cody’s head and drags him out of the kennel. It is dark now and Cody can only see things very faintly, outlines and silhouettes. But he can smell sour fear and metallic adrenaline coming from the pup. He is reminded again of a dog with its tail between its legs. The pup drags him towards a tree. Cody wants him to stop but he is Cody’s friend and wants to please him. The pup throws the rope over the tree and pulls it down. Cody slowly rises, the air in his throat restricted. He howls but it comes out as a moan. The sour-metallic smell is stronger now. Cody struggles in the noose, wriggling and writhing. The pup has a long wooden stick that is thin at one end and fat at the other. Cody looks from the stick to the pup. ‘Batter up!’ The pup swings the stick and it hits Cody in the flank. He yelps. The pup swings it again and it hits Cody’s head. Sticky water drips into his eyes. He blinks. He is scared of the pup but loves him. He wags his tail. The pup swings the stick again and it pounds into Cody’s stomach. Cody wails but it is difficult as he’s finding it hard to breathe. The sour-metallic smell is the overriding smell now. Before Cody could smell the grass and whatever was in the big kennel, but not now. He wants the pup to stop. He wants the pup to scratch behind his ear. The pup whacks him in the head again, using his full weight behind the stick. Cody’s whole body is throbbing and broken. He stops moving. The pup puts the stick down and approaches Cody. He puts his hand out to feel Cody. With his last breath and last reserve of energy, Cody opens his mouth. He licks the pup’s hand.
Cody is a German Shepherd and usually he is a Very Good Boy. That’s what the big, hairless pack leader with two paws always said; the pack leader who gave him food and water and shelter. The pack leader is Cody’s best friend.
Right now the pack leader would call him a Very Bad Boy because Cody notices two legged food with feathers waddle past the back gate, and as there is one weak spot in the fence he is able to push the panel aside with his nose and squeeze through the gap.
He catches the two legged feathered food and shakes it until it stops moving. He rips at its neck and feels its hot, sticky water. But the feathers are too much; they catch in his throat and make him cough. He spits it out and leaves it in the long grass on the side of the hard track.
The hard track is a puzzle to Cody. The Big Creatures with no legs run very fast along the hard tracks, and inside them are hairless pack leaders. Sometimes the Big Creatures kill dogs if the dogs are not careful.
Cody is careful. There is only one Big Creature along this track and it is far enough away that he can cross it without the big creature killing him. Cody crosses it and feels safe again. He thinks it strange that the Big Creatures with hairless pack leaders in them only stay on the hard track, but it is comforting nonetheless.
On the other side of the track Cody smells wet grass, trees, flowers, birds, and further away meat of some kind being burnt over fire. All these smells mingle into one big smell but Cody is able to separate them and know them in their original forms.
There are no big kennels on this side of the track, only lots of grass and trees. He can smell the big kennel that is far away on this side, but only faintly.
A new smell arrives. It’s a pup from a hairless pack leader! He smells and hears it walking through the grass. Cody loves pups from hairless pack leaders as they play a lot and rub his tummy!
Cody bounds through the grass, past the trees and into a large meadow. There it is! Cody runs up to it and leaps on it. It smells of fear; sour and salty. The pup shoves him back and tells him to Sit.
Cody Sits, his tail wagging and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. The pup pats his head and the sour smell wafts away.
Cody loves this pup. It smells of soap, dirt and meat. This pup has another smell, a deeper one. It reminds Cody of a dog with it’s tail between its legs but is forced to fight.
The pup bends and grabs at Cody’s collar.
‘Cody,’ the pup says.
Cody wiggles his bum on the ground, glad this pup knows what his own pack leader calls him.
‘Come on, boy,’ the pup says. The pup walks further into the meadow, Cody at his side, frequently looking up at the pup as they pass more trees and approach another hard track. The smell of meat burning is stronger now. Cody can smell sticky water too.
The pup crosses the track and so does Cody. Now he can see a large kennel, like the one his pack leader has. This one is made of wood and has grass in it that’s taller than Cody. He can also see two dead Big Creatures, they’re empty of pack leaders and don’t have those smelly, circle legs.
Cody is so happy! He loves seeing new kennels and new pack leaders. And sometimes they give him food (he hadn’t forgotten the burning meat smell).
They walk around to the back of the kennel and Cody sees a smaller one, just big enough for one or two pack leaders, and the pup opens the door. ‘In there, Cody.’ Cody goes into the kennel and the door closes.
‘Is that you, Jeffrey?’ Cody hears an alpha male ask.
‘Yeah, Dad.’ The sound of the pup fades.
Cody can smell a dead cat and a dead bird in this kennel. Also a dead dog, but he can’t reach them as they’re on a shelf that’s too high. Cody lays down on the cold floor and thinks of his new friend and all of the smells he sniffed today.
There is a line of light coming from the bottom of the door and it starts to fade. Cody is hungry and thirsty now.
He hears the pup come back to the kennel, his feet crunching the wet grass as he walks. The pup opens the door. He smells like burning meat. Cody sits up, wagging his tail. The pup has a length of rope with a loop at one end.
Cody wags his tail harder as he thinks he’s going to go for a Walk.
The pup puts the noose around Cody’s head and drags him out of the kennel.
It is dark now and Cody can only see things very faintly, outlines and silhouettes. But he can smell sour fear and metallic adrenaline coming from the pup. He is reminded again of a dog with its tail between its legs.
The pup drags him towards a tree. Cody wants him to stop but he is Cody’s friend and wants to please him. The pup throws the rope over the tree and pulls it down. Cody slowly rises, the air in his throat restricted. He howls but it comes out as a moan. The sour-metallic smell is stronger now.
Cody struggles in the noose, wriggling and writhing.
The pup has a long wooden stick that is thin at one end and fat at the other. Cody looks from the stick to the pup.
‘Batter up!’ The pup swings the stick and it hits Cody in the flank. He yelps. The pup swings it again and it hits Cody’s head. Sticky water drips into his eyes. He blinks. He is scared of the pup but loves him. He wags his tail.
The pup swings the stick again and it pounds into Cody’s stomach. Cody wails but it is difficult as he’s finding it hard to breathe. The sour-metallic smell is the overriding smell now. Before Cody could smell the grass and whatever was in the big kennel, but not now.
He wants the pup to stop. He wants the pup to scratch behind his ear. The pup whacks him in the head again, using his full weight behind the stick. Cody’s whole body is throbbing and broken. He stops moving. The pup puts the stick down and approaches Cody. He puts his hand out to feel Cody.
With his last breath and last reserve of energy, Cody opens his mouth. He licks the pup’s hand.