Handed in for an English Homework: Part Five

March 3rd

“The first is that, due to the lack of space, we are going to have to put you in cages. These shall be arranged in alphabetical order.” Shocked silence was displayed on every neopet’s face. “The second is...” but we did not hear the second thing, because of the noise of neopets protesting, screaming and kicking, as assistants tried to force them into cages. However, eventually each of us was put into one, and they were stacked up, taking up the whole room. Like toys on a shelf at a store, about to be sold. Except we’re not items, we’re pets. We deserve better than this! The neopets next to me seem dull. They’ve made friends with other pets, and seem to be ignoring me. I hope we’re not like this for much longer.

     March 5th

     Great news! Fyora has moved in next to me! When I asked how, she just replied that a little bribery goes a long way. But now, even though we’re stuck in small cages, in a large room with thousands of other pets, and no sign of getting out any time soon, I’m happy.

     March 20th

     A new neopet joined the pound team today. He’s a robot hissi. He doesn’t come to the pound very often, but he seems very interested in Fyora. He’s always asking her questions. Was she nervous about not having the right owner adopt her? Had she heard of anything like that happening? How did she feel about it? He’s odd, but not scary like Dr. Death.

     March 3rd

     Easter. Apparently.

     April 1st

     I hate Dr. Death. This morning, he told us the pound had re-opened, we were free to leave. We were let out, and told to follow Dr. Death to our new home. We walked for a while, before entering another building. Expectantly, we entered, and frowned. This new hall looked exactly the same as our old one. However, we climbed into the cages.

     “APRIL FOOLS!”

     Dr. Death stood at the stage, laughing his head off.

     “You should have seen your faces! You actually believed...” but he was cut short by Fyora, of all people.

     “That’s not funny!” she yelled, and several pets nodded their agreement. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be us? How much we want to get out? We’re pets, not something there for your amusement!” She would have continued, but several other pets began to call out as well.

     “How would you like it if we did that to you?”

     “I’m sick of you treating us like this!”

     “I’m going to complain the moment I get out of here!”

     And then after that it just turned into chaos. There was so much noise; most pets were just putting their paws over their ears.

     However, rumour has it that the pound is opening this month! I can’t wait to get out! Even if I’m still in the pound, I’ll be in a proper room and be able to walk about.

     I hope.

     April somewhere in the 20s

     I tried keeping count of the days, but I lost track of time. It’s hard to tell when is day and when is night.

     April 30th

     Pound re-opened today.

     We went there, and we watched the pets coming in for a bit.

     And then came the bad news.

     We’re not going back in.

     Not for a while anyway. They say probably before the end of the year.

     But, after all I’ve been through, it doesn’t seem too bad. After a certain point, you just come to accept disappointment. We stayed and watched the pets coming in a bit more, then left, silently.

     It was, in a way, amazing. All those neopets, lining up, getting in to our cages, carrying on as normal. No screams. No attacks. Just silence.

     “We’ll get out,” I said. “I swear, we’ll get out.”

     “Yes,” said Fyora. “But will we be let out is the question.”

     June 1st

     Due to the lack of anything happening and the fact we are only informed of the date on the first of the month, I will only be writing on the first.

     So, what has happened this month? Not much. I made friends with the Acara in the cage next to me. I spend most of my time sleeping because there’s nothing to do. My dreams are more interesting than any of my time awake, but I suppose all dreams are. It is, in a way, such a shame we forget them as soon as we wake up.

     July 1st

     It’s getting rather hot and uncomfortable in the pound now that the summer is here. Fyora and I have decided that we will run away by the end of the year if we are not released. We’ll go and live by the Money Tree, and I’ll search there for items because, as Fyora put it:

     “The poorest of the poor go there, so you’ll fit right in.”

     I suppose when we do leave, we will be the poorest of the poor.

     “Even if all we can pick up is a soggy cardboard box, we can still sell that for a neopoint and buy food with it,” she told me.

     “We must be the only neopets in Neopia to want a soggy cardboard box.” I forced myself to smile.

     Fyora sighed. “I hope so.”

     August 1st

     The heat is uncomfortable, and many arguments are breaking out. Sometimes I wish they’d just let us out! What are they so afraid of? Or have they simply forgotten about us in the excitement of the pound re-opening?

     September 1st

     Nothing’s happening. I sleep, I wake up, I talk. I sleep, I wake up, I talk.

     October 1st

     Sleep wake up talk, sleep wake up talk. Over and over. Who knows how many times?

     It was Fyora’s birthday a few days ago, I suppose. I didn’t get her anything. What do I have to give?

     November 1st

     The exciting thing that happened this month? One of the assistants gave me an omelette, because she felt sorry for me. If I escape, that’s what I’ll do. Get rich, and buy food, loads of food, and give it to everyone here. They deserve it more than any pet out there.

     December 1st

     31 days! Just one month until freedom!

     December 5th

     And, just as we hit the month mark, it’s finally happening! I can’t believe it! At first I wasn’t sure, but then the pets, in alphabetical order, starting going onto a pound called pound_release, and then into the pound. We all cheered when Berry, a red Kougra, was the first of us to be adopted.

     They reckon they’ll have us out by the end of the month.

     “That’s great!” Fyora yelled when we found out. “So soon! I can’t believe it! I’ll finally be out of here!”

     “Yeah,” I said. “Great.”

     “You don’t sound too excited about this,” Fyora commented.

     I shrugged.

     “In the end, it’s just another place to stay, to go to until I’m told to go somewhere else.”

     She nodded, and sat back in her cage.

     “Well, that ends at the end of the month. I’ll make sure every Neopian out there knows about you! I’ll bring them to see you! They’ll be queuing up to adopt you, you’ll see!”

     I wish I could believe her.

     December 24th

     Today’s the day! And Fyora in a couple of days! The conditions are a bit smaller than my old pound, but certainly bigger than the cages. Definitely an improvement. I don’t have a room partner yet, but I will.

     There are a lot of potential owners here. They all try and see you, the mysterious pet off pound_release, when you come in, but leave you alone when they realise what you are.

     “It’s just another of those bad named basics,” muttered one, when she saw my name.

      Am I more than just that?

     December 25th

     As today, apparently, is Christmas, which is often an upsetting time for pets in the pound, the pink Uni decided we should all spend five minutes chatting to a counsellor. How did it go? Well, something like this:

     “Hello, Fluffy.”

     “It’s Pixie.”

     “What an unusual name.”

     Silence.

     “So, what would you like to talk about?”

     Nothing, preferably. “I don’t mind.”

     “Shall we talk about your old owner?”

     Silence.

     “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. What do you remember about your owner?”

     I remember how I used to wait for her to come, and then be so pleased to see her, even though we were poor and I was hungry, because she was my owner, and she loved me for who I was not what I am.

     “Nothing. I don’t remember anything.”

     “Nothing at all?”

     I remember how we used to go out for the day, and see new things, like the shimmering Rainbow Pool or kind kitchen faerie, and I thought it was the most exciting thing ever. I didn’t know anything about other worlds, or neopoints, or that red doored house where unwanted pets go.

     “No. Nothing.”

     “Not even her name?”

     Sophie. Lovely, kind, caring Sophie. My owner Sophie.

     “I think it might have started with S.”

     He sighed.

     “Fluffy, do you remember the day she left you?”

     I sat up straight. How dare he ask that question?

     “It’s Pixie.”

     He nodded.

     “Pixie, do you remember...”

     “No.” I interrupted. “I don’t. It was a long time ago. Can I go now?”

     He nodded. “Happy Day of Giving.” He wished me as I left. “Maybe I’ll see you another time.”

     “Yeah,” I said. “Maybe next Christmas, and the one after that, and the one after that. I’m not likely to be going anywhere soon.”

     So, it looks like it’s going to be another lonely Christmas. I wish Fyora was here.

     December 26th

     She came! But now she’s gone.

     It was fairly early morning, and she was put next to me at her request. We spoke briefly, but there wasn’t much time. Potential owners were rushing towards her.

     “Is Sophie there?” she kept asking me.

     “I can’t see.” I squinted at the coming crowd.

     “There she is! There!” Fyora was jumping up and down in excitement. “I knew she’d come!”

     I looked for a little bit longer, but couldn’t see her. Then, I finally saw her. She had changed, but she was definitely still Sophie. And she was head of the queue.

     “I see her now!” I told Fyora.

     “And... you don’t mind?” she asked.

     I shrugged.

     “Before, I hated her, and didn’t want anything to do with her, but seeing her again... I just realised that what’s done is done, and it’s time to get on with my life.”

     She nodded.

     “Before I go, there’s something I want you to have.” She took out the picture I gave her as a birthday present. “You drew it, you should keep it. To remember me.”

     I shook my head.

     “You’ll need the reminder more than me. Besides, it was a present! I can’t take it back.”

     “Take it!” She pushed it under my nose.

     “It’s yours!” I pushed it back.

     “Half each!” she yelled. The owners were very near.

     “We can’t tear it!” I couldn’t let my work be ruined like that.

     “Please, Pixie?” She put my paw on the paper.

     Sophie got near to the desk and said something to one of the assistants.

     “Fluffy_neopet123, please come over here!” the assistant barked at me.

     Fyora and I stared at each other. It had to be a mix-up!

     “Got her!” one owner triumphantly called, reaching our dormitory and handing over her neopoints. “Fyora, come here! I’m your new owner!”

     We were still rooted to the spot.

     “Fyora! Come out!” barked a far away distant voice.

     “I’ll miss you,” I said. She nodded.

     “Me too. When I first came here, I hated it. I thought I’d never get used to it. But, looking back, it’s been the best year and a half of my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You should learn to see the good points in it too.”

     Then they took her away. Just picked her up and ran off with her.

     “Fluffy!” Sophie was still at the door. “Please! Talk to me!”

     I shook my head.

     “I came all this way to see you! I gave up everything- my faerie Cybunny, my weekend, my reputation! Just so I could see you! I want you back, Fluffy! So it can be like old times! Like the future I said we could have, where we could buy anything we wanted! Where you would always be my neopet!” Sophie pleaded. “Please, come back with me!”

     “The decision is not Fluffy’s to make,” the assistant told her. “She is only a pet. If you adopt her, she will go home with you. She doesn’t get a choice.”

     Sophie looked at me. “Well, I’m giving her one. What do you think, Fluffy? Will we have the future we always said we would have?”

     I didn’t know what to say.

To be continued...