Finding Home

     The Pound.

     It’s a dark, dismal place if you’ve never been. Pets went crazy in there, sitting day after day, their hearts lifting every time the bell rang over the door, only to have it sink once they realized that the owner who had entered would not be the one. “Next time, next time. The next one will be the one,” was their hopeful chant. But most pets never did find the one.

     The morning it all started I was sitting at my usual table, eating a plain omelette, and talking with my friends. It was raining out and the ceiling in the dining room had a leak, so there was this incessant dripping noise echoing and giving me a headache. I get headaches a lot, so this was nothing unusual, but I still wasn’t happy. Lina, who I shared a cage with back then, used to say that I was never happy. That’s not entirely untrue. But when you’ve spent your entire life trapped in a small, miserable cell, let out only to eat, it’s a little hard to be happy.

     My friends and I were the ‘rejects’ of the Pound, and I don’t mean in the sense that we had horrific names, species, or paint jobs. No. We were the ones who had gotten stuck in ‘limbo.’ No potential owner ever saw us, never passed by our cage, never noticed how pretty our names might be, or that we had an expensive coat colour. We were just… stuck. In a way, I guess, we were luckier than the normal pets. There was never any hope of getting out, so there was never the disappointment as an owner picked a different pet, the letdown as another day passed without freedom.

     It was on this day, another mundane Wednesday, that my life began to change.

     As I picked at my food, starting to daydream, my thoughts were interrupted by the voice of one of my companions.

     “Zhiva, did you hear what I just said?”

     I jumped slightly and put down my fork, my eyes falling upon the Neopet who had spoken. Danni, an older, slightly crazed Lenny, was staring at me rather reproachfully. I glanced around, desperately trying to catch the eyes of any of the others at our table, but they all seemed unusually interested in their food.

     “No.”

     My tone was a little harsher than I had meant, but the combination of the poor weather and my pounding headache made it hard for me to keep myself in check. Danni looked displeased at my response, but I could tell the rest of my friends were hiding their grins.

     “Well, I was just telling the rest of the group that I finally figured out how we can escape. This plan is foolproof, trust me.”

     I groaned inwardly. Please Danni, not another escape plan. Not today. About once a week the Lenny came up with a new, ‘foolproof’ plan on how to escape our current situation. When I first got here, I had listened in rapt attention, eager to leave this horrid place, completely convinced that the next plan really would be the one. What I had failed to notice, at least until the second month, were the rolled eyes and mutters of “not again” by the surrounding Neopets. After the fourth failed attempt, I finally caught on to the fact that Danni’s plans were just his coping mechanism, his way to deal with the harsh reality of this place. Now I just tried to tune them out. Today, however, I would not be so lucky.

     “As I was saying, the garbage wagon comes at exactly 7:30 every Thursday night, just as we finish dinner. If we can manage to start a distraction in the cafeteria, some of us would be able to slip into the kitchen, out the back door and ride the garbage wagon to freedom! It’s so simple, what could go wrong?”

     I rolled my eyes. Everything, I thought to myself, but I bit my tongue. If Danni wanted to make another escape attempt, who was I to stop him? He never listened to our reasoning anyway. Sighing, I picked up my fork again and resumed pushing my food around the plate, the plink! plink! of the rain making my headache grow worse. It was going to be a long day.

     “I think Danni’s plan might actually work this time.”

     I opened my eyes in surprise and whipped my head around to where Lina sat. It was after dinner and we had returned to our cages for the night. My headache had grown worse and so rather than subject my roommate to my testy mood, I had decided to go to sleep early, rather than partake in our usual nighttime conversation. Our cage was a small square with hard concrete walls surrounding us on all but one side. It was poorly lit and rather cramped, but Lina’s cheerful demeanour and sunny disposition seemed to make the place at least a bit more enjoyable. Tonight, however, I knew that the mood was going to be less than pleasant.

     “Why on earth would you think that?” I said, raising myself from my sleeping position and turning to face Lina completely. “You know Danni’s plans are always crazier than the last. And what’s the point? What happens if we do escape? None of us has anywhere to go. We’ll starve on our own.”

     Lina gave me a sad look. We had had this conversation before. As much as I hated where we lived, I was practical and knew that life outside the Pound was uncertain, dangerous, and downright scary. It was not something I really wanted. Lina, on the other hand, had gotten it into her head that if we managed to get out of here, we were going to end up in loving homes with doting owners and caring siblings. Yeah, right. We would end up alone, starving, and homeless, forced to endure the cold and rain on our own. It was not a life I envied.

      I opened my mouth to speak again, to repeat some of my thoughts, but Lina cut me off. “Zhiva, you know any owner would adopt you in a heartbeat! You’re painted. All you’d have to do is walk up, knock on someone’s door, tell them you have no owner and presto! you have a home. Me, on the other hand….” Her face fell and she grew quiet.

      I knew was would have come next. Lina was unpainted, and a Kyrii. As adorable and sweet-natured as Lina was, we both knew that unpainted and poorly named Kyriis had a very little chance of ever being adopted, even if they’re not a stuck pet. Me, on the other hand, I was a painted, well-named Lupe. Everyone knew that if I wasn’t stuck, I would have been snatched up the second I got here. But, unfortunately, that was not the case.

      “Why do you think Danni’s plan will work this time?” I asked, hastily trying to change the subject.

      Lina’s expression instantly brightened. “Because I can feel it. This time I just know it’s going to work. I can’t explain why, I just know it. Please tell me you’ll try and leave with me? Please? I couldn’t bear the thought of being free while you’re still trapped here.”

      About to protest, I caught sight of the desperate look in her eyes, the pitiful hope that I had no desire to extinguish. “Alright, I guess one more try couldn’t hurt,” I said, giving her a small smile.

     A large grin came across her face. “Excellent!” she cheered, before finally lying down and closing her eyes. I sighed once more and shut my eyes. Tomorrow would certainly be exciting.

     Just like yesterday at breakfast, that day at dinner I picked disinterestedly at my food. This time, however, I was more alert, ready to go at a moment’s notice. My eyes kept jumping to the clock on the wall, the second hand mocking me as it ticked, ticked, ticked, getting slower and slower with every movement. I was breathing fast; my heart was pounding and my body was quivering with anticipation. I was a nervous wreck.

     “Zhiva, relax.”

     I jumped as Lina placed her hand on my arm. I nodded and took a deep breath, struggling to keep my nerves in check. Why am I so worried? I thought to myself. After all, it’s not like this is going to work anyway, and when we do fail it’s not as if anything’s really going to happen to us. That reasoning seemed to calm me down a little. I was just doing this for Lina, it’s not as if I was really looking forward to life on the outside. No, just for Lina, I kept telling myself.

     “It’s almost time,” Danni whispered loudly. Unsurprisingly, the only Neopets willing to go along with the Lenny’s crazy scheme had been me and Lina, and I was just there out of boredom and pity for my cellmate. But Danni didn’t care, the more the merrier in his mind. “Now, you remember what I told you to do?” he continued, staring at the two of us intently.

     Lina nodded seriously, her large brown eyes wide with excitement. I just rolled my eyes and looked back at the clock. 7:29. Almost there.

     We waited until the last minute in silence. I could feel Lina’s nervous tension from across the table, her small body almost wriggling with the anxiety. And then the second hand reached the top and our plan was a go.

     I dug my paw into my food and hurled the unidentifiable mush as hard as I could. It hit a large Skeith in the back of the head who then immediately whipped around to discover the source of the mashed potatoes now dripping down his back. Not seeing any, he chose to simply throw his remaining peas in a random direction. And so, our distraction had started.

     In less than a minute a full-scale food fight had broken out in the cafeteria. Pets were running wild and the supervisors were completely at a loss for what to do. With the confusion, no one noticed the three of us slipping into the kitchen that was now, thanks to the mess outside, completely empty. Danni spotted the back door first and motioned for us to follow. Quietly, the three of us exited the back door.

     I couldn’t remember the last time I had been outside. We spent every minute of our day inside the Pound with its stale air and musty odour. But this, this was different. The pure, sweet air filled my lungs and I stopped just to breathe in the scent of the outdoors.

     “Zhiva, come on!” Lina called, breaking my moment of rapture. I quickly opened my eyes and bounded after my two companions, both of which were now climbing into the back of a large garbage wagon. I scrambled into the open back of the wagon and found myself on top of a very large pile of trash. Immediately, the truck began to drive away. We had done it. We had escaped.

     My excitement was short-lived as about thirty minutes into our drive the truck took a sharp turn. I was sitting towards the back of the truck and when it turned abruptly, I lost my balance and tumbled backwards, falling hard onto the road. Bruised but not badly hurt, I watched in horror as the truck carrying my friends drove off into the distance, growing smaller with each passing minute. I was alone.

     Everywhere I looked I could see house after house after house. So, these must be NeoHomes, I thought to myself. I had heard stories from other pets about their former NeoHomes, large, glamorous houses filled with expensive furniture and lavish belongings. I had always doubted the validity of these stories but looking around now I could tell that they might not have been entirely fabricated. Bright lights seeped out of windows, illuminating gardens and casting long shadows. I shivered, suddenly realizing how cold it really was out.

     It then dawned on me that I had no place to sleep that night. Since I hadn’t really expected on getting out, I hadn’t exactly planned for the days and nights to come. Where would I go? What would I do? How would I eat? Lina’s words from last night played back in my head.

     “All you’d have to do is walk up, knock on someone’s door, tell them you have no owner and presto! you have a home.”

     But did I want an owner? Did I really want someone who could control my entire fate, who could just as easily dump me back at the Pound? No, I told myself. No, it was best if I was on my own.

     And so, with that resolve in mind, I curled up next to a nearby tree and fell asleep, alone for the first time in my life.

     The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that Lina wasn’t there. I had shared a cage with that Kyrii for almost my entire life so not having her next to me when I woke up was a bit of a shock. The second thing I noticed was the light. I hadn’t realized last night when we were leaving how blindingly bright it was outside during the day. I had to squint heavily just to make out what was around me.

     All I could see were the rows and rows of houses all around. I had no idea where I was, or where I should be going.

     Clumsily, still blinded by the sun, I stood up and began poking around silently. It didn’t take me long to realize that in front of each house there ran a road, and on that road, there were both Neopets and owners going in all directions. In all my life I had only seen a handful of owners. Being stuck in the Pound meant that we only caught glimpses of them on our way to meals, but never had I been able to look at one closely. Many of them walked in pairs or groups, apparently chitchatting about that day’s news, but most of them seemed more interested in their Neopets. This was what really got me. These Neopets were, well, happy. They were smiling and laughing, apparently thrilled to be with each other and their owners. Never had I seen a pet that looked downright content. Most of the smiles in the Pound were forced, the occasional genuine laugh could be heard during mealtimes, but for the most part, everyone had been quiet and withdrawn.

     I allowed myself to marvel at this sight for a few minutes before deciding that it was time to start moving. I began to walk as casually as I could, trying my best not to draw attention to myself. The array of houses seemed never-ending, but after about twenty minutes of walking I noticed that my surroundings were starting to change. The houses were becoming fewer and fewer, replaced, by shops. Along with the changed buildings came a change in the number of pets. I had thought there was a lot on the roads, but that number paled in comparison to the number of bodies swarming in and out of the shops.

     Now I know that that seemingly magical place I stumbled upon is Neopia Central. While it may not seem like much to most pets, to me it was simply astonishing. The number of pets, the shops, everything was just breathtaking. And it was in that magical place that I lived for over just over a month, until the day he showed up and changed my life forever.

     It was a slightly drizzly morning about five weeks after my great escape. I had taken to sleeping under the archway by the Soup Kitchen because it provided a decent amount of shelter and I was able to get to the Soup Faerie before the morning rush started.

     On this particular morning, I had already gotten breakfast and was wandering through the Bazaar, not entirely cognizant of where I was walking. Because it was raining, the number of bodies that were strolling the streets was negligent. I liked these days when the roads were clear and I could lose myself in thought without having to worry about getting run over. Mostly I thought about Lina, how much I missed her and what the chances were that I would ever see her again. Slim to none, I always told myself miserably. As I was reminiscing about all the long conversations we used to have and how bright she used to make our small cage, I suddenly felt myself knocked over by another Neopet.

     Slightly bewildered, I looked up to see an adorable Baby Lupe staring back at me, his big grey eyes studying me curiously.

     “Matti! Matti get back here!”

     The Baby Lupe, whom I took to be Matti, looked up guiltily at the call and quickly trotted off to its source. I managed to sit back up, my eyes following the small Lupe as he made his way back to his family, a large Faerie Lupe and a small Baby Xweetok, who was giggling at her brother’s antics. After giving the younger Lupe a stern look, the pale blue Lupe walked quickly over to where I was and hastily offered out his paw to help me up. I gratefully accepted and pulled myself back up onto all fours again.

     “I’m sorry about my brother, he tends not to look where he’s going,” the Lupe said apologetically. He hesitated a moment before continuing. “I’m Zhro by the way. It’s nice to meet you….?”

     “Zhiva,” I answered. “And don’t worry about it, I’m fine.” I gave him a small smile before turning and walking away, eager to be rid of that situation. But I learned then that Zhro did not give up easily.

     “Wait, Zhiva!”

     I groaned inwardly as I heard my name called out. Reluctantly I turned back to the Faerie Lupe. “Yes?” I asked, trying my hardest to keep the impatience from my voice.

     “Do you want to grab a bite to eat? My treat, to make up for Matti knocking you over.”

     He looked so harmless, his big blue eyes were almost pleading with me. And, to be honest, I was starting to get a little hungry. What could be the harm in getting lunch? He was paying after all. I shrugged nonchalantly and walked back over to the small group. Zhro’s grin was immediate and radiating. “Excellent!” he exclaimed. “Any preference on where we go?” I gave a noncommittal shrug. “How about the hot dog place?” I nodded my agreement and our group of four headed over to the restaurant across the Bazaar.

     I didn’t want to admit this to Zhro, but I had never had a hot dog before. I had never had anything other than Pound food and soup my whole life, so the idea of having purchased food was a novelty for me. As we entered the shop, I was astounded by the sheer number of choices there were. Even though I had been living in the area for over a month, I had never actually wandered into any of the shops. What was the point? I didn’t have any money and they were normally too packed for browsing. But today, because of the weather, there were only a few other pets milling around and we were able to order rather quickly.

     Embarrassed by my ignorance of real food, I simply ordered a plain hot dog. Seeming to sense my slight discomfort, Zhro ordered plain hot dogs for all of us, and soon the four of us were sitting at a small table outside, chowing down on our meals.

     I remained silent throughout most of lunch, listening to Zhro as he rambled on about his many brothers and sisters, their slightly delusional owner and all their wacky family adventures. I paid rapt attention, soaking in every word about his seemingly perfect life, content to munch on my hot dog and hear about how last Christmas they had been stuck on Mystery Island for two weeks after the ferry broke down.

     “So what’s your family like?”

     There it was, the question I had been dreading. What was I going to say? How did I answer a question that I didn’t have an answer to? I considered lying, fabricating a story about a wonderful owner and interesting siblings. But I never have been the creative type. So, I told the truth.

     “I don’t have a family. I ran away from the Pound five weeks ago and I’ve been living on my own ever since.”

     Zhro took it better than I had expected. Rather than act surprised, he nodded, took another bite of his hot dog and then asked a question that I’ll never forget.

     “Do you want to join our family?”

     I swear my jaw nearly hit the floor when he asked that. How could someone be so nonchalant about something that enormous? And how could he ask that after knowing me for a little over an hour? And did he even have the power to make that sort of decision? Zhro seemed to have read my mind when he spoke next. “Kate won’t mind, most of my family is just a bunch of misfits that she let in off the streets. And she has a soft spot for Lupes, which is probably why she has fourteen of us,” he said, grinning. “Trust me, she’ll love you, even if you do turn out to be a raving lunatic.”

     Hesitantly, I nodded. Why not give the whole family thing a shot?

     I’ve been with Kate now for about three months and I think I’ve finally gotten the whole family thing down. Zhro was right when he said she’d love me. She took one look at me after Zhro told her my situation and grinned. “Well of course she can join our family, silly, there’s no need to even ask.” And that was that.

     I share a bedroom with Zhro, who’s turned into my best friend and my favourite of all my siblings. The two of us are constantly talking and wandering off together. He knows all about my life at the Pound and how much I miss Lina, and I’ve learned all about his dreams of being a musician and becoming famous. It’s nice to have him to talk to when I get frustrated with one of my sisters or can’t understand what something means.

     It’s different having freedom. Kate lets us wander around the shops as much as we like, so long as we take a buddy. She’ll even give us some Neopoints if we ask, so once a week about half of us beg some money out of her and wander over to the Slushie Shop. Simple things like that seem to make life just a little brighter, the grass a little greener.

     That whole family thing? Totally worth the wait.