Never would it be the same.

 

a           a           a

 

 

 

Jenna opened her pale blue eyes, sleepily, looking around the dark room, wishing she could go back to sleep.

 

            “Mom,” she whispered, nudging Autumn gently on her side.  “Are you awake?”

           

            Autumn opened her eyes slowly, yawning.  “Well I am now.”

 

            The red pup smiled, slightly embarrassed at not realizing her mother would still have been sleeping.  “I can’t sleep, mom,” she said, lowering her ears slightly.  “I miss my brother and sister.”

 

            “I know,” Autumn told her, nuzzling her lovingly.  “I do, too.”

 

            “Can we… can we go find them?” Jenna asked, hopefully.

 

            Autumn shook her head. 

 

 

             Autumn shook her head.  “No.”

 

 

          The red pup just looked at her.  “But…”

 

 

 

           “It’s out of the question.”

 

 

            Jenna stood up, facing her mother, anger in her small eyes.  “You can’t stop me from going,” she whispered, a small growl in her throat.  “I'm going.  And- and there is nothing you can do about it!”

 

         

          She leapt down from Rosie’s bed and ran out the door, tears stinging her eyes.  The pup hesitated at the wooden door leading outside, wondering if it was really the right thing to do.

 

 

 

            “But it is going to be locked,” she told herself, glancing up at a window.  “But that’s open!”

 

 

 

            Clumsily jumping onto the table under the window, she slipped out.

 

 

 

            As she hit the ground, Jenna made a small grunt.  Standing to her paws and shaking herself off, she gazed up at the window she had just escaped from.

 

 

 

            Glancing around, Jenna started to wander in the direction she believed the box had been just a few days before. 

 

 

 

            “Where is it?!” Jenna cried, looking franticly around, trying not to let the rising panic take over her.  “Oh…  This was a bad idea.  I should have stayed home.”

 

 

 

            “That would have been a wise choice young pup,” a voice said from the shadows.

 

 

 

            Jenna spun around, her tail tucked tightly between her hind legs and her ears laid back in terror.  “W-who’s there?” she yelped, trying to sound a lot braver than she really was.

 

 

 

            The voice chuckled.  “Don’t worry.  I'm not gong to hurt you little one.”

 

 

 

            Jenna was about to speak again, but the source of the voice appeared, silencing her.

           

            “You’re a pretty small pup to be out here all alone, aren’t ‘ya?” he asked, chuckling.

 

 

 

            The red pup looked away.  “I guess so.”

 

 

 

            She gasped as the male stepped closer into the light the moon cast off.  He had straggly black fur, his body covered in old scars.  The male had chocolate brown eyes that twinkled with youthfulness.

 

 

 

            “Who are you?” Jenna questioned.

 

 

 

            The black male smiled.  “The name’s Zark.”

 

 

 

            Jenna nodded.  “That’s such a cool name!” she exclaimed, almost forgetting her fear.  Then as an after thought, she added, “I am Jenna.”

 

 

 

            He gently chuckled again, looking her up and down.  “So what made you run away from your home?”

 

 

 

            “Well,” she started, “I don’t really want to talk about it.  But I do want to go home.  I just don’t know where home is.”

 

 

 

            Zark nodded.  “Tell you what:  I'll bring you to where I sleep for tonight and then tomorrow I will bring you home.”

 

 

 

            “Really?”

 

 

 

            “Sure.  It’s the least I can do,” he told her, turning back to the shadows motioning for Jenna to follow him.. she scampered up beside him, wagging her tail, glad to have someone looking out for her.

 

 

 

            It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach a small dark ally-way.  Zark lay down on a small pile of blankets, waiting for Jenna to lie down as well.  As she did, he protectively wrapped his tail around her and shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

 

 

 

            She glanced at him and smiled, snuggling into his warm tail.  As sleep started to take over her, she could almost see her siblings around her.  She smiled as she and sleep finally met.

 

 

 

            “Rise and shine Jenna,” Zark laughed, nudging the red pup.  “Daylight is burning.”

 

 

 

            Jenna opened her eyes groggily, looking up at the larger black dog.  She glanced around her surroundings, momentarily forgetting where she was.

 

 

 

            Standing, she shook herself off, yawning.  The red pup smiled as Zark laughed at her.

 

 

 

            “Wan to get going?” he asked.  “I'm sure your owner is frantic with worry.”

 

 

 

            Jenna nodded slowly, thinking of the thing that had brought her out, away from the warmth of her cozy home.  “When we get back, you should stay with us!” she exclaimed.

 

 

 

            Zark shook his head.  “Nah,” he told her.  “I don’t belong in a house.  But once I get you back, you will see me again.”

           

            Jenna nodded, pretending to understand.  It was an unknown reason to her that anyone would pass the opportunity to have a loving owner to take care of them.

 

 

 

            She waited patiently as the black male rose to his paws, a slight smirk crossing his face.

 

 

 

            “Well, come on then,” he told her, walking out of the ally-way, glancing back to make sure she was following him.

 

 

 

            Jenna smiled, wagging her tail, as she followed Zark.  She could imagine what might have happened to her if he hadn’t found her last night.

 

 

 

            “How are you going to find where I live?” Jenna asked after a few moments of silence.

 

 

 

            Zark smiled.  “Well,” he told her, “I have to get your scent and then follow it.”

 

 

 

            Jenna nodded.  “Do you have my scent?”

 

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