It was a dark place we were in, with no windows and only one way out, a door that was barred shut. Mom was getting sicker by the day, she couldn't feed us, and one by one I watched my sibilings die. Mom tried to keep them alive, but even she could not survive the blows of the man with the club.

        He came when he thought about it, sometimes mom would go weeks without food, but she tried to feed us. The man would come, throw slop on the ground and Mom would devour it in seconds, but then the man would come for one of us, Mom would growl at him and lunge with her feeble body, to our attacker, but he beat her down, till she was unable to move.

      I tried to help. I was the youngest out of us all, but I was stronger though not by much. I felt the hunger, the rage the man caused, I only wished I were bigger, for if I were he would never touch my Mother or sibilings agian. I was too small to do more damage than a scratch, and that drove my rage even more.

     At the beginning there had been tweleve of us, now there were only four, and even those were becomoming more week. Everyday, Mom would gather her bruised and torn body, and dig, at a certain place, I never bothered her when she worked she seemed too intent. Though I kept wandering how we would all get out of this horrible mess, If only Dad were still here, I knew he would have done something.

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 "Eat while you can sweetheart" Mom said gasping for air with each small breath she took, the man had just come.

 "Mommy, we want you to eat too" My small brother said, we were the only two left and how we had made it to getting teeth amazed us all, but now we were to big to drink what milk our Mother did have, and so we too became reliant on the man with the club.

 "I know, I'm not hungry though, please darlings, eat for me, please" She begged and I saw a tear escape her eyes from the small light that shined through.

"Alright, don't worry Mom" I said "We'll eat a little, but only if you do too" I said as I pushed the food from the dusty floor to her tired lips. She looked at me and smiled slightly, as if she were seeing someone else, and ate a little.

   Soon the little rations found on the grown were gone, and our hunger not even close to being quenched. My throat was terribly dry but I wasn't about to complain. I laid down with my brother. A few moments passed and agian Mom went to the corner, draging her back legs pitifully, it brought tears to my eyes. Agian she pawed at the loose dirt, I did not know what she was planning at that time, for if I had I would have protested, but she was my Mother, and it was her instinct.

 Somehow I had fallen asleep when I awoke agian I was chilled, my brother sleeping next to me was utterly freezing. I yawned, "Hey little brother wake up" I said nudging him carefully, we all had sore spots. He didn't move. "Little brother, wake up rise and shine" Still no answer. I moved his body from me and nudged him in the nose, it was dry and his paws were stiff. I stepped back quickly. No I couldn't be the last one, no not all my brothers and sisters no. Tears escaped and I howled in horror. Mom was there still quickly she put her small body over me. "Its ok, It's ok, shshs" She rocked me back and forth, I knew she was hurt too, having a healthy 12 to be reduced to one, it was an awful thing. "Its ok sweet heart shsh its alright"  "Mom I'm all alone I'm alone" I whimpered "I'm here, I'm here" She said. My heart felt out of rythm and I felt sicker. I buried my self in Mom's fur and I didn't move. Mom sang a lulaby to me, one that brought back memories of happier times, when Dad was alive.

it went:

Close your eyes my sweet darling

dream awhile of a far away place

close your eyes and I'll still be here

holding you close never to let you go

because I'll always be here

I'll forever be in your heart

 as you are in mine

so close your eyes my sweet darling

for I'll be with you when you wake.

  She hummed so lightly she sounded like an angel. I rested in her paws, wishing with all of my heart things could have turned out different.

 My Father had been a tall and strong shephered, while Mom was a mix of some sort, she use to be sleek and slender with a glossy coat almost like Dad's. We lived in a small house with a little girl and boy, it was a quiet and lovely place. Our Mom and Dad loved eachother, it was evident, each time he entered a room, or smiled, when he kissed her genlty on her cheek, or nuzzled her so tenderly before he left to do his days work with our old master, he adored her, and she the same for him.

 Another thing about our Father, is that he loved us too. He took time out for everyone one of us, and having tweleve rowdy pups, well that could take awhile, but he never complained, he'd tell us stories from long ago, of mighty battles (for us boys) and stories of unconditional love (for the girls). Our Father was brave, and strong, and he spent his last day defending us.

 It was a day like any other when our home was attacked. people came and shots were fired every where, we all had our sight, but it was not yet as keen as our parents, and seeing in caohs is much differnt than watching your parents while they tuck you in at night. At first I heard screams, and a loud growl sounded from the next room, we all knew it was Dad. More shots were fired and then Dad came to our side stading at the doorway ready to lunge at anything. "Stay down" He told us, my Mother whined and he looked back, "Don't worry, it'll be ok, I love you" He said nudging her, but even though he assured our safety, I knew the two dogs weren't telling us something. They nuzzled and then our Father looked at us sadly. "I love you guys too, ok, don't ever forget that, now stay down my darlings"  He went too the door way. Men passed by carrying our chickens in crates, and other livestock that our Master had used. Though soon they came to our room. My Mother kept us down as she stood over us but I kept my eyes on Dad.

    The men stood in the door way, I only understood part of what they were saying, Our owner was not from this country, so his speech was different. Dad growled furiosly daring them to step over him, if one took a step he lunged angrily. The men looked at eachother and then inside. I understood a little more "He does not matter,we will make up the money we have lost with those puppies, theres a whole litter in there"  "Alright then what do you want me too do?" The other man asked. "Kill him"  The words came slowly, but the shot rang out cold and still, Dad made one last attempt to keep us safe, but suddenly, his body fell to the ground, he didnt get up, his hair waved slowly with the wind, my Mother yelped, and we looked on in unbelief, I ran from her grasp and too his side. "Daddy, come on Daddy get up" I said shakily but there was no movement, and I saw the blood that matted is sable fur.

   The men gatherd us, my Mom put up a fight, but it was impossible for one dog alone. We were thrown in a truck, and that is the story of how we had made it here. Our life had not always been this way, we had lived happy once, long ago.

  "Are you alright my dear?" Mother asked gently.

  "Yes mam, I'll be ok"  I said trying to keep the un-steadiness out of my voice.

 "I want you to do something for me" She began. I looked into her eyes and it seemed very important.

 "Anything Mother" I smiled to reassure her. "But can you answer on question?"

 "What is it darling" She said

  "If you could have named me, what would it have been?" I asked, it was something I had wondered for a long time. My parents were going to give us our names together, the day it all happened, we weren't very old, just beginning to walk and explore our surrondings, but she had never named us, the time just hadn't been right.

 Mom smiled. "You little one, I would have named Sage, after your Father" She said "Your more and more like him everyday"

 I grinned, so now I knew why her eyes filled with pain sometimes when she saw me, she wasn't seeing me, she was seeing him.

 "I miss him too Mom" I said nuzzling her chest.

"I know baby" She whispered "I know." She was quiet a moment then she shook the crack out of her voice and began.

"Alright, now you promised me a favor" She reminded. "Look" She said showing me the place she had dug every day almost. she moved a rock and the light shown through brightly through the whole, it was big enough for me to crawl through.

 "I want you to run, this is big enough for you to get through, but if you grow much more I will have to make it bigger and for that I don't think there is much time." 

"No Mom, what about you" I said quickly "You have to come with me, we can both make it out together" I said

"Baby, theres no time for me, if you go now, you can manage better than from here" She pleaded "Just be brave and run please baby" She pleaded agian.

 "Mom" My I said in a whisper too catch my voice.

"It will be alright" She smiled at me. Then the footsteps came heavy from outside, and we knew the man was coming.

"Darling you have to go now" Mom said suddenly, she pushed me gently as she could and put me too the whole once more.

"Baby please" Her eyes begged me so, I looked at her, for what I knew was the last time.

"I love you Mom" I said resting in her fur agian she held me tight then begged me to go. "I love you too Sage" She smiled.

  I went through the whole and dug my way between hard spots for it was more like a small tunnel leading up than just a