PAWS by Meli J Nightly (book recommendations for teens TXT) 📕

stare at him, the scar under his eye catches my attention; I had never had the opportunity to ask him how he got it. I guess it's my chance… it's not like I'm going to eat that, it's just like what my mistress eats to feed the monster.

"Solo…" he turns as he hears my voice and stares down, "How did you get that scar?"

The fearless Rottweiler becomes silent and I can see a hint of sadness in his brown eyes. "Let's just say I know what you would've gone through if you would've stayed with them." He turns and says nothing else.

I begin to get homesick and start doubting that running away was the best idea. But then again Solo has a point, who knows what kind of powers that monster has. I know now they are strong enough to make my owners hate me. I lay down and watch as they all eat, Blaze approaches me with a piece of pizza in his mouth.

"Here's piece of pizza, it looks fresh and smells fresh." He says while he lays it in front of me. I smell it, and what do you know? He is right; I take a big bite and then gobble it up.

"Thankph… youph!" I manage to say with my mouth full.

Blaze nods and continues his search for food. Even though it was a small piece I felt it was good and enough to hold me for a while.



"Oi… oi!" I hear a voice and a nudge wakes me from my peaceful sleep. Solo was in front of me, I look at him in confusion, "What's wrong?" I ask hoarsely. "You were having a bad dream… you were whimpering," he comments and closes back his eyes.

I was whimpering? I don't recall having any nightmares while I was sleeping… I was only dreaming about… them. A full week has passed, but it just feels like forever. I could feel the sadness strike me again and try my best to overlook it. The night was cold and I wonder how the mistress is doing, if they are okay, if the monster will not harm them. Maybe if I hadn't been such a coward and defended them everything would've gone back to normal.

"Don't think about it too much… you did the right thing," Solo speaks without opening his eyes. Another thought comes to mind, 'did I really do the right thing?'

"But don't you think that maybe, after she got the monster removed everything would have gone to normal?"

"I thought like that too. When the baby was bought into my fam… my former family, everything just became worst-"

I look at him in disbelief, he had owners? "If you have a family what are you doing in the streets?"

"They are not my family anymore…" he looks at the other dogs that are peacefully sleeping, "you and them are my family."

"What happened?" I boldly decide to ask.

"Like I was saying… after it was out of my mistress and was in the family, they stopped caring for me. All they did was argue, about who was going to take care of that thing. As it grew a little more the small monster used me as a toy. Pocking me with whatever he had in hand… I let him, just to keep them happy… But one day he had a sharp pointy object. I didn't even have time to react when he had already struck. It almost reached my eye. I was hurt and the pain angered me, so I bit him." My eyes wander to his scar as I listen to him.

It was horrible what the monster had done to him. "Did they do something to the monster?"

"No, they did something to me instead."

I stare back in horror, not understanding why they would do something to him when the monster was at fault.

"So I ran away, I couldn't take it anymore… So I became Solo, then the rest joined me after a while."

"I'm sorry…" I mutter, unsure if he can hear me.

"Things happen for a reason… I didn't want you to suffer what I suffered. The reason I came back to your neighborhood is because my ex-owners use to live there but they did everything possible to keep me away… and then I made good friends there too, like you, so I kept on going back."

I smile inside, I remember the times when Brooklyn, Lassie and I used to sneak food out of the house to give it to Solo. He was always grateful and stopped by each time he could to play with us. I never would've imagined he had, had it so tough.

"We're cold can we sleep with you?" The small choir of voices chimes from the rats.

Solo rolls his eyes, "Fine but try not to bite me this time." Two of the rats run to Solo's side and one of them stops and looks up at me, "Can I sleep with you? You have more fur…"

"I guess…" without waiting much he rushes to my side and he makes himself confortable, and it didn't take long for the rest to leave Solo's side and huddle up next to me.

"Well I guess you made yourself their new mother." Solo laughs and I sigh as I close my eyes and welcome the heavy sleep.



"Hurry up RUN!" Screams Twinkie, I stare back and forth confused as to what was going on, until I see Blaze running with a cord of sausages in his mouth.

"Run kid!" Solo orders, followed by Don who had a giant piece of bread in his mouth.

Not too long passes by when Twinkie screams again, "It's the catchers!!"

"The catchers?" I think out loud.

In front of us stood two men one with a net in his hands and another one with a big brown weird stick.

"If they catch you… they'll lock you up or put you to sleep!" Twinkie informs me as he runs the opposite way.

"Put you to sleep? As in kill you!?" I ask with an alarmed tone.

"Yes!" They reply in unison.

My heart paces and I run too. I wish I was back home, where I didn't have to steal food or run from humans that wanted to kill me. I didn't want this… not anymore. Why didn't they want me anymore? Was I really that bad? Couldn't they love me like they used to? I want to go back home, I want them to miss me… I want to see Brooklyn and even Lassie…

"Terry!!" I hear a familiar voice, but then again I might be hallucinating after all I'm not used to all this exercise. "Terry!!" But there it is again.

I look forward and see Brooklyn, as I catch up to her she runs at the same pace. "Terry, why are you guys running?"

"It's the catchers Brooklyn! If they get you they will put you to sleep…" I try to explain but pant most of my words.

"As in kill you?" She questions.

"Yes!" We all answer together.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I came to tell you that… your owners are back…" she too was panting, again might I add that we are not used to running too much.

"So, what? Did they bring the monster with them?"

"Yes… but hear me out… "As Brooklyn was about to finish one of the catchers appears in front of us and being that I wasn't as fast as the others he traps me with his net. I yelp and whimper as I lay there unable to move. The catcher laughs while he picks me up inside the net and looks at me with menacing eyes.

"They want you back! They were looking all over for you! They want you back Terry!" I hear Brooklyn's cries.

They wanted me back? They loved me? I felt a new kind of strength embed every part of my body. I did my best to bite the net and escape, but it was just too hard. I see the rest stop abruptly after listening to what Brooklyn says. Blaze runs back with all his might and bites the hand of the man that had me in his net. While Don and Twinkie jump at the man with the stick.

I am released after the man that had me in his net screams in pain and fall with a loud thud on the pavement. Wincing from the sting, Solo rushes to help me out of the dreadful incarceration but he too can't get the net off. Yet suddenly, help comes when I least expected.

"We're here!" The rats introduce themselves to the scene and begin to nibble on the net. It doesn't take them long to make an opening on the net. "You're all set!" They say together as they always do.

"I guess I was wrong Kid… they do love you, mine never did such a thing, but if they would’ve done it I would want to go back too." Solo helps me stand up, "let's get you back home."



Nervously I stand in front of what used to be my home. Inside was my old family. I rethink about going inside, afraid that they might be mad at me for leaving.

"Terry! Terry… you're back!!" My master runs up to me and picks me up, I yelp from the pain. "What happened to you buddy?" He looks at Brooklyn and at Solo as if waiting for them to give him an explanation. "Did you guys bring him back?" He asks as he puts me down and pets each one.

"Well… welcome back buddy… let's go inside," he picks me up again but this time with more care, "there's someone I want you to meet." I look back at Solo and Brooklyn for reassurance. Solo just nods and I can tell he wants me to suck it up and be strong, after all he had been through worst things then I have.

"Terry! Where have you been," my mistress pets me and kisses my furry forehead, her eyes are red and puffy.

"She had been crying for you all these nights…" he says.

I am filled with joy, all this time I was thinking they didn't care about me anymore, but they had been worrying about me all along.

They smother me with cuddles, something I had almost forgotten what it felt like. They put me down and I hear a strange noise coming from the bed, a gurgle and other sounds. I curiously make my way to see what it is. Afraid of finding myself with the monster I place one paw after the other slowly.

Looking back to see if my owners are going to stop me, but instead they both nod so I continue. Placing both my front paws on the bed to stand up I look at whatever there is on the bed. I am confused,for I was expecting to see a hideous creature… so evil that it was take my eyes out. But there it is, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, the tiniest creature, nowhere near evil but instead magical and angel like.

"Her name is Mary…" My mistress says almost in a whisper.

I had never seen such a thing; the small creature is flapping her small baby feet up and down. Under her is a pink cover and a small pink