Pets

Elli felt overwhelmed. For the last couple of days, she stubbornly studied to finish this semester with A’s, juggling it with a job at a bookstore. She came home late, attempting to occupy herself with homework, but it didn’t help. Elli felt she was on the verge of burnout. The atmosphere at home felt suffocating. She needed fresh air. Elli hurried to the door, grabbed her jacket, and left the house…

Elli wandered for a while on empty streets. For an hour or two, she simply tried to shake off her tiredness and clear her mind. It was around midnight when Elli noticed the little puppy traipsing from house to house in hopes of finding something. The little one was all alone, attempting to retrace its steps, and the mongrel sneaked under the fence. In the dim light from the murky bulb on the deck of the old house, someone’s silhouette was barely noticeable. In a second, Elli heard the squealing. Moments later, the lost pup appeared on the road, howling in despair — a heart-wrenching sight.

Elli approached, and the young dog, with visible distrust, tentatively reached for Elli’s hand, sniffing it. The little creature was a bundle of fluffy fur, its white coat adorned with a heart-shaped black stain around the left eye, giving it a charming look. She scooped the tiny pup into her arms, feeling its heart racing. In the streetlights, Elli saw her reflection in the puppy’s eyes. At that moment, Elli realized that she wanted to fill the void in her four-legged friend’s life. But deep inside, she knew that this was more for her than just rescuing a furry baby.

The whimpering puppy seemed to calm down, and the thought crossed Elli’s mind that she needed to feed the new buddy. She unconsciously began to walk home, the puppy cradled in her arms. Now, with a new purpose to help this helpless creature, all her worries faded.

Upon arriving home, Elli realized that she didn’t know how to take care of the vulnerable being. Trying to find some food for the little one, Elli reminisced about her childhood. She vividly recalled a moment: returning home from school, a stray kitten appeared on her way, begging for food. Elli attempted to help by bringing it home, but her parents forbade her to keep it and did not allow her to feed the poor kitty. Moreover, she was told to return the kitten to where she found it. The soft whimpering brought Elli back to reality…

Elli searched the internet for what she could feed to this furry creature and started rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. Unintentionally, she slammed one of the doors, and her snoring buddy flinched and woke up. But Elli had already found what she was looking for and opened a can of chicken. The puppy’s hunger prevailed, and it started wagging its tail. Elli noticed that the puppy's tail also had a black stain on its end. Buddy — Elli gave him the name — pounced on the food with greed.

As Elli looked down at the hungry puppy eagerly devouring the food she had found, the childhood memory hit her again. But this time, she had the opportunity to make a difference. At that moment, she knew that she had found something worth fighting for, something that would bring meaning and joy to her life in ways she had never imagined.