|
I’ve always been one whom another would classify as a dreamer.
Endless hours of my life were wasted away sitting on the furry grey Meowclops
Chair, which was placed right behind the large purple-tinted window in the front
of my medium-sized Neohome. I’d stare off into the distance – my Acara eyes vacant,
expressionless – and just think about an assortment of things (Ranging from my
owner and brother to the Giant Omelette which sat in the Tyrannian Plateau). Some
would call it worthless, claiming that there were much better things to do out
there in Neopia than just think. But then again, I had never been one to listen
to others. Afterall, those who disapproved of my ways were very people who only
cared about the lesser things in life (Like having the highest score in Usuki
Frenzy, or earning enough Neopoints to possess an Ultimate Riches bank account).
So as the others pranced around all lands of
Neopia, trying to accomplish whatever valueless goal they had their mind set
on, I just sat there on my chair, watching them… assuming that I’d never have
to join the same fate…
**************
“Oh Audria, Haylin, time to get up! I made Hot Cakes for you guys!”
A peppy female voice rang throughout the Neohome
at 1571990 Aisha Avenue.
I groaned, slowly opening my bright-blue eyes.
Lately, my owner had been getting my younger brother and I up early to ‘prepare
for Neoschools when they finally arrive’. At first I had been wary of this idea;
less sleep meant less time for dreams. But after I realized that it also meant
that I had more time during which I could sit in front of the window and think
freely, her decision clung onto me like a Mootix clings onto a petpet.
So I thrust the bed sheets off of my body and
staggered to my paws. My oversized Faerie Caves T-shirt – which acted as a night-gown
– scraped against the shaggy white carpet below me, and I grabbed a knob on
my Kau print dresser and pulled it outwards. The drawer slid open, and I then
rummaged through its contents to find my outfit for the day.
I ended up with an I Love Chezzoom T-shirt and
a dark denim skirt – nothing out of the ordinary. 4 out of 5 days I was wearing
some sort of T-shirt, accompanied by a skirt.
After that, I quickly brushing my blue fur with
a yellow glittery brush, I slammed the dresser drawer shut and quick-walked
out of my room. I wanted to get some of the hot cakes before Haylin ate them
all.
“Hi Audria!” my owner – Emerald (Em for short)
– piped once I entered the flower-wallpapered kitchen. She smiled at me as she
expertly raised a full mug of golden juppie delight in only one hand and took
a sip.
“Hey Em… Haylin…” I glanced at my brother –
a green Shoyru – as I carelessly plopped into an empty chair.
“Hi,” he mumbled, stabbing at a syrup-drenched
hot cake piece with a plastic fork. Ever since Em had caught him using a metal
fork to abuse the gift of running water, she had ordered him only to use ones
made of plastic, and even then, she was careful.
Sighing, I reached over for the pitcher of gooseberry
juice that was sitting a few inches away. After pouring some of the liquid into
my cup – which was placed behind the red plate in front of me – I picked up
a hot cake from the glass platter in the center of the table.
I sat there, eating the delectable breakfast,
until Em announced that she was going out to do the daily errands (Like collect
the bank interest, play a few games, do some shopping etcetera). Haylin and
I bid her farewell, neither of us worried at all. And although now I wish that
I had just looked at her one last time when she walked out of the kitchen, I
didn’t. I simply continued eating.
When I finished munching on the hot cakes and
slurping down my juice, I stood up and walked the short distance to the Meowclops
chair. When I arrived at the piece of furniture, I slowly slid into it – letting
my body absorb the warm, cushy feeling. I then fell into my trance mode – my
eyes lost all expression and I just stared. I stayed like that ‘till somebody
started pounding on the front door.
“Can you get it, Haylin?” I called to my brother,
too comfortable to answer it myself.
“No! I’m busy! For once you do it!” he barked
back.
I heaved a deep sigh, but then obediently stood
up and trudged to the door. Once there, I grasped the handle into my paw and
turned it.
The blue-painted wood swung open, and I was
now staring into the eyes of a friendly, yet mysterious looking Wocky, who was
wearing a white lab-coat.
“Is this 1571990 Aisha Avenue – EmeraldJade5555’s
home?” she asked in a nasally voice.
“Yeah… erm…who are you?” I asked, scratching
my left arm tensely.
“MarkollaEvs – I work at the Neopian Pound…
I am here to take,” the Wocky glanced at a clipboard in her paws, “AudriaFay
– blue Acara -- and HaylinRove – green Shoyru -- there to be adopted by another
owner. Their current owner has officially given the before listed pets – which
are her only two pets, there are no other siblings -- up as of 9:39 am on the
3rd day of the Eating.”
I snorted in disbelief. “You’re kidding me…
right? What’s your real purpose here?”
“This is my real purpose here, m’dear. And the
proof is right here.” Gently, Markolla set the clipboard into my paws and gestured
towards a signature on the bottom.
In sloppy handwriting the name EmeraldJade5555
was written. My heart seemed to be thumping in my throat – that was definitely
Em’s signature.
“W-what should I do?” I stuttered, my voice
squeaking.
“Gather up your sibling and then I’ll escort
you two to the Neopian Pound. You’re only allowed to bring the clothes on your
back – nothing more. Now please go get them… I promised Dr_Death that I’d be
back by 10:45 and we still have three more stops.”
Tears spilling down my face, I turned around
and slowly climbed up the stairs (Where I knew Haylin was sitting in his bedroom,
playing with his Plushies).
“Haylin,” I whispered as I pushed open the door
leading to his large room.
“What?” he asked, glancing up at me from the
back corner.
“Em… she abandoned us. W-we havta go… now.”
I sniffled.
He laughed. “Yeah right, Audria. Em would never
do that.”
“I’m serious Haylin… I’m really serious.” My
voice quivered more than ever, and I was trembling.
He bit his lip. “You’re telling the truth… aren’t
you?”
I nodded. “I am… oh gosh Haylin… oh gosh… I’m
sorry.”
Nervously, he stumbled to his paws and walked
over to me. Then, he did something he hadn’t done for a long time. Haylin hugged
me. Tightly, securely… lovingly.
“It’s not your fault,” he murmured, gulping.
“It’s not –”
“Hurry up!” Markolla’s voice yelled from the
doorway, cutting my brother off.
“Who's that?” Haylin asked.
“That’s whose bringing us there… we gotta go
now, Haylin. Just p-please remember that I love you. No matter what. Okay?”
He nodded, staring up at me. Tears blurred his
eyes, and as the Shoyru sauntered out of the bedroom, I took a deep breath.
I glanced around his room one last time… trying to take a picture of it in my
memory.
Then I saw it… in the back right corner on top
of his dresser. It was a photograph of my whole family, placed in a green leather
frame. I rushed over to it, shoved it into my pocket, but then left the room
as well.
I met Markolla and Haylin on the porch, and
the three of us immediately set off… Markolla wearing a stern, businesslike
expression on her face, Haylin and I holding paws as tight as we could, eyes
swimming with tears.
As Markolla has earlier stated, we picked up
three different families of pets along the way. The first family consisted of
a Red Zafara and Green Kacheek. Both were not surprised by their abandonment
– they seemed rather relieved as they left their one-room, cardboard-walled
home. There were many reasons that could lead to one suspecting that their owner
didn’t care about them – their names the biggest one. Hgjhaojgf888 and Olagnnaiit555.
I couldn’t pronounce either, although the complicated words rolled off their
tongues with ease.
The next house had four pets, although only
one was being abandoned. He was a Yellow Nimmo who wore torn overalls and a
dirty white shirt. Although his full name was HandsomeHankFrederick, her preferred
to be called simply Hank. Hank seemed fairly nice, although I did not take the
time to socialize with him. I was too scared.
The last house was abandoning all four of the
pets. Each one held another’s paw, and they all wore looks of courage on their
faces. But despite this, I could tell all of their insides were bursting with
sorrow and fright. The entire family was colored yellow, and one was a Gelert,
the other a Lupe, the next a Kyrii, and the last one an Aisha.
After the last stop, the rest of the walk was
done in complete silence.
We arrived at the pound at 10:43 am – which
meant Markolla had 2 minutes to spare. She immediately turned us over to Dr_Death,
whose image had always sent a chill up my spine.
He recited some of the ‘pound rules to us’ (such
as no begging and whining, respect all possible owners etcetera), but then locked
us all into cages. Two in each… but families were separated because ‘they were
no longer truly family’.
I was placed with a surly blue Eyrie who had
already been at the pound for quite some time already when I had arrived. He
categorized me as ‘ignorant and annoying’ when I asked him for his name. I could
almost instantly tell that we would not become friends.
So I simply sat next to the metal bars in front
of the cage, peering at all the possible-owners walking down the pound corridor.
When they found a pet they liked, they’d go ask the kind Uni at the front desk
about them, and she’d tell the human as much as she knew about them. After that,
if they still wanted the pet, adoption papers were filled out, and the Neopet
was removed from the cage and dropped into the waiting arms of the person.
I didn’t really care about the pets being taken
from their cages and given to their new owners until I saw somebody take a Green
Shoyru from a few cages down from me. It was Haylin.
“Haylin!” I bellowed, pressing my face against
the bars.
The Shoyru swiveled around and looked at me,
fear lurking in his eyes. “I have to go, Audria, but remember –” His remark
was cut short when a teenage boy scooped my brother into his arms and then abruptly
walked off.
I sat there, tears streaming down my cheeks,
moaning. The only thing in the world I had left was just taken away from me.
“Shuddup,” The Eyrie snarled from a few feet
back. “Life goes on. Ya just gotta deal with what it brings you.”
“You try losing a sibling,” I snapped back.
The Eyrie rolled his eyes. “Try losing 3.”
With that remark said, I was silent.
To be continued...
A/N: Hey everybody xD Welcome to the beginning of my new story. I hope you
enjoyed it, and Neomail me with anything you have to say ^^
| 
