Imperfection by adopt_and_paint |  |
In The Neopian Times lately there have been a lot of stories about "perfect"
pets. Perfect stats, perfect lives, perfect owners. Before you read this, please
think about all the "imperfect" pets out there, usually living out their days
in the pound because the morphing potion went wrong. This story is not fiction.
This is how I spend my time in Neopia. I believe that every pet deserves a home,
not just the perfect ones. But you can be your own judge of that.
I remember the day as if it had been yesterday…
She strode into the pound confidently. Her long stride was measured, and her
mouth was set in a determined line. Her cropped greasy blond hair stopped unevenly
at the nape of her neck, above her tattered white "War Wocky!" T-shirt and faded,
ripped jeans. Her face was haggard and worn, as if she had been here too many
times to count. She couldn't have been more than 13, but she seemed almost wise
beyond her years. The only striking feature about her was her brilliant blue
eyes, which shone like the crystal clear waters of Mystery Island. I was very
young then, and had given up almost all hope of being adopted. After all, who
in Neopia would want a dirty red Korbat named "Ctfrjgj"? Certainly not my previous
owner, who had dumped me as soon as a better species came along. I had only
been in the pound for two weeks, but that was enough to feel as if I would spend
the rest of my life in a dirty little cage.
I noticed her as soon as she walked in. For one thing, Dr_Death's entire face
lit up, an extremely rare occurrence with him. "Painter!" he cried joyously.
"You came back!" She gave him sad smile, then turned her attention to the blue
Uni at the front desk. The Uni had given her a big grin as soon as she strolled
in. Not the tearful smile she gave most people, but a big real grin. The strange
girl handed her a long list, which the Uni skimmed through thoughtfully, while
Dr_Death grinned and carried on an animated conversation with "The Painter".
Meanwhile, all the pets around me were acting very strange. They were lying
down, and acting pitiful, and there was an odd hum of anticipation in the air.
I turned to the yellow Moehog next to me an asked him what it was all about.
He just gave me a toothy grin and said, "The Painter! She's back! She's back!"
and promptly laid back down again. By now I was completely confused. The Uni
had finished looking down the list, and was rattling off another list of names-"Isis382-adopted
last week, Robio-adopted two days ago, Vivianna_-yesterday," and so on. Finally,
the girl stopped the Uni with a wave of her hand, and handed her a new list.
The Uni led her back, past all the Unis and Cybunnys, to the cages in the last
row, my area. The Moehog was beside himself with excitement now, as she neared
my cage. The Uni started to reel off my stats, but her voice faded as the girl
leaned forward. Her crystal clear eyes met mine again, and I felt as if she
was seeing into my very soul. Finally, she broke her gaze, and announced, to
my astonishment, "I'll take this one." The Uni unlocked my cage, as the girl
handed her the 76 Neopoints. I was giddy with excitement. An owner! A real owner!
My heart seemed to sing. The last thing I saw was the Moehog looking enviously
at me as we headed for the exit…
When I woke up, I was lying down on a big straw sofa. The girl was gazing anxiously
down at me. Then it all came back-the pound, the girl, and the Moehog Suddenly
I realized that I was with a real owner, in a real NeoHome. I almost passed
out again, but stopped myself.
When she saw I was okay, the girl straightened up immediately. "Good," she
said. "Your all right then. You fainted on the way home; obviously the awful
food he serves you poor pets." She headed for the other end of the room. I propped
myself up on one wing, and took a better look at my surroundings.
I was in a cardboard room, covered in a tattered blanket. At one end I saw
two stone sets of shelves, neither of them overflowing with food. A stone table,
and three cheap gray chairs completed the picture. I saw some old, torn plushies
scattered here and there, but not much else. On my end of the room, was the
straw couch I was on right now, and a red chair, with a tiny green table next
to it. But what excited me the most was the single room that led off of the
kitchen. She saw me gazing through the doorway, and called over her shoulder,
"That's your room. You can go on in, if you wish," The words I had always wanted
to hear. My own room! I flitted happily up to the doorway…
…and stopped dead in my tracks. The room was straw, unlike the one I just left,
and had an air of cheeriness about it. Two small straw beds dominated the one
corner, and a wooden desk and green couch the other. Two beds???? Why would
she have two beds? I flitted over to investigate. All around were tired
plushies, of every type, a diary, and a red bouncy ball. I picked up the diary
and opened to the first page. Nothing. The pet that had owned this last had
never gotten to write in it. A shiver of fear ran down my spine. Why all the
beds? And the old toys? She didn't seem to have any other pets…what had happened?
Was she one of the ones that would just adopt a pet to abandon them when she
lost interest? She didn't seem that way, but…. She came into the room, just
as I was flitting around panicking. She stood quietly for a moment, and then
gently made me lie down on one of the beds. She stroked my wings until I fell
into an uneasy sleep.
The next morning I bounced out of bed, eager to begin the day. My fears had
been dispelled with the feeling of joyfulness I now had. Maybe she invited pets
over for sleep-overs often, or let homeless pets stay there overnight. Either
way, I wasn't going to let it bother me. I glided into breakfast, which was
plain omelette and a bitten red apple. We then traveled to the games room, which
was busy as always. We waited in the line for Kiko Match, were she astounded
me with her skill at winning almost the highest score. About an hour and eight
more games later, we departed with almost 2,000 Neopoints in her hand. We then
made a run to the food shop, where the snobby shopkeeper ignored us for about
five minutes, before my new owner glared him into letting us have a shiny red
apple for only 1 Neopoint. With the food bag twisted firmly around her wrist,
we headed next…. to the toy shop! I had never had any toys before, so I flitted
around excitedly. I finally picked out an inexpensive Korbat key chain, which
I admired the rest of the day. I was now convinced that our trip couldn't get
any better, but then we headed for the shop wizard, where she asked for a Christmas
paint brush! I couldn't believe my ears. She searched for hours, before she
found an inexpensive one at a tiny shop. She grabbed my hand, and we rushed
to it, snagging it right out of potential customers hands. I was overjoyed.
I had always admired Christmas painted pets, and now I had gotten my wish! I
soared on the way home, where we feasted on the apple we had gotten this morning,
and more omelettes. I went to bed happy and excited, anticipating the new day.
I bounded out of bed the next morning, surprised to find a big breakfast waiting
for me. Some streaky bacon, ham, more omelets. I scarfed everything down, not
noticing how sad my owner looked as she watched me eat. Then, with Christmas
paintbrush in hand, we traveled down to the rainbow pool! We got past the Uni
at the front, and my owner hesitantly unwrapped the Christmas paintbrush, and
tossed it in. I dived in straight away, feeling the cool wet paint slide over
my tiny body. When I came out, glistening with red and white paint, the Uni
showed me a hand mirror. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was Christmas! I swirled
and dove in the air to express my joy.
Only when I came back to earth did I notice my owner crying at the edge of
the pool. Puzzled, I hovered near her.
"It's nothing," she gasped out. "I'm all right, really," and broke off sobbing.
Confused and a little scared now, I led her home, where I whipped up a cup of
tea, which I slid across the table to her. She smiled wanly, took a sip, and
began, "I suppose that you're wondering by now, about all the toys, the beds,
and everything. I didn't want to tell you when I first got you, because I didn't
want to hurt you; you were so frail after getting out of the pound. The beds
aren't an accident, and the toys, belonged to pets just like you." She took
another sip, as I took what she had said in. "Dr_Death called me the painter,
and I guess that's what I am now, a painter. I adopt pound pets, paint them
Christmas," she took a deep breath, "and abandon them again. I've been doing
this for several months now, and I've rescued over fifty pets. At the rainbow
pool, you just reminded me, of, of the first pet I ever rescued, a red Korbat,
just like you. I hurt me to remember him again, since it's been so long." She
took another sip, and tried to smile at me. I was in shock. Abandon me again?
But, but I just got out of the pound! She continued, "I know this will hurt
you, but you have to go back tomorrow. If its any consolation, every pet I've
saved as been adopted almost immediately." She stood up. "Come on, I'll take
you to bed." I was still in shock as she carried me to my tiny bed, and tucked
me in. I saw tears in her eyes as she turned out the light.
The next morning, I woke up early, all full of excitement for the new day.
Then I remembered, and almost sunk back into bed again. I dragged my tail to
breakfast, where it looked as if my owner hadn't slept at all either. I forced
down a silent breakfast of stale omelettes, then my owner stood up and spoke.
"It's time." I froze, fought the urge to bolt, and then forced my wings to carry
me to the door. Suddenly, my owner turned, and told me to run to the bedroom,
and pick out a toy. I flew as fast as I could, snatched the red Korbat key chain,
paused for a moment, and flew slowly back out to her. She looked at the key
chain, then nodded and walked out the door. In the misty silence of the morning,
all I could think about were the lucky pets that were waking up to real owners,
who would pamper them and feed them what ever they wanted. We reached the adoption
agency, and she slowly pulled open the door. Inside, I cowered in a dirty corner,
as she talked with Dr_Death. The Uni gave me a kind smile, which I couldn't
return. Finally, she handed him 80 Neopoints, and turned to go. The Uni took
me away to the back cages, as I watched her retreating back, willing it to turn
around again. It didn't, and I was again shut in my same cage, staring at the
closed door. If this was a fiction story, she would have turned around, ran
back to me, and taken me back with her, to a life that meant something. It isn't.
She never looked back.
The Moehog was still there, but he looked worse, and couldn't even raise his
head to say hello anymore. The only life I saw left in him was when he gazed
at my coat enviously. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered anymore.
About two days after I had been abandoned again, a young girl, maybe 10, came
into the pound. She was carrying a beautiful yellow Kougra that only looked
about three days old. She giggled as she nodded excitedly to the Uni, who led
her back to, my section? She smiled at me, and nodded again at the Uni, who
began to unlock my cage. What was happening? Could she possibly be…? I didn't
dare to hope. The girl scooped me up in her arms, and paid the fee. A home!
She was taking me to a real home! In an instant, I understood what the painter
was trying to tell me. "Thank you," I whispered to the closed door, as we headed
for the exit. "Thank you."
The End |
