Unraveling

The alley cats ran for their lives as a fifty pound mass of fur barring its teeth charged their way. They knew exactly where to go, not being the first time the K-9 invaded their territory. Some would jump onto a dumpster, others took refuge by climbing a nearby telephone pole, landing on top of a building, the last would just run down the alleyway, knowing the mutt wasn't as smart as some of the humans might think. Once all the cats had disappeared, the dog lost interest, and continued his way down the street.

His next stop was to the automotive shop. The humans would pamper the dog with attention, give it treats, and in return, it kept the shop clean of rodents. They loved the dog so much, they gave it a collar. He didn't know what it said, but they've since called him Kujo. He thought that must've been his name. Sometimes he would stop there for the day and sleep in the corner on the bed the humans made for him, others he would continue down the street looking for more cats. Some of the humans would stop and scratch his head, and he couldn't help but wag his tail. Then he'd turn into an alley and sleep for the night. When the sun came up the next day, he'd walk back down the other end of the street.

That morning, he didn't know why, but he didn't take the usual route. For whatever reason, he went right. He wasn't sure in all his life if he ever went down any other street. It's as if he stepped into another planet. There was no remnant of the scents he had smelled before. The humans looked different, not even stopping to pet him. Despite his better judgement, he continued walking. From the corner of his eye, he saw cats, more than he'd ever seen. Without a second thought, he charged. The surrounding sounds disappeared, his heart pounded against his chest with unmeasurable force. He didn't think at all. The next thing he felt was his head making a dent in a trashcan. He fell to the ground without being able to move a muscle.

He didn't know where he was, or how he got there. He stood with shaking legs and a dry mouth. All He could think about know what finding water. Like all back alleys, it was only a matter of time before he found a puddle. He always drank from puddles, so he found it strange when he couldn't bring himself to swallow it. No matter how many times he tried, it always stopped at his throat. His mouth wasn't dry anymore, but that only added to his thirst.

He wondered the street again. The sun had fallen, only leaving the streetlights to light the mutt's way. Even then, they did little to help. The scents were gone now, so were the noises. He couldn't swallow his saliva anymore and let it drip out his mouth. His mind was too foggy to remember where his street was, he couldn't even remember any landmarks to help him. What was his name? He knew it was right there on his collar, so why couldn't he remember? The humans at the shop called him by name a million times. Why weren't they were to help him find his way home? What did they even look like? He didn't remember the most basic details, not even their scents.

The mutt wandered aimlessly for what felt like hours, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he struggled to quench his thirst. His body began to ache, and he started to feel weak. The thought of never finding his way back home began to creep into his mind, and it filled him with fear.

He stumbled upon a park and collapsed under a tree. His eyes grew heavy as he struggled to stay awake. In his delirium, he could see flashes of the humans from the automotive shop, their faces blurred and indistinguishable. He could hear their voices calling out his name, but it was faint and far away. It was the only thing he could hear. The need for sleep overtook him, but he could still hear the voices calling for him.

He didn't remember anything after that. He felt nothing, heard and smelt nothing. It was like nothing but him existed as he wondered the void.