Chapter 58

The Promise

When I woke up, I realized that Ursa wasn't outside waiting for me. That was certainly unusual. Ursa was always there in the mornings. I looked outside again. I wasn't seeing things. The sidewalk outside my driveway was empty. She really wasn't there.

I ran outside. "URSA!" I shouted. No response. Where could she be? The only place I thought of was the pound. "Should I go there?" I asked the Magic 8 Ball.

Yes definitely.

I started jogging towards the pound. The grass was still damp with dew and the sky was just beginning to light up. The sun was like a bronze disc in the sky and colors were exploding behind it. Most of the snow had melted, but the trees were still bare and I still had to wear my winter jacket. Nobody else was outside; the town was still asleep.

I arrived at the pound. The same man I encountered earlier that week was there. He stared at me blankly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello," I said. "Have you seen my dog?"

"I'm not here to help you look for your lost puppy, kid."

"First of all, I'm not a kid. Second of all, I was just wondering if she's been in this area. You know what she looks like."

"Being sassy gets you nowhere in life. And yes, you are a kid. You're under eighteen, you're a kid. And I might have seen that dog, but I don't know if it's even yours. Do you have any proof?"

"No," I said sadly. At least I knew where she was. "Can I go inside and see if she's there?"

The man sighed. "Go ahead." He unlocked the door for me.

I looked inside and couldn't believe what I saw. Dogs of every shape and size were locked in cages. Most of them looked like they hadn't eaten in days. A few seemed to be barely alive. These dogs were in desperate need of homes. How long had they been in there? Why would anyone want to torture these poor creatures like that? I quickly spotted Ursa, who was in a cage that was far too small for her size.

The man shrugged. "We couldn't get a cage big enough for that dog."

"What are you doing to these poor things?" I shouted.

"Listen kid, we're on a budget. You'll understand when you get older. Money has to come from somewhere."

"What do I have to do to get them all out of here?" I asked.

"All of them? What're you trying to do, open a hotel for dogs? This is the real world, kid. You got to work with what you got."

"How about just Ursa then?"

"One hundred dollars for adoption, but you have to have your parents here."

My parents would kill me if they found out I was trying to adopt a dog. My dad had a strict no pets in the house policy ever since Jimmy tried to bring home a snake he caught in the backyard. "They'll come later," I lied.

Ursa whimpered. When I came closer to her cage, she stuck her head through the bars and licked my hand.

"It'll be okay Ursa," I said. "I'll get you out of here. I promise."