The Stray

Chapter 18

The pups were 3 months old now, Lola could hardly find enough food for all of them. Herself had become skinny and her ribs were noticeable. She just needed to keep her pups fed.

The morning was sunny and warm. Lola rose to her paws carefully, not to wake the pups. She quietly slipped out of the den to find food. She checked behind her to make sure no pups were awake before she trotted off in the trees, the scent of squirrels filled her nose but she had no chance with them. Lola curled her lip as they chattered in the trees above. Lola perked her ears and stood low and she heard heavy footsteps. Soon enough, a doe trotted into view. The deer raised her head and sniffed the air before stomping her foot. The doe looked behind her and bounded away. Lola straightened up and padded to where the doe was.

After sniffing around a bit, Lola noticed a movement, a slight flicker in the low brush. She walked over. A fawn, a small, blue eyed fawn lay hidden in the ivy. A quick bite and shake to the neck killed it quickly. Lola's family would feast today. She grabbed the carcass by the neck and dragged it back in the direction of the den.

Lola dropped the fawn a few ways away from the den as it to draw predators such as coyotes. She just began to pluck fur off of the dawn when she heard on of her pups scream. A shrill noise that sent birds flying. Lola rushed over to see two teenagers holding the pup by the ears. Their laughs causing the other two to whimper in the den. Lola looked at her brindle pup, her tiny tail held flat against her stomach.

Lola let out a raging growl, almost a roar before she slammed all her weight into the boy holding her pup. The pup crawled into the den. Lola grabbed the boys pantleg and shook it, shredding the fabric to pieces. He yelled and kicked Lola in the nose, sending her back. She snarled and positioned herself in front of the den. Her hackles were raised and her teeth bared. The boys looked at her before running in the direction of the highway.

Lola flattened her fur and ran into the den, licking her pups and comforting them. She angled her ears to the entrance of the den, listening for any more danger. She relaxed once the birds began singing again. Lola sighed and exited the den. She trotted to the fawn and dragged it into the den, where she began eating it. The pups whined and nosed their way around back to Lola's stomach where they began nursing. Lola ate her fill and rested her head on her paws. She kept her eyes locked into the entrance of the den, any sound caused a growl to rumble out of her chest.

Lola. Could now see the sunlight shining into the den. The sun was setting and her pups were fast asleep. Lola hadn't slept, she kept alert the whole day. Having pups were hard, but she wouldn't change it in anyway. Lola was just about the fall sleep when the sound of crunching leaves awoke her. Lola stiffly rose to her paws, her joints cracking as she did so. She poked her head outside and let out a small growl/ whine. Three people stood outside the tree, dressed in the same clothing, one holding a pole, one a brown bundle, and the other one with gloves.

          From her time as a pup, Lola recognized these people as the ones that would bring dogs into the... what was it called? As...cp....a? Whatever it was called, she couldn't remember. Lola let it a feeble growl and backed up into the den again. A few moments later a gloved hand poked into the den, holding a dog treat. Lola growled and bit the thick leather. The hand was ripped from her mouth and pulled out of the den.
Lola perked her ears when she stopped hearing anything. She poked her head outside the den to check, suddenly a noose snapped over her neck.

Lola yelped and thrashed around, her paws grappled the hard metal and her jaws clashed against it.
"Hey hey! Alec get the net!" The man wth the noose called to the man with the bundle.
Oh shit, that Bundle was a net.
The net was thrown over Lola and she thrashed around in it before becoming to tangled to move.
Lola let out a loud howl of despair as she saw the other person grabbing her pups and putting them in a box before marching to the truck she knew was by the road.

Lola was hoisted off of the ground and carried to the van where she was put in a cage with her pups. They whined and hid under her as they braced themselves against the cold steel floor, sliding around as the truck moved. Lola stood still and her eyes blank. She knew where they were going.