The Human Pet

Chapter 1

(~~~~ means a pov change, usually between the main character and her owner)

I don't really know how I got here.... All I remember was walking out of my dinky apartment to get the mail, and a sharp sting in my neck. Next thing I knew, I had woken up without clothes in this....kennel?

That's what it looked like. Smooth walls on either side of me, and a giant gate door in front. Looking across the aisle, it seemed like we were in some sort of... oversized animal shelter?

And yeah, I know that sounds insane. But trust me, it gets even worse.

This place was run by giants. They had to be at least ten feet tall, easily able to lift us like we were children. I had seen it done. The girl in the kennel next to me had been taken by them just the other day. She had screamed at first, begged to be left alone, only to let out a pained whimper and eventually quiet down.

It looked like she was sleeping as they walked out, as long as you didn't look at the bandaid on her arm.

The woman across from me didn't speak English. But we'd always make sly comments about our captors, mocking how they'd talk to us like we were animals. It's not something I'd normally do, but it makes us all smile.

I have been in this place for about....four days? Of course, that was going by when they would turn off the lights for us to sleep. The giants weren't allowed to come in our cages when we were asleep, but they could look at us all they wanted.

A creek and a hushed voice woke me up. My eyes snapped open, and I almost hit my head in my attempt to push myself against the wall. I was being looked at today. First the worker comes in to see if we're awake, then they step aside to let the buyer look at us.

I see the woman who had come to be my friend look at me in pity before my view is blocked by the giant in front of me.

~~~~

It hadn't really been my idea to get a human. It was moreso my father's. I had just moved out somewhat recently, and while the house was nice, it tended to get a bit lonely. The house was just too quiet. My father suggested that getting a human should liven up the place, or at least give me something to do.

That's how I found myself in the back of the pet shop, where they kept the humans. There were two rooms; one for male humans, and one for female humans. I had already looked through one of the rooms. Some of the humans there were cute, but none of them really stood out to me.

The worker led me into the other room. It looked almost exactly the same as the other one. Again, none of the humans stood out to me.

I went further back, to the newest arrivals. They kept the older ones towards the front, making them more likely to get adopted.

This one was the newest arrival. She looked so peaceful in her sleep... I almost didn't want the worker to wake her up. But I can't take her home until she does.

The way her eyes flutter before opening would have been just adorable if she wasn't clearly frightened. Does she know what's going on? Or is it because she only arrived a few days prior?

Those questions don't matter, really. She would have to adjust. And as I kneel down in her kennel to get a closer look, I realize that I've almost made my decision.

With a gentle smile, I reach out slowly to touch her cheek.