---------------------
Welcome to Housepets! Home Stories!
This fan fiction follows a new original character, Sparks Carlson, and his experiences as he and his family move to Babylon Gardens. Over first month of his stay, things start to get interesting as memories from his past follow him back to the Gardens while something on a much larger scale starts to take form. Things seem to be changing in Babylon, and it seems that Sparks is the catalyst…
Background:
****************
This is a fan fiction that I created after coming up with my OC, and main protagonist, Sparks Carlson. This Fic goes back to the year King was just about to set foot in the Gardens, taking place at the start of October. The first parts of the story mainly follow Sparks and his experiences during his first month of being at the Gardens, and start to reveal more about him as the days pass by.
I first came up with the idea of creating a small backstory for my character after finalizing my one and only drawing of him near the middle of July 2014. Sparks’ name comes from an old nickname an old group of friends gave me in high school (the nickname being ‘Sparky’) because of my old dog with the same name. (They thought it would be funny... it was. x3). Before writing the fic itself, I decided to see if HP! had an actual forum that people could go on so that they could post something like what I had in mind. Sure enough I found the forums and the fan section where I took a look at the different fan fics out there and tried to see what everything was all about. Fast forward to July 21st, I created an account and posted the first part of my fic! I'm currently still writing my fic and have major plans for it after Sparks' origin is complete, so stick around! There's more epicness in store for the future!
(If you don’t want to see the Cast, go straight to the Fic right below!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
Books:
*****************
Housepets! Home Stories - Sparks' Beginning (You are here!)
Housepets! Home Stories - A Pedal For Your Thoughts
Cast:
*****************
Sparks Carlson: Male, (Dog) German Shepard/Husky Mix, 3.5 Y/O
Isaac Carlson: Male, Human, 32 Y/O
Isabelle Carlson: Female, Human, 30 Y/O
?
Tera Stevenson: Female, (Cat) Calico, 3.4 Y/O
Stanley Stevenson: Male, (Dog) Bichon Frisé, 25 Y/O
James Stevenson: Male, Human, 40 Y/O
Veronica Stevenson: Female, Human, 39 Y/O
?
Aphrodite Sarantos: Female, Human, 36 Y/O
Nyx Sarantos: Female, (Cat) Tabby, 5.3 Y/O
Hemera Sarantos: Female, (Dog) Great Pyrenees, 4.7 Y/O
Hermes Sarantos: Male, (Cat) Tabby, --
Rose Sarantos: Female, --, --
?
?
Apollo (?)
Cadmean (?)
Laelaps (?)
Angelica 'Angel' Raymond (FoxRocks': The Girl)
(More to be added later on)
*****************
Comments (containing criticism as well) are also appreciated too! There's always room for improvement, and I really hope you guys enjoy the story!
********************************************************
-Housepets! Home Stories: Sparks’ Beginning-
=Chapter 1 - Square One=
It’s no use. Nobody wants me…
A Shepsky thinks as he lays on his side, his eyes puffy from the tears he shed the previous night. I wanna go back... I want to see my mom again. He sits up on the bed he was in, his arms wrapping around his legs that were now up to his chest. A sob escapes the pup as the depressing thoughts slip back into his mind. I wanna go home… I can’t take it anymore.
He tries to recount the days spent at the shelter, his memories starting to merge together in his mind. Today’ll be… a month. No… a month and a half. The dog looks around, taking in his surroundings for another time. He lets out a sigh. Still the same. The same red walls, the same food and water bowls… the same stupid room. Better get used to it Max because this is your home now. At least… for another 10 and a half months. Then I’ll be able to--
His thought gets cut off by the sound of the lock of the metal door clanking about, a tall shadow stretching to the wall parallel to the door. “Hey Maxie.” A high pitched female blurts out, breaking the silence of the Shelter’s room.
The Shepsky sneers at the sound of his name, to him a grim reminder of his past. The human steps into the kennel, closing the door behind her. She sits on the far side of the slab that had his toys and his dog bed, a brush in hand as she looks at him with a smile. “Hey Mary.” The pup says in a meek tone, forcing a smile.
The human pets the dog on the top of his head as her smile starts to fade. “You thinking of her? Your mom?”
Max’s forced smile fades, replaced by a frown. He nods his head. She’s all I think about. It’s the only thing keeping my sane in this place.
Mary lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry that your mom’s not here with you. I’m sure that she’s thinking about you all of the time.” Max tears up lets out a couple of cries, recalls the day that he and his mom were separated. The human pulls the pup into a hug, the black paws of the Shepsky wrapping themselves around the Human.
“Why doesn’t anyone want me?” The pup cries.
The Human hugs him tighter, rocking him from side to side. “I’m sure that someone wants you. You’re a great dog Max, don’t forget that. It may seem so far out of reach, but I’m sure that a family will adopt you soon. Don’t worry.”
“But it’s been a month! If someone wanted me they would have already adopted me…” The pup breaks from his hug, sitting back on his dog bed.
“It’s takes time for a pet to get adopted Max, even a year or more sometimes.”
“Oh yeah, then what happens after a year and they still don’t have someone to take them? Huh? What happens then?”
The humans face turns dark, her motherly expression turning grim. “Max…”
“I’ve seen pets go through the door over there Mary. I don’t ever see them come back out. I… I think I know what happens at that point. You do too, don’t you?” The human sits in silence. “Please… don’t worry about me. Please. Whatever happens later on, whether it be scary or happy, I’m glad that I got to live in the times that I had. Even though I’m scared, I’m… *Sigh* I’m going to take whatever happens.”
The human sniffles a couple times, tears streaking down her cheek. “I hate this job…” She stands up from her spot, wiping her eyes before heading towards the door. She faces him again, this time letting out a couple of sobs herself. “You’ll get adopted Max, ok? Please trust me. Please…”
The pup’s eyes divert from Mary, his expression almost mimicking the human’s. I wish I could…
She opens up the door of the kennel, taking the lock out of her pocket. “I’ll get someone to fix the light in front of your door. That way you--”
“No, it’s ok. I kinda like the dark. It’s nice and cozy.”
“Are you sure?”
Max takes a second, thinking about it. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
The human locks the door to the kennel, shaking the chain-link door a few times to make sure that the door shut. “Don’t lose hope, ok?” She shakily says.
“I’ll try not to.” The Shepsky says with a blank expression. The human rushes towards the door, faster than normal, covering the majority of her face. The dog stares at the wall in front of him as his depression worsens, the sound of a door closing echoing through the shelter. I didn’t mean to make her sad... I just didn’t want to have her worry anymore. I don’t want to not know what’s coming later on, I just wanted to tell her that it’s ok. I’ve accepted it. His eyes start to close slowly, his mind starting to drift off into a slumber. I think I’m gonna take a nap… I’m so tired. The Shepsky lays down and shuts his eyes. Maybe I’ll feel better tomorrow… His eyes shut completely as his mind starts to go off into his own little world.
~~
Mary quickly shuts the door behind her, her face completely red as tears streak down her face. She then collapses to the floor of the shelter in her teary rage. “I hate this place.”
“Mary?” She looks by the desk finding her co-worker, Frank rushing towards her, kneeling down to her level. “What’s wrong? What happened? Did one of the animals hurt you?” His tone turns to a defensive rage as he stands back up. He races towards a catchpole hanging towards the door of the kennel.
“NO.” Mary shouts, her tears still falling from her face as her co-worker stops in his tracks. “I wasn’t hurt Frank. Well… physically that is…”
He takes a moment to let out sigh and comes back to her side. “Then what happened?”
“You know that one Shepsky that we got… the one who didn’t arrive with any paperwork?”
“I think… the, um… black and white one?”
“Yeah. He’s got the scar above his left eye.” Mary lets out a sniffle as she wipes her eyes.
“I recall.” Frank wraps his arm around Mary, as she comes closer to him. “But what did he say that got you so upset?”
“He knows about the back… what happens back there…”
Silence fills the room almost instantly. Mary takes a look at Frank’s expression out of the corner of her teary eyes, finding nothing but a straight face. “So… he knows what happens?”
“Yes.” Her vision starts to get cloudy again, the conversation between the dog and her sparking a flurry of emotions in her mind. “He said that he doesn’t care, he’s accepted it… the end result. It’s not fair! These pets shouldn’t have to come to accepting this kind of thing! It’s wrong! I hate knowing that countless pets come through this door to just… not come out to the world again, and then they just accept it?!
She wipes her eyes once more, trying to calm her own mind as well before she could get any more frustrated. “I hate this job. If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve tried every other job out there, I would quit right here and now… *sigh* but I need this job. There’s nothing left out there for me. I’ve tried everywhere else. The fact that I have to witness this happen all year long, it’s a tragedy… I’ve only have been working here for only 5 months and it feels like I’ve been here for years. It’s awful.
She looks up to Frank with a sniffle. “You’ve been working here for two years right?”
“Right.” He says in a low tone.
“How do you do it? How can you just sit there and watch this happen?” The two sit in the silence, the question sitting in the air as seconds pass by. Mary’s eyes look closely at Frank’s face and she notices a tear starting to form in his eye. Frank…
“I’ve tried everything to not think about the darker side of this job, to not think about the euthanization that goes on here, but you can’t. It’s impossible. The fact that our shelter has these rules, I feel that one call to PETA could get this place shut down for good. I would love for this place to shut down, to get someone in here to put all of the fallen to rest, but I know that Mark would just skate by without a problem. He’ll find a way. That… stupid son of a gun…
“He doesn’t care about the pets. He doesn’t care that he’s done so much damage. That’s why he hasn’t been here in months. I just hope that this comes back to haunt him. Someone needs to stand up and call him out on this and if I’m going to have to be the catalyst for change, then so be it. I’ll proudly stand up against him. These pets need someone to fight for them.”
The sound a car door closing could be heard from the outside of the building, two voices mumbling from the other side of the wall. “Looks like we’ve got some customers. Let’s hope that we have what they’re looking for.” He looks down at her with a smile and gives out one last hug. “Go into the bathroom and clean yourself up. Wouldn’t want them to see you like this.”
She nods her head and grabs her purse from the reception desk. I don’t want to seem like a complete mess, I’ll hurry and fix my makeup then I’ll meet the customers.
Just as Mary enters the Bathroom, the front door of the shelter rings open. Frank clears his throat. “Hello, welcome to the Belleville Animal Shelter. How can I help you?”
~~
Max’s eyes slowly open to see the ceiling of the shelter, an irritated groan escaping his muzzle. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about her… The dog rolls over to his side with his arms crossed over his stomach. Why did they have to come to the house that day? Why was mom--
His thought fades at the sound of the shelter door opening, a loud creaking sound filling the room. “As you can see Mr. and Mrs. Carlson, our facility accommodates up to 25 pets at a time offering a variety of options including cats and dogs.”
Yeah… 24 others that are a lot more adoptable than me… The dog sits up on his dog bed, his eyes to the floor as he continues to listen
“Is there any specifics you might have on a pet you might want?”
“Yes, there’s one.” The other male pipes up. “We were thinking of adopting a dog today.”
“Excellent, we’ve got plenty of choices. We’ve got about 12 dogs to choose from, so take a look around. If you see anything you like, feel free to call me over.”
“Will do… uh…”
“Frank. Call me Frank.”
“Ok,” Max looks up to see the worker from the shelter and the other man shaking hands. “Nice to meet you Frank.”
“Likewise.” The two’s hands separate, the other man looking around with the woman.
The Shepsky lets out a silent sigh. What’s the point, I already know that they’re going to pass by my cage as usual. I might as well just sit here… Max brings his knees up to his chest and places his head on top of them, staring aimlessly at the wall as his mind tries to think of anything else.
~~
Isabelle continues to walk down the aisle way, passing by cage after cage. Nothing’s catching my eye… we’ve been to three places already… The human continues to walk, passing by another pair of cages as she reaches the corner. She looks at the pet to her left, spotting another cat. Isabelle lets out a sigh. Another cat… I wish we had the option, but Auntie Lura’s allergic. She looks up at the burnt out light. Why’s it so dark over here? Her eyes travel to the other kennel beside the cat’s, seeing a dog in the corner. She stops to look at him and places her hand in a hole in the chain link wall, noticing the pup’s slumped shoulders and expression on his face.
That dog doesn’t look like he likes being here… She looks closer, trying to at least make a connection. Then her mind clicks, her hand covering her wide open mouth. He looks just like how I was when…
She stops the thought in her mind, letting it drift of silently in her head as she makes a mental note. Isabelle turns around towards the two men behind her. “Frank,” she asks, the man’s head turning towards her, “What about this one?”
The man walks over to her, taking a looks at the cage in front of her. He takes a step back. “Um…” He scratches the back of his neck. “I personally don’t know a lot about this guy. I know that he only talks to one of my co-workers here, she would know more about him than I do. Would you like me to get her for you?”
“Yes, please.”
The man nods and rushes out of the door back into the lobby. Isabelle turns to her husband, his hand now entwined in hers as he comes close. “So, you think this little guy could be the one?”
She nods. “I think so. I don’t know why, but I feel like I see a little bit of me in him. You remember when I was younger? My mother?”
“Oh yeah… your mom.” Isaac’s smile fades as he brings Isabelle into a hug.
“Mhmm. Call me crazy, but I feel the same sort of energy from this cage. Well… not energy, but emotion. You know?
“I do.” He replies, kissing her on the cheek. “We’ll be there for him if your little theory turns out to be right. Okay?”
“Okay…” She says as they both turn towards the cage
The door to the lobby creaks open once more, revealing Frank followed by another female worker. “Mr. and Mrs. Carlson, this is Mary. She’ll give you more information on our little friend here.”
The other worker clears her throat. “Nice to meet you both.”
“Could you tell us about this little guy here?” Isabelle asks.
“Sure.” She smiles, turning towards the dog. “This is Maxwell. He’s a German Shepard/Husky mix, he’s approximately 8 and a half months old, and he’s got a warm heart. He cares a lot about other people and can really brighten your day if you’re feeling down. He’s one of the best dogs I’ve ever met working here.”
Isabelle looks closer at the pup before her. “Is there anything about him we should know about? What about that scar?”
Mary scratches the back of her neck. “Well… there’s a problem.”
“What problem?”
“Max was transferred over from another shelter a while back and his information was lost in the process. We didn’t know a thing about him other than his name, breed, and approximate age. The scar’s a mystery too. Although, there is one thing that I do know from talking to him.”
“Which is?” Isaac questions.
She hesitates, looking over towards the pup’s direction as she continues. “There’s something about his biological mother from before we got him. He told me about her in one of our talks, but couldn’t get out a sentence out after the mention of her. Personally, I think he just needs to open up to someone. There’s more to this, I just know it.”
Isabelle looks at Isaac. Well, I was partly right. She then turns back towards the worker. “May I go in and see him?”
~~
Max’s ears perk up. What? He looks at the two humans with pure shock. They want to see me?
“Sure.” Mary replies, moving towards the front of the cage door.
The Shepsky’s ears lower back down along with his spirits as his mind stops himself from getting to hopeful. Calm down Max, they only want to see you, not take you home. The door of the kennel opens up as both Mary and the woman enters the space. But… it would be awesome…
“Hey Maxie.” Mary starts, kneeling down in front of him. “You mind if Mrs. Carlson talks with you for a bit?”
The dog takes a look at the human, analyzing every little detail--her curly fiery looking hair, her bundled up appearance, everything. She looks nice… I guess so. Max shakes his head. His silent answer causes the two people in front of him to switch places, the female he was looking at now in the place that Mary was, smiling.
“Hello.” She starts in a very soft tone. “I’m Isabelle. It’s very nice to meet you, Max.”
The dog looks down at the floor and averts his eyes away from the human, laying his head onto his knees.
“Max… It’s a lovely name.” The human takes a moment to pause, waiting for a response. She sighs and looks over at the man behind her, both exchanging a few glances before looking back at the Shepsky. “I heard that you and your mom were really close.”
Max’s head quickly turns back towards the human. What? How did she… He looks over towards Mary. She told her… The Shepsky looks back towards the wall, now with his eyes starting to fog up.
“My mom and I were close too. She was the best. She used to talk with me all of the time when I was feeling bad, she’d help me with talking to boys, she also helped me fend for myself when she wasn’t around.” She stops, her eyes staring off into space as her smile fades. “When I was a teen, we went out to get some groceries for the week. We were going to make mom’s beef stew. While we were out, we were turning left into an intersection when some guy decided to keep barreling down the street. He hit our car with such speed it knocked me out. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital with my leg broken and my mom nowhere to be seen. *Chuckle* They told me I was out for an entire day, that I was lucky to be alive.
“My mom wasn’t so lucky. When they brought her to the hospital she was hanging onto life by a thread. She told one of the doctors to tell me that she loved me and to stay strong. That was the last that I ever heard anything from my mom. From that point on my Aunt Maryanne took care of me until I turned 18.” She scoots over closer to Max, her hand now on his knee. “I know how it feels to be alone Max. I get it. But… you don’t have to be alone.”
The Shepsky’s head looks back at the human. “Really?” he says shakily in a low tone.
“Of course, sweetie. We’re all here for you.”
Max’s depressive thoughts cease, his emotions taking its place. She’s so nice… she knows exactly how I feel. She’s so much like mom… is… is this fate? Should I go with them? His tears start to fall down his fur, his body now attempting to stand up as his knees start to shake. I’m not spending another day in here. This is my new start. I won’t let this chance slip away. He stumbles over towards the human his arms extending out towards her as he cracks a smile, for the first time in months, feeling joyful.
Isabelle smiles back at the pup, picking him up and pulling him into a hug. “There you go! See, look at that smile. I knew you could spark up a smile.” She chuckles, holding him tighter in her arms, the Shepsky’s tail wagging wildly behind him as his tears of joy still fall down from his fur. The dog feels the human turn a little looking up to see her face the group behind her. “Iyse?”
“Yes Isabelle?”
“I think I’ve made my decision.”
The dog’s mouth drops. Did… did she just say?... He stares into the human’s eyes, his mind still attempting to process her words. She continues to smile back, petting the back of his head as a smile of his own starts to take form. She did! At that moment, the sadness and depression that filled his mind was now replaced with pure delight as his arms wrap tightly around Isabelle again.
The human lets out a few more giggles as she pats his back softly. “Mrs. Carlson?” The male worker calls as her body turns back towards the group of three. “Would you like to come back to the office to finalize Max’s adoption today?”
“Yes, please.” She breaks away from the Shepsky’s hug and ruffles up his head fur. “Come on Max, let’s take you home.” She picks him up and into her arms, carrying him out of the kennel and towards the hall.
His arm goes around her neck, his head facing Mary as he rounds the doorway. Their eyes lock on to each other as Isabelle continues to head towards the exit. She’s crying… Max’s smile fades. Why is she crying? Is it because of me? He lowers his head, the floor continuing to pass him by as both Isabelle and him move through a doorway.
“If you could please wait in the office over there, I’ll grab Max’s paperwork and we’ll get him home.” The male worker says, pointing to an open doorway.
“Sure.” Isaac agrees.
Both Isaac and Isabelle move with Max over to two chairs situated in front of a dark wooden desk and sit down, Max sitting comfortably on the woman’s lap. The dog looks around the room, staring at the paintings and certificates hanging on the walls. Why does this room look a lot better than my room?
The door behind the Shepsky starts to creek, his head quickly moving over to the source of the sound. He finds nothing but the worker with a smile as he enters the room, closing the door behind him. “Alright,” he says making his way over to the leather chair behind the desk. “So, let’s begin. With the adoption of a pet here at BAS, the adpotie is given the chance to change the name of the chosen pet he or she has chosen today. With that being said, would you like to change Max’s name today?”
Change my name? The question sits with the pup, replaying it in his mind. He looks at Isaac and then up at Isabelle. It would be a new change… a new start… but do I want to leave behind my own name? He rubs his chin, thinking about the possibility of changing his name.
“Well? What do you think Isabelle?” Isaac asks.
“Hmm...” She starts, looking at the Shepsky. She then smiles. “I think that we should let Max decide. It’s his choice after all.”
“True.”
“So what do you think Max? Would you like to change your name?”
The pup looks away, still considering the option. I don’t wanna think about the past anymore… It’s like my own name is the reminder of the things I had to see and do before… He looks outside the window behind the worker, observing the buildings outside covered in snow. What’s done is done now. I can’t go back even if I tried. I might as well accept it. It’s a new start, so let’s start fresh. A new beginning. Max nods his head in agreement.
“Excellent, now that we’re all in agreement, have you considered what you’re going to name him?”
Isaac and Isabelle look at each other, the silence filling the room. Isaac is the first to speak up. “Um… we didn’t really have anything planned… could you give us--”
“Sparks.”
“What was that Mrs. Carlson?” The worker questions.
“Sparks,” she repeats, “I think it’s the perfect name.” She looks down at the pup sitting on her lap. “What do you think sweetie?”
Sparks… I wonder how she came up with that. He replays his new name over and over again in his mind, finding a nice ring to it. “I like it.” He pipes up, a smile clearly shown on his face.
“Very well. From now on you will now be known as Sparks Carlson. A cool name if I do say so myself.” The worker scribbles on a piece of paper and looks back up. “Now that his name is finalized, it’ll take a few weeks for his new pet identification card to arrive in your mailbox. Just provide us your mailing address on… ” He rustles the small stack of paper on the desk and attaches one of the sheets to a clipboard, handing it to Isaac. “… this form, and you should see it then. If you could also sign where it’s marked and provide the payment listed above, you’ll be good to go.” He smiles.
“Isaac sweetie, I’m gonna run to the bathroom really quick, could you take care of the form for me hon?”
“Sure thing Isabelle.”
She picks up Sparks and moves out of the chair, setting him back down in her place. “I’ll be right back sweetie.” She rustles the pup’s fur and heads out of the room, closing the door behind her.
The room once again fills with the sound of a pen jotting down information as both Isaac and the worker sit in silence. Not very the talky person… Sparks then remembers something, looking around the room. Wait, where’s Mary? Wasn’t she behind us? The Shepsky lets out a sigh. I guess she’s just waiting in the other room.
The pup dangles his legs over the chair, swinging them back and forth. Well… it’s probably gonna be a bit before they’re done… might as well make the most of it. The room suddenly fills with a lullaby, the hums of the Shepsky filling the room. His foot moves with the slow beat of the tune as his eyes look back outside. I can’t wait to get out of here… The tune comes to an end and his foot ceases swinging in the air. He looks around to see two sets of eyes looking directly at him. Sparks’ breathing starts to get heavy and his head lowers. Why is everyone staring at me? Did I do something wrong…
Suddenly, the door to the office creaks back open to reveal Isabelle walking back into the room. “Hey Isabelle.” Isaac greets.
“Welcome back Mrs. Carlson.”
“I just finished up the form. All it needs is your signature and we’ll be all set.”
“Great!” Isabelle picks up Sparks and sits back down in the chair, putting him on her lap.
Isaac hands her the clipboard. “Hey Isabelle, you should’ve heard Sparks. He was singing this really nice song, almost like Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’, but I think a bit different… I don’t think I’ve heard it before.”
“Really?” Isabelle smiles, looking down at Sparks. “Looks like we’ve got a little ‘Music-Man’ on our hands.”
Both Isabelle and Isaac chuckle loudly, the man on the other side of the table joining in silently. What’s so funny? Was it me? The Shepsky remains confused as Isabelle hands over the clipboard back to the male worker.
Frank examines the paper on the board. “Alright, that should be it! Sparks is now officially the newest member of your family Mr. and Mrs. Carlson.” He extends his arm over to Isaac and shake hands, doing the same with Isabelle. He then looks at Sparks. “I hope that you’ll live a great life with your new family Sparks.” He extends his arm out to the pup. “We’re gonna miss you.”
Sparks stares at the worker for a second. He’ll… miss me? He lets out a smile, his mind still thinking about the man’s words as his paw connects with Frank’s. “I’ll miss you too.” Sparks utters, tying not to be rude.
The four stand up and move out of the office, Isabelle reaching into her black and brown purse. “Sparks?” She asks the pup, both stopping in front of the lobby’s desk.
“Yeah Isabelle?”
She chuckles a bit, pulling out a red collar and leash. “It’s ok Sparks. You can call me mom if you want.” The Shepsky starts to shake, the sight of the leash making him cringe. “Are you ok hon?” She looks at the leash and back at him. Her eyes grow wide. “Do… do you not like leashes?”
The nervous pup nods his head. It’s what my old… ‘owners’ used to use--
Isabelle stuffs the leash away and kneels down to Sparks’ level. “It’s ok Sparks. I won’t put a leash on you if you don’t want to.” She attaches something to his neck, a ‘click’ coming from behind him. “You’ll have to wear a make shift collar until we find one more suiting to you. Is that ok sweetie?” Sparks nods his head. “Good. You want me to hold you?”
“Yes please.”
With a slow motion, the Shepsky is picked up and cradled in Isabelle’s arms. She’s so kind. She’s almost just like her… He looks up at her, a newfound smile growing on his muzzle. Sparks lets out a sigh and relaxes into the humans arms. This is a new start. I know that I’m gonna love every bit of it, starting with her. His eyes start to close as he lets out a yawn. I love you… mom…
~~
“Aww…” Isabelle whispers, noticing the sleeping pup in her arms. She nudges Isaac. “Look hon, he’s asleep.”
A smile grows on her face as an ‘aww’ escapes from her husband, his hand resting on her shoulder. “Looks like he’s taken a liking to us.”
“It looks like it.” Frank utters happily in a low tone. “You know, you’re our first actual adoption in quite some time. I… think it’s been almost a month or two since our last adoption. I can’t even exactly remember myself.”
“Really?” Isabelle looks around. That’s odd… usually there’s a manager to this place… “Is there anyone like an owner or a manager present?”
The male worker lets out a sigh, scratching the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, the owner hasn’t been here in a while. I’ve even taken it upon myself to take care of everything around here for the time being. I’ve tried calling him, but he never picks up. We’re going to lose our business and our shelter at this rate if we keep going like this.”
“Well…” Isaac starts, “Why don’t you try and take the business yourselves? If your owner/manager is neglecting the business, can’t you just take it off of his hands?”
“I’m trying, but the business is so slow and money is so tight, I can’t even get the funds to even buy the darn property. Even my second job can’t support it. Pretty soon I won’t be able to keep the place running anymore. I can’t imagine what will happen to the other pets here…”
Isaac reaches into his trench coat’s inner pocket, pulling out a pen and a leather check book. He clicks on his pen. “How much?”
The male worker stands in shock with his eyes wide. “W-what… what are you--”
“How much will it take to save the shelter?”
The worker stutters a bit, trying to speak. “A-around 5 grand… but you don’t have--”
Isaac rips the check from his checkbook and hands it too Frank. “I want to. This shelter looks like it needs help. I’d hate to see anything happen to it or its pets. Not to mention that both of you have so much determination to keep this place going, I admire that. I trust both of you that you’ll bring this shelter to the top, so keep on going.” Isaac shakes the worker’s hand. “I’ll keep in touch with you guys to see how you’re doing, so keep pushing. I hope we’ll see you again.”
Both Isaac and Isabelle walk towards the front doors of the shelter, the pup nestled into the arms of Isabelle. The door opens for her, Isaac making sure that both the pup and his wife both make it through. “Mrs. Carlson…” A high pitched voice calls out.
Isabelle looks back at the two workers behind her. “Yes Mary?”
“Could…. Could you take good care of him?” she says, sporting a weak but genuine smile.
The woman holding the Shepsky smiles back at her. “Of course we will. Take care.”
Both Carlson’s walk out of the building, the cold air making Isabelle shiver. “I h-hate the c-cold.” She says in a low voice, making sure not to wake the body in her arms. She looks over at Isaac, now behind her, taking a picture of the building. Isabelle smiles. “You’re going to post that to our feed, aren’t you?”
“Well, how else will our 3.5+ million followers get here? Besides, this place could use a little attention” He takes a picture of her and the pup and taps away at his phone. Within a few seconds, he releases a sigh and slips the device back into one of the pockets in his trench coat. “Let’s get back home. Wouldn’t want to freeze to death, would we?”
“No we would not.” She chuckles.
~~
Mary looks down at the floor, the reality of Sparks’ adoption hitting her. He’s gone… He got adopted… That’s that. She starts to tear up. Great, now I’m the one crying now, huh Sparks? Mary lets out a couple silent laughs, a weak smile forming on her face. I guess I won’t be the one to take you home after all…
“Mary?” Frank calls out. “Are you ok?”
She franticly wipes away the tears from her face and turns towards her co-worker with a smile. “I’m fine Frank, thanks for asking.”
“Are you really ok Mary?” She looks away as her head tilts towards the floor. Frank comes over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder causing her to blush wildly. “I know that you wanted to adopt him. I‘ve seen that look before.” He pulls her into a hug. Her face starts to burn as she wraps her arms around him. “Don’t worry. He’s in a good home now. He couldn’t be happier. They’ll keep in touch too, so it won’t be the last time you’ll be able to see him. I’m sure that they’ll come back.”
They break away from their hug, Mary looking up at Frank. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
She spaces out, staring at her co-worker blankly as she think about the pup one last time. She lets out a sigh. “Okay.” She smiles.
Suddenly, a car door could be heard closing outside of the shelter, both Frank’s and Mary’s head quickly honing in on the sound. Frank lets out a chuckle. “Looks like we’ve got some more customers. You mind taking this one? I’ve gotta move some stuff around first.”
She crosses her arms. “Fine. But you owe me.”
“Well in that case, how about some dinner?”
Mary lets out a couple of laughs. “I’ll think about it… but you’re paying.”
“Of course.” He smiles.
He sits down back behind the desk and the front door opens with a ‘ding’. “Welcome to the Belleville Animal Shelter. How can we help you today?” Mary announces happily with a smile.
--
Sparks’ eyes start to open back up, his surroundings now transformed into the interior of a car. He looks around the inside of the vehicle, his seat belt preventing him from moving around. The Shepsky puts his paw on the car seat, pubbing it against the leather. The seats are… warm… so cool… He looks outside the window to spot a strange sight. “Woah!” He blurts out, causing Isaac and Isabelle to catch him staring out the window at the high-rise buildings. “Look at the view! I’ve never seen these kinds of houses before!”
Isabelle giggles and smiles. “Those are skyscrapers sweetie. Welcome to New York City, hon.”
“Wow…” He whispers, admiring the tall buildings across the cityscape. He spots one of the tallest buildings.
“You see that one?” She points. “That’s the Empire State Building. One of the tallest building in the city.”
“Yeah,” Isaac adds, “And if I do recall it’s the very spot where I asked Isabelle a very big question.”
Isabelle lets out a couple of giggles. “That you did hon.”
Sparks tilts his head in confusion. A special question? He thinks about what the question might be, but inevitably shakes it off and continues to admire the skyline. This is so cool!
The buildings were soon right up in front of them as they entered the city’s heart. Throughout the day, they drove through the streets of the city, as both Isabelle and Isaac show Sparks around the cool places. The family drove through Times Square and past the Empire State Building, leaving Sparks in awe of all the sights. Pretty soon the sky turned orange and the sun was nowhere in sight. “Looks like it’s about time to head home. Sorry that we took so long showing you around the City.” She scratches the back of her head, letting out a few giggles
Sparks smiles at Isabelle as Isaac turns the steering wheel, making the car turn and stop in front a building. “It’s ok Is… I mean mom.”
Sparks takes peek out of the window to see a man in a black and red outfit walking up to the car. “Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Carlson. Enjoy your trip?”
“Indeed we did Barry.” Isaac and Isabelle almost simultaneously exit the vehicle, leaving the Shepsky confused.
Why did they leave? Isaac opens Sparks’ door and bends down to his level, undoing the safety belt from around him.
“Come on Sparks, let’s get you home.” He smiles.
Sparks steps slowly out of the car, Isabelle moving in front of him with her purse. “Hey hon, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to put the leash on you now.” Sparks immediately tenses up, his body taking a step back. Isabelle frowns. “I’m sorry sweetie… the rules say that you’ve got to…” Isabelle starts to bring her arms near Spark’s collar, but stop, just nearing the metal loop that connects the leash to the collar. “Actually, would you like to put it on yourself? That way you can hold it yourself.”
Sparks looks at her with a confused look. Put it on… myself?
“Here, I’ll show you how you do it. You know the little loop on your collar?” The Shepsky nods. “What you’re going to do is push down on this little metal thing which makes the release go down. Once you do that you move the loop on the collar through the opening you just made on the leash.” Sparks does what Isabelle says with hesitation and reluctantly completes the task with no problem. “There you go sweetie! Now all you’ve got to do is hold that leash until we get home and you get to take it off.” She says with a smile.
Sparks shakily holds the leash. It’s ok… I’m in control… I’m in control now…
“Aww…” A male voice sounds. “I didn’t know you and Isabelle have a puppy! *Gasp* He looks so adorable! His eyes are as blue as the sky!”
“Actually Barry, we just adopted him today.” Isaac looks down at Sparks, the pup’s cheeks still red at the comment. “Barry, meet Sparks. Sparks, say hello to Barry.”
“H-hi…” The Shepsky utters in a nervous tone.
“Hiya Sparks.” His body moves to the dog’s level, a hand moving in front of the two. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
Sparks’ paw shakes the human’s hand, his nerves still on high alert. He seems nice…
“So Barry,” Isabelle starts while Barry stands back up. “How’s Riccardo? I’ve heard that there’s some really great news that you wanted to tell me?”
The man blushes madly, his hand moving towards Isabelle’s, revealing a diamond ring. “He… proposed to me!” His voice cracks at his excitement, Isabelle letting out a squeal.
“Well did you say yes?” Isaac says in a sarcastic tone, both Isabelle and Barry shooting a glare at him. “What?... Geez… tough crowd.” He smirks.
“Oh my gosh, that’s awesome Bair!” She pulls him in for a hug, both the giggles of the man and woman meshing together. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks…”
“So when’s the wedding?” Isaac asks.
“Well… we’re thinking that we’ll have it somewhere in Hawaii.”
“Aww! So romantic!” Isabelle sighs lovingly.
“I know! Rick treats me so well… this is definitely the best thing he’s done for us so far.”
“You two deserve it and I hope it’s everything you two imagine it to be.” Isabelle closes her purse, grabbing Isaac’s hand. “Sorry to cut our conversation short, but we have to get Sparks settled in. We’ll talk later, ok?”
“Sure thing.” Isaac throws his set of keys to Barry, the man catching them with a clang, getting into car seat. “I’ll talk to you later Isabelle!”
“Talk to you later you goof!” The family starts to walk along the sidewalk as the car door slams shut.
“Mom? Sparks asks. “Who was that?”
Isabelle smiles. “An old childhood friend. We’ve been friends since we were about 12 years old. It’s about time that He and Rick get married.”
The Shepsky stays silent, the group coming up to a tall building with a black canopy at the front. Marry? What’s that?
“We’re here.” Isaac announces as they reach the front of the building.
“Woah…” Sparks whispers, a giggle being heard behind him. “What’s this? Is this a door?” He asks, pointing to the cylindrical space in front of him.
“Yep! Wanna try it?”
“Um…” He says shakily.
“Come on, I’ll go first.” Isabelle moves into the opening between the two glass panes, pushing on the metal bar moving the revolving door forward.
“Wow!” Sparks says with excitement as he walks towards the door. “I wanna try!”
Isaac lets out a few chuckles. “You know what to do?”
“Mhmm!” Just push the door this way and it’ll move! With all his strength, he pushes the pane forward. The Shepksy lets out a few giggles. This is so much fun! Sparks continues to move the door, the parallel opening to the large lobby continuing to move past him. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Isabelle near the front of the opening, a bright flash appearing before him. He disregards the bright light and continues to move around the circle, eventually reaching the now giggly Isaac. His father moves into the space next to him, moving with the revolving door.
Sparks’ ears twitch, hearing Isaac’s words from in back of him. “No more Sparks, we’ve got to show you your new home.”
The Shepsky lets out a groan. “Do I have to?”
“Unfortunately yes for now.” Isabelle says, the opening now in front of the dog.
Sparks exits the revolving door with a sigh. Maybe I’ll come back to it tomorrow. Isabelle offers her hand to the dog with a smile. The Shepsky smiles back and takes his newfound mother’s hand, his mind and being feeling safe with her. Isaac brings himself beside Isabelle as the group continues to move forward. The Shepsky looks around at the large lavish interior of the lobby, the dark wooden floors popping with the black marble walls show the reflection of the three. The dog looks in front of him, seeing a pair of glass doors. Where are we going?
Isaac holds the door for both Isabelle and Sparks, the group now in a narrower hallway. Isabelle pushes a button on the wall, the button lighting up the arrow imprinted on the plastic. The arrow’s pointed up…
“Hey Sparks,” Isaac asks, “Have you ever been in an elevator before?” The black and white dog shakes his head. “Well, this thing lets us go all the way up to the top of our building really fast.”
“Oh…” The Shepsky lets out, his questions stagnating into nothing.
The doors in front of the group suddenly slide open revealing a box like opening before them. The group enters the elevator, Isabelle still holding the dog’s paw in her hand. Sparks looks around at the walls of the elevator, the popped out dark wooden panels on the wall matching the floor. Looks nice… Isabelle pushes the button with the number nine imprinted on it, the button lighting up a bright shade of white as the doors of the elevator close.
Suddenly the elevator moves up, throwing the balance of the Shepsky off temporarily. Sparks holds onto Isabelle’s hand with both of his paws, then back to only one paw after he realizes he’s fine. “Woah!” He says instinctively.
Isaac and Isabelle chuckle together. “You like the elevator?” Isaac asks.
“Mhmm!”
“Weird feeling, isn’t it?”
“Yep.” Sparks looks at the control panel to his left near the door. His curiosity turns to the white plate above the buttons. The Shepsky tilts his head. What’s that? His mind tries to make out the black scribbles on the plate, but is unable to make out anything. He lets out a sigh I wish I knew how to read… With a sudden motion, the elevator stops moving, a *ding* coming from the elevator.
The doors open to reveal another hallway, this time more compact. Isaac and Isabelle lead the way with Sparks in the middle, looking further down the hallway. That’s a long hallway… Both Sparks’ parents stop at the door beside them, Sparks looking at the silver plate on the front of the wooden door. Sparks tries to analyze the text in front of him, but fails as he shakes it off. The door opens up with a twist of Isabelle’s wrist, revealing the large room before the group. The Shepsky’s mouth drops and leaves Isabelle’s hand. Wow…
The room before the dog was bigger than he had ever thought of, the elegancy of the room taking him by surprise. The leash that was wrapped around his paw hits the ground with a *thud* Sparks first strolls into the living space with his leash dragging behind, the large space accompanied by a pristine fuzzy white carpet and black lounge sofa to match. In front of the couch is a TV and a coffee table, both fitting the color pattern of the place. Against the wall near a set of stairs were two doors, the left open to reveal a bathroom, and the other open to find an office. Next to the stairs and just beside the door to the office was a tall china cabinet filled to the brim with music. Wow… that’s a lot of CD’s…
He sits down on the sofa with a slight hesitation, the memories of his past resurfacing causing him stop mid-motion. He shakes it off and continues to observe his surroundings, taking in his new home. He looks towards the kitchen next to another hallway and the bathroom, the white cabinets and the black countertop keeping with the theme throughout the loft. At the island of the kitchen, three stools sit under the overhang. In the corner behind him is the dining table, more circular in shape. It’s really nice here… and… hehe, this place matches my fur too!
Sparks flops over the back of the couch, his vision now upside down as both Isaac and Isabelle chuckle at him. “So sweetie, do you like your new home Sparks?” Isabelle asks.
The dog shakes his head up and down as his silent answer gives the answer. Isaac scratches under the Shepsky’s neck causing the dog to relax further into the back of the couch. “This place is so cool!”
“I bet it is.” Isaac adds.
“Hey Iyse?” Isabelle starts, “Could you start dinner? I’ll be right down in just a second.”
“Sure hon.” Isaac agrees, giving her a peck on the cheek.
Isabelle looks at Sparks, his head still hanging backwards over the edge of the couch. She smiles. “Come on Sparks, I’ve got something to show you. I think you’ll like it.”
“Sure.” He answers quickly coming to her side around the couch.
Isabelle’s face stays bright, her hand rustling the pups head fur. She takes the red leash off of the Shepsky’s collar, throwing the red length of material lazily onto the couch. “Come with me.” Isabelle moves in front of Sparks, walking in between the sofa and the stairway.
I wonder what Isa-- *Sigh* mom has to show me? The two move around the dividing wall between the glass staircase and the living room. Isabelle moves around the divider, Sparks joining her as they both move up the stairs. They make it up to the top of the stairs, Isabelle rounding the corner into the hallway as Sparks slows down to the edge of the glass half wall at the top of the stairs. Woah… even from here it looks cool!
“Come here Sparks.” Isabelle chuckles. Sparks lets out a sigh and moves away from the glass pane and to Isabelle now standing in front of a door to the right. “Sweetie,” She starts as she opens the door revealing the room on the other side.
The Shepsky’s eyes grow wide as he enters the space, his paw covering his maw trying to hold back his emotions. “Is… is this m-my room?” Isabelle nods her head as her smile continues to stay on her face, her eyes becoming watery as Sparks continues to look around. His eyes travel to the full bed before him, the soft sleep haven looking ginormous to the pup. He notices the end tables beside the bed, on top of both hold a lamp. Sparks then looks behind him at the front wall where a desk occupies the space between the bed and the wall. “I… I…” Sparks tries to speak as his paw leaves his face, but his words get caught in his sudden burst of emotion. He lets out a breath and the Shepsky faces Isabelle with tears of joy running down his face. “I love it.”
The pup runs over to Isabelle, giving her a huge hug as he unintentionally slams into her, knocking her back a step. She moves down to his level and hugs him back. The pup lets out a few more cheerful cries before breaking away from the hug, facing his new mother as he wipes his eyes. “This is the best thing ever… thank you so much… Mom.” He smiles.
Isabelle wipes away a tear from Sparks’ fur and looks into his eyes, a sniffle now coming from both of them filling the air. “You’re very welcome sweetie. Welcome to the family. I can’t wait for you to start learning your way around here. I know that you’re going to love it.” She kisses the top of the pup’s head, rustling his fur before standing back up. “Make yourself at home Sparks. If you need help with anything, let us know. We’ll be in the kitchen brewing up some beef stew.”
“Sure.” Sparks says with a smile, another sniffle sounding from his muzzle.
Isabelle leaves the room and leaves Sparks alone, his mind unsure of what to do. I guess I’m home now. It’s great here. I couldn’t have asked for anything greater. Sparks looks up to the ceiling, imagining his mom beside him. I’m sorry that you’re not here with me today mom. Maybe we’ll see each other again someday.
Suddenly, Isabelle pops her head into the door way to his room once more, her hand on the groove for the door. “Oh and Sparks, be sure to use the bathroom and not our walls or floors, ok?” She says with a hint of jokiness in her voice.
“Moooomm!” Sparks whines as his cheeks start to burn. Yep… definitely home.
TO BE CONTINUED… ITS ONLY THE BEGINNING…