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Replacement (Part 2)

I awoke to the muffled sound of voices from inside the house. It was still dark out, and I wondered with annoyance at the reason why they would be up. My eyes heavy, I rolled over in the bed, rubbing my fur the wrong way against the fabric. My ears swiveled to catch the sound as they began to talk again. They seemed angry.

"... Never said that! You're being totally irrational, Matilda! Just look at yourself for a minute!" A wave of guilt flooded me. For some reason, I got the impression that it was my fault. I wanted them to stop fighting. Should I call to them?

"You can't understand, Skyler. I don't expect you to. Just let me be, and everything will work out." There where footsteps approaching the garage door. I put my head back down into the bed, but kept one ear turned to the house.

"No, I don't understand! You can't just do these things and think that I won't react at all!" Matilda whispered something I couldn't make out before she opened the garage door. The light of the house spilled into the dark and hurt my eyes. I give a plaintiff whine and raised my head off the bed, my eyes half open.

"Hey there Friedel." She said in a soothing tone as she shut the door behind her.

"Mmmm... What is it?" I said, pretending to have just woken. She walked over and knelt next to the cage door.

"Just checking in on you. You doing alright in there?" I propped myself up on one elbow.

"... Yes..." I yawned just after getting the word out. My eyes closed, my ears went back, and my mouth opened wide revealing my teeth.

"Someone's a sleepy fox."

"Mmhmm." There was a pause. I didn't know if I should say anything about what I heard or not.

"Sorry for waking you up. We have to check on you once during the night to see how you're doing. Some wild ones go a little crazy in cages." I put my head back down into the bed.

"Well it's not fun..." Matilda smiled.

"We must have woken you up with all the shouting going on. I wanted to let you know that it has nothing to do with you. We both love you, Friedel. I hope you will see that in time..." She sounded sad again. I turned over and looked at her. We met each other's eyes for a few moments, then she stood. "I won't be here in the morning, sweetie. I have some things to do. Everything will be alright though. You'll see." She started back for the door. I was suddenly filled with panic and I scramble up to my knees.

"You will come back, right?" She opened the door and entered the house once again. Before she closed it, she gave me another smile.

After she had left, I heard them talk some more for a short time. I had lain awake for a while, tossing and turning in my bed, thinking about all the things that could be going on. Matilda had said that it wasn't my fault, but I still felt responsible somehow. I did eventually get to sleep. I slept later than I had intended to, for I awoke to the garage door opening once more. The light of morning shone through the windows. Skyler came in looking as tired as I had been last night. He wore a blue bath robe.

"Morning, Friedel." He said, feigning cheerfulness. I found I wasn't tired at all, so I sat up and crawled over to the door of the cage.

"Morning, Skyler." I answered. "Is Matilda...?" Skyler approached the cage reached down for the handle of its door.

"Matilda left very early this morning. I imagine you couldn't help but hear our argument last night." He opened the door of the cage and let it swing all the way out, hitting against the other bars at the full extent of its hinges. I was surprised he did not have the leash. I tentatively exited the cage and stood up. Skyler patted my head, and then turned back toward the garage door. "Come inside. We could both use someone to talk to right now." He went inside leaving the door open. I follow after he turns the corner into the kitchen. My foot-paws feel odd on the hardwood. I awkwardly place each step, trying not to tap my claws too loudly on the floor. Skyler was making toast for himself, getting out a jar of peanut butter from under the counter. "Do you want anything to eat, Friedel?" I stood a few paces behind him, wanting to ask about Matilda.

"Umm... no thank you. I'm not hungry. I would prefer to hunt for my own food anyway." Skyler chuckled a little. He pressed the lever on the toaster, and then turned to face me, propping himself against the counter.

"So... Did Matilda say anything to you?" I thought back to how she had left without answering me.

"She did come to check on me last night... She told me that it wasn't my fault that you two where fighting..." My ears went down. "She said that she would be gone by morning, but everything would work out... I asked her if she was coming back and..." I stopped and my eyes grew distant in thought. "She didn't answer." Skyler's toast popped up. He didn't turn around. He looked absorbed in thought as well, his brow furrowed.

"She wouldn't say exactly what she was doing to me either..." Just then the doorbell rang. I jumped and growled at the sound. Skyler went to the front door and opened it. A man in a delivery uniform stood there with a small box and a paper in hand. I stayed back, not wanting to associate with a strange human if I could avoid it. Skyler signed the paper and took the box from the man. After the door was shut, I approached him and sniffed the box.

"What is it?" I asked. Skyler spared no time in opening the box, pealing the tape off the sides.

"I'm not sure, but I think it may be..." The box was open and he reached his hand inside. "Your new collar!" He did indeed produce a collar from the box. It was made of cloth, not leather, and it had a box on one side with metal dots on it. I looked at it skeptically, placing a paw on my neck.

"Umm, I think I like my old collar better." Skyler shook his head.

"If you want to go out, you're going to have to wear it. Let's see now, where did I put those batteries." He crossed over into the kitchen once again and rummaged around in some drawers.

"What do you need those for?" I say as he finds a small handful of metallic cylinders.

"You'll see." He opened the box on the side of the collar and inserted the batteries. "Here we go, all set." He approached me and slipped the collar over my head. I stood there trying not to be too annoyed as he unfastened my old one, and tightened the new one into place. I tug at the box.

"It's a little tight..."

"Good." He said patting me on the head again. "Do you want to go outside now?" My ears shoot upward as I bob my head enthusiastically.

"Oh, yes please!" He led me across the living room to the back door into the yard. I could see the forest though the glass of the door. It was so close. I was almost bouncing up and down with anticipation. My tail was whipping all around. I wanted to run as fast and far as I could. He opened the door and I pushed past him, careening into the open grass. I circled around and fell onto the lawn, rolling over, letting the green blades lick at my fur. Skyler laughed, still standing in the doorway... I could bolt now. He'd never catch me.

"I'm glad to see you're having fun. You must have missed this, huh?" I nod again, then look with longing at the line of trees behind me.

"So... now that I have my new collar, can I...?" I look back at Skyler with hopeful eyes.

"Go on and see for yourself. I told you, you would see what the batteries did..." I didn't like the sound of that. I felt like I was just playing another stupid human game that I was tired of playing. I did a lot of that at the Veterinarians and the Shelter. I stood and walked towards the woods as calmly as I could. I wanted to bolt. My legs twitched with energy. Almost there... With a sense of dread, I crossed over the tree-line out of the yard. Nothing happened. I didn't know what human trick had been concocted, but I was sure it prevented me from going too far away. But would Skyler and Matilda do that to me? I thought I was their baby? At least their Fox... I kept going deeper into the trees. I threw a worried glance back at the house. Skyler had stepped out of the doorway, but still stood there, looking on with interest. He almost looked sad... apologetic. I kept going. Perhaps I was wrong. The trees almost shielded the house from view now. If they were letting me out of their sight, maybe they were alright with me leaving every once in a while. I would come back... free shelter and food? Why turn that down... Yes. I was sure now, everything was going to be- A violent shock sent me jerking backwards. The collar seemed to have bitten me with its energy. I gave a yelp, and fell backwards, landing on my haunches, stunned. After shaking my head to clear it, I got back up. Maybe if I just go... I launched myself forward and I was shocked again. This time it did not stop. I fall again and writhe on the ground, clutching the collar. I wanted to press on into the woods, fight the pain. However, the possibility of the shock never stopping entered my mind, and I rolled back over the border. The shock subsided and I was left heaving shuddering breaths on all fours. I looked back up to the house. Skyler was still there, watching. He waved me over to him.

"That's enough." He called. "Come on back. We can talk about it if you want." I didn't want to talk about it; I wanted to rip the collar off my neck. Skyler will see... I can't do it now. I have plenty of time. I can do it later. With a sigh, I shuffled back with a dejected expression, my ears flat and my tail curled around one leg.