What happened? Did I faint? I’m so cold. Her small paw reached out for anything familiar, and she pushed against the cold floor, righting herself. The room had a medicinal smell, or maybe it was coming from her. The bitter taste in her mouth told her she was right. Why do I smell like this? No…. Do not get sick! The room kept tilting from side to side. She forced herself backward until a cold, hard surface came into contact with her small, furry back. She breathed a sigh of relief, swallowing to keep the bile from rising. Stripes. Why stripes? She squinted desperately, trying to focus on the object of her attention. She rubbed her eyes. Slowly, the object came into focus. Not stripes. Bars. Panic swept through her body. Why? Why am I behind bars? Paddy rubbed her head. Abrupt, painful, the memory of the market, of the store she’d never seen before, filled her mind.
