Life was never kind.

I have no memories of my biological father, and I’m not even sure if the loving memories I have of my biological mother are real or if it’s just my brain desperate for affection deceiving me.

Nevertheless I should be grateful, I was lucky enough to be accepted into a family when I was young. In my memories, although it all happened in winter it felt so warm. The glistering lights, the sweet smell in the air, the electrifying excitement and joy of being part of a family. Ah….

And tonight those cozy memories and a couple of old blankets are my only heat source. Closing my eyes I try to capture that warmth for just a bit longer, I try to remember how it feels to be loved for just a bit longer.

Nevertheless I should be grateful, I was lucky enough to be betrayed by those I called a family during the summer, the weather was hot but in my memories they felt so cold. Would I have survived being completely alone during winter?

Opening my eyes I silently thank the small shed I’m in now, it’s not much, but I won’t have to sleep completely in the open, fortunately it seems like the old man who lives here forgot completely about the garden. The grass is unkept, there’s trash everywhere and no Christmas decorations. He spends most of his days inside the house, but recently he always leaves the house for about 2 hours each afternoon which gives me time to get some drinkable water and steal some food.

Living like this is exhausting, but I’m glad I’m still alive. And with those thoughts I drift into a slumber trying to survive one more night.

In the middle of the night an unusual sound awakes me, I carefully look outside and see a man trying to enter the house through one of the windows facing the garden. Although I could be putting everything at risk for someone who doesn't even know I exist and that he saved my life, I can't stand doing nothing knowing he could be harmed.

So without hesitation I latch on to the suspicious man’s leg, biting him as hard as I can. The man shrieks in pain and quickly a crowd of people helps me immobilize the thief, who later gets taken away by the police.

Letting go of the man I shrink away, afraid of my future, but as I do this, I lock eyes with the old man.

“I’ve tried using food and water to try and make you come out of that shed, but you only touch the bowls when I’m out of the house, never once you have approached me, but when you see me in danger you immediately go and help me. How did such a good boy like you end up here?”, he says, approaching me slowly.

When he’s closer he carefully caresses my cold body.

Ah, affection is just as warm as I remember.