nikki diekemper

Big Man Bane

As many of you know, I work at an animal shelter. It is my pleasure to care for dogs until the day they find their forever families or the day they cross the rainbow bridge. My shelter has adoptions six days a week. Which means we go through a lot of dogs. So much so that our canine care techs don’t know every single one–and that’s not a bad thing! If a dog goes home to their forever family, then we know they’re in good hands and we don’t have to worry about them. We can keep our focus on the dogs that take longer to get out than others.

One of those dogs in our care was my big man: Bane. Bane is a 7 year old, black Labrador retriever/husky mix (at least that’s what our admissions team decided he is). I don’t know all of Bane’s story. He arrived at my shelter in December 2021, but our records indicate this isn’t his first time here. Back in 2016, Bane was caught as a stray and brought to us. No one claimed him, so he became available for adoption and he got adopted within a month–which is a pretty big thing for a big man like him. The sad part of his story is that he came back. Like I said, Bane arrived in December of last year. He came to us on a transfer from a different shelter, so that begs the question of was he surrendered there by his old family? Had he escaped and found as a stray? The truth is: I don’t know. None of us know. There’s no way to know what Bane’s life was like before he arrived at the shelter.

But, I can tell what his life was like at the shelter.

Like all our dogs, Bane was behaviorally and medically evaluated before being made available for adoption. He got added to our walking list and put on the adoption floor so he could be seen by the public. He did have one adoption meet and greet in December, but the family decided he was too big. Yeah. Bane’s a big guy. Which meant, he filled quite a bit of space in our kennels. A big dog in a small space like that for long periods of time leads to high stress levels. It got to the point where he was hypersalivating and barking at our volunteers when they tried to take him out for walks. We tried putting him our biggest suite to see if that would help him, but all the activity that happens around that suite also had him on edge.

I, personally, never had many issues whenever I took Bane out for a walk. He had an easy walk harness and (with me) he learned that he couldn’t leave the kennel without it on, so he let me slip it on him without issue. Once on, he’d bark until I opened the kennel door. Going through the shelter was Bane’s biggest problem. He doesn’t have the greatest dog skills and all the barking dogs in the shelter would hype him up. He wanted to meet every single one and he’d lunge at each kennel just to try. Getting him through the shelter was like fighting a runaway lawnmower, but once he was outside, he was great! Pulled a little, but was great!

Now, our volunteers weren’t always up for dealing with Bane’s antics and since I’m one of the more physically stronger members of my team, I ended up taking him out a lot. We had a bit of a rocky start to our relationship with all of his antics, but he became my number one dog at the shelter.

Shelter stress was still getting to Bane, though. A normal kennel was too small for him and our biggest suite made him too high-strung, so he ended up getting moved off the adoption floor and into one of the smaller suites in our holding area. The behavior team made that decision after Bane started making volunteers feel uncomfortable. Bane wasn’t letting volunteers harness him. The behavior team and I went back and forth about him. He was made “staff only” and since he was most comfortable with me, I walked him the most to ensure no incidents happened. I also decided to make him work harder for treats during our training sessions.

Eventually, Bane got to the point where volunteers could walk him again and he was enrolled with a staff member in our training course (unfortunately, no. I was not the staff member)! Things were looking up for him! He liked his small suite in our holding area. We could sheet him so he didn’t get stressed by all the people and dogs going by and he was getting out of his kennel a little more with his training. I thought things were going well. I got my hopes up too soon.

To my great misfortune, Bane had an incident. One of our vet techs needed to give him multi, a flea and tick deterrent. It’s supposed to go right between his shoulder blades. The vet tech didn’t feel comfortable giving it to him, so they asked me to do it. Bane let me in the kennel just fine and happily took treats from my hand. I showed him the multi since I know how he is with new things–he doesn’t like what he doesn’t understand and he certainly didn’t understand what that multi was. Every time I’d try to give it to him, he would back away. He’d still come for treats and hotdogs and I made sure not to go over his head with the multi, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Eventually, he did snarl at the multi and I took the hint, gave him the rest of my hotdogs, and left the kennel without getting the multi on him. I wasn’t going to tell our behavior team, but the vet tech did, so Bane became a behavior team only dog.

I’ll admit it. When they asked me to hang “BE ONLY” (Behavior evaluators only) signs on his kennel, I burst into tears. I’ve had so many dogs at the shelter that I’ve worked with and fallen in love with get euthanized some time after those “BE ONLY” signs got put up. Lucky, Yodel, Indiana Bones, Dusk, and more. Losing them kept me from wanting to get close to another shelter dog. I always seem to attach to the trouble children that make bad choices or lose the battle against shelter stress and they end up getting euthanized. Bane and I had a rocky start to our relationship because I didn’t want to get close to him. I didn’t want my heart broken again. Yet, Bane got his way and I fell in love with him. If it weren’t for the animals I have at home, I probably would’ve adopted him. So, when I was told to hang those “BE ONLY” signs on Bane’s kennel, I feared that it was only a matter of time before he crossed the rainbow too.

The incident with the multi happened on my Friday. Throughout the weekend, I was expecting to come back to an email that Bane was unadoptable and therefore getting euthanized. Yet, to my sweet relief, he was made available again and anyone could walk him. I even overheard a conversation of a behavior member speaking to the coworker who had Bane in the training class. They were asking if that coworker still felt comfortable taking Bane to class after what happened and I can’t describe how relieved I was to hear that coworker still wanted Bane in class. Later that day, behavior sought me out to inform me that Bane passed all the tests that they did. Like I figured, it was just the multi that he didn’t like with the incident. Bane passed their food test with flying colors, he was even afraid of the fake hand they used for it. The only thing behavior saw wrong with him was that he was a little headshy, which meant they where taking away his harness–I was okay with that. Bane loves hugs, but not from people he doesn’t know.

With Bane made available again, I kicked his training into overdrive and pushed the different departments to make him noticeable to the public. I didn’t want him to be another victim of shelter stress. So, on nice days, I took him to our agility park. I let him run around off leash and played fetch with him so he could burn off the energy that the shelter stifled inside of him. He’s a glutton for treats and, using that against him, I taught him to speak, loose-leash walk, got him to work our A-frame, jump the three different hoops in the park, and roll over (he already knew sit, shake, and laydown before he arrived at our shelter)! I was getting with my team to get a video together of him doing all his tricks so we could show him off to the world and hopefully get him adopted!

Then winter came back.

We got hit with below freezing temperatures and knee-high drifts of snow. The dogs can only be out for about five minutes a walk in weather like that. Bane and I didn’t get to the agility park. I’d take him out to pee and I’d take him back inside. The team did our best to give the dogs lasting enrichment in those days, but there’s only so much that can be done that will take a long time and not make them fat.

Then we got a huge transfer of animals. 95 animals, both cats and dogs (but 80% dogs), arrived at our shelter. I ended up working a ten hour day last Friday to help with it. Working those ten hours put me over for the week. Since I work at a nonprofit, they frown on people for getting overtime. Being over for the week meant I had to leave early on Saturday. It wasn’t the best Saturday. I was tired, grumpy, and deep cleaning got on my nerves (again). I’m thankful for my coworkers being patient with me. That morning, I cleaned out Bane’s suite, gave him all fresh toys and blankets and a new bed. Then, I sat with him a little bit. Like I said, he loves hugs if he knows you and I was hugging and squeezing my big man because that was the cure I needed that grumpy morning. I made him run through his tricks before I tossed him all my treats and left. I thought I would see him again.

I had nothing on my mind except for a shower and a nap when I left that day. Yet, I arrived home to text messages from my coworkers stating that Bane had a meet and greet. He’s only ever had one since he came back to the shelter. Being a big, old, black lab mix on the holding floor doesn’t bode well for dogs. I’m not sure how the couple found out about him. Maybe they saw him as the featured dog for the week? When I heard he had a meet and greet, I watched the meet and greet log like a hawk. It took a long time–which was good. It meant the adoption counselor was being thorough and the family was taking the time to get to know Bane. I prayed. I held my breath. I breathe out again. I paced. I did the whole works! This was my big man’s big chance! I didn’t know anything about the family, but I did know that there was hope. Bane could get out of the shelter and live in a home. This was his chance to slip through the fingers of death and live the rest of his life happy! I wanted it so badly for him!

And, you know what? The log turned green. Bane got adopted.

I cried like a baby. My coworkers were texting me. Everyone was so excited! Yet, I couldn’t respond because of all the waterworks. I’m so happy for Bane! He’s gonna live his best life! But, it hurts that I never got to say goodbye.

I was informed that Bane was adopted to a couple who roughly appeared to be in their 50s. The couple had taken in strays before and they were used to dogs who took a little bit to open up. Then, I found out that they also have three acres of land. He essentially going to the perfect home. I have faith to believe that this time the adoption will stick. He won’t get returned somewhere else and then brought to our shelter. He won’t be so stressed that he hurts someone and there’s no other dog in the home for him to misunderstand. He’ll be happy! And knowing that makes all my hard work worth it.

Bane may never jump hoops or run an A-frame again, but I did my part. I helped him survive shelter life until that perfect family showed up. Shelters do that for a lot of dogs. We get thousands of adoptions a year. Yet, every shelter worker can tell you about their favorite dogs. The ones they worked with. The ones they cared for and gave their hearts too. Bane is one of those dogs for me and as much as I’m gonna miss him. I don’t ever want him to come back.

Proud of you, Bane. You’re my best boy!

Big Man Bane with his favorite tennis ball. He rolled over for belly scratches after I took this picture.

Movie Review: Encanto

Photo owned by Disney

My writing prompt this week asked me to write a review about the last movie I saw. Well, that would be Disney’s Encanto–which shouldn’t be a surprise given I love Disney movies. I’ve probably seen Encanto five times since it came out and I would like to share why.

Encanto is fun, exciting, visually stunning, has an awesome soundtrack, is full of unique characters and the tiniest details, and my favorite part of Encanto is that it’s relatable. There’s a song for each person whether you feel pressured or expected to be perfect or you just wish someone would grant you a miracle, but it’s also relatable in the sense of family dynamic. The whole story is about one incredibly gifted family and the main character, Mirabel, is the only one who doesn’t have a gift. So she’s surrounded by people who can do amazing things for the family and their community and she can’t do any of that stuff. Her family doesn’t recognize her that much since she doesn’t have a gift and they even forget her in a family photo.

That sucks, right? Being forgotten by your family because you’re not as talented as everyone else. You can’t do these amazing feats or have all these accomplishments so you end up stuck on the side. No one sees your worth because you’re outshined by everyone else.

That. Right there is what is so relatable to me. Like I said, I come from a large family. I have a BUNCH of cousins who have accomplished some extraordinary things and when everyone gets together, it’s those things that are highlighted. They deserve it! Don’t get me wrong! Like Mirabel, I’m proud of my family and I’m happy to be a part of it. I believe Disney’s Encanto does a fantastic job of getting to the heart of family dynamic and how view of it can get skewed, but there’s always a chance to rebuild on a new foundation.

If you haven’t seen Encanto, I strongly recommend it. Likely, you’ll relate to something in it and when you do, I dare you to take a look at your family and see how you can make things better.

Fresh Breath of Spring

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a winter child. I do not thrive in cold. I don’t like bundling up and I certainly don’t like not being able to walk outside barefoot. So, when winter comes around, any depression or negativity in the air can hit a little bit hard–especially since you’re stuck inside a lot and you can’t get that sunny Vitamin D. Plus, my computer sits right next to my window, so I can look outside at a bright, sunny day and with my window open, I can write away. Sure, snow on the ground is pretty, but it gets kind of chilly next to the window.

I live in a place where the weather is weird. One day, it’s near fifty degrees (Fahrenheit not Celsius). The next, it’s below zero and it gets worse when spring comes around. You think winter has finally broken then BAM: ice storm. You could gripe and moan and complain, but none of that is going to change anything. I mean, it’s the weather. We can’t control it. You can spend your time fretting over it, dreading the days to come because of iffy road conditions or how you hate the cold, OR you can just roll with it. Make sure you’re prepared and push on because, in the end: spring is still coming.

The other day, I was standing out on the back porch. It was upper forties weather and for once, I wasn’t too cold. The sky was clear, the plants were still asleep, but the birds were coming back. All through winter, we noticed that the birds weren’t coming around like they used too. We knew some species migrated, but there was always a few that stuck around. That day on the porch, I counted at least six different species of birds fluttering about our backyard. It was a relieving sight, to be honest. Things were warming up, looking up, and coming alive again. I look forward to feeling the warm sun on my shoulders, seeing buds sprout from branches, and see activity in the world again instead of the quiet, dormant, and cold winter.

Now comes the part where my own writing teaches me a lesson. Remember when I said the weather is weird? Around here it goes up and down like its Gollum from Lord of the Rings having mood swings. Well, life is like that. You can seasons where everything is on the up and up and seasons were you just can’t get higher than one degree (Fahrenheit, not Celsius). Then, you get those seasons where its up one day, down the next, then back up again. Life has its mood swings and you don’t know if you should celebrating, crying, or pulling your hair out. When life gets that way, I hope you remember something: spring is still coming.

Maybe you have a hard time seeing it in your circumstances? Maybe things are stressful at work because of short staffing and the thoughts in your head. Maybe you put so much in here and there, that you don’t have time for a break. Maybe your friend let you down? Your car broke down? You lost your job? Or facing an opportunity that scares you, but you know you’re going to regret it if you don’t take it. Whatever your circumstances, spring is still coming, things will get better, dreams do come true. It just might take a little bit longer to see it. Like when I was standing on that porch, looking for the birds. Birds are so common that most people just pass them by, but when I stopped to give them my time, I saw species that I hadn’t seen all winter. That showed me that things would get better. Spring is coming.

So, despite the up and downs of the weather–we’re even predicted to have another snowstorm this week–I know that warmer days are ahead. Which means, no matter the ups and downs of your circumstances. No matter if you feel cold, quiet, and dormant, we can be assured that warmer, active, and brighter days are ahead. Don’t be held down by the chilly weight of winter, but breathe in the fresh breath of spring.

It’s right around the corner for all of us.

I Love You

Valentine’s day is right around the corner. I’m not the biggest fan of it, but I still believe that love deserves to be celebrated. And despite all the chocolate, flowers, and red hearts this season, love is the greatest gift of all. This is the time of year that those three little words show up quite often and are said often. The notorious: “I love you.”

That’s a deep saying, don’t you think? “I love you.” We say it all the time to family, maybe a few of us say it to friends, and we say it a lot about things we like: “oh, my gosh! I love ice cream! Etc.”

So, we say “I Love You” a lot and especially this time of year. But, what about showing it? What about meaning it? How would you do that? If you’re like me, you’ve been questioning what it means to love lately. Thankfully, my answer came through my meme collection (yes, I have a meme collection). As I was scrolling through, I came across a photo I saved a couple years ago. I don’t know who I got the photo from, who the original creator is, or where I even found it, but I’m glad I saved it. Safe to say, it’s a bit of an answered prayer. I’ve been questioning what it means to love and this photo is a list of ten simple ways to show love to someone. Actions speak louder than words, right? So, I dare you to apply some of the items on the list to your life. Start showing love to the people you care about most and the people who care about you. I’m certainly going to put effort into doing better at a lot of these to. Maybe we can keep each other accountable? I don’t claim to be an expert, but I figured I’d share my thoughts. Let’s check out the list and see what you think:

1. Listen without Interrupting

This is definitely a huge one in my book. I’ve noticed these days that people are so quick to talk and be heard, but no one really takes the time to listen. To really listen. I mean, think about how many times you’ve been in a conversation and someone cuts you off or you cut someone else off because you want to say what’s on your mind before you forget it or you want to correct someone. Maybe someone is trying to speak their heart to you, but you won’t be patient enough to give them the time? Listening is a huge way of showing kindness and love to someone. You hear their side of the story. How they’re feeling. And you get the chance to know that person a little bit better. I dare you this week to think about your conversations with people and how much listening you actually do.

You have to be careful, though. It’s easy to want to listen, but as you’re listening, you think of something you want to say. You could hold onto what you want to say until they’re done talking, just be sure that while you’re holding onto your words, you don’t lose track of what the other person is saying. And, if you end up forgetting what you want to say, don’t tell the other person: “I was going to say something, but I forgot what because I didn’t want to interrupt,” because that could end up making the person you were listening to feel like they were talking too much and then they feel bad. So, being a good listener is more than just listening. You have to be considerate about what the other person is saying and focused on that over the words you want coming out of your mouth.

2. Speak without Accusing

This one’s hard and I think it’s hardest at work around coworkers. Where I work, things tend to disappear. Our broom would walk away, same with treats we set aside for the dogs, dog toys, scrapers, scrub brushes, tape, pens, and much more. And when we need one of those items, we’re a little quick to assume that one of the other departments took it (when we could’ve easily misplaced it ourselves). It’s too easy to get bitter and go up to one of those other departments and accuse them of taking our stuff when we have no proof of if they did or not. You do that and your coworker is likely not going to give it back to you, but if you speak without accusing–in my experience–the coworker typically apologizes and returns it right away and you both walk away on good terms. One of the sad things about our stuff walking away at work is that we’re not so eager to lend our items out. I’ve noticed my coworkers and even myself being a little accusing when someone asks to borrow something (which, we should just be thankful they’re asking). Someone who may have never “stolen” anything from us would get a harsh: “make sure you bring it back!” when they don’t deserve it. What about in your life? Can you think of any instances where you may have spoken accusingly? I dare you to do speak with love.

3: Give without Sparing

I don’t know about you, but this one’s a little hard. People are naturally selfish, I think, so when it comes to sharing or giving something away, we might be a little reluctant–especially if you don’t have much to begin with. I think the world needs to be more comfortable with giving without expecting anything in return. Give your time. Give your food, money, or pens at work. I dare you give more than what people ask for and get comfortable with it.

4. Pray without Ceasing

This is one is definitely more religious and that’s okay. You don’t have to be religious to show love. Like other Christians, I serve a God of Love, and connecting with Him makes it easier for me to show love to others. When it comes to praying for other people, your heart grows for them more. You pray that their dreams come true, that they make it through their hard time, any illness they have is vanquished. You could say praying for someone is kinda like rooting for them and people always feel loved when they know you’re in their corner. I dare you to pray.

5. Answer without Arguing

The tone of your voice has the power to say more than the words you speak. Even a simple ride or low and someone can mistake you for trying to argue. When I think about this point, it just reminds me that kindness is key. Even when you feel someone is wrong, always respond with kindness in your correction. Like that old saying “take things with a grain of salt.” Sometimes you have to offer a grain of salt when you answer. So, I dare you to enter every conversation with kindness.

When we’re little, one of the first things we’re taught is to share. Share toys. Share food and we probably did a lot of griping and groaning about it. As you get older, it gets a little easier to share material things, but what about the immaterial? If someone came up to you and asked: “how are you?” Would you pretend that every is fine and your life is perfect? Or would you share the truth about hardships weighing you down? When it comes to your loved ones, you should feel safe enough to share anything and sharing the hard stuff makes them feel trusted and loved. I dare you to stop pretending and be honest with everything you share.

7. Enjoy without Complaint

Have you ever had someone do something nice for you? Maybe make you dinner or build you something for a project of yours? How did you react to that? Were you excited and appreciative or did you let that person know that the chicken was a little overdone? Or that you would’ve built what they made you differently? I’ll be honest, if I was that person making the dinner or building that item, it wouldn’t feel good if you critiqued how I did. Maybe you would feel the same way? So the next time someone makes you something whether dinner or otherwise: enjoy it how it is. Be thankful and happy that they did what they did for you even though it’s a little burnt or not to your specifications. That person took the time to do that for you. So, show love by appreciating every aspect without critique.

8. Trust without Wavering

Trusting is hard. Lately, I’ve lost my trust in people. So many have proved disappointing in one way or another. Whether its trusting someone to keep their word, be reliable, or just be truthful. Finding a trusting person is hard to come by. Sure, no one would trust a total stranger, but what about your loved ones? Do you trust them at their word? Trust them to keep their promises? Pay you back? Watch over your property? Or do you trust that they’ll be a disappointment? I need to do better in this aspect. Maybe you and I can do better together?

9. Prove without Promising

Unfortunately, in this day and age, words are just words. They mean things, but they don’t have real meaning. That old saying: “actions speak louder than words” is right. You can promise someone up and down that you’ll listen more or do that thing or not cancel on them again, but unless you do it, people aren’t inclined to believe you. So, why bother promising? Prove to your loved ones that you care about their needs and desires without promising anything more.

10. Promise without Forgetting.

This may seem counteractive to the previous one.l, but promising something isn’t a bad thing as long you remember it and keep it. Have you ever had someone break a promise to you? Or promise they’ll do something for you and they never do it? I bet you already thought up a time or two when that happened. It doesn’t feel the greatest. Putting your faith in someone and winding up disappointed. It makes you untrusting and bitter. You wouldn’t wish that on your loved ones, so I dare you to keep and remember every promise you make.

The Dilemma of the Introvert

Please leave me alone
I need some space
I just want to be alone
There’s nothing more I can face

I don’t want to listen
I don’t want to talk
I don’t want to think of my expressions
That people watch like a hawk

Just leave me be
Leave me in peace
Leave me in silence
With a moment to breathe

There’s too much activity
Too much emotion
Like I’m stuck in captivity
Or drowning in an ocean

I just need a moment
Please understand
You’re not my opponent
It’s not you I can’t stand

Just one hour, maybe two
And I’ll be ready to hang out with you
I need to recharge
I need to step back
Because my head is all out of whack.

So, give me some time
I hope you don’t mind
I need a chance to sort this tension
Then you can have my full attention

Today I Hope…

You find hope. I hope you believe that your dreams aren’t in vain. They are possible. I hope you see yourself becoming the best version of you and you find encouragement in the unexpected. I hope someone will believe in you and believe that your dream will come true right along with you. I hope no one brings up your biggest hurdle except to mention how well you’ll soar over it. I hope you defy all odds and exceed expectations. I hope you know you’re good at something. You’re good at what you love.

I hope you find hope.

Supernatural Shelter

Include the following in your story: metamorphosis, rogue, shrug, salamander, sleepy, chimpanzee, enzyme, lemon, glance, merge

It started out like any other day. Everyone arrived at work with sleepy eyes. At first glance, you’d think we were the worst Canine Care Team out of all the shelters in the area, but that day, we saved the world.

We went through our morning routine like it was any other day and we finished by spraying lemon flavored Febreze throughout the shelter. That’s when we noticed something was off. Dogs that were normally barking their heads off were cowering in the back of their kennels. Other departments would just shrug it off, but it got under my skin like a flesh eating enzyme.

Then, the power went out. It’s happened before, so no biggie, but the back up generator wouldn’t come online. We just went about the day and let facilities handle it. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize we were in trouble until it was too late.

It was Moxie who saw it first. Her scream echoed the shelter. When we got her to calm down, she claimed she saw a monster. None of the supervisors believed her, but the team and I did. There were too many weird things going on for us NOT to believe her. I told everyone to stay together. We couldn’t afford going rogue and getting attacked like Moxie did. The adoption floor was eerily quiet with our cowering dogs, but of course, like every horror movie, we forgot to look up.

A monster as big as a refrigerator dropped down in front of us. It looked like some disgusting metamorphosis of a salamander and a chimpanzee. Moxie screamed and her scream merged with the frightening roar of the creature. We ran. Then, we fought.

It was a battle for the story books. Vet Clinic became the safe house and every department defended it like a army base. Management wanted to wait until the authorities to arrive and handle the situation, but Canine Care, my team, we weren’t going to let anything happen to our dogs. We found out the creature wasn’t alone. It had a portal back to its own world. I feared it was just a scout paving the way for an invasion.

Why here of all places? Why would some alien monsters decide to invade at an animal shelter? It was Moxie who figured that out. You see, even though we’re a “No Kill” shelter, we still euthanize. Dogs who don’t pass behaviorally get put down. Not to mention we do euthanasia’s for the public. My point: is that there’s a lot of death on these grounds and our graveyard doesn’t portray how much. These aliens, they’re attracted to death. Moxie saw one going into the freezer we keep the corpses of our animals. They absorb some sort of power from death–do ask me for a deeper explanation. I’m still reeling at the fact that this all happened! Anyway, it’s by “absorbing” death that they were able to create their portals to this world. To an animal shelter that is dripping with death.

We did a pretty good job at avoiding the creatures as we tried to figure out how to stop them. However, we did have a couple encounters. Skyla, our team lead, got hurt when one attacked us from behind. We were able to get her to vet clinic, but our hope of stopping these monsters was shaken.

What we needed was to close the portal, but how do you close something that’s powered by death? David and Melanie proposed that maybe life, the opposite of death, would close them. None of us knew how that would work, but it was a start, and I decided I wanted a closer look at the portal.

The portal was in the behavior room, a place where a lot of euthanasia’s happen. It also happened to be on the complete far side of the shelter. I didn’t want the team to go with me, but they didn’t want me to go alone. So, Moxie, David, Melanie, and I departed into the monster infested shelter.

We got caught by one in Dog Holding, a large room full of kennels holding dogs that hadn’t been evaluated yet. The creature went after Melanie, and David came to her defense, but he didn’t have a weapon fight the monster’s claws. I grabbed a nylabone from a dirty kennel. One of those huge bulky ones that could bash a person’s skull in, and I got the creature from behind. It came after me and I ran through the kennels, hoping Melanie and David would be able to get away. What I didn’t know was that the monster had a frog-like tongue.

I guess it was the salamander part to it. I thought I was going to get away when the creature’s tongue tripped up my ankle. I hit the floor and the monster came bearing over me. I thought I was a goner, but then I realized the dog in the kennel right next to me was losing his mind, barking his head off, and lunging at the door of his kennel. It was Moon, a dog slated to be euthanized for hostile behavior.

I kicked off the latch to Moon’s kennel.

Moon tackled the creature! Never in my years of working with dogs had I ever seen one so furious! The monster screeched and recoiled, and I was able to get away. I hoped Moon ripped that thing’s throat out.

I met up with the others at our team desk. We were a couple halls away from the portal, but after facing that monster, we needed to catch our breath. We threw out ideas for handling the portal. Maybe there was a way to close it from the other side? Maybe some chemicals we had around the shelter would mess with it? Melanie thought maybe if a living thing just touched it, it would disappear, but the creatures were living…right? And they touched it.

Our discussions were cut off when we heard movement coming our way. Everyone backed under the desk to hopefully not be seen and since I couldn’t fit, I was ready to hold my ground. Yet, what came around the corner had me laughing. It was Moon! He was all happy as can be with a limb from the creature dangling in his mouth! I’d never seen him have such warm eyes and the way he looked at me made me feel like he ready to “play” some more. That made up my mind. I’m going to adopt him.

With Moon now on the team, we continued to the portal. One of the creatures was defending it. So we came up with a plan. Moon and I would distract the creature and lead it away while Moxie, David, and Melanie would figure out how to close the portal. Yet, we should’ve known things wouldn’t go according to plan.

As soon as Moon spotted the monster, he went for it as ferociously as he did the last one. I wasn’t going to let Moon fight alone this time, so instead of drawing it away, we fought it there. Unfortunately, it’s cries must have been heard through the portal because another one appeared. Fearing that more would arrive, Melanie wanted to flee, however, a third monster blocked our escape. We were all ready to cash in. Three monsters verses the four of us and a dog? What were thinking?! We’re shelter workers! Not world savers!

I’m not entirely sure what happened next. Moon and I were tripping up a monster and suddenly it…it poofed! It turned into ash right before my eyes and in Moon’s teeth! I twisted around to find the other monsters were gone too and the portal. Moxie was standing in the place the portal was looking as dumbfounded as the rest of it. The power came back on. The dogs in the shelter started barking again. Everything felt back to normal except we were as confused as could be.

To this day, Moxie has no idea what she did to made the portal disappear like it did. She touched it. She thought she could go through and close it from the other side–a sacrifice play, but then it disappeared and once it did, the monsters turned to dust. We suspect that when the portal closed, the monsters lost their connection to their world and they died because of it. No one will know for sure, though. Despite our injuries and the damage to the shelter, there’s no indication that an invasion almost happened. Everyone is doing alright. Skyla recovered from her injury and still leads the team. Moxie got promoted to a co-lead for her valiant closure of the portal. David and Melanie are accepting job offers elsewhere and I’ve been spending a lot of time with my new dog, Moon. I’m thinking about enrolling with him into the police force, but for now, we like to go to big, open fields where he can chase after the wildlife.

It was an insane day! And, no one really believes that it happened, but the shelter knows and now the board is reviewing just how much death happens on that piece of property. I think things will be better from here on out, but my team will always be prepared just in case it happens again.

I Hurt

I don’t want to rise
I don’t want to work
I just want to stay inside
Because I’m so tired, I hurt

Just a few more minutes
Let me steal proper sleep
I’m nearing my limits
Then harm will I reap

A thankless job
So physically exhausting.
Like fighting a mob
It’s overwhelmingly daunting

A hundred kennels to be cleaned and scrubbed
In front. In back. Then the drains there too
So your muscles will feel pummeled and mugged
And the energy is drained right out of you

Day in and day out
Not a break to be set
You’re too spent to pout
And hobbies undone leave you with regret

Give me a reason
The pay isn’t enough
Give me a reason
So I’m not tempted to bluff

I could call in
Say I’m sick
I could commit a sin
Then sleep in bliss

There aren’t enough days to fight this fatigue
PTO is all spent
There’s no such thing as ease
And let’s not forget the rent

But heavy muscles don’t care
Heavy eyelids just close
Why should I go where
I have to fight with a hose?

So, I don’t want to rise
And I don’t want to work
I just want to stay inside
Because I’m so tired, I hurt.

The Life of a Writer

Awesome! I have some free time!
I’m going to pump out 30 pages!
*Gets distracted by Facebook chime.*
*Ends up scrolling for ages.*
Hm…There’s still time left.
I can break out the pens
Reviewing old scenes will renew my deft.
But what now that I’m at the end?
Stare at the blank space at the bottom of the page.
Does this sound right? Maybe it shouldn’t stay?
Maybe there’s a better way to write this scene?
If I write it and change it and write it again?
Oh good grief! It’s never going to end!
Who am I kidding? This story’s going nowhere!
I give up! I quit! There’s no point out there!
But I do love that scene and that action there is GOOD.
And let’s not forget the love that should but never could.
I’ll write a word. Some dialogue. A sentence or two.
Wow! Look at that! A paragraph just grew!
Let’s amp up the torture. What pain can I cause,
To my beloved character by displaying his flaws.
It’s not thirty pages, but there’s something there.
Some progress. A step forward–even if just by a hair.
This is good! I’m satisfied. Let’s take a break.
Wouldn’t want to keep going and make a mistake.
I hope I get more free time soon.
So I can exceed my expectations!
I’ll write from here to the moon!
But first and foremost. Before I forget.
I’ll silence notifications so my hours don’t get spent.

Writing Prompt: I’m Offended.

I don’t get offended easily–or at least, I like to think that I don’t. So, when considering the writing prompt: what’s the most offensive thing you have ever heard anyone say? Not a lot comes to mind. Sure, I could talk about something some political person or sports person or media whatnot said or I could delve into the unjust reasons people aren’t being kind to each other, but there’s enough of that whatnot out there that I don’t want it on my website. So, allow me to share with you a time where I found something that somebody said to me–said to his platform–very offensive.

A few years ago, I took Organic Chemistry and lab as a summer class while pursuing my bachelor’s. Organic Chemistry…really sucks. It’s one of those classes where you think you have it all down, but you take the test and you bombed. Then, you find out that not only you bombed, but the entire class did as well. And, when the class keeps bombing, you know something must be wrong with the way things are being taught. A wise professor would start asking questions to figure out where knowledge is getting lost in translation. My professor? Well, he blamed us, his students.

I remember multiple times throughout the summer my professor would tell us it took someone special to understand OChem. It took grit and it wasn’t for everyone. Only the brave will master OChem. These are all valid points. I mean, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has a subject where it’ll take grit for them understand and everyone has their top subjects and their not so top subjects. OChem just happens to a subject that is difficult for more people than most. I gave my professor the benefit of the doubt at the start. Maybe in his own way, he thought he was encouraging us to be that someone special he always talked about. I certainly didn’t want to be that someone special. I just wanted to pass the class. What did annoy me, though, was that my professor started saying things like he’s “awesome because he can do OChem. Only awesome people can do OChem.” He would butter himself up all because he was good at OChem. Look. I get being excited for your subject and confidence in yourself is a must when teaching, but he was getting arrogant and arrogance isn’t flattering. Yet, I was stuck with this professor for the whole summer and I needed to pass the class. So, I did my best to ignore his arrogance and focuse on the knowledge.

Then, a day came when my professor said something that if my roommate hadn’t been there, I would’ve caused an uproar. It was a typical day. My roommate and I sat in the front row like always. The professor had his whiteboard with chemical bonds on it, but before starting lecture, he was going over the quizzes…that everyone failed. Instead of being a wise professor and figuring out what went wrong and helping us understand, we got a lecture from him over how OChem takes special people and hard work and we’ve got to put in the hard work to be “awesome” and “OChem isn’t a subject everyone can do like art.”

I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard my professor say that last line. I even looked at my roommate to confirm that he actually said it and she was giving me a warning look to keep my mouth shut. He seriously said that! He said that art is a subject that everyone can do! And his tone was so downgrading! It was like he was some king spitting upon a peasant! If you’ve explored my website, you know I’m an artist. I share my paintings, pastels, and pencil drawings in my Art Gallery. I even doodled in all class because it helped me pay attention. But for my professor to have the gall to imply that OChem is the superior subject because not everyone can do it and even say that everyone can do art–I’m sorry. Did he paint the Mona Lisa?! He did paint Starry Night?! Has he ever tried to capture the beauty of the sunrise or the pattern of a blue jay’s feathers?! What about the sheen of water? Not everyone can do that! Sure. Art is subjective. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. You could put a smiley face on a stick and call it art, but not everyone can make a living off of it. Not everyone can make someone feel something when they create art.

I still can’t believe my professor disrespected another school subject like that just because it wasn’t “awesome” like OChem (***Disclaimer*** OChem is not awesome. In my opinion, OChem sucks). I wanted to call out my professor. I wanted to argue and defend artists everywhere. I wanted to walk out of that classroom and never come back. However, my roommate–being the ever dutiful Ravenclaw that she is–kept me in my seat and convinced me to survive the class with my mouth shut so I wouldn’t have to push back my graduation date by taking OChem again. I put up with my teacher for the rest of the summer–though I may have given him quite a few looks that proved my disapproval of him. At the end of the semester, I wrote a strongly worded and rant-like review about his arrogance, accusations, and his disregard for other subjects–specifically art.

Everyone is built different. OChem comes easy for some and it’s difficult for most. Art is easy for some and difficult for some. We all have different talents which is why human beings need to be interdependent on each other. I don’t believe any school subject should be considered greater over another and yet, the world views them that way. People are praised for going into sports, law degrees, or the sciences and yet an artist is just an artist and other smaller subjects don’t get mentioned so a lot of people don’t even realize they exist. Why can’t people be praised and rewarded for doing what they love and making a difference instead of winning a rusty trophy or making the big bucks? The world may never know.

So, my professor downgrading art as a subject is the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard. Compared to most things, I think I have a pretty solid reason to be offended by the things he said. I don’t know where he is now. I don’t even know if he’s still teaching, but I do hope he got a little bit wiser for his own sake.

Now, how about you? What’s the most offensive thing you’ve ever heard?