THE BLANKET

"The room is unfamiliar. I don't know how I got here." Thunder had broken my sleep, the anticipation of the rain to come provoked a shiver. I open my eyes, but there is darkness. I am in a small room There is no window, a door lets just enough light from beneath it that I can see the room. The floor is dirt, damp, and smells bad. I am alone. Next to me is a blanket. It is clean and does not smell like the room.

My first thought is that this must be a dream. Surely, it is not real, but it feels real. I had no answers, only questions.

How long had I slept, and was it sleep or something else? My confusion became infused with fear, and my bewilderment yielded to terror.

I stand to explore this place, an intensifying need to escape, but my steps are painful, my body resists every move.

Why am I here? Am I someone's prisoner? The imaginings paralyze me. I try to cry out, but there is no sound... Alas, silence may be a welcome friend, I need time to think, time to focus, and time to escape; but my thoughts are blurred, as if taking a path to a sudden dead end, and another, and another. The thunder amplifies, torrents of rain pummel the door. I am thirsty, but the rain is out of my reach. Jumbled thoughts emerge. I see my Mother, and my sister, and then they are gone. What is happening to me?

I realize it has been a very long time since I have eaten. There is no food here. I wonder if I shall ever eat again. The quiet loneliness of this place consumes me. I realize the storm has passed.

The door is strong. Futily, I thrust myself against it, over and over, as if I magically had the strength to break it down. Reality demonstrated there was no magic. Bruised and defeated, tears are all that comfort me.

On one wall, a pipe drips slowly, relentlessly, each drop disappearing into the mud beneath. I am inches away. In my desperation, I reach out and catch each precious drop. Sustained by the meager moisture, I relax and crumple to the floor.

Sleep evokes dreams of happy times. My Mother, sister, and I did everything together. I remember days at the beach, the warmth of the sun on my face as we played along the shore Our Mother taught us well, she was wise and wore the scars of a hard life. She had survived all that life had thrust upon her. It was that bond of love that gave us strength. I huddled under the blanket, imagining her arms around me. I remembered my lessons.

Daylight peeks through the space beneath the door, morning has come. What will become of me today? My Mother's lessons battle the monsters of the unknown, but as my body weakens, so does my spirit. I have taken up residence beneath the pipe.

Will I be rescued, or will I dread what will happen to me when the door opens? Will I be missed? Will anyone care? Alone with my thoughts, beneath the blanket, I tremble... and wait.

There is someone outside the door. I hear voices, but they are speaking in a language I do not understand. They speak quietly, my curiosity ponders whether to cry out and reveal myself, or stay quiet. Curiosity lost. Whatever my fate, it was at the door. A sudden rush of light filled the room. Two women and a man stood just inside and lit a light they carried, speaking in that same language the entire time. They quickly closed the door behind them. In that moment, my mind imagined a hundred outcomes, none of them good.

Against the wall, still beneath the pipe, I cowered beneath the blanket, hoping to be invisible... I could feel them getting closer, still talking, almost in whispers. "I shall fight them," I thought. Silly girl. They are bigger and stronger, they may hurt you. I braced for the worst. One of the women came close to me, she continued to speak, did she know she was talking to a blanket? They laughed a little, then I heard paper rustling. She continued to speak in whispers, it was calm and almost reassuring. Fear held me fast. The unmistakable aroma of a fast food burger wafted through the threads, my nose told my stomach food was close. The woman stood, and retreated. I thought about the food for what seemed like a very long time... it was seconds. Hunger prevailed, I came out of the blanket and devoured the burger. I wondered if they would grab me, but they did not. They stood by the door, motionless. I am still bewildered, but somewhat less afraid.

The same woman kneeled down, the dirt becoming a part of her. She continued in whispers, approaching me ever so slowly. Futile to escape, I stiffened and did not move. She took the blanket and wrapped it around me, then took me into her arms is a soft caress I had never known. She had tears I did not understand.

In an instant, we were out of the room, and inside a large truck. There were others like me there. I was comforted by their faces.

Food and water were in abundance, I knew this was something good, but never imagined just how good it would be. The truck drove for many hours, the women spoke to us, always softly, I would learn their words. A new world, a new life was waiting for us all.

I shall never know how I came to be in that room, the experience fades with time, and the blanket has followed me every step of my journey.

This is a "TRUE" story. A little dog, rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico by American volunteers, it is repeated thousands of times in many countries every year. I hope my perspective of their thoughts provides insight into their world.