The Rip Van Wrinkler, XIX, Issue 2, May 2015

Pages 8 <previous page> <next page>

Madeleine's Miracle/by Joe Stewart


The Maddie Chronicles (A fictional account). Part 1

It was a Dark and Stormy night when the Shadow entered the world. She couldn’t see but there was the smell of Mom and brothers and sisters and of course milk. It was a good time. Unfortunately, this time of warmth and plenty did not last. All too soon the monsters arrived.

Shadow’s eyes had opened and Mom quit allowing her and her brothers and sisters access to the warm food. Once a week the cold, hard food crunchies appeared in the adapted pig sty that was her world. This is when she first encountered the monsters. The monsters fooled you. They looked like her but they brought flashing white teeth, snarls, and oh the pain. So much pain.

Shadow quickly learned to hide and get small. If Shadow tried to get to the food the monsters would growl and bite. If she ran the monsters would bite and rip. If she screamed they would bite and tear. If she looked at them they would bite and bite. She was only safe if she was hidden. Small and did not move.

Shadow learned to walk on her elbows.
Stay small, stay very small.

She waited until the big shining disk went down to smell out the cold food crunchies. She brought these to her small spot in the straw to hid for when she was really hungry. She was always hungry now but only real hunger would force her to face the monsters. She had monster wounds on her thighs, her back, her face and her ear. They ached in the cold weather and let her know when the wet would fall from the sky. She had survived the bad pain when the monsters had torn her throat and even the screaming monster that descended from the sky and took a chunk from her tail. It was a bad, bad time. Why was she brought to this cold, frightening, painful place? What had she done?

And then one day Shadow’s world was turned upside down. A strange monster on two legs entered her world and began taking the monsters, the siblings, and her out of her world. Oh Fear, Fear, Fear! Get Small Shadow. Hide Shadow. Don’t Move Shadow. But it did not help. The Two Legs just kept coming. Everyone would squeal, and others would bite and attack; but the Two Legs still took them and put them in small boxes. She left her world.


The Maddie Chronicles (A fictional account). Part 2

Now things were different. Her world had changed to a warmer area. Shadow could see the other members of the community and some new strangers all around in little confined spaces. The monsters could not sneak up on her, but you could smell the fear within the members of the community. She fell asleep once and awoke with a pain in her belly and a new scar. The two legs would not leave her at peace. It placed a ring around her neck. Sometimes it would put a long strap on the ring and make her ‘small walk” on her belly. How was she going to escape? What was going to happen? The two legs would make sounds and taunt her with food bites. The two legs would not let her have the food bite unless she came to the front of the small space and take the bite from her paw.

And then IT came. IT was a Two Legs. IT was ugly, all pink and almost no fur! IT would not leave her alone! The original two legs pulled her from her safe zone and led her to IT. Shadow tried to hide. She got in the corner and got still and small. She did not move. She would not look. IT got down on its belly. IT used its paws to touch her head and ears. IT made sounds at her. IT opened her mouth and put crunchy things inside.

Shadow would not look at it. She was so scared
she could not hold her insides. IT did not care it wiped her! IT kept touching and making sounds. When would it go? When could she find a safe spot. And suddenly IT’s mate picked her up! No! No! No! What was going on? She could not hold herself. The fear, THE FEAR!.

IT put her in a new box and it’s mate kept looking at her. Shadow stared back from the far end of the box. She could not make herself any smaller. She could not get any further away from IT and the mate. She could barely think but she knew she would find a way to escape to a safe zone.


The Maddie Chronicles (A fictional account). Part 3

IT and the yellow furred Two legs took her to a new place. They put Shadow in a new small place. There were new four legs here. Some growled at Shadow. Were they Monsters? But there was a difference. She did not smell the fear. Why? The four legs all seemed to like IT. Why? IT kept saying Madeleine. Who was that? Why did IT keep looking at her? Shadow was SO scared. Just keep small. Do NOT look them in the eyes. Stay in the back of the box. Watch and wait. IT and the rest disappeared and left her alone in the dark. She liked the dark. It was her element. She slept.

All too soon they were back. They reached in and put a strap on the ring. They wrestled Shadow from her small space. They exposed her. To all the monsters the two legs exposed her! But the monsters did not come. IT and the mate made her go outside where sky monsters dwelled, they made her “small walk”. They did not keep a cover over her so Shadow was forced to find safe nests in the new scary place. She dragged them while “small walking” to nests and wait and watch for the monsters to appear.

A few days later, though, something strange occurred. When Shadow sang of her fear, IT came and talked to her. Finally IT opened her cage and took her in IT’s arms and held her. He put her in a warm fuzzy cover and held her until she fell asleep.

When she woke he was still holding her! He let her down on a paper and let her relieve herself, he did not move quickly or chase her when she ran to her nest, IT let her watch. He let her dart to her safe nests without the strap.

A miracle occurred. Shadow’s belly growled. She was hungry but not monster facing hungry. IT went to a place and opened a shiny box. The box had a light that came on. IT did something that Shadow could not comprehend. IT made warm food. The food was yellow and smelled heavenly and tasted… Oh it tasted. And it warmed. And it was all hers.
How! What had just happened?

Who was this Maddie IT kept calling? This happened every day. Shadow soon realized this Maddie was her. She had a name.

Her world changed. Her Fear started to recede. Maddie started to explore new world. She learned about toys and made a collection in her Nest. She found she could get up on couches. She found she could stand without something over her head. Maddie stood and walked upright. She was accepted by the fur folk. One day she felt her back end moving and discovered her tail was wagging. What was this feeling? Was she Happy? That night she decided to crawl next to IT. She slowly placed herself next to it, ready to bolt. She relaxed. It reached down and stroked her. Maddie had found HER PLACE. She was warm. She was Safe. She was not Hungry. She was loved. She could LIVE.


(Epilogue)

Madeleine still has her Shadow moments. She probably always will. She is progressing on her journey toward Whippethood.

She captured our hearts and we are Foster Failures. This is the first time I have ever accepted failure with no regrets. I thought that Valentine’s Day was an appropriate date to post this story as Maddie captured both Lisa and my hearts. Maddie is currently snoring along my back, chasing dream bunnies in her sleep. Her world is not perfect, but I try to make it as good as I can.

Joe ~ February 14th, 2015


<previous page> <next page>