The following day, I awoke to the sound of crunching leaves in the forest outside of the cabin.  It was early, and the sun was rising.  The sky was filled with a vast array of reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows.

I creeped over to the door of the cabin, staying in the shadows to determine whether or not the figure approaching was a threat. At first, I couldn't see anything, but soon I was able to make out the silhouette (fancy words for the win) of a human.

This human seemed to be different than the ones I had previously lived with.  He was walking slowly, teetering back and forth as if at any moment he might lose his balance and fall over.

I shrank back, assuming that he would just pass by the cabin.  It was old, broken down, and it seemed as though it had been deserted.  Much to my surprise, the next time I peered out of the hole in the wall that passed for a window, I saw the man wobbling up the overgrown path to the cabin.

"Laurel!" I cried.  "Laurel, you have to wake up!"

"What is it?" she replied sleepily.

"There's someone coming.  We have to the puppies and get out of here."

"Come on, pups.  We have to go.  Now," Laurel said in a quiet, but surprisingly commanding voice.

Instantly all of the puppies were by her side.  The back door was only attached by one hinge, making it possible to sneak out of the opening at the bottom of the partially rotten door.  We ran out as quickly as we could while not leaving the pups behind.

We hid in a dense thicket, waiting to see what would unfold.  The man walked through the doorway, which was open because at some point the door had blown off into the nearby bushes.  

I crept over to the makeshift window, leaving Laurel and the pups behind to stay safe.  I saw the man pick it a table, that was missing one leg, and precariously place it in the middle of the room.  It seemed as if every time the man did anything something else was at risk of breaking.

He placed the the pile of blankets that we had been using as a bed back on a narrow, broken down bed frame. It didn't seem like it could support me, let alone a fully grown man.

Slowly the man turned around and looked me in the eye.  My insides tightened in fear.  I couldn't breathe. I wanted to run away as fast as I could, but I just stood there. After what felt like an eternity, the man spoke.  "Hey there, fella," he said.  Then, he started walking towards me again.