WHY?
Sandslash gazed through hurt, beady-black eyes at the jeering groups clustered around its cage, laughing as they poked sticks at it through the metal bars. Its bleeding snout and muzzle hurt with a kind of dull, throbbing ache. It had been like this ever since the Master had inserted the chains into it. Sandslash turned away from the cat-calling audience, so they would not see the pearl-grey tears mingling with dirty red blood that ran down its tired face. Sandslash moaned in pain as the white hot irons under its feet forced it into a feeble death dance.
All around it the people were cheering -
"Sandscum! Sandscum!" Rage mixed with a hopeless humiliation crossed across its agonized face, as the whip descended unmercifully across its unprotected flanks.
What have I done to deserve this, it screamed blindly to itself, sobbing with anger as it tripped over a jutting rock and scorched its battered cheek. Why do the humans hate me? Why is this world so cruel and inhumane?
But suddenly the cheering stopped. The world went black. Sandslash's eyes rolled to the back of its head, and letting out a faint, tortured gasp, It kneeled over onto the irons. Its muddy fur caught fire and its whole body went up in raging flames, licking across the face and neck with ferocious intensity, burning out the eyes, skin and tongue.
Bored, the spectators shuffled away from the piece of entertainment, to launch themselves unto new cruelties, while above them, the shadowy form of a dead animal floated into the heavens and beyond.
THE END
EPILOGUE
Sandslash reached the heavens' gate. Eyes gleaming with blissful joy, it entered the world to which all living things are destined to be someday.
Legacy:
This story is for all the animals treated cruelly in this world. Think what it would be like if our animals to treat us like savages. Everyone has a right to be safe!
(Written by my friend Ella)