E - I shouldn’t exist. This has been the one constant fact about my life. I was born a result of something that scarred the world. And because of that, I have only ever caused pain. So here I am, in the middle of a snowstorm, attempting to end my life. I can feel my body fighting off the cold, but it's a losing battle. I can piece by piece going numb, slight warmth growing where there was once bitter cold. I collapse, falling to the ground as snow begins to pile up. Every inch of my being is telling me to get up and use my forbidden nature to escape this icy grave. It takes every ounce of willpower to keep myself here, until the cold overpowers both. I feel frost climbing my body, freezing the blood slowly flowing through me. I am dying, and it is slow. But…this is…how it…was…meant…to……be.
	M - I’ve always enjoyed the mountains. It’s a wonderful place to escape from the stress of day to day life. Up here, there’s only you, the hum of your snow bike’s engine, and the softly falling snow. But this is getting ridiculous, I can barely see anything.At best I can see my hand in front of me or my bike. And that guy over there, freezing to death…WAIT WHAT!? I drove my snow bike over to spot I thought I saw them. Holy shit! There’s a human out here, without any snow gear. How the fuck did this guy get all the way out here. “Are you okay?” I don’t even know why I’m asking, he is clearly…Holy shit. He’s alive! Barely, and I can feel some parts that are frozen, but I can still feel heat and a pulse. I lifted him onto my bike and made my way to the mountain lodge. My only hope is that he makes the trip.
	E - I woke up. This was strange since I didn’t expect to ever wake up again. For a minute, I wondered if I was in the afterlife. I was in what appeared to be a cabin of sorts. It was nice. But this means I’m not dead, because there’s now I way I’d reach such a nice place like this. I tried to move when I felt incredible pain shoot through me. I appear to have been more damaged than anticipated. Well actually, this was anticipated. What wasn’t is the fact that I’m still alive. Granted, this could be an illusion my mind built in the last few seconds of consciousness. But if that were the case, why would I choose a cabin? I tried to repair myself, but I found that I couldn’t. It was then that the severity of my exhaustion claimed me, just as someone entered the cabin. I tried to get a look at them, but I felt far too exhausted to even open my eyes.
	M - Oh thank god! Just as I made my way back to the room, I saw him moving. After I brought him to the lodge I thought he was dead. I wish I could have talked to him, then I could have found out who he was. And more importantly, how climbing a mountain in the middle of a snowstorm is a good idea in his book, or even possible for that matter. It would have made sense if he was a bear, but a human? Even with all my fur, I still have to wear proper gear when in temperatures this low. Regardless of how and why, he’s alive. So what do I do with him. I could probably leave him here, let someone help him if, when, he wakes up. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. He isn’t my problem, he’d probably get mad if I were to bring him with me. Just keep walking…Just…Keep…Walking. GOD DAMN IT CONSCIENCE! I’m now bringing an unconscious stranger with me back to the city. I’ll drop him off at a hospital or something. As I lift him into the back of my van, I can see him shifting a lot. Whatever he’s dreaming about doesn’t seem pleasant.
	E - When I awoke, I was in a cage. No, not this! This isn’t real! This isn’t real! You aren’t here, you aren’t here! I was dragged out of the cage and chained. I stood in a hall with other Abnormals. We are standing in line for something, but I don’t know what it is. NO! I’m not here, I’m not here! This is just a bad dream! We are brought onto a stage. A mouse appeared on stage and one by one, we were sold. At last, it was my turn. Wake up already! At first, no one wanted me! Get out before he gets here! They shocked me and I released my tendrils. Suddenly, everyone was bidding. Please stop this! Finally someone bid too high for anyone to outbid. When I look towards the audience, I see- NO! LET ME OUT! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAAAKE UUUUUP!
	E - I woke, thankfully in the back of an unknown vehicle. Wait…that’s bad. I looked around and found the driver of this thing. A panther, tall and dark, wearing proper snow gear. Well, I guess I could be stuck with worst. I look at myself, it seems I’m still human. Drat, I should have changed or something. I can’t now or he’ll know. Meaning I’m stuck as a human, in the back of a vehicle, driven by someone anthro. “Fantastic.” My words seemed to have drawn his attention to me. “Oh thank god you’re awake! I thought you died or something.” “Yeah, or something. I guess I should thank you for saving my life.” “You’re welcome, it’s a good thing I found you. What were you thinking? Going out into a snowstorm, and without even the slightest of gear. You’re beyond lucky to be alive!” “Yeah?” “Yeah, what were you even doing out there?” “Trying to end myself.” His laughter was loud and boisterous, but his face turned to horror when I didn’t correct myself. “You serious!?” “Yes. Now I must be getting back to that, if you don’t mind. Goodbye and farewell.” I opened the back of the van, at least I think it's a van. “Hey wait-” I jump out before he can finish. I expected to fall face flat into the snow, but was met with a face full of hard road instead.
	M - Is he for real? Did he just admit to commiting suicide, and then jump out of a moving vehicle? I pulled to the side of the road and immediately went to him. Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead, please don’t be - Oh thank god, he’s alive. I tried lifting him up when I saw something on his neck. Is that a…Oh god. I can see a brand of ownership. He’s someone’s pet. “This explains so much.” I’m beginning to see why he’s doing all this. Wasn’t there an article or something about how the mental conditioning of pets can leave them suicidal if they become abused or neglected. I can’t even imagine what sort of life he had. As I drag his unconscious body into the back of…my van. Oh my god, I look like I’m kidnapping him aren’t I? Wait, hasn’t everything I’ve done just been kidnapping? Fucking shit, please let there be no one watching this.
	M- After I dragged him back into my van, thank god no one was there, I decided to call my friend Alex. “Hey Alex, you there bud?” “Mason, man is that you?” “Hey man, look. I’m in some deep shit!” “That’s what you say every time you call, what’s it this time?” “Kidnapping. I’ve kidnapped a man.” I can hear him spitting out some drink. “WHAT!” I then explain to him the events one by one. “So let me recap. You found a human in the middle of a snow storm, somehow he survived, you brought his unconscious body with you as you left, he woke up, said he was trying to commit suicide, than jumped out of your van, while you were going fourty an hour, and he’s someone’s pet?” “...Yes.” “Dude.” “Yeah?” “That’s fucking hilarious.” “I’m not making this up!” “I know, that’s the best part. You could never lie about something like this.” “So what do I do?” “Why don’t you bring him to the hospital? Isn’t that what you were going to do in the first place?” “That was before he turned out to be mental.” “And how does that change anything? You drop him off, they find his owner, the dude is put through mental conditioning so that he won’t off himself, everyone gets a happy ending.” “How is returning him to the person who abused him helping him?” “Dude, pets act like that from time to time. Mine thought he was better off dead when he nearly poisoned me with his cooking. You just got to give them some love and remind them that you own their life, not them.” “And how do you explain why he ran away?” “He could have escaped.” “And made his way all the way to the top of a mountain in the middle of a snow storm?” “Mason, what do you want me to say? He legally belongs to someone else, not much else you can do.” “So I’m supposed to return him to the asshole he tried to run from?” “Look, if you care so much, why not claim ownership?” “WHAT?” “If he doesn’t show any identification, no one would be able to call his previous owner. You step in and say he’s yours and Bah-da-bing, Bah-da-boom, he’s yours to do whatever you want with him. Hell, you only need to keep him for a year. Then he can be set free.” I tried to think of a counter argument, but I couldn’t. Which given the context of the situation, made me worried. “Fine, I’ll do it. But could you please give me some tips or something?” “I’ll do what I can, but this is something you’ll mainly have to do on your own.” “You are an asshole, Alex. You know that?” “So you have said. And my girlfriend. And my parents. Pretty much everyone who meets me.” And that’s how that conversation ended. I drove up to the nearest hospital, and following Alex’s advice, claimed ownership. I don’t know what felt worse, the suspense of finding identification on him, or the sickening feeling I got from all of this. Either way, the human’s mine. Now what? The question racked my brain as I drove into the nearest motel. Thankfully, no one batted an eye to the unconscious human amongst my things. Actually, that makes all this three times more wrong. Morally questionable laws of ownership aside, no one suspects a thing. I pull out to the room, unpacked everything, and effectively cuff the guy to the bed. I know it seems like a cruel thing to do, but I don’t feel safe knowing that he tried to kill himself twice now. The only real bad thing is that the room has one bed, meaning I’m sleeping on the couch.
	E - I woke up again, but in what appeared to be a motel room. I tried moving, when I felt my arm pull against something. I looked to my side and saw that my hand was cuffed to the bed. No, not again! This isn’t real! Wait, I’ve never been in a motel before. At least, not back then. I was about to check for answers when the door opened. I saw the panther from earlier, with a look of relief and exasperation. “You’re awake. Good, we need to talk.” “I don’t think we have anything to talk about beyond you releasing me.” “You jumped out of a moving vehicle!” Oh right, I did do that. “I thought I explained my plans already?” “You said you tried to commit suicide, then tried to again!” “And? I don’t see how that involves you?” “You mental or something? Who in their right mind would let someone do that?” “If you knew me, you would have left me be.” “And who are you?” “Someone who is leaving this room, and you can’t stop me.” I yanked the cuff off the bed, still attached to my wrist. Drat, I must still be weak. “Now if you’ll excuse me…” I was about to get up when I collapsed on the spot. Thankfully, the panther caught me with surprising speed. “I don’t know how you did that, but you are in no condition to do anything.” I grumbled as he placed me back on the bed. “You think you can keep me here?” “I’m not trying to do anything to you, beyond keeping you alive. And if you try to escape, you’ll find yourself in more trouble than you’ll want.” “And what is that supposed to mean?” “Anyone with any common sense would find it alarming for a human to escape from their master.” I now looked at him with raging eyes, a feat difficult to do while fighting to stay awake. “You think you can own me? This isn’t the War, there are laws to protect even humans from forced ownership!” “I saw your brand. I figured you escaped from someone you don’t want to find you. If I tell people you’re my pet, no one would suspect anything.” Dammit, I can’t believe he found that. “I’m not going to force you to do anything, I’m just trying to help you.” “I don’t see how being your pet is helping? And I never asked for your help.” “You’re hurting, anyone with eyes can see that.” “Let me make one thing clear. I! DON’T! FEEL! ANYTHING!” “If that was true, you wouldn’t be here. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want.” “And the handcuffs? Are these to satisfy something for you?” I can see him blush intensely, I’ve seemed to have struck a nerve. “This was…a precaution.” “Precaution?” “You are actively trying to commit suicide! How do you keep forgetting this?” I’m also confused as to how I seem to be forgetting this. My main objective was to kill myself and he certainly hasn’t changed that. I feel more and more exhausted. Which is odd, seeing as it seems to be the only thing I do anymore. But before I could debate this further, I fell asleep.
	M - How am I supposed to deal with him now? We clearly got off on the wrong foot and now he hates me. Why did I ever agree to this? Everything would have been better if I left him at the hospital. But then he’d find his old owner or just be recycled into the system. Why am I caring about some random stranger!? I look towards the human in my bed; I look to him and see a serenity in his face I’ve never seen on him before, like it's the first time he’s relaxed in a long time. I look and see the face of someone who’s holding back their hurting, a face I know too well. I sigh, succumbing to the situation I’ve put myself in. Like it or not, he’s my responsibility now. At least for a year, then he’s free. I sleep on the couch, overwhelmed and ready for today to be over.