Charity (TBA): DOG ARRIVAL ROOM<br/><br/><br/>I've been alone for a long time. When I close my eyes the only things that exist are the darkness, and the skin that contains me.<br/><br/>I was not any where near home. I could feel it. The air was different, lighter, not as dank and humusy, more sun and near the sea. I was laying on something cold, metal. I did not open my eyes.<br/><br/>I started taking stock - just as I would take inventory for my father at church - counting was a gift from God. Papa said it was cause he had been so good, not like Momma.<br/>It was better to do things one step at a time. I was alone. I was naked. I was the same as I was before, but different. I slowly stretched as far as I could. I was stronger that I had been before I fell asleep. My arms and legs were more flexible. I had something on my hands, and something on my legs all the way up my thighs that prevented me from stretching out right. They were not part of me.<br/><br/>I opened my eyes. I was disappointed. The room was sparse, lots of metal stuff I had no idea what it did.. it smelled like disinfectant. I should probably be interested but Papa said technology was evil, so I ignored it like a good girl.<br/><br/>I had something covering my useless ears, that seemed to be part of my head.. they were warm and furry.. and I could wiggle them a little. I had something else.. over my butt.. as I thought about it.. it swished back and forth. It was a tail! I could feel it all the way to the end!<br/>I looked at myself in one of the shiny surfaces. I was a dog. I had seen one once. Only once. I tried to fathom why I was different. My Papa always said my Momma was bad, that's why I couldn't hear.. maybe thats why I was sent to hell and made into a dog?<br/>I remember everything I see, or count, or .. smell. I could smell.. a lot. I could smell the filtered air conditioned air. I used to be able to smell things pretty good before.. in fact I could navigate all round the church's land if I closed my eyes.. just by smell and memory. But this.. this was amazing.. the smell of tobacco burst through the vent..it was like a mushroom of tawny brown in my mind. I could smell life.. I smelt people, and to me they smelt like colors!!. There were women, in all shades of brown, silver, bronze, gold and pinks.. there were men in all varieties of blues, purples and reds.. and then there was something else.. smelling myself.. I think they were dogs. They were close. In my mind they had their own colours. There was one that was delicate dove grey she was becoming pink.. there was one that was yellow and bright, she was becoming more orangey-red.. they smelt delicious! My belly rumbled. There was one that was musky, a fierce electric blue, smelt different from the others.. I think that might have been a boy.<br/><br/>I clambered off the table and fell to my knees. crawling over to the door and sticking my nose to the crack under it.. sniffing deeply. There was a human there.. she.. was lime green, her perfume was acidic. I could smell even further.. either moving closer or on the cusp of distant air.. she smelt of the sea..and was a beautiful deep brown-black, with streaks of bronze and amber – like roasted coffee beans,  Another with her, a mixture of cigarettes and a copper red sheen with gold flecks swirling around in its russet glory. With them.. a man.. he was a deep dark red.. like blood.. almost purple.. he seemed to pulsate.<br/><br/>They all seemed to throb and shift between light and dark, bright and deeper.. some changing hue entirely.<br/><br/>I could smell everything.. everyone.. I could smell the carpet shampoo, the disinfectant, the cigarettes, the salty sea.. the dogs and people.. everything.<br/><br/>I craned my head to look at my tail.. this wasn't right. I didn't want to be a dog. I didn't want to be in hell. Maybe that's why my head said they had colors. Maybe they only smelt like people.. maybe they were demons sent to tempt and torture me. What ever they were they were getting closer.<br/>I backed into a corner and tried to cover myself as best I could. Demons delighted in the flesh. Papa said so.