Emeraald flinched as Molly smacked her, and fled for the nearest shelter. 

She was a mistreated baby berrok, who had only known pain and sadness in her life.

Starving and weak, she ran to the east, where she found a lonely little dump, full of items that nobody ever wanted anymore.

Suddenly, she felt like that. Trash. Rubbish. Vermin.

Emeraald slumped down on the ground and began to cry. Tears made tracks in her dirty, bruised face.

She wasn't in favour of staying where she was, but it had started to rain already.

For now, little Emeraald had to find shelter and food. She ate a half-eaten seafood pizza and crawled under a wooden slat, falling asleep promptly.

The next morning she was awoken by singing.

It was a 10 year old boy named Hugh. He had come looking for things to take home.

Hugh had begun looking for some blue canvas shoes, when he spotted Emeraald.

He immediately wanted to take her home. Emeraald grew frightened, not sure whether to trust this boy or not. She edged away from him.

"I won't hurt you, little berrok," he coaxed.

She shuffled towards him. Hugh slowly reached out to stroke her. Emeraald flinched, waiting for the sharp pain.

Instead, she felt Hugh's hand softly stroking her fur. "There there," he whispered. "That's a girl."

Emeraald had never experienced love before, and it felt good.

"Would you like to come home with me and be my pet?"

Emeraald smiled and nodded. "Yes please."

Back at Hugh's home in Scria, Emeraald was immediately taken inside and washed. A very bubbly little berrok greeted Hugh at his bedroom door. He smiled. "Let's get you warmed and dried," he laughed. He placed Emeraald in front of a crackling fire, and dried her with a fluffy white towel.

Then he offered her a steaming bowl of baked Scria berries.

"Do you feel better now, girl?" whispered Hugh, stroking Emeraald lovingly.

In answer, she fell alseep promptly... with a smile on her face, for the first time in years.

~By bingle23~