Lucie was a stray dog, a creature of the city streets. She had lived there for as long as she could remember, her days a blur of scavenging, sleeping in abandoned buildings, and dodging cars. But her life was far from ordinary. Lucie had been abused, her front legs deformed and scarred as a result. This disability made it difficult for her to move around, and she often felt helpless and alone.
Today was Lucie’s birthday, a day that most dogs celebrated with treats, toys, and lots of love. But for Lucie, it was just another day of hardship and loneliness. She wandered the streets, her tail drooping low. There was no one to wish her a happy birthday, no one to offer her a kind word. She had grown accustomed to the indifference of the world, but on her birthday, it felt especially harsh.
Lucie stopped by a park where she often saw people playing with their dogs. She watched them with a pang of envy. Their dogs were showered with affection, their tails wagging with joy. Lucie longed for the companionship she had never known, and she yearned for the simple pleasure of being loved and cared for.
As the day wore on, Lucie’s spirits sank even lower. She found a quiet corner under a bridge and lay down, her head resting on her paws. She closed her eyes, wishing for a miracle, for someone to come along and rescue her from her lonely life. But as the sun began to set, she realized that her wish was unlikely to come true.
Lucie was a survivor, a dog who had learned to endure hardship. But on her birthday, even she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of sadness. As she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a home, of a family who loved her, and of a day when she could run freely without pain. It was a dream that she knew was unlikely to ever come true, but it was a dream that kept her going, day after day.
