Paula didn’t know how old she was. Time for a stray dog was a blurred concept marked by hunger, fear, and the endless search for a safe corner. She did, however, remember the day her world turned upside down. It was supposed to be her birthday, a day filled with joy and celebration for most. For Paula, it was a day of heartbreak and abandonment.
She remembered the house, a place once filled with warmth and laughter. She had been a beloved companion, a loyal friend. But on that fateful day, everything changed. A cardboard box, filled with her few belongings, appeared at the front door. Her heart pounded with confusion as her owners, their faces etched with a mixture of sadness and finality, placed her inside. The door shut, and the world as she knew it collapsed.
Abandoned on her birthday, Paula found herself on the cold, unforgiving streets. The world, once a familiar place, became a hostile environment. Hunger gnawed at her belly, fear gripped her heart. Nights were the worst, the howling wind a constant reminder of her solitude. She missed the warmth of a home, the comfort of a soft bed, and the gentle touch of a loving hand.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Paula learned to survive, to scavenge for food, to find shelter from the elements. But the loss of her home, the betrayal of her birthday, was a wound that never truly healed. Each passing day was a stark reminder of her loneliness.
As the years passed, Paula grew older and wiser. She learned to read the faces of humans, to distinguish between kindness and indifference. She became a ghost in the city, a shadow moving through the night. Yet, deep down, a flicker of hope remained. Perhaps one day, she would find a home again, a place where she would be loved and cherished. Until then, she would endure, one day at a time, carrying the weight of her abandonment but also the unwavering hope for a better tomorrow.
