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Through the eyes of a lupe

by AmberRose

Painted was enjoying a nice night in by the fire, his emerald blue eyes gazed into the flickering flames with fascination. Fires had always fascinated Painted, they gave him a sense that he was not alone. The warmth gave him a pleasure that nothing else could.

Painted had a first class life, he had many friends, a great petpet, desirable house, three friendly siblings, the best owner in the world, everything thing a pet could ask for.
Though Painted was a very kind an sociable lupe, he did enjoy these moments of peace, where he could by alone, and think about the good things in life.

As Painted gazed into the fire, he felt the heat make his eyes droop, and slowly, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

His dreams where soon cut short, however, when he awoke to the sound of his owner on the phone. At first Painted took no noticed, and started to drift off when he was suddenly alerted by the sharp sound of his name.

Painted got up slowly and gazed round the corner, he could see his owner standing beside an oak table, the phone held close to his ear. Painted couldn't make out what was being said, but he heard the words; 'avatar, pet and pound', just as he was about to ask what was happening, his owner put down the phone and turned round to look at Painted.

"I'm glad you're awake, come with me, we're going out." He said quickly, and before Painted could object he dragged him towards the door.

"Where are we going?" Painted asked, confused, it was very late to be going out for a walk, and why weren't his brothers and his sister coming to?

However, his owner ignored the question, he dragged Painted through the streets of Neopia Central, lit only by street lights, and those few shops that were still open.

Eventually they ended up outside the Neopian Pound, Painted drew a horrified gasp, no, it couldn't be happening!

His owner dragged Painted inside and walked up to the pink uni at the desk. "Hey, I'd like to adopt a Island Quiggle called Ryan?" The Uni nodded and looked down at her computer.

Painted felt a wave of sweet relief come over him, his owner wasn't planning to disown him at all, he just wanted to adopt another pet, that was all! He though of all the things he could do with his new sibling.

He snapped back to reality when the uni replied, "I'm sorry sir, our records show that you have four pets, you cannot adopt another one." She relied looking at Painted's owner.

To Painted surprise he owner didn't look disheartened. "I know that, I'd like to disown my lupe here as well as adopt."

Painted's world disappeared in flash, he didn't believe it, no, his owner loved him too much, he'd never get rid of him, never. But deep down inside he knew it was true.

The evil techo that stood beside the uni grinned and slowly walked towards Painted. Painted swirled around and tried to run away, but the techo grabbed him round the waist and dragged him into another room, Painted looked at his owner hoping there had been some mistake, but he was only concerned with his new Quiggle.

Tears flooded his eyes, his dispair was one beyond one all imagining, his whole life had gone, he had nothing, nothing at all, his whole life was in shreds. The uni, however, shot him a look of sympathy, she was the only one present who actually cared for Painted.

Painted was locked into a cage that was much too small. He noticed his ex-owner leaving through the door way, in an instant, the love for that person whom he had one cared for so much changed to hate, how could he have done this? Full of grief he lay down and prepared to get used to life in a cage.

Weeks went by the that damp, poorly-lit, evil place. Painted was a Checkered lupe, one that normally would be snatched up quickly, but unfortunately, he was one of those "stuck" pets, meaning he didn't show up on the listings.

Painted never made any friends, the cages were so far apart it was impossible to talk to anyone. Painted soon learned that he was "stuck" and that just made his miserable, surely now he would never be adopted. At the sound of this news his eyes began to water. It was bad enough to have your whole world taken away from you, but by the looks of it, he didn't even have a hope of a new life. No one knew he was here, with the exception of his old owner, but thinking of how he had carelessly chucked him away, it didn't give him much comfort.

Months went by, no longer did Painted wake up and think; 'maybe I'll be adopted today', he ended up wishing he'd never wake up. His dreams where the only things he had, In his dreams he had friends, he was loved, he was happy, if only the poor soul could have lived in his dreams. Most of all Painted missed his petpet, Foofoo, Painted cared more about Foofoo than anything, for Foofoo was truly loyal, though she was dumb and couldn't talk, she was the best friend imaginable.

The day came though, when someone came for Painted. When she first arrived Painted hardly noticed her. She approached the counter and smiled at the uni and shot a dirty look as the techo. "Excuse me, I'm looking for a pet called Painted?"

It may surprise you, but this didn't cheer Painted up much, you see, Painted wasn't his full name, that was just what everyone called him, Just as there are many people with different names that call themselves Bobby, there were many pets with long names that called themselves Painted. The chances that this girl was talking about him were tiny.

The Uni smiled at her and said, " we had many pets named Painted, what it the species and colour of the one you're after?"

"Um, He's a Checkered Lupe?" She replied, trying to lean over and see the computer screen without the uni noticing.

That mad Painted stand up! Or at least, bonk his head trying to stand up in his tiny pen.

Oh yes, he's right over he she said walking over to Painted's pen and opening the rust covered door.
Painted creaped out, hardly daring to belive it, he gazed up at the girls face. She had Blue eyes, a sholder leanth blonde.

And so, Painted was adopted by the young eleven year old, she proved to be an exellent owner. It turned out she had met his old owner on a board and he had commented on how he had abandoned Painted, and she, feeling sorry for the poor lupe, had come here to find him.

When painted told her of his poor petpet, Foofoo, she had made the effort to go find her, she had been sold to someone, and she went about tracking them down. (Painted ex-owner had told her who he had sold her to) Eventualy Pet and petpet were re-united, much to his delight.

And with that they all lived happily ever after.

Hah. You surely didn't belive that did you? Life isn't that kind, no, for though it seemed Painted had found his ideal home, there was something coming that would rip Painted away from his new home.

It all began when Painted new owner went away to camp for a month, she apologised to Painted and his newfound siblings, "I've booked you in the neolodge, it's not top quality, cause I can't afford it, but it'll do," she smiled and got in the neotaxi leaving them at home.

The first week went by no problem, it was the second week when it started to go wrong.

Painted lay sleeping beside a fire, remembering the last night he spent with his old owner, he preffered it here, the rug was warmer, all the better to gaze into the depth of those warm flames. Suddenly he heard a huge crash coming from the kitchen. He raced through to see what it was, when he entered the kitchen, the scene that met his eyes was horrifying, a huge man stood apon what had one been his kitchen door, lightening flashed outside from the stormy skies, illuminating him, despite this, Painted could not make out any of his features.

Painted cowered in fear, "who a-are yo-y-you?" he said stuttering. He shivered, half from fear, and half from the new draft which entered through the now-open doorway.

"Me? I'm the guy that's going to take your mummies account," in a horrible fake-nice.

Though Painted was shaking so much he was certain his tail would comer of, he found the courage to ask, "are you a hacker?"

"No of course not you silly animal, your mum was very stupid that's all." He said looking round distracted. Painted wanted to ask more, but the man pushed him roughly out the way and he collided with the cooker, the man, taking no notice, started to grab everything he could see, that's when two of Painted's siblings appeared, Bexter, the ghost Quiggle, and Fluff the christmas Kougra. Before they could say anything the man pulling a poker from the fire and attacked the two pets roughly knocking them both out, he then continued with his robbing of the house.

Little did he know, at the top of the stair case, watching his every move was Zack, a split lupe, Painted's half-brother and best friend. He creaped down the stairs, and managed to creep into the kitchen beside Painted. "What's going on?"

Painted in very much pain, but he replied, "he wants to take our account." But sadly there was nothing these two neopets could do, all they could do watch while he took all the valuable items away, Painted saw him take away Foofoo, his own petpet! No! His eyes filled with red hot tears as he got to his feet and snarled at the man, he leaped and dug his clothes into the man's shoulder, but all it did him was get him a whack on the head with a codestone he was carrying as well.

When he had taken everything of value Painted said to him, "will you go now, please?"

The man grinned, a sly expression on his face, "I'll leave all right, but first I'll have to freeze this account, I could self freeze, but that would be no fun, I think I'll go wreck some havoc on the boards first." and with that he turned and ran out into the darkness. Zack started to go into the darkness but Painted stopped him, "It's dangerous out there, even if you did catch up to him, what could you do? We should stick together." And with that they both lay down and went to sleep, neither of them knew what frozen meant, so they didn't have much to fear, really.

They were awoken by the sound of the letter box being pushed up, looking up sleepily they pricked their ears up.

A voice came, "I, the security chia hereby freeze this account!" There was the sound of something being pushed through the letter box, the two lupes started to look round to see what it was, but what met their eyes was a terrifying thing, a wall of ice shot towards them, they ran towards the kitchen door, they were going to make it! Then, in a terrible irony, the door way froze up in front of them, in an ice so thick you couldn't see though it. They were trapped!

The ice engulfed them, it wasn't cold, but once covered, he couldn't move at all, only his eyes had any mobility. He started first at the ice wall in front of him, which he had been so close to, then he started over at Zack, but Zack was looking round wildly, Painted knew, him, he was looking round for a way out, but Painted knew, there was no way out, this was it, forever.

Some people say pets are blessed, for they can never die, and maybe some are, but for Painted it was a curse, he was doomed to live forever, in eternal hunger, frozen, never to move again, and no hope of ever coming out, and not even could death bring him relief.

Tears made his eyes burn, for they had no where to go, and had to cling to his eyeballs.

Weeks past, and eventually the sound of a car driving past met his ears, he knew, his owner was returning, but much to late.

He heard her put her key in the lock, but when it didn't work she rattled the letter box, "Painted, Fluff? Anybody? I'm back! Open up!" But no one could answer, Painted felt like someone somewhere was doing this to him on purpose, to punish him for some unknown crime.

Confused she walked round to the kitchen door. When she saw the wall of eye she gasped, "no," she whispered in a quit voice.

"NO!" she went into hysterics, she started beating at the way of ice, the ice fell on her had like a sledge hammer, but she kept trying. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the thought of her innocent pets locked in there forever, unable to reply, just gave her ten times more grief, slowly she stood up, and said, "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I promise, I'll do everything I can to free you." And with that she turned walked away, head hung.

She kept true to her promise, she sent in forms and e-mails to The Neopets Team, she asked advice from people who had been frozen, she visited the house everyday, talking to her pets, but slowly the truth sunk in, she would never see he pets again, and her visits slackened. Painted was glad, these visits only filled his heart with sorrow.

One day, over a year since she returned home from camp, she prepared for what would be her finial visit. She had a long talk with the wall of ice, hoping her pets could hear her, even after all this time, she had no way of knowing whether they could or not. She spoke of everything that was going on, she told each of the four pets the results in their favorite games, the weather, everything. At the end she stood up and said in a rather quiet voice, "I love you, my babies, I'll miss you," and with that she turned away and walked across the grass, she would never return, she didn't want to believe it, but she knew it in her heart, never again would she see her pets......

All related images and material are (c) 2005 Neopets , Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. 
Content was created by members of The Neopian Orphanage.
Site design (c) 2005 wtrswoopes. Site graphics (c) 2005 vegetarewlz.