A wheezing lump of flesh. That’s what he’s been reduced to.

Nolan doesn’t know how long he’s been here. Just… too long. He hides from anything reflective- he knows what he’s become. He can barely move anyway- infection has overtaken him. His eyes are yellow and small, his skin is cracked and bloody. He’s balding and his scalp is itchy, and put that all together- he doesn’t want to see his face. He know it’s disgusting.

Nobody ever wanted to buy him. In the human pet store, all the pretty pets got bought, and Nolan was poked at and made fun of. Tears tracked down his face as he struggled to breathe, his smell sickening and his throat raw and dry. His cage was put in a far back corner, then other cages were put in front of him. Nobody ever sees him. Some days, he just eats bugs he catches in the corner of the store.

Today is no different. Nolan is there in a heap, wheezing and sweating, slightly crying. His trembling is to the max as someone complains about his smell. They ask if he could please be put down soon. And then, they leave. He buries his face in his arms as you walk in.