Sun hot on my back like a baby spotlight, I walk in this wilderness of small houses and squares of the prickliest grass. Birds go quiet.

Squirrels stiff with fear hide in the crotches of trees but I am the one afraid, really afraid. What is this place? Where am I? I miss the comfort of the sawdust and greasepaint. I miss the soft and oily of home.

Today was a travel day. Sister said relax with a lazy swat of her paw. But I don’t like the rumble of the truck engine. I don’t like the gasoline fumes burning my eyes. I roared I don’t like I don’t like for miles. Sister rubbed my head saying it would be okay, but it wasn’t okay. Mama flicked impatience with her heavy tail and slept curled in her cage. She thinks I’m a big baby.

Suddenly the scrape of metal hard hard as our truck hit something. Everything happened at once. We tumbled, the fear scent of our woman’s blood, then the smoke. I thought fire fire and charged the trailer’s rear door with all my might. Running, I came back to myself. I found myself here, alone, lost. Sirens in the distant scream for me to hide hide. Through the forest of small houses I run.

Asphalt burns on my foot pads. I hurry across a scratchy patch of grass. The smell of chemicals hurts my stomach. Help, I need help. Opening my mouth, I deep smell to find something anything familiar. A thousand odors flood my senses. I scent water and run.

Under a small tree, a pale plastic pool like our woman sets up for us with the spray hose waited for me. I drink cool pool water until I feel a bit better. Yap! I nearly jump out of my fur. A tiny creature thing makes go away sounds. He is very loud for something so small. Turning my orange striped back to his goo goo googly eyes, I yawn with laughter at his ridiculous demands. I scratch stretch on the small tree. It breaks beneath my heavy paws. Goo goo googly stomps what the hell circles around me.

Rubbing my neck against the flimsy little tree, I flop down by the pool to think. Fatigue smothers me. Tired so tired I want my familiar smells and feels and sounds: the tent, the popcorn, the music, my people. Snapping at my whiskers, goo googly eyes challenges me to a fight to the death. I close my eyes to his nonsense.

My ears swivel to track the clop of feet many feet running towards me. People are watching me, but I ignore it because people always watch me. I am a big star. I open one eye. The people are pointing at me, who cares people always point at me. I am in no mood for tricks, no energy to put on a show.

A volley of sirens comes closer. Looking for the commotion, I stand up and look around. Yap, goo goo googly eyes makes this is my yard barks. Growling gently, I raise my foot, claws spread wide, to say I smell his marking piss and I don’t care if this was his territory it’s mine now. Yapping over and over, goo goo googly does a leave or else dance and nips my foot. I admire his moxie but this I cannot abide. I pick him up and shake some good manners into him. The people gathered around me scream, but people always scream at me. It must be something they like to do.

I drop goo goo googly. He growls a halfhearted apology. I lick him forgiving his poor judgement. He tastes disgusting. I lick him again considering when will I get my dinner. The people come closer, dangerously close. I panick. Where is the cage to protect me from my fans? I pick up goo goo googly by his head and retreat for the trees. Shouting follows me.

Then I smell her. I smell my woman. There is fear and pain in her sweat, but I know it is her. Flinging goo goo googly eyes down, I run for her. Cursing me, he chases me from the yard to the road. but I don’t care. I hear her whistle. My woman means home. She is safety and belly scritches and hunks of sweet raw meat and she came for me. I run towards her smell. Her voice is my music. I see her driving the clown car, doors open.

"Hemingway, thank God!”