"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Connor shifted uncomfortably on the earthy floor of the tent beside her.

"No, I do want to. You've proven I can trust you." Vanilla smiled, then sighed and looked away. "I used to be the happiest girl in the world. I had a boyfriend, two loving parents, and a brother."

"You *had*?" Connor asked.

"Yes. My boyfriend and I were on this beautiful mountain ridge. After the night turned to day, we decided to leave. But as we got onto the highway, a-" Vanilla slowly blinked her eyes open and closed before turning to him, a stray tear running down her face.

Connor gently reached forward and wiped it away. Vanilla smiled sadly before continuing the story.

"A car...hit us and spun us around. Before my boyfriend could even move the car away, a huge truck came barreling into his side of the car. Everything turned black for me and I wake up in the hospital. That's when the doctors tell me my boyfriend was gone...dead." Vanilla burst into tears and buried her head into his shoulder.

Connor widened his eyes in surprise, but didn't move away. She needed to do this and he knew it.

Eventually Vanilla raised her head again and started from where she left off.

"And about a year or so after that, my brother got in a crash too. He didn't make it either." Vanilla wiped her tears away and looked at the leafy floor. "A few weeks later, my parents take me to get a new pet. That's where these three come from."

She signaled to Chai, Knight, and Hielo outside the tent.

"They were just little pups at the time, barely past the stage of milk from mom. I remember discovering the cage with their mom unfortunately dead. Anyways, though...after we had gotten them and brought them home, my parents said they had to go out to do...something. After hours of worrying, they wind up dead, and I get a letter saying I have to go to the orphanage. So instead of doing that...I ran away. And I've lived here ever since."

Vanilla shifted from her position and stretched her back. Connor just followed her with his eyes in complete shock at the story she just told.

"Youve been through all that...?" He asked cautiously.

"Sadly..." Vanilla whispered.

Suddenly, furious barking sounded from outside. Vanilla perked her head up and rushed from the tent quickly. Connor followed her.

Once outside, he spotted Vanilla desperately try to get to the three wolves. A strong man with a 'animal control' shirt held her back. Chai, Hielo, and Knight furiously growled and barked at the dragging them away.

"Let them go!" Vanilla screamed. "They never did anything wrong!"

Connor gasped at what was before him and ran after the wolves. Unfortunately, his parents rushed forward and pulled him back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" His father shouted. "Those animals are monsters!"

Connor stood his ground. "No, dad, you're the monster."

His dad slapped him across the face at that. Connor angirly growled and pushed his dad away. Then he ran toward the guy holding Vanilla and leaped at him, forcing him to the ground. Vanilla managed to get away and ran toward the wolves. Connor got up from the guy and ran after her.

Everyone watched in horror as the two kids chased after the truck...