19:29:33
Snowdrop let out a long raspy breath, her lungs stained as badly by the dust and mould of the darkened closet as her once pristine white Fluff was. Surely her mummah would come now, it had been sometime since she last saw her, but the little mare waited patiently, knowing that her mummah would return shortly.
Oh how Snowdrop loved her mummah, she’d be with her since she was a little filly, barely just stared on big Fluffy food. Snowdrop had been a gift from her mummah’s friends after he had the biggest heart-hurties from a meanie called ‘Derek’, Snowdrop didn’t like Derek, he was mummah’s special-friend until he had special-huggies with someone else. Mummah cried so much during those first few bright-times but Snowdrop didn’t mind, she loved hugging into mummah’s chest at night and sending all those heart-hurties away.
It didn’t take long for mummah to forget about meanie Derek and devote all her time to Snowdrop, when she wasn’t working that was, Snowdrop didn’t like it when mummah had to go to work but she always came back with a bag of sketti treats and lots of huggies for Snowdrop.
And once they were together again, they would play, they would play forever and ever, chasies, ball, hidies, and Snowdrop’s favourite game, Give Mummah Huggies. The more time they were together, the happier mummah was, the happier mummah was, the more time they spent together, it was a perfect partnership, not between owner and pet, but between lifelong friends.
One of mummah’s human friends, the nice lady who brought Snowdrop from the Fluffmart, told Snowdrop that mummah being able to talk about her heart-hurties helped heal her from what Derek did. Snowdrop didn’t realise how important talkies were and made sure to always talk to her mummah about everything.
But then, mummah stopped talking back.
It was subtle at first, a few days where mummah didn’t bring back sketti treats, but that was ok with Snowdrop, her mummah still made real-life sketti, but eventually that startled to dwindle as well, more often Snowdrop would have hard kibble instead of soft skettis. But still, food was food and Snowdrop happily ate it up.
After several days of this, Snowdrop overheared her mummah saying that she ‘couldn’t be bothered cooking’. That worried Snowdrop, there had been days when mummah came home with the biggest hurties after a hard time at her work and Snowdrop had been given kibble, if this was happening more frequently then mummah must have the biggest EVER hurties.
Dutifully Snowdrop had tried to talk to her mummah, knowing that talking was important, only to be met with grunts and short answers while mummah focussed more on the TV screen than Snowdrop. That hurt Snowdrop a little bit, she loved TV too and all the fun games she watched on Fluff-TV while mummah was at work, but she would never choose TV over playing with mummah, if only there was a way to do both at the same time.
Then it hit her, she could watch TV WITH mummah, it was the perfect plan. Mummah didn’t smile when Snowdrop told her plan but that was ok, Snowdrop was smiling enough for the both of them, even if mummah didn’t want to talk, just being with her was enough.
Sadly, things didn’t improve after that. If anything they got worse with mummah now going days without giving Snowdrop sketti OR kibble, and when she did it was either too little just tossed into the bowl on her way to work, or too much poured out to keep Snowdrop fed for a few days. Not that Snowdrop understood that, she thought she was being rewarded for being such a good and polite Fluffy who always made good poopies, so she ate as much as she could until it gave her tummeh-hurties, then she would find a spot in her litter-box to make good, if slightly painful poopies.
Mummah also forgot to clean out the litterbox at times, but Snowdrop always made sure she had a spot to make good poopies.
But then the best thing ever happened. Snowdrop got her very all safe-room, with her own bed and toys, and nightlight, even a brand new litterbox. It didn’t even matter to Snowdrop that her saferoom used to be an old closet, it was her room and she loved it.
And to celebrate, mummah even cooked up sketti, and it was just as yummy as she remembered with the warm, wriggling noodles and sweet tomato sauce. Mummah didn’t stay because she had to make a phonecall, which Snowdrop didn’t mind, she knew mummah would be back soon. As she was nibbling away at her dinner, Snowdrop overheard mummah talking, she couldn’t make out everything but a few words were heard through the door.
…just noodles and ketchup…
…wasted money on that…
…novelty’s gone…
…so done in…
Snowdrop didn’t know what novelty was, or why her mummah had run out of it, but when she offered to help her mummah find some more, mummah just put her in her safe-room and told her to keep quiet.
And Snowdrop did, for quite some time. With no windows and only the night-light Snowdrop wasn’t sure when a bright-time started and ended, all she knew was that she went to sleepies three times before mummah opened the door again. Snowdrop was so happy to see her mummah, that she did a little dance and hugged her mummah’s leggies.
Mummah was so caring as well, asking Snowdrop if she was hungry, if she was bored, if she was angry with mummah for locking her away for three days. Snowdrop just laughed and said she could never be mad at mummah, Snowdrop loved mummah.
Mummah seemed confused, she asked how could Snowdrop love her after being left alone for so long to starve and be ignored. Snowdrop was confused as well, why wouldn’t she be happy to see her mummah at all times?
Mummah just sighed, she must’ve been so tired from work again, and told Snowdrop there was food in the kitchen while she went through to watch TV. Snowdrop was happy to have food again, not in her usual bowl since that was still in the safe-room but it was enough to take away her tummy-hurties.
Now full, Snowdrop went to ask Mummah if she wanted to play, mummah told her to wait in the safe-room and mummah would get her soon. Like the good Fluffy she was, Snowdrop did as mummah said and went back into her safe-room, playing with her blockies as she waited for mummah.
And waited.
And waited.
And fell asleep.
And waited.
Snowdrop didn’t know how long she waited, it must’ve have been some time as her litterbox was nearly full, her tummy had the worstesh hurties, her pretty white Fluff looked more grey now and her night light was starting to flicker and burn out. But Snowdrop wasn’t worried, everytime she woke up she would diligently wait at the door to her safe-room, ignoring the cramped space and painful dust-filled coughing because she knew her mummah would return soon and all would be well.
19:29:34
Snowdrop let out a long raspy breath, but she never breathed back in.
I may take this story into a longer-form in the future but I wanted to get this out first since A) I wanted to get something out for @Reddit-Word_H83r’s Theme Month and given my current work schedule I’m not sure how feasible that is. And B) I wanted to try something different with a lack of dialogue and overly optimistic views of a Fluffy driving the story.
Hopefully it works all the same.