The Puppy From Kyiv

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Bel-ka is cold. Mommy can't warm Bel-ka up. It is not dark anymore. Bel-ka does not like the dark. Bel-ka always cries when Mommy makes the light disappear by touching a kibble on the wall. One day, Daddy sent a little round light like Bel-ka's ba-ball. Bel-ka put it in its bed. Bel-ka thought it could be eaten, but it was too big. Daddy showed his teeth and made the noise he makes when he is happy. So Bel-ka did it again. Maybe Daddy wanted Bel-ka to eat it? But it was too big and it didn't taste good. Daddy said "Nii" and Bel-ka left. The big noise resounds, Bel-ka snuggles up to Mommy and moans, but she doesn't hear Bel-ka, she doesn't move. Where is Daddy? Bel-ka sat up. Bel-ka scratched its ears. A thin layer of dust fell. Bel-ka sat down. Bel-ka can't see well because Bel-ka's left eye is tingling. Bel-ka is hungry. Bel-ka has to take his kibble. Bel-ka is thirsty, Mommy did not give Bel-ka a drink. Bel-ka wants to make a poop, Daddy didn't let Bel-ka out. But where is Daddy?

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Bel-ka licks its paw. It is much darker than usual, like the day Bel-ka threw itself into a puddle in the street. Mommy was not happy, she said, "Bel-ka, niet". But now she no longer called Bel-ka. Bel-ka only hears this horrible noise that scares Bel-ka. Bel-ka is hungry, where is the food? Our home has changed. There is no more light, a lot of dust, since the big noise had passed see Bel-ka, Mommy and Daddy. Bel-ka was afraid. Bel-ka yelled at the noise, but the noise came anyway. The noise came with the light, but the burning light. Like when Mommy is in the room with the good smells. She turns a kibble and the burning light appears. Bel-ka wanted to touch the kibble, but Mommy said "Niet". When Mommy wasn't there, Bel-ka wanted to touch the kibble again and make the burning light appear, but Daddy said "Nii". Where is Daddy?

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Daddy and Mommy shouted at each other, but shouted like when they are angry with Bel-ka. Was it a long time ago or not? Mommy had sent a cloth attached to a piece of wood. Bel-ka was happy, it was going to chew it. But she had put it up in the room where there is fresh air and emptiness. The flag had three lines: one very bright like daylight, blue in the middle, and a dark color after. Bel-ka knew it was blue, because Daddy had told it blue, and blue was not like other colors, it was blue. And there was a big bird stuck on the fabric. Bel-ka knows it's a bird, there are lots of them. They manage to stay in the air when they jump. When Bel-ka wants to play with them they jump and stay in the air, and Bel-ka can't follow them. Daddy was not happy, he shouted, Mommy too. Daddy said, "Nii Ma-cha". Ma-cha is Mommy, that's how Daddy makes her come. Bel-ka is Bel-ka, that's how Daddy makes Bel-ka come. And then Dad also came with a cloth at the end of a wood. Bel-ka was happy, he thought he could play with it, but Daddy had also put it up in the room where there is fresh air and emptiness. The cloth had two stripes this time. First of all blue. Bel-ka knew it was blue, because Daddy had told it blue, and blue was not like other colors, it was blue. And then another color. Mama also shouted, she said, "Niet Bo-dann". Bo-dann is Daddy, that's how Mommy makes him come. Again that loud noise. Bel-ka lies against Bel-ka, ears flattened and tail between its legs near the chair. Daddy's favorite chair. One day Bel-ka had bitten it to test its resistance. Daddy had shouted, "Nii Bel-ka". The chair was now upside down, torn and twisted like Bel-ka's toy. Daddy will not be happy. But where is Daddy?

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Bel-ka stood up. It sniffed the air, pricked up his ears. The air was nothing but dust. There was an uninterrupted noise. A plic ploc like when Daddy doesn't press the stick that makes water come out of the room that smells good and Mommy yells at him. That's water! Bel-ka wagged his tail. Bel-ka went in the direction of the noise, but there was a whole bunch of big rocks. Upstairs had fallen into the house. The plic ploc came from above. There was a big hole. There was a hand, it looked like Ok-ssa-na's hand. Ok-ssa-na is how Mommy makes her come. She doesn't live with Bel-ka, Daddy and Mommy. Bel-ka often hears her voice as if it comes from above. Sometimes she and Bel-ka meet downstairs. She gives Bel-ka sugar. She smells good, and she's nice, but she doesn't want to play with Bel-ka. It is Ok-ssa-na's hand and from her hand comes the plic ploc. It's like water, but it's dark, it smells like meat, and it tastes like the spoon that Daddy drops when he eats. It's not water. Bel-ka is thirsty. Bel-ka is hungry. Bel-ka wants to make a poo-poo but Daddy is not here to take Bel-ka out. Where is Daddy?

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Bel-ka turns around and goes to Mommy. She was lying on the floor, still asleep, the same liquid that came out of Ok-ssa-na on her forehead, her arms in a strange position. Bel-ka came and lay against her arm, smelled her and licked her face. It tasted like dust and spoon. Mommy didn't move, yet her eyes were open. She was looking up. Bel-ka snuggled up to her, at her armpits. Bel-ka couldn't hear the small, repetitive noise inside Mommy's body. Maybe she had made it disappear like she made the light disappear with the kibble on the wall. Bel-ka felt cold and began to shake. It snuggled up to Mommy even more, but her body was no longer warm and was getting cold too. When they were cold, Daddy would send a thick cloth and put it over Mommy and Bel-ka. Daddy wasn't there to do it. But where is Daddy?