Cub

"You're going to be fine."

I could n't moved a muscle. I could n't even open my eyes. I felt more cold, more numbed. It was getting more hard to breath, to hear, to keep conscious.

I was slowly slipping away. My heart slowly loosing its pace. Hope slowly fading away.

"Hang on, Cub. Just, hang on."

He sounded panicked and breathless. He even sounded more human. No growls, no howls.

But, I could hear barks and a sound of a collared bells. I could somehow smelt sweets and burnt woods. A dog, maybe two or three.

"There, there. I've got you."

I shivered more after I was pulled up from the thick piled of snow. Then, a sudden pain pierced on my leg, neck and belly. It was unbearable.

I whimpered and caught the smell of strong metal. Blood. A lot of blood. My blood.

"Oh shit. No, no, no."

A bundle of cloth was wrapped around my body, then a pressure was pressed on my belly. I could still feel the cold but, I was put on something that was warm. Something where a sound similar to a beat of heart thumped.

It smelt mint and cigar. I snuggled a bit more to keep more warmed. It somehow felt safe, I felt safe.

"You're safe now, Cub."

I could n't stay conscious anymore, I was slowly drifting off. The barks of the dogs, the rough engine sound of the car, his voice-- everything seemed to be blurred and become low.

I wondered if this what death was. If this was the feeling of the end.

It somehow made me sad to think I wouldn't have a chance to thank the man and his dogs. Pulling me out the snow and giving me warmth-- trying to save and keep me alive.

But I knew, I could n't. I am giving up. I could only hoped a peaceful death, hoped they'll bury my remains.

Maybe, if they had n't come, I would have a horrible and pathetic death under the snow pooled with red. Silently waiting to become a meal of a hungry predators, worms or other parasites, and left only with bones.

I stirred when warm slimy substances continuously brushed my face. It smelt raw meat, a beef or chicken meat. I felt my stomach growled deeply thinking what it might really was.

I meowed and it stopped but continued after awhile. Then, I heard barks and a sound of collared bells with a faint yell of a man from a distant.

They seemed familiar.

"Boys get out of there."

The voice slowly become more clear and loud. Boots roughly squeaked against the wooden floor. Until something hardly slapped against the wall, a door maybe?

"Stop disturbing the Cub."

I opened my eyes and welcomed by a blurred sight of a man toppled by three large brown dogs.

"Oh come on, stop those tongues." He tried to pull away and stop the dogs from licking. He looked annoyed but sounded happy. "They do really smell bad."

He was about to add more when he met my eyes. There was a long silent pause before he break free from those dogs circled around him, happily licking and waggling their tails.

"Oh thank, God!" He yelled and neared his face inches away to mines. He seemed more happy and a little crazy. "You're awake, you lived!"

I tiredly meowed and slightly turned my head sideways. A silent way to ask the man what just happened.

Did n't I just died?

"It had been four days since I saw you nearly dying at the side road." He teary-eyed explained while caressing my furs. "I'm glad, you did n't gave up on me, on yourself. I knew you'll fight and won't die, little one."