Unnatural Cruelty

Ethan frowned as he pulled into the driveway of the animal shelter where his wife worked five days a week.

He glanced at his wristwatch, not because he didn't know it was almost seven pm but because Ava should have been waiting for him. He picked her up after work every day and they always drove home together.

After waiting ten minutes, he got out of the car and headed inside. There she was, kneeling beside a rusted kennel, coaxing a terrified mixed-breed dog from the shadows.

“Come on, buddy,” Ava said softly, extending a hand. “I've got chicken.” The dog glanced up at Ethan and pressed further into the corner. That was when she knew her husband had arrived. She sighed, sat on her heels and looked at her husband.

“We should be home by now,” he said gruffly. No greeting, just weariness and irritation and suddenly, she felt like screaming to ease her frustration.

“Funding has been cut again,” she whispered instead, turning to look at the dog.

“Ava, it's one dog,” he said and immediately regretted it.

She froze, her lips thinned. “One dog?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don't,” she snapped and he grimaced, loosening his tie. “He was beaten. I see a creature that spent years learning that every human hand brings pain,” she continued quietly. “He trembles when someone sneezes, panics when a door closes and won't eat unless no one is looking.”

Ethan leaned back against the wall, watching her eyes glisten.

“What happened to him wasn't cruelty but unnatural cruelty. And it will take a while to heal him of it.”

Later that night when Ava was asleep, Ethan stayed up going through the contacts on his phone. He called in favours and within the week, money also trickled in. The shelter was going to be alright and the animals safe.

Two weeks later, he returned from work alone and found Ava sitting in their backyard, the dog beside her, his head resting on her shoe. For the first time, the dog's tail wagged when he approached.

Ava smiled at him and his world became sunnier.

I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "unnatural cruelty".

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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