I awake with a start, my body feels strange. Why am I under the bed covers? As I pull the sheets aside I freeze, I haven't been able to grip anything in a long time, not since becoming my owners puppy. I look at my front paws and stare in surprise and confusion at my completely intact hand, my long removed fingers sticking out of my paw, the sight looks unnatural to me after so many years without them. 

I look down at my uncomfortably clothed body, the restrictive fabric irritating my skin after being naked for years, as I look I see my feet, the alien limbs wiggling their toes as I lay on my back confused. 

I roll over onto all fours, the position feeling more natural, being in it makes me feel somewhat calmer as I look around the empty room. Where are my owners? Where is my little brother Rover? Where am I? The room looks vaguely familiar, as if from a past life, my one before I become a pet dog, my old bedroom in my flat? Why and how am I here? 

I clumsily and reluctantly climb out of bed on two legs and stand unnaturally upright, going dizzy from being so far from the ground. I wobble slightly as I slowly walk, finding it difficult to balance only on two legs, barely remembering how. I make my way around my small flat searching for any clues as to where my family is, only the building is completely empty, no one is here except me. Where are they? I let out a quiet whimper of fear, what am I supposed to do? 

As I wonder around my old home I find an old book, opening it I find pages of handwritten words. I sit awkwardly on a chair, still not used to my human body, and read through the book, slowly remembering how to read after so long not needing to. Inside was my life, my time with my owners, detailed stories of being adopted and modified, of living my life as a human puppy. Fear and confusion fill my mind. Was it all a dream? A delusion? A fantasy? Did any of it ever happen? 

My heart races as I begin to panic. This can't be true. I drop from the chair to the floor and crawl into the corner of the living room, I curl up and bury my face into my arms. This can't be my reality. I need my owners, I feel so scared and alone, so helpless, so unloved, so unwanted, so unvalued, I feel naked without my collar, I don't know what to do with myself. I close my eyes as I'm overwhelmed with terror, my head spinning and buzzing with horror. 

I jerk my head up from the bed as I wake, my heart racing fast as I try to get my bearings. I calm as I look around the dark room, seeing the familiar surroundings of my owners bedroom, feeling the covers underneath me as I lay curled up at the end of their bed, Rover still sleeping calmly next to me, happy to see my little brother once more. 

I look down at my still fingerless paws and feetless hind legs and relax, everything seems to be back to normal and how it should be, my body feeling right. 

"What's up? Did you have a nightmare?" I look at my now awake owner, my dream reminding me of how lucky I am to be with them, and can't help but pant and race towards him, licking his face excitedly and lovingly. 

"I'm happy to see you to, that must have been quite the nightmare. It's alright, everything is fine, you're safe, go back to sleep." I close my eyes happily as his warm hand strokes me and I curl up against him, comforted by his presence, quickly forgetting the horrible dream and falling into a peaceful sleep, knowing that I'll wake up next to them.