My owner greeted the receptionist behind the counter and set my kennel down on the waiting room floor.

I pressed my nose against the bars. This wasn’t the veterinary clinic. Where―

“Welcome to Sepsihso Minor,” a mechanical voice crackled on the loudspeaker. “Veloroqi Sector LNQ4. Human Adoption and Dropoff Shelter.”

Christopher A. Jos is a teacher currently living in Alberta, Canada, and is a self-professed fantasy and science-fiction junkie going back to his early teenage years. You can visit him at https://christopherajos.wordpress.com, or find him on Twitter.