The Story of Shadowcreek

Things were never easy for Robin'Wing. She started off as the only pup to live in a litter of 4 by the name of 'Puppy 1'. Her home was an underground testing lab, for dogs only, her mother and father had been raised there and likely their mothers and fathers. It was a seemingly endless cycle. Puppy 1 was raised in a small puppy lab with her mother, there were toys and cozy beds, making everything seem perfect! To a dog that had never seen the outside world, that is.

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Everyday a man came in to feed 87, she was a lot more nervous around the human than Puppy 1, who went trotting up to the human every day. The man and Puppy 1 grew close, best of friends against 87's will. As the days past the man began to spend more time in the puppy lab, just sitting and playing with Puppy 1... It was a decent life, until four months came to pass and {49's mother's number} was taken away. It happened like this for most every pup, they spent four months with their mothers before being weaned, and from there things only got worse. It's said that the mothers rarely return, as they are sent off for testing... Like all the dogs in the lab. 

A few days after, Puppy 1 is taken to the chipping room where her ear is chipped with the number '49' giving her a new name. 49. She is then taken to Lab 9, where she will live out the rest of her days... or so she thought.

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The humans had begun to act stressed in the fifth of 49's year of life. They had been running around the facility, in and out with their white coats and loud voices. More dogs had disappeared lately and even Lab 9, which usually was full, had begun to have more and more space. 49 could tell they must have been worried about the decreasing number of dogs and probably soon would turn their anger on one of the dogs, like they used to, but they never did. Instead, they started something they called a 'breeding program', something 49 knew would only cause more trouble in the end. 

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At the time of the breeding program, 49 had been chosen as what she understood was the reason that had something to do with her breed and hair length. 49 could do nothing but obey, just as she had done in all her 5 years in the facility, but when she saw the dog they had partnered her up with, her heart began to ache. The dog looked big and healthy, but scared. He looked like he was no more than 1 year and was gray with a darker patch around his left eye. His eyes shone with nothing but sadness and 49 wondered why they had chosen such a young innocent dog that clearly couldn't have been here too long.

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49 then comes up with a plan to help 73 and all other dogs who wishes to leave, finally getting out of Shadow-Creek. She explained to 73 that the Lab for pregnant dogs or dogs with puppies is way less guarded, assuming it is beacuse the lack of needing to prevent dogs who can barely walk from escaping. 49 then tells 73 that he must spread the word to all the other labs, which he does later with the help of 13, a Great Dane, who helps spreading the word with the many 'contacts' he has. 

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As the days goes, 49 finally ends up in the 'Puppy Lab' and sets her plan into action. While awaiting the 16th day, 49 gets familiar with the other female dogs awaiting puppies, which includes 63(73's sister). 63 tells 49 that she knows of her plan and is willing to do whatever she can to help 49 and to save her unborn puppies life from the Humans. 

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As the 16ths day finally comes, 49 sneaks out during the Human Workers lunch-time together with 63 and 1 other pregnant dog called 56. As they make their way towards 

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When they make their way out of the facility, all dogs that remain runs for the woods about half an hour away. The humans, with the ongoing war outside, choses not to follow them.

 

When they finally reached the woods, the dogs were exhausted, but they chose to make a camp there for the night. 49, who had never ever been outside her entire life, was blown away by all the things in nature, but she was especially interested in the small animals that seemed to fly across the sky. When she then asked 73 about the flying creatures, he told them they were birds and that the one she was looking at was a Robin. He also told her that it is due to their wings that they can fly. After that, 49 spent most of her days watching the birds with him. 

However the paradise of the woods they took shelter in didn't last long. Only after a couple of days, dogs began to fight each other due to most of them not knowing how to hunt, and those who could hunt, denied the others to share the catch. 13, the older but respected great dane who helped spread the word of the escape before, brought the dogs together and told them that those who hunt will teach those willing to learn. That way, they could all get food and no one had to go hungry or fight. After a while, 13 unofficially made 49 his most trusted advisor and step by step, the roles turned around with 49 leading and 13 advising. No one questioned it as 49 had been the genius dog who had led them all out. 

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At the 4th day of the second week after their escape, the woods had been set on fire. 49 was woken by the many cries that night and started to panic when she smelled the smoke and saw the fire. Everywhere she looked she was hoping to see the face of 73, but no matter how much she looked around or searched, she couldn't find him. While she was still searching in the flames she finally found 73. He was together with his sister, 63, and her 3 pups. 73 begged 49 to help carry his sisters pups out of the woods and 49 didn't even hesitate. She took one of the pups by the scruff and started heading for the light beyond the flames. Behind her she could hear how the other two were trying to catch up. Suddenly she could hear how a tree started to fall and 49 first instinct was to run away and not look back, and after that, she kind of wished she had. Instead she turned around and saw the last look on her beloved's face before he was crushed by the enormous tree trunk. A loud yowl came from her and she dropped the puppy on the ground as her tears started flowing. The little creature started to wail as it landed with a duns and suddenly 49 could feel the presence of 63 at her side. She murmered something that 49 didn't catch and pushed the older collie in the direction of the sun. In just a minute 49 had come back to reality, grabbed the pup by the scruff once again and had started to run towards the light.

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By the time they had gotten to the edge of the woods, all trees were already on fire. There was no way anyone had survived beyond this time. As they left the woods, they spotted the other surviving dogs of the camp a bit further up a grassless hill and they headed their way. Once they came to the hill, 49 finally let go of the pup and looked back at the woods. Her 'home' had already been burnt away to its most and the flames had begun to stretch for the sky, probably hoping and longing to set fire to that too. In the distance, on the right side of the woods she could see humans, many many of them. 

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'They must have done this', she thought. 
'They must have set fire to the woods to punish us for escaping'

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Without thinking further, 49 stepped on a single rock which layed upon the hill and called the others to her. 

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"Dogs. Fellow friends and...and family. Today the humans have once again thrown us with their rocks, showing us that they rule these lands. They have taken our home, our freedom and our friends. Our families. Our pups. Our mothers and fathers. But no more. This is the last time the humans will have us at their feet. This is the last time they will rule over us with their claws, fire and voice. We shall not give in anymore. We shall leave these lands and never return. We shall never stay on one place to let the humans find us. In fact, we shall invade all of their homes too, just like they did too us. We shall wander the planet, generation after generation. No one shall stop us. Not even our future selves. We shall never rest until we have set our pawprints on every inch of the human-driven earth."

63 stepped up and looked at 49, confusion, sadness and fear shining in her eyes.

"But 49, where can we go? How can we protect ourselves from humans? They have powers we do not know of. And my pups...How will I protect my pups?", she said.

49....

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"Don't call me with that human-cursed name. No, I shall not be '49' any more. I shall take my own name, a name that represent me and what I am, not what they want me to be.", 49 took a long breath and looked up at the sky. A small Robin flied above her head, and then, she knew just who she was.

"My name will from now on be Robin'Wing, in honour of the freedom we have earned and 73, the dog I loved with all of my heart." The last part was wispered, but the other dogs saw the pain in Robin'Wings eyes. They understood. 

A great wolf-dog hybrid stood forward and turned to the group of dogs.
"I am also tired of the way humans have treated us. Thinking they can give us silly numbers as names who define our worth. I say as Robin'Wing. NO MORE. From today, my name will be my own. Dark'Paws is who I am."

More and more dogs shouted out their new names and their agreement. The Humans era was no more. From now on, they were Wild Dogs.