You reached your apartment door, letting the cat and all the creatures atop it in before you followed and closed the door behind you. Gently, you lowered the dog on the floor and pulled the jar out of your purse, setting it on the kitchen counter. You poured water into a bowl for the five animals, wondering if they were fine drinking from the same bowl and promptly left the room to find the water treatment that you had buried in the back of your cabinet some few years ago.

When you returned with a large fishbowl, the water treatment and a container of fish flakes, you noticed the mini zoo had gathered around the bowl, lapping up the contents as if they were never going to drink again. It occurred to you that they probably hadn't had fresh water in a while, or a good meal. You quickly transferred the betta into the larger bowl, double checking the temperature as it settled into its new environment. "There," you said, mostly to yourself, "It should be fine now. It'll feed only after it gets used to the bowl though." You peered down at the other animals, who were already looking up at you. "It's creepy. It's almost like you guys can understand me." You laughed to yourself, "Of course, that's ridiculous. I'm probably just imagining it. I'll go out and pick up something for you guys to eat; the pet store across the street should be open for a few more hours."

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The pet store was open. You rushed in and picked up a few cans of cat food, a pack of dry dog food and two small bags of feed for the birds and guinea pig. After much thought, you added shampoo for cats and dogs into your cart as well. The cashier had given you a funny look when you paid for the items, "Planning to start a petting zoo?"

You laughed, "You could say that. By the way, any chance you might know how I can treat a few minor scratches on a puppy?"

The cashier frowned, "If it's a puppy, I'd get it checked by professionals just in case."

"I'll do that then. And do you happen to have a missing animals board here?"

Nodding, the cashier gestured to a board covered with flyers and photos of different pets that were missing. He turned around to help the next customer in line.

You took your bags and approached the board. There were definitely many cats and dogs missing, but no one had reported any missing birds or guinea pigs, and definitely no missing fish. Looking through the photos, you couldn't find photos of the animals in your apartment. Frowning, you realized the puppy was probably unrecognizable with the coat of filth anyway. It was probably a better idea to get the poor dog cleaned up before you tried to look for its owner.

You left the store and headed home for the second time that day.

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As you entered your apartment, you began to wonder whether it was a good idea to have left five animals loose in your living area. But you were pleasantly surprised when you stepped in and noticed that everything was in place. "I'm back." You announced to the air.

The guinea pig scampered to the small entrance hall, as if greeting you. Involuntarily, you grinned. "Why were you guys hiding there anyway? Who would abandon such an adorable creature like you?" 

You pulled off your shoes and headed for the kitchen, grabbing two bowls, a plate and a small cup. You poured the dog food and gerbil pellets in different bowls before opening the can of cat food and transferring it to the plate. "I figured you guys would be starving by the way you were drinking water."

Adding the bird feed to the small cup, you placed it on the kitchen counter. "I hope you two don't mind sharing from the cup."

The animals responded by going to their respective plates, bowls and cups. You could've sworn you saw the guinea pig nod in gratitude at you before it began nibbling on the pellets. Shrugging, you turned your attention to the betta. It was relaxed now, swimming gracefully in the bowl. Its fins fanned out beautifully around it, framing its slender body. You sprinkled a few fish flakes into the bowl and watched it chase after the flakes. The only normal creature that you brought home today seemed to be the betta, you thought as it continued attacking the flakes.

You were reminded of your old betta. You kind of missed having it around whenever you got home. Did people actually report missing fish? You humored yourself with the thought of someone looking for a lost fish. "Yeah, I took it on a walk with its tank in a stroller and it suddenly disappeared!" You laughed aloud at how ridiculous that would have sounded. Wow. After an impossibly long meeting at work, you had finally lost your mind.

A yap pulled you out of your thoughts. You squatted down to look at the puppy who was wagging its tail at you. "This won't do. We have to get your leg looked at. The vet is probably closed now, and it'll likely take a very long time since I don't have paperwork for you." You looked the puppy over, "For now, let me give you a bath so those scratches won't get infected too easily."

The dog yapped happily again in response and made its way to your bathroom. Huh. He really did seem to understand. You followed and was about to close the bathroom door, then thought better of it when you noticed the cat's steady gaze at you. 

Very carefully, you lifted the puppy and lowered him in the bathtub. You removed the plastic packaging off the canine shampoo and set it aside. "Alright now, let's see what's hidden under all that filth." Chuckling to yourself you added, "I can't even tell what breed you are right now."

You wet the puppy's coat, shuddering when the water turned brown. "Well, you have a very thick coat." It took you a while to fully drench the dog to its skin. 

Applying the shampoo, you rubbed it onto his charcoal coat and worked it into his fur. Carefully, you made not to miss its underside. He's a male, you noted before gently spreading the shampoo to his legs. He winced when a stray line of suds made its way to his scratches. "Sorry." You mumbled.

"Hey, your coat isn't charcoal after all. It's a very nice shade of reddish-brown. A maroon-ish colour." You commented when you rinsed the suds off. He made no reply, already dozing off in the tub. You laughed, "Aww."

Most of the shampoo had been rinsed off. You reached over and rubbed his now-clean coat, "He didn't really mind water and he's got quite a pretty coat of brown. Could he be a golden retriever?" You examined the sleepying puppy, "It seems that way."

Yawning, it occurred to you that you hadn't eaten yet. You'd eat right after you got the puppy cleaned up--your thoughts were broken when your fingers brushed smooth skin. Your eyes followed your arm to your fingers that were connected to the of a man.

You quickly withdrew your hand, eyes wide. The man was and asleep, legs crossed and hunched over, thankfully back facing you. His hair was rugged and the same red-brown shade of the puppy. His pale skin was dotted with bruises and small cuts. You hesitantly peered at his arm. It had large scratches and cuts, and his long fingernails were chipped with dirt stuck inside. It was like he tried digging in mud using only his hands.

His large brown eyes opened and his chiseled jawline jutted out when he turned his head around to give you a sleepy glance. You gasped and backed away, releasing the situation. There was a man in your bathtub. Although he was bony and probably half-starved, you felt the muscles when your hand was on his back. He was definitely capable of overpowering you. 

But you were confused. Where'd the puppy go? How did the man just...appear? Was he dangerous? What if he was a serial killer?

You were too tired for this. You were beginning to hyperventilate. No. You had to stay conscious. You had to get out of here. 

The world around you seemed to become too bright to keep your eyes open. Slowly, your eyes began to shut. You felt lightheaded as you faintly heard someone jumping out of the bathtub. A pair of hands caught your head before it hit the tiled floor. You weren't sure whether your head was lowered to the floor after that.

All you could think of was the puppy.

The golden retriever puppy.

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VIXX still hasn't been directly mentioned, but you can probably guess now that one of them has appeared. Any idea who it is? (Without looking at the poster!)