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CHAPTER II

Black Friday

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The canine duo woke and took their time returning the sheep to the paddock. They ate a thin stew their master made with the leavings of slaughtered lambs and sheep. They slept until after midnight and slunk from their farm on the long road to the Athens ranch. They remembered their last encounter and slowed up. Friday skulked to the left, Berry to the right. The sheep where all soundly sleeping or moving about freely. There was no sign of a trap. But still they were cautious. They slunk over the field and waited for movement. There was none. Berry, being the faster of the duo leapt the fence and ran around the field. There was no reaction other than a few sheep moving. Then Berry found a ewe and herded her over to the fence line. Friday leapt the fence and tossed the heavy ewe over the fence. The heavy animal bleated and landed on her side but otherwise stayed by the fence. Berry herded another ewe to her and was like tossed over the fence. Berry was bringing the third ewe to her when Berry collapsed, more crumpled to the ground and did not try to get up before a dim sound like thunder echoed over the pasture. Friday opened her muzzle in a silent scream as she bolted toward where Berry laid. She fell over him as another dull clap of thunder sounded. The sheep bleated roused and moved about confused as Friday shook Berry hard trying to get him to move. The scent of blood was strong and her paws where wet with Berry's life. She looked about as if her master would come and make everything alright. If he would by magic come to Berry and make him alright. But all she saw was another dog running to her. She understood death and knew there was no help for Berry. She leapt up and fled toward the fence, leaping it as a strange fluttering sound came by her head. She thought about what her master said, how he beat her when she failed last time and came back so soon. She delayed a moment to figure out her next course of action, but not too long as the other dog, another Genome was after her. She ran.

She was not familiar with the south side of the Athens farm so she ran that direction. She was assailed with brush and thorns as she tore through the unused terrain. She then felt weightless, she was falling! She flailed for something to grab and she succeeded. She realized after she hit a sheer rock wall she had grabbed a bramble vine, the thorns cut into her paws, her blood mixing with Berry's making it slick and painful to hold on. She was tired and knew she was doomed when she went back home. She felt herself slipping then she felt a rough paw grab her wrist.

"I have one!" a voice went up, "it's the genome."

Friday didn't know whether to fight and fall or let the hand bring her up. She was not given a choice in the matter as she felt another hand on her other wrist and she was pulled up and then pinned. She looked up to a Australian shepherd with two of the most blue eyes she had ever seen. "It's a border collie bitch." He said to another dark figure, a human female.

"Who does she belong to?" asked the human female.

Friday barred her teeth and snapped at her captor viciously, she was not holding back, she wanted to do him harm. She made a hack sound that was her only vocalization and jerked her arm trying to free it.

"This has to be one of Cox's collies, this one is mute." The male collie that held her spoke "she's the only mute collie I know about."

The human female and dog began talking, Friday stopped struggling until she felt him slack his grip, then she jerked her arm and bit his wrist hard. Off balance and hurt he yelped and fell over her. He kneed her in the head and back as he tumbled but she was on all fours and running. She had to get back to her masters house and warn him, no matter the beating she got she had to warn him. Sore tired bleeding and missing her companion, her love, she ran on to her home. She knew there was trouble when there was a sheriffs' car in the driveway and an animal control van behind that. She slowly walked up to the scene that was playing out in the yard. She saw the sheriff and the animal control officer.

‘If you tell them anything they will kill you' Fredrick signed to his dog as he saw her coming up. Friday tightened her stance, her tail tucked between her legs. Her muzzle bobbed as she understood, but no one realized words where spoken. Carefully Friday signed back, ‘what do I do master?'

‘Nothing, you are a mute dog and you have only sheep herding signals, no other language.'

Friday nodded and kept her head down as the animal control officer approached her. "Come on dog." Said the thick man when he took her by the arm. She looked up to her master. "Go ahead and be a good girl" he said and she went willingly with the man. She was collared and put into the back of the van. It was a little cramped but she did not begin to get cluster phobic until the solid door shut and she was alone in the dark with no control. She began to look about franticly for something to see, but there was only darkness. She tried to pull and push on the holed sheet steel that held her captive as the truck started to move along the rutted road that lead to the Cox ranch. She could lay down but standing, even she would have to duck. She tried to kick the door off and even tried to feel about for the latch to see if she could release herself. Her tries to freedom where thwarted and in her worked up state all she could do was pant and salivate over herself as her stomach churned and she felt an odd sickness over her. She almost made it the whole way without getting sick. When the van finally stopped and the rear door opened the rotund animal control officer stood back and coughed. Regurgitated sheep and her sheep carrion scent was rather strong in confined spaces.

The officer put on a pair of rubber gloves and was about to pick her up when she got sick again, this time over the parking lot. The officer assuring she was finished vomiting picked her up under her arms from behind, carrying her before him like a man holding a baby with a dirty diaper. There was no reprieve from her odor and less when he got her into the shelter. A tech looked at the wretched blood and vomit covered, salivating mess of a Genome with her tongue out in disgust. "What happened to her? Skunk fight?"

"No, sheep stealing case." The officer said trying not to breath through his nose.

Friday wiggled a bit and the officer set her on her unsteady feet as she began to spasm as if she was going to vomit. Two techs, one male ran over and picked Friday up and set her on a table thats surface was like a closely spaced grill with a basin in the bottom. Friday belched loudly and began to pant.

"God, she looks as bad as she smells." The male tech retorted as he began to look Friday over. "Bring me a blank file, I'll start this one up for the doc." Another tech handed him a folder with a single page of lined form in it. He began probing and prodding her. She was too sick and bewildered to be too inconvenienced at all the prodding and touching.

She herd things being said and tried to pay attention but for some reason she felt so weary. When her blood was taken she only watched in amazement that they could bleed her like that and then patch her with only a tiny prick. But she was less fascinated by the thermometer placement and fecal sample. Finally she thought it was over as she was placed in a cage with a blanket. But soon enough just as she was beginning to settle down and recover from her car and nerve sickness she was taken out again and placed on the same table where yet another man began probing her and this time looking in her nose and eyes and mouth. He pushed on her abdomen this way and that and told her when to breathe as he put a shiny thing with tubes in his ears and placed it against her. She trembled a bit but was calm even as he poked about her tail region. She had gained enough wellness back to begin thinking about things. She wondered if they where going to eat her. She never heard of humans eating dogs, as a matter of fact she had noticed quite a distain for dead dogs amongst humans. And that brought up the memory of Berry. She gasped without a probe and sat up straight. Berry was dead, her paws still were covered in his blood. The new man was looking her torn paws over and she noticed it all the more. She winced and jerked as bits of thorn and plant splinters were removed from her softer hand pads, but there was still the realization that Berry was gone. She would never see him again.

"Give her a flea bath and bandage her paws up. According to this, she has almost all the intestinal parasites. Three more and she could have the whole set. And because of the sheep I want to treat her for liver flukes too." He turned and looked back at her chart flipping back and forth in the one page. "What is her disposition? Is she a turn in?"

"She's court ordered for a sheep stealing case."

The doctor nodded and put the chart down. "Just give her a bath and get her set up."

From there Friday was taken to another room with a tub like what the sheep drank out of, which happened to be an ordinary bath tub, only this one was hooked up to water properly. Friday was a bit unsure of standing in it but even less sure of staying in once the moveable shower head was turned on. She went to leave and found the collar that was put on her was tied to a ring in the wall not letting her escape. She looked fearful but the girl spoke "It's okay good girl, it's just a bath. I doubt you have ever had one of those."

Friday shook her head no.

"Well you smell awful and we want to get the fleas off of you."

Friday nodded. She wanted the fleas off too. She was about to protest when the shower head was turned on but then the warm water hit her and she nearly jumped. She ran her sore torn paws through the streams.

The tech smiled to her. "See, you will like this, from one girl to another you will really like to have baths, or showers as it may be the case. Friday closed her eyes as the techs fingers invaded her fur with the soap. She felt the fingers against her skin, she had never known this. There was only the occasional pat or pet, nothing like what was done to her now. Her shaved down coat was longer now than when she was first shaved but easier to clean and put fingers into. The usually white suds from the flea bath soap where shades of brown with black specks trying to flee their foamy death. Friday never had such treatment before. She relished the wonderful bathing and even the toweling off.

The tech looked Friday over and smiled. "There WAS a pretty girl under all that." Friday smiled still on the high of all the attention and the shower.

Friday shook herself canine style and was toweled off again and even a brush was used in her fur for the first time in her life. Friday was bewildered at all the new sensations when she was taken back out into the main room and placed on a table that had a towel draped over a flat metal surface. The female tech that had given her her bath began smearing a cream over her paws, then used a pad then white gauze and then a weird bandage that stuck to itself. She was almost done when the other female tech walked by her.

"She still stinks, did you give her a bath?" the other female commented

"Yea, I even used the lavender shampoo, but at least she looks a lot better"

"What? She killed the lavender shampoo? "The other girl sounded honestly amazed. "That stuff is so strong it gives me a headache."

"I know, same here but now she smells like a rotting sheep carcass in a lavender bush. Which I think is an improvement over rotting carcass"

Friday gave a canine smirk to the techs, but then she was being given a cup with a strange yellow viscous fluid.

"Drink that" the male tech told her "or we have to syringe it to you like a quadruped." Friday didn't know what a quadruped was but it sounded like punishment. So she drank the strange tasting fluid and gagged, then licked the cup clean so as not to cause herself quadruped syringing. She was complemented and patted before the cup was taken from her and she was ushered back into the cage with the blanket. There was a bowl of water and some sort of greasy smelling pellets in another bowl that reminded her of large sheep droppings. She pondered the pellets and sighed tossing the bit of kibble back in the bowl. She figured it was a type of strange food, but she was still a bit queasy and it seemed that the yellow fluid was not agreeing with her either. She pulled the blanket up to her and with all she had been through, she gladly allowed sleep to take her.

She woke up as her cage door was opened and a leash was attached to her collar. She didn't feel well but followed one of the female techs that held her leash. She was led outside and the lead lengthened.

"Go ahead and do your thing." Friday looked up at the woman until she clarified "go pee or whatever you have to do." She said with a shooing motion. Friday went to all fours and sniffed the ground and trees, confirming many dogs went there before her. She squatted and watered the ground.

The Tech watched Friday "Can you honestly not talk?"

Friday looked up at her and nodded.

"But you understand everything. You're just are like a regular dog then?"

Friday shrugged and looked about unsure what to do now. She really wanted to leave but she had no clue where she was or how to get back to her home and master so she just looked back at the Tech until she asked "That it?"

Friday nodded and followed her back in and to her cage. She actually stopped and looked at it for a change. Her kennel was five feet by five feet, just enough for her to stand up turn around and lay down again. That was all the law demanded to keep animals in. She looked at her blanket and longed for her home, her fields, her friend and her master. She jumped when the door shut and locked behind her. She looked back at the tech who wished her a good night and turned off the lights. She went to the front of her cage as the tech went out the kennel door. Friday stood at the door studying its every bent bar, the underlying sickness in the cleaning agents. She sat close to the door and pulled the blanket over herself. She leaned her head against the bars. Her tail in her paws. She wanted to go home, but these people took her away. Her home was where her heart was, where she belonged. If she could get back to the farm she would be sneakier, she would be better, she would be by herself. Berry's image came in her mind. She was the reason he was no longer living, if only she had been more careful. It was her fault she was clumsy she should have made a wider search. Her world was gone because she was bad at what her master taught her. This was the punishment for failure, this is what her master tried to save her from. She never truly understood his ways but now, now the lesson learned was too late. Sleep came in fits and nightmares to the collie.

She woke when the kennel door was opened and the lights flipped on as a cheerful technician started checking charts to other strays and assuring others where fed. She watched him tentatively as he got to her. She sat mutely as her water bowl was refilled and he left her enclosure. A few minuets later she was taken for another walk outside where something she never thought would happen happened, she defecated worms. She was shocked and tried to push herself to get them all out. Worms ate the dead things in the ground if you left it there too long. There where worms inside her! She ran to the human, it would know what was going on. She pulled on him until he followed to the spot and made him look, pointing a clawed finger at the barely moving white worms. The tech smiled at her, "we killed the worms in your belly, they make you sick and hurt you so we killed them."

Friday looked at the worms and then her white furred belly. She had worms inside her like the ground? But it did make sense since meat in the ground got worms and she ate meat, so she would have worms too. Satisfied she waited by the door to be let back in and in the small cage.

She was resting as she never had before mostly because she could think of nothing else to do. Her master was not here and she was growing bored. She was hungry but the sheep dropping things where used better to try to trip the techs by tossing the bowlful of them under their lowering stepping foot. Her timing had to be perfect and she did it twice before they stopped giving her the kibble. She was bored and hungry, but she still could not bring herself to trust the strange sheep dropping food. The techs began a routine of putting the food in for her and watching for a while then taking it back up because of her newfound entertainment. It lasted a day then on the second day, the third that she had not eaten she picked up the bowl and dumped it out in a neat pile and tried to give the bowl back.

The tech look frustrated but she was trying to tell him without giving away the talk that she was hungry. She got his attention and made like to eat and rubbed her belly and then gave him the bowl.

"Your food is on the floor silly." He pointed to the kibble

Friday shook her head and handed him the bowl again and patted her belly again.

The tech wrung his mouth in one direction then another and took the bowl. "I will tell you what, if you eat what I give you next, you have to eat the kibble with it. He said scooping up the kibble she spilled on the floor.

Friday sat waiting patiently until something interesting hit her nose. There was a tingling scent of something rather like a greasy dead fish with old beef. She perked up as she realized the delicious scent was her meal. The male tech put it down. Friday looked in the bowl, there was a pasty brown delight coating and soaking into the weird pellet food. She lapped it unsure and then began to gulp it down. The tech smiled and closed the door and marked on her chart to mix her kibble with canned cat food.

Friday was a bit bored she had been given a few rubber ring puzzles to keep her occupied but those where solved and chewed on. She often began to plead like the other captives in the cell block she was in to go outside. She was starting to get used to the routines, then one day was different.

She was taken out the shelter and put into a truck, this one with a window that let in fresh air and she tolerated the ride a bit better. She was only slightly queasy when they arrived at a courthouse. She was ushered into the large building, she was trying to take in all the amazing things this building had in it. Stone floors that where flat. Humans made of stone, and ceilings that where way too high to touch so she wondered how the paintings and pictures got up there. She was taken into a huge room where humans all sat in benches and looked at three other humans at a huge table. She was taken to the front of this and looked at the human on the high table. She then caught a scent that was familiar. The traced it in the air and saw her master! She went to run to him but forgot about the leash and fell on her rump. Annoyed she whirled and began to bite the leash. She was swatted with a threat to be muzzled. She looked to her master for help, but he just signed ‘do not sign, do not answer any questions.'

She wondered what questions but maybe if she followed her master's orders like she should have never failed him in the first place, she could go home. She was made to sit on a bench with a human with her leash, so she watched the humans talk in circles and get things all wrong. The things they where talking about sounded like the time Berry was killed and she was there and everything was all wrong.

The human that sat with her master at the smaller table spoke, "this honest good sheep farmer has a good heart, he took in a defective genome slated for destruction and gave her a trade, an honest trade in sheep herding. He would not steal sheep from his fellow ranchers. He has few means but he does well for himself. His dogs are trained to herd sheep, and if sheep are lost to find them. In a dogs eyes sheep are sheep and it does not matter the land they are on. They are just dumb animals that made an animal mistake unknown to my client Mr. Cox." He looked to the humans on a set of rising chairs. "Mr. Athens overreacted in this and came to the conclusion that because it was Mr. Cox's collies on his land that my client was behind the thefts in the valley." He looked to the man on the bench "The only evidence against my client is that his dogs where on the land."

That man sat and the man at a table spaced apart form that table but was in line with it stood and pointed to her. She shied and tried to be smaller especially when he began to talk. "That dog is a genome, she is said to be mute and mentally handicapped. Defective." He stopped looking at her and again addressed the humans in the chairs. "This defective collie and another quadruped collie were spotted on several farms over time and even shot at. They have been at at least two farms that confirmed thefts. Mr. Cox is a liar and a thief, using his dogs to steal sheep. I do not for one second think that the Genome is not smart enough to steal sheep on command while Mr. Cox slept and pretends to be innocent when the sheriff comes to see him. Mr. Cox is wily and I will prove he is behind the thefts."

The humans argued and bickered and the big bench man beat a hammer on the wood to make people listen, so he was the Alpha. They bickered and the hammer clapped a few times then her name was called. She was taken up to the small chair beside the big bench. She was scared as all the humans looked at her. This was the talking chair and she was not allowed to sign or answer questions. Several people drew back and commented on her still strong scent of sheep carrion as she was led to the chair. She trembled a bit but drew strength from her master so close. She kept looking at him as the man at the other table asked her things. She ignored him and kept her eyes on her master. She wanted to go to him but the man with her leash would stop her.

"Your honor, the Genome Friday has not responded in any way to questions." The man who spoke poorly of her master complained.

She looked up when the rooms human alpha leaned over the bench and looked at her. "Do you understand me?"

She looked to her master as the judge looked at her. She got no sign. She looked back up and wondered what would happen if she answered, what would happen to her master. Her master said not to answer any question, and do not sign. So she sat there trembling and trying to become smaller, she leaned so far away from the judge she fell out the chair upsetting the chair along with her. She made no attempts to right it but instead hid in the corner waiting for a beating.

Everyone watched the collie, most were baffled. She stayed in the corner the officer with her leash was scared HE would get the blame for this and held the leash limp in his hand to show he was not causing it to happen. He then righted the chair and grabbed Friday under her shoulders. She was so tense he had troubles picking her up, but he managed but he could not put her in the chair and wound up half cradling half holding her awkwardly unsure what to do. He looked to the judge for help. The judge looked over the court. "We will stop here for lunch, be back here at one sharp." He slammed his gavel and made Friday wince in the animal control officers arms.

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Friday was taken back to the shelter. For three days after the courtroom incident Friday was treated to a stable if not boring routine of walks sleep and feeding. She solved the rubber puzzle ad nauseum and began to do it with her eyes closed and even that began to get boring so she began making noises with her bowls to get some sort of attention. She was lonely and wanted her master whom she missed dearly. She only wished that there was not so many humans in her way making her miss talking to her master and him from taking her home. She even missed her sheep and her job. On the third day she even took to messing her kennel just to have someone come back to clean it.

The fourth morning was a break in the routine as after her breakfast and morning walk she was led to the animal control vehicle two of the techs went with her and the officer. Her tail wagged a bit more, she could guess where she was going. After all this time she was going to see her master again. She was allowed a window seat in the cab again to avoid her arriving at court sick or covered in vomit. She was exited about the court visit this time and looked for her masters scent. She found his faint fragrance and pulled the chubby officer with the leash all the way to the courtroom. She made quite the entrance as she pushed the door aside slamming it on the wall and with her tiny border collie genome frame pulled the officer halfway through the door before he could stop her. She wagged her tail and waved at her master, something she learned from one of the female techs. It was not the sign so she thought it would be fine and was rewarded with a wave back from her master. She was picked up and taken to a seat and plopped down on her tail, which she shifted out from under her and stuck through the hole in the back of the chair between the seat and the back. She fidgeted as the humans began their banter. Her attention was suddenly brought from her master by the humans as her name was called. She gasped and tried to cling to the seat but chair and all went up to the stand. She never thought about making a scene with the chair until she was already placed at the box. She looked up at the rooms alpha and then to her master.

"Friday," the man who spoke poorly of her master addressed her. "Do you understand me?" he asked. Friday opened her muzzle to pant, her tail tried to tuck under her seated rear and her paws gripped the chair more, not signing. She looked at her master who gave no cues. "The Techs who have been taking care of you have told me that you can understand and can nod yes and no." He said and she was mortified. She began to shake in the chair. Still Fredric sat back and just watched, only the man who spoke only good of her master objected to make the question stop. Friday relaxed gratefully as they argued over weather they should question her and her validity. Finally they let her off the stand and she gladly abandoned the chair she clung to to be away from the question box. But as she was being led off one of the female techs was called up to the stand. Friday was still trembling when the man who talked bad of her master asked the female tech, "Have you seen the Genome Friday communicate in any way understandable to humans?"

"Yes, she would nod or shrug or shake her head if you asked her something."

The prosecutor nodded and smugly looked at the defendant and then to address the jury as he spoke. "So in fact the Genome we know as Friday is capable of some nonverbal communication and freely uses it when not in this room." He turned to the tech "would you describe the genome Friday as simple or mentally challenged?"

The tech shook her head, "no, I would say she is actually pretty bright."

The prosecutor nodded, "so then this bright dog going into what I would call a panic attack whilst,.."

Objection!" yelled the defending attorney, "the prosecutor is making assumptions and is not qualified to legally assess a panic attack."

The judge nodded, "you cannot make assumptions"

The prosecutor nodded, "so would you call the behavior of the genome known as Friday as normal for being asked a question?"

The tech looked like she was unsure if she should answer but recovered quickly, "No, she is usually outgoing and expressive."

He nodded, "And in your professional opinion, what would you state the genomes behavior as being the last time she was put before this court?"

"I would say she had a fear reaction."

The prosecutor nodded and addressed the jury, "fear reaction to questions that may implicate the defendant of theft."

"Objection, there is no basis for this, Genomes have many fear reactions and she may be shy in public as per border collies which she is a derivative of."

The Judge nodded and sighed but before he was able to say anything the prosecutor held up a finger, "Your honor, allow me to make my case."

The judge nodded "make it relevant."

"I will your honor, I am finished with this witness." He looked to the Judge as he came to his table and sat down so that the offer of cross examination could be offered to the defender. The defender looked thoughtful a moment and refused the witness.

Then the prosecutor stood, "I would like to call the Genome Friday to the witness stand.

Friday forgot her chair this time and just fell on the floor refusing to move. But being only about fifty-five pounds she was simply picked up and taken to the chair where she laid unresponsive on the floor with nothing moving but her eyes to watch the others.

The judge looked at the prosecutor who was smiling. "Bright, communicative and outgoing were what was described to this Genome," he made a presentation of the passive aggressive bitch, "does this look like the behavior described by the technician that has spent so much time with her?" He looked over the rail to the witness box. "Friday, can you nod yes or no to questions?"

Friday was still and unresponsive.

He smiled and showed her off. "I have no further questions."

Friday was again carried as if she was dead, only her constantly scanning eyes betrayed life. She remained in the safety of her fake death as the humans argued still over her master and his intentions and even continued to speak about her and Berry even and their jobs on the farm. Her master spoke and praised his dogs, and said they, as he, had done no wrong. Fridays' tail wagged a little at the warm defense of her and Berry. Her master was good, she thought and kept her eyes admirably on her wonderful master.

The Jury was then deliberated for judgment. For two days Friday enjoyed the courthouse as she was listed on the docket as evidence not as a witness she had to come when the jurors deliberated in case they wanted to see her, but they never did. she waited in vane to see her master, but on the third morning she was rewarded with being seated almost directly behind him. She relished his scent and wished he would turn and tell her what a good girl she was for not answering any questions, but all attention was on the jurors and the process that was judgment.

"For theft, not guilty"

"For conspiracy to commit theft, guilty"

"Mr. Cox, you have been found guilty of Conspiracy to commit theft. It is my duty to sentence you." The judge sat back in his chair and sighed before speaking, "I herby sentence you to two years supervised probation, and since you decided to use your dogs inappropriately, the one you have remaining will be euthanized. You are banned from owning or training a dog or any genome derivative for ten years."

Mr. Cox nodded and smiled. He was going to go free. He looked back at Friday and waved good by as he and his lawyer left the courtroom after the wooden hammer dropped.

Friday was confused, she watched the people walking away and looked helplessly to the staff of the shelter who looked rather sullen. She became fearful and tugged on one of the female techs arms and pointed to her master. The tech just shook her head. No, sorry, he can't have you. You have to come with us."

The collie looked at the tech and pointed as her sharp ears picked up a bit of information. "Too bad, are they really going to kill that poor dog?" She looked at her captors and to the woman that passed looking at her when she said it. She realized SHE was the poor dog! They were going to kill HER!! She leapt up and tried to run but the leash prevented that. The techs and the officer all grabbed her and one held her cheekruffs so she could not turn her head or bite them as they tied her with flexi cuffs and a muzzle. She writhed and tried to scratch with her hindpaws that where then grasped by one of the female techs.

Friday looked at her master leaving, he never looked at her, never looked back but he was laughing, and patting his lawyer on the shoulder.

She struggled against her captors, but they were too strong, but it did not make her give up. She knew this trick and stopped struggling and waited until they had carried her almost to the doors and she could feel their grips on her slacking when she thrashed wildly and landed hard on the floor. But with her innate speed she found her feet and even bound as she was bolted to the door, she slammed against it thinking to just push it open as she had seen done so many times. But she hit it too hard, her adrenaline not allowing her reserve or restraint she hit the door with so much force her tiny body shattered the safety glass and bent the door bar. Making her fumble out the door and fall on the cement. She was on her feet again but the door had closed on her leash making her escape a more comedic failure as she went flat in the air and on her back on the cement and glass then the arms and hands were around her again and she was shoved into the back of the truck. She panted terrified and struggled against her binds. She managed to slip a single slender paw from the cuff and pull and jerk the one over her muzzle until it was awkwardly sideways but let her open her mouth and she could bite.

When they arrived at the shelter the thick fleshed officer opened the back and looked at her. Shaking his head he pulled out a knife and looked at her. "If I take that crap off will you come along peacefully?"

Friday shook her head no and lifted her lips in a snarl. The officer sighed and pulled the leash through the truck cage bars and pulled it until she had no line left to move. She struggled but just managed to choke herself until the edges of her vision faded. She then felt the door open and tried to move but was sluggish and dizzy and before she knew what was happening she was held again with the officer and his knife. She watched the blade slip between her and the muzzle and then turn to cut the bindings. Then her arm bindings and was hastily ushered to her usual cage and the door slammed shut. She hid in the back under her blanket as soon as they all left the kennels.

She felt her heart in her throat and tasted bile on her tongue. She trembled in fear but her mind was racing. She had to escape, her life depended on it. She began testing the ribbons that bolted the cage together, find anything loose she could pry apart. Her searched went on and on, with nothing truly useful. Even the door was better built than she imagined. It would not bend in the corners at all so she could slip out. Beaten she slid into the corner and hid under her blanket. She had to think of a way to escape, or maybe it was not an escape she needed to make, this cage kept them out as it kept her in. but she was trapped, she had to think. She sat listening.

Her confinement was terrifying knowing her fate was to be killed here. This was the only reason she sat in here, now, with all the bustle happening behind a door. Her ears where good and she listened to every word, every plastic wrapper, ever squeak of the needle into a drug. She listened for her name and the words kill or euthanize, just how upset she was that she could not go with her master and the fight she put up to be with him. But she never heard about her fate, once it was asked to check on her. Fridays' heart leapt every time someone opened the door that led to the kennels. Every time her heart raced her fur stood on end her muscles tensed. She hid in the back of her five foot cell, flat against the back so she could be as far away from the door as possible. But only a bit of food and water was given to her. She dared not touch it for fear of poison. But still she held her ears to the sounds of the outer door where the order of her fate would be given. Her nerves frayed her heart always on adrenaline her muscles tight she finally heard her name again and the squeak of a needle and an order to give ‘this' to her. Then the door opened again and in walked a technician with a syringe. The tech sighed as she waved for Friday to come to the front of the cage. Friday stayed flat against the back of the cage and shook her head signing over and over ‘please don't kill me' she panted like she ran a hundred miles her eyes wide with fear as again the command was given with a soft emphasis, "It's okay Friday, this will just make you sleepy, it won't hurt" the tech crooned to her softly but there was a stressful undertone in her voice. Friday kept back and kept signing, but she felt the Tech didn't understand the paw signals as anything but a weird paw dance or nervous habit. The tech went for the door and this is when Friday stepped foreword and tried to hold the cage closed with her fingers. Pulling with all her might to keep the door closed.

Finally the technician sighed, relatched the cage and left. Friday would have whimpered if she could. She had won a battle, but the war for her life was still in full swing. Just as Fridays breathing was beginning to ease a bit when the door opened again and in came the technician and two other technicians. Friday franticly signed to them ‘I'm a good dog, please I'm a good dog, don't kill me please.' Then she came to one position she saw on the television, she went to her knees and folded her paws, her fingers interlaced and head up to her future executioners begging as she had seen the humans do. Begging for her life to be spared, begging, and pleading as loud as her silence could. A tear leaked from her eye as the cage door was opened widely. She would not die without a fight, she leapt up and felt something about her neck. She had never fought against this, it was some sort of pole and line! She grabbed the pole as if trying to strangle or break it as it choked her. She was dragged from her cage her body pressed to the floor, her chest hurt as her breasts where crushed into it as another human grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her leaving her defenseless. Another pulled on her ankles, stretching her digigrade legs, automatically her tail lifted. She never imagined they would rape her then kill her, but her master said this would be her fate. She felt a sharp pinch in her rump and then just as suddenly everyone was off of her and she was choke poled back into the cage with amazing speed and released her. She gasped for a few seconds saliva slipping from her muzzle, more than the strangulation should have made. She stood up as fast as she could and signed ‘please, you are killing me, I'm not a bad dog!' then her head felt funny, her fingers would not work in the right signs, she barred her teeth at her fingers as thin streams of saliva drizzled from her muzzle. She was dieing! They poisoned her, she was poisoned! She gripped her fingers though the grated bars and shook it violently, her head swam as her heart raced, her adrenaline fighting the drug. Then with the loss of her own senses she did some sort of flip in the cage and tried to push her hand through the bars for a cure, but she was too late, her vision failed and all was dark.

* * * * *

Tiffany sat looking at the limp collie, she covered her nose trying to defend against the truly ripe odor the collie had. She smelled as if she had wallowed in a hundred rotting sheep carcasses, and it was not far from the truth. "This is Friday?" Tiffany asked the vet with his hands folded in front of him. He nodded. "Yes it is." Tiffany looked at the genome border collie, only her head was exposed the rest of her was wrapped in an old blue blanket probably donated but she wondered if that helped with the smell a bit. The collie was still quite a mess, the matted fur was still matted around her muzzle where she salivated so much after the anesthetic was given to her.

"Can you clean her up before I take her?" Tiffany asked as she left the stifling room for some fresh air. The vet followed her and nodded almost to himself before answering aloud. "Yes we can, once she wakes up we will give her a bath. We already gave her her first rabies and distemper shots and will give you a schedule for later. It's lucky you called when you did, five more minuets and we would have euthanized her."

Tiffany nodded, "well I think if she wants to herd our sheep, then she can do it for us. Besides, I think it isn't her fault she was taught to do it." Then an idea struck her. "Was she born unable to bark, er, talk?" Tiffany asked the vet. He looked at her, "it's not unheard of but very rare." He held up a finger " hold on I'll let you know" he then went back in the smelly room and started to mess with his instruments and Fridays mouth, the looked deep in her throat and then closed Fridays mouth before returning to answer. "Nope, she had a surgery called a debark."

Tiffany looked stunned, "They can do that to genomes?"

"Well it's not really practiced, as a matter of a fact this is the first time I have ever seen it in my eighteen years in practice, but it's not illegal. It's usually reserved for Genomes that are used in lab experiments."

Tiffany nodded. "Thank you, just let me know when I can pick her up."

The vet nodded. "I will have my receptionist call you."

Tiffany nodded and headed out the door, thinking only that Friday had her voice stolen from her.

* * * * *

Friday blearily opened her eyes and looked about. She was still in her cage, only her rump was sore on both sides. She smelled faint blood and something else she could not identify. It was like the smell when inoculating sheep. They inoculated her she hazily concluded. She was still groggy, her mind felt like wool and she had apparently got it there by eating it according to the feeling in her mouth. She sluggishly crawled to her water bowl and began to drink but only drank a little before she spilled it over herself as she dropped her head in the bowl sideways. It was not really comfortable but she didn't feel like moving. She knew she was meant to die but she was not afraid, really she felt rather at peace. She sat up the water dripped from her head over her body. She giggled silently and rocked side to side as she tried to regain her senses. Her mind unclouded slowly. She remembered dying but this was not death, it was the shelter. She looked confused to the tech that came in. It was the male one. She did not argue when he picked her up like a human baby and carried her to the wash room where there was a tub full of water. She thought that this was Euthanasia, she was told that she was supposed to be drown when she was little, so they would drown her now to kill her. But she was rather apathetic about it. She cared little when she was immersed in the hot water, and the scent of rose was strong. Her head never went under the water but the techs hands did, rubbing over her body like the other tech, but this time she was immersed in water. He then let her sit there and just soak. She lolled in the water and felt a bit tingly from the rubdown. She was taken out and toweled off and carried with a towel over her to the table with a grate over it where she was brushed and dried with a strange device that blew hot air. It was strange having this done to her and the wonderful feel of the brush in her fur. She would have to get one of those.

She was left in the cage with only her collar and a new blanket. She laid on the fresh blanket with the strong scent of roses everywhere. She was sleepy and slept a bit more, the drugs she was given really did a number on her.

The sound of her cage being opened brought her back to groggy consciousness. She was made to stand and a leash was put to her collar. She figured it was just walk time, and she had to go anyway. She was right, mostly, after a quick break she was following the regular routine of going back to her cell so was rather surprised when she was instead led to the front of the building. She entered the main lobby, a place she had never seen, and was shown to a woman. The woman smelled familiar, but from where? She then realized with a shock, this was the woman who had captured her that night Berry was killed! She was the mistress of the collie that captured her! She tucked her tail and cringed not wanting to go forward but she was forced by her collar and a hand on her scruff. She looked fearfully up at the woman and crouched to a fetal position being all she could do not being allowed against a wall or in a corner. Tiffany leaned down and pet the cringing collie. "It's okay, no one is going to hurt you." She said trying to soothe the collie to no effect. She pet Friday trying to get her to relax but it did not help the situation. Friday was eventually bodily loaded into the back of Tiffany's farm truck with the blue merle collie that had held her. Friday had no clue how she should act, but it all seemed hopeless. She gave up the stress and the uncertainty she just went limp and sighed.

Jake, the blue merle collie, looked to his mistress from the back of the crew cab truck. "Do you think this is a good idea?" He touched the black and white female curled on the seat and got no reaction. "She's awful damaged I think."

Tiffany shook her head more for herself than Jakes answer. "It was not her fault she was taught to steal sheep, she should not die because of human crimes."

Jake sighed and nodded, knowing his mistress was how she was. He just idly watched the collie lay on the seat. He watched her demurely raise her head, her body an uncommunicative slump. She looked out the window.

"Tiffany,. You are going to want to pull over." Jake said hurriedly

"Why?"

No sooner than the question was asked, she heard the collie wretch and the sound and smell of vomit resonated in the truck.

"Never mind." Jake said smugly.

Tiffany unrolled her window and Friday unexpectedly crawled over Jake to get at the fresh air.

Jake admired Friday for her healthy female body. Her fur was still cut short and it was obvious it would grow out and she would be a fluffball. But her shape was much more obvious now. He wanted to pet her, touch her, but she was close to feral as far as he was concerned. He had lived with Tiffany for years, he was given to a rescue when the breeding mill he lived in was shut down. He took in her scent, the one under the thick scent of roses imposed on her. She was not always healthy and was still recovering on the inside. He smelled the residual sickness and the changes in her body. He also smelt her fear and her anger.

Friday wedged her head between the seat and the door frame to get more fresh air. Tiffany was used to it but still asked Jake to roll his window down. He gladly did so and Friday hung her head out his window her body against him, soft and strong from running in the fields for so long. She was an excellent dog.

He stroked her back, petting her and was neither rewarded nor reprimanded. Friday found the strokes soothing as she tried to settle her queasy stomach. She sat on Jakes lap and panted out the window as he soothed her back with his petting.

All were glad to be out the truck when finally it came to a stop in the driveway of the Athens ranch. Friday thought to run but the leash prevented that and she knew the larger collie could stop her. She was escorted past the main house, the familiar barn and outbuildings and to the second house on the property. She could smell the collie and woman everywhere and knew this was their house. She stopped at the front door making Tiffany stumble and look back.

Friday was not sure what to do, she was being led into a house, a place she was not allowed. She looked to the woman with the leash in her hand and looked to the doorway.

"Friday," Tiffany said softly "It's okay you can live in here, this is your new home."

Friday tucked her tail and flipped her ears, she wanted her old home, her own master. She had only known one master for her life and everything was new and frightening. It was all backwards to her. She could not cope with so much change in such a short time. she had yet to receive any sort of punishment for the things she would normally be punished for and she had no clue how severe or when they would punish her. She feared being in the house, a very punishable offence. She was full of fleas and ticks and mud, but not now, she was clean, and she had no fleas or ticks to annoy her. She reluctantly walked into the house after the woman, her heart in her throat she waited for some sort of strike. This was not the shelter full of animals like a barn this was an actual house. Jake stepped in front of her and waved her to follow. Still unsure she followed the two into a back room with a genome bed and a few interesting toys. She looked unsure at the entire scene.

"This is yours Friday." Tiffany smiled and presented the things to her stepping off to the side for the small border collie to look and not be interfered with. She slowly slipped behind Friday as did Jake and out of the room. Jake and Tiffany let Friday alone to settle and calm down.

Tiffany sat on her couch procrastinating cleaning the vomit from her truck, Jake flopped himself beside her and lay over her lap for pets. Tiffany pet him and ran her fingers through his long coat as she spoke, "She looks really young, she must have had such a hard life to do that to her. I think she's been abused."

Jake thumped his fluffy tail against the couch contently but still answered. "She is young and pretty but as feral as they come. I don't think she knows she's not just a farm collie, I think she thinks that the way she was treated was the norm."

Tiffany laughed and tapped her dog on his head before scratching his ears, "Well that is the norm pretty much, I just spoil my puppies." She smiled and nuzzled his nosepad, his response was a nice nip on her nose tip.

"Well I think she will be trouble, she is not like me and I think you are not going to be very happy with her. She is feral. And I mean it you might as well have put a wild dog in here, she is not even able to speak."

"It's not her fault, she had a surgery as a pup that made her incapable of speaking. Plus if you saw the way she acted in court, I think she is very abused and conflicted and I just want to help her to live out a nice life."

"I honestly think you will need the help, she will be something else." The merle said sardonically.

* * * * *

Friday looked at the bed and toys. She picked one up and was unsure what to do with it. It was not a puzzle like she had in the shelter, it was something else. She was not really interested and looked to the bed. It was strange and made of a substance that smelled funny. But it was very soft and actually quite comfortable. She smiled and rolled on the bed just to see how it felt. It was terrific. She sat there in the bed for a bit and just lazed. But she could not sleep, there was a nagging feeling that picked at her mind. Other than the place that Berry died, it just kept getting stronger and stronger. Becoming restless she got up and began to wander the house. She was scared at every turn she would be beaten for being in there but it never came, making the anticipation build, the fear mount. She panted and her pawpads became sweaty. Her tail was tucked and ears back in submission and she crouched down trying to look smaller.

She became too nervous to stay. She had to find her way out, she needed the outside. Finding the main foyer her heart raced and she headed quickly for the door, she tugged on the handle and it did not turn, she tried again and still nothing. She was trapped! Just like the cage she was trapped, she could not get away form the rapings or the beatings, just like the cage she was going to be killed tortured and hurt! He slashed at the door with her over long claws and let out a guttural panicked rasp. She panicked and crawled under the small table beside the door, knocking the vase off of it. The crash on the floor was what brought Tiffany to investigate. She saw the condition of the door and the dog.

"Good god Friday." She said watching the dog watch her with wild eyes. "Here, let me help you." She said and unlocked the door and opened the door a bit to show Friday but the dog took it as a chance to escape and bolted, her muzzle first her shoulders pushing the door wider and her left leg got caught on the table and she half pulled it out the door with her as she ran into the yard and looked about and ran away from the house. She ran and ran until she was in the forest and hid. She watched all around her and waited. She had nowhere to go. She thought about going back to her masters' farm. It was not that far from this farm and it should be easy to go there now. She looked about and skulked from her hiding spot. She sighed softly and sat up like an odd dog. Her tail wrapped about her left foot. She stood up like a dog and shook off and preened her ears a bit happy to have escaped the captors' house.

"You really are a pretty bitch."

Friday leapt up and spun to see the dog that just spoke to her. It was Jake. She barred her teeth at him and gave a guttural windy growl at him with her fur fluffed out. She hated him from the night Berry was killed. She snapped at him daring him to approach her.

"Why do you want to be like that?" he said in a disappointed fatherly tone. "You are such a pretty dog. I saw that even that night I saved you."

She backed her lips over her teeth further in a snarl. He dared to reference that night. She lunged for him snapping and scratching but he was larger and quite a bit stronger than her, and less merciful than Berry. He clotted her in the back of the head hard. But to her credit she was used to the abuse and pain and instead of going down as any other would she tackled his middle and bit him or tried to, all she got was a mouthful of thick fur and another clot on the skull for her efforts. She felt something new done to her but the result was the familiar blurring at the edges of her vision, the other collie had her in a choke hold. She thrashed and fought for a little but soon she was back in darkness.

When she woke next she found herself in a barn with a headache. She shook her head and sat up. There was a strange metal serpentine sound and the weight of something on her neck. She reached up and found her collar was different and there was a chain attached to it. She looked at the chain and how it was wrapped around the barn support beam. It was solid, the chain wrapped about it and padlocked with a thick mean looking lock. She began to scratch at the nylon collar, the connector from chain to her collar was another smaller lock but no less as effective. She thrashed about trying to pull it over her head and off, but it was tight. She walked dog style backward until she met the limit of the chains length and pulled, the collar rose on the back of her head as she shook and yanked, she felt and herd several vertebrate in her neck crack and she could hardly breath but still she pulled and pulled until the stress and the choking made her vomit. But even still she pulled on the chain until she passed out from choking herself.

She woke yet again to a headache and Tiffany standing over her with Jake. Friday snarled and signed ‘fuck you both'

The message fell on unknowing eyes, "Friday, please." Tiffany pleaded, "you have to calm down." she reached down to pet Friday but pulled her hand back when she snapped at her, earning a full domination knee in her gut and a jaw full of teeth on her throat from Jake. She immediately went still and submitted because of her position now. She was not of this pack, she wanted to flee but they would not let her go. Not that she had a lot of places to go, she should run away home, back to her master. She just had to get rid of this damnable collar. She laid there in a canine submissive pose. She closed her eyes. Maybe this would be the new way of things, tied in a barn free for any to take her at any time. By the smell of it this dog would be first.

She felt the dog get off her and she turned to all fours. Her tail flagged to one side and head down. At least they would not use duct tape on her yet. Maybe they wouldn't if she did not fight them. It was not like before, she was past the pain stage and was used to being raped and sodomized. She waited to feel the dogs paws on her hips and his cock enter her, she was prepared for the time he would be knotted in her. But this ranch was big and had hoses and a lot more rams. She began to tremble wondering what she would have to submit to for them.

Jake tilted his head and was baffled by the scents that assailed his nose, slight arousal and complete fear. He reached over pet her shoulders soothingly but when he touched her she opened her mouth wide as if to yelp and released her anal glands.

Friday let her front collapse and covered her head with her arms but her tail still in the air exposing her tailhole and black canine triangle. She trembled waiting for her punishment.

"What the hell?" Tiffany said shocked and confused. Then the realization hit her. "Oh my god no!" she exclaimed.

Jake grabbed Friday by the shoulders and lifted her up. She tried to tilt her muzzle like she expected to be hit, her ears back and eyes shut tight. She crossed her arms over her breasts and curled her legs up too, her tail hiding her sex. Jake held her still as Tiffany pet Fridays muzzle from nosepad to ear like a mother grooming a pup. It was used to calm dogs. It did little for Friday but it was effective. She was less balled up and eventually Friday looked to Tiffany unsure, confused. Was she going to have her throat slit and gutted out like a lamb? Was this her new masters wish to punish her for something? Desperate she took her arms from her breasts and began to sign ‘what do you want? I will submit if you just tell me what you want me to do. But please, no horses.'

Tiffany looked to the strange hand dance the collie performed and looked to Jake. "What the hell is that?"

Jake shrugged still keeping his hold on the collies' shoulders. "I dunno, it's not sheep sign, or none I have seen, and I don't think it's sheep sign because what she did was way to complicated to be used in the field with ease, too many finger movements."

Tiffany looked to Friday. She thought about this hand dance of hers but was it even possible? "Friday, we are not going to hurt you if we can help it, but I need you to nod or shake your head if you understand me, okay. Nod if you can understand me."

Friday nodded her head

"Okay, do you know sign language? is that sign language?" she said pointing to Fridays' white gloved paws.

Friday was confused, unsure but she had to communicate. Friday nodded again.

Tiffany clapped her hands and giggled. "Jake, she knows sign language!"

"Great, no one else here does though." Jake said and looked at Friday as he felt her slump more.

"Well we can look it up and see if there's anyone in town that can do sign language." She looked at Friday who was still unsure of the entire situation but pretty comfortable she would not be raped or killed at least for a while.

"Look, we'll be back Friday, I want to see if we can communicate with you." Tiffany said as Jake let Friday go.

Friday shook herself off and brushed herself down. "You are a very pretty girl." Jake confessed to her again as he followed Tiffany. "And no one here will hurt you."

Friday just watched them leave and began franticly looking around for a way to escape. She knew that it would not pull off and there was no way to break the chain. She saw a steel bowl with water in it for her. She did take the time to drink and looked around more calmly. She saw the window. She had sliced her hand on a piece of glass before so knew how sharp it could be. She silently hoped as she approached the window the chain growing shorter with every step. But not too short, she had a foot of chain left on the floor when she tapped her claws on the window pane. She didn't want to cut her paw to break the glass and began looking for something to break the pane with. She began tearing apart the surrounding hay bails looking. She was getting frustrated and thought about how best to break the pane with her paw. She had to get up the nerve and took another drink from her bowl. She rolled her eyes as she finished drinking and tossed the rest of the water and brought the bowl to the window with her. She was careful to hit the side of the pane so she could get a bigger piece of glass as a knife hitting the pane a few times until it cracked then hit it more and more being careful not to push the piece she wanted out.

Finally she reached her paw in the frame and plucked out a large slender knife and with only a few cuts she sliced the nylon collar off her throat and bolted out the back of the barn. She had a home, and she wanted to be there.

* * * * *

She sat very still for a minuet, making sure there were no footsteps, then she looked out a crack in the barn walls to make sure no one was waiting outside. Carefully she opened the barn door and slipped around to the back of the blind side of the barn, the one closest to the woods and ran for all she was worth. She imagined her master petting her, telling her what a good girl she was for coming back and not answering any questions. Her heart raced with anticipation as well as exertion as she returned home.

She returned to her home, her masters' house. Even approaching she felt it was wrong somehow. It looked wrong, smelt wrong.

She skulked up to the front door. Her masters' scent was weak, all the smells were of rot and mold and not the rot of life but a deserted rot. She knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer. She ran to the window and tapped her claw tips to the glass with still no answer. She pounded on the window with her fist until she cracked a pane. She didn't care about the punishment she would receive, she needed to see her master. She ran to the front door and turned the knob. The door opened and she lost her nerve a bit. She looked into the darkness from the four inches or so that the door swung in of its own accord. Gingerly she pushed the door open and looked inside to the dusty remnants of furniture and scattered objects. She walked the unfamiliar corridors of her masters' house. With her nose her guide she followed it to where her masters scent was the strongest. She came to his disheveled bedroom. The bed was tossed and the floorboards in one area where torn up but she did not know if that was not the way he lived here anyway. The only thing truly apparent to her was that he had not been there for some time.

She ran out of the house and into the barn where a couple of dead sheep greeted her. But there was no master, she looked in the hay loft and the out buildings, then to the old hen house that she and Berry lived in. She crept inside it, tears welling in her eyes as her nose was filed with the soft musky male scent of Berry. She looked in the hen house for, for what she could not say but it was a miracle she was looking for, but took only a blanket that was saturated in Berry's' scent.

Sight blurred with tears she solemnly made her way back to the house and into her masters room. She collapsed to her belly and pulled a pillow coated in her masters' scent to her. She wept and scratched her claws over the dirty floor as she buried her muzzle into the pillow the blanket over her, the scent of her master and love in her nose, reminding her of when her life was whole. When she would play in the fields with Berry, and sleep in the same place. Her master very strict and expected the best of her, her family. Gone, her world gone, everything she knew and loved was gone or abandoned. She was alone.

She perked her head up and sniffed the air when she herd footsteps in the house. She was full of both fear and joy as the footsteps came closer. She nearly leapt up and ran to them until she heard a voice calling her name. It was not her master but the father of the one who took her from the killing place. She flopped miserably on the pillow again and stayed there with her tail tucked and her body balled up under the blanket that smelled like Berry.

"Damnit dog." Mr. Athens swore as he found her laying there. He sighed and knelt down to her and put his hand on her back and rubbed it through the blanket. "Look Friday, you can't go running off. My daughter wants to take care of you and give you a new home. She has a head as soft as her heart for strays and she loves you." he said and sat on the floor next to the sulking collie. "Look, I know dogs and you want your family but as you see, there is nothing left here for you. He rubbed her ear and the scruff of her neck, "But you have a woman and a dog that really want to be at least your friends. Jake is rather partial to you too and you are really mean to him. And I have to say you are none too nice to my daughter either. But for some dumb reason they both like you a lot." He sighed and shook his head as the dog under his hand and took to a kneeling position to pick her up. she did not fight or help him but gripped onto the pillow and blanket as she was carried from the house and put into the bed of the pickup truck.

Mr. Athens rolled up his driveway and parked the truck. He looked at the collie in the back with her blanket and pillow. He shook his head and yelled out to the farm "Tiff, come get your dog out the truck." With one last look he walked into his house and was surprised to see a man sitting in a chair in his living room. His wife had set out her coffee and cakes trays so it was not a salesman.

"Honey, this is Andrew, he works with deaf children at the high school."

Andrew stood and smiled extending a hand to the farmer. "Nice to meet you Mr. Athens."

Mr. Athens shook Andrews hand and moved to sit in his favorite chair. "Well if you're here for the dog she's balled up in the back of the truck last I saw her."

Andrew looked unsure but was saved when Tiffany and Jake half carried the inconsolable dog between them.

"Put her on the floor, she's dirty and stinks." Mr. Athens said to the ensemble

"It's okay dear, I put an old blanket on the couch for her to sit on." Miss Athens explained.

"It's your house woman do what you want." Mr. Athens shrugged and sat back after taking one of the small sweet cakes off the cake tray.

Andrew looked at the dog and then to Tiffany. "What makes you so sure this dog can do sign language. You know this is very complicated. It would be like her knowing two languages and I'm not sure even the brightest of genomes-"

‘You all can go to hell.' Friday signed stunning Andrew to silence. Everyone else looked at Andrew after the dogs hand dance.

"Looks like this one does" Mr. Athens chuckled and finished off his cake. "So what does she have to say?"

The others chimed in wanting to know what the dog said looking to Andrew.

Andrew blushed unsure but as he was trained with translating to and from the mute so he told them "she said you all can go to hell"

Mr. Athens laughed but most attention was on Friday and her miraculous communications.

"So, now that you can hear what she says, Is it worth it?" Mr. Athens teased.

Tiffany scoffed and rolled her eyes at her fathers' cynicism.

Mrs. Athens sighed at her husband and rubbed the teachers back soothingly. "Well tell us about Tiffs poor dog."

Tiffany looked between the teacher and the brooding collie. She was not really sure what to ask, so she asked what she thought was the dumbest question she could "are you alright?"

Andrew translated Fridays hands, "I am not alright, you took everything away from me and will not let me leave. My master is gone my friend is dead and my home rots and you are not mine."

Tiffany and the rest of the room was quiet except the smug self satisfied smirk on her fathers face that was loud as a gunshot.

Tiffany knelt down in front of the collie bitch, "No, your master was a bad man who did bad thi,.." Tiffany fell backward to be missed by the collies jaws.

"You think you are better, you have more so will miss it less but because he wanted more you took everything, and you took me from him." came the words from the translation as Tiffany picked herself up from the floor

Tiffany shook her head. "He left you to die Friday," she said from a safe distance, Jake nearby in case things have to go further. "He bought his freedom with your life, that is why he is gone now, he left and the police want to find him because he broke his probation."

Friday did not understand the probation thing but she barred her teeth at having it said her master would abandon her, but in her heart of hearts, the place she could not lie even to herself she knew he would, just as soon as he would kill her to save himself, to serve himself and that just made her angrier. And that anger was focused on the one who told her, Tiffany. She hated the woman, the one who would slander her master, would bring up the truth of herself, she snapped at the human and ran for the front door, jerking it open and running out.

Everyone looked at Tiffany, then each other, except Mr. Athens, who enjoyed another little cake.

* * * * *

Tiffany sat at the kitchen table with her mother and Andrew. "I just don't know what is wrong. I try and try,. But she just doesn't listen."

Miss Athens stifled a laugh. "honey, I don't think she is all that old, and you are tearing apart her world and trying to replace it with yours, it would be like burning your house down to build you a mansion and not telling you or even asking you. You have to be patient and slower, you just can't expect her to magically understand her entire life could be better when you pull her from everything."

Jake leaned his body on Tiffany's leg and rested his head on her thigh. She pet him enjoying the comfort he gave her. "Mom, she was abused in every way abuse can be given."

"And you are not going to fix that without a lot of work love." Her mother chided.

"I'm just amazed you could teach a genome sign language, not to understand it, but to actually use it, they only have the brains of normal dogs and language was enough of a miracle, but sign language." Andrew interjected

Both mother and daughter looked at Andrew as if he spoke the least important thing of the entire episode then looked to each other leaving him a bit unsure if it was really that amazing, or important. So he hid his uncertainty in the cup of coffee that was provided for him as a guest and a small cake from the tray from the living room.

"But the thing is, you have taught Jake to be safe here, and you taught him to pretty well be a human, he sleeps with you and eats well and Friday was taught to be a regular dog, and does normal dog things."

"No mom, you saw her, she was not treated as a regular dog, she was taught to be an expendable thief and rape toy, he even took her voice away."

Miss Athens as well as Andrew looked at her with a disbelieving curiosity. "What do you mean a rape toy?" Andrew said cautiously as if he misheard it.

"Tiffany leaned on the table in a bit of smug satisfaction as she talked. "You didn't know. She offers her tail any time she is tied up, and the doctor says that she had a surgery done that took her voice."

Both Andrew and Miss Athens leaned back. "What do you mean she offers her tail" Miss Athens asked.

"I mean if you grab her and or chain her up or try to restrain her she will turn and lift her tail and wait for you to rape her."

Both the doubters looked at Tiffany and hmmed and hawed about it. "We could ask her." Andrew offered, "I can translate for her."

Tiffany brightened and nodded and led the trio out into the yard with Jake. "Find Friday Jake."

Jake followed Friday's scent to find her looking at the chicken coup. She looked sourly at Tiffany and snarled a bit.

"Friday," Andrew said to the angry collie, "Can you tell Tiffany about your Master?"

Friday looked at the trio. She looked between attacking and running, but began to sign quickly. ‘I wanted to make my master happy with me. I want him to like me.' Friday signed and Andrew translated. "My master showed me that it is better to take from big flocks and I will be rewarded and he loved me.'

Tiffany shook her head as Andrew looked to her finishing the translation. "No Friday, Stealing is wrong." Tiffany scolded.

Friday looked crestfallen and confused. She was a bit angry too. She let her hands fly ‘I have not been punished by beatings or forced matings so I never know if you are planning something for me to hurt me and I don't know---‘

"Forced mating?" Tiffany addressed Andrew, what the hell is force mated? Or is it what I think it is." She looked at Friday and Friday was uneasy, there was a fear and sadness scent coming from her and Andrew.

"What is forced mated" Andrew said as if he feared the answer, and by his scent he did.

"Master took me out of my heat, actually he never liked my bleeds and would often beat me more when I was in heat. But Berry soothed me and he mated me in my heat and took away my need. Master would beat Berry when he caught us tied so often I would submit to him in the night when master slept," Andrew translated on, "and when I had become heavy with Berrys' pup I was beaten until,.." Andrew Stammered "until I bled and the puppy came out too soon." Andrew looked back to Tiffany with her eyes wet and her hand over her mouth. Friday started to sign again and Andrew was almost hesitant to speak. "I was bred to everything out of my time to have whelps, but Berry was damaged to not give me pups, and I wanted his pup, I love him but here you do nothing to me, and master paysâ€""

"No no no no," Tiffany choked "Your master did all that to you? And you think that is what people do?"

‘Yes, you are masters you own me and can do whatever you want to me.'

Tiffany bit her lower lip "tell me about your life with your master,"

Friday sighed and crossed her arms before the crowd, then after a moment of consideration she began to sign and Andrew to speak, "my first mentor was another border collie bitch who was on in years. She helped me learn about the herding trade, made sure I had food and warm on cold nights. She was the only mother I knew. When master thought I knew enough about sheep he taught me the hand language." Andrew finished and waited for more, then took up narrating as Friday began signing again, "Three lambing times before my first heat my master took me to where Maple was in the barn on the hay. She was old and did not move much anymore and could not work, so master took out his gun and held her muzzle and put it to her head and shot her. She still lived and struggled but master shot her again and she stopped. He told me then that if you do not work, you are useless to him and if you are useless you will die, and you can always be replaced." She nodded her head as she signed as to point that it was indeed a fact. "He made me take her to the trash pit where he burned garbage." Andrew finished in an appalled whisper.

"I worked hard but I was not a good dog yet. Master wanted me in other ways and I did not understand his needs until I was older but I was about two lambing times away from my first heat and he called me into the barn. He wanted me to groom him and I did. Then he wanted me to mate him with my paws and muzzle but I did not understand and he tried to show me but I kept doing it wrong and he hurt me and he tried to force mate me and it hurt so I bit him and he beat me and tied me up with tape and he force mated me a lot, I was bleeding and hurt and he said I needed work and left the rams in with me and tied me down and they mated me over and over to make me better for him. But it still hurt for a long time and I would struggle, and even after I was used to his mating me he still liked to tie me up and take me and leave me." Andrew was in auto translation mode, he was no longer paying attention to what he was translating, it was too hard for him to think about and still be able to speak. But he had to stop and held up a hand to Friday as he rubbed his temples and shook himself and sighed deeply with his eyes closed. He then looked to Friday and shook his head sadly "go ahead now"

"A few months later I was given a small puppy by my master, he was Berry and I loved him and taught him as Maple taught me. He grew up fast and became strong. He fought me sometimes but I would win, and then he became stronger and beat me and I did not beat him again and he was the leader. And then you killed him and made my master abandon me and stole me and will not let me go, not that I now have anywhere to go."

Tiffany stood in shocked silence with all but Andrew who spoke for Friday. She hardly knew what to say so still she listened on to the horrors the collie bitch thought was normal life. She could not fathom Fridays' life and why she would be so eager to return to it. It was something she could not process.

Friday had taken a new interest in the chickens again as Tiffany let everything sink in and realized she was clutching her mothers arm and shoulder. Andrew kept an eye on Friday to see if she signed more but she seemed finished.

Tiffany thought about the collie she and Jake buried in the back fields after that night they tried to steal the sheep. She looked to Jake, Jake was her life, her family and the one person on the farm that would be there for her. She thought about how the loss of Berry on Friday. She sighed and turned away from the tormented dog with her mother. "Mom, I'm," she looked back over her shoulder and then to her mother again, "I don't know what to do. She is like nothing I have ever heard about much less had."

"Just keep trying to make her feel safe dear, she is the only one that can change, you cannot force her to understand she has to come to it on her own." Mrs. Athens said hoping her daughter would not give up on the dog.

It took a second before Andrew and Jake noticed they were the only ones left. Andrew walked up and pet Fridays' shoulder, "I'm sorry." He said referring to her life and turned for the house leaving Jake who was just watching the wild dog. She looked over her shoulder and snarled at him and trotted off, looking back to make sure he was not following her. To him, it was hard not to, and he didn't know why.

* * * * *

Tiffany called and called for Friday to come in but never even caught a glimpse of the dog. She gave up and went to bed, her faithful companion following her and curling up to her side. She put her hand on his side and snuggled to him.

She thought for a moment, and looked at the dog beside her. She thought a little bit more and rubbed his side a little bit petting him. "Jake," she waited a second "are you awake?"

Jake turned his head to look at her "nope." He said figuring he was about to be sent to fetch something, or even fetch Friday.

"What do you think about Friday?" she asked

Jake was quiet for a while "I think she is interesting in some wild feral animal way. She is really strong but she is too full of anger to be just a dog. It makes her very human."

Tiffany furrowed her brow, "what? I mean do you think she will come around and maybe be a part of this farm ever. I mean we killed her mate that night." Tiffany then grinned and ruffed the dog's ears. "You like her don't you."

Jake nipped at her hand and rolled back over "well she is pretty but just too wild, she's not my type."

"Aww, come on, she is young and beautiful." Tiffany played with her dog and butted her head to his shoulder. "You could try you know."

Jake got up and huffed, "I can't make her change, besides,. She doesn't like me as much as she doesn't like you." He said and went to the living room to sleep unannoyed. But his mistress pried on an idea he himself tried to ignore. She was interesting if not damaged but she hated him. He flopped on the couch and curled his tail about his body but it was hours before he found sleep, thinking about the beautiful young bitch that was thrust into his life.

For a week Friday stayed on the skirts of the populated farm, eating the rats and other things she could catch and apparently found something dead to roll in, several times.

Tiffany and even Jake tried to get the abused collie to come in and get a bath and be loved, but to no avail, always Friday slept under the stars and ignored their pleas and their food.

Tiffany was doing rounds on the farm when she noticed something seemed odd, wrong somehow. It was like a table moved two inches subtle but she could not tell what was amiss. Then she realized it, there was no chicken sounds! She ran to the chicken coup and saw the door still latched and locked but there were no chicken sounds and none to be seen. Tiffany called the chickens like it was feeding time and none appeared. She used her key to go into the chicken pen and looked in the coup. No chickens at all. Not even eggs were left of the over fifty chickens they had. She looked for holes in the fence as Jake came over and looked about. "It smells like Friday was in here."

"She wasn't she couldn't be the door was locked and the fence is in tact and there is no way into the coup without the key." Tiffany said as she leaned up from checking the chicken fence and looked to Jake.

Jake was already following a scent and had moved away from the pen and toward the front of the house. Tiffany gasped as Jake opened the door to her truck and the chickens spilled out squawking and flapping. The mess in the truck was appalling. She looked at Jake with anger in her eyes, "you say it smells like Friday?"

Jake nodded. "Yea, and she smells, a little different."

Tiffany ignored his last statement as she tromped off to the back calling Jake to follow. "Where is she now?" she demanded as she stood in the back of the house facing all the out buildings and sheds.

Jake led her to the hay storage shed and opened the door. By now her father had come out and seen the mess of the truck and the chickens and found them as they were going into the hay barn.

Mr. Athens heard a concerning crash and a yelp as well as his daughter yelping. He ran into the hay barn and looked up at the snarling collie bitch that took over his hay loft. Tiffany was there looking frustrated as Jake picked himself up off the ground from having the ladder tipped on him. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Tiffany sighed, "Jake says Friday went into heat."

"What? So now she's gonna be a real bitch?" He turned to his daughter, "this is your little pet, you better put her right or I'll shoot her, and if she keeps destroying shit I will definitely shoot her. I don't understand why you got her in the first place." He sighed exasperated. "You are the genius that told the judge you would take her, this is your mess, clean it or I will." He said frustrated and left the barn.

Friday was only half snarling, she was half smiling at the dog named Jake. The way he looked and yelped when she tipped the ladder on him. She pointed at him as he stood up and signed ‘stay away from me!' then threw a dead rat she had been saving at him as the straw would not make her point.

She watched Mr. Athens leave the barn after yelling at his daughter. He should watch who he threatened to shoot.

* * * * *

Later that night the black and white collie crept to the house Mr. Athens and his wife shared. They must not be like her master as the door was unlocked. She silently crept into the house and sniffed. It was easy to find Mr. Athens rifle, and two more. She quietly took them from the rack and crept out the house, never disturbing a thing and closed the door, turning the knob so it was silent and no telling click even thought the bedroom was far from the back door. She trotted over to where Berry rotted in the ground and dug down. About a foot and a half down she stopped and put the three rifles into the trench like hole and put dirt over them. With a wicked collie smile she ran back to her safe loft.

She made it to the loft and was panting proud of herself. But then there was the scent of the soil on her, the scent of Berry and rot. She tried to wipe it off, but that made the scent stronger. She tried to howl, she shrieked in silence and carved ruts in the boards of the barn with her claws. She could not sing her sorrow, she had no need for a voice before now, there was no rage, no sorrow deep enough to need to cry it out. She slashed the boards with her claws, two of them breaking but unnoticed even as she left bloody trails over the boards as she slashed the walls and tore apart the hay bails. She trembled and shredded everything she came across, everything but her bed area, and her only two treasures. She eventually collapsed panting and crying clutching and unclenching a handful of straw. She still thought as her body rested. She had to begin again, start a new life. Tears leaked from her eyes to the straw. She could never have the old life she loved back. She remembered what the old man told her in her masters' house. She was given love, but she only returned anger and hate. Was she anger and hate? Yes, yes she is anger and hate. Anger at them for taking her life away, angry at them for taking her love away. She hated herself for failing her master, but mostly her inability to save her love, and her want to take another. She was angry at herself, for not allowing herself to start over.

She laid in the silver light of the full moon that came in the window. Her torn claws began to hurt. But it was more of an ache now. She thought about her life now. She was truly alone, not just lonely, she had no one to confide in, no one to hold on to. She looked over the first floor of the barn. It was dark and empty. And this is where she chose of all places to be. She chose this life, and perhaps it was time to choose another.

* * * * *

Mr. Athens looked up into his hayloft and gasped in anger. The hay bales there where torn up and ruined. Straw hung off the loft floor and piled up on the barn floor. He swore to himself in a continuous stream as he climbed the ladder to the loft. Friday saw and herd him as he came up to her loft. She ran forward and stopped a good distance from him and went to all fours and growled barring all her teeth. This was her place and she was going to defend it against his invasion.

"You Fucking snarling at me?!" Mr. Athens barked at her as he advanced "you fucking fucked up my hay and you fucking have the balls to show your teeth to me?!"

Friday was not expecting this, she began to cower down but still hoped to intimidate him, but looking smaller was not an intimidation strategy. By the time he was five steps away from her he could hear her water plashing over the hay she was now cowering on.

"What the fuck!" Mr. Athens yelled and swiped a kick at the straw making it fly up in her face. Fearing he missed kicking her in the head she flung herself into a retreat. The straw she scattered everywhere made the loft slick, and with no traction she slid off the loft floor and over the ledge. She looked at the twenty foot drop as she clung to a rafter and climbed back up in record time tossing herself against the barn with such force the sound alone made Mr. Athens wince.

She could not get to a corner fast enough but she figured if she could put herself deep enough in the strewn hay it would lessen the impacts. She laid there with her left foot in the air and tail tucked when Mr. Athens reached down and grabbed her collar and shook her by it. She grabbed his arm thinking he would choke her out but he never let her collar go.

"Look at me!" he commanded with a shake "look at me."

She dared to open her eyes and look at her attacker.

"Look at what you did, you think this is cute or funny?" he yelled as he thrust his other arm out like a salesman of disaster over the ruins she made of the hay bales. "If you do this shit one more time I will throw you off this fucking loft and shoot you, do you want me to shoot you?"

Friday held her ears back in terror and shook her head no, she was too terrified to be smug she buried his rifles.

I let you come up here and let you have your little nest because I think you are eating the rats up here." Friday nodded as he spoke about her eating the rats "and the fucking cat don't even do that so I let you stay but if this is how you reward my kindness then you can get the fuck out!" Friday nodded and shook her head then closed her eyes waiting to be beaten. She felt him toss her back with her collar but nothing more. She then heard him walk a ways away and kick the straw over the loft edge swearing. She opened her eyes to see him kicking the straw she pissed on over the edge. He looked at her angrily, "how can one dog piss so fucking much?" He then shook his head and pointed at her. "You!" she winced as if struck at his finger pointing to her, "you fucked this up you fucking fix it."

She nodded and stayed on her back against the wall.

"You ain't fucking fixing it laying on your back you stupid dog get the fuck up and start pushing these ruined bails off and take it out to feed the cows. When I get back this loft better the fuck be perfectly clean and the in tact bales stacked neatly." He snapped at her as he walked to the ladder to go down. He looked up at her slowly sitting up. "I mean fucking now, get your ass to work!"

Friday leapt up and began franticly pushing Straw off the loft floor to the barn floor. She heard Mr. Athens shout and looked up to see a broom launched at her like a javelin.

Mr. Athens was surprised when the collie caught the broom. He never meant it to hit her but to be that agile. He smiled and walked out the barn to his truck to get more straw. Friday set the broom aside until it would be needed and pushed off huge piles of straw to the barn floor.

* * * * *

Friday panted hard, she had almost all the straw out to the cows when she heard the farm truck pull up. The monster truck was able to haul almost all the straw needed to fill the loft again. Friday began to panic, she wasn't done and he was back. She franticly looked about for a way to get it done before he came in. She fell on her rear and curled up to a ball with her head between her haunches knowing there would be some sort of punishment for her failure.

She heard the heavy hard footsteps of Mr. Athens boots approach her. She heard them pass her without a kick or spoken word. The ladder creaked as he climbed and then climbed back down. Then the boots clopped their mighty way back to her. She felt a tug on her collar, not hard not even enough to really do anything but signal her as he spoke "stand up Friday."

She shakily got to her feet and closed her eyes. She trembled as she stood there. Her mouth was already dry and caked with straw dust and barn dirt. She could not stifle a cough and turned it into an ugly hack. She would have whined if she could but tears still cascaded down her dusty cheekruffs and muzzle. She heard his feet walk away. She dared not open her eyes as she herd thin metal slip over a hay bale. If the lambs fate is her own fate she did not want to see it. She trembled and shook with fear. She tried to hold her bladder but a small wet stream soaked her inner thighs.

The faucet came on and then shut off and it sounded like something was filled, a bucket or pan. She only thought about the Ewe harvest when the organs where kept for sausages. Her fear as she herd the footsteps come closer, so confident so purposeful hit a climax and she wet herself and the floor. But there was no reprimand, only the footsteps stalling for a moment, then all the way up to her. She hacked a sob as they stopped in front of her.

"Friday." Came a soft gentle voice. She almost opened her eyes to its sound. There was no malice, no sarcasm in the kindness. She smelled the water and it made her mouth water a bit making her tongue sticky. "Friday, open your eyes." Friday opened her eyes slowly to Mr. Athens. He smiled softly to her and showed her a pan of water. "Drink girl." He said in a more authoritative tone. She smiled and would have giggled if she had a voice. She took the water and greedily drank it down. She then stood there staring at her master, was he her,. Yes, he was master. She was not sure what to do now. She looked about for a clue but was only met by a curious looking master. Nervously she crouched down to pick up straw in one paw watching him. He shook his head and pointed to the hay bales against a wall or that's what it looked like. "no, put your bowl up first and then get back to work." He looked at the puddle on the floor. "And clean this up too." He pointed back at the barn wall, "the faucet is there, if you get thirsty get a drink you stupid dog." He made a frown at her and walked off.

Friday waited until he was out the barn door to crumple on the ground and pant in terror. No beating made her so fearful of a beating than this. She was not struck by her new master. But he was firm and watched out for her. She wanted to stand up but she could not stop shaking. She eventually stood up and walked over to the faucet to get a drink for herself.

* * * * *

"What do you mean MY dog fucked up?" Tiffany looked at her father and folded her arms.

"You know the rule, you either help her restock the straw or get rid of her, either way I'm not going to be the one that redoes that loft, you and your dogs will."

Tiffany sighed and called Jake over. "We have to help Friday redo the loft. She apparently tore it up."

"She at least has it cleaned and swept so you won't bust your asses, just have her do the restacking and help in the hoisting is what I suggest." Mr. Athens shrugged "But you are my daughter and I know you will do it your way. But I ask, will the dog learn to respect you?"

"Yes, she will when she sees I will help her." Tiffany spat haughtily.

Mr. Athens just put up his hands in surrender and walked off. Tiffany fumed as she headed to the barn. She would show her father she knew how to take care of animals. Her way was a lot better than being yelled at and treated like dirt and she would prove it.

* * * * *

She and Jake went to the hay barn as Friday was taking the last of the straw out to the cattle. She stepped into the barn and gasped,. Other than the lack of hay it was immaculate. The dust was being blown out the windows and every bit of hay that was not in a bale was gone and restacked perfectly. It took a few moments after Friday came back in to start giving order and begin bringing in the hay. But Friday stopped at that point, sitting in her nest and barring her teeth any time she was asked to help. Tiffany and Jake worked and tacked and elevated the hay from the truck to the loft as the pile on the truck decreased. But still the border collie bitch only barred her teeth to any suggestion she help, or even a look in her direction which was be obfuscated by a growing stack of straw bales.

Mr. Athens wandered into the straw barn curious about the progress. He looked about and made a point to see where Friday was and what she was doing. And he saw her in her nest keeping a haughty eye on his daughter and Jake.

What the hell are you doing damnit!" he yelled at Friday who look mortified and leapt the bales surrounding her and right out the loft door. Mr. Athens only had a moment to gasp before his daughter looked to him in amazement and pressed the button to lower the platform for loading hay. In what seemed seconds she pressed the button lifting the hoist up and gasping when Friday leapt on the lift and into the loft door again in astounding feats of acrobatics to help the formerly scorned get the lift to their level and stack the bales of hay. It was noticeable the difference between what Tiffany and Jake did and what Friday had done as she was meticulous in her placement and stacking.

Friday watched the scowling face of her master as she worked and continued to work after he had gone much to the dismay of Tiffany who was going to have to talk to her father about the way he treated Friday, he had no idea what she had been through.

Tiffany wiped the sweat off her brow and looked at Jake who was resting on a bale. Friday on the other hand was sweeping every loose bit of hay from the loft and piling it on the barn floor. Tiffany watched Friday, then figuring this may be as close as she gets to the dog this week she spoke. "Friday, you should come in sometime, we have good food for you and a place for you to stay warm.

The collie only smirked. It was mid spring now and the nights pleasant to be in and the rats were plentiful and fat here but for some reason, she answered Tiffany with a shake of her head.

Tiffany sighed, "Look you need to come around, I saved you from euthanasia and all you can do to thank me is ignore me.

This got Fridays attention she barred her teeth and bolted down the ladder and out the barn door. Leaving the hay unfed to the cows.

Jake shrugged to Tiffany "she'll come around." He assured his mistress and went to her to nuzzle her and lick her face, something that always brought a smile to her.

* * * * *

"No, I'm serious," Tiffany's father barked presenting the returned rifles covered in dirt and mud, "look what your stupid-ass dog did!" Tiffany sighed at her father from across the dinner table.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you can't go around saving dogs, especially destructive ones like that beast you put in my barn." Mr. Athens reiterated.

"Well she returned them right, so I must be getting through to her Dad, Jake was a rescue pup and you like him, and he had to be house broken." She looked to Jake who was sitting on the floor eating his dinner then back to her dad. "Besides, she was really abused, did you know her master molested and raped her?"

"yea, yea, but this is me and my rifles and this farm. She has to be contained or controlled or put out." Mr. Athens made the point tapping hard on the table as he spoke.

"She is just now learning to be a member of this farm dad, she did wrong and she fixed it, your yelling and screaming at her will just drive her back into reclusion and then she will be back to putting chickens in cars and rifles in the ground, you can't just beat her to submission." Tiffany sighed, the only thing I can't figure out is why she is so suddenly being nice to you and treating me the same, like dirt. I can't see why after all the cruelty of her master who was a man that she would choose you to warm up to." She said looking at the returned rifles. "All you do is yell and threaten her and she responds to you."

"Honey, do you remember before Genomes came out we had normal dogs."

Tiffany sighed and nodded, "yea mom, I remember. Why?"

"You remember how one was over the other, always first and they had to fight to find out who was the leader? Well you have to remember that she is mostly like those dogs, not like Jake who you pamper to death. She is a farm dog and you are confusing her."

How am I confusing her mom, I told her she was safe and she had a new home, how is that confusing?"

"Look Tiff," her father cut in, "You want to know why she follows me and I yell at her and scare the hell out of her, it's because I gave her a place, she knows her place with me and she has no clue how to act around you and your pampered pooch."

"No way, all you do is yell at her and give her orders and work."

"But dear, she is a farm dog and you just will not get it in your head, you have to give her a place or she will not understand much less respect you."

"That's bullsh-, Dad, "she stammered "she was abused and needs to know we won't do the same."

Mr. Athens shrugged "Do what you want."

Mrs. Athens elbowed her husband. "You never take time to explain things and it always drives me nuts."

"Well I always knew you're a bright woman and can figure it out, have I been wrong?"

His wife just looked at him sourly then to their daughter, "What you're father would want to say is that there has to be a pack hierarchy, Friday knows your father is alpha because you, your dog and she does what he says because he will yell like an idiot at you." She sat back in her chair. What you have to do is scare her, that is her world and she is comfortable in that world, and you have to meet her in her world before you can take her into yours." Miss. Athens looked at her daughter, "You have to assert yourself as her leader before you can assure her this is a better, safe place Tiff."

Tiffany groaned and rubbed her hands over her face. You two are not paying attention, I'll just have to show you." She looked particularly at her father. "You will see I'm right." She said nodding her head as she got up from her chair and walked out the kitchen.

Mr. Athens watched his daughter leave and shook his head, "she's as stubborn as you and gonna have to learn things the hard way."

"Me? Stubborn, you make mules look reasonable." Mrs. Athens retorted, "Besides, if she wasn't so stubborn would she really be yours."

He shook his head and looked at the filthy weapons the dog had hidden and then for some reason brought back, "I should shoot that fucking dog once I'm done with this." He said holding up a muddy hunting rifle.

"You know you can't, even if you really wanted to." Mrs. Athens said as she peeled potatoes in the sink.

Mr. Athens shook his head and sighed, knowing his wife was right. "I should have aimed better that night, can't believe I missed. And now Tiffany is on a crusade to rehabilitate that damn pain in the ass collie. I remember when dogs didn't talk and you just left them in the yard with a house, now they have fucking health insurance, and sadly it covers more ailments and is affordable." He shook his head and began to use a brush to clean the surface mud from the rifle.

"Well honestly she gets it from you." Mrs. Athens chuckled as her husbands only retort was a denying harrumph.

"Fred did a number on that one, I honestly wish the judge didn't give her a stay of execution."

"Well he did and you can't change the fact your daughter is as hardheaded as you about things going her way."

Mr. Athens looked up at his wife and smirked, "yea, my way" he joked and continued to break the rifle down and clean it piece by piece.

It was quiet for a while, Mr. Athens almost had all the parts cleaned when Mrs. Athens spoke. "I think it's a good idea to have her, if not for Tiffany for Jake, and she really seems to have it in for poor Jake."

Mr. Athens looked up at his wife and furrowed his brow in thought, "are you saying that you want to try to breed Genomes now?"

"no I'm saying it will do everyone good to have a new dog like Friday."

Mr. Athens looked at his wife and shook his head. "I think you know something I don't, but I know you ain't telling, probably so if you're wrong I can't say I told you so."

Mrs. Athens smiled a little and began cutting the potatoes into small cubes and putting them into a pot.

* * * * *

Mr. Athens rode up and down the fields with Jake and his daughter driving the sheep from the east pasture to the larger north pasture where they could pretty well wander as they willed within the large confines. It was too early for wool and too late for slaughter so the sheep were left to themselves pretty well. Friday kept a distance from the trio, her instincts to help herd the sheep was defeated only by her distain of Tiffany, but her dog Jake, she wanted to hate him but for some reason was drawn to anther of her kind. She watched him hold and lead the sheep that slipped behind the ATVs and the flock. She hated him for doing the job she loved, but watching his lithe body bolt and his control of the bleating masses, it made her curious about him.

Friday nearly jumped at the call of her name, she had ventured too close and was spotted by Mr. Athens. She was on the verge of bolting when he commanded her to come. She still thought about bolting but listened when Mr. Athens, with vehement protests form his daughter said "if you do not get your fluffy ass over here and help Jake with the sheep I'll put you with that other collie." He nodded to the field where Berry was buried.

With a bit of grudging and a since of relief to be doing her loved job, she obeyed and helped round the stray ewes and bring more ease to the farm work. Once the work was done Mr. Athens ruffed both dogs ears at the same time with a "Good dogs" and walked off toward the house kicking off as much mud as he could from his boots on the way.

Friday smiled and let her tail wag a few times before she butted her shoulder to Jake and trotted off on all fours. Jake rubbed his arm watching her curiously as she trotted off. He shook his head wondering if it was an attack or some sort of play. He looked to his mistress then to Friday as she walked away. He wished he had more canine socialization, then maybe he would understand the confounding female. Instead he hung his head a moment before running over to his mistress for pets.

* * * * *

The next morning Mr. Athens sat on the porch with Jake. He could tell the dog wanted to go out into the fields with the sheep. But there was a black and white ball already out in the field. Tiffany fidgeted as she sat on the banister.

"Just stay." He looked to his daughter more than Jake. Then he looked at Jake. "Listen to me and do what I say." He looked at the dog,..

* * * * *

Jake ran up to where Friday was relaxing and watching sheep. He looked about the pasture and then to Friday who regarded him passively. "Good job" he said and nodded to her. She tilted her head and gave a small canine smile. She watched him sit down a little ways away from her. She watched him for a little bit then got up and walked over to him. She signed something to him but he had no clue what she was saying. With a shrug he patted the ground next to him.

She did not hesitate in sitting beside him, her posture perfect like a show dog. She then leaned over and butted his shoulder with hers. He looked at her and she did it again this time a little harder. Jake looked at her and returned a butt on her shoulder. She tilted her head and nipped him on the shoulder before taking to a canine play bow. Jake was really taken aback, she was still in heat and wanted to play with him. Her scent and his cautious want made the situation awkward for the virgin dog. He took on her pose and pawed her head, her nipping at his paw before she bounced up sideways and pawed at him. Jake was afforded a good view of the athletic bitch in motion. She was teasing him and he knew it. He ran up to her but she bolted away, her sweet iron tinged scent trailed her as he chased. She was fast and agile but he knew the terrain better. He was able to catch up to her and nip her rump before hitting her with his shoulder making her stop and spin to meet him. She nipped over his head and grabbed his head, his muzzle between her breasts as she bit his scruff and neck. Jake lifted up and dumped the bitch off his side and came back down with his paw on her chest and belly holding her down. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off but he was a lot heavier than Berry. At that thought she growled and snapped at him but not in play. Jake immediately backed up. Friday got to her feet and barred her teeth at him and walked off with her ears forward and legs stiff.

Jake sat blinking mystified at what just happened? He was a bit angry but he didn't want to hurt her. She had been through enough. But still, was this a way of challenging him? He was raised with a voice and more attentive family who treated him more human than dog, she was a dog that had hands. Everything about her was dog. He shook himself and sat there, watching the sheep, making a point not to look at Friday, no matter how hard it was.

The black and white bitch sat on her side of the pasture brooding over the oblivious dog Jake. It was his fault for, for something that made her feel like she did now. She sighed angrily and looked over the flock remembering how she and Berry impressed their master with the new sheep taken from the ones with many. She looked at the flock her new master had. It was very big, bigger than her old masters flock by several times. She knew her new master was not impressed with her. She did nothing to impress him yet but that would change soon. She would be the best collie on the farm and win him over with her prowess and skill. She slunk off at night rather than going to her barn to sleep.

* * * * *

Mr. Athens woke to a tapping on his window glass. Curious he got up and went to see what it was. He saw Friday with her nosepad pressed to the glass leaving dirty smudges. On seeing him approach she backed away until he opened the window. He seemed curious and concerned when he spoke. "Friday, is something wrong? Do I need to come out?"

Nothing was wrong, but he did need to come out and see what she did for him. She nodded and smiled a canine smile as she pointed to the barn.

"What's wrong? Miss Athens wearily asked her husband

"Dunno, the dog, Friday tapped on the window." He said as he put on his loose boots and a jacket.

"That is rather odd, is everything okay." She said sitting up and looking at her husbands back in the dark.

"Not sure, I'm gonna go look, she wants me to see something." Mr. Athens quietly, even though his wife was obviously awake, slipped out the door and then outside to meet Friday.

Friday ran to the barn and turned on the light and waited for Mr. Athens. She wagged her tail furiously as she presented every stall and even the barn floor was packed wall to wall with sheep.

Mr. Athens groaned and shook his head. "So you crammed the barn full of sheep. Good job." He said exasperated. He turned to leave when he suddenly registered something in his head. He turned and sure enough at least twenty sheep had blue spots painted on their heads. Others had red X's on their backs and then he saw the Thompson ranch fanged T brand on the flanks of some. "Holy Christ" he muttered and ran to shut the barn door so no sheep could escape the barn. Friday just stood there with tail wagging and a happy look on her muzzle, her ears perked playfully after hearing that it was good for her to fill the barn with sheep.

He sighed as he looked over a barn full of stolen sheep, the more he looked the more farms marks he saw, and there where a lot with no marks at all. This was going to be a headache. Then he remembered that Friday was not his and smiled. "Stay here and make sure no sheep leave."

Friday nodded and took to watching the sheep.

Mr. Athens walked to the guest house his daughter took as her residence and beat on the door before going in and waking his daughter, her dog already awake.

"Get up and come with me now." He said to her.

She was full of questions, none he answered as they both walked to the barn after she had slipped on some shoes and a light coat. He slipped in the barn with her assuring no sheep escaped as Friday looked even more proud at her accomplishment that her master wanted to show her good work to his pup.

Tiffany looked over the sheep and sighed. "So she filled the barn with sheep, we'll put them back in the field and have her clean the mess tomorrow." She said ruefully and turned to leave but her father held her arm

"Look closer." He said waiting for it to hit her as he pointed out the multitude of ranch marks. Her eyes went wider and wider and her hands slowly came to cover her gaping mouth. She was in awe, Friday had stolen hundreds of sheep in the matter of hours, and some ranches where miles away. Friday herself was happily standing like a large quadruped on the back of the Millers prize ram who bleated unhappy to have a heavy collie on his back.

"Friday!" Tiffany shrieked before her father got her attention

"I wouldn't call any of them till the morning."

Friday still kept her superior air but was looking concerned when there was not a lot of praise. Maybe she did not get enough sheep. There where many people here and they could all work and have this processed in no time. She thought about getting more when she heard Tiffany call her over angrily. She listened to her masters pup, she was a master too but a weak one. A lesser master as she could not really conceive how she was ranked. She found a chain, about her neck,. And a lock on it.

Friday looked betrayed and hurt, she signed ‘why, what did I do wrong?' but none understood sign language to any point, plus she was using it all her life, she was fast at it.

Tiffany and Jake looked at her, Mr. Athens already gone. Friday pointed to the sheep then herself.

"Yes, you stole lots of sheep and this is a royal screw up!" Tiffany yelled at Friday "Bad dog, bad bad dog." Tiffany held her temples and shook her head. "Jake, make sure this place is locked up and we'll deal with this in the morning, after I make a phone call tonight." With that they left Friday chained on a short line in the sheep filled barn and turned off the light.