Author’s Notes: This is a monologue performed by Avalon from my Young Adult work Both Sides Of The Girl.

Shooting a Half-Breed

Once upon a time, when I was just four years old, my school’s headmistress went to the country to visit an old friend. She had decided to bring along my class because she felt that we could use a nice break from city-life.

He was a dog breeder, and only chose the best of his purebreds to train and sell. Because two puppies from the same litter can have different fathers he would always take away those he deemed “worthless half-breeds” outside. Being the polite and well-mannered child I was I did not follow, or ask questions when he came back without those puppies.

When I was nine the headmistress decided to visit again. This time, having grown more inquisitive, I followed him. As my class listened to the breeder’s wife I watched him grab three small puppies by the scruff of their necks. I watched him snatch them away from their litter, the other puppies whimpering at the removal of their brothers. I followed him as he went out into the backyard. I watched him go into his tool shed, with those three dogs. And I watched him shoot them.

He turned around, his eyes landing on me as the salty tears slipped down my face. And I remember thinking that this person, this thing they dared to call “man” was an animal, a beast. Gazing up at him I started to kick and bite and scream my very soul out. Until there was nothing left in me.

I could never bring myself to visit that man again. Because I remembered thinking, as he shot those three small dogs…

“What did they do to deserve what they received? They were victims of circumstance…it wasn’t their fault.”

And then I thought.

“I’m a half breed too…I will never let anyone shoot me.”

And even now…I still haven’t.