Animal. Pet. Dog. Freak. Entertainment. That’s all I’ll ever be to those outside of Carnaval des Ténèbres. So I perform for them. I fetch, roll over, and stay. I fulfill their demented need to see me as an animal, as something beneath them. But underneath the hair, I’m just a man. A human being with human needs and emotions. Now I’m trapped in a cage. He’s taken me away from the only family I’ve ever known and if I ever want to see them again, I need to play the part. I’ll be his pet. I’ll play his games. I’ll be the best damn show dog in the world. I just pray I still have my humanity when it’s all over.