Cecily POV

I had thirty days to live. In exactly thirty days my philosophy essay was due and there was no doubt in my mind that I wasn't going to survive the ordeal. What human being in their right mind assigned a ten-page paper when there were so many better things to do with that time? I could easily think of like, 100 things I'd rather do. There were video games, and sleep, and eating, and napping... the list could go on and on! 

It was times like these that I regretted not just getting a job after high school. I’d had a brilliant idea during Junior year that if I went to college and got a degree, I could get an easy office desk job that didn't require much work and paid a decent amount. Best of both worlds! Now I was stuck drowning in a sea of work that I was positive would not help me fulfill my dream of being lazy and financially comfortable.

Huffing, I trekked the usual route from the university to my apartment twenty minutes away from campus. I hated the walk but I was too busy to get a job and the allowance my parents gave me barely covered my rent and living expenses.

Halfway to my apartment, I decided I could go no further and decided to take a break before dragging my feet the rest of the way.

Spotting a relatively small box abandoned on the sidewalk, I decided it was the best place to sit while I rested my legs. There were no people nearby and the box was just sitting in front of some bushes, so the box couldn't belong to anyone, right?

Too tired to really care, I approached the box and pushed down on the lid to make sure it was sturdy. Passing my mock test, the box seemed sturdy enough, so I set my backpack on the ground next to it and proceeded to sit my butt on the lid. I was completely still and ready to jump if the box fell apart but after a minute of it holding my weight, I relaxed and pulled out my phone. I could finally play the app I had recently downloaded while I rested my feet—a win-win situation!

As I played my game, I thought I felt the ground underneath me shift slightly. 

Pausing my game, I looked down but nothing alarming caught my eye. Maybe my senses were playing tricks on me after staring at my phone for too long? Giving it another minute and not noticing anything strange, I shrugged and resumed my game. I was thiiiis close to beating a boss.  

After about another minute, I felt something thud against the box I was sitting on. 

What the...?

Standing up, I turned to look down at the box. At first, nothing happened but then it shifted ever so slightly to the right. 

Something... Something was in the box. 

Kneeling down to be at eye level with the opening, I proceeded to prod it with my finger. The box emitted a high-pitched whine in response. I felt my breath catch in shock, and I quickly stood up from my crouched position. 

There was definitely something in there. 

Hesitating for only a second, my curiosity got the better of me and I proceeded to open the box. Quickly taking a step back as I peeked inside from what was hopefully a safe distance, I made eye contact with.... a puppy?