Choking

The instant he heard the door shut, Terrier's feet buckled and he trembled to the ground, pulling off the choke collar that was around his neck and throwing it to the cement. He rubbed a hand around his sore neck where the collar had just been, practically choking him as the lead had been pulled. He couldn't stop a tear from sliding down his cheek as he tried to stop the flashbacks playing before his eyes. The taunts, the laughter. That first night. His grandparents. He squeezed his eyes tight closed, demanding himself not to think of them and his life before. He was sick of being treated like a dog. He was human, just as the men were who controlled him and forced him to do the things he didn't want to do. But he lacked what they had: strength.

[141 words]