It's not a funny story. At times, I think my cat hates me and she
would deserve such fate if I died.
But, seeing that my health's not failing, there'd be no such luck.
;P Please read and review!
'Midol...' called the woman sleepily and reached out into the darkness.
The cat swished her tail angrily, froze and answered 'owrEE?', trying to
sound as sleepy as her can-opener was. The latter's hand found the cat
and tugged gently at her ear, then let go. She was asleep and the cat could
leave now.
She leapt down from the bed and padded outside, to a corridor, then
climbed up a chest of drawers. This jump would have to be precise, or she'd
be left with her midsection wedged in a tilted window. The cat launched
herself up in a graceul arch, cleared the window and landed with a thud
in weeds growing outside. Shaking her tail with relief, she padded in the
direction of a small clearing in the middle of a public park. A meeting
was held there, one she had to attend.
Tonight, the cats will call out to the Lady Bast and ask favors of Her,
in exchange for belief. It was hard /not/ to believe in the Cat-Headed
One, but sometimes they managed that and the force of their atheism counteracted
plenty of belief She got. She never accused them of cruelty and blackmail,
even though She interacted with more humane beings than cats most of the
time - cats were cats, after all.
Other cats were already seated and Midol had to sorry her way through
to her place, trying very hard not to let her tail fluff out. Not her fault
the stupid woman had to cuddle her this long. She wrapped her tail around
her paws, end twitching, and nodded to the old Caller; they could begin
now. The Caller yowled the verses of the ritual and eighty paws scratched
stones simultaneously...
An old cat appeared in the middle of the many-sided figure formed by
cats. Her fur was matted and Her eyes had hardly any gleam, but an aura
of royalty surrounded Her and cats shrank back involuntarily, hating themselves
for it. She squinted at the surrounding faces, stretched and sat on her
haunches, head tilted to one side, waiting.
The Caller spoke first, politely asking a favor of protecting her from
tainted food that people, who hated old cats that dwell in their basement,
laid out. Her senses were failing her and she wanted to live a while longer.
Bast nodded Her agreement; now divine protection was extended to the old
Caller, who moved to the side and washed herself contentedly. Other cats
walked to the Goddess and stated their business; it seemed to last hours
before Midol was allowed to do the same.
Finally she stepped out and sat on a patch of grass, facing the old
cat and crouching politely.
'I have a favor to ask, Lady. My human will die of cancer before the
end of the year and I want your protection so I'd be able to find me a
good house again.'
The old cat's head tilted. 'Why don't you help your human fight the
illness, then? She feeds you and cares for you, after all.'
'Humans are dispensable. She's not better and not worse than other
ones I had. Besides, I need a change.'
The Cat Goddess nodded and Midol breathed a sigh of relief. The meeting
would be over now. Only a few months left until she could find herself
a new person to open cans of food.
Midol postioned herself on a branch and again leapt over the tilted
window, landing with a thud on a rug. She ate some liver-flavored kibble,
looking forward to the morning, when she would get slices of the real deal
- slices of fresh, raw liver. She stretched, yawned and headed to the human's
bedroom.
The woman was awake again, clutching her midsection and whimpering
quietly. The cat nuzzled her and purred, which was mistaken for affection.
The woman grabbed Midol and placed the cat square on her stomach, holding
her down.
'Here kitty... aw, you're so warm. Good to have you here...'
The cat twisted, her furry face not showing the distaste she felt right
now. The human was using her as a painkiller, a hot-water bottle. Ye gods!
Unsheathing her claws, she walked off the woman's belly and jumped on the
desk. In a few months' time it would be over, the stupid human thought
it was her period bothering her.
And in a few months' time it was. The cat was free from the stupid name
inflicted on her by the last can-opener, was free to come and go as she
pleased. She stayed in her former "owner"'s backyard for a while, then
strode confidently to the next house. The neighbors had expressed a need
for a second cat and she was sure she'd enjoy it there. Their other cat,
a young tom, would be needing some guidance on what a proper cat should
do.
She spied a rat under their porch. Strange, rats should have at least
SOME respect for the presence of a huntress... She followed it into musty
darkness, crawled inside a small space and lashed out with a paw, trying
to snag the rat and drag it to her mouth.
Instead, she felt a terrible pain at the back of her neck. The porch
disappeared and she was lifted from the mists, caught on a hook piercing
the skin and muscle of her neck. The cat screamed as she felt cold wind
playing with her fur, then saw a broad, grey, jowly face framed with tufts
of black hair.
'You were hunting my pet. It was not a wise decision. Rats can defend
themselves. She could kill you even without my intervention.
'And she will. She and her mates. You will live forever in them, which
you should consider a reward for bringing me a valuable source of emotion.'
The woman nodded in the direction of a large window hanging in midair.
It showed a woman curled around a pillow held to her stomach, as if trying
to smother her ovaries. On a windowsill a cat was sitting and she recognized
herself, remembered this particular evening. Something was different in
the picture, though: letters on the bottom ran a commentary on what's going
on in the human's mind.
...what a worthless thing I am, crippled with simple cramps >>>oh
who are you fooling, idiot, it's more than menstrual cramps ...worthless,
my poor little Midol all alone unattended >>>she is disgusted, she hates
you, she won't even go near you ...gotta feed Midol...
The woman on screen crawled off the bed and stumbled to the kitchen,
grabbing at walls. Whimpering, she pulled a container full of meat from
the freezer, and retrieved a knife from the rack.
>>>do it do it DO IT NOW DO ...feed Midol...
She opened the container, emptied it on the floor (the cat on screen
leaping at the red mound) and plunged the knife in her stomach. She was
falling already as she dragged it, seppuku-fashion, opening her body. Blood
spilled on the floor, empty bowels not reeking of processed food hung down.
The cat meeped once and continued feasting.
>>>attagirl
A small, fat hand grabbed the cat's forepaws and ripped her off the
hook she was hanging on, then tossed her, flailing helplessly, into the
mists. Rats poured out of every window and ran, squeaking, after their
new chew-toy.
==========
Morpheus looked down at the cat curled in his lap. The Goddess took
to visiting him often and he found her dry wit and lewd attitude amusing.
He stroked her fur, which under his touch glowed with healthy sheen.
'I'm spending too much time with you, Shaper... you'll have to admit
it, you *are* a humane person deep down, and I feel I've been unjust to
the cat that was given to your sister. After all, she was only acting like
a cat should - never becoming attached. You bad influence, you!' She scratched
his chest gently, not breaking the skin.
'You did what should be done. Justice has been served.'
She purred. 'You know you're only making me feel good. But... thanks.
And she never believed much, anyway.'