Meow, Meow

After resting the cage on the couch, I head into the kitchen to grab a thing of cat food. Once I open it and scoop it into a tray, I return and place it on the floor next to the ancient sofa.

“Come on out, girl.” I coo, opening the cage for her and taking step back. “Look, I got you something to eat.”

Several long minutes pass and she still sits inside the metal bars, her golden eyes watching me closely and her ears laid cautiously low against her head.

My patience begins to wear thin and I seriously considering reaching my hand inside to pull her out. But I know that will only make her want to attack me, or worse, scare her more than she already is.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I swear.” I bend down at little to look at the orange ball of fur and smile reassuringly.

It’s almost like she understands my words, because her eyes blink and she lets out an odd meow before edging away from the cage and hopping agilely down onto the floor.

“Good girl.” I encourage, leaning up to make my way to the other side of the couch.

Instantly, she stops in her tracks, shifting her head to stare at me with her huge eyes.

“I’m just going to put this away.” I explain, slowly stepping around her and grabbing the cage. I tuck it besides the litter and turn to see her nibbling on the cat food with her ear perked up and long, slightly fuzzed tail twitching.

For the next half hour I eagerly try ways to get her to come to me or let me pet her. Nothing works.

She’s very wary and cautious around me. Her eyes tend to follow my movements and she doesn’t like for me to be too close to her. Anytime I am she stops to stare at me, letting out a low warning hiss.

With a sigh, I finally give up.

She’ll come around when she wants, I think, leaving the small cat to herself as I head to my bedroom to lock myself in and start my homework.

Hours later, my stomach becomes a roaring dragon. I take the chance to grab something to snack on and give my eyes and cramping hand a break.

I’m shoving Hot & Spicy Cheeze-Its into my mouth when I realize that the orange puff ball is nowhere to be found.

Oh, fuck.

Throwing the half empty box on the counter I dart around the house, searching everywhere for the cat. When I can’t seem to find her, a slight fear rises in my chest and my movements become hurried.

After an hour of hunting, still nothing, so I come to the conclusion that she must have escaped. From where I’m not sure, but she’s definitely gone.

I flop down heavily onto the couch. For some reason, glumness washes over me and I blink my brown eyes quickly to hold back the tears as I stare up at the beige ceiling.

Within minutes my body relaxes and my eyes glide completely shut. My breathing evens out and I fade into a light sleep.

A bench in the park, just sitting. I turn to my left and see orange fur, golden eyes, and whiskers. I stare at the human-sized creature, smiling as I reach out. The chocolate brown skin of my hand pets the animals on the head, making it purr. Suddenly, instead of fur I’m touching the silky smooth hair of a female. Her feature are blurred, I can’t see..

I’m startled awake by some unknown force. Sitting up straight, I rub my face with my palm and yawn. Still in the haze of sleep I stand up to stretch, my bones cracking and popping like an old person’s.

Shaking my head at the remnants of my strange dream, I absently look around the room with a fuzzy gaze. There sitting on the counter is the tabby I rescued, staring at me with those expressive eyes.

Over the next several, peculiar weeks this becomes a routine. She’ll disappear for a few hours or even days, but she’s always come back somehow managing to get back into the house.

She also comes back with cuts and scratches sometimes; bad enough for me to have to take her back to the vet and add to growing bill I have to pay.

You’d think since I’m not that much of an animal person this factor would make me want to give away the little orange tabby with no name, but I don’t. From the minute I took her home from the vet office I knew that I would keep her. I just didn’t know I’d grow such a fondness for the thing.