THE SWEETEST SIN(BxB)

51: 'Rest In Peace, My Friend'

CARL

My trepidation was confirmed the moment my eyes landed on the dismembered body of my best friend. She was lying lifelessly on the road, a few meters from the house. Her digestive system peeked out of her belly which was ripped open. Her snowy fur was tainted with blood and so was the ground where her carcass was sprawled.

Fluffles was dead.

My cat was gone. Just like that.

Tears filling my eyes, I strolled towards her carcass. I crouched and scooped her lifeless body in my arms. Quiet snivels absconded my quivering lips as I cradled her in my arms. Like a machete, pain sliced through my heart, dicing it to pieces.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you..."I addressed the feline, stroking her bloodied fur. Mucus slithered from my nostrils, mixing with the salty hot tears that cascaded my cheeks, like a waterfall.

I felt a hand on my right shoulder. "I'm sorry about your cat, kiddo." A familiar voice of my neighbor, Mrs. Cassidy, landed in my ears. She was standing behind me.

"Thank you." I mumbled, wiping off my tears using the back of my hand then turned to face her. "Fluffles never leaves the house on her own. I don't understand how...she got into an accident." I addressed Mrs. Cassidy who sent a pitiful look my way.

"While I was tending to my rose garden, I saw that girl, Melissa, standing at the balcony with your cat in her arms. The next thing I saw was the cat falling from the balcony to the road where a speeding car ran over it. I know that she had something to do with your cat's death." Her confession tossed me in an abyss of shock.

Melissa killed Fluffles? So it was no accident but a murder? How could she do this to an innocent animal? What did Fluffles do to deserve her animosity?

"Knew that something was off about that girl. If I were you, I'd lodge a police complaint. She deserves to rot in jail for killing an innocent animal." Mrs. Cassidy proposed, then limped away with her wooden walking stick. Fresh tears bathed my cheeks as her words replayed in my mind like a broken record.

"Sobrino, why haven't you brought my suitcases in the house? What's taking you so...." The words caught in her mouth when she saw the state I was in. "What's wrong? Why do you have the dead gata in your arms? Why are you crying?" She fired questions at me while ambling towards me, worry taking over her face.

"She killed my cat. Melissa killed my cat, aunt." The words shakily exited my mouth before I broke down into fresh sobs.

"That puta. I should have killed her right there!" Anger dripped from her voice then her features softened as she drew me for a side hug. "I'm really sorry, Sobrino. I can't imagine how you're feeling. What was her name? The gata."

"Fluffles. I named her Fluffles." I sniffled, resting my head on her shoulder.

"Accurate name and beautiful too." She remarked in a soothing voice.

"Thank you, Tia." I mumbled.

"I know that she's with the angels right now. Probably watching over you." She added.

"She is. I'm gonna miss her so much." I retorted, stroking her fur.

"You know what? We should give her a decent burial." My tia suggested.

"Yes. I would love that." I approved.

Aunt Paloma helped me dig a small grave for fluffles at the back yard. I placed her carcass in a small box and put her in the grave. She asked to say a few words; a farewell speech of some sort and I did. Reminiscing every moment that fluffles and I shared. The belly rubs I would give her in the evenings before bed, the reality shows we would binge on my laptop and she would tap her paw on the screen in excitement whenever someone got eliminated. The sessions where I would tell her about my problems and she would listen without interrupting me.