Dedicated to The_Silent_Warrior for being so awesome for commenting and voting!
Sidebar picture is of Cassie in ocelot form. <3
I was awakened the next morning by insistent knocking on my door. I immediately sat bolt upright in my bed, the bright light blinding me. There was only one person who would come to see me. I threw aside the covers and bounded out of bed, landing lightly on my feet. I skidded into the main room and peered through the smudged window. There she was. Damn damn damn!
I raced back into my bedroom, knowing that the closed door wouldn't hold her long. My sudden awakening and flight caused adreneline to pump through my veins. I had to go out the back door. But if I opened it, she would see. I bit my thumbnail. There was only one thing to do.
I shimmied out of my gym shorts and whipped my tank top off over my head. I hit the floor hard, concentrating on shifting. I turned quickly, ignoring the usual feeling of joy and release when I changed into my ocelot.
Quickly, I padded out into the main room. She wasn't knocking anymore. Anyone else might think that she had given up and left, but they obviously didn't know her. I slinked under the windows, just in case she was lurking outside. The backdoor was right in front of me. I darted out of the large cat door, jubilant at my escape. Freedom! The trees beckoned to me, limbs like welcoming arms.
"There you are, Cassie!" I was swooped up off of my feet. An involuntary hiss escaped between my fangs. I was cradled, upside down, in a pair of non-welcome and completely familiar arms. "Good thing I caught you before your morning run," she exclaimed. "Now run inside and unlock the door, okay? Hurry up now."
I glared at her before I sulked inside the house. I wished I could just hide under the bed, but I didn't want Aunt Emily to break down the door.
"Hi, Aunt Emily," I mumbled as I opened the door. I turned away as she ushered herself in. "Well Cassie, the place looks neat, as always," she said cheerily. "I'm a cat, neat and clean is kind of what I do," I muttered. "Did you do something different with the furniture?" she asked, setting her bags down on the floor.
"No."
"Well, it looks nice. You, on the other hand, don't look as nice. It's high time I came, I see," she said, rubbing her hands together briskly.
"Aunt Emily, I thought we agreed that I was old enough to live by myself?" I had resorted to whining. That was quicker than usual.
"Yes, but then you became a complete recluse. And you're nineteen," she reminded me. I shrugged.
"So I'm going to move in with you until you learn to live," she finished.
Wait, what?
"Huh?" My mouth fell open. She picked up her bags and headed back into the house. "Which room is mine?" she asked. I trailed behind her, my mouth still hanging open. Hearing no answer from me, she walked into my room, one of the two bedrooms the cabin offered.
I was neatly pushed to the side as she turned and bustled into the other room. "I'm glad to see that you keep your guest room in such impeccable order," she remarked. She set her bags down on the patchwork quilt that covered the bed. "I'm going to unpack, so go ahead and go for that run that I interrupted, okay?"
Numbly, I turned and shuffled down the hall. Aunt Emily was moving in indefinitely? What had I done to deserve this? It wasn't as bad as living with someone who didn't know what I was....wait, yes it was. Since she knew me and knew what I was, there were no excuses for my behavior in her eyes. I was screwed. Perhaps a run would do me good. I just hoped that my house would still be standing when I got back....
I returned two hours later, feeling much more resolved. I would tell Aunt Emily that I was doing just fine by myself. I slipped in through the cat door and was hit in the whiskers by a mouth-watering aroma.
I leaped up to the countertop behind Aunt Emily and let out a loud meow as I strained to see what was in the steaming pot on the stove. "Glad to see you came back," she commented as soon as she saw who it was. I growled and swished my tail back and forth. Of course I came back. It was my house. If anyone was leaving, it was her. Just as soon as I figured out what that delicious smell was.
"I thought you'd like this. It's pork tenderloin, but it's not finished," she informed me. I licked my whiskers. Not finished? It was edible as soon as it was removed from the package. But from the looks of it, I wasn't meant to get anywhere near the meat.
I jumped to the floor lightly and began arching against Aunt Emily's jean clad legs. "Oh please, Cassie," she said in exasperation. I purred innocently and continued my administrations. "Fine, you can have a little piece. Then go back to your room and make yourself presentable," she finally relented. I purred happily and backed off as she used the long pronged fork to pull a small piece off. She set it on the countertop and I sprang up, devouring the chunk. "Well?" she asked, standing with fork poised in the air.
In response, I meowed and began arching around her calves again. "Oh shoo, get out of here," she said, pushing me away with her foot. Knowing that further argument was useless, I trotted back to my room.
"Is it done yet?" I asked, sliding into the kitchen in socked feet. "Give it a few more minutes," she advised. I sulked when she took the oversized fork with her as she went into the living room. She knew me too well.
"Aunt Emily, really, you don't have to do this," I said, following her.
"It's perfectly fine, I enjoy pork tenderloin as well," she answered.
"No, I mean you don't have to move in with me. Really, I'm doing fine by myself."
"I can see that. When is the last time you saw a person?"
"Yesterday," I proudly stated.
"And before that?"
I hesitated. "Two weeks before that."
"That's what I thought. And during both of those occasions, did you talk to anyone?"
"Yes, I thanked the cashier," I said defensively.
"I suppose your uncle is partly to blame for that," she sighed, speaking of my Uncle Max. Aunt Emily was my mother's sister, and Uncle Max was my dad's brother. Uncle Max had managed to get me a job at the company where he worked, but all I had to do was paperwork, so I usually worked at night. I never ran into anyone, and besides, I was very comfortable being up during the night.
"You should have a job that requires you to mingle at least a little with other people," she continued.
I focused back on the conversation. "He's just trying to help me," I muttered.
"You need to get out, Cassie. You're a beautiful young woman; you can't let what happened in the past ruin your chance at a wonderful life."
"I'll try," I murmured.
"Good," she said, turning business-like again. "I think the meat should be done."
I followed slowly after her, knowing I had been defeated.
YOU ARE READING
Cats VS Dogs.
Kurt AdamIt's an age old struggle between cats and dogs, but we don't know the half of it. Cassie lives all alone in the hills of Arkansas. The reason? She's a werecat, an ocelot to be exact. Most humans are only aware of werewolves, which is fine with the...