The Baron

1

Move! Hurry

A box of my belongings was shoved into my arms. Only looking at it for one second, I screamed,  "wait! My toys." The lady that was looking after me scoffed before going back for my little statues. She threw them into the box and pushed me out the door.

I ran away before her angry husband came at me. Something hard hit be on the back and I fell forward and all my things fell out. My Baroness statue broke do to the impact.  "Oh no!" I picked it up and it was completely shattered. It was The Baron's female counterpart.

I shoved my things back in the box, rolling over to face a really angry man. He shoved his slipper by my face and warned me to never come back. I nodded and rushed away, broken cause of Baroness. It was my mom's gifts to me, now I have one left. Another house down, the next one was even worse.

My whole body was thrown against a dresser, where The Baron statue was. It tumbled and fell but I caught it, clutching it to my chest.  "What should I do, Baron?" I asked the statue in a low tone. Its cat eyes stared back at me.  "I know, silence speaks volumes."

Life moved slow, I was 12 years old when I spoke to my statue expecting an answer. But he never replied. When I turned 15 I finally found a home that didn't attack me, my guardians would only ignore me. But last night was chaotic for me. My guardian came in while I was asleep and attempted to rape me. He was nearly successful, but he was thrown against the wall by something.

His impact would make The Baron tumble. It happened for continuous nights. The couple days after, I had nervous breakdown that had me destroying my room. I hit the statue during but I don't know where he landed.

Every night I hear purring. I don't have a cat, but I hear the purrs like its in my room.

I woke up when it felt like the sound was next to me, I shut the lights on and began searching. Under the bed, the bathroom, nothing appeared. The purring stopped, lastly I checked under the wardrobe and was stunned. I pulled out The Baron statue, dusting it off.

It stared back me. "I'm so sorry Baron." I said as I put it on top of the desk.  "You are forgiven, Harper." A soft mannered voice replies. I turned quick to the statue but only its stand was there, Baron was gone. I took one step,  "watch your step."

I looked down at the floor, Baron stood there looking up at me. He's at least just one feet tall. Shocked, I dropped to a crouched position, my head tilting to the side.  "Baron?" 

Baron takes his top hat off and slightly bows,  "Good evening, Harper, are you alright?" He asks.  "Uh I'm so good right now, you're alive."

"I always was, I looked over you at night."

So he stopped my assaults.

He has a slight accent but I can't tell, he's very elegant, its the only way I can describe him. Baron revealed his arm from behind his back and points his cane at me.  "You don't look alright."

I rubbed my noticeable black eye,  "it was my fault, nobody did it."

He didn't buy it, however he didn't say more about it. "Would you like to go away, somewhere safe?"

"Now?"

"Yes, Harper." He replies.  "Where would we go?" Baron uses his cane to hang on from the frame of my bed and swiftly jump to the window. He points beyond town and says,  "the Cat Bureau. I own it and you can be safe there, until you're ready to come back."

"Why didn't we before?"

His cane makes a sound as he leans on it,  "you wouldn't understand. I couldn't have cared for you the way you needed to. You've grown."

He does have a point. I was a lot to deal with while younger. Suddenly as I look down, I got very nauseous that I dry heaved. Baron moved out of the way on to my bed. I turned around and ran to the bathroom and puked up a storm. Im pretty sure Baron can hear it.

After feeling a tad better, I reach in to the drawers to get a pregnancy test. I was really scared that I didn't want to look at it as I took it. Two lines appeared and that was all it took to make me scream. I came out and found Baron sitting on my bed crossed legged.  "What happened, are your you sick?"

"I'm not well, there's also someone growing in me."

There was silence. But Baron was wide eyed.  "I am hoping this was consensual." Baron said blankly. I shook my head slowly.  "Harper." He nearly yelled while jumping to the tv stand to be at least closer to my height.  "Was it your guardian?"

I nodded.  "Impossible, I detained every attempt. How did I miss this?" Now he is very mad, that his tail was swinging in a weird way and his ears were pointing back.  "It didn't happen here. You were lost under the dresser too." My voice shook.

"Harper.."

My door opens and Baron swiftly rushed under my bed. My guardian came in, looking like he's up to no good. The man towered over me.  "Who are you talking to?"

"Myself, I'm crazy remember."

His fist closes right in front of my face, "Well stop! It's annoying." I nodded my head but he tripped my legs and made me fall flat on my back. He got on top of me and grabbed me by the throat. I struggled to breathe.

Under my bed, Baron watched. He took out his cane and began to move to apparently attack. But I spoke.

"Its alright!...it's alright. It's alright Baron." 

This made him freeze, but didn't look at me back.  My guardian though, squeezed more.  "Stop talking to yourself, you're crazy." He let go and left the room. Immediately I roll over to the other direction away from the bed. Baron hopped over me landing in front of my eyes.  "How could you do that? Why didn't you let me protect you?"

I didn't say anything. Just stared at him. Baron sat down and sighs,  "I have to protect you Harper. Now more. But I can't do it here. Come to the Bureau, please. Toto and Muta are there."

"Who are they?"

"Toto is a stone crow, Muta is a big white cat. They're my friends." 

I thought about it. I really don't have anything else to lose. I stood up and got dressed, then covered my eye a bit with foundation. When I came out of the room, Baron was by the window but when he saw me he jumped down and came to me. "If we leave now, we may arrive at the Bureau by sun down."

I slapped my forehead, "we're walking for that long?!"

"Any better ideas? I'm open to suggestions."

I sigh and slip on my flats, going for the door. Though Baron quickly slips in front me blocking the way. "We can't go that way, it's too risky."

I chuckled, "well I can't go out the window, Baron. Its two stories."

"If you go out that way, your guardians will see you."

I smiled, letting him now we're taking my way. I cannot jump from my window. He sighs, looking down. "Stubbornness." I grab him and place him on my shoulder, where he sat. Nervously I walked down the stairs. Baron is actually purring. It helped me relax. On the couch was my guardian, he rapidly got up as soon as he saw me. Baron got behind my back using my shirt to hold on. "Where are you going?" He roared.

"Harper." Baron whispered worriedly.

I bolted it it the door, Baron now on his feet holding on to my hair. I couldn't run for the life of me. My guardian managed to grab the back of my shirt. Baron slipped out his white gloves and bit them down, then asked me to hold his cane. I saw as he took his claws out and pounced on my guardian's face. I ran a bit more and stopped to see Baron running back to me.

My guardian laid on the floor clutching his face. "What did you do?"

"He can still see." Baron responded while slipping his gloves back on.