Freedom Of Power

There is a difference in power between humans and a creature such as me. My power lies only in how I amuse you, and that is all. I am a cat. Dark as the Moon's abode, and stubborn as the stars and fate. Hear me, like the way you hear the Truth.

I was weak at first, diminished like an extinguished flame. My innocence had witnessed the unholy death of my divine mother. And my brittle mind could only memorise the picture of an inky pool of blood. But my mind knows more now. Mother, oh wise mother, could you not have been so careless? I would've been a better child if you were with me. Now I am as cruel as the thing that killed you.

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Blue and purple hazes scarfed the streets of Saudi Arabia. With the Moon high and her craters like scars, the date palm trees revered her royalty. And I was all alone in my abandoned state. But all-knowing of the fact that I was part of this magnificent kingdom, with the Moon as my guardian.

Down here, distanced from the powerful sky, I moved aimlessly without a home. For a moment, I felt as if the Moon was pitying me. A weak kitten, with traitors for siblings, a dead mother, and a missing father. All alone, believing it could live to have a home.

Well, pity all you want, dear Moon. Soon I will have your power.

And there I was, standing firmly in front of a huge dumpster. The chosen home. I lifted my tail in readiness to explore, but the full Moon was as still as death. But I didn't care, I dived into my storage of food and made myself at home.

That was my first mistake.

The air became eerie. The other cat that stood before me was as furious as the Red Moon. I could almost see that red in its bloodthirsty slit-eyes that focused on my fragile body.

And then it attacked me.

Teeth bit into my skin and claws ripped it open like a feast laid before hungry eyes. But the other cat wasn't hungry, it was angry. And that very anger was enough to make my flesh look like a war prize. Blood gushed forth and I wished to not end up like my mother. My screams were the only way I could distract myself from the unbearable pain.

But I didn't die.

Before I could face my mother's fate I was grabbed by human hands. Like some saviour sent by the Moon's divinity.

"Toffee! How dare you hurt this little kitten like that?!" said the human.

"Meow," the other cat replied innocently.

The human's palms were soft but they couldn't ease my pain. But caressing my filthy fur was the least the human could possibly do. I let out a sad meow and took the comfort I got.

But I had underestimated the human's powers in giving me comfort. The human introduced me to someone called a 'vet' who could heal my wound. And the vet's healing powers were magical. Like a chill breeze in the summer. Like rain in the desert.

My saviour carried me gently and was careful not to touch the wounded area. For the first time, I saw the face. He was the male version of human beings. With a straight nose, celestial eyes, and lips pulled to a smiling crescent. He was draped in a thobe and wore a Muslim cap. The grace that he was.

The evening wasn't over and the people hadn't slept yet. The kind man seated me in his car and took me to the marketplace.

The place where the dumpster was.

The streetlights were dotted like stars. The crowded streets intimidated me. But the kind man took me in his arms and protected my sensitive body. Soon, we stood on the footpath in front of a grocery store, where the man worked.