Suited with savviness and guile, surviving the streets of NYC was a challenge Cat was more than capable of handling. With no one to care for but himself, Cat was content being by himself, living for himself, and free from any strings that once tethe...
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By the time Russell and I had reached the alleyway, it was night. The bustle of night life had begun and bright neon signs illuminated the city. Sounds of people chattering and vehicles rolling enveloped our ears.
When we approached my rusty brown dumpster, I gracefully leapt on top of it. Russell, however, did not move. Why doesn't he jump? I asked myself. Oh, right. He can't.
"There's a hole behind the dumpster, crawl in that way." I explained to him. Russell nodded, and did as he was told.
I slipped through a small opening in the lid, jumping down onto the pile of cardboard boxes inside where Russell sat waiting. I pulled a thick cardboard piece out from the pile and placed it in front of Russell.
"There. You can sleep on this." I walked back to the pile and pulled one out for myself, placing it across from Russell's.
"Thanks," he sleepily replied. Russell spun around a few times, then settled down with his head resting on his paws. I yawned, then did the same.
We lay there silently for a few minutes. I thought about my past and what could have been. I imagined myself basking in the sun on my home's concrete steps. I imagined laying in his lap, purring as we watched the Yankees. I shook these thoughts away. They brought too much pain.
"Cyclops." I muttered.
"What?" Russell said groggily.
"My name. The name my owner gave me. You asked earlier."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense." He laughed.
"Cale was his name. He was a med student at NYU and the best person I ever knew. He rescued me from the streets when I was abandoned as a kit." My eye started to water. "He got in a car accident last year. He didn't come home..." I curled up into a ball and dug my face into my tail. "I-I remember waiting at the door for him." Russell rose from his spot and laid next to me. We didn't move for the rest of the night.
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The muffled sounds of deep voices woke me the next morning. As I listened more carefully, I noticed that the voices were coming closer to the dumpster. I raised my head in alarm. "Russell," I whispered. He didn't respond. "Russell!"
He slowly raised his head and gazed at me. "Huh?"
"There's someone outside. We need to run!" Just then, the lid overhead opened. A person poked their head inside and noticed us.
"Found two," A woman called. She looked at me more closely and noticed my missing eye. "Lord have mercy! The cat's got one eye!" A woman called. Russell and I froze in fear. It was animal control.
"Is it alright? Do we need the net?" A man's voice answered from farther away.
"Yeah, I think so. Get the net." She replied. The woman grabbed the net and slowly lowered it into the dumpster, blocking the second escape. "Here, kitty kitty. C'mon pup." She coaxed. Russell and I ran around the dumpster like mad squirrels, attempting to scramble up the sides to escape.
