Moonlight Meetings

Chapter 3

"Why were you not here when I called for you yesterday?" Luna asked, furiously twitching her tail. It was the day after Ollie met Aster, and she was sitting with Luna on her garden fence.

"I-I had...things to do," Ollie managed to squeak, in which Luna didn't seem satisfied.

"What things?" Luna pressed, leaning in close to Ollie. "I didn't see you in your house,"

"Oh!" Ollie paused, thinking of what to say. "My owner, Long-Fur, she was giving me...sweets, I-I had to..." she trailed off, hoping Luna wouldn't press further.

"What's the matter with you?" Luna yowled angrily. "Lying to me! I have feelings too!"

Ollie tried to mew a reply, but Luna had already jumped off the garden fence and was bounding away.  What have I done? Ollie thought, lowering her head. Aster had never seemed like a great cat, and now she had made Ollie lose a friend! Maybe I shouldn't venture into the forest again, Ollie thought, and she slipped through the cat door back to her home.

She avoided going outside for the rest of the day, and instead spent her time chewing on the plants next to the couch, and sleeping on her large nest. Most importantly, she vowed to herself that she would never venture into the forest again, so not to find any trouble. Unfortunately, trouble would find her.

⚜

A soft rapping sound on the window woke Ollie up from her dream. She was chasing a delicious looking hare...Ollie shook her head, cursing at herself. Hares weren't delicious! She rose from the white nest that she was sleeping on, and jumped to the window. 

She gasped. A familiar looking white cat was perched outside the window, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Ollie ran outside to her garden, and crashed right into Aster. Ollie wasted no time confronting her. "Aster!" she yowled angrily, "you made me lose a friend!" 

Aster opened her mouth to speak, anger flickering in her eyes. "What did I do to you yesterday?" she drew one paw over her ear. "A little walk in the forest, that's all we did!" 

"No!" Ollie yowled, "I had a friend, Luna! We always meet up in the mornings or the afternoons! If you hadn't went into my garden yesterday, I wouldn't have followed your scent trail and therefore wouldn't have lost my friend!"

Aster didn't seem bothered at all. "Then, using your logic, if you weren't that curious and hadn't followed my scent trail, you wouldn't have lost your friend!" Her eyes gleamed in amusement. "I pity you pets," she mewed, "why don't you come along and hunt with me? You definitely don't know the joy of making a catch!"

Ollie was not going to get involved in any business with Aster. But then she remembered that she had no friends anymore. There was nothing left to lose. With a reluctant nod, she followed Aster on the path leading to the woods.