CATS: The Night Meets The Light

Chapter 2

Mistoffelees crawled back into his black pipe and leaned his side against the pipe wall, with his legs tucked in front of him. He took some deep breaths to help him calm down so he could fall asleep again. He moved his gaze from the floor of the pipe to outside, where most of his tribe was singing 'The Gumpy Cat' song.

They're not singing the songs in order, thought Mistoffelees as he turned onto his left side, to face away from the mouth of the pipe.

He slowly closed his eyes and drifted away to sleep. When Mistoffelees woke up, he realized how silent the junkyard had become. He looked outside the pipe and noticed that Victoria was alone again.

Here's my chance, he thought as he crawled towards the mouth of the pipe.

I'll ask her to be my m-.

Suddenly a large wood pallet fell from the top of the pipe and landed standing in front of the pipe, trapping Mistoffelees. Then he heard something sliding across the ground towards the pallet.

The sound didn't last long and suddenly stopped. Mistoffelees put both of his paws on the wood pallet and tried to push it, but the pallet didn't budge. He was trapped in there, with little streaks of light streaming in from the full Jellicle moon.

Mistoffelees squinted his eyes and tried to see down the other side of the pipe. But it was impossible to see the other end because it goes up vertically in the air.

I would have to climb up fourteen feet of pipe before I would reach the other end.

Mistoffelees put his eyes up to the wood pallet and peered in between the spaces of the boards. He saw Victoria facing another cat, who Mistoffelees couldn't identify since the tom's back was facing him.

I'll ask Victoria, once I get out of here.

He sat there, thinking about how to get out.

Since this pipe is made completely out of metal, I could shake the pallet to make a noise to get Victoria and the other tom's attention, so they could help me out.

Mistoffelees went up to the wood pallet, placed his paws on a couple of boards on opposite sides and tried to shake it, but it wouldn;t budge.

Damn, is this pallet nailed down to the ground somehow?

Then he tried to slam it against the pipe. Nothing. Not even the slightest sound came from the pipe or the pallet itself.

Crap!

Mistoffelees leaned against the wall of the pipe, feeling defeated.

How did it not even make a sound? I feel like somebody intentionally trapped me, but why?

And who?

He turned his head to look at Victoria, who was still talking to the tom. He frowned.

All I wanted to do was hang out with Victoria for a bit and ask her to be my mate.

Mistoffelees watched as the unknown tom said goodbye to Victoria and left, leaving her once again alone. He frowned even more. Just then he got an idea.

What if I kick the wooden pallet down?

Mistoffelees put his feet against the pallet.

Please work, he thought as he pleaded in his head.

With all of his strength, he kicked at the wood pallet and it finally fell down in front of the pipe. He crawled out of the pipe and on top of the pallet, breathing in the fresh air. Mistoffelees peeked under the wood pallet and saw that it was now leaning on a metal box.