July Crickets

Chapter 1: A Secret in the Attic

The night was young, the sky an inky black with stars shining bright and a thin crescent moon high above. The crowd below was filled with drunken teenagers, laughing and tired children holding their mum or da’s hand. James looked up as fireworks streaked across the sky, a smile coming to his face.

He watched, they were dazzling and aweing. A celebration of Atapor's victory over Crusev, a neighboring country they had been at war with for decades. The parade had begun at noon, and the merriment in the streets had been going on since sundown.

He had a good feeling about this night. It would be a night to go down in history, the most life altering events were unfolding now as he continued to watch the fireworks, performers breathing fire upwards into the night sky as people clapped and cheered. He could see young couples and old alike disappearing down dark alleyways every now and again with stolen kisses and stifled giggles, their bodies moving together to their own musings. James took another sip of his red wine.

This night would go down in history…he thought to himself with a harrumph.

“It’ll go down in history, all because of me…” He said out loud as he looked at his hands, which only hours before had signed the treaty. A smear of black ink stained his shirt sleeve from the event even. As he took another sip of his wine he heard a floorboard creak, but he never had time enough to spin around…

#

Reuben sat up in his bed quickly, his yellow eyes adjusting to the darkness surrounding him. He saw an elderly woman with silver-streaked blonde hair laying across the room. As he stood on all fours, he padded out the partially open door quietly. “Is she asleep now, Reuben?” Cashmere asked from where she sat on the green, elefant sofa, her long blonde hair over one shoulder, a cigarette perched between her long, slender fingers. Her smooth legs were crossed at the knee. He meowed at her before going into the bathroom, he was so used to the pain from transforming he could keep quiet most times and not awaken the old woman in the back room.

When he was done, he was left standing before the mirror, panting as he rolled his shoulders, his golden eyes caught his reflection and he felt himself flinch as he did. The person standing before him didn’t match. He quickly took up the sports bra laying on the back of the toilet, slipping it over his head before stuffing his chest into it. He remembered the day Cashmere gave him it after she discovered him using bandages to wrap his chest. It was safer to use the slightly tight bra than to use the bandages. His chest was left flatter looking after he carefully rearranged the tissue, and taking a few deep breaths, he was satisfied he could breathe comfortably.

Reuben had spent the past few months mainly in his cat form, so it had been a while since he dressed and compressed his chest. He was just hoping he hadn’t gained too much weight as a cat and would still fit into his pants.

When Rueben was done dressing, he looked in the mirror again. His form looked less like that of a woman’s now, and he was able to stand his reflection again. Using the comb on the sink he straightened up his black hair, his ears rotating towards the sounds outside the bathroom as he pulled his jacket on.

“Cashmere, I told you, you were to have the money by sundown and to meet me. What the hell are you doing? Where’s my damn money?” A masculine voice said. Rueben saw his eyes dilate in the mirror as he heard a shrill cry from Cashmere.

He shoved the door open, leaping between Cashmere and the man standing over her as she clutched her face. A growl rose from Rueben’s throat, his claws unsheathed, his body blocking the intruder’s line of sight on Cashmere. “Who are you?!” Rueben asked.

“Move out of the fuckin way kid before you get hurt, this is between me and Cashmere!” The man said.

“I told you I already paid my mother’s debt!” Cashmere cried as the man stepped closer to Rueben.