What's the Opposite of a Fairy Tale? | ONC 2024

7. Caught

Olivia's roommate stared at me from across the room, a weird expression on her face. She pushed her glasses up, looking like she was trying to decide if I was really there or not. I stared back, frozen, trying to remember anything I knew about her and drawing a complete blank. Was she friendly? Did she like cats? I had no idea. I couldn't recall a single thing about her. I didn't even remember her name.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, still staring. She didn't sound particularly angry— more confused than anything else. I guessed I couldn't blame her.

I saw her expression change just slightly and realized that while she might not know how I'd gotten in here, she did know what she was going to do about it. She strode purposefully across the room, straight towards me. I knew what was going to happen, and I had no intention of letting it. I turned and immediately jumped off the desk, landing on the ground. It was the farthest I'd ever jumped in my life, and took me a second to orientate myself after. Then, I made a beeline for the bed.

Unfortunately, I wasn't nearly as fast as any self-respecting cat should have been. I'd barely made it under Olivia's bed when I felt something wrap around my tail.

I let out a yowl, more out of surprise than any actual pain. I tried to pull myself free, but it didn't work. The next thing I knew, a hand scooped under my chest and was dragging me backwards. I dug my claws into the carpet. If I could get to the wall, I should be fine. I wasn't dumb enough to think the roommate would give up— that she would decide she was no match for a cat and just throw in the towel. But maybe I could buy myself some time until Olivia came back. Maybe she could put a positive spin on this for her roommate, and I'd get to stay.

I tried to pull myself towards the wall, using my claws like a mountaineer scaling a cliff. Too bad I didn't have anywhere near mountaineer-strength. The hand under my chest moved up slightly, pushing my elbows forward just enough to slide my claws out of the carpet. Before I could dig them back in, I was lifted up and out from under the bed.

"Sorry, little guy," the roommate said. "I know you're scared, but I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah?" I asked. It was true, she hadn't hurt me yet, and I seriously doubted she actually would. But I wasn't particularly concerned with that at the moment. Pain? Who cared? But being homeless— now that was a terrifying prospect.

She looked around the room, turning in a slow circle as she did. She stopped when she got to the window. I looked over, almost dreading the idea of seeing Comet and Rain sitting there, gaping at me. When Olivia's roommate had come through the door, I'd been surprised enough that I'd completely forgotten about them— my only thought had been to keep from getting caught and thrown outside. But now that I remembered, I felt like a coward for trying to hide under the bed while they watched. If they'd been questioning my mental abilities before, I could only imagine what they'd think after that little display.

But when I looked at the windowsill, I didn't see either of them. It looked like they'd left as soon as all the commotion started. I guessed that was one small thing going for me.

"Well, window's closed..." Olivia's roommate mumbled to herself. Then, she looked down at me. She spun me around and put me at eye level as she asked, "So how'd you get in here then?"

"Olivia brought me," I told her, since I knew she wouldn't understand what I said anyway. Although if she did, my life would suddenly get a lot easier.

The girl looked at me and grinned. "I guess it's stupid to think you came through the window anyway. Unless you climbed the tree over there." She nodded her head towards the side of the room. From my angle, I could just see the edge of the tree planted at the corner of the building.

"Yeah," I agreed. We were on the third floor, and I didn't have the skills to climb even a sturdy tree. The one outside looked like it'd collapse if so much as a mild wind decided to blow by. Really, I was surprised that Comet and Rain had managed to find me. They must have been pretty determined.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter," she shrugged as she walked across the room with me held firmly in her arms. "I'll take you outside, and you can go back to being with your friends."

That was the last thing I wanted. All the way down the hall I tried to protest, but of course it didn't change anything. Yowling just got me a few disapproving stares and a firm tap on the head. Mewing pitifully got her to slow down, but she didn't actually stop. I gave up on that long before her resolve broke. As much as I didn't want to be kicked out, my ego just wouldn't let me look that pathetic to some girl I didn't even really know. Besides, what if she told Oliva? I'd never be able to look any of my friends in the eye again.

In a last-ditch effort, I tried to jump out of her arms, fully intending on hiding somewhere in the building until Olivia came back. It was far from a great plan, I knew. But I was desperate. Besides, it didn't even work anyway. I'd made my move, timing it as best as I could. But the roommate felt it as soon as I'd tried to push off her arm. She just grabbed me tighter, putting one hand firmly around my chest and the other across my back. I was marched quietly down the stairs, through the first-floor hall, and out the side door.

No sooner had my feet touched the ground than I tried to dart back inside the building. But Olivia's roommate had been expecting it. She was squatting low, and she put her hands out, blocking me. She slowly backed up, keeping a hand out in front of her until she'd cleared the threshold. Finally, she shut the door with a disturbingly final clang, leaving me alone outside in the dirt.