Take Me Down

4

*Three Months Later*

I couldn't believe this. After all this time away, I was stooping down to this low of a level.

After I left Avery and Riley in the basement, I ran towards the nearest gas station which was just under five kilometers away. I waited in the shadows near the girls washroom until a semi began pulling out of the parking lot in the direction of the city. I shifted into a little bird and flew up onto the roof of the truck as it pulled onto the highway. The wind ruffled my little feathers as I landed and I had an extremely hard time holding on. I shifted my little talons sharper and longer so I could hold on. I tucked my head forwards, my beak hidden in the ruffled feathers.

Once the truck slowed in the traffic from the city, I unhooked my talons from the roof and flew off, heading towards the darkest parts of an alley.

Once there, I knew I had to hide in plain sight, but decided to lay even lower than that. Out of all creatures I could have chosen, I became an alley cat. Vowing to myself that I wouldn't shift for the time being, I learned quickly how bad of a decision an alley cat was.

Within a week, I had already regretted my decision. Eating out of trash bins and sleeping on the cold hard ground was not a fun pass time. I could have changed my mind, but I knew that shifting often would only draw unwanted attention. I eventually got used to it and to being on the move during the night and hiding during the day.

It was dark out now. Traffic passed by the shadows I stayed in, lights hitting my small frame and giving me a shadow on the brick wall I was huddled up against for extra warmth.

Hunger drew me into the closest back alley where I knew there would be food. The place I resided in was just outside of the cities Chinatown, in the warehouse district. There were quite a few fast food joints scattered about this area, so lots of leftover food for me to eat. I spotted a green garbage bin and cringed, then padded over to it. I sat for a few seconds in front of it. I crouched and pushed my weight into the air as I leapt onto the edge of the bin and looked inside.

Rummaging through the trash in the dark with my front paws, I sat on the edge of the rusted bin in hopes of finding a decent meal. Pushing aside a large black bag, I found a half eaten piece of pizza. There were flies sitting on it and I gagged. My stomach growled lowly and I knew I had no choice. I hadn't eaten anything in two days, by choice of course. The past few bins I visited contained nothing but scraps and wrappings. I waved my paws over the piece of pizza, shooing the flies off of it. I picked it up in my paws and cringed; the scent of it alone was enough to upset my stomach.

"So gross." I hissed, and took a bite. I knew I had to eat it because I couldn't just shift and walk into a restaurant. I didn't have any money which meant even going into a restaurant would be a waste of time. The temptation to do so at this point was very intriguing; this had to be my lowest point.

A light flashed around the corner into the back alley and I jumped into the bin, landing atop a black bag. I sunk in slightly, feeling the mushy garbage through the plastic. The piece of pizza that sat on the edge of the garbage can slid off the other side and splatted on the ground. I sighed, knowing I would probably have to finish it later.

Suddenly, there were two voices and I peeked my head out slightly.

"The old man on the phone said he heard what sounded like a cat back here on the phone. Call the pound he did." A woman with a flashlight spoke, poking around. An idea hit me and I suddenly knew what I had to do. This was my chance to live in slightly better conditions and have consistent meals, even if they only consisted of cat food. It would be better than this at this point. I shifted into a younger white and black cat, and mewed loud enough for them to hear me. My body finished shrinking in the time it took the one human to find me.