Lochmi with yellow eyes

Lochmi on the riverside

The stones of the river felt cool against my aching body, a small comfort in my world of relentless pain. Flies buzzed around my face and body, but i had no strength left to swat them away. My yellow eyes, once bright with curiosity, now struggled to stay open. My gray fur, once sleek and clean, was matted and dirty. Every breath felt like a battle i was slowly losing.

Before i ended up here, life was different. I was not Lochmi. I was the adventurous and playful cat who roamed fields and climbed trees with ease. I chased butterflies and pounced on leaves, my mind always curious and my spirit alway free.
I remembered a time when i had a family. A warm place with soft voices that called my name, gentle hands that stroked my fur, and children who played with me. But those memories were hazy, like a distant dream. Had it all been real, or just a figment of my fading mind?

Sickness crept in, stealing my strength and joy. I wandered further from home, trying to find relief, and ended up by this river, the Loch Mühle, where even the simplest acts, like eating, became impossible. I had tried to eat some berries i found nearby, but my teeth were gone, and i could only paw at them helplessly.

Voices drifted towards me, breaking the monotonous hum of the river. A couple, their laughter light of carefree, approached. I barely stirred, resigned to whatever fate awaited me. Then, a shadow fell over me and i heard a gentle stick brushing the flies from my fur.

"Poor thing" the man's voice was soft, filled with a sorrow that matched my own.

He reached to pick me up with a towel, but my weak hiss and futile struggle made him hesitate. "I don't think i can move him without hurting him more" he said, his voice breaking with his face looking helplessly at the girl.

"I will call the vet" the girl replied, frustrated tears glistening in her eyes.

The vet arrived quickly, her demeanor calm and compassionate. She switched places with the man and climbed down river, and even injuring herself in the process. Her injury unnoticed by her as she approached me with practiced care, speaking softly as she assessed my condition. "He's in a lot of pain" the vet said gently. "We need to get him out of here."

With tenderness i hadn't known in so long, the vet lifted me from the stone and placed me in a cage. The couple stayed by the river, "if he can make it, we'll adopt him" said the couple, as their eyes followed us until we were out of sight. The vet took me to her clinic, where i was placed on an examination table.

Her hands moved with a sad efficiency as she checked me over. "He's suffering' she said quietly, more to herself. "There's nothing more we can do"

I knew, though. I felt my breaths growing shallower, my vision blurring at the edges. The vet spoke softly as she prepared the injection. There was a strange sense of peace in knowing my suffering was about to end.

As the warmth spread through my body, i closed my eyes, my last thoughts filled with the bittersweet kindness of these strangers. I imagined a place of endless sunshine and soft, warm beds—a place where i could finally rest. And in that final moment, i wondered again if those memories of a loving family were real, or just a beautiful dream.

My last breath was a quiet surrender, surrounded by love and compassion. I drifted away, leaving the pain behind to a place where i could find peace, maybe on a river side where the couple take me home.