The Drake

"You IMBECILE!"

A foot, hooked with thick claws, struck down, making contact with a small spotted body. The impact made the diminutive form skid across the cold, hard floor. The smaller creature yowled in pain, the claws extending to desperately grasp at the ground. Unable to stop, the body landed against a metallic garbage can.

The garbage shuffled and parted, revealing the animal that had been hit. A bengal cat wobbled from side to side, his normally shiny, brown, spotted coat now coated in stains. The area that had been struck had bits of blood coming out. The bengal shook his head and stared up at his attacker, fur raised on end.

The attacker drew closer, deep brown eyes staring at the cat with contempt. It was a deep honey-colored golden retriever. He was getting up in age, evidenced by his face starting to pale. A deep purple collar wrapped around his neck. His nose, cracked and slightly pink, wrinkled upwards as the dog snarled.

"You don't...have to...be such a..." The bengal cat said, his voice in short, rapid pants from the pain.

The golden retriever's neck fur sprung up. "Shut up! I told you to have the money here by today! And what do you do?!" The retriever lifted up a dead mouse with his left front paw. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?! My human can't make use of this! It's worthless, just like you are!"

The dog tossed the mouse to the side casually, as if it were just a discarded potato chip. The cat looked at the mouse for a few seconds. Then he looked back up at the dog.

"What does your human want with the money anyway?" The cat asked.

"That's none of YOUR business, mangy, flea-infested vermin!" The retriever snarled, drool dripping from his jaws. He moved in closer, the cat bristling his fur in fear. "I will give you one more chance. Hear that? ONE MORE! If you fail to deliver the exact amount to me within twenty four hours...well let's just say that your human won't live long enough to see her third year of school."

The cat's golden eyes bulged at this. "You...you wouldn't...."

Chuckling darkly, the retriever hooked a huge claw on the cat's pale blue collar and pulled it upwards. "Do you wish to try me, Naphtali?"

A swift shake was the reply. "No, sir, Edgardo! I..I'll get the money somehow!"

The retriever stared at him for several seconds, the pupils narrowing. Edgardo lifted Naphtali off the ground and then tossed him aside. "Remember, it's either the money or your human's life. Make the choice."

Naphtali brushed himself off as he watched the dog walk away. After he felt he was clean enough, he walked down the street. He hoped that his humans wouldn't notice anything was amiss.

***

A red light, as tiny as an ant, glowed on the linoleum floor. Naphtali's haunches rose and fell smoothly as he stalked his prey. The light moved ever so slowly, perhaps detecting his presence. The cat quickened his pace. He was about ready to sprint towards the anamoly.

Then the light flicked to one side and he heard the shout of a child's voice. "Go get it, kitty cat!"

Naphtali reacted on instinct. He bolted after the light and pounced on it. The light moved to the other side. He quickly shifted his body around and dashed towards the light. He bit down where the light was only to find that it had moved again.

As he chased the light, the child, a little girl, giggled intensely. She held a small laser pointer in her hand. She made a few quick gestures, sending the light cascading in different places. The bengal cat chased the light with great earnest, invoking joyful laughter from the child.