It's getting dark , and here I am, trying to make sense of everything around me. I've been walking around, trying to find an unlocked house for the past few hours. So far I haven't seen any survivors other than myself.
I keep telling myself to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. Isn't that what all those posters with kittens say? I'm not sure. Anything to keep the image of my father out of my mind.
He was so sure that we had another day. We had all our bags packed, we had the car stocked full, we were going to go out to the old family cabin. But then those horrible, cold creatures came and destroyed everything and everyone I ever loved.
It never hit me just how serious this was until I saw them with their giant machines, crushing or taking everyone in their path. It was only in that moment that it hit me that it was actually going to affect my life too.
I hear a rattle from a pile of trash cans nearby and I nearly jump out of my skin. Are there small scouts left behind to pick off the remaining few? A million thoughts zip past my eyes and my heart picks up a speed comparable to Usain Bolt.
" What the Hell..." I mumble to myself, as I pick up a large pipe and slowly make my way towards the trash can. I'm on the brink of pissing myself. Hands shaking, I dart towards the trash can and knock it over with the pipe.
The trashcan falls with a loud and startling noise like, well, like falling trashcan sounds. I jump back and hide behind some abandoned wreck of a car. I watch as something starts moving in the pile that has spilled from the tin can.
Just as I'm about to actually pee myself or run away, a cat , or more like a kitten, pops right out of the mess and meows.
I laugh breathlessly and hurry to go and pick it up. It's the first living thing I've seen since waking up. It stares up at me with evergreen eyes and a tiny calico face.
I'm interrupted by my stomach unleashing a tiny earthquake. Right now even the trash looks tempting. And now that I have this little calico, I have even more of a reason to find food and shelter.
I walk a few blocks and and try a few more houses. One looks very promising, nearly untouched by the carnage or the machines careless destruction. I go up and wiggle the handle, it doesn't budge. However, I'm not so easily dissuaded. I go around back and try the back door. It's unlocked. Finally!
I get inside and nearly cry when I see that all the lights and electricity are on.
" Look here, kitty, we found a place to hole up for the night," I whisper excitedly.
Oh great. I'm talking to a cat. My stomach growls again and I find my way to the kitchen. The fridge has pizza in it. Thank my not so lucky stars. As I take the first heavenly bite I suddenly feel two tiny eyes boring into my soul.
I look down to see the kitten staring at me. " Fine, fine, oh my god stop looking at me like that. I'm going, Jesus." I whisper-yell at that pitiful blob of fur. I search the cabinets and finally find what I was looking for.
Canned tuna. I find a can opener and plop the contents onto a plate and set it in front of the little monster.
As she eats I think to myself , what am I going to call this thing? I've gotta name her. I've gotta take care of her, I mean, isn't that my duty? So if I'm gonna carry her around she has to have a name, right?
I walk up to her, and she tilts her head to the side and looks at me. She has a bit of tuna stuck on top of her nose. That's right. The cat, almighty eater of fish, is staring at me with tuna on her little nose.
"That's it!" I say. " Tuna! I'm going to call you Tuna!" I pick her up and scratch her ears, receiving an annoyed growl at being separated from her food in response.
I find a bed and curl her up close to me. For a second, I even forget it's the apocalypse. I forget everything. And I drift away to the purrs of a little miracle named Tuna.
