Perspectives

Sleepless nights in an apartment building

Rory & kitty

Rory lay under her blanket, trying to keep warm. Her father didn't pay the bill so the apartment was little more than just bricks filled with furniture. A night this bad hadn't come in a while, usually now her father would go out to drink but now he was home and throwing things around because he was angry. By the few words he yelled from the living room she assumed he had lost a lot of money for betting on the wrong horse.

Rory only had on her shorts and green shirt, it wasn't enough to keep warm. Her teeth were shivering and the hair on the back of her neck was raised. Suddenly a short, loud meow could be heard from outside the window. Rory looked up from her blanket and out the window, only to see a grey, little feline on the fire escape looking right up at her window. She pushed the window open, a breeze swept her remaining sense of warmth away as she stuck her head out.

Rory scrambled out the window, she was small and thin so she fitted easily through the window. The window has always been her escape on bad nights like these.

She trotted down the fire escape and met the cat with an open hand. It stroked it's head against her hand. It was so soft against Rory's hand. Her braid lay down the side, swinging. The cat immediately started to try and fetch it into it's paws. Rory started laughing but knew she couldn't laugh too loud because her father might hear.

As the cat played with Rory's auburn hair the more the cold reminded her of her lack of warmth. The chills covered her as she started shivering. Rory stood up, patted the cat, thanking it for a cheer up. Living with her father Rory wished she had gotten good parents. That she had been born into a family of royals or something like that. Waking up and eating chocolate covered strawberries and playing cricket every day.

But that wasn't her world. Her world consisted of going to school without a lunch and then coming home, visiting Old Mama as she said she was called. Old Mama next door would bring her in, feed her and put something nice in her hair especially when her father wouldn't make dinner. Then after doing her homework with the help of Old Mama and eating a nice, filling dinner she went home and into her room and tried to get some sleep. Old Mama's couch was much more comfortable than her own bed, the springs just wouldn't leave her alone. She didn't understand why Old Mama didn't have any children, the black lady would have been an amazing mother.

As her toes met the cold stairway the cat followed up and stroked it's body against her. She tried walking him off for a few steps but it constantly followed.

"listen kitty, there's nothing waiting for you up there" she commented, suggesting to the cold apartment. It's soft, mellow eyes were attached to her golden brown eyes. This wasn't going to be easy. She broke eye contact and walked off and in through the window. Soundlessly the cat had followed the whole way. So as Rory had closed the window and turned around the cat had gotten comfortable on her bed. "oh, no" she whimpered while shooing it off the bed and gesturing to the window she then opened. "out"

The cat trotted towards the window and sat down, enjoying the breeze Rory was avoiding. She scoffed and laid down under her cold blanket. Suddenly she felt movement on her legs and sudden purring. She looked up and the cat was fast asleep on top of her legs.

She sat up with the blanket over her shoulder, making the cat move away from it's comfortable position. It never stopped purring while circling her and brushing it's warm fur against her cold, shivering body. Rory felt a spark of hope and comfort from the soft, mellow eyes.

And from now on these nights weren't as dark