The Story of a Wayward Cat

Chapter Two - The Quest for Petrol

Minka and Minke lived lifelessly for a year. They would force themselves to eat and they lost all their hopes of returning to Earth. Minka looked at her surroundings and wasn't content anymore. When she could have seen Earth and other places, travelled somewhere without floating trees, blue aliens, colourful air and eaten something other than blue spinach, Minka sighed with longing and regret. "Oh well," she thought. "I'll just have to make do." 

The air around you changed colour according to what mood you were in. When first visiting the planet, Minka didn't notice it, but after inhabiting Lop Lop for a while, Minka noticed that the air was slightly tinged with different colours. Red for love, yellow for joy, green for envy, blue for sadness... you get the picture. The stronger the colours around you, the stronger your emotions were. Minka currently had a dark black cloud around her, and people were trying to keep away from her as best as they could. "Darn this air!" thought Minka angrily, swiping at the air. Of course it did nothing, which made Minka even more angry, darkening the cloud.

Minka got home and opened the door. "I hope Minke doesn't come out and jump on me like he always does," grumbled Minka. "I hate it when he does that." Minka opened the door and walked inside. "Minke, where are you?" she asked. No one answered. "Minke? Minke?"

Minka dropped the groceries and ran around the room searching boxes, crates, cupboards and trapdoors. "Minke, where are you?!" she screamed. But no one answered...

Meanwhile, on another part of Lop Lop...

"Let me go, you big bag of rotten potatoes!" screeched Minke. The creature holding Minke captive just grunted and turned Minke upside down. "You stupid piece of dung!" cried Minke, trying to struggle free of the ropes that bound him. "Let me go!"

"You'll have to do better than that to get out of here," said a voice. Minke looked at his captor, outrageous. "What do you want with me, you lying snake! Leave me alone!" Minke's captor looked  Minke in the eye and suddenly Minke became still. Minke struggled to move himself, but all he succeeded in was moving his eyes. "This is not the time for insults." said Minke's captor. He was not Lop Lopian, and Minke would have wrinkled up his nose in disgust if he could. Minke's captor was actually from a far off planet called Planet 3472628. The council of Planet 3472628 had never thought of a suitable name for the planet, and after 8000 years, the planet was still unnamed. The creatures from there had green skin, were incredibly huge, smelled really bad, had 20 fingers and superior senses to any other creature in the universe. It was said that they could move in such stealth, that they could shave you bald and cut your belongings to shreds before you knew they were even there.

Minke's captor smiled. "I can do many more things to you than just paralyse you. My name is Person 758930782, (on Planet 3472628, people didn't have names either) but if you can't remember that, like all inferior beings, just call me 'Sir'. You are probably wondering why you're here and why we've kidnapped you."

"Mmmmmm, mmmmmm!" mmmed Minke. Minke had discovered that he could still use his voice, if he could not move his mouth.

"Silence!" Person 758930782 roared. He pointed at Minke's neck and he fell silent. He could no longer use his voice.

"So, as I was saying," said Person 758930782, glaring at Minke, "We need something important from you. Something no one else on this planet can give us." Minke looked at Person 758930782, confused. "What we want is," Person 758930782 continued, "is petrol..."

Minke's eyes opened wide. "It is said that no beings of this planet, or beings that have lived on this planet for a long time, can smell, see, feel or taste petrol, but if you're a visitor or haven't been here long enough, you can see it." Person 758930782 stared hard at Minke. Minke gulped.

"Since you're the only visitor in a long time, you are going to get some petrol for us. Or, if you don't cooperate, your friend dies..."