Scout Stories: Bruised Beginnings

A Cat of Many Colours

Keefe started running first. Peigi followed him while cursing at him for getting a head-start. Keir, meanwhile, was trying to keep up. of course the cat heard them. It hissed in their general direction and took off. Peigi laughed as she flew by Keefe, annoying proving that she would win against him even without Oísin. But she wasn't any match for the cat. Within seconds of the chase beginning, it took some calcuated jumps and landed on a roof and out of their reach.

Two of its three pursuers stopped next to the wall. Keir didn't. He ran into the back of Keefe and pushed him into the brickwork. He cursed and glared up at the cat as it glared down.

"Can't stay up there forever." Peigi stabbed a finger towards it.

Keefe pushed her hand down with a sigh. "And we can't stay out here all night. My mum and your grand-dad would have a fit."

"We could tell them we're camping," said Keir.

"When has that ever worked?" asked Keefe, making sure to poke his brother's shoulder. "No. Let's go look for another cat. There's bound to be older, slower ones about the place."

The cat on the roof stopped hissing and regarded Keefe as he spoke. It was almost creepy the way it's amber eyes focused on his, the way it tilted it's head.

"He's listening to you," said Keir.

"Don't be stupid," said Peigi. "Cats can't understand you."

"No," said Keefe after a pause, staring back at the cat. "They can't...Come on, we'll find another one."

As they walked away, Keefe found himself looking back. He caught the cat watching them walk away. Keefe wanted to put that stare down to it being nervous or unsure or them, but those amber eyes made him feel like a mouse.

"We could trick it," said Peigi. "Pretend like we're leaving and then sneak up on it."

"Nah," said Keefe. The way that thing was staring at him made him uneasy.

They left it and went back to the search.

"I'm hungry," said Keir, after strolling for hours without any traces of another cat.

Peigi and Keefe looked at each other.

"I'm alright awhile," he said.

"Well I'm not," said Peigi.

Peigi siding with her stomach as well meant that Keefe had no choice but to let them break for something to eat. They were near home anyway and it was near dinner time.

The house was near the centre of the town. Keefe was quite proud of their home, even if they did have to share with Peigi and Oísin. It was a proper family home with an entire six rooms plus an attached shed for keeping their pigs in at night. They noticed on approach that people were taking chairs out of their houses and that a fire-pit had been set up.

Peigi ran forward. "What's going on?"

Keefe's father ruffled her hair and walked away from her to grab a plate of skewered meat.

"As it's such a nice day, Geeri Mac Sweeney suggest that we have supper outside," he said.

The elderly woman beamed at Keefe, showing off her gums. "Might as well make use of it. Nice days are too rare the last few years."

Keir ran to give her a hug. He had learnt some years ago that hugging her was a guarantee of a sweet. She had a soft spot for kids. It was one of the few advantages of him being so slim and small. Keefe had gotten too tall to get away with that before getting too old. He looked on with the slightest amount of envy. Also a bit of satisfaction in knowing that it would soon stop working for his brother as well.