Scout Stories: Bruised Beginnings

A Cat of Many Colours

"I can steal for you," said the cat. "Anything you want."

"Can you steal someone back from Death, Cat?" asked the hero.

Keefe had to run to get to the forecast site in time. He wasn't the only one, either. Along the way he was joined by kids from all over the village. Kay O'Nía came along on the inside of him and stuck out her tongue at him. He ran faster to pass her by and together they ran by several others who took it as a challenge. That was how, without anyone saying a word, it turned into some kind of race.

Mick Fern didn't join in but still managed to get there before most of them. Keefe didn't mind that so much as Mick was taller than most of the full-grown men in the village and wasn't a sore winner. Keefe had beaten Kay so his pride was intact. He stuck his tongue out at her once they had stopped panting.

"Oh don't be so pleased," said Kay O'Nía. "You won't have won if your cousin was here."

"Hush," said Mick Fern, and they did because he was almost a man and their mothers' had talked about who he might marry.

Keefe rolled his eyes at Kay and turned to face the square.

The half-crumbled tower stood in the centre of the square. Three, large marks that were etched into the ground around it. At the other side a different bunch of children were gathered. Keefe started making faces at them, because it was a tradition and they did it back-both groups mocking each other in the almost silence that was only disturbed by muffled giggles.

That stopped when a lone cat walked into the square. Then they all shut up to watch it.

Keefe never quite figured out why they was only one that walked into the square. Did the cats have some kind of rotating system? Today's cat was a large, fat tabby. It's coat was dull with spots that looked almost grey. Keefe frowned at it because it would have been the perfect cat to chase, if Oisín hadn't made him swear to leave it alone.

A rat hung by the tail from its mouth. The rat was twisting and turning in a desperate attempt to get away. Keefe wasn't anywhere close to it yet he could still hear it squealing. The cat didn't seem bothered by this. It strolled into the square, took a glance at the children while walking towards the tower.

It slowed for a moment and made eye contact with Keefe, staring at him in a slow and deliberate way. It tilted its head the same way the cat on the roof had looked at him. A shiver ran over Keefe's spine. The cat turned and walked towards the tower once more. It seemed to need a rest because it stopped short of it's destination, sitting down on one of the three symbols.

"Ah no!" said Mick. "Mam is going to whine about drying the clothes."

"That's not that bad," said Kay O'Nía, "We'll have to take the pigs in tonight."

The cat sat and let the rat go. The thing hit the floor head first and hard. Then it bounced up and ran off. The cat waited a second before running after it again. It pounced, catching it on a second symbol.

"Yes!" said Mick Fern.

"At least we won't have to have the smelly things in all day," said Kay.

The rat wasn't dead. It struggled in the cat's mouth, trying to bit it but it was held too tightly. Not tightly enough to kill it though.

"Oh come on," said Keefe, "At this rate, all the food will be gone."

"Cats not done," said Mick. The cat then annoyed Keefe by proving Mick right and walking back to the first symbol.

Then the cat rolled onto it's stomach and all the children turned to walk away. Keefe glanced back to find the fat cat staring after him. It bit down on the rat, finally silencing the squealing. Then it jumped up and ran off behind the tower and out of sight.

Keefe stared after it for a moment.

"Come on, Keefe," said Kay. "You don't hurry and all the food will be gone."

Keefe nodded and started to run back with the others.