CATS: Looking For Etcetera

Chapter Thirteen: Silence

The dog stopped. Everyone froze. It planted itself on the ground and began to scratch behind it's ear with one of it's back paws. 

"Plato, this is your chance!" Bombalurina hissed, though they all knew he couldn't hear them. 

"Plato, run!" Demeter mewed, daring to raise her voice a little. She noticed Plato's ears prick up but he didn't respond. He didn't move. He didn't run. Instead, he too sat down. He lowered himself onto the wet grass and stayed there silently, unmoving. 

"What's he doing?!" Misto asked frantically. "What's he doing?!" He turned to the others but no-cat spoke or moved. The Pollicle dog turned it's scruffy head and looked straight at Plato. It's black eyes were wild and dark. Plato stared straight back. Neither animal moved. After what felt like moons, Plato slowly rose to his paws and began to walk calmly towards the other end of the park. He slipped through the bars and walked straight past the dirty brown dog, and into the narrow alley they had been trying to get to. He disappeared into the darkness, into safety. The dog at first seemed unfazed. It put it's paw back onto the cobbled stone and cocked it's head a little. A sigh of relief escaped every cat's lips. 

And then the dog jumped up and started to bark once more. It scampered hurriedly round the corner after Plato, yapping and panting excitedly. 

"Plato! No!" Demeter yelled, her voice stricken with despair and panic. She was about to leap through the bars but Tugger pulled her back quickly by the scruff. 

"Don't," he hissed gently. 

"Get off me!" she shrieked, thrashing around wildly to escape his grasp. 

"Demeter!" Bombalurina whispered. "He's right, it''ll only go after you too." 

"We have to help!" she mewed, her voice cracking with grief. The dog's barks could still be heard from the dark alley opposite them, but not a single mew or call from Plato. There was no sound of claws or paws padding away. The dog's barking eventually died down, and the night went silent.