Crimson Rose: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat

Chapter 1: Annette

It was close to summer. Friday, the 14th of May, right before St. Patrick's Day. The sun shone brightly in the cerulean sky over Paris. The weather was particularly warm during the late spring, even though summer was a month away.

In a quaint tall house, a young teenage girl was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Then the alarm clock on her night table beeped. Groaning, she sleepily pressed a button on the alarm clock.

She dozed off again...until she looked at her alarm clock. The clock read 7:43. "Oh, no!" she shrieked. "I'm late!"

She jumped out of bed and gathered her clothes. After getting dressed, she rushed downstairs to the dining room. "Morning, Mom." she said. Her mom, Helen put a plate of toast on the table and smothered them with sweet strawberry jam.

"Morning, Annette." said Helen. "You slept well?" "Yeah." said Annette.

15-year-old Annette J. Chen was a cheerful young lady, with a cherubic smile, a ton of wit and a vivid imagination. She's also a creative writer and an independent thinker, but sometimes she had a headstrong personality and a tomboyish attitude.

Annette grabbed a piece of toast with strawberry jam and started chomping on it.

"Mmm. Very good."

After she ate her toast, she ran to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then she grabbed her schoolbag and headed out the door.

She raced to the streets, heading towards school. Her short hair gleamed in the sun like ebony silk. She wore a jet-black blazer, a sunny yellow tank top and a lovely skirt of beautiful, bright cerise with roses stitched at the hems. Her coffee-brown booties clicked as she ran down the concrete sidewalk.

"Hey, Annette!" a voice called. Annette looked back and saw two girls running towards her. Annette smiled and waved back.

They were her two friends, Sarah Coleman and Janice Tompkins.

Sarah Coleman was a petite lady of 17, with auburn hair and red dots on her face. She was as saccharine as honey, with a spunky attitude and full of talent.

Her greatest talent, she says, is playing the violin. Her mother told her she was born with the hands of Paganini.

Janice Tompkins was a shy girl of 16. She had long platinum blond hair and ocean blue eyes. She has a mannerism of a deer, shy and alert. But she had a great talent for baking, since she was a baker's daughter.

She often shared her homemade pastries with her friends. And she loved hanging out with them.

They all rushed to school. Annette was given a math test to complete the finals. Being a math whiz, she passed with flying colors.

After school was over, the three friends walked along the row of shops, heading home.

Then, ahead of them, they caught sight of a cat crossing their path.

It was a very young cat, a beautiful sleek feline, with slender legs, a long tail and elegant paws. The glossy fur of the cat was like the blackest pitch, and its eyes gleamed like gold.

Around its neck was a beautiful golden cat bell that hung on a silky crimson ribbon. But it was the object cat was carrying that made the girls curious.

In its mouth, holding it delicately between its pearly-white fangs was a small ornate antique music box wrapped in a silky ribbon of scarlet. The cat passed them, walking towards the busy road. "I wonder why it's carrying a box in its mouth?" said Sarah.

"Me too." added Janice. Annette started to walk forward, when Sarah pulled her back. "Don't go down that path!" said Sarah.

"Why not?" asked Annette. "Because that black cat just crossed our path. You know what this means, don't you?"

"Bad luck will follow. Oh, come on. I don't believe in that stuff." said Annette as she continued walking down the path. "My brother told me that if a black cat crosses your path, death might be close by." said Sarah. "He also said that a black cat steals children's breath when they're asleep."

Annette shook her head in disbelief. "I think your brother's too superstitious. Or he just likes to tease you."

"How do you know? I love my brother! He loves me very much." said Sarah. "Look, the cat's trying to cross the road."

They watched the cat stopping at the road's edge. It looked both ways before crossing the road. But then, the music box slipped from its fangs and fell to the pavement.

The black cat frantically tried to grab the box but it kept slipping from its teeth. The traffic light suddenly turned green. The girls looked on anxiously as the black cat struggled to carry the music box.

"If he doesn't hurry, he'll be killed!" said Sarah nervously. "The poor cat!" Janice said. An enormous truck started to move towards the black cat. Then, without warning, Annette ran across the road.

Sarah and Janice gasped as they watched her run towards the black cat. The truck driver was talking on his phone when he noticed a young girl running across the road.

In a panic, he stepped on the brakes. Annette reached down and grabbed the black cat by the scruff of its neck. Without even stopping, she ran to the other side of the road, holding the cat and the music box.

Suddenly, she tripped on the sidewalk edge and fell to the ground. The black cat landed on the ground safely.

The music box landed on the ground beside Annette. The music box snapped open. Inside was a white porcelain bear wearing a pink tutu and holding a silver star in its paw.

A sweet melody began to play. Annette grabbed the box and got up. She looked around. "Kitty? Kitty, where are you?" she said worriedly.

Then she heard a meow. She looked and saw the black cat walk towards her. "Are you all right?" asked Annette.

The black cat meowed. Then he bowed his head, as if it was saying "thank you". Then it raised its right paw. "What do you want?" asked Annette.

The cat meowed again. It batted its paw in the air as if it wanted something. Then Annette noticed the music box in her hand. "Oh, I see. You want the music box, right?"

The cat bowed his head, as if it said yes. Annette gave the music box to the black cat.

He picked up the music box, gave her another bow and ran into the bushes. Annette watched the cat leave.

Once Sarah and Janice reached her, they immediately hugged her. "Oh, Annette, why would you do that?"

"That was so scary!"

"Thank goodness you're okay!"

"You're not hurt, are you?"

They kept bombarding her with questions. But Annette stood silent. "How is that possible? I think I imagined it. But I heard him talk loud and clear." she thought. "Are you all right?" asked Sarah.

"He thanked me." said Annette in an inaudible whisper. "What?" Sarah asked. "The cat just thanked me for saving its life." Annette explained. Sarah and Janice gave her a confused look. After a short period of silence, Janice asked, "Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

Annette was silent. She looked at the bushes where the cat disappeared and sighed.

"Come on. Let's head home." said Sarah. Annette started to follow them, but then she looked back at the bushes where the cat disappeared.

Then, she went back home.