Feel It Inside (#TheAnimalPact)

3

    Summer POV

    The cat had been laying there for a while. I had watched from my cage as the humans came in with a cat carrier and deposited a heavily bleeding cat in the cage next to mine. They got a cloth and wiped off as much blood as they could, then left the room. He laid there for quite a while, every so often opening his eyes before fluttering them closed again. I caught him murmuring random words or sentences, like "Flame..." or "Get away..."

After he woke up and had our quick chat, he was now unconscious again, breathing heavily from the scars on his sides. He's so... Innocent. I really hope he makes it.

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    Larry POV

    I opened my eyes, and Sunmer was gone.

    What... What? "Summer?" I called uncertainly, glancing around. Everything seemed a lot more frightening without her there. "S...Summer?"

    Suddenly the door opened and two humans walked inside, both male. The first one had a cat carrier. The second one carefully opened my cage door and reached inside.

    I whimpered a little as he gently lifted me up and slipped me into the carrier. Huddling in the back, I peered through with wide eyes. Don't struggle, Summer said...

    They carried me back out the door and down a bright hallway. I watched as they opened yet another door and walked into a room with a silver table in the middle.

    "Alright, kitty," the first man said softly, setting the carrier on the table and opening it up. I could smell cat fear scent around me, so there was no way I'm coming out.

    "He's scared," the second man murmured.

"It's natural. Don't worry, kitty, this'll be quick."

Don't struggle. Don't struggle.

I swallowed hard as I was lifted out of the cage. The first man muttered, "Animal cruelty is awful. Nobody should do it to anyone. Simply awful."

    "Agreed," the second man said. "Animals need more rights in this world. We'll need to get a message out somehow."

    The second man gently held me down as the first man took a needle and sent it into my shoulder. I closed my eyes, feeling the darkness rushing up to me, closing me in, and I fell unconscious once more.

Fog POV

    "Come here, little one," I whispered, pulling Smoke close to me as Cannon peeked over the side of the roof.

    "Woooow!" The orange kitten squealed. "Look at all of that! What are those? There are dots EVERYWHERE!"

    "Careful," I warned.

    Smoke struggled a little and swatted my tail with his left paw. He obviously couldn't use his right paw, because he was born without one. "Mommy, can I look too?" He squeaked.

    I hesitated. I had so many pictures of what could happen in my mind- Smoke limping along the edge, falling off, unable to grab on due to his missing paw... I didn't want to think of what would happen next.

    "Come on, Fog."

    I lifted my head as Trigger padded up to me, his green gaze meeting mine. "Dear, we're in the Rooftop Gang. I rule it. We naturally have good balance-" he flexed his claws- "So let our son peek over. That missing paw of his won't change a thing."

I ruefully nodded. "Go ahead, Smoke."

The gray kitten squealed and bounded off, hobbling slightly from his forearm. He joined with his sister as they stared mesmerized over the side.

"What are those little lights?" Smoke whispered.

"Cars," Trigger responded.

He looked puzzled. "I thought you said cars were big."

"They are," I murmured, coming over. "We're just very, very, very high up. Six stories, at the least."

"I love stories!" Cannon yelled. "I like the one about the dog and the fox."

"The one about the flying cat is better," Smoke argued.

I giggled as they playfully bickered over what story was best. Smoke began telling the story of the flying cat, and even though it wasn't her favorite, Cannon sat down to listen.

    "So, once upon a time, there was this cat, and he could fly! And- and- um, I forgot the rest," he said sheepishly.

    "Mommy, you tell it!" Cannon urged. I blinked and pulled them close.

    "Okay," I said softly. "Once upon a time, there was a cat with no name. Day after day, he watched the clouds and the birds pass, and winded that one day he, too, would be up there.

    "Every day he practiced jumping. The first day he jumped onto a brick and back down again. The second day he jumped onto a box. The third day he jumped onto a trash can. Each day, he jumped onto something taller, until finally, he would be able to jump onto this building."

    "Woah," said Smoke.

    "He stood on the tallest building he could find, and he leapt high into the air. He leapt so high that he landed on a cloud! A flock of geese came over, and asked if he could fly. Very bravely, he leapt off the cloud.

    "But he fell.

    "The cat fell down, down, down, towards the earth. But right before he hit the ground-"

    "Whoosh!" Cried Cannon.

    I nodded. "He flew up into the air. The geese joined him, and they soared all around the city. He was very happy. And that is the story of the flying cat."

    "Yeah!" Exclaimed Smoke. "One day I'm gonna fly! Mommy, mommy, can I start jumping? What should I jump on?"

    The disabled kitten bounced around, looking around the rooftop. He settled on a cardboard box and leapt up and down.

    "Me too!" Cannon said, joining him.

    "You know," Trigger said to me. "One day, he will fly."