The Jellicle Chronicles - Year One

Raindrops

"Rain. By the rusted parts of the Heavyside, I hate rain.” 

      Dejected, the large black Jellicle tried once more to find a spot where the leaks in the box would not hit his already sodden fur. Beezlebub knew he should have found a better hiding spot before the rain started. Across the way, he could see a large metal drum sticking out of a collection of metal items. Unless the sides had rust spots, the roof of that hidey-hole would have been dry. He moved his legs a bit further into the far corner of what used to be some sort of wooden crate. No luck. He could feel fresh drops of cold rainwater striking him right square in the back. 

      “The Pollicles can have that scrawny little snot,” Shadow agreed. “If it weren’t for him, we could have found a warm dry place in the buildings.” 

      The first black Jellicle regarded the second one on the other side of the box. Beezlebub had no qualms sharing this place with Shadow. With two Jellicles of their size, nothing would want to tangle with them, and Heavyside help the Pollicle who stuck their nose in here! Trying to arrange himself again, he managed to find a place where the leaks only struck him half the original times. 

      However, Shadow’s comment grated harshly against his mood. That “scrawny little snot” had foiled the Boss’s plan again. After all the work it took to sneak into places and drag away some knick-knack, the Boss ended up with a forlorn sack of trash and junk. In certain ways, Beezlebub would have taken the option of being run over by a car than to have come in when the Boss found out. He only thought he had heard phrases and words that could peel paint off a wall. 

      Most of the time, the Boss was a very educated sounding bloke, with a very suave and gentile voice. Not that day, and not that time. A sailor off a three-year stint in the Merchant Marines had a more educated vocabulary and manners! And the Boss’ temper? Beezlebub shuddered, and not from the cold, either. He only hoped Lucifer would mend sometime in the next week or two. Since that time, he avoided even entering that room. Lucifer’s body had made an imprint on the wall, and it was not pretty to look at. 

      “Mustyfleas!” Shadow laughed without any mirth. “That’s what his name will be if I ever get my claws on him!” 

      “Pipe down, Shadow,” Beezlebub whispered. 

      The Shadow’s cold yellow eyes came around. Beezlebub felt like his Ninth Life had just been taken, and someone was taking tap dance lessons on his headstone. 

      “Who in flaming Hotels can hear us? There’s no one within shouting distance of this place, let alone figure out where we are!” 

      “That’s what the Boss thought when we brought him that bag of things from the Jellicles. Remember?” 

      “Aye,” Shadow said with a grunt. “There was a few good things in there, too. The silver necklace, a small gold statue and the silver brush was kinda nice.” 

      “And the Boss thought no one could find us, let alone get back the stuff. And then what happened? The Boss looks in one more time to gloat, and all his nice stuff is gone. Who else could have done it but that confounded Mistoffelees, that’s who!” 

      “Mustyfleas!” 

      Shadow’s massive paw came out broke off a piece of the side wall. A sudden change in the wind brought a bit of the rain through the new opening, making Shadow shake his head and growl. 

      “Now look what you’ve done,” complained Beezlebub. 

      “You’re next if you say one more word!”