The 'Purrr'fect Melody of Life

On The Way to Freedom

---JAREDD'S POV---

  "I don't know whatever will I do" I sing to myself. I, Jaredd, am a lonely snow leopard going off to a great big world. I will miss my home in small-town Arizona, but I must move on. I know the journey will be hard but I must. I really only have a few hundred dollars to my name. If only my ex Octavius were here, he would understand what I'm going through. But he was an abuser and a bad buffalo who hurt my body, and took my most precious of gifts. He did not respect my choices. That's one of the many reasons I'm leaving this town.
  My mom doesn't know I'm leaving yet, but she'll know in the morning when she finds my note. She works nights at the vet, so I have all night to pack my things and get out. So I can get out. Get out for good.
  I remember all of the good times I had here in Little Paw, Arizona: I remember the good times and the bad, I remember swimming under that nice oak tree in the backyard, I also remember all the good times I had kissing Octavius on that one star filled night.
  I remember a lot but now it's time to forget. I have to forget anything and anyone who didn't believe in my dream. Sadly no one here ever did. No one except my dad, but he's gone now.
after the fire, after my dad, I felt alone. Alone in a vast vast world, I began to question my faith.
  But the music was calling me. The music was calling me to the one place that I knew I could be myself, New Animal-Topia. I packed my accordion and my beatboxing equipment, and headed outside down the old cobblestone road. I had my first kiss on this road. It was slow, romantic, and wet. But now I'm off to make new firsts.
  I make it down to the old quarry and take a right. I'm heading to hitchhikers point. I don't really have the money to make it there by myself. But I'll do whatever it takes to reach my dreams. My dream ebbs and flows like the sea, the depths of what I desire and my talents are cool and sublime just as the sea, and all of the beings that may dwell within.
   I was reluctant to go to hitchhikers point, for I remember the horrors that occurred there. I remember the cool sting of the whip as it sliced into the boroughs of my fur. Octavius laughed above me. He was cruel and I am glad to be rid of him.
   I ascend the steps and go to hitchhikers point. There I see several cars and a pack of kin. They were smoking weed, a common pastime for wolves in my town. I feel unwelcome. For I was a cat and they were dogs. I was familiar with this pack, I remember their scent from when we were young playing in the church yard. It seemed as if they remembered me as well. how could they forget the gay atheist they used to attend Sunday school with? How could they forget the one they used to steal things from and mock incessantly? How could they forget the kid whose dad died in the church fire?
   The awkwardness of the past enveloped me until I heard the sharp sound of a truck horn break me from my daydreams of shame and regret. In my efforts to avoid the inevitable ridicule from my childhood bullies, I hopped into the vehicle without looking who was driving. I just needed to get out of that situation.
  "Where to?" said a voice to my left.
   I turned to see a quite astonishingly cute and adorable bearded dragon. His brow is a lovely gold any red, and his tail coils in the cutest of ways.
  "I'm so sorry about those guys, they really can't be a bunch of big jerks", he spoke gently.
Voice reminded me of the hushed whispers of love that I had once known.
  As he pulls out and goes down the road, I tell him that I'm headed to New Animal-Topia.
"Really you're headed to new animal Topia?"
"Yes", I say.
"What for? "
"I'm actually headed there to pursue my dreams of becoming a professional DJ", I say.
   He hesitates.
What have I done? Is this all a mistake? If I can't even admit my dreams to a stranger that I find attractive, how will I ever admit them to myself?
"That's so cool! I really admire those who have musical talent. My mother was a jazz singer. You should meet her one day," the lizard looked to me and said.
I was taken aback. Only five minutes into the ride and he's already asking me to meet his mother! But hey, I'm not complaining. why would I resist commitment from such an adorable little lizard. His scales glimmered with a brilliant green as they shined in the sunlight coming through the car window.
"I mean... that's weird... I'm sorry..." He stumbled with his words.
  "no no not at all", I quickly returned.
there was a brief moment of silence filled with tension between us. I couldn't tell what kind of tension it was. Sexual? Awkward? I don't know. I guess this just goes to show how young and naïve I am. I stare at his long clawed fingers as they grip around the steering wheel, wondering what they would feel gripped around me. He catches me staring, and I blurt something out to break the tension. 
"I hope it's not too much trouble to take me all that way to New Animal-Topia!"
"oh no my pleasure", the sexy little lizard says with a wink of his eye.
maybe this does signal the beginning of a brand-new and wonderful life. Maybe I can finally be myself. Maybe I don't have to worry about who I am or what I want to do with my life.
"Oh no I'm so sorry I'm so awkward I never bothered to ask. What's your name?", I say with a sheepish pur.
"It's Jack."
"Jack, what a beautiful name. It has a certain resonance, like when you hit the perfect note on your keyboard. "
"Funny, my mother used to say the same thing. So what's yours?"
"It's Jaredd," I stutter back with a blush.
Maybe my future really will be bright, I think. Perhaps this can be the start of a Purrr'fect life.
all of this comes to mind as Jack's truck glides along the highway to my brand-new future. I think back on all that I've experienced. Wow, what a crazy day. Just one of many I'm sure.