Flameheart chronicles - WildClaw (DISCONTINUED)

chapter 2: The new black cat

Chapter 2: The new black cat

Haley’s tires screeched on the tar. She gripped the bicycle’s brakes so hard she was afraid they might snap off. The bicycles front wheel stopped inches from the black cat. It leaped into the nearby bush in a single movement.

Haley breathed deeply, trying to calm her thudding heart.

She would never have forgiven herself if she had actually killed a cat in her own hurry to get home. She would have been grounded for so long…but of course she would feel guilty. You know, about taking an innocent life and all that. Hayley checked her watch. The luminous hands showed 8:02. If she wasn’t home in ten minutes, she’d be grounded anyway for coming home late. She put a leg to the other side of the bike and froze.

It was like a disembodied voice was whispering in her ears. No, not ears, mind. How could she just walk away from this place after she had nearly killed a cat? Could she be heartless enough to abandon it after nearly being the reason it lost its life (or atleast one of its lives)?

She sighed and dismounted.

"Here, kitty," she called, "where are you, you lucky, ungrateful, little critter…?"

Her words died in her throat. The cat had stepped into the now-flickering circle of light that the streetlamp cast. The cat was black, pure dark black from head to tail and had sleek, shiny fur. Its eyes were the most prominent. They were golden, but not normal. These had the colour of a young flame – bight, and ever changing. They seemed to glow with warmth and heat.

But its stare was unsettling, like it was X-raying her from inside out. Measuring something inside her…but what? She found herself unable to look away, or even move. Finally, it blinked once, and she felt a nagging thought. It wasn’t safe here. The cat could get eaten by something, or more likely, run over by something. She could take it home…

Before Haley could think twice about it, the cat mewed pitifully and looked at her with a totally unconvincing look of adoration in its lamp-like yellow eyes. It rubbed itself against her legs. Before she could change her mind, she strapped her violin to her back, lifted the cat gingerly and deposited in her carrier. As long as it didn’t jump out, it would be safe.

Before she could start pedaling, she looked at it once. It was sitting erect and frowning-no, looking (cats can’t frown, right?)- at the street board. She turned to the faded sign. $$$$$$* street. Two streets away from home. As far as she could see, there was nothing strange about the board. She shook herself.

Here she was, looking for divine signs because a cat was staring at a street board.

"I am not Vernon Dursley and this is not a Harry Potter book," she muttered, feeling like a lunatic. The cat was still staring at the poor sign. She giggled involuntarily.

"Wrong Street?" she asked it. "Privet drive is in Europe, this is America"

The cat stared at her. She was probably making next to zero sense to it.

"Alright," she sighed "long drive to @@@@@@* street"

To Haley’s utter amazement, it immediately curled up in the carrier. She took a look at it, shook her head and set off home.

*some locations have been omitted for privacy and safety.

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"Do you know what time it is, young lady?" Sarah Grace’s sharp tone made her daughter wince.

"Dinnertime?" Haley asked cheekily. Her mother frowned at her. Despite being only a few centimeters taller than Haley, Sarah could give a pretty mean glare, "close the door Haley, its cold – what is that?"

A sleek black cat slipped through the door. The room was warm again. Sarah thought it was most probably because Haley shut the door.

"It’s a cat," her daughter said.

"I can see that, thank you very much" she scowled a bit "I mean, what is it doing in my house?"

‘Its homeless’ she put on the puppy-dog face, or should it be the kitty-cat face?

‘Soooo…?’ Sarah was trying to stall, and she knew it was obvious. She knew her daughter was often lonely when her friends weren’t in town, and she and Dan were too busy to stay at home all day. A pet might be good company. But then, who would look after the cat?

Haley was thirteen and had the attention span of most children her age-two seconds. She could easily neuter it while snipping nails and not notice at all. Besides cats could make such a mess. She steeled herself, and as if sensing her decision, Haley whined.

‘It’s a poor little lost, homeless creature.’ She said it like ‘it’s a sick, abandoned, refugee orphan’

‘This poor little homeless creature has a collar’ Sarah pointed out.

‘It does?’ Haley bent down to check, and sure enough, there was a thin white collar around the cat’s neck. It had nearly been invisible because of the cat’s thick fur.

‘No tag’ she said triumphantly. Just then Haley’s father entered. He stared at the cat in surprise. Then he grinned

‘Who is this?’ he bent down to scratch it and it gave off a purr like a chainsaw. He chuckled ‘I’ve always wanted one of these, can we keep it?’

He looked to his wife and she sighed. The cat came over and scratched itself on her legs. Sarah looked at its golden eyes and found herself melting. They could afford to keep it for a while, couldn’t they? Cats were supposed to be independent.

‘Fine’ she conceded ‘but only if you promise to look after it’

‘Cross my heart and hope to not die’ Haley beamed, her blue eyes (so much like her father's) twinkling madly.

‘Great’ Dan said, picking up the coffee mug he had set down ‘Cheers to the new black cat’.

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