Nine Lives

viii

In my eighth life I am sick.

I manage to find Erwin again and he takes me in once more. He finds me at the shelter after I am able to get his attention by constantly calling his name and he turns toward me and holds out his hand as he tries to pet me through the bars of the cage. He takes me home and he names me Link.

Happiness is short lived when my stomach begins to hurt and I stop eating because of it. He seems to sense that something is wrong and after four days without food and very little water he takes me back to the building I remember from my last life with him.

He leaves me there and I feel abandoned. Why would he leave me here? Doesn't he love me?

People poke at me with needles and draw blood from me and I feel as though I'm being tortured. I can feel myself becoming weaker with each passing day and I just wish that I could see Erwin again.

One day I do see him again and it is on the day I die.

A woman comes up to my cage where I lay and picks me up in her arms, a sad and sympathetic look on her face as she carries me away. She walks down winding hallways before she stops at a door and it swings open to reveal Erwin on the other side.

I call out to him as she places me down on a table and he rushes over to me. I begin to purr loudly as he pets under my chin and around my ears.

"I'll give you a moment alone." The woman states.

"Thank you." Erwin replies, never taking his eyes off me.

I can tell that he has been crying for his eyes are surrounded by red and his cheeks are puffy and swollen. There is a box of tissues and he takes one out to blow his nose.

I don't know why he's been crying but he continues to do so as he pets me and speaks to me, saying kind and gentle words as I struggle for each breath. Drool dribbles down my chin and he wipes it away for me as I continue to purr and try my hardest to use all my strength to snuggle and nudge his hands.

He keeps one hand on me at all times and never stops petting me, even as the woman walks back into the room carrying a needle in her hand. She explains something to Erwin which I do not hear and he nods his head in understanding at her words.

I feel his arms around me as he wraps me in a blanket and cradles me to his chest, more tears streaming steadily down his face.

He talks to me as a sudden warmth shoots through my body, running thickly through my veins.

"You fought so well, I'm so proud of you. I'm sorry you had to go so soon. But you got nine lives, right? Maybe I'll see you again some time."

The last thing I see is his warm smile from above as my vision blurs and fades to black.