Riley & Spots ll book 1 - COMPLETED

The Beginning

11 Years Later...........

              My eyes were shut as the rays of sun burned my face. It was probably the last warm day I would see until next year. I was curled up in a tight ball in the same old box I basically lived in most of my life. My fur clung to my back including old cracked leaves that no matter how many times I twisted and turned they wouldn't fall of. 

            The leaves came from a tiny tree that grew rigt next to the alley. Somehow the wind manages to carry the leaves right onto my pelt a thousand times a day. I was starting to get sick of it, but there's nothing I can do about it unfortunately. Soon more and more will fall until the snowy weather comes and covers the city.

           At least then there will be no leaves to mess your fur up. All of a sudden a leaf broke of from the small tree and the wind carried it until it landed right onto my nose. I tickled me until it finally managed to wake me up. "Bruh.." I sighed. I closed my eyes once again, but the leaf kept tickling my nose.

          "Okay, fine fine. I'm up." I sighed amusingly. I struggled to my paws and shook the leaf of. As you can clearly see I'm not a very morning person, but I do like the warmth of the sun on my fur. As I stood up I felt my stomach rumble in dismay.

           I didn't eat a lot yesterday except a small piece of human food which they seem to call a hamburger. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be, although it's not a surprise though. No leftovers are as good as a fresh meal especially one that I found behind Antonio's restaurant. 

           My stomach got me out of my thoughts and grumbled even louder this time. "Okay..you win stomach. Let's go to Antonio's again. I leaped out of my box, out of the alley, and onto the cold pavement sidewalk beside the streets.

            I stuck to the edge of the sidewalk next to the buildings so I wouldn't get stepped on by the humans crossing. I was committed to my task I didn't even notice the little human next to her parents walking right to me. I accidentally thumped into the little human and it immediately looked down at me in awe.  

             It started squealing in delight and picked me up in a second before had a chance to run away. It squeezed me hard with its paws so I couldn't get out. Then the adult human warned the little one holding me making it loosen its grip just enough for me enough to slip away.

            I finally got closer when I almost passed an alley. I stood in place for a moment and then slowly backed up to face the alley. "I could take the regular way to Antonio's..." I thought looking at the path. "Or I could take the shortcut through Popps's alley." My stomach began grumbling once again reminding me how hungry I was.

          Without a second thought, I started padded into the alley. It was filled with a terrible stench and wherever I looked I could see shadows stretching across the alley, including one's that weren't mine. Out of the shadows came a band of cats and one in front that I knew....and hated very well.

             "Well, if it isn't Riley Mc-Diley." I heard the cat in the front of the pack say as the band cats strided from the shadows. "Popps, I'm just passing through okay?" I replied. "Oh really passing through?" he chuckled. Popps trotted over to me until he was only a mouse length away. "Well,last time I checked this is our turf!" he yelled.

                   "Who says this is your turf?!" I shouted back harshly fluffing my fur up. "We do..." Popps said gritting through his teeth. Popps walked around me while the rest of the cats copied his moves. "Last time you were here, I warned you that the next time we would eat you and yet no, you still come." he told me gritting through his disgusting yellow teeth.

                      "You're brave to come her, Riley, but also a complete fool." Then suddenly he swung himself at me with unsheathed claws. His body heaved me down in a giant thump. I felt dizzy as ever even though I knew it was only the beginning.

               I tried to defend myself ,but it was useless. They were gonna kill me . GREAT..... I wasn't expecting anything in my upcoming future, but I at least I wanted to not fail living. They were pulling me to pieces. "AAAAAHH!!! Seriously Rose? That was VERY UNNECESSARY! show of," I mumbled.

    Then in a flash I saw a flash of black and white. "What the..." I heard Popps mutter. Honestly, I was just as surprised as he was. All of a sudden, a dog or fox, I couldn't tell, leaped out of the shadows of the alley and right onto Popps with unsheathed claws. He leaped in between Popps and me.

      "Leave her alone!" he panted. Popps twitched in annoy manner while I felt a smile of amusement prick at my face. "Why don't you go away and mind your own business, eh?" Popps replied, gritting his teeth. 

       "Why don't you do the same." the dog echoed back calmly. Popps stepped closer to him while the dog just stood emotionless still between Popps and I. "This is my business. I warned this slug of a she-cat to stay away from here. So, it is a fact that it is my business!" 

          I finally got tired of all the talk and decided to do something with myself. I sprinted from behind the tom dog between Popps and him. "Okay, I can deal with this myself, thank you very much." I mumbled to him. 

         "Are you sure about that? You almost got killed before I-", "YES!! I'm fine thank you!!" I exclaimed, shoving him slightly to the side. He stared at me annoyed while I continued biting Popps, raising the yowls of cats once again. "Fine. If you're so sure-"the dog mumbled. "I am." I muffled through Popps's fur in my mouth.

         Cats flew on my side and I continued getting myself into more trouble and more bite marks. While the dog was starting to slowly walk away, Popps piled up on me and flipped me onto my back.  With one more swipe of his ugly, massive paws, he could actually make me disappear from this world. 

       I usually don't show it, but I really do get afraid. I try to hide it the best I can by showing a character, that wasn't really me. The real me is a nervous she-cat that wishes she could have some real friends for a change. Then, at that very moment, I did what I never do. "Please help me!" I cried to the dog who was almost out of the alley.

        The dog turned his head back and glimpsed while Popps was about to make his final swing, he immediately came dashing back and knocked Popps down and off of me just a second before he could swipe at me. I jumped of the ground in confusion. My head was dizzy and my vision was almost completely blurred, but after a couple of seconds it all came back.   

       I felt so tired I could faint, but I didn't. Instead I got up and started attacking the rest of the gang and the fight went on. "You're pretty good at this," the dog said . "Thanks I guess. You're not so bad yourself," I replied. "I'm Spots. You?" the dog asked. "Riley," I replied. 

        We kept on fighting until the group retreated. The gang finally ran away when Popps fell to the ground. He wasn't moving nor did it look that he was breathing. "I hate when it comes to this," Spots said sadly and quietly "I thought he would run away by now. He is one tough tom". "Yeah I'll miss our fights." I mumbled. Spots turned his head and gave me a look. "Okay not really, but everyone deserves a second chance. I wish I gave him one," I sighed.

         We stood there for couple minutes. "Let's go to my burrow. Those wounds of yours are pretty deep. If you don't heal them quickly, they could get infected". Spots told me quietly. "Okay." I replied. Spots trotted away slowly and just as I was about to follow I saw a cat that looked a bit different from the rest. 

       She had a dark brown pelt and blue-green eyes. For some reason, I could feel she was different. "Riley, are you coming?" I heard Spots ask from outside the alley. "Y-yeah." I stuttered taking one more look at the she-cat before I trotted away.