Baby I'm Longing For- First Draft

The Vandals

All was quiet outside the venue. Even after he had remembered to remove his earplugs, the only sounds he could hear were the raindrops pittering onto to the concrete paving slabs, the wind as it gusted through the narrow streets, the distant sticky rumble of car tyres thundering over wet tarmac and the faint warble of a police siren. As he stopped to listen, his ears began to pick up other sounds. The echolocation of a pipistrelle bat somewhere in the roof of the building. The squeaks, squeals and rustling of rats and mice coming from somewhere nearby. The vibrating wings of a large yellow underwing moth attracted by the porch light sounded like a helicopter to him. But he heard nothing that might indicate that Demeter was anywhere close.

Munkustrap had immediately noted that the gate was open and the guard, who was supposed to be manning it, was nowhere in sight and, worryingly, there was no sign of Demeter either. She had definitely passed through here very recently, though, for her scent still lingered in the damp air, but it was mixed with other scents which were unfamiliar. Toms. At least eight of them. That was when he heard it. The sound of a struggle, of claws scraping on cement, and an angry hiss, followed by a frightened whimper. He uttered a low growl and his tail thrashed. He also heard sounds behind him, but didn't need to turn his head to know that Alonzo and the others were there, just as they could tell, without asking, that the situation had become very tense and knew to keep quiet. They could smell the same scents that he could and some also began to growl and scrape their feet, but Munkustrap held out a paw, motioning for quiet and calm. He flashed Alonzo a brief glare and his son knew what it meant. Stay put and be prepared for anything. "No sense in us both going down," Munkustrap warned, "You know the drill. Keep them safe and take over if I fall, but only if I fall!" Keeping to the shadows, close to the wall, Munkustrap followed the scent and the sounds, a fire fuelled by dread growing inside him with every silent step.

Demeter wiped tears from her face as she made her way outside. She just needed a breather, a break from the noise of the stuffy club, so that she could think clearly. To stand in the rain and let the sky pour its misery down on her.

"Open the gate please," she ordered the guard.

"Certainly Marm," he nodded and held it open for her. She slipped through and walked around the corner, lifting her face up to the sky and letting the raindrops fall into her eyes and ears, feeling them cool on her cheeks.

"Trying to catch a cold, are we?"

said a voice, so unexpectedly that it made her jump. She spun round and came face to face with a stranger. A jowly blue British Shorthair, dressed in a black leather waistcoat, stared at her keenly with his amber eyes, while a group of mismatched toms sniggered behind his back. To say they were all hideous was an understatement. In fact, each one looked as though he had fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. They were mean looking, and sported scarred, battle worn faces, complete with missing eyes, torn ears and noses out of line. One chap's nose and eyes appeared to be pointing in opposite directions, while another's face was so pinched that it looked like someone had scrunched it up like a piece of paper.

"So what's a pretty thing like you doing out here all on your ownsome? Fancy some company?" the leader sneered.

"Leave me alone!" she cried, trying to push passed him, but found her way back to the club blocked by three huge toms.

"I asked you a question, little lady," said the ring leader, his voice turning threatening, "your rudeness upsets me. Perhaps I should teach you some manners, seeing that you have so kindly wandered into my territory without my permission." Demeter gulped and backed away, but found her escape blocked by a cold brick wall. With the ugly toms pressing in on her, there was no escape. In panic, she swiped with her claws and caught the blue Shorthair across his flabby face. His hissed with rage and slammed her into the wall. Catching her throat with his paw, he forced her mouth open as she screamed, and pressed his lips against hers, flicking his tongue against the inside of her mouth so that she gagged. Then she heard a familiar growl and almost cried with relief.