1,000 Cages for 1 Bird

Let the Cat Be

Maybe that day, he should've stayed home like every logical human being. After all, it was raining. Bu no, Mr. Daniel Hoffman had to defy logic.

It wasn't like he regret going out that day. Hoffman didn't like regret, so he made it a goal not to regret anything. And he wasn't going to start regretting now.
But prehaps, he thought, right now, would be a good time to start.

~

~

Hoffman came rushing out of the library, his arms packed with books and a cat barely keeping balance on his head. As he ran the heels of his boots made a loud clicking sound like a horse clopping.

The cat gave a small hiss.

" Quiet, Henry, we're almost there.", Hoffman reasured.

After another minute or two of running, Hoffman stopped in front of a small police station.

"Okay, Henry, scratch at the door for me would you."

The cat did as he was told and even rammed into the door a few times.

A scrawny man with sunburnt skin and an ugly mousache, in a constable uniform approached the door and gave Henry a glare.

"Shut the hell up, stupid cat."

He opened the door for Hoffman and his slightly angered cat.

"You better have figured out this shit, Hufflepuff."

"Oh, Marcus. Catching up on Harry Potter after seven years are we?", Hoffman retorted with a sarcastic tone as Henry took his position in the corner of a cubicle the next room over.

"Shoo. You're real stupid, Hofffman." Marcus said with his slightly annoying Texan accent, "Everyone knows Hufflepuff is the small pink Pokēmon."

Hoffman set the books down on a desk and gave a small, disappointed sigh.

"Go get Arlene please, Marcus."

Marcus smirked and walked over to a door at the far end of the room.

"Miss Arlene, Dan is here."

There was a loud snapping sound followed by a bang.

Hoffman rushed over to the doorway to Arlene's small office.

"What's happened?"

A small woman in pink dress and dark wavy hair, was seated at a desk in the corner with one half of a ruler, while Marcus was lying on his back clutching his arm and moaning.

The small woman looked at Hoffman and gave a nervous smile and shrugged.

"Honest mistake?" she said in a shy voice.

"Honest mistake, indeed.", Hoffman nodded. He looked over at Marcus, "See, Marcus? Karma has a twisted mind. This is what happens when you call Henry 'stupid'."

Arlene stood up and rushed up to Hoffman, politey stepping around the constable. She shooed Hoffman out into the waiting room and over to the desk where he had laid out the books.

"Dan, I told you a thousand times, don't bring the books, just tell me."

"But if I have another theory over night, I'd need to be sure if I'm right!"

Arlene rolled her eyes and stood up straighter.

"Alright, Daniel, who's our robber?"

Hoffman smiled and said in an excited tone, "David and Natalie Johnson, who are currently at work in the Lots of Love Bakery on Old Us."

Arlene tried keeping a straight face but it erupted into a big smile and she jumped up to hug Hoffman.

"Thank you Danny! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Hoffman smiled a little bit, but he didn't like smiling. It made his cheeks hurt and he wasn't to fond of that.

"Arlene, if I may take them myself?"

Arlene's smile faded into a little scowl across her dark face.

"No, no, no. You know the rules, Dan."

Hoffman rolled his eyes and groaned. "Please. I'll never ask again!"

Arlene pulled a wavy strand of hair out of her face and narrowed her eyes at Hoffman.

"Lights out at eleven?"

"Yes!"

"Henry isn't allowed to eat potatoe chips?"

"Yes!"

Arlene smiled again and nodded. "Okay you can pick them up."

Hofman puched the air and ran out the door. He stopped himself and looked behind him.

Sure enough, Henry was trotting behind him.

"Good cat."