Rebel

Gavin

Yesterday, when I met that girl, she seemed like the most annoying and inquisitive girl I've ever met. I only helped her because I knew she'd be dead meat if I hadn't. I hate to admit, but I wish I had asked her why she was so interested in my personal life and my problems. I wonder if she even had any friends. Does she? Now I'm making myself feel guilty. I don't like feeling guilty. But it doesn't matter anymore. I probably won't ever see her again.

Cinder stops by my window as I'm laying in my hammock. He meows for my attention. I give him a smile, and I reach over to pet his head. He climbs into my hammock and curls up beside me. I can hear his gentle purring. I don't know why, but my mind wanders to that girl. I picture her in my mind, trying to climb a building, the mutants trying to claw at her feet. Now I picture her reddened face as she demanded an answer out of me. It kind of looked like she was blushing... but she wasn't. She looked kinda cute when she was mad at me. I like girls with a little bit of ferocity.

I instantly block myself from thinking too far, and mentally kick myself for having such a lurid mindset. It's very dangerous when I'm alone with my thoughts. Embarrassed, I groan and turn over in my hammock, burrowing my face in the fabric so Cinder doesn't notice the redness rushing to my face.

The girl reminds me of Cinder in some ways. When she was struggling to climb that building, it kinda reminded me of how I found Cinder. He was a kitten, perched on a fence post, a group of stray dogs were crowding him, barking and growling. I felt bad for him, so I led the dogs away with some half-eaten fish I'd found in a trash can.

I took Cinder home with me, fed him, and then let him go. I couldn't keep him with me. I couldn't afford having a pet... or a friend. Just another mouth to feed, besides myself, and someone to break my neck for trying to save if trouble would ever arise.

Cinder came back the next morning with a mouse, which I cooked and shared with him. He came back the next day with a bird. He kept coming back, sometimes successful in hunting, sometimes not. Cinder was the only one I ever warmed up to, and the only one I ever will warm up to. I prefer to be alone and look after myself. But since he's grown, he can fend for himself most of the time, which cuts me a lot of slack. I'm going to miss him if he ever leaves me.

I open one eye as Cinder rolls over on his back, leaning into me for a belly rub. I scratch his stomach gently, and I hear his purring growing louder. "Calm down, you little furball," I say while turning on my back again. "Don't get too excited."

As if he understood, Cinder rolls back over, stands, and crawls onto my stomach. He circles around three times, and then settles down. I gently stroke the fur on his back, and I see his eyes beginning to close. I feel my eyelids beginning to close as well.

Just as I'm about to doze off, I hear a crashing sound, which startles both me and Cinder. Cinder jumps from the hammock and cowers underneath it. I roll out of my hammock, my hand positioned on the handle of one of my knives. I climb out the window and drop down to the ground. I hide behind the wall of the building next to my condo. I peek out from the side, and I spot a mutant thrashing a damaged car around. Damn, those things are strong.

I slowly make my way towards the mutant, slow enough so it doesn't sense my presence. I grab my knife handle and draw back, ready to throw. The blade of my knife catches the glow from the sun, and reflects it at the mutant. Big mistake. The creature notices me, and lets out a terrifying roar.

I curse under my breath.

The mutant charges at me, and I scamper away. It's way faster than me, so I only have a couple seconds to decide where to go. Quickly. I sidestep into an alley, and retreat out the other end into another street. I hear the mutant shriek as it tries to cut through the alley. Glass flies from the buildings, one sharp piece lacerating my right leg. It cuts through the fabric of my trousers and pierces my flesh. I don't dare stop. Soon enough, the mutant is on my tail again. I turn into another alley, hopefully to stop it. When I first step in, I know I'm doomed. The alleyway is a dead end.