The Girl in the Cloak

The normally silent woods crackle with the thuds of panic. Crows watch closely as a figure sprints between the trees, ducking and dodging at a miraculous pace. Breathing, deep but quiet, can only be heard with it's exhale. A long dark flowing cloak flutters behind this racing figure, catching on branches but never ripping. Almost with a mind of its own the cloak wiggles and writhes around everything, it comes in contact with. Finally, it's destination is reached. The figure, now breathing heavily, pounds on a tree.

"It's me. Let me in. Hurry."

Suddenly the bark of the tree cracked open and swung wide. Only darkness could be seen inside but without hesitation, the figure stepped in.

A dim light shined a way in.

"What are you doing here" a raspy voice spoke softly.

"I needed a place to hide. Only until night comes then I will be out of your hai....r" the figure drew out her final word remembering how it's host was starting to bald and was a bit sensitive about his fur.

"Then you are welcome." The raspy voice spoke just as softly as before.

"Thanks" the figure bowed and on the way up it's hood fell off its head. The dim light revealed a beautiful young girl. Long white hair flowed down around her cloak. Her pale skin almost reflective in the shine of the small candle. Finding a chair she quickly took a seat and looked over at the man.

"What is it girl what do you need now" the raspy voice breathed out as its owner leaned back into a tall backed leather chair. It was needlessly tall in all honesty. The small being really had no reason to be in such a large chair

"Nothing. I have just missed you is all."

The small furry creature only smiled. Then started reading a book. The young girl started running memories through her mind. The many times she had been caught trying to steal from food vendors in town only to be beaten, the citizens didn't trust the legal system to do the right thing, then thrown back on the streets. That all changed the day she observed a cat steal three apples and wasn't even suspected. She supposed that made sense, who would really believe, or even think for that matter, a cat stole their food. She followed the cat back I to the forest and before long lost it. She searched high and low but found nothing. The next day she again found the cat stealing fruit from the vendors. This time she stayed closer to the cat as it went through the forest but this didn't help. She had lost it yet again. On her way out of the woods she was suddenly pounced on and before she knew it a claw sharper than a knife was at her throat.

The smokey grey cat's fur had a few black marks around the neck as well as his left front paws digits. Its neck marks were perfectly symmetrical making a sort of mystery pattern. His whiskers were long and moved fluidly in the wind. He had a puff of fur on the tips of each of his ears. His eyes irises were both dark in nature. The only bright part of his body were his claws.

"Why are you following me?" a raspy voice growled. This surprised her more than anything. Why was this cat speaking? How was this cat speaking."Are you going to answer?" It continued.

"I am sorry I just wanted to learn how you did that. I am so hungry I'm desperate." The cat looked in her eyes for what seemed like a lifetime. Suddenly he removed his claw and started back in the original direction she followed, this time slowly for her to follow.

The girl in the cloak slowly came out of her daydreams only to see that it was no longer day.

"I must be off my friend." She said solemnly.

"Be safe little kitten" growled the old cat with a smile full of sorrow. He knew what she was truly up to and feared the outcome.