It was Riley who roused Bijou and I from our slumber the following morning. I followed Riley out of the barn. Bijou followed, letting out tiny yawns. I stared at the sky. The sun hadn't risen above the band of grey but I could see the white glowing peaks on the crest of the morning clouds. The dark pine trees below remained in the shadow of night, waiting for sunlight to diffuse on their green feathery branches. The grass was covered in a sheen of cold dew that was uncomfortable to Bijou's paws. She flung her back legs outwards in an attempt to cast away the frigid wetness from her paws.Riley's gaze alternated between the kitten and I.
"I think it's time for me to teach y'all some about the farm. I saw you Bill chasing em' white birds called chickens yesterday"
I noticed Bijou's fur rise at the mispronunciation of her name.
"Don't chase or hurt the chickens. They ain't yours to hunt. Understand?" He said to her.
Bijou cleared her throat. "My name is not Bill. It's Bijou," She uttered annoyedly.
"Well," Riley negotiated,"If you don't chase anythin' around, I'll work on sayin' your name right. How 'bout that?"
Bijou nodded her head enthusiastically.
Riley began to make his way downhill. I noticed the golden stalks of straw were gone. "What happened to the yellow field?" I asked.
"Every autumn, the man cuts it all down and takes it away. He usually does it in early fall, but this year it wasn't cold enough." He replied.
"Why would he cut it down?" Bijou questioned. "It was so fun to play in!" She added, disheartened.
"He puts in er' truck and probably sells it to the city people for a whole lot. City don't have gold grass now do it?" The red cat rejoindered.
"Why would he sell it?" Bijou queried.
"Well, the human world ain't too different from ours. Look behind us." Our gazes all darted back to the tree covered mountains. "If he wanna keep those hills and this ye' farm, he gotta be the richest. He need to sell all that grass. He don't only sell the grass but he sell dairy, chicken eggs, and a whole lotta' other stuff. He needs to make profit. The city men aren't the only ones tryin' to take his land. Rats, crows, raccoons, you name it, are trying to get their load of this place. It's our job to protect it." He explained.
We continued past the empty brown field, once glittering yellow. There was a red wooden box and a metal net surrounding it. A plank of wood extended from the doorway and tilted into the dirt. I approached the wire net. My draw my lips back in disgust at the foul odor. The coop reeked.
"That's the chicken coop. The chickens stay here at night and are let out in the day." Riley announced.
I vacated the wretched place and followed Riley to another barn that was identical to the one we were staying in. Amongst the usual stale aroma of the barn, was a sweet smell drifting in the air. I let my nose guide me into the barn. I heard several anxious groans that sounded similar to a low meow. Cows stomped impatiently in each stall, smacking their thin tails against their flanks. The farmer rested his head on one of the animal's black and white fur, his arms moving steadily above a silver pail. I observed the man more. His dark grey hair peeped out of a green cloth hat. His skin was given a tan cover by the bright sun. He wore a shirt that matched the color of his hat. Blue strips that went over his shoulders ran down and locked onto his jeans. His pants bunched and made several folds around his dirty boots. The cow beside him chewed hay, sometimes flashing curious glances at the old human. Riley walked up beside him and let out a friendly meow, then offered a cheek to rub.
"Mornin'" the man greeted, drawing his bronzed hand over the red fur. He spoke differently from the humans in the city. His voice was much softer and easier to understand. He returned to his work as Riley continued on. I cautiously crept past the man. Bijou followed closely. I could barely her frightened growl as she dashed in front of me and out of the barn. Riley snickered at us. "Don't be scared of that ol' guy. He wouldn't hurt a soul."
"I don't like humans. They're scary." Bijou replied. We started to walk away from the barn, the sweet aroma became faint and eventually nonexistent.
"What was that smell?" Bijou asked, her pink tongue circled over her lips.
"Dairy. It ain't for cat consumption." Riley answered, suspecting Bijou's idea for breakfast.
After Riley's tour, Bijou searched a shed for mice. I was wandering in a patch of woodland near the red truck. A cool breeze swept past the massive oak trees, inviting a few red and orange leaves to depart from their branches and dance in the wind. I listened to the rustle of leaves and a few songbirds with sapphire feathers chirping. They set course on their short elegant wings and fluttered away. As soon as they left my presence, an eerie silence stooped in the atmosphere. I tried to ignore it and continued to wade in the tall strands of grass. I reached a hedge of thorns and red berries, some had started to shrivel into brown crisps. I stood and examined it. It had an odd stench. Some kind of animal or animals had marked it. Why though?
