Chapter 1

Kari awoke with a jump. She was soaked through and the cold November air bit at her unpleasantly. High above, stars like shards of ice glittered and the moon shone a pale glow over the town.

She was sprawled on a beach; the sand sparkled gently under the moonlight, and the ocean receded quietly from the shore as the tide went out. Kari got unsteadily to her feet and staggered along the beach; everything was a blurry jumble in her head, but she was sure it would fix itself up sooner or later.

Finally, she sat down in the sand again, and held her pounding head in her hands. Her legs were too cold and weak to hold her up any longer - she supposed she would just have to wait until the morning when a resident would come to her aid. But it really was too cold to sit out all night...

"Hey, you!" Someone yelled excitedly. Kari turned towards the voice, hoping that the face would be one she recognised - it wasn't. It was a cat, deep green in colour.

He wore a khaki shirt and a trendy but 'pawmade' looking knitted cap. He was wearing thick walking boots too, unusual in an animal, and carrying a bucket and a bug catching net. A smaller satchel was slung around his waist. When he saw Kari, he smiled faded into a puzzled frown.

"Oh, hello," he managed politely. "I thought you were someone I know but you're not. Sorry."
"Oh, it's okay. Please don't worry," Kari assured him hastily. A long pause stretched awkwardly between them and the cat began to glance around restlessly.
"So who are you?" He asked at last.
"I don't know," Kari replied. "My name is Kari though."
"You 'don't know'? What do you mean by that?" He asked, confused. Then suddenly he broke into a grin. "You mean you're on a soul-searching trip?"
"No, I mean I don't remember who I am," Kari said. She began to search through her deep, soggy pockets. She fished out a card, eventually; something had compelled her to do so.
"'I suffer from frequent bouts of amnesia. Please be patient and take care of me until I recover my memories'," the two read aloud.

"Oh, I see. I have amnesia," Kari said loudly. But she still didn't know what she would do next.
"That's what it says," the cat agreed, examining the card closely. "What are you gonna do now?"
"I'm not sure... stay at a hotel, I guess?"
"Do you have any Bells?"
Kari searched her pockets.
"Umm. I have about 200..."
"Well, there aren't any hotels around here anyway," the cat shrugged, sensing her disappointment. "But you need to warm up and change. Why don't you come back to my place? I can fix you up with some food and a bath and things."
"Would you really help me...?" Kari asked gratefully.
"Sure. Follow me," the cat replied, winking.

The cat lead Kari across town, almost right to the top. She was exhausted and didn't really look at her surroundings as she walked.

"What time is it?"
"2.38 am. Hey, watch where you're going! That's the lake!"
"That's late!" Kari exclaimed, not hearing the last parts.
"I know. You were lucky I was up," the cat nodded. "I was searching for a bug that always evades me..."
"What bug?"
"It's called the Moonchow Cicada. They say it glows in the dark and sings beautiful lullabies," the cat explained dreamily. "I'm a Bug Enthusiast. And Fish and Fossils, too. And I like gardening. I guess I'm just an outsdoorsy type!"
"I guess so," Kari said, laughing. "What's your name, cat?"
"It's Cat," he replied, grimacing. "My parents ran out of creativity for MY name."
"Maybe they did, or maybe it's meant to be ironic," Kari suggested. She was dead on her feet...

Then they reached a clump of trees. A tall wooden gate had been put up in a gap in the trees; Cat swung it open breezily and ushered Kari in. Inside, all kinds of flowers had been grown; not just common types, but rare hybrids too! A little wildlife pond was set just next to the gate, and some fruit trees clustered round the house.

It was a regular house, but empty flowerpots and sacks of compost and a shovel were piled up against the sides. Ivy had been allowed to grow wild all over it and missing tiles were replaced with thatch and mud.

Inside, it was a little dark; Cat lit a candle on the table in the centre and some others on the shelves as Kari stumbled sleepily into a side room. A tiny, crisp, unused bed sat in the corner. A sink stood right next to it, and an empty cupboard held it up. A set of shelves had been put up over the head of the bed and were occupied with a few old magazines and faded books. It was a storage room.

Fish tanks and bug cages were piled everywhere, along with sacks and tins of feed. A big bag of replacement netting was propped in the corner and a tool kit, a huge one, stood at the foot of the bed. On top were two stacks of tin plates. A spare fishing pack was scattered throughout the room; ancient posters and postcards and photographs were sellotaped to the walls.

A heap of folders turned out to be photo albums, but Kari was too tired and not nosy enough to take a look. The top one had newspaper clippings hanging out the sides.

An empty glass, a bar of cheap soap and a soft-headed brush were all that stood on the sink. Inside the cupboard was a shoebox labelled '2 Small', and inside that a number of outfits. Kari took one out unthinkingly and put it on. Then she changed again after Cat gave her a towel and a candle, said goodnight and left - she dried off and changed and got into bed.

She fell asleep right away, only pausing to prop up her 'Amnesia' card on the sink and to draw the musty, ragged curtains over the grimy window. The candle blew out in a draft a half hour or so later, and she slept soundly that night; it was just as well. She had a big day ahead of her tomorrow...