Hi. This is my first story on fanfiction so I would really appreciate any constructive criticism. I was really lacking in confidence and wasn't sure if I should post anything, so I'd like to thank A M4D TE4-P4RTY, pouncii and persevera who were all really kind and encouraged me to try writing something. xx
"Will he be back soon? Will he be back soon?", the little kitten asked for what felt like the hundredth time and tugged on her mother's paw to get her attention.
Smiling the black and gold queen looked down at her daughter and stroked her soft fur affectionately. "Be patient, Jem. Daddy promised he would be home this evening. It can't be very long now." She turned her attention back to the gates of the Junkyard that she had been watching impatiently for the last two hours. Munkustrap had been away for a few days on some important business for Old Deuteronomy and she was expecting him back any minute. Just every minute seemed to be taking forever. Where could he have got to? With a sigh Demeter rested her chin in her paws, not taking her eyes off the gates.
"But it's already getting dark," Jemima worried looking up at the sky above her. It was a dark inky blue streaked with pink and gold. A few wispy clouds floated gently past on the faint breeze and some pale stars were just beginning to appear. It was a beautiful, warm evening but neither cat could really appreciate it. They were too preoccupied to notice. "You won't make me go to bed will you?", the little queen-kit asked nervously, "You said I could stay up until he got home."
Demeter smiled and nodded. Jemima was just like she had been at that age, always wanting to be outside doing things, always wanting to be with people, never wanting to miss anything, so sweet and innocent and loving. The familiar worry came back again as she watched her daughter pacing up and down in front of her. What if something happened to her precious Jemima? Inside the Junkyard she would be safe, but what if she ever wandered off or met any strangers or got lost. Jemima always had to see the good in other people. It would be too easy to trick her or lie to her. Just like me, Demeter thought. She shuddered and tried to push the worry to the back of her mind. Nothing was going to happen to Jemima.
At that moment there was a noise from behind them and a slim, red figure came wandering through the gathering gloom towards them. Something she was carrying in her paw sparkled faintly in the dark and as she got closer Demeter could see she had a smug expression on her beautiful face. "Demeter!", she called out as soon as she was in earshot, "I've been looking absolutely everywhere for you. I've got something I want to tell you about."
With a sigh the black and gold queen straightened up. This wasn't really the time for one of Bombalurina's stories about the latest tom she was in love with. All she wanted was to be left in peace to wait for Munkustrap to arrive so that they could all go home.
Totally oblivious to her best friends mood Bombalurina dropped down onto a wooden crate beside Demeter and held out the shiny object she had been carrying. "Look at this. I found it in my den when I went to get something to eat. What do you think? It's wonderful, isn't it?" She waved the object enthusiastically under Demeter's nose, making it very hard to even see what it was in the dark let alone tell if it was wonderful or not. "There was a note with it as well," Bombalurina continued with barely contained excitement, "Guess who it was from. Go on, guess." Expectantly she looked at her friend.
"No idea. Why don't you tell me?", Demeter said tiredly as she watched Jemima drawing flowers in the dirt with her paw. This was going to be yet another long-winded account of some new love affair or other and she just didn't have the energy to act like she cared.
Unperturbed Bombalurina giggled and threw an arm around her friend. "I'll even give you a clue. It was from somebody very special, somebody I really like. I can't believe he actually gave me a present. He's never given anyone else anything. Do you think that means he likes me?" The red queen was examining the object in her paws, which turned out to be a shiny, silver collar, with a dreamy expression on her face.
There was no need for Demeter to ask who the present was from. Toms were always giving her friend things, but she was rarely that pleased about them. That could only mean it was from the Rum Tum Tugger, who Bombalurina had had a crush on for years. Demeter refrained from pointing out that in fact he had given Cassandra a necklace last week and the week before that he had given Tantomile flowers and Victoria a pink silk cushion in the shape of a heart. "I wouldn't read too much into it, Bomba," she tried to say but the other queen wasn't listening. She was too busy holding the collar against her fur to see the effect.
"It's so beautiful," she sighed happily making Demeter roll her eyes with exasperation, "I think I'll wear it all the time."
While they were talking the sun had set and the Junkyard was now in darkness. The moon was hidden behind some clouds so the only light was the faint yellow glow from the Jellicles' dens. The piles of junk cast eerie black shadows and the wind had picked up to whistle mournfully through the Junkyard. Demeter sighed again and drummed her paw on the ground beside her. It wasn't like Munkustrap to be late and she could feel growing panic rising up inside her. She was just wondering whether it would be a good idea to send Jemima home after all when the kitten let out a squeal of delight and leapt to her feet.
"Daddy!" Jemima bounded towards the gates where a shadows figure had just appeared. Bombalurina and Demeter got to their feet and followed the little queen-kit who had almost reached the figure. "Why are you so late?", she demanded, "Mummy promised I could stay up, but..." She broke off suddenly and stood frozen to the spot, her eyes wide with fear. For a second nobody moved then Jemima let out a terrified scream and jumped back.
Before she had even taken a step the tom had pounced on her and caught her by the scruff of the neck, dragging her back. He was tall, like Munkustrap, but close up he was thinner with tangled fur, long sharp claws and fierce yellow eyes that glittered menacingly in the darkness. He held the trembling kitten at arms length and looked her up and down. Then he looked up at the two adult queens and smiled revealing thin pointed fangs.
"Jemima!", Demeter shrieked and threw herself forwards in a desperate attempt to reach her daughter, but she was yanked to a halt by Bombalurina who grabbed hold of her arm. Frantically she pulled and squirmed trying to get free but her friend held on firmly refusing to let go.
The tom laughed a cold, cruel laugh and held a threatening claw to Jemima's throat. Immediately it had the desired effect and Demeter stop struggling and let herself go limp in Bombalurina's arms. She couldn't breathe properly, she was shaking so badly that her legs could barely hold her up and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. "Jemima," she sobbed feebly reaching a paw out towards the frightened kitten.
"What do you want, Macavity? Let her go!", Bombalurina spat at the tom wrapping her arms protectively around her best friend, "Leave her alone, she'd just a little kitten! Haven't you done enough already?" Images of Demeter's terrified face covered in bruises came back to her mind. It was just lucky she'd got away from Macavity when she did before something worse had happened to her. Bombalurina shuddered at the thought. Why couldn't he just leave them alone? Why couldn't he leave poor Demeter alone? The red queen bared her teeth in what she hoped was a threatening snarl and moved to stand in between Macavity and Demeter.
Jemima whimpered and cowered away from the tom holding her, her eyes fixed pleadingly on her mother and Bombalurina, willing them to help her. In her whole life she had never been so scared. Ever since she had been a tiny kitten people had told her stories about Macavity and how dangerous he was. All of them had been warned to stay away from him and to never leave the Junkyard alone. Jemima tried frantically to think of something else, anything that wasn't the horror stories about the tom holding her. For some reason she found herself wishing that Tumblebrutus was there to save her. She closed her eyes and tried to block out her surroundings focussing on the thought of Tumblebrutus, his warm friendly eyes, his adorable smile. A tear leaked out from under her eyelids and dripped down into her fur.
Macavity advanced a step on Bombalurina dragging Jemima with him. His eyes rested briefly on her and then flicked to Demeter cowering behind her. "You should never have left me," he said in a voice that was deceptively soft and silky, "Now I finally have the chance to make you pay for it. This is your daughter, isn't it?" He shook Jemima making her sob and open her eyes again. "Very pretty. She looks just like you did at her age. You have the same eyes."
"Get off her. Just leave us alone," Demeter pleaded helplessly. Around them everything was calm and quiet and nobody seemed to have noticed that there was anything wrong. In the distance somebody laughed and a door slammed. Nobody was coming to help them. Their only hope was that Munkustrap would arrive home before Macavity could do anything to hurt Jemima. Demeter's head turned wildly from side to side as she scanned the surrounding area for any sign of her mate, but there was nothing. He wasn't there.
Very slowly Macavity raise a paw so his claws were hovering over Jemima's throat. "Anything you want to say to her?", he asked Demeter almost conversationally, "Before it's too late."
"No, please!", the black and gold queen begged, "I'm sorry I left you. I was wrong. I'll come back and live with you if that's what you want. Please don't hurt Jemima. Please!" At that moment Demeter didn't care what happened to her she just wanted to know that her kitten was safe. Even the idea of being trapped with Macavity again didn't scare her as much as the thought of loosing Jemima. If there was anything she could do to protect her then she would do it, no matter what it was.
Opposite her the ginger tom threw back his head and laughed, his paw tightening it's hold on the little queen-kit. "You think I care about you? Why would I want you back? You're just a stupid queen who thinks she is way more important than she actually is. I don't care about you. All I want is to make you suffer for betraying me and this," he shook Jemima so her teeth clattered together, "is the best way to do it." He looked her up and down again with a smirk.
Jemima wanted to struggle and scream and fight but she couldn't move. What do I do? He's going to kill me. I have to do something, she panicked, I can't just do nothing. Why is nobody helping me? I'm never going to see my friends again, am I? I want Brutus. I wish he was here. The thought of Tumblebrutus made her feel braver. He wouldn't give up without a fight. Twisting around suddenly Jemima clawed at the arm that was holding her, drawing blood, and kicked and squirmed to get away.
Cursing and hissing Macavity wrapped both arms around the struggling kitten pinning her against him. Blood ran down his arm in a thin trickle and dripped off his claws and onto the ground at his feet. "You'll pay for that," he growled menacingly and slapped Jemima, raking his claws across her cheek.
Jemima's head snapped back and her cheek felt like it was on fire. Tears sprang into her eyes and she let out a pathetic moan. She could taste her own blood in her mouth and all she could hear was her heart pounding and the sound of her mother and Bombalurina screaming. All bravery had evaporated as quickly as it had come.
Very deliberately Macavity placed his claws against the soft skin of the little kitten's throat and looked up into Demeter's desperate eyes. He bared his teeth in an evil grin and drew his arm back to deliver the final blow.
"Stop!", Demeter screamed, "Don't hurt her! She's your daughter!"
A ringing silence followed where nobody moved or spoke. The whole scene seemed frozen. Jemima was cowering with her eyes screwed shut, Macavity was stood over her paw still suspended in the air, Bombalurina had her arms reaching out for Jemima and Demeter was stood beside her. After what felt like years Macavity lowered his paw. He looked right at Demeter and tipped his head on one side, studying her. Then just as suddenly as he had appeared he was gone, leaving Jemima in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Immediately Demeter was crouching by her side tenderly lifting her up and cradling her to her chest. "It's alright, Jem, you're safe. I've got you. He's gone," she cooed softly. Tears were pouring down her cheeks and soaking into her kittens fur but neither of them noticed. Jemima was sobbing too, her whole body shaking. The relief was so overwhelming that Demeter couldn't do anything else.
Bombalurina's voice interrupted loudly from beside them. "Go! What if he comes back? Take Jemima and go home! I'll wait here for Munkustrap and tell him what's happened, just go!" She roughly dragged Demeter to her feet and urgently pushed her in the direction of her den. "Go!"
Without needing to be told twice Demeter ran as fast as her wobbly legs would carry her. She didn't stop running until she was safely inside and had locked the door firmly behind her. Then she collapsed on the floor with Jemima and broke down into helpless sobs.