I Am Howling
Mittens stays in Vegas. Alone in the streets, she howls.
Equinox
"Go, Bolt."
Mittens spoke those words with as much finality as she could muster. Her head barely raised, she stared at the ground, trying not to meet eyes with the white dog standing in front of her. She saw his paw creep forwards and heard him take in a breath, so she spoke up before he could reply.
"Just go."
The paw scraped back out of her vision. Her eyes scrunched closed, and she stood, listening to the slow padding of pawsteps crunching against the dirt and sands. Wind whipped around the dunes of trash, her fur rustling.
"You take care, Mittens."
Her ears flicked unconsciously at the voice before settling again. As the steps faded away, she looked up. A white spot glimmering in the morning sun paused for a moment, then disappeared over the pile ahead. She stared out over the dune, dirt soft underneath her feet. Then, she turned and walked away.
For some reason, her cheeks were wet.
Mittens sat, staring trashcan lid in front of her. She batted at it with one paw, and a rattle echoed down the alley. There was a stirring, and behind her she heard a crunch as plastic met concrete. A ball rolled into view, the brown animal inside groaning something about last night's dinner. She looked over at the hamster.
She decided to speak. "Good morning." No it wasn't.
"Good morning, Cat." He rubbed at his eyes, yawning. His nose flared, and eyes darted about. "Where's Bolt?"
"He's… gone." He's not with you. He's certainly not with me. She turned her head slightly, dipping down to stare at the plate she had put together, food covering its surface.
"He left?" Rhino was shocked.
Mittens wasn't.
"Yeah." She turned back to look at him. "But he instructed me to tell you that… he had to face the green eyed man alone."
Rhino stared out into space for a moment. There was a stillness, then he turned and his ball started to roll away. The sunlight glinted off the ball.
She was surprised for a moment, then slumped. Of course he would go too.
No use in pretending otherwise.
The ball turned the corner, and the sound of Rhino's rolling disappeared into the sounds of the city, gleam of sunlight disappearing around the corner.
She sat.
Above her, the sky turned pink, and the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
Mittens' tail curled around her paws, the noise of the casino below her roaring with raucous laughter, clinks, and music. She watched as the crowds shifted and mulled about under the neon lights, playing the slot machines and betting their chips on the long odds. The rooftop rumbled with the beat of the music beneath her paws. The smell of fresh food wafted up to her, and her stomach growled, letting its protest to her fast known. She ignored it.
"Mittens... I can't stay here."
The building across from her crashed open, and several men walked out, drunk and laughing. They strolled down the street, hanging off of the lightposts and joking with each other. Their voices carried over the rest of the night scene, ridiculous statements mixing in with the lively atmosphere of the street. She wished she knew how to get drunk.
"Penny's not like that."
The moon filled the sky, the stars hiding behind the pallor of the lights shining out of the city. The wind on the roof top blew the pebbles back and forth, scattering the gravel around her paws. She didn't care.
"You take care, Mittens."
She closed her eyes and stood. The casino did nothing but remind her of her mistakes. After all, she had tossed the chips, and staked it all on that moment. Then it had all come crashing down.
Under the lights, she tilted up her head.
She howled.