Now That It's Over: Plato
By Saffity
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
The Jellicle Ball. All the cats are coming from miles around to my home. They're all so
cheerful, so full of life. I see cats I remember, queens who were hardly more than kittens when
last I saw them. I feel nothing but dispair, sadness and eternal loneliness. Last year I was
filled with joy, becoming an adult, with the most beautiful queen I had ever seen.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I look at the moon. It's white and clear, like her fur. She'd always kept it so clean. I get up
and walk away from the proper, there's nothing for me there now.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I remember how it all started, how the destruction of my life began. Shortly after the Jellicle
Ball, I was waiting for her to arrive, Victoria, the queen of my dreams. She was late, and that
wasn't like her. I got up to go search for her, hoping she was all right. I climbed up a junkpile
in time to see Macavity standing in front of her, hypnotizing her into following him. I'd seen
him do it before, even allowed it to happen when I could have stopped it.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Not this time and not this queen. I jumped between them, shaking his hold on her, "No Macavity,"
I said, "I've turned a blind eye to others, but not this one."
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Macavity smiled at me, "We'll see about that brother," he said quietly, before disappearing as
usual.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I looked at Vicki, worried that he'd had enough time for it to be permanent. WHen she shook her
head and smiled at me, I realaxed enough to purr. I hoped she hadn't heard, Macavity had said the
one thing I kept secret from the Jellicles, the fact that he was my brother.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
As we walked back to the Junkyard, I remembered why I'd wanted to see her. I couldn't wait to get
to the proper so I could show her.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
She seemed able to sense my excitement, "What?" she asked.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
"You'll see," was all I had told her.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
When we got to the proper, I lead her to the tire, her present hidden nearby, "So what's so
exciting," she asked.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I couldn't help smiling as I pulled the ribbon out, "Your white one doesn't show up enough," I
said, "I felt this would look prettier."
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I carefully tied it around her neck, it was perfect, and looked as beautiful as I thought it
would on her.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I sigh as I hear the Jellicle Ball in progress, as the cats all wonder who will be chosen. I
close my eyes, not caring.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
That horrible night, the last night I saw Vicki. She'd been late again, and again I went to find
her. I walked towards her owner's home, praying she was all right. I rounded a corner and caught
the scent of my brother, and Victoria. My stomach grew tight with fear. What would he do to her?
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I ran as fast as I could to the building he stayed in. I hopped up to a window to see Vicki tied
up to the wall, her ribbon in shreads on the ground. I quietly crawled through the window, towards
the queen I loved.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I got near enough to pull her away, when Macavity leapt at her. He scratched her beautiful skin,
leaving a mark I had seen carved into many other queens.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
It was more than I could take. I growled and attacked Macavity. He was taken off guard, but not
for long. He had always been stronger than me, and as we struggled, I knew I would not win. He
got one clear swipe and took it.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
When I woke up, I was near the edge of the junkyard, scratched, cut, sore, alive.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I look at the Jellicle Moon, hardly noticing the tears streaming down my face.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Victoria, if only I knew you were all right, if you were happy, if you were alive.
By Saffity
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
The Jellicle Ball. All the cats are coming from miles around to my home. They're all so
cheerful, so full of life. I see cats I remember, queens who were hardly more than kittens when
last I saw them. I feel nothing but dispair, sadness and eternal loneliness. Last year I was
filled with joy, becoming an adult, with the most beautiful queen I had ever seen.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I look at the moon. It's white and clear, like her fur. She'd always kept it so clean. I get up
and walk away from the proper, there's nothing for me there now.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I remember how it all started, how the destruction of my life began. Shortly after the Jellicle
Ball, I was waiting for her to arrive, Victoria, the queen of my dreams. She was late, and that
wasn't like her. I got up to go search for her, hoping she was all right. I climbed up a junkpile
in time to see Macavity standing in front of her, hypnotizing her into following him. I'd seen
him do it before, even allowed it to happen when I could have stopped it.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Not this time and not this queen. I jumped between them, shaking his hold on her, "No Macavity,"
I said, "I've turned a blind eye to others, but not this one."
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Macavity smiled at me, "We'll see about that brother," he said quietly, before disappearing as
usual.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I looked at Vicki, worried that he'd had enough time for it to be permanent. WHen she shook her
head and smiled at me, I realaxed enough to purr. I hoped she hadn't heard, Macavity had said the
one thing I kept secret from the Jellicles, the fact that he was my brother.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
As we walked back to the Junkyard, I remembered why I'd wanted to see her. I couldn't wait to get
to the proper so I could show her.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
She seemed able to sense my excitement, "What?" she asked.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
"You'll see," was all I had told her.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
When we got to the proper, I lead her to the tire, her present hidden nearby, "So what's so
exciting," she asked.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I couldn't help smiling as I pulled the ribbon out, "Your white one doesn't show up enough," I
said, "I felt this would look prettier."
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I carefully tied it around her neck, it was perfect, and looked as beautiful as I thought it
would on her.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I sigh as I hear the Jellicle Ball in progress, as the cats all wonder who will be chosen. I
close my eyes, not caring.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
That horrible night, the last night I saw Vicki. She'd been late again, and again I went to find
her. I walked towards her owner's home, praying she was all right. I rounded a corner and caught
the scent of my brother, and Victoria. My stomach grew tight with fear. What would he do to her?
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I ran as fast as I could to the building he stayed in. I hopped up to a window to see Vicki tied
up to the wall, her ribbon in shreads on the ground. I quietly crawled through the window, towards
the queen I loved.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I got near enough to pull her away, when Macavity leapt at her. He scratched her beautiful skin,
leaving a mark I had seen carved into many other queens.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
It was more than I could take. I growled and attacked Macavity. He was taken off guard, but not
for long. He had always been stronger than me, and as we struggled, I knew I would not win. He
got one clear swipe and took it.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
When I woke up, I was near the edge of the junkyard, scratched, cut, sore, alive.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
I look at the Jellicle Moon, hardly noticing the tears streaming down my face.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Victoria, if only I knew you were all right, if you were happy, if you were alive.