Americanized Jellicles
By: Tyrunner
Chapter 1
Like every day seemed to be, it was any typical day in the life of the Jellicle Tribe. Some of the kittens were playing, single toms were flirting and courting with young queens, and the rest were lounging around. Just like any normal day, except, of course, it would change. Jemina was sitting quietly on an old shop vacuum, scanning the junkyard for her crush, Pouncival. As she scanned the area, she suddenly caught the whiff of something that smelled incredibly inviting. She looked around and noticed a huge open wooden crate sitting just outside the junkyard. The smell was similar to the smell of grouse or chicken, but she wasn't totally sure. The crate was lying on one side; the board facing her was lying flat, leaving one side open for anyone to see. Using her light-sensitive feline vision, she could see that the crate was empty, it there was something about it that intrigued her, like there was some surprise inside.
"Jemmi, what are doing?" A queen's voice broke through her curiosity as she was about to enter the crate. The calico queen turned and saw her good friend, Victoria, standing behind her.
"Oh, nothing, Vicky, I'm just wondering about this crate here. I've never seen it before."
The all-white queen stared at the wooden box as well and sniffed at it, "It's a pretty peculiar sight, that's a fact. What's that smell?"
"Not sure. Smells almost like a grouse or a chicken, something like that."
"Well, whatever it is, it is certainly a fowl smell," Vicky gave a slight pun to her response, which had both queens giggling at it. Jemmi regained her composure and walked into the crate, Victoria following. Curiosity was too strong for them to back away. They got to the back of the crate, and the inviting smell was very strong, almost intoxicating.
"Hey, what are you two lovely queens doing in here?" Pouncival's voice echoed through the box, and the pair inside turned to see him and his brother Tumblebrutus standing at the crate's entrance.
Jemina smiled shyly, feeling her heart skip a beat as the tom she had had her eyes on for the last few months gazed at her, "Oh, nothing, just looking through this box. I've never seen this in the junkyard before, have you?"
Pouncival and Tumblebrutus both slowly slinked inside, looking at all sides of the box, sniffing in curiosity, "No, I haven't!" Pouncival said, "Weird. Why do you think it's just sitting here in the junkyard? It looks like brand new."
All anyone could do was shrug in an "I don't know" gesture, and continue their investigation. Alonzo and Cassandra also came inside as well, and also did Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser.
There were now eight Jellicles in the crate; all wondering what it was doing here. They were all so far into the wooden box; no one looking down from above could see them. All of a sudden, the entire box went black inside, and the side that was down was up again, pressed up against the box. Everyone inside gasped in shock as their ears picked up the sound of a nail gun, nailing the open side shut. Both Tumblebrutus and Pouncival ran to the former entrance and pushed hard against it. It was shut solid. They pounded at the crate, shouting, or actually, meowing for help. But the human that had nailed the crate shut was walking away, humming a Beatles tune, and not paying attention. His partner came up to him, and all the cats in the crate could hear the conversation.
"It's all set?"
"Yes, the crate's ready to go. Say, did you check to make sure that address is right? That writing looks smudged."
"Yes, I am sure! What, Harry, you don't believe me?"
"Well, you can't be sure if that one number's a four or a nine!"
"Look, Rob, I am very damn sure that this is the right address! Now, we got 90 minutes before that plane leaves, and we have to make sure this box makes it, so let's get it loaded up!" With that, the two picked up the box and carried it to the waiting truck. Everyone inside tumbled head over heels over one another, unable to stay on their feet. The box suddenly slammed hard, and all the cats inside were now in a pile as they heard the sound of the truck door slamming shut. Once again, they all started meowing for the humans to let them go. Both of them heard the meows.
"Say, what is that?"
"Eh, it's probably those cats that are in the junkyard over there. Damn annoying fur balls! C'mon! We have to beat the rush hour through London!" With that, the pair went into the cab, started the engine, and drove off, with a cargo of eight Jellicles in a box, unable to hear their meows for freedom. Nearby, Macavity stood in a fire escape, chuckling to himself as the truck drove away. Stupid cats, he thought to himself, how could they not sense anything wrong with that box? If he had known nothing was wrong with it, he would've claimed it for his own as soon as he saw it.
"Oh well," he said to himself, "Curiosity killed the cat, or should I say crates the cat."
Chuckling at his pun, he ran off to his favorite spot, hurrying as fast as he could. After all, those Pekes weren't going to stifle themselves. As he disappeared from sight, another truck drove to where the wooden box used to be. The driver got out and looked around the area, confused. They said that box was going to be right here, waiting for him to pick up! He needed it to package his live chickens! Cursing under his breath, he went back into his truck and drove to where the man that was supposed to give him the box lived; oblivious to the fact that the box he had ordered was now on another truck that was headed to the airport, loaded with a different cargo.
The truck arrived at the airport with very little difficulty and the wooden box was loaded on board the aircraft, which was on a transoceanic flight to New York, from there, to Chicago, and from there, to central Wisconsin.
Well, there's the beginning in a nutshell, but there is plenty more to come. I'm glad to know some liked Last Redemption and I hope they like this as well. This will contain some brief romance, but otherwise, this is a humor story, as the rest of the story will consist of the many ways our entrapped Jellicles will try to use to get back home. There will be many characters from other movies, comics, TV shows, etc. in the story, not sure who yet. Anyways, I thought that I would try something new other than romance, though I am a sucker for it. BTW, enjoy this chapter and the next one will be coming soon.