A TALE OF TWO CATS

Chapter 1

The mouse's tail twitched. He sensed danger. The mouse looked around, squinting in the dim light of the pipe, but saw nothing. Suddenly, out of the darkness, a pure white cat with a jewelled collar pounced and caught the mouse. The cat's name was Victoria, a beautiful queen. She was being watched, however, by a tom with ginger fur and black zigzag patterns and, hiding in another place, a black tom with a tuxedo pattern on his chest. Mistoffelees, the black tom, was watching her with love in his eyes. He loved that white queen. But he wasn't sure if she loved him.

Macavity, the ginger tom, was watching her for a different reason. He was watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Not to kill her, but to bewitch her. He was planning a great crime. He was going to break into the British Museum. But he couldn't do it himself, as the place was so well guarded. He needed another cat to do it, one that didn't matter to him. So he'd come to the Junkyard, meeting place of the Jellicles. None of these cats mattered to him, and he'd perfected the spell so only a magical cat who loved the victim could break it. The only flaw in his plan was that he wasn't sure if there was a magical Jellicle that loved this queen or not. But Macavity hadn't thought of that.

Chapter 2

Victoria stepped out of the pipe, still chewing on the mouse. Suddenly, there was a big bang and Mistoffelees fled, scared of the car that had backfired. Or so he thought…..

The big bang was Macavity's spell. Victoria was now completely under his control. Zombielike, she crossed the Junkyard, attracting the attention of Coricopat and Tantomile, who immediately recognised the effects of her being under another's control, being the cats of a witch, and they also knew that Mistoffelees didn't know how to bewitch another to do something yet, so that only left one possibility: Macavity. And, knowing Macavity, it would be something bad and something only a magical cat could stop. Coricopat and Tantomile could communicate mind to mind, so each knew what the other was thinking. They then set off to find Mistoffelees.

Mistoffelees was sitting in the boot of the car, reading about breaking evil spells when Coricopat and Tantomile approached.

"Mistoffelees. Your skills are needed," said Tantomile.

"Whah?" replied Mistoffelees, his mind still on his magic book.

"Victoria is under Macavity's spell and we fear he will make her do something bad," said Coricopat. Suddenly, a truck raced past the Junkyard towards some screaming sirens coming from a building down the road.

"She has been caught," said Tantomile, "That truck was from the pound. Go now, and rescue her. Otherwise she will be there for six months for stealing."

"Vicky! My poor Vicky! I'm coming! Uhh….oh….I mean…Never fear, Mistoffelees is here!" said Mistoffelees, blushing.

Chapter 3

MEANWHILE, AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM…..

Victoria couldn't stop. It was as if she was only a spectator, shoved to the back of her own mind. She grabbed several priceless jewels, fossils and some paintings, and shoved them in her sack. Then she noticed a huge diamond. She picked it up, setting off an alarm. She quickly shoved it in the sack and Macavity, who was watching from outside, levitated the sack out of Victoria's hands and into his own. Victoria offered no resistance. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't work. A guard picked her up and threw her into a truck that had just drawn up. Then they set off to the pound.

Mistoffelees raced after the truck, but he couldn't keep up.

"Time for a little magic, Mistoffelees," he said to himself. He summoned up his power and took off, soaring through the night sky.

Chapter 4

When he touched down at the pound a few minutes later, the truck was just pulling into the driveway. He hid behind a large bin while they carried Victoria in and locked her in a cage. Mistoffelees flattened himself against the wire fence and inched sideways. Crack! Mistoffelees stepped on a twig the guard, alerted by the sound of the twig snapping, spun around to see where the sound came from. Mistoffelees held his breath as the torch shone so close it almost illuminated his paw. Then he had a brainwave. He summoned up his power and made a noise over the other side of the pound. The guard span around. Mistoffelees summoned his power and turned invisible, cursing himself for not thinking of it before. Then he took off, soaring over the cages until he saw Victoria.

Victoria was standing stiffly in her cage, still under Macavity's spell. Mistoffelees landed in front of Victoria's cage and studied her. His mind flashed back to the book he'd been reading earlier on and he realised that the spell could be broken by him concentrating on how much he loved her and allowing it to flow out of him with his power. It was a difficult thing to do, but he had to try for Victoria, the tribe and himself.

Chapter 5

Mistoffelees closed his eyes and concentrated. He could feel it flowing out of him. He concentrated harder.

It was very gradual, but slowly, Victoria could feel herself regaining control over herself. She looked around, but couldn't see anyone. Suddenly, her paws left the ground. She tried to scream but she couldn't make a sound. She landed near the wire fence.

Mistoffelees crept back to the fence, where Victoria was.

"Victoria? Don't be scared. It's me, Mistoffelees. I've come to rescue you!" whispered Mistoffelees.

"Where are you?" Victoria whispered back.

"Next to you. I'm invisible. I levitated you out of your cage and kept you quiet so you didn't give us away. Here, I'll make you invisible too." Victoria looked at her paw. It was transparent. She then looked to her right and there was Mistoffelees.

"Let's go!" he whispered.

"Wait! Before we go back to the Junkyard, can we retrieve what I stole?" asked Victoria.

"I suppose we can try."

Mistoffelees and Victoria took off. Soon they arrived at Macavity's lair, an old, empty warehouse.

"There it is!" said Victoria, pointing to a sack in the upstairs room.

"Let's go!" said Mistoffelees.

"Wait! How are we going to do this?"

The sack was in the middle of the room, surrounded by all of Macavity's henchcats.

"You hover out here, invisible, and keep watch while I fly in, also invisible, and grab the sack," said Mistoffelees.

"Misto, be careful! I….uhh…I mean…,"said Victoria, blushing.

"Don't worry Victoria! I will."

Mistoffelees flew in the window, conjured up a sack exactly the same as the one that was being guarded which, when he let go of it, would become visible. He then quickly flew down and swapped the sacks. Then he looked at Victoria, who mouthed "Macavity!". Mistoffelees soared up to the ceiling. A moment later, Macavity materialised, which Mistoffelees had just learnt how to do.

"There's a cat that doesn't belong in here," said Macavity. He summoned his power and looked around. Suddenly, he noticed the tuxedoed kitten. Macavity tried to catch him, but was too late: Mistoffelees had soared out the window, grabbed Victoria, and dematerialised with her.

They rematerialised on the steps of the British Museum. Mistoffelees put the sack down, rang the bell, grabbed Victoria, and dematerialised with her.

Chapter 6

They rematerialised in the Junkyard. Coricopat and Tantomile had told the rest of the tribe and they were waiting. As soon as they appeared, the tribe surrounded them. Mistoffelees and Victoria were heroes.

"Misto, I've wanted to say this for ages. I.…I…." said Victoria.

"Yes?" asked Mistoffelees.

Victoria gathered her courage and said, "I love you."

"Victoria? I love you too."

Mistoffelees kissed Victoria and the tribe cheered.

"Will you be my mate?" asked Mistoffelees.

"Of course," replied Victoria.