Now, see, I wasn't sure whether to call this one Abandoned or Cat, because both are topics, and both apply. In the end, I decided Cat applied more. Personally, I like this chapter best so far, because it shows a certain someone's softer side...one whom I like to embarass by showing their softer side, mwa ha ha...let it begin!
Well...not yet. I've got warn you, there's a POV change in the middle-ish of the chapter that I wanted to make obvious here instead of there, in order to keep the flow of the story. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out when you see it. Okay, now the chapter can begin!
It's cold outside.
Winter, was that what they called it?
Those big people, who walk on two legs?
Why did they throw me out?
That smaller person...ever since it came...
No one pets me anymore.
No one calls for me when they're feeling cold in the middle of the night...
No one to call to when I'm feeling cold...
Not even a bed.
They just threw me out the door.
Why?
I didn't do anything wrong, did I?
No...I don't think so...
I mean, I scratched up their couch a little bit...just ran my claws through the arm once or twice...
They'd never gotten mad at me for it before...
...Not too mad, anyway.
Not mad enough to throw me out.
Why have my owners been so different lately?
That smaller person...was it really a person?
It floated. Most people don't do that.
Maybe it's one of those "ghosts" that I heard about on the news.
Not that I watched the news very often.
I hope I find out what's going on...someday...
But...it's too cold out here...
My fur isn't keeping me warm enough...
I'm not sure if I can...
...what's the point?
I don't have an owner anymore.
No more food...or shelter...or affection...
...so lonely...
...tired...
I saw that...show...last night...
If I fall asleep...I might never...wake up...
...who would care?
...so lonely...
...don't even know where I am anymore...
...cold...
I wish...
I wish that small person...or ghost...or whatever it was...never came to my house...
I'm not angry with my owners...
No.
I'm angry with him.
He made my owners act that way...
...he hurt my family...
I wish I could help them...
...but I can't.
I can't even...keep my eyes open...
I wonder if us cats really do have nine lives...
...guess I'll find out.
0 0 0
"Sigh..." sighed Vlad Masters as he walked towards the front door of his house.
Today had not been a good day. An evil plot foiled...by the Guys in White, no less!...his favorite restaurant went out of business...company sales were down...and that was, by far, the longest, most boring, least productive business meeting he'd ever been to.
With the kind of luck he was having today, he'd probably go to the kitchen for hot cocoa, and end up causing a blackout throughout the entire state just by plugging in his microwave...after that he'd probably pour hot cocoa on himself by accident once the power finally came back on.
And then Klemper would show up. Yup. That's probably exactly what would happen.
Vlad pulled his keys from out of his pocket, slowly looking for the right key to open his door. He found the jagged piece of metal (the zig-zagging locks really helped prevent locksmith-style break-ins), and lifted his foot forward in order to take a step towards the door...
...Vlad's toe hit something soft.
Vlad put his foot back in its original position, then bent over to see what he had hit. He brushed the snow off (-I have a twenty foot porch, what kind of snowstorm is this?-) and peered at the barely breathing whatever-it-was.
Whatever-it-was was so disheveled that it took Vlad about 5 seconds to realize -It's a cat! Some stray that got lost in the storm...- His frowned, pity within his eyes. Then, he snapped out of it, shaking his head furiously. -Oh, what do I care?- he thought. -It's just a mangy furball who was unlucky enough to be caught in the worst storm this side of Alaska!- And with that, Vlad stood up, unlocked the door, opened it, stepped over the cat, stepped inside and...
...looked back. Something in him just refused to let him leave that cat behind in the snow. But after a few seconds, once again, he snapped back into 'evildoer' mode. -Is that my conscience?- he thought, dryly. -Why, I thought I'd crushed that little annoyance into nothingness! Silly me...-
With that, he stepped fully inside and closed the door...
...almost.
With just a second or so left until the door completely closed, Vlad reached back with one arm, grabbing the door and leaving snow to blow in through the inch-wide crack his fingers took up while he had the first debate of morals he'd had with himself in a long, long time.
-I...I can't take care of a cat! I'm Vlad Masters! Heck with that, I'm Vlad Plasmius! The most ruthless ghost that either world has ever seen or will ever have seen!- Despite this string of logic, Vlad just couldn't shake that little voice inside of him, no matter how hard he tried. His mind flashed back through so many memories and so many thoughts...and the most prominent thought was...
0 0 0
"Bye, Vlad! And as a lonely, single man in your forties, might I suggest Internet Dating...OR A CAT?"
0 0 0
-No...if I were to take in this...creature...Daniel would never let me hear the end of it...-
Vlad looked back at the "creature". It was barely breathing. It wasn't shivering, but that was probably only because it had no energy left to shiver. By morning, it would be dead.
Vlad had two options to take. Option one: he would close the door, and that would shut his conscience up. He knew it would. He could feel it. If he closed the door, there was no changing his mind...
Option two?
Take in the little beast.
Feed it.
Shelter it.
Give it affection.
Vlad opened the door completely, turning around.
He stared at the cat for a long time.
The snow was covering it. Its breath was getting lesser and lesser with every second.
Vlad made his choice.
"You're going to regret this, Vlad..." he mumbled to himself. But he wouldn't listen to him, bending over to pick up the cat despite his own warnings.
"Come on, little one." he said, smiling softly. "Let's take you inside and get you warm..."
Vlad Masters walked into his house, new cat in hand, shutting the door behind him.
Well, that was a joy to write! Here's to hpoing Vlad owns the world's second multi-dimensional computer, whoo hoo! I'm gonna get killed, but it's gonna be worth it! Yeah...review, please!