Cats Can Cry?
''Purr, Patchie!''
''Petula?'' Patch irritatedly assumed it was her. That fake Kittyfloss voice had given him a clue.
He wasn't happy about this. That girl walking in was like a rainstorm ravaging his little clinic! Well, not just his clinic, his pride and dignity too. She always seemed to find the right insult, that one insult that could actually hurt him.
He fervently hoped she hadn't found out about him liking Ameena yet! Damn, he should've prayed to the Gods before he went to sleep last night! Yes, if he'd pray every day, the Gods would keep that pain of a girl out of his store - and out of his love life too!
''What do you need? Has one of your piñatas has gotten ill, or..?''
''No. Not really. I've... I've lost a few.''
''Theyre dead already? S-sorry, I'm a doctor, not a shaman, there's nothing I can do for them.''
''No, not like that! They just walked away... A few pieces of merchandise walked away...''
''A few? How many, what species, can you describe them?''
Sometimes he felt like a was some kind of police officer, instead of a vet. People asked him to do the strangest things, and they didn't only call for his help if they had lost a piñata. They would also visit him if they'd lost a toddler, an older child or even their hat...
The latter being absolutely ridiculous! Opening a lost-and-found-office on the island, would be a great investment!
''I've lost eight. Baby Kittyflosses, high value ones, you know. They all look the same... Same colors and stuff, all yellow, young and tiny... The pattern of them stripes varies a little, though...''
''Kittyflosses, you say?''
Patch sure had found one of those Kittyflosses. He had checked it this afternoon!
The Kitty hadn't been in such a good condition... Nothing serious, no infections or serious injuries, but by how skinny and untended it was. Besides, it's paw was wounded... But that could've been from his dangerous travel from the village to Ameena's garden.
Patch could tell sending it back to Petula wouldn't be the best decison anyway. It was having such a great time with Ameena! He even envied that little kitty kat!
But no, he had to... It was part of the law. He wasn't just a vet, he also had to bring all lost piñatas back home! Even if it was against his conscience and beliefs...
''I, I ehm...''
No. He couldn't. Ameena loved that little piñata, and she took great care of it! If he took this piñata from her, he would hurt two innocent beings at once.
And Ameena júst happened to be his favorite innocent being on the whole island...
''I-I-I haven't s-s-seen any of your Kit-t-tyflosses, I be-lie-lie-lieve.''
That was only half a lie. Katchie wasn't Petula's anymore, it was Ameena's now! Katchie had chosen himself! If he had loved Petula so much, he would have stayed with her in the first place! Well, he hadn't. He wanted Ameena to be his new owner...
''Please, doctor Patchingo!''
The tone of Petula's voice had changed, it had become more fragile. She passionately tried to wipe the tear off that had rolled all the way down to her chin, but when she did five others took its place.
Patch was slightlty shocked by this, he had never seen Petula crying before. He never even realized she could!
He shivered. Crying Petula was even more scary than Petula laughing!
''Don-don-don't you worry...'' Patch floudered. ''They'll be alright... We, we'll f-find all of them, they will all ret-t-turn s-safely, healthy and ha-ha-ha-hap-p-py...''
He hated to lie. Sure he was going to search for the remaining seven, but giving Katchie to her? No way, he couldn't! And he wouldn't get in trouble, she would never find out! She would most probably never see Katchie again, and if she did, she would not reconize him! She couldn't even separate two Kittyflosses from another, let alone she would reconize this one random cat!
Petula started to sob even louder. ''Are you sure, Mr Patchingo?''
''Y-y-y-y-es, indeed.''
Without him wanting it, Petula put her arms around his waist. Before he even knew it he was caught up in a tight embrace...
''I... can't... breathe...''
''They're all I care for!'' Petula cried desperately. ''They are so cute! When they purr! They always... enthiusiastic... when I walk in...''
''I-I understand h-how you feel'' Patch gasped. ''Th-th-the magic of happy p-piñatas affects a-all of us... Bu-bu-but... C-can y-you p-please let go..?''
''No! I won't rest until my sweet little Kitty Kats are back home!''
''I meant to s-say... Can y-you l-let ME go? Y-you're g-g-grip's kinda tight...''
''Oh, yes. Of course.''
Petula released Patch and as soon as he was free he started to pant. ''D-d-don't... Don't you e-e-e-e-e-ever do that again!'' he managed to say. ''A-a-as for now...'' He really needed to MAKE himself suggest this... ''M-maybe.. We c-c-can loo-look for the Kit-t-tyflosses ou-outside? O-on the edge of the j-j-jungle perhaps, I k-know wild Kittyflosses l-l-like wandering there...''
There were two reasons Patch felt sorry he said that right after the words had left his lips.
First reason; he hated Petula. She was annoying. Now she was sad she didn't behave all too bad but usually she was annoying, rude and loud. Besides, now she was using all his tissues, if she went on crying like this he'd run out before the end of the evening!
Second reason; Patch was a little bit scared of the rainforest at night... A little bit? No, that would be a very BIG little bit, the lurking shadows and the hymns of the night creatures scared the hell out of him...
Not to mention, there were old myths and folkore stories saying the Dark Gods hid themselves in the tops of the trees and the hidden underground caves, and if they were lucky to see a lonely, lost person at night... They would give the word 'lost' another meaning, they'd jump on you from above or rise up from the ground to grab you, strangle you and eat you, and they wouldn't even give your family the chance to find your bones or mask back! No, they would drag them to their secret hide-out and add them to their collection. The last few decades no one had ever actually found one of these places, but according to the stories from long, long ago, the walls were build out of bones and decorated with drawings made with blood, and of course the masks of the poor, poor victims...
No, this was NOT the way Patch wanted to end!
''The jungle?'' Petula asked tentative. ''You sure about that? That's pretty dangerous...''
''I-it is'' Patch agreed. ''St-till... I feel like we should g-go, if you e-ever want to see your K-k-kittyflosses back...''
