Chapter Twenty-Five: Task Two

Demeter did not want to wake up the next morning. She wished she had been dreaming. She wished she would turn over and be faced by a wall of silver fur like so many other mornings before. She knew it was too much to ask for when the only thing she could see were purple sheets and mountains of pillows, there was no tabby to be seen anywhere.

Maybe if she laid still until the world ended, then she wouldn't be able to do any more damage. Not even Macavity could utilize her as Queen if she remained in bed all the time. But he would find a way to get to her… he always did.

Thinking she could find something to eat, Demeter got up and sought out the stash of food that was ever-present at the center table. She picked out a couple of things that looked decent enough, some were actually her favorite, put there at Macavity's request no doubt, but she didn't take them. She put on her plate only as much as was necessary to survive, nothing more. She did not deserve to indulge in anything beyond that. She brought her selection of food to the mirror where she would groom herself after breakfast. Stepping closer to the mirror, her eyes fell upon something she could not believe she saw.

Another note.

With a clash, the plate slid out of her paw and landed fatally on the floor. She ripped the note from the tucked place between the frame and glass. Angrily she headed upstairs. She did not try to hide any emotion as she approached Macavity.

"How dare you expect me to carry out another one of your maniacal tasks after forcing me to go through with breaking Munkustrap's heart only last night! How can you expect me to do this?" Demeter hollered in disgust.

"It's simple. I know you'll do it because I control you now. I have the upper-paw, the leverage. I have the power to obliterate everything you love. You know it's true."

"What's your plan, Macavity? Why won't you tell me what your plan is?"

"I must have my secrets, Demsi. I'm a Mystery Cat, get it?" Macavity emphasized.

"I don't understand why you're having me do all of these things. This one is just as terrible as the first one, I can't even take it seriously."

Macavity shot his arm out towards Demeter and grabbed her by the throat. "You'd better believe it, dear one, or everything you love will be lost."

Demeter fell to the floor gasping for air as Macavity released his grasp. "Now," he addressed, looking over his finely manicured claws, "go and complete the task that is written on the note, or not only will you suffer the consequences, but so will everyone else."

Macavity snapped his fingers, ordering in two guards to carry Demeter out of the room. They put her out in the hall, throwing the note down to her.

She looked at its instructions:

"Kill Bombalurina…"

There was no way Demeter was going to go through with this one. Although Demeter had hurt Munkustrap as badly as she did, he was still alive, but if she killed someone, there would be no justification for it. She would not be able to live with herself. After all, she was barely able to live with herself after what she had done to Munkustrap.

Bombalurina was her best friend in the entire universe. They had known each other from the very start. There wasn't a thing one feline didn't know about the other and in some fashions, their relationship soared beyond what there was between Demeter and Munkustrap. There is something about friendship that a relationship cannot compete with. This Demeter knew very well, and because she knew it, she could not fathom how in Heaviside she could possibly proceed in killing her best friend…

She returned to the basement, pacing around the room, trying to compose some sort of plan to keep Bombalurina from getting harmed. Faking it was out of the question, Macavity knew her too well for her to pull that off. What else could she do? Nothing was running through her mind, except to actually carry out Macavity's orders, but that was what Demeter wanted to do least of everything else. Maybe if she left the Warehouse, headed towards the Junkyard, and then just never stopped, just kept on going until she was far outside the boundaries of Macavity's radar… Oh, but that would never be successful, and Demeter reluctantly knew it, for who was to say whether or not Macavity would send a spy or henchcat to follow her?

Could she actually kill Bombalurina, though? Hypothetically? Demeter was no match. Bombalurina was a much taller and stronger opponent compared to Demeter. Even if she did try to kill her, she would not win. She could never win when they were kittens, wrestling all over the Junkyard, why should now be any different?

What if Demeter could attack Bombalurina so that Bombalurina would not know who was attacking her, perhaps Demeter could trick her friend into killing her, ending this nightmare once and for all. Bombalurina would be upset after discovering her attacker, but at least the Junkyard would be safe, as would all of those who reside within it.

This was it. This would be Demeter's plan.

So off she went, as confident as ever that this plan could not fail her. She would frighten Bombalurina, be killed instinctively, then it would all be over. It was fool-proof.

As night fell, the figures of Jellicles disappeared little by little, but there was only one that Demeter kept her watchful eye on from the bushes. She noticed how depressed everyone seemed to be. Whether or not it was due to her own absence, because of Munkustrap's distraught state, or some horrid combination of the two, Demeter could not be sure. She couldn't help but try to see Munkustrap somewhere out there, to check up on him in a sense, but he was not there. She could not see him.

As she continued to keep an eye on Bombalurina, she noticed that the queen was coming in her direction. There had been no other cats around. This would be the perfect time to strike. As the silhouette, darkened by the lack of lighting in the bushes, sauntered in front of Demeter's hiding place, she pounced.

Demeter threw an arm around Bombalurina's neck from behind her, strangling her but not completely. Even if Demeter had given it her all, her efforts would prove feeble compared to Bombalurina's capabilities. The sounds of the scuffle encouraged the adrenaline to race rapidly through both the veins of the golden-ebony attacker and the scarlet victim. Demeter was expecting the moment of her death to happen, expecting that Bombalurina would throw her to the ground and slash her to bits.

For some reason, Bombalurina would not fight back, she held onto the arms coiled around her throat, not letting go. It was an awkward moment. This alarmed Demeter… did Bombalurina somehow know who it was who was trying to 'kill her'? Why else wouldn't she defend herself?

"I know… it's… you." Came her voice. It was raspy because her lungs were being deprived of oxygen.

Demeter instantly let go of Bombalurina. As the red queen turned around to face her captor, Demeter panicked, deciding all at once to smash Bombalurina over the head with a balled-up fist, knocking her unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Bomba. I hope someday you and Munkustrap will understand and forgive me."

Demeter returned to the Warehouse, immediately terrified at seeing Macavity standing on the steps outside. His arms were folded across his chest, his toe tapping the ground impatiently.

"How did you do it?" he asked monotonously.

"Excuse me?"

"How did you kill her?"

Demeter was not expecting to be questioned. "I, uh… I strangled her."

"That would explain why there is no blood on your paws." Macavity circled Demeter, causing Demeter to be extremely nervous, what if he wanted her to retrieve the body? What if he found out that she hadn't actually killed Bombalurina? "I can smell Bombalurina's scent. Everlasting Cat, you truly killed her. Bravo, my dear child." Macavity was thoroughly pleased, much to Demeter's liking. She visibly relaxed.

Macavity stood in front of Demeter, taking his arms and resting them on Demeter's shoulders. "Now Demsi, I know it must be frustrating not knowing what my plan is or how you fit into everything, but in time you will. My plan is so incredible that when I tell you what it is, you probably won't even be able to stand it." The crimson tom was as excited as a kitten on Christmas morning.

"We'll see." Demeter answered plainly.

"Yes, we certainly will." Macavity kissed her. "Tonight we shall celebrate. Your first two tasks have been completed and my plan is well on its way. Progress is being made, goals are being accomplished, and I am feeling as well as I did when I first established myself as a tom of evil."

He ushered her inside the Warehouse while preparations for a celebration went underway at the clap of Macavity's paws.

At the Junkyard:

Bombalurina was awake. Everything was fuzzy. The sun had risen and she rationalized that she must have been sleeping under the bushes for the entirety of the night. Nevertheless, she remembered what had happened to her and rushed to Munkustrap's den, eager to tell him of her newly composed theory. She just hoped he would listen to her.

She banged on his door, not knocked, but banged. "Munkustrap, open up! This is important! Please!"

There was silence.

"Come on, Munkustrap! I need to talk to you! Please! Don't give up! Open the door!" she shouted.

The door opened a smidge. From the tiny illuminated sliver of Munkustrap's face, Bombalurina could tell that he was in poor shape. His whiskers were crooked and at uneven lengths, his eyes were red and droopy, his fur was sloppy, and his expression was utterly blank. He hardly looked like Munkustrap.

"What do you want?" he asked with no real concern.

"I have to talk to you about Demeter and Macavity. Don't slam the door! Please, all I'm asking is for you to listen to what I have to say, that's all, and after that, if you think I'm completely out of my mind and you want nothing more to do with me, well fine, I'll leave, but five minutes of your time, that's all I'm asking for. I'm begging now. Please Munkustrap."

The door opened completely, permitting Bombalurina entry into Munkustrap's den. "Thank you." She gratefully greeted.

"Sit down, Bomba. I'll listen." Munkustrap motioned to a sofa cushion.

"Okay, well, I have a theory. I don't think Demeter is staying at the Warehouse by her own will. Now don't cut me off, Munkustrap. I know what you're thinking. If she weren't staying by her own will, then she wouldn't be there. But what if that's not the case? What if Macavity is guilt-tripping her into being his Queen? Having his kits? You heard all the things he swore about her, maybe this is just another one of his schemes, this might have very little to do with Demeter after all!"

Munkustrap seemed uninterested, until Bombalurina made a chilling confession. "I was attacked last night, Munkustrap."

"Attacked? Where?"

"I was attacked from behind by the bushes near the Junkyard entrance. I couldn't see who was holding me, but I grabbed onto their arms while they held my neck, and I was about to flip them over me, ready to kill, but I caught a scent, I caught Demeter's scent, so I just held my paws there, around her arms, and I just knew it had to be her. She's always had this strange disfiguration on her left arm that you can't see, but you can feel. She told me about it when we were kits after Tugger made fun of her for it. I felt it myself, it had to be her!"

"And you're sure it was her? You're absolutely positive?"

"Yes!"

"I don't see what this proves other than she tried killing you."

"That's the thing, Munkustrap, she wouldn't kill me. It was as though she was planning on letting me win, on letting me overtake and possibly kill her without realizing who it was until it was too late. This is why I think she's being forced to do these things, to stay with Macavity at the Warehouse. Munkustrap, don't you understand? She might not even be pregnant!"

"I don't know, Bomba. That sounds like quite an elaborate sketch. I think what's going on here is that you've created this theory in hopes that we haven't actually lost her again, believe me, I've been doing the same thing. But it's time to face reality. She's chosen a different life, one that has nothing to do with us." He placed a paw on her shoulder to comfort her, but she shrugged it off.

"You're wrong! I'm telling you, Munkustrap, Demeter needs our help! When are you going to snap out of whatever kind of funk you're in and do something about it?" The ruby temptress waited for a reply from the silver tabby, but none came. She was left in silence.

"I see." Bombalurina left Munkustrap's den, giving him one more look of concern before closing the door behind her. Munkustrap sat down on the bed and thought about everything he had just heard, for a second believing that it could be true.

"Of course it's not true!" he thought out loud. "Why would she do those things, how could she hurt me the way she did, if it were not because she wanted to?"

Munkustrap waved it all off, choosing to instead ignore what Bombalurina had just ranted about, curling up beneath the covers, hoping that sleep would alleviate some of the troubles his life was becoming filled with.