Chapter 1 A Lost Cat
A lot of things had changed since I left Oz. One thing was for certain. I was as lost now as I was then. I wandered the streets of this new neighborhood. I could feel people staring at me. I know, I thought, I'm green and it's unusual. I ducked into an alleyway. Suddenly I had seen a group of cats. They seemed hostile, and like they were ganging up on a very haggard, tired old grey cat. All the cats had a somewhat human-like quality to them. The haggard cat didn't fight or even hiss. She lied there, dejected, as though she gave up on life. Her fur was mangy and patches were missing. There was a sadness in her eyes. The rest of the cats viciously hissed and growled at her.
"Shoo!" I shouted at them, "go on get!"
The cats all fled except the haggard one. She looked at me. As if to say "thank you". But she laid her head back to the ground.
"It's okay," I whispered soothingly, "I won't hurt you kitty."
I took my jacket off and scooped her up into my arms, wrapping her like a newborn baby. She melted against my chest purring. I felt as though I could communicate with this cat only by looking into her eyes. Her green eyes, that looked like faded emeralds. They had a glimmer of sadness.
"I wonder what your name is", I said. She was a faded, grizzled, yet she had a sense of elegance to her. And as if it came off the tip of my tongue, "Grizabella"
The cat then seemed to purr contently.
"That's what I'll call you then," I said, "Grizabella"