Chapter 11
Tobias eventually chased Fluffer up a tree. I was the one who climbed up to get it. Of course, it wasn't one of those nice trees that had branches coming out the side near the ground. It wasn't nice. It was ten feet straight up, or at least it seemed, before there were any branches to grab. I had to shimmy up into the bulk of the tree.
As soon as I got up to the top, I could see that the shimmying up the tree had left dark red marks on my arms. They stung.
I could see Fluffer, he was up a few branches and a little out from the stump. Wouldn't be easy to get. I climbed up and went out on the branch. Thank god it was thick enough to support my weight. I shimmyed out the branch until I had pushed Fluffer out to a crotch of the tree. I reached out and tried to touch him. Slowly, so slowly. "Here kitty, kitty." I cooed in a soothing voice. "I'm not gonna hurt you." I reached out a little further.
I could tell I was already in trouble when I heard the hiss of the cat. It was only a split second before I heard it until he had swiped at me. I couldn't get my hand out of the way in time. The cat's claws actually stuck in my fingers. It stung quite a bit, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed, because now I was mad.
I pulled my hand to my body with the cat's claws still attached. I grabbed the cat with my other hand and started to concentrate on the cat. I could feel the cat slow down from the constant struggling. Right as I lost my concentration, the cat started squirming and slashing at my arm again. Really annoying if you ask me. I let him go with minimal cuts to my arm, but I made sure to throw the cat to the ground.
I could hear Sam laughing quietly below me. "That's cruel." He said between laughs.
Meanwhile, I was busy looking at my arms. Then I noticed what could be a severe problem. The vein right on the lower wrist, the one that depressed people slice, was cut right open in a jagged line. "Yeah, um Sam, I think I have a problem." I said as I sat down on the tree branch, leaning against the tree trunk.
"What?" He asked.
"I need to get back to Cassie's to get a band-aid or something. That damn cat sliced me open, and I think it would be serious."
{How?} Tobias asked as he swooped in to land on the branch beside me. {It's just a cut.}
"Watch." I said as I leaned over to put my hand above Sam. I left it there for a while until the blood began to drip off the end of my fingers.
"Hey!" Sam shouted. "That's gross." He moved to the side and started to brush himself off. It wasn't doing anything.
I laughed. "I told you it was serious." I began to crawl down the tree. When I got to the lowest branches, I grabbed hold and fell to the ground. It wasn't far, but it hurt my feet. And there was now blood running all down my arms and approaching my shoulders. I brushed most of it off, but there was still a stain.
I put my big shirt back on, hoping to not have the sleeve touch my arm. I even kept it rolled up on my left arm, the one with the cut. It was irritating.
"Yeah, that is cool. I wonder if it will scar?" He said.
"I hope so. I like scars." I said.
{Well, I don't see the point in scars. Kind of unattractive.} he said. Then, {Hey guys, I think I see Rachel and Cassie.}
"Well, I think you would know in this light. I have been a hawk, and if they can be seen, then you can see them very well." I said.
{Yeah, I am pretty sure it's them. They must be going for a walk or something. Let's go see them, maybe say hi.} Tobias suggested.
"Alright. I can deal with that." I agreed. I could tell that they would be disappointed that we were out in town, and ask why, but I didn't care. I was having a great day. I quickly hid my hand in the shirt as soon as we got close.
"Hi Cassie, hi Rachel." I said with a little more uppity than I had intended. They just looked at me funny.
"What are you two doing here?" Cassie asked. "Shouldn't you be at home or whatever?"
I shook my head. "Nope. Much more fun here." I said.
"Well, you shouldn't be here, just to be safe." Rachel added in a hushed whisper.
"I know." Sam said. "But we need to take risks, or life is boring."
"I agree, let's drop the subject and continue to discuss the next mission. Then we can all go and have parfaits in the morning." I suggested. Rachel looked at me funny. I walked up to her and put my arm around her shoulder. "I can tell we are going to be good friends." I told her. Then I let her go.
Cassie sighed. "Look, of course we will need to get along, but now we need to go back home. Now."
I looked over at Rachel and noticed she was rubbing her neck and looking at her hand. At first, I wondered why, but then I realized my mistake. I had touched her with my bloody hand.
"Gordon, why am I covered with blood?" She asked. She shook her head as Cassie came over and investigated my wrist. Her eyes widened.
"What Happened?" She asked.
I quickly searched for a lie. I would tell her the truth in the future, but not Rachel. "I cut it on a fence. The little uncovered piece of wire got a hold of my wrist and when I tugged, it ripped me up." I looked up, pretty pleased with myself. Sam laughed. "What's so funny?" I asked.
"Nothin', it was just funny." He replied. "Reminiscing."
{Um, guys, there is a bus coming soon. Does anyone have some cash to go to Cassie's?} Tobias asked from the sky.
Cassie and Rachel found enough money between the two of them to get us all a ride to Cassie's. We had to run to catch the bus and Cassie almost fell on her face. We all got back to Cassie's place and she bandaged up the wound. If only I had thought of the ultimate solution earlier.
Tobias eventually chased Fluffer up a tree. I was the one who climbed up to get it. Of course, it wasn't one of those nice trees that had branches coming out the side near the ground. It wasn't nice. It was ten feet straight up, or at least it seemed, before there were any branches to grab. I had to shimmy up into the bulk of the tree.
As soon as I got up to the top, I could see that the shimmying up the tree had left dark red marks on my arms. They stung.
I could see Fluffer, he was up a few branches and a little out from the stump. Wouldn't be easy to get. I climbed up and went out on the branch. Thank god it was thick enough to support my weight. I shimmyed out the branch until I had pushed Fluffer out to a crotch of the tree. I reached out and tried to touch him. Slowly, so slowly. "Here kitty, kitty." I cooed in a soothing voice. "I'm not gonna hurt you." I reached out a little further.
I could tell I was already in trouble when I heard the hiss of the cat. It was only a split second before I heard it until he had swiped at me. I couldn't get my hand out of the way in time. The cat's claws actually stuck in my fingers. It stung quite a bit, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed, because now I was mad.
I pulled my hand to my body with the cat's claws still attached. I grabbed the cat with my other hand and started to concentrate on the cat. I could feel the cat slow down from the constant struggling. Right as I lost my concentration, the cat started squirming and slashing at my arm again. Really annoying if you ask me. I let him go with minimal cuts to my arm, but I made sure to throw the cat to the ground.
I could hear Sam laughing quietly below me. "That's cruel." He said between laughs.
Meanwhile, I was busy looking at my arms. Then I noticed what could be a severe problem. The vein right on the lower wrist, the one that depressed people slice, was cut right open in a jagged line. "Yeah, um Sam, I think I have a problem." I said as I sat down on the tree branch, leaning against the tree trunk.
"What?" He asked.
"I need to get back to Cassie's to get a band-aid or something. That damn cat sliced me open, and I think it would be serious."
{How?} Tobias asked as he swooped in to land on the branch beside me. {It's just a cut.}
"Watch." I said as I leaned over to put my hand above Sam. I left it there for a while until the blood began to drip off the end of my fingers.
"Hey!" Sam shouted. "That's gross." He moved to the side and started to brush himself off. It wasn't doing anything.
I laughed. "I told you it was serious." I began to crawl down the tree. When I got to the lowest branches, I grabbed hold and fell to the ground. It wasn't far, but it hurt my feet. And there was now blood running all down my arms and approaching my shoulders. I brushed most of it off, but there was still a stain.
I put my big shirt back on, hoping to not have the sleeve touch my arm. I even kept it rolled up on my left arm, the one with the cut. It was irritating.
"Yeah, that is cool. I wonder if it will scar?" He said.
"I hope so. I like scars." I said.
{Well, I don't see the point in scars. Kind of unattractive.} he said. Then, {Hey guys, I think I see Rachel and Cassie.}
"Well, I think you would know in this light. I have been a hawk, and if they can be seen, then you can see them very well." I said.
{Yeah, I am pretty sure it's them. They must be going for a walk or something. Let's go see them, maybe say hi.} Tobias suggested.
"Alright. I can deal with that." I agreed. I could tell that they would be disappointed that we were out in town, and ask why, but I didn't care. I was having a great day. I quickly hid my hand in the shirt as soon as we got close.
"Hi Cassie, hi Rachel." I said with a little more uppity than I had intended. They just looked at me funny.
"What are you two doing here?" Cassie asked. "Shouldn't you be at home or whatever?"
I shook my head. "Nope. Much more fun here." I said.
"Well, you shouldn't be here, just to be safe." Rachel added in a hushed whisper.
"I know." Sam said. "But we need to take risks, or life is boring."
"I agree, let's drop the subject and continue to discuss the next mission. Then we can all go and have parfaits in the morning." I suggested. Rachel looked at me funny. I walked up to her and put my arm around her shoulder. "I can tell we are going to be good friends." I told her. Then I let her go.
Cassie sighed. "Look, of course we will need to get along, but now we need to go back home. Now."
I looked over at Rachel and noticed she was rubbing her neck and looking at her hand. At first, I wondered why, but then I realized my mistake. I had touched her with my bloody hand.
"Gordon, why am I covered with blood?" She asked. She shook her head as Cassie came over and investigated my wrist. Her eyes widened.
"What Happened?" She asked.
I quickly searched for a lie. I would tell her the truth in the future, but not Rachel. "I cut it on a fence. The little uncovered piece of wire got a hold of my wrist and when I tugged, it ripped me up." I looked up, pretty pleased with myself. Sam laughed. "What's so funny?" I asked.
"Nothin', it was just funny." He replied. "Reminiscing."
{Um, guys, there is a bus coming soon. Does anyone have some cash to go to Cassie's?} Tobias asked from the sky.
Cassie and Rachel found enough money between the two of them to get us all a ride to Cassie's. We had to run to catch the bus and Cassie almost fell on her face. We all got back to Cassie's place and she bandaged up the wound. If only I had thought of the ultimate solution earlier.