One More Chance
On a typical day in the Jellicle Junkyard, Araina wandered across the 'yard
looking for someone to play with, after being told by her family and supposed
friends to leave, and stay out of trouble. She spotted an older group of queens,
who were just coming out of their teen years.
"Hey Cetty! Jemi! Viccy! 'Lectra! Wanna play with me?" she called.
Etcetera and Victoria looked down at her in disgust. "Go away, Araina. We're
very busy right now," Etcetera said meanly.
"Yeah," Electra echoed. "We're really busy."
Araina's ears dropped down. "Oh. Okay. Maybe later." She walked off with her
head down, and the four queens went back to gossiping about toms.
Araina continued across the junkyard on her search to find someone to play
with. She noticed Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer playing with their four kittens,
and went over to see if they would mind if she joined in.
"Hi," she said, more cautiously than the first time. "Can I play with you guys."
The oldest kitten, Munzey, snarled at her. "No! It just us and Mom and Dad
today! No one else!"
"All right," she said softly. "Then I won't bug you." Her last words gave her an
idea. Feeling a little better, she bounded off the park.
When she reached the park, she saw several kittens from the 'yard pouncing
around, trying to attack bugs, which had been her idea exactly. Smiling happily,
she raced over and joined in the game. Before she'd even had half a chance to
catch a bug, someone knocked her down. She stared up in surprise. Standing
above her were Munkustrap and Bombalurina's three kittens, Ratina, Rasheena,
and Echo.
"Did we say you could join?" Rasheena demanded.
"N-no," Araina stuttered. "I didn't know I had to ask. I-I'm sorry."
The three queens let her up. "Ask next time. And because you didn't ask this
time, you can't play," Ratina informed her.
"But it's not... I mean... Anyone can come to the park!" Araina cried. "You guys
don't own it!"
"We do today," Echo snarled. "Now get out of here."
"I'm sorry!" Araina ran out of the park before anyone else could hurt her, or
insult her. She had no idea where she was running, so she just ran.
After a while of running, she slowed down to catch her breath. She looked
around the area she was at, and realized she had no idea where she was. She
paused and looked into the street. Sitting in the gutter were several pieces of
glass, and bits of metal. She stared at them, fascinated by the way they glistened
in the sunlight. She cautiously reached into the gutter and picked up a piece of
glass. She gently set it on the sidewalk and stared at it from different angles, to
get a different glistening sensation. She reached in and picked up a few more
pieces of glass and some metal. Then she had an idea. She whirled around and
searched frantically for a bag of some sort. Amazingly, there was a large
backpack that someone had abandon by a pole. She dragged it over and began
loading it with the glass and metal. Moments later she had a full bag. Then she
dragged it off.
Araina slowly made her way through the unfamiliar streets. She searched for the
perfect hidden alley, wanting the most hidden, unknown alley in the area. She
didn't want anyone to be there when she carried out her idea. After searching for
what seemed to be hours, Araina found the perfect spot. She slipped down the
alley, and behind a garbage can. She took a deep breath and opened the
backpack. Then she dumped all the glass and metal into a huge pile in front of
her.
She stared down at the pieces and then began to carefully select the perfect
pieces for her idea. Once she'd found the sharpest, largest, most perfect pieces,
she shoved the rest away, cutting her paw as she did so. She picked up a piece
of glass and slid it across her foreleg. She removed it, and saw a line of blood
appear. She tossed the piece away, and selected a metal piece. She moved
farther up her arm and slid the sharp side of the metal across. Another line of
blood appeared. She continued picking out pieces of glass and metal, and sliding
them across her forelegs and hind legs. When she was satisfied with the cuts, she
chose a piece to cut her side. But she had hardly picked up the piece when a
voice interrupted her.
"Araina, what are you doing?" a gentle tenor asked softly.
Araina's head snapped around and she saw Macavity. "Uncle Macavity!" she
gasped. "W-what are you doing here? I-I didn't think anyone knew about this
alley."
"Araina, this is one of my many homes," Macavity told her. "Now I ask again,
what are you doing?"
"I'm-I'm cutting myself," Araina mumbled. "I want to kill myself."
"But why? Why do you want to kill yourself? Everlasting Cat knows your loved by
many. Why bother killing yourself?"
"No one loves me. No one wants me to be around. They keep telling me to
leave. They won't care if I'm dead. They probably won't even notice."
"That's not true. What about your family? They care, don't they?"
"No," Araina whispered. "They don't care. They didn't want me around either."
"What about your friends? Surely they wanted to play with you."
"Not them either. They told me they were busy."
"What about me?"
Araina looked up at her uncle. "Munkustrap won't let me see you."
"But I still care about you. How do you think I would feel if you killed yourself?
You're the only one of my nieces and nephews who cares about me. I don't want
you to die."
"I-I didn't think you cared either... I didn't think anyone cared. No one ever
wants me around... so... I just... I mean..." Tears started to slip down Araina's
face. "I just thought I'd kill myself and end the pain."
"Killing yourself this way will cause more pain for you, and if you succeeded, you
would cause pain for at least one cat in this world. I'd be prepared to kill myself.
I can't live without you. No one else loves me."
"But... didn't someone... Exotica?"
Macavity snorted. "Exotica was using me. She said she loved me. If she really
had she would have followed me out the gates when I left. She didn't. She left
me, and went to someone else."
"I thought she loved you. She seemed to like you so much."
"Cat's aren't always what they seem," Macavity told her. "Now, are you going to
throw those glass and metal pieces away, or are you going to try to kill yourself?
If you don't kill yourself, I'll help you. But if you kill yourself, I won't be able to
help anyone, and you won't have helped anyone either."
"Macavity, I want you to help me," Araina whispered in a choked voice. "Please
help me."
Macavity took all the glass and metal and put it in the backpack. Then he threw
the bag into the garbage can. He reached over and picked up Araina. Wordlessly
he walked out of the alley and to his lair. When he reached it, he took Araina to a
room where he could clean up her wounds and put something over them to keep
them clean. With in moments Araina had white strips all over her legs, covering
the cuts.
"Let's take you back to the junkyard." Macavity offered a paw for Araina to hold.
Araina gazed up at him, and nodded silently.
They left the lair, and went down the streets to the junkyard. When they walked
in, nobody noticed.
"See?" Araina's eyes held tears. "They haven't even noticed that I was gone.
They haven't noticed that I'm back either. They don't care."
"They'll notice soon. Call me if you ever need someone." Macavity gently hugged
her, and started away.
"Macavity!" Araina called after him. "Thanks. I needed one more chance."
Macavity smiled and slid into the shadows, leaving Araina to fend for herself in
the junkyard.
A/N: this was just based off a few stories I've read, and a little off my life. Please
R/R.
On a typical day in the Jellicle Junkyard, Araina wandered across the 'yard
looking for someone to play with, after being told by her family and supposed
friends to leave, and stay out of trouble. She spotted an older group of queens,
who were just coming out of their teen years.
"Hey Cetty! Jemi! Viccy! 'Lectra! Wanna play with me?" she called.
Etcetera and Victoria looked down at her in disgust. "Go away, Araina. We're
very busy right now," Etcetera said meanly.
"Yeah," Electra echoed. "We're really busy."
Araina's ears dropped down. "Oh. Okay. Maybe later." She walked off with her
head down, and the four queens went back to gossiping about toms.
Araina continued across the junkyard on her search to find someone to play
with. She noticed Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer playing with their four kittens,
and went over to see if they would mind if she joined in.
"Hi," she said, more cautiously than the first time. "Can I play with you guys."
The oldest kitten, Munzey, snarled at her. "No! It just us and Mom and Dad
today! No one else!"
"All right," she said softly. "Then I won't bug you." Her last words gave her an
idea. Feeling a little better, she bounded off the park.
When she reached the park, she saw several kittens from the 'yard pouncing
around, trying to attack bugs, which had been her idea exactly. Smiling happily,
she raced over and joined in the game. Before she'd even had half a chance to
catch a bug, someone knocked her down. She stared up in surprise. Standing
above her were Munkustrap and Bombalurina's three kittens, Ratina, Rasheena,
and Echo.
"Did we say you could join?" Rasheena demanded.
"N-no," Araina stuttered. "I didn't know I had to ask. I-I'm sorry."
The three queens let her up. "Ask next time. And because you didn't ask this
time, you can't play," Ratina informed her.
"But it's not... I mean... Anyone can come to the park!" Araina cried. "You guys
don't own it!"
"We do today," Echo snarled. "Now get out of here."
"I'm sorry!" Araina ran out of the park before anyone else could hurt her, or
insult her. She had no idea where she was running, so she just ran.
After a while of running, she slowed down to catch her breath. She looked
around the area she was at, and realized she had no idea where she was. She
paused and looked into the street. Sitting in the gutter were several pieces of
glass, and bits of metal. She stared at them, fascinated by the way they glistened
in the sunlight. She cautiously reached into the gutter and picked up a piece of
glass. She gently set it on the sidewalk and stared at it from different angles, to
get a different glistening sensation. She reached in and picked up a few more
pieces of glass and some metal. Then she had an idea. She whirled around and
searched frantically for a bag of some sort. Amazingly, there was a large
backpack that someone had abandon by a pole. She dragged it over and began
loading it with the glass and metal. Moments later she had a full bag. Then she
dragged it off.
Araina slowly made her way through the unfamiliar streets. She searched for the
perfect hidden alley, wanting the most hidden, unknown alley in the area. She
didn't want anyone to be there when she carried out her idea. After searching for
what seemed to be hours, Araina found the perfect spot. She slipped down the
alley, and behind a garbage can. She took a deep breath and opened the
backpack. Then she dumped all the glass and metal into a huge pile in front of
her.
She stared down at the pieces and then began to carefully select the perfect
pieces for her idea. Once she'd found the sharpest, largest, most perfect pieces,
she shoved the rest away, cutting her paw as she did so. She picked up a piece
of glass and slid it across her foreleg. She removed it, and saw a line of blood
appear. She tossed the piece away, and selected a metal piece. She moved
farther up her arm and slid the sharp side of the metal across. Another line of
blood appeared. She continued picking out pieces of glass and metal, and sliding
them across her forelegs and hind legs. When she was satisfied with the cuts, she
chose a piece to cut her side. But she had hardly picked up the piece when a
voice interrupted her.
"Araina, what are you doing?" a gentle tenor asked softly.
Araina's head snapped around and she saw Macavity. "Uncle Macavity!" she
gasped. "W-what are you doing here? I-I didn't think anyone knew about this
alley."
"Araina, this is one of my many homes," Macavity told her. "Now I ask again,
what are you doing?"
"I'm-I'm cutting myself," Araina mumbled. "I want to kill myself."
"But why? Why do you want to kill yourself? Everlasting Cat knows your loved by
many. Why bother killing yourself?"
"No one loves me. No one wants me to be around. They keep telling me to
leave. They won't care if I'm dead. They probably won't even notice."
"That's not true. What about your family? They care, don't they?"
"No," Araina whispered. "They don't care. They didn't want me around either."
"What about your friends? Surely they wanted to play with you."
"Not them either. They told me they were busy."
"What about me?"
Araina looked up at her uncle. "Munkustrap won't let me see you."
"But I still care about you. How do you think I would feel if you killed yourself?
You're the only one of my nieces and nephews who cares about me. I don't want
you to die."
"I-I didn't think you cared either... I didn't think anyone cared. No one ever
wants me around... so... I just... I mean..." Tears started to slip down Araina's
face. "I just thought I'd kill myself and end the pain."
"Killing yourself this way will cause more pain for you, and if you succeeded, you
would cause pain for at least one cat in this world. I'd be prepared to kill myself.
I can't live without you. No one else loves me."
"But... didn't someone... Exotica?"
Macavity snorted. "Exotica was using me. She said she loved me. If she really
had she would have followed me out the gates when I left. She didn't. She left
me, and went to someone else."
"I thought she loved you. She seemed to like you so much."
"Cat's aren't always what they seem," Macavity told her. "Now, are you going to
throw those glass and metal pieces away, or are you going to try to kill yourself?
If you don't kill yourself, I'll help you. But if you kill yourself, I won't be able to
help anyone, and you won't have helped anyone either."
"Macavity, I want you to help me," Araina whispered in a choked voice. "Please
help me."
Macavity took all the glass and metal and put it in the backpack. Then he threw
the bag into the garbage can. He reached over and picked up Araina. Wordlessly
he walked out of the alley and to his lair. When he reached it, he took Araina to a
room where he could clean up her wounds and put something over them to keep
them clean. With in moments Araina had white strips all over her legs, covering
the cuts.
"Let's take you back to the junkyard." Macavity offered a paw for Araina to hold.
Araina gazed up at him, and nodded silently.
They left the lair, and went down the streets to the junkyard. When they walked
in, nobody noticed.
"See?" Araina's eyes held tears. "They haven't even noticed that I was gone.
They haven't noticed that I'm back either. They don't care."
"They'll notice soon. Call me if you ever need someone." Macavity gently hugged
her, and started away.
"Macavity!" Araina called after him. "Thanks. I needed one more chance."
Macavity smiled and slid into the shadows, leaving Araina to fend for herself in
the junkyard.
A/N: this was just based off a few stories I've read, and a little off my life. Please
R/R.