Chapter One: As the World Falls Down
A rust calico opened her eyes. She looked up, and saw the face of a kind elderly queen.
"Who are you? Where am? What happened?" The queen chuckled.
"My name is Jennyanydots deary, and that's all you need to know for now. Rest." The queen sighed and closed her eyes. Jennyanydots watched the sleeping queen with a worried expression. The queen would cry out in her sleep, and thrash about wildly, as if trying to protect herself from something, or someone. Jenny sighed. I better go make arrangements for someone to be with her at all times. She might hurt herself. And besides, I have to go and watch the tom cat now . . . Jenny sighed again, and picked herself up, and walked out the door of the shelter.
Three Hours Later
The queen opened her eyes and sat up. She quickly regretted doing it. A flash of white hot pain shot through her temples, and the bright light attacked her eyes. She quickly fell backwards into some sort of soft material, and closed her eyes. She heard someone whisper, then footsteps. She waited about five minuets, then cautiously opened one eye, and then the other. Her eye's focused on another queen, not Jenny, but someone much younger. About my age I think. Wait a minuet! How old am I? A year old, and my name is . . . Demeter! But what happened to me. Where do I come from? She blinked at the queen.
"Who are you?" The queen smiled.
"I'm Cassandra. And you are . . ."
"Demeter."
"Well now we know one thing about you! Do you remember what happened . . ." Her words were interrupted as a silver and black tabby raced through the door.
"Cassandra! Where were you? I . . ." He noticed Demeter and quickly regained his composure. "Oh, I see you're up. I hope you feel better. If you don't mind, I need Cassandra for a moment." Demeter smiled. She saw Cassandra blush and start to get up.
"Wait a moment. I need to ask Cassandra a question, then I'll send her out. Is that ok?" The silver tom nodded and left the room. Cassandra sat at the foot of the bed.
"Who is that?" Demeter asked.
"Munkustrap." Cassandra whispered.
"He's cute huh?" Cassandra looked up at her quickly, and saw her deliberate smile. She grinned. "Go get him girl!" Demeter winked. Cassandra laughed softly, and got up. She turned towards the door.
"Will you be alright alone?" Demeter nodded.
"I'll be fine. Now move." Cassandra smiled again, and left the shelter. Demeter sighed, and sank back against the bed. She looked around, thought for a moment, then stood up and crept out of the shelter. Careful to stay out of sight, she moved through the lodging. Interesting. She thought to herself. She began to hum to herself softly.
"Stop! I thought I heard something." Demeter froze, and ducked behind a doorway. She turned around to look for a hiding place. She stopped dead. She opened her mouth to scream. The tom moved quickly. He grabbed her, and pulled her up against him, one hand over her mouth. She heard footsteps outside the door. The door opened, and the tom pressed them both against the wall. The door closed again, and Demeter heard footsteps moving away from the room. Suddenly the tom spun her around.
"Who are you?" She tried to speak, but the words were stuck in her throat. She stared into his eyes. They were ice blue.
A rust calico opened her eyes. She looked up, and saw the face of a kind elderly queen.
"Who are you? Where am? What happened?" The queen chuckled.
"My name is Jennyanydots deary, and that's all you need to know for now. Rest." The queen sighed and closed her eyes. Jennyanydots watched the sleeping queen with a worried expression. The queen would cry out in her sleep, and thrash about wildly, as if trying to protect herself from something, or someone. Jenny sighed. I better go make arrangements for someone to be with her at all times. She might hurt herself. And besides, I have to go and watch the tom cat now . . . Jenny sighed again, and picked herself up, and walked out the door of the shelter.
Three Hours Later
The queen opened her eyes and sat up. She quickly regretted doing it. A flash of white hot pain shot through her temples, and the bright light attacked her eyes. She quickly fell backwards into some sort of soft material, and closed her eyes. She heard someone whisper, then footsteps. She waited about five minuets, then cautiously opened one eye, and then the other. Her eye's focused on another queen, not Jenny, but someone much younger. About my age I think. Wait a minuet! How old am I? A year old, and my name is . . . Demeter! But what happened to me. Where do I come from? She blinked at the queen.
"Who are you?" The queen smiled.
"I'm Cassandra. And you are . . ."
"Demeter."
"Well now we know one thing about you! Do you remember what happened . . ." Her words were interrupted as a silver and black tabby raced through the door.
"Cassandra! Where were you? I . . ." He noticed Demeter and quickly regained his composure. "Oh, I see you're up. I hope you feel better. If you don't mind, I need Cassandra for a moment." Demeter smiled. She saw Cassandra blush and start to get up.
"Wait a moment. I need to ask Cassandra a question, then I'll send her out. Is that ok?" The silver tom nodded and left the room. Cassandra sat at the foot of the bed.
"Who is that?" Demeter asked.
"Munkustrap." Cassandra whispered.
"He's cute huh?" Cassandra looked up at her quickly, and saw her deliberate smile. She grinned. "Go get him girl!" Demeter winked. Cassandra laughed softly, and got up. She turned towards the door.
"Will you be alright alone?" Demeter nodded.
"I'll be fine. Now move." Cassandra smiled again, and left the shelter. Demeter sighed, and sank back against the bed. She looked around, thought for a moment, then stood up and crept out of the shelter. Careful to stay out of sight, she moved through the lodging. Interesting. She thought to herself. She began to hum to herself softly.
"Stop! I thought I heard something." Demeter froze, and ducked behind a doorway. She turned around to look for a hiding place. She stopped dead. She opened her mouth to scream. The tom moved quickly. He grabbed her, and pulled her up against him, one hand over her mouth. She heard footsteps outside the door. The door opened, and the tom pressed them both against the wall. The door closed again, and Demeter heard footsteps moving away from the room. Suddenly the tom spun her around.
"Who are you?" She tried to speak, but the words were stuck in her throat. She stared into his eyes. They were ice blue.