Notes: Sorry this took so long to this get up. I was hoping to put up chapters three, four and five all together but I hit writer's block. And now with my provincial exams coming up, it might be the beginning of July before I get the next parts up. Don't worry. I will get the rest of the story up. I will finish this.
I woke up near midnight. Dominic and Yolanda were fast asleep. Puss was gone, off doing
cat things, like stalking mice. I lay in my bed as the moonlight flittlered in through my window and sparkled
around my room, like fairy dust. I loved it. It was so peaceful. So magical. So special. Then
I remembered that in a few days, I'd never see the dancing moonlight again. I'd be off at some strange
house, in a strange bed, with a strange man. I felt my heart drop back into my toes and couldn't
stop the sobs from coming out of my mouth.
"Don't cry, Seraphina." An unfamilair voice purred.
I stopped crying. I was too startled. I glanced quickly around and as far a I could tell, I was
all alone, "Where are you?"
"Down here," the voice without a body said. It was coming from the floor.
Curiously but with caution, I leaned over the edge of my bed and look down at two wide eyes,
"Puss? Did you... Of course not, that's crazy.. You didn't, you didn't talk, did you?"
"Yes, I spoke, Seraphina."
I fell backwards onto my bed and almost toppled off the other side. When the World didn't end
in a fire of brimestone, a cautiously looked down at Puss once more.
"Don't scream, Seraphina. You'll wake your brother."
I've gone insane. Totally and completly insane.
"You've not gone insane, Seraphina."
Great, it was a talking cat that could read minds
"I've gone mad."
"You've gone so such place. If anyone has entered madness, it is I. I am the talking cat, after all."
Had this been any other creature thta had spoken, I might have vey likely keeled over in a faint. As it was, the cat spoke with such conviction and in such a convincing matter, that I could hardly not believe him.
"Why are you here?"
"To grant your father's last wish."
"What? Are you majik?"
"No, not in the sense you are thinking. His wish is a request I am willing to grant in return for a past kindness."
"What kindness did he give you?"
"Years ago, a cat, bruised, hungry and being tormanted by a pack of village dogs, was rescued by
a kind boy. That cat was me and that boy was your father."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. We were, it seemed, both lunitics. "I know of no cat who has lived passed two decades and my father was not a boy even three score years ago."
Puss hissed, "If I was enchanted into a cat, don't you think I could also have been cursed with immortality."
"How can immortality be a curse?"
"It is a curse to live while all you love and know dies."
I had nothing to say to that and Puss continued, "Your father was wise for his youth. He said he'd like to save his request, until he was older. So, every spring I returned and leave, to return the next year. Always, the request never uttered, until this visit.
"On his death bed, your father wished for you to be provided for. He wished me to make sure you married for love and were not sold off to the highest bidder."
I couldn't say anything. I was stunned, suprised, happy to know that my father had not forgotten me, even if I was completely sure I was out of my mind."
"So, Seraphina of Chapel Mill, what to you want?"
Thinking that I had gone quite mad and that nothing I said would have any consequence, I
jokingly told Puss, "I want to be a Queen."
The cat took my request seriously, "Indeed. That is a big wish. No matter, it can be done. Now,
you'd had better pack some clothes and plenty of food."
Pack? For what?"
"To run away, my dear. You can hardly be Queen if you are married to that unshaven, pig keeper,
brute of a beast they call Master Kinnlison."
So, while Dominic and Yolanda slept, I crept downstairs, with a bundle of cothing in one hand
and my shoes in the other. I took some bread and cheese from the cupboards, before stealing off
into the night, with Puss.
I woke up near midnight. Dominic and Yolanda were fast asleep. Puss was gone, off doing
cat things, like stalking mice. I lay in my bed as the moonlight flittlered in through my window and sparkled
around my room, like fairy dust. I loved it. It was so peaceful. So magical. So special. Then
I remembered that in a few days, I'd never see the dancing moonlight again. I'd be off at some strange
house, in a strange bed, with a strange man. I felt my heart drop back into my toes and couldn't
stop the sobs from coming out of my mouth.
"Don't cry, Seraphina." An unfamilair voice purred.
I stopped crying. I was too startled. I glanced quickly around and as far a I could tell, I was
all alone, "Where are you?"
"Down here," the voice without a body said. It was coming from the floor.
Curiously but with caution, I leaned over the edge of my bed and look down at two wide eyes,
"Puss? Did you... Of course not, that's crazy.. You didn't, you didn't talk, did you?"
"Yes, I spoke, Seraphina."
I fell backwards onto my bed and almost toppled off the other side. When the World didn't end
in a fire of brimestone, a cautiously looked down at Puss once more.
"Don't scream, Seraphina. You'll wake your brother."
I've gone insane. Totally and completly insane.
"You've not gone insane, Seraphina."
Great, it was a talking cat that could read minds
"I've gone mad."
"You've gone so such place. If anyone has entered madness, it is I. I am the talking cat, after all."
Had this been any other creature thta had spoken, I might have vey likely keeled over in a faint. As it was, the cat spoke with such conviction and in such a convincing matter, that I could hardly not believe him.
"Why are you here?"
"To grant your father's last wish."
"What? Are you majik?"
"No, not in the sense you are thinking. His wish is a request I am willing to grant in return for a past kindness."
"What kindness did he give you?"
"Years ago, a cat, bruised, hungry and being tormanted by a pack of village dogs, was rescued by
a kind boy. That cat was me and that boy was your father."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. We were, it seemed, both lunitics. "I know of no cat who has lived passed two decades and my father was not a boy even three score years ago."
Puss hissed, "If I was enchanted into a cat, don't you think I could also have been cursed with immortality."
"How can immortality be a curse?"
"It is a curse to live while all you love and know dies."
I had nothing to say to that and Puss continued, "Your father was wise for his youth. He said he'd like to save his request, until he was older. So, every spring I returned and leave, to return the next year. Always, the request never uttered, until this visit.
"On his death bed, your father wished for you to be provided for. He wished me to make sure you married for love and were not sold off to the highest bidder."
I couldn't say anything. I was stunned, suprised, happy to know that my father had not forgotten me, even if I was completely sure I was out of my mind."
"So, Seraphina of Chapel Mill, what to you want?"
Thinking that I had gone quite mad and that nothing I said would have any consequence, I
jokingly told Puss, "I want to be a Queen."
The cat took my request seriously, "Indeed. That is a big wish. No matter, it can be done. Now,
you'd had better pack some clothes and plenty of food."
Pack? For what?"
"To run away, my dear. You can hardly be Queen if you are married to that unshaven, pig keeper,
brute of a beast they call Master Kinnlison."
So, while Dominic and Yolanda slept, I crept downstairs, with a bundle of cothing in one hand
and my shoes in the other. I took some bread and cheese from the cupboards, before stealing off
into the night, with Puss.
