Bringing Up Bonjo
By Linda Seton
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Hair flipping back and forth, Chloe looks from leopard to road as she navigates toward the Kent farm. Clark knows about animals; Jonathan Kent knows about animals and about guns. Maybe they can somehow extricate her from the car in one big, cohesive piece.
The leopard regards Chloe and seems fascinated by her hair. It lunges up and begins to chew and nuzzle the flipped tips.
"oh my god" Chloe whimpers as she struggles not to push the cat away. "Nice, Kitty. Do you like my hair? Yes? Please don't eat my hair, Kitty."
The cat nuzzles her face and gives her a rough lick before collapsing on top of her. The weight shoves Chloe against the glass of the window and she fights to keep her hands on the wheel and foot on the gas pedal.
In search of a good rub, the cat burrows its head into her rib cage. Twisting its head, the cat hits a ticklish spot on Chloe's side. Chloe tries to fight back the laughter but cannot help herself. Tears stream down her face.
"Please stop, Kitty, please."
In response the leopard snorts and offers a little half-roar.
"Okay, just don't eat. Please don't eat me. Or maim me. No maiming."
The leopard shifts up and paws at Chloe. Its more or less friendly pawing cuts through her coat and completely rips her shirt off in a surgically precise square.
"Nice, kitty."
The cat turns its attention to Chloe's bag and finds a bag of Twinkies near the top. A mush of plastic, cake and white goo oozes out of the cat's mouth.
"oh, my god, you're hungry."
Chloe glances at the road and sees a sedan coming in her direction. It's one of the hundred of black Luthorcorp business cars that drive back and forth to Metropolis every day -- the kind of car her dad sometimes drives. Chloe forces her hand away from the headlight switch. Signaling for help could get someone like her dad killed. No, she has to get to a place where people might be able to deal with a leopard.
The cat straightens and arches its back. It buries its head in Chloe's bag looking for more grub.
Chloe knows there isn't anything left but some mints.
The leopard chomps down on the mints.
The black sedan flashes by as Chloe realizes she might have a way out of this situation that doesn't involve anyone but her. Now that Lionel Luthor was once again in control of the plant her dad was back to taking sleeping pills at least one night a week. And she had picked up his prescription that morning.
Eyeing the cat, she carefully reaches under her car seat and comes up with the small drugstore bag. Inside there is Chloe's candy of choice, a Peppermint Pattie, and the bottle of pills.
Slowing the car, she inverts the bottle of medication in one hand and allows the pills to fall into her palm. She drops the bottle and the cat leans over her for a better look at what just rattled. Struggling to hold the pills, Chloe tears open the edge of the candy wrapper.
The leopard nuzzles in and Chloe pulls back. The cat growls and Chloe hurriedly jams as many pills as she can into the candy.
The leopard lifts a paw and Chloe offers the candy. It takes wrapper, pills and mint from Chloe and delivers a hard swat as a thank you.
The blow jars Chloe and knocks her back against the glass of the door. The wheel spins free of her grip and the car spirals out of control as both Chloe and the leopard yowl.
tbc
By Linda Seton
-----
Hair flipping back and forth, Chloe looks from leopard to road as she navigates toward the Kent farm. Clark knows about animals; Jonathan Kent knows about animals and about guns. Maybe they can somehow extricate her from the car in one big, cohesive piece.
The leopard regards Chloe and seems fascinated by her hair. It lunges up and begins to chew and nuzzle the flipped tips.
"oh my god" Chloe whimpers as she struggles not to push the cat away. "Nice, Kitty. Do you like my hair? Yes? Please don't eat my hair, Kitty."
The cat nuzzles her face and gives her a rough lick before collapsing on top of her. The weight shoves Chloe against the glass of the window and she fights to keep her hands on the wheel and foot on the gas pedal.
In search of a good rub, the cat burrows its head into her rib cage. Twisting its head, the cat hits a ticklish spot on Chloe's side. Chloe tries to fight back the laughter but cannot help herself. Tears stream down her face.
"Please stop, Kitty, please."
In response the leopard snorts and offers a little half-roar.
"Okay, just don't eat. Please don't eat me. Or maim me. No maiming."
The leopard shifts up and paws at Chloe. Its more or less friendly pawing cuts through her coat and completely rips her shirt off in a surgically precise square.
"Nice, kitty."
The cat turns its attention to Chloe's bag and finds a bag of Twinkies near the top. A mush of plastic, cake and white goo oozes out of the cat's mouth.
"oh, my god, you're hungry."
Chloe glances at the road and sees a sedan coming in her direction. It's one of the hundred of black Luthorcorp business cars that drive back and forth to Metropolis every day -- the kind of car her dad sometimes drives. Chloe forces her hand away from the headlight switch. Signaling for help could get someone like her dad killed. No, she has to get to a place where people might be able to deal with a leopard.
The cat straightens and arches its back. It buries its head in Chloe's bag looking for more grub.
Chloe knows there isn't anything left but some mints.
The leopard chomps down on the mints.
The black sedan flashes by as Chloe realizes she might have a way out of this situation that doesn't involve anyone but her. Now that Lionel Luthor was once again in control of the plant her dad was back to taking sleeping pills at least one night a week. And she had picked up his prescription that morning.
Eyeing the cat, she carefully reaches under her car seat and comes up with the small drugstore bag. Inside there is Chloe's candy of choice, a Peppermint Pattie, and the bottle of pills.
Slowing the car, she inverts the bottle of medication in one hand and allows the pills to fall into her palm. She drops the bottle and the cat leans over her for a better look at what just rattled. Struggling to hold the pills, Chloe tears open the edge of the candy wrapper.
The leopard nuzzles in and Chloe pulls back. The cat growls and Chloe hurriedly jams as many pills as she can into the candy.
The leopard lifts a paw and Chloe offers the candy. It takes wrapper, pills and mint from Chloe and delivers a hard swat as a thank you.
The blow jars Chloe and knocks her back against the glass of the door. The wheel spins free of her grip and the car spirals out of control as both Chloe and the leopard yowl.
tbc