Halloween in the Junkyard
Disclaimer – I do not own cats or any of the characters in cats. I also am not Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, Charles Shultz, Gaston Leroux, Barnum and Bailey, or anyone in charge of the minions of heaven and hell, and so don't own that either. I also did not write the OFUC, if you have read that and will recognize the costume in this story, as I have gotten permission from Ewky to write this. Just to be safe, I am not God, and so own no part of nature. In fact, the only thing I have is my wits about me, and sometimes not even that. So, please enjoy, and don't sue me. OH! And I am not Tim Burton, or own any of his works (not even on DVD). Nor do I claim to have any religious affiliation. For those of you who are feint of heart from the words Halloween and anything associated with it (I'm looking at the Christians in the group) please do not burn me at the stake, for I am also not associated with the devil, never have been, and never will be. In fact, I was an angel quite a few times for Halloween as a child, scared for my immortal soul if I was anything else. Then I was a gypsy to change things up, as I realized I was wasting my Halloweens wearing the same costume. Please do not ask me for Candy hand outs or retraction of any of my statements here, unless you can think of a better costume, in which case I'll probably say "huh, you're right" but not change it, because I have yet to figure out how to go back and fix a mistake. Um…please sign here, initial here, and put your John Hancock here. Okay! You may now read this! And trust me, it's not scary.
Demeter sighed as Jennyanydots fussed over her, checking her temperature, her heart-rate, asking her prodding questions, and making sure she took the medicine the Gumbie cat had made for her. It was very hard to take her seriously when she was dressed in a "wig" of black with white stripes going up the sides, and bolts placed onto her collar. Demeter still wasn't sure what she was supposed to be, but Jenny was proud of her outfit, so she didn't say anything about it. "I'm fine, really," Demeter assured the doting queen. "I just felt a little sick earlier. Munkustrap worries too much, really."
"Still," Jenny said with a gentle smile on her face. "You should take better care of yourself from here on out. Do you hear me? Hmm…maybe I should keep you for observation." Demeter sighed as the other queen raced over to a box she had in the corner of her hollowed out car that served as her make-shift hospital. "If you're going to stay here for TODAY, then you have to wear a costume!"
"Oh, no," Demeter insisted, sitting up on her little bed. "I don't want to wear a costume! PLEASE, Jenny! I'll look so silly! I didn't even want to participate in the Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles during the Jellicle ball because I didn't want to wear that costume! But Munkustrap wanted us all to, and…" she trailed off as Jennyanydots rounded on her.
"Now, now, my dear," Jenny said. Before Demeter could protest any more, the Gumbie cat placed the plastic bag that made up the beetle costume over the Demeter's head and onto the queen. She then placed the head-piece on her head. Demeter let out a very audible sigh while lifting up the head piece to stare daggers at Jenny. But the Gumbie cat hardly took noticed as she heard a knock on the door of the car. Demeter tried to sink into non-existence as Jenny opened the door, a bowl of kitty-treats in paw.
"TRICK OR TREAT!" Yes, that's right. The kittens had caught on to the human event of Halloween, and now the older cats had to placate their whines by actually holding the event. And so, this would explain why Etcetera was now standing at the doorway in a white sheet with far too many holes cut into it. Electra raced up behind her to catch up, in a witch's costume that seemed to fit her perfectly.
"Oh! Electra! You look so cute," Jennyanydots said, scratching the little tortoise-shell behind the ear. "And Etcetera! You look….like…"
"Swiss cheese?" Demeter offered, before the headpiece fell over her eyes again.
"I'm a ghost!" Etcetera said cheerily.
"Oh," Jennyanydots murmured.
"All the kittens helped me make it!" Etcetera said, and Demeter could only guess she had her usual huge smile across her face.
"At the same time?" Jennyanydots asked, poking at the costume in question.
"Yeah, we did," Electra explained somewhat sheepishly. "But I got mine from her owner!"
"Oh! She bought it for Etcetera?" The Gumbie cat inquired, a little confused by the statement.
"No! We stole it off her Teddy Bear," Electra said, a smile on her face, holding out her bag to get some kitty treats.
"Yeah," the many-eyed ghost nodded. "But we kind of tore it up in the process…But at least now she has a Teddy-Bear skin rug!" Jennyanydots stared at the two childhood toy destroyers as they waited patiently for their treat. She then looked back to Demeter, who had completely taken off her head piece. Demeter just shrugged.
"Here you go," Jennyanydots said, deciding it was best to ignore the fact that they were thieves and toy murderers. "Two treats for each of you!"
The kittens looked on in awe at how easy it was to get treats with simply dawning of a costume! (Perhaps they'll try it again tomorrow.) The two then squealed to each other before racing off. Jenny closed the door and looked over to Demeter, before shaking her head. "At least they're not working with the cat burglars yet," Demeter said to Jenny, but that just made her look more upset over the whole incident.
"Now," Jenny said, shaking her head. "How are you feeling right now?"
"Still nauseous," Demeter admitted. "Can you…not stand so close. You smell like kitty treats, and frankly, that isn't helping."
"Oh! Sorry, dear," Jenny went over to the door to wait for the next kitten to arrive. (Which really didn't take long, as there was another knock on the door not two seconds afterwards.)
"Give me treats!" There stood Pouncival, who had taken a white garbage bag and drew in bones, coloring in the black parts where there was a lack of calcium laden objects.
"No, no," Jennyanydots corrected. "It's Trick or Treat."
"Whatever, I want treats!" He held out his bag, and smiled mischievously, waiting for the little kitty treats to be dropped into his bag.
"Don't be rude," Demeter said from her cot. Pouncival peered over at the queen, surprised to see her there, before breaking out into a huge smile.
"Does that mean I get twice as many treats?" he asked hopefully.
"No!" Jenny said, giving him his treats and shooing him off. Pouncival frowned over to the older queen before racing off. The Gumbie cat began to close the door when another knock was clearly heard. Swinging the door back open, there stood the whitest creature either of them had ever seen. (She was practically glowing.)
"Oh!" Demeter said in shock. "It's an angel!"
"I'm not an angel," protested the winged Victoria. "You don't know what I am?" The little white cat was pouting.
"Uh," Jennyanydots was at a loss for words. She looked back to Demeter for help, but the queen shook her head. (Hadn't she already given her opinion and been wrong?) The two queens looked over the white kitten, her white wings protruding from her back. What else could she be? "There's a smudge on your face, dear," Jenny said, licking her paw and trying to wipe off the black line across the bridge of Victoria's nose.
"No!" Victoria backed up, frowning at the mothering queen. "That's part of my costume. I'm a swan!" At this, she seemed to get taller and more elegant, smiling regally.
"Oh…OH! Of course you are, my dear," Jenny said. Demeter tried to hold back a giggle. (Frankly, she thought an angel with a broken nose would have been a better interpretation.) "Um, Victoria…where did you get the feathers for those wings?"
"Pigeons," Victoria said plainly. "My owner was always complaining about them, so I took out a few in our back yard….then I used beeswax to put them together. Aren't they great!" As the queen spun around to show the Gumbie cat her costume, Jenny tried her best not to look too shocked. After all, she was the queen who took care of the underdogs…or animals, as it was. So while her specialty was doing a good deed for mice and cockroaches, Demeter was sure that she loved pigeons as well, and wasn't too happy to hear of their demise from such an innocent looking queen.
"You look good, Victoria," Demeter said, getting up and walking over to Jenny. She took out the treats from Jenny's bowl and put some into Victoria's bag. As the little white cat smiled and raced off to do more trick or treating, Jenny did her best to catch her breath. "At least she did a good job of putting the costume together," Demeter offered.
"Those poor pigeons," Jenny put her paw up to her forehead. (She seemed to be in shock.) "And what did she do to get that bees wax? No…I don't think I want to know." While Jenny was beginning to lose faith in Felinity, Demeter closed the door and helped the queen over to one of the cots, as though she were about to faint.
"She's a kitten, it's to be expected that..." she trailed off as there was another knock on the door. Jenny seemed done with the holiday in its entirety, so Demeter walked over (self-conscious about her costume), and opened the door. There stood a kitten with a mane that reminded her of Tugger (though she's sure he meant to be a lion rather than a pimp).
"Tricky-treat!"
"It's trick or treat," Demeter said absentmindedly as she placed two kitty treats into the kitten's bag. She then turned to close the door.
"Don't I get two for there being two queens here?"
Demeter turned and took a close look at the little tom. "POUNCIVAL? Didn't you already get a treat? What are you going back here? What happened to your other costume? Give me back those treats!" But Pouncival raced off, laughing to himself. Demeter could hardly race after him, as she was still not feeling well, and was not about to rush out in the costume Jenny had inflicted on her. So with a huff, she closed the door.
"Kittens," Jenny said, smiling to Demeter. "I think you'll learn to be a little more tolerant of them when you have some of your own."
"Not any time soon. And as long as I don't have any like Pouncival, I think I'll be fine." Demeter then stopped and thought about that. "Or like Etcetera; she's a handful."
"They're worth it in the end," Jenny assured her. As the two traded places (Demeter back on the cot and Jenny to the entrance), another knock came from the door. Jenny was surprised to see Mistoffelees standing there, smiling happily, wearing nothing more than a cape. "Oh, my," she said, looking the tuxedoed cat over. "What are you supposed to be?"
"The Phantom of the Opera," Demeter mused.
"What?" Mistoffelees asked, looking himself over. He then frowned to the queen who had suggested it. "I'm a vampire!"
The two stared at the tom, who stood tall to show off his cape, smiling toothily. But the two queens remained unconvinced. "How?" Jenny asked.
"Well, obviously, I can't have the fangs of a vampire, because I already have fangs." Mistoffelees made an impressive hissing face at the two, showing off his canine teeth. "So I wore a cape."
"But your face is so white," Demeter said. "It looks like a mask. Like on those billboards all over the city. Maybe you should just tell everyone you're the Phantom."
"I am NOT the PHANTOM!" Mistoffelees said hotly. Then there was screaming in the background. The three cats looked over to see a white shape with blonde head fur racing across the junkyard, a hoard of queens following him. "Oh…Tugger tried to be a ghost for Halloween by covering himself in flour. I'm not sure how his head fur turned blonde, but…the queens seem to think him sexy. Like always," he added as an afterthought.
From the far off distance, you could here the Rum Tum Tugger yelling, "Eego o hanashimasen yo! Yamate!"
"He's trying to pretend he's Japanese to keep the queens from chasing him." Mistoffelees explained.
"I don't think it's working," Demeter said.
"He doesn't know too much," Mistoffelees told the two, still looking off at the spectacle.
Jennyanydots simply shook her head in a disapproving manner. She then placed a few kitty treats into the bag of the distracted Mistoffelees and shut the door on the entire scene. "Was that Bombalurina with bunny ears on?" Demeter wondered out loud.
After a while, there was another knock on the door. Demeter had all but fallen asleep, so she was a little annoyed at the noise. Jennyanydots got up, lifted up her bowl of kitty treats, and walked over to the door. When she opened up the door, there stood the sweet, cherub looking face of Rumpleteazer…(oh dear…she was up to something.) "Trick o' Treat, Jenny!" She held out her bag. She was in a very intricate clown outfit she surely had stolen from some unsuspecting Harlequin doll in her owner's house.
"Oh, don't you look cute, Rumpleteazer?" Jennyanydots put a few kitty treats in the little satchel that had a dollar sign on it. "Where is Mungojerrie? You're not trick or treating together?"
"We…uh…'ad a fight," Rumpleteazer said. "Actually, can I talk to you about it, Jenny?"
"Of course, come on in, deary!" Jennyanydots placed her bowl of treats aside and stepped aside to let her in. But Rumpleteazer shook her head.
"No, I'd rather stay out 'ere. See, Jerrie is always bossin' me around!" Jenny nodded to the little queen to show she was listening. But Demeter's attention went up to the cat sneaking into the car through the little opening where the gas tank used to be. When Mungojerrie caught the eye of the queen, he made a face of being caught, but quickly put a finger over his mouth to shush her. Demeter made a motion to use a key to lock her lips, and Mungojerrie smiled.
When he crawled through, Demeter could see that he was wearing a Santa Clause costume. He then turned and dragged through a rather large sac that had a few things in it already. He carefully snuck over behind Jenny, whose attention was on Rumpleteazer. "Ya see, 'e's always sayin' Rumpleteazah, do this…Rumpleteazah, do that! What about what I wanna do?"
"It's okay, Rumpleteazer," Jennyanydots said as Mungojerrie gingerly took up the bowl of treats. "You know, you have to be strong in your opinion and don't let him walk all over you." The tabby tom carefully dumped all the treats into the bag. "He's a very cunning little tom, of course, but you have to remember that you're just as strong, smart, and clever as he is. After all, you are PARTNERS in crime." He put the bowl back ever so gently on the table it was on, and then turned to leave. "If your partners, that means you both have to work together, and not be bossed around."
Mungojerrie snuck over to Demeter, took out a kitty treat, placed it ever so carefully onto her cot, winked at her, then turned to go out the way he came. "You know, you're right, Jenny," Rumpleteazer said when she saw Mungojerrie was out of her line of sight. "I shouldn't let 'im try an' boss me around! Thanks, Jenny!" Mungojerrie's upper half went through the hole he came through…and stopped there.
His tail end was trying to get through, but the bag was now too full to get through the small hole he could barely fit through to begin with. (He shouldn't have tried to sneak out bag and body at the same time.) Again, he tried to push himself through, but somehow his costume snagged, together with the bag with items caught between one side of the hole and the other.
"Uh," Rumpleteazer said, looking off to where she could surely see Mungojerrie in his peril. "I should give ya a hug, Jenny!" Rumpleteazer grabbed Jennyanydots and hugged the unsuspecting queen. When she realized Demeter was sitting there and watching the entire show, she had panicked slightly. Then, after thinking about it for a moment, still in the embrace she wouldn't let Jenny out of, she mouthed the words, 'Help him!'
As Jennyanydots began to protest, Demeter got up from her cot and walked over to the stuck tabby. She tried pulling on the bag, but that was stuck tight. She then tried pushing the cat through, but she could hear the bag and the costume tearing. What's more, Mungojerrie kicked back at Demeter. Having almost been hit, Demeter's mood grew foul, and she yanked his tail.
"OW!" Mungojerrie yelled loudly.
"What?" Jennyanydots walked out of the car and looked up to see half of Mungojerrie sticking out of the gas tank. "MUNGOJERRIE! What are you doing!"
"Jerrie!" Rumpleteazer said with obvious annoyance. "You weren't suppose' to get caught! Why did ya scream like that?"
"Demetah pulled my tail," Mungojerrie said. At this, Demeter poked her head out of one of the windows.
"He tried to kick me," Demeter defended. "Anyways, you two shouldn't be here to begin with. Stealing poor Jenny's treats..."
"Is that what you were doing?" Jenny asked, putting her paws on her hips.
"Get me down!" Mungojerrie said, kicking his legs, and trying to push himself out, but to no avail.
Demeter went down to where the tail end of Mungojerrie stuck out. Rumpleteazer had raced inside to help. When they both arrived there, the two looked at each other. Before they could help him, there was something else they needed to do. "BWA HA HA HA HA!" Rumpleteazer laughed at her partner in crimes predicament, and Demeter soon followed in laughter.
"A'ight, a'ight," said the blushing Mungojerrie. "You 'ad your fun. Jus' get me outta here!" Jenny couldn't reach the tabby, but was making sure to scold the tom for his idiocy.
"Just think...all that for treats. I should take the treats back from Rumpleteazer. This is unacceptable. How many times do I have to tell you to not steal from your fellow Jellicles? Don't you care about them at all?"
Mungojerrie sighed, his head down, his Santa hat flopping forward.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Mungojerrie looked up to see Old Deuteronomy looking up at him, a smile on his face. He was wearing an old potato sack fitted to his limbs. He was the Oogie Boogie Man. "Sandy Claws, huh?"
"It's Santa Clause," Mungojerrie said as his mood grew sour. Old Deuteronomy just laughed. "Oh, I'm so glad the leadah of the tribe can find my embarrassment so amusin'!"
"You shouldn't be stealing treats," Old Deuteronomy chided, but with a friendly smile on his face.
Mungojerrie grumbled under his breath, but then felt a pull and a push, then sudden vertigo, and he was crumpled on the ground in a heap, letting out a sudden "Agh!" as he landed.
"Are you a'ight, Jerrie?" Rumpleteazer poked her head out the hole. Mungojerrie quickly got to his feet, brushing his fur back in place, before nodding up to his partner. "Demetah took the treats, Jerrie!"
"Good!" Jennyanydots said as she walked back into her place. "Would you like to come in for some mouse cakes, Deuteronomy? I made them fresh for Skimble when he gets home."
"No, I'm alright. I'm just making sure all the kittens are staying out of trouble. We know how that is turning out." The cat burglars had sheepishly slinked away, and Demeter shook her head. Jennyanydots said her goodbyes, and closed the door.
Later on, there was another knock on the door. Jennyanydots opened the door and screamed, jumping back. Demeter shot up and raced over to Jennyanydots. It would be scary seeing what she saw: a caped costume with an evil looking pumpkin over his head. Demeter was a little panicky, but taking a few deeps breaths, she tried to discern which kitten decided to come like this. "POUNCIVAL!" she said finally, knocking on the pumpkin head. "Take that off! You already got your treat!"
"Trick or treat?" asked the kitten through the hollowed out pumpkin. Tumblebrutus came up behind him in a pirate costume.
"YOU can get a treat," Jennyanydots said, giving Tumblebrutus a treat. Demeter put a paw over her mouth at the smell of the treats and went back to sit down. "YOU on the other hand, Pouncival…come back here tomorrow and I'll teach you crocheting. Don't go around hoarding treats and scaring queens."
"Oh, come on, Jenny!"
"Hehe," laughed a sweet little kitten from behind them. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus turned to see Jemima coming up, wearing little devil horns and carrying a pitch-fork. "That's what you get, Pouncival. I went over to Bustober Jones and he said you took the last treats!"
"I didn't take them, he probably ate them," Pouncival said, lifting the pumpkin off his head.
"I'm two less treats because you stole all the treats from everyone else," Jemima said. "I think you should get more punishment than that!"
"Oh, be quiet, Jemima!" Pouncival said hotly. "If that's even your real name, SILLABUB!"
"Hey," Jemima said. "Don't call me that, Carbucketty!" The two seemed to face off, so close to one another, that they might as well have pressed their noses into each other. "Treat Stealer!"
"Freaky big eyes!"
"Better big eyes than a patch over my eye!"
"It's about time you show your true colors," he said, flicking the horns on her head. Jemima and Pouncival made as though they were going to attack each other.
"HEY now," Jenny said, placing himself between the two. "Do you want me to go and get Old Deuteronomy?" The two went quiet, Jemima wringing the little pitchfork in her paws. "Good. Now go on, you two."
"Don't I get a treat?" Jemima pouted, using her famous big eyes to help her. But when Pouncival mocked her facial expression, she took the pitchfork and poked him in the tail end with it, causing him to jump before hissing at her.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! No fighting!" Jenny said, grabbing the pitchfork from sweet, innocent, Jemima, who turned on her charms and looked like she was about to cry.
Demeter snuck over and gave a treat to Jemima, before she jumped back and screamed, "MACAVITY!" Demeter raced inside and hid under her cot. All the other kittens raced inside and Jennyanydots looked around, hissing and ready to fight.
"It's just me!" Plato was standing there, having put on a mane and using a lot of red food coloring to make his coat look like a Macavity costume. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except Demeter, who stayed hidden under the cot.
"PLATO!" Jenny said with a hiss in her voice. "Isn't it enough to simply dress up like a mummy? Don't go around like that cat! You'll scare everyone!" (Amazing what some people find scary.)
"Why didn't I think of that costume," Pouncival said to himself.
"I thought it would be funny!" Plato said. "Why is everyone so uptight about it? Between you and Bustober and Misto and Jelly and Alonzo and--"
"You scared them all?" Tumblebrutus asked, smiling. Jemima rolled her eyes at the kittens taking too much pleasure in the displeasure of the other cats.
"And you're not going to anymore," said a familiar voice as a black paw placed itself on the shoulder of the Macavity look-alike.
"Munkustrap!" Plato yelped. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus laughed at the scared Plato…then burst out laughing at Munkustrap. He had a little Tin Man hat on his head. The silver tabby shook his head.
"You, take off that costume. You two, stop laughing. Go on now, Demeter needs her rest." All the kittens left as Jennyanydots invited the silver cat in. Demeter peeked her head out and smiled to see the silver tom in costume. She got out of hiding and sat on her cot. Munkustrap sat next to her and went to nuzzle her in that little head-butt way cats nuzzle each other in.
"Ow!" Demeter fell over backwards, holding her forehead in pain. "You hit me with your hat, Munku!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot about—Ack!" The tin hat had slid back and the little elastic fabric that held the costume in place was now choking him. Jenny and Demeter helped him to take the tin hat off, and he threw it in the corner. "My family bought it for me," he explained. Demeter took off her costume as well, much to the still-costumed Jenny's chagrin.
"You looked so silly," Demeter laughed, making the silver tabby sigh.
"Ahem," Jenny said, now taking off her "wig" off, leaving the bolts on.
"Are you feeling okay?" Munkustrap asked Demeter. She nodded. "What was wrong?" he asked, nuzzling her (this time, sans tin hat.)
"You know, I have a theory on that," Jenny smiled to the two. "Tell me, what would you say to celebrating this holiday next year with a few more kittens in costume?"
Demeter stared at Jennyanydots, comprehension slowly dawning on her face. Munkustrap, on the other hand, was yawning. "We don't have any more kittens in the tribe to celebrate Halloween with. But I guess it would be something interesting. Anyway, as long as she is alright, I'll take her home with me. I think we both need some rest." He smiled to Demeter, before helping the stunned queen up to her feet and leading her out the door.
Demeter looked back at Jennyanydots, mouthing the words, 'Kittens?' Jennyanydots nodded, smiling and giving a small shrug. Demeter bit her lip, as she turned her head to see all the kittens running around having fun this Halloween. She then hugged Munkustrap's arm and stayed close to him, purring, as he led her home.
A/N: Well, that's my story. Yes, I had to add a Demeter/Munku thing in there. I just had to. And it fits, you know, kittens and stuff. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the story! And if you - -
Munkustrap jumped up in his bed a few hours later, after nearly having fallen asleep. "Kittens? K-kittens, did s-sh-she mean we're having kittens!" Demeter fell over as she had been leaning against her mate. "Is that what she meant? Demeter? What? Why are you on the floor?"
Demeter got up, shaking her head at having fallen over. "Just go to bed, my love," she said, smiling at the surprise on Munkustrap's face. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. Sleep now." Demeter laid against her mate again, but she could tell he wasn't about to rest his head and go to sleep any time soon.
Authors note, this time uninterrupted.
--AHEM! As I was TRYING to say earlier before slowy-McGee over here realized what Jenny meant, please leave a review, leave what you thought of the costumes. Maybe next time, I'll do a scary Halloween story, but I'm not good at scary…I just tried to say something scary to my sister-in-law and brother, and they laughed at me. Review! And yes, I realize how weird I am. ((pats kitty-version Munku on the head)) And if you get why Old D was Oogie Boogie, please do tell.