Author's Note: Why yes, this is a filler chapter! But look on the bright side, cats are always a sign that the protagonist is going to survive until the end.

When I woke up the next day, the sun was shining into my eyes, and the room was hot, since I hadn't bothered to roll down the curtain on my bedroom window last night. I must have slept longer than usual – which was confirmed when I looked at the clock on my nightstand. I knew that it was a teenage thing to do, but I usually did not sleep til noon on the weekends.

But on the upside, I felt rested and my mind more at peace. Or at least as much as it was ever going to be. My bedsheets were all tangled up, probably because I had been tossing and turning. Before going to eat breakfast I made the bed and had a cooling shower. After that I decided that it was time to go for a run around the neighborhood. I quickly changed into a t-shirt and workout shorts before putting my bare feet into my favorite nike shoes, then I grabbed my keys and a bottle of water before heading out.

It was one of those really bright summer days, with not a single cloud in the sky. Not many people were around at this time outside, since the italian version of siesta, here called riposo, was in effect. Plus it was saturday, which meant that the riposo was usually longer than usual. All the shops were closed for up to two hours. Not many more than a few elderly people playing boules in the piazza nearest my apartment were out and about – their easy chatter amongst each other a nice sound as I ran past them, waving as I did.

A white cat was sleeping on the warm steps to another apartment complex under the shade of a nearby plane tree, and when it heard my footsteps it merely stretched its limbs lazily, but did not open its eyes.

I had thankfully rubbed myself in with extra strong sunscreen, since it was technically not the best idea to spend too much time out in the midday sun. But I couldn't help it, I needed to move.

I took another route from the one I usually chose, letting my legs take me where they wanted. I head ed north on the outskirts of town, where the countryside was more wild and the trees stood thick as thieves.

I rounded a corner on the road, the road getting more narrow and uneven as it led down to a ravine. It was yet another part of the nature around here that I hadn't seen before – and by the looks of it, it seeemed as if the bottom of the ravine was used as a dumping ground for rubble and other building material from construction sites. Since it was so remote, I guess it made sense. There were no private homes in this area, so there was nobody around to see the littering.

I looked down at the dusty ground at my feet, picking up a large rock. I threw it around in my hands, staring down at the ravine before i finally let it slip from my fingers. It echoed as it started its quick descent, landing on top of the large pile of assorted metal bars, wood and rusty pipes. I stood there for awhile, listening to the rough wind – the heat making any sound more muffled, masked somehow.

It was an oddly peaceful place, even though the grass here was dry and looked like the end of a broomstick, and some of the trees were so overgrown, the branches tilted down to the ground. But maybe that was because I was getting philosophical again. A world where there was only me in it would mean that I was normal – I would have no one else to compare myself to.

That was when I heard a strange cry from the bottom of the ravine.

At first, because it sounded so similar, I thought it was a baby. It sounded like a mewling sob, long and moaning. I got down on my knees and attempted to see where the sound was coming from – I didn't want to climb down there in case it was just my imagination.

But then I saw something black, a paw amonst the large concrete blocks. It was moving back and forth in a rapid motion, as if trying to grab something. My instincts took over as I began to look for a safe way down, all the while trying to keep that paw within view as I carefully climbed my way down. Now when I got closer, I could easily see that the paw belonged to a cat – its black fur dusty and unkempt, it also seemed to be bleeding from its side.

Wobbling over the heap of rubble, I saw that the cat had been caught undenearth a steel pipe. It had probably been down here looking for rats, since there were a lot of them in this area. When it heard me approach, it turned its head and blinked at me with wide, yellow eyes. It had a curiously long face for a cat, but then that could also be because of malnourishment. It howled at me, a sound that unmistakably meant "HURRY UP". I rolled my eyes, both of my knees scratched up from my perilous descent as I got closer.

"Calm down kitty, I'm coming."

When I hunched down and began to remove the pipe, it began to hiss and claw at me. It looked as if it had been trapped like this for awhile.

"Its okay, I'm not going to hurt you." I said gently, my hands working slowly so not to startle it.

It still hissed, but stopped trying to cut me as I slowly lifted the heavy pipe and carefully helped the cat to move aside. It only managed to walk a few steps before it collapsed on its side, breathing heavily, its tongue lolling out. Must be both thirsty and hungry as hell, and I had no idea for how long it had been trapped here. I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest, frowning as I looked down at it, considering.

I wondered it if was even worth trying to do anything else. Maybe it was close to dying anyway - it certainly looked close enough to it.

But then, as if it had heard my internal moral debate, the cat reared its head up suddenly and stared up at me, eyes wide and trusting. We stared at each other for what felt like an age and a day before it meowed. That about sealed the deal for the both of us.

"Oh hi Rebecca, how are you feeling?" Helens familiar voice greeted me over the phone. I filled a cup full of water in the kitchen as I kept the phone to my ear with my other hand, sitting it down on the floor next to me. It had been an interesting walk home, juggling a half-feral cat in my arms that was also seriously injured in several places. I had more than one scratch on me thanks to that, and when I had gotten home to the apartment the cat had decided to pee on the kitchen floor. It was now gobbling up water by the gallon, and despite its injuries had perked up considerably. It was a good sign.

" I'm better now. But I was wondering if there are any veterinarians in Volterra?" I asked Helen as I sat down next to the cat on the floor, keeping a respectful distance. I heard Helen pause for a beat, and I could only imagine what she was thinking.

"Uh, I think there are one or two close to Florence – but why on earth do you want to know that?" she asked, and I sighed, carefully stroking the cat down its back as it drank. It was missing a piece of its tail, but it looked like a much older, now healed injury. It was almost funny how content it looked, considering the circumstances. It paused in its furious drinking to look up at me with consideration, eyes blinking slowly. I ruffled the fur on its head with my fingers, and it closed its eyes and purred.

"Oh, I just made a little friend on my afternoon jog today."