4.*Sunlight, clouds, fresh air. It's been days since I've last felt or seen any of them. It overwhelms me, bringing a fresh sense of awareness. I sit back and take in the sunlight, letting it heat my cold, pale skin. I'm sure to take big breaths, getting in as much fresh air to my lungs as possible. Although I kept bouncing around in Anna's pocket from her walking, I managed to still look up at the clouds. Seeing some ranging from a fish, to a house, to even a piece of cheese. From this height it felt like I was on top of the world; and I started to get lost in my own thoughts. After 5-10 minutes, I hear Anna murmur something.
"We're here." She said, "Remember what I said, 'Stay on guard'." I heed her warning very clearly as my palms started to sweat. I feel my heart rate slowly increase. Through the red wool that covers me; I see giant figures like Anna that are around every corner. Anna passes through a marvelous white marble gate and walks through a commons area. There are catgirls from all walks of life around. Some big, some short, but one thing was for sure. They could all take my life in an instant.
Anna entered the school and I froze. There were catgirls everywhere chatting about anything and everything.
"Did you hear what happened to so and so?" I heard a voice say.
"Don't tell me, you wore that to the date?" I heard another voice say.
"I didn't finish the homework, could I copy yours?"
There were a multitude of questions and around hundreds of voices chatting about. It was a sensory overlord. It's been awhile since I've heard other female voices than Anna and Zoey's.I bend down, covering my ears, and hear the noise dwindle a bit. It was still quite noisy though. Anna wasted no time chatting.
She maneuvered herself to get to her classroom as quickly as possible. Dodging and zigzagging to pass as many girls as she could.
When at the door, she opened it softly and entered. Luckily, it was empty as she was around a few minutes early. She grabbed her seat near the back and set everything down. She looked around for any people walking in, and when the coast was clear; she pulled me out, setting me on her desk, to give me some information.
"This is the first period, history. Pretty boring stuff ." She began, "Anyways, I'm going to need you to be quiet. I mean Quiet!" She put major emphasis on the word quiet. "I'll keep you in my pocket until I can reach Zoey in a private spot." She pulled out her phone to text Zoey a message.
"After school, meet me outside on the roof" She sent the text to zoey. Only a few seconds later, Zoey replied, "Ok, What for?" Anna scowled, " be there. It'll be worth it." She sent the text off and Zoey sent the text "Fine." back.
"Geez, when did she become so skeptical?" Anna rambles about Zoey, "She never was this doubtful before. I love her to death, but for Pete's sake." I walk around on her desk, and that seems to make Anna agitated for some reason.
"Look here, you little appetizer, I don't think you understand the situation you're in." Her mood seemed to switch to resentment; "You're surrounded by nearly a hundred girls who could kill you in 3 seconds. I'm the only one preventing you from ending up as cat food; so unless you want to end up in a girl's stomach; you'll do EXACTLY what I say, When I say it. Got that?" I nod my head yes, and she lets out a tired sigh.
"All this stress and it's just the first period. I should have swallowed you and moved on. You're lucky I made a promise." She said, puffing out her cheeks. Anna taps her fingers on the desk and her cat ears perk up. She snatches me and shoves me back into her flower pocket, making an odd looking lump. In walks a girl with black, frizzy hair, brown caramel skin, and dark brown eyes. She's a little shorter than Anna, but her personality seems to be more on the bubbly side.
"Anna!", The girl squeals, and goes in to hug Anna. Anna reciprocates the hug and looks at the catgirl.
"Naomi, How are you today?" Anna asked, giving her a warm smile. Naomi bounces around excitedly, like her bones were going to jump out of her skin.
"I'm feeling fantastic!" She said jumping up and down like a child on caffeine. I notice her to be very expressive with her hands. I had to admire her enthusiasm.
"Really," Anna asked with a surprise look on her face, "What for?" Naomi looked like she could barely contain her excitement.
"I met a new friend today!" Naomi quickly replied, "He's a tiny mouseboy. Totally adorable."
"That's interesting….." Anna replied with a pause. Naomi looked at Anna with such happy and pure eyes. Her personality was vibrant and seemed to warm up Anna's mood. But suddenly, it did a complete 180° turn. Naomi slowly stopped bouncing up and down and looked at Anna dead on. The mood of the room changed completely in an instant.
"By the way…" Naomi's demeanor changed to calm and cool. She lowered her voice to a near silent volume and leaned towards Anna's ears.
"Have you seen Zoey's pet?" The words made Anna flinch and made Naomi jump back.
"Wh...Why do you ask?" Anna stuttered. Naomi looked at Anna surprised and then confused.
"Because well….Zoey's been looking for him. She told me, and ….Some of the girls are getting…..You know." Naomi turned red with embarrassment and lowered her head.
"Oh god. Why today? Why now?" I heard Anna say in an annoyed voice. Naomi shuffled from side to side, unsure of what course of action to take.
"So anyways…" She paused for a bit to look Anna in the eye, "If you see a mouse boy running around, Be sure to tell me; Ok? I don't want any mouse boys to be killed." Anna looked at Naomi's changed expression. It had looked like she was almost going to shed a tear, but quickly shook her head and turned back to her hyperactive self.
"I'll be seeing you around Anna!" Said Naomi as she started to walk out the door. Anna waved at her, and soon Naomi was out the door. The room was silent yet again. Anna took a deep breath and pulled me out again. She sat me down in front of her and blew out some hot air.
"That was Naomi." The memory of that girl was fresh in my mind. I mostly remembered her bubbly personality. "If there's any catgirl here you can trust, it's her." I look at her with a confused expression. Trusting a catgirl? Other than Zoey, the question didn't dare to cross my mind.
"In case you haven't figured it out yet, she'd rather befriend you guys than eat you. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her eat a mouseboy for that matter."
A catgirl never eating a mouseboy? Now that was something straight out of a fiction novel. In this world, a catgirl would gobble up any mouseboy that wasn't under the protection of another catgirl. Mouse boys, as I've heard from Anna many times, weren't people. They're meant to be food, pets, or toys. There are some laws to protect them, but not many catgirls follow them. It is, however,illegal to kill a mouseboy in broad daylight while in the possession of their owner or with an owner's scent. If a mouseboy had no owner or tag, then he was pretty much free food to any hungry catgirl.
"You can choose to believe me or not, but if you're in trouble and I'm not around. She's my go to gal." Anna put her hand on the desk and clenched it into a fist.
"Goddammit, why today though? Are girls really getting them this early?" What was "them" that Anna spoke of? All this new information made me even more lost than the thought of a catgirl that didn't eat my kind. *Ding*I heard the ring of Anna's phone and she pulled it out. Anna's eyes lit up at the text message.
"One's coming…" The text read.
"Get in, now!" Anna snarled as she quickly stuffed me back into her pocket. Just in time too. The door opened and a catgirl walked in. She looked normal enough, I thought. But her appearance reminded me of that nightmare version of zoey. Her posture is poor, and eyes bulging but focused. The girl's cat ears were pointing forward and her tail was straight out. That smile, that sadistic smile was plastered to her lips. It made me shudder , and I started to shake inside Anna's pocket.
"feralness." Anna muttered, "This is bad. Very bad." She leans over putting her head on her desk, and crosses her arms in front of me to shield me from the other girl's eyes
feralness-When a cat girl is biologically inclined to hunt those they consider food. Their hunger increases tenfold and the longer they wait; the more it takes them over. Will immediately attack a mouse boy even if the owner or scent is present. The desire to eat is their only priority. The cat girls have some control over it, but it makes their emotions go out of whack.
"Don't move a muscle." Anna whispers. I dare not make a sound as the other girl sits a few desk spaces away. The girl slumps in her seat like a ragdoll and starts clawing at her desk. I hear a grating sound as her claws start to peel the wood off the desk.
"Hungry." I hear the girl's voice mutter. I can feel my blood turn to ice. Every form of fear comes to me at once and it feels like I'm going to have a panic attack. Anna can feel me start to hyperventilate and cups her hand around me. She bends down over her desk and whispers something to me.
"Stop. Moving." her voice was as chilling as the Arctic. This wasn't a request, this was an order. I try to calm myself down, taking slow breaths.
"I can't get you to zoey if you keep drawing attention to me", she said. I lean back in her pocket and put my ear to her chest. I hear her heart beat. "Badump...badump...badump."
It seemed to soothe my anxiety, calming me down. It felt like a safe haven. A place of protection from danger that surrounds me. Anna feels me getting close to her and I hear her give an embarrassed yelp.
"I thought I said no funny business." she said blushing. Her face reminded me of a cherry tomato. The other cat girl looks at Anna and Anna shrinks down in her seat. She waves sheepishly to the other cat girl and the cat girl gives a twisted grin.
"Wonderful weather today." Anna said to start a conversation. Even I have to admit that what she said was a horrible ice breaker. The catgirl nods and stares ahead. Soon, I hear the door of the classroom open and see the seats start to fill up. Most of the girls sitting were astonishing. No spot, no blemish. Some could even be in modeling. One girl in particular walked in. She stunned me. Her hair was jet black, eyes green like turquoise, and her body was generously curvaceous . She had a certain swagger to her. The way she walked was with absolute confidence.
"That's Harper," said Anna. She seemed a little jealous but didn't let it show. Harper walked towards the spot that was right beside Anna and sat down. She leaned back, stretching her arms. I hear the air in her bones pop. I look at her through red wool and notice how curvy she actually is. Such luxurious looks, clear skin, soft ample breasts. It's like an hourglass in a living breathing body. Harper opens her eyes and looks at Anna. Anna with a hand on her cheek, grins.
"So Anna, how did you do on the last exam?" Harper said, trying to make small talk before the class actually started.
"I got a low B. Didn't study." Anna said, looking at her.
"Really? I got an A. Had to study hard though.
Rub it in, why don't you? Anna thought. She looked at the clock and noticed that class was starting in one minute.
"That's good." Anna said, trying to put on her best happy face. Harper smiled as well and looked at anna. The expression on her face changed to inquisitive. Her eyes dilated and noticed how weird her flower was.
"Anna." Harper began. Her voice was a higher pitch than normal, " What's wrong with your flower." The hair on Anna's head stood on end. I and Anna both freeze. I hear the rate of Anna's heartbeat start to pick up.
"It's wrinkled." Anna quickly replied, "I didn't have time to iron it. I woke up late." Harper nodded, smiling slyly. She knew there was some truth to it, but didn't believe Anna completely. Harper stood up and walked over to Anna. She squatted down and put her head on Anna's desk. Her gaze was scary. It was like she was trying to dig into Anna's soul. With a voice ever so quiet, she said the words that make me want to scream.
"You're hiding a mouse boy, aren't you." Anna froze and felt her forehead start to sweat. With that confident demeanor she had at home, I couldn't believe that Anna of all people was getting nervous. Harper laughed and the other catgirls in the room turned around to face her. She glanced at the lump in Anna's flower and raised an eyebrow with a smirk. She must have noticed me there. Then she looked at Anna and tapped a finger on her desk like she was checking for dust.
"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."Harper said as she stood. A grin was plastered to her face. Harper made a motion like she zipped up her mouth and threw away the key.
"Oh! I almost forgot." Harper said as she glanced towards Anna's direction. "Tell my little friend that Harribel is here today. I'd hate to see something so small be caught by her." Anna felt like her heart was going to explode at that very moment. She never felt that scared since elementary school. Harper sat down in her seat and laughed, glancing at my direction. Her eyes stared right at me like she knew exactly where I was. It was like she was sending me a message.
You're too cute to be eaten! Her expression seemed to say. Anna decided to lay low and I decided to do the same. The bell rang with a loud clack indicating that class was starting. All the chatter in the room dwindled down.
In walks the teacher, she too was beautiful . She looked to be in her mid 20s to early 30s. She had red, autumn hair, green eyes, and wore a pink button down shirt with a black pencil skirt. She saw her class and gave a joyful smile.
"Good morning class!" she said in a sing-song voice. The mood of the class seemed to shift.
"Good morning Ms. Scarlett." The class said in complete unison. Ms. Scarlett seemed particularly excited today
"Are you ready for today's lesson class?" ms. Scarlett asked the girls. She heard a few nonchalant yeahs and a sarcastic "sure".
"Well class, today we're learning about mouse boys!" Her expression looked so joyful. The entire class went quiet for a few seconds and then erupted in a barrel of laughter. It was like a howl of wild monkeys.
"Mouse boys? Seriously?" I heard a voice say.
"Why would we learn about those insects? Another voice said.
"Girls please.." Ms Scarlett said she tried to keep her composure. "I want to keep it civil today." Ms. Scarlett pulled a marker from her desk and scribbled something that looked like a mouseboy.
"So class" Ms. Scarlett began, "When you see one of them, what's the first thought that comes to my mind?"
Immediately, someone shouted "Food!" as a joke and the entire class laughed again except for Anna and Harper who yawned with a bored expression.
"They are pretty delicious." another girl said, chiming in. A wave of giggling passed over the room. I look up and notice Anna slightly nodding her head. Harper glanced at all the laughing girls and cleared her voice.
"I for one.." Harper began. The entire class seemed to quiet down when hearing her voice, "Think they're adorable. Isn't something so tiny, so defenseless, so weak…" she pauses on the word and lets it seem to melt in her mouth, "The cutest thing ever?" Most of the girls looked confused, but some of them shrugged and nodded.
"Yeah" A sarcastic tone from a girl said, "Cute enough to eat!". There was some slight chortling at this comment. Harper gives out a tired sigh and sits back down; though she glances at Anna and smirks. Anna gives her a tired grin.
"Girls!" Ms. Scarlett slams her hand on her desk which shakes the room to the core. Her eyes looked fierce as if she were ready to slit the throat of any who interrupted her but then her expression softened and she became mellow and peaceful like a daisy.
"I understand that. I was your age once. I know that they're tiny but they should be treated as things with actual rights. They breathe our same air and live in our world." Her voice was so sweet and nurturing, "Therefore, I'll ask this." she said it and let it sit in the minds of the young women.
"If you all didn't go feral, then would you still eat them?" The question got Anna's mind ticking. I saw the gears in her mind turning. The class turned quiet thinking for a moment; but then a loud voice spoke up.
"Of course." I noticed a girl with a ragged skirt and an unkempt uniform. Her voice was full of 100% assurance.
"Now 'Jess', why do you feel that way?" Ms. Scarlett seemed genuinely intrigued at her response.
"Well, I still have to eat." Jess said, "If I were starving and you gave me a candy bar. Then you told me not to eat it, what do you think I would do?"
"Eat it.?" Ms. Scarlett said, though she sounded unsure.
"Exactly." Jess replied. Her face was full of arrogance and pride. She sat down and heard other girls laughing.
"But what if you could speak with them? What if they had a voice." Ms. Scarlett asked.
"Well," a different voice spoke. This time it was a girl with glasses. Her hair was a dirty blonde. She had an air of superiority around her. "If those creatures could actually speak, then I suppose it'd be different. I would never eat something that I could have a conversation with." The catgirl sat down with a stern expression and grace. Jess snarled at her.
"Give it a rest, Sophia!" Jess replied, "Don't tell me that you'd actually talk to those things." Sophia stuck her head in the air, as she was looking down at Jess.
"That's why I said if they could converse with us." Sophia snapped back. Jess replied with an underhanded comment, "Bitch!". The word was muttered under Jess's breath.
Jess puffed out her chest and raised her voice.
"Why would I even try to speak to them? I don't want to connect with my food. I don't want to become friends with something that'll be a meal." she laughed with a sense of vanity like the devil himself.
"I'm not some lonely reject. Like that annoying girl. What's her name? Maoni?" Anna's eyes widened and I noticed the veins in her arms flex. Her breathing felt heavier.
"I mean, what kinda girl tries to make friends with mouse boys. What a stupid idea! She's such a loser!" Jess cackled loudly and a few other voices snickered as well. Anna seemed about ready to give Jess a piece of her mind. She was ready to fight Jess right then and there. I've never seen Anna so emotional before. Anna nearly stood up and snapped; but saw Harper stood up. Harper's expression seemed cold and unemotional.
"You shouldn't talk about her like that." Harper's voice cleared the room. The entire class looked at Harper and then Jess who became frigid.
"Why do you care? Jess replied, getting defensive. Harper replied quickly without missing a step.
"Because Naomi is a sweet girl. She'd never hurt anyone. You shouldn't talk about her." Harper said. Her eyes glanced at Jess with a fierceness. Like a predator. It sent a chill down Jess's spine.
"So what…" Jess's voice grew quiet, "She's a lonely loser anyway." Anna's blood was close to boiling. She had to grip her desk to prevent herself from slinging it down onto Jess' skull.
With a swiftness, Harper walked over to Jess's desk and gripped her by the shirt. Jess's feet were barely touching the floor. Ms. Scarlett seemed too scared to intervene. I feel the tension in the air rise and hear Harper say something. Her voice was as hard as steel.
"Don't talk crap about Naomi; got that?" Harper began. No one dared to interrupt her, "If I ever hear you talk crap about her again, I will make SURE that you'll never be able to swallow a mouse boy ever again." Jess seemed too scared to answer her. She looked away. Harper let go of Jess's shirt and walked off giving an offhand comment.
"Besides, I wonder how Lori would feel about you talking smack about her." The drop of that name made the blood of every girl turn into ice. I felt Anna begin to shake and she looked at me skittishly.
"Lo-Lori?" Jess seemed to almost have an anxiety attack at the mention of that name.
"Yeah, she should be coming back next week." Harper laughed and walked back to her seat. Jess shrank into her desk going as quiet as a mouse. She didn't move, only lowered her head and took nervous breaths. No one spoke a word and Ms. Scarlett exhaled an exhausted breath.
"Well that was something." Ms Scarlett cleared her voice to ease the tensions. She checked the clock and saw that the time was almost up.
"Class, be sure to read chapter 14. It's a great story on class inequality." she said, trying to lighten the mood."
*IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
The sound of the bell made Anna nearly jump out of her skin. The catgirls walked out the door and soon the classroom was almost empty. The only one's left were Anna and Harper.
Anna fiddled on until she was sure to be the last one to leave. There were about 10 minutes to get to her next class. Harper noticed that Anna was still there and walked over to her desk, smiling mischievously.
"So...are you going to show me that mouseboy?" Harper asked. Anna wasn't sure whether or not this was a good risk. Anna did know one thing. She didn't want Harper to be against her. That was the last thing she needed.
"Yeah, ok" Anna's voice was timid. Harper looked around and shut the door leaving the 3 of us inside. Inside Anna's pocket, I'm worried that this may turn out tragic. What if Anna is making a huge mistake?
"I gotta warn you though, he's a little shy around girls." Anna reaches into her pocket and pulls me out. I hang onto the cloth for dear life. She manages to get me and places me on her desk. I look up at the giant beauty. I'm amazed at how beautiful Harper actually is. Her black hair is like silk and her green eyes look at me like a treasure. Her looking at me makes me embarrassed. My cheeks turn a shade of pink.
"Awwww, look at him. He's so cute!" Harper was quick to compliment me. I see her interest spike. She points a finger and pokes me in the belly. I jump back, touching my gut like I've expected it to be bleeding. Her smile grows wider and wider as she enjoys messing with me.
"He's so adorable. Where'd you get him from?" Harper asks. Anna looks at her, unsure how to answer.
"I found him." Anna said. Harper squints, looking at her. It's like Harper knew Anna was lying to her. Harper picks me up and pulls me towards her lips. I flinch but she only sniffs me and looks at Anna.
"He has your scent, but hmm?" she sniffs me again and it makes me feel embarrassed.
"He smells like zoey." Harper sets me down and looks at anna. Anna swallows the lump in her throat.
"Why do you have Zoey's pet?" Harper finally broke the ice. Anna squirmed in her seat.
"I uh...stole him." Anna said in a quiet mumble. I never thought possible that Anna could be this cornered. Was her tough, proud act at home all a lie. A facade?
Harper made a noise that sounded like "tsk, tsk" and shook her head at Anna showing her disappointment. I feel the temperature of the room drop a few degrees. Harper's happy smile turns into a scowl while looking at Anna.
"Do you know how worried Zoey was last week? She's been completely out of it. Slipping up in school, barely working, half awake in the lectures. " Anna seemed to be out of it. She was staring off into space, probably as a coping mechanism to avoid responsibility all together. Harper slammed her hand on the desk making Anna flinch and come to attention. ,"Anna!"
"I don't see Zoey during lunchtime anymore. Her weight is starting to drop. She's starting to look like a bag of bones!" Harper's growing concern for Zoey was admirable in my eyes. It seemed like she was a good person. Caring for her friends like that. Harper paused for a moment, and said something that spooked me." SHE. DOESN'T. EAT." Harper's voice raised to a near argumentative level.
"And you took him from her? How could her best friend do such a thing?" I had to admit, Harper had a point. She seemed to be on a roll. Anna crumpled in her seat like paper. She slumped her shoulders. It looked like she was almost about to cry.
"You shouldn't even call him her friend. What would she think of you if I told her that you had him this entire time?" Anna jumped out of her chair looking at Harper with pleading eyes. She ended up making the desk slide over a bit. Harper seemed surprised at Anna's sudden burst of action.
"Don't tell her, please!" For the first time since she captured me, Anna actually started to cry. Her tears started to flow and she started sniffling. Harper looked at Anna like a mother chastising their child.
"I-I'll get him to her. I swear." Harper didn't look all that convinced. She raised an eyebrow and asked more questions.
"How are you going to hide him from the girls? You know feralness is high today. It's like a virus." Harper leaned back in her seat waiting for an answer.
"I'll a-" Anna's mind seemed to go blank. She looked at me as if expecting me to offer some suggestions.
"I'll keep him in my locker!" Anna thought she'd come up with the best idea ever. I saw her smile and wipe her tears.
"Anna." Harper's voice was 100% serious. "feralness turned these girls into walking murderous beasts. They'll rip the locker open and tear him apart if they're hungry enough"
Anna was fresh out of ideas at this point. She couldn't come up with anything else, but then I saw her mouth mumble something.
"What about her? What about naomi? He could stay with naomi!" Harper facepalmed herself.
"She already has enough mouse boys to watch over," said harper. She noticed the clock and saw she only had 5 minutes before next class."
"Don't try to push this off onto her." Harper sounded very protective of Naomi, "This is your responsibility." Harper grabbed her bag and stood, giving Anna a glare.
"Get him to Zoey as quickly as possible." Harper's voice was rigid. She bent down and gave me a sweet smile. She reached out to me and scratched my head. It made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. Harper grins and giggles like a schoolgirl. Then her face changed to frown when facing Anna.
"Don't. Let. Him. Die." Harper mouthed off each word piece by piece. She wanted to make sure Anna knew the gravity of the situation. She walked towards the door, looked back at both of us for a good 3 seconds and left. Anna, who seemed completely frail and stressed, deflated like a helium balloon.
"Man, Harper is demanding." Anna said. I noticed that her voice was a lot quieter than usual. Was she humbled from this experience? She reached out to touch me, grabbing me and holding me in her hand. I felt the warmth of her hand and touched her pointer finger. The fear I felt with her fled. It was no longer existent.
"I promise that I'll get you to Zoey. I swear." Anna seemed completely honest. Her body language made her appear more serious and modest. Like she intends on keeping her promise.
"Come on, I got to class in like 2 minutes." she said, picking me up and placing me in her shirt pocket. I've finally returned to my temporary safe haven and leaned back. I use the sound on Anna's heart to drown out my fears and feel her heart speed up. Maybe she was enjoying this. Building a connection with her once, plaything. A new friendship was being formed. Anna got her bag, took in a deep breath, and headed into the hungry halls of the school.
Author's note: I should clear this up. Catgirls going "Feral" means that they've lost all sense of themselves. This is the most basic and standard version. They act in an unconscious, zombie like state where all they want to do is eat a mouseboy regain control again. It happens once a month. They're super aggressive, emotional, and have increased strength/agility for the time that they have it. There is no cure for it as of yet.
I should also note that there are multiple variants of feralness. I'll go into detail about it one of these days. Some of the variants are more dangerous than others. Other variants still have control or at least can control themselves better than the standard ones.