Catgirl

by Kyle Castorena

A young woman is found unconscious in the gutter. When she awakens she acts like a cat, and the man who found her searches for answers.

3. 03 The Why

INT. GASSTATION – NIGHT

The store is quiet as usual. Everything's clean and the stock is in place. Elk has already called his mother.

MOM (V.O.)
...so that's how it is.

ELK
Yeah.

MOM (V.O.)
So what are you going to do?

ELK
It's gonna be three days since I found her, so I'll check missing persons.

MOM (V.O.)
Since she's been like that for awhile, she should have been missing for longer, right?

ELK
That's what I was thinking. It's a good chance she'll be there.

There was an awkward silence.

MOM (V.O.)
(concerned)
Hey, son? What if she's not in there?

ELK
Huh? Well, I guess I'll start looking through the newspapers to see if I can find anything. I'm pretty sure that she is a local, she couldn't get very far with no shoes on, I hope. I should find something about a girl running around acting like a cat. Why do you ask?

MOM (V.O.)
(concerned)
How long do you think you can support the both of you? You're barely making the bills and rent as it is.

ELK
(nervous)
Eh? Um, probably awhile.

MOM (V.O.)
If you need any extra money...

Elk's fist clenches.

ELK
(stern)
I'll be fine mom. I'll make due.

MOM (V.O)
(upbeat)
Well that's good. I wish you luck tomorrow. Now get back to work!

The call suddenly ended. Elk rubbed his ear, she yelled pretty loud.

ELK
(putting the phone in his pocket)
My mom has the worse sense of humor.

INT. AIDA'S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

The walls are white, the carpet is clean, the furniture matches with the curtains, and dozens of pictures are scattered about. Aida ENTERS. Bells that were tied to the doorknob JINGLE.

AIDA'S MOM (O.S.)
Why are you late?!

AIDA
I was just at a friend's house!

AIDA'S MOTHER comes from some room in the back. She looks angry.

AIDA'S MOM
Why didn't you tell me where you were?

AIDA
I don't have to tell you everything. Besides, it was something urgent that she needed my help with.

Aida's mother didn't seem pleased with her daughter's explanation, but she accepted it.

AIDA'S MOTHER
Just make sure you get all your work done.

AIDA
Yes, yes, I know.

Aida goes to the

KITCHEN

Aida grabs a plate from the cabinet and places it on the counter. After opening the fridge, she looks for something to eat. She searches for a few seconds then looks away from it's contents. Aida stares off into nothingness.

AIDA (V.O.)
He seemed pretty poor. I wonder if Elk can take care of Mew.

She pulls more food then it appears she can eat.

AIDA (V.O.)
I think I'll make them a little something tomorrow.

INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Elk enters. Immediately he sees that Mew has knocked down a chess set that he had been resting on the table. Pieces were scattered across the floor. The look of guilt covered the girl's face. Elk didn't say a word. He began picking up the pieces as Mew watched from afar. After placing it all on the table, he began rearranging the field as it was before. It took only a matter of seconds to restore it perfectly.

MEW
(meow).

The girl slowly made her way to her caretaker's side. Elk wasn't upset in the least. He knelt down and patted her on the head.

ELK
(warmly)
It's okay.

Mew looked reassured.

MEW
(meow)!

Elk continued petting her. She purred as he did.

ELK
It doesn't look like it will be easy, but I promise that I'll return you to your family.

MEW
(meow)!

INT. BUS – DAY

Elk is riding the buss in a late afternoon glow. There is a MAN IN BLACK sitting on the opposite end. He appears half-awake. Elk already started a conversation with his mother.

ELK
No luck I'm afraid.

MOM (V.O.)
You didn't find anything?

ELK
Nothing. She hasn't been reported missing.

MOM (V.O.)
So your gonna start looking at old newspaper articles?

ELK
I don't have much choice.

MOM (V.O.)
Can you handle all that along with school and work?

ELK
I should be fine.

MOM (V.O.)
If your grades start to drop, your father is going to hear about it.

Elk looked discouraged.

ELK
Please don't remind me. He barely let me come out here in the first place. If I don't keep them up, he's gonna drag me back home for sure.

MOM (V.O.)
That's probably what he'll do.
(sighs)
I shouldn't have married such a problematic man.

Elk nearly dropped his phone when the bus hit a bump. The MAN IN BLACK snapped to attention.

ELK
That's my line.

MOM (V.O.)
(laughing)
You know your father loves you, I think. I got to go now, so I'll talk to you later. Bye.

ELK
Bye.

Elk hung up the phone. The bus stopped. Him and the MAN IN BLACK got off here, but traveled is opposite directions after departure.

INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM – DAY

When Elk enters, he sees that TNT has let himself in. He's watching Mew play with a ball.

ELK
Why are you here?

TNT
I was bored.

That was it for the conversation. Elk sits down in his chair and makes himself comfortable. The two watch the cat girl play around on the floor. Elk didn't notice it earlier, but the ball is tied to a string. TNT is pulling the ball away whenever Mew gets close. When the ball is within reach, he picks it up and throws it across the room, careful to not let go of the string. Mew follows in pursuit.

INSERT – COMPUTER SCREEN

"You have a message" appears, followed by a chime.

BACK TO LIVING ROOM

Elk gets up from the chair and checks his message. After he reads it he walks to the chessboard and moves a white piece.

ELK
That's pretty clever.

Elk moves a black piece and then walks to his computer. He types out his move and sends a massage back.

ELK
Chew on that for awhile.

TNT
Playing chess by mail?

Elk goes back to his chair.

ELK
Yeah. This guy takes forever though.

TNT
Hey, I've been thinking...Mew acts a lot like a cat, doesn't she?

ELK
Yeah, a lot.

TNT
But not completely.

Elk sits up.

TNT
There are a lot of things she does like a cat, but there are some things she does like a human.

ELK
You noticed too?

TNT
Yeah. Well, when she crawls her hands make a half fist,
(demonstrates)
but when she moves quickly they're completely open.
(demonstrates)
It'd be painful to move quickly with her fingers curled, so why not always crawl with open hands. It's just too forced.

ELK
I understand what you are saying. I haven't seen her go to the bathroom.

TNT dropped the ball.

TNT
(grinning)
I knew you were a freak.

Elk was confused.

ELK
What do you...

Elk suddenly realized what he had just said. His face quickly turned red.

ELK
(panicking)
No! I didn't mean it like that!

He takes a deep breath and gathers himself.

ELK
What I meant was that if she acted completely like a cat, she would have peed on the floor or something. She's been here for four days already, she can't be holding it in. Sometime when I'm not here, she has to be using the toilet.

TNT
I guess that makes sense, freak. But the point I'm trying to make is that this might be the way she normally acts.

ELK
How so?

TNT
If she's acting like a cat because she's confused in the head, she would be 100 cat. It wouldn't be give-and-take.

ELK
So what does that make her?

MEW
(meow)?
Mew seemed interested in the conversation now.

TNT
I'm not sure, but I believe that this is the way she has always been like.

ELK
(whispering)
I guess it could be possible. But it doesn't...
(normal tone)
But it doesn't change the fact that I need to find her family.

TNT
No. I guess it doesn't.

ELK
Focusing on the "why" might be pointless. If her home is found, they should have the answers.

TNT
You're right.