Part 2
The rain had been going on for three days now and it didn't seem to want to lessen up at all. At least it wasn't any lighting and thunder going on. But it was blowing pretty badly. Munk shuddered thinking of his three friends at the yard. He wished they'd get home of their own. But he knew that wouldn't happen so easily. Alonzo, Tantomile and Coricopat had grown up as strays and didn't trust humans at all. They'd never be housecats... even if the tribe tried to force them. It would only result in them leaving the tribe to be the strays they are. Munkustrap sighed again.
"Enough with the sighs already", Tugger grumbled.
"I can't help it Tugger... I'm bored and want the rain to stop so we can get to the yard."
"Sure", Tugger said and smiled.
"What's with you?"
"Confess Munk! I'm your brother you know."
"Of course I know and what the heck are you talking about?"
"You're just worried about-"
"The strays I know I know... I can't help it. I mean what if someone did shut the gates? What if there is no way out for the three of them?"
"I was going to say the stray."
"What are you talking about?"
"Aw come on Munk this is me we're talking about. You're worried about your boy toy."
"My what", Munk yelled.
"Is he any good in bed?"
"Everlasting cat!" Munkustrap paled.
"Aw come on don't deny it. Is he better than Demeter? Come on give me the details!"
"There are none! What gave you the idea that me and... and..."
"Alonzo? Come on Munk you spend more time with him when you're at the yard than you do with Demeter."
"That's because Alonzo is there all the time and he knows what's going on around town. He's the second and I'm the protector it's our job to keep informed. Demeter and I spend more time together outside the yard. I have so many cats to take care of there!"
"Yeah right... I saw you lick his neck."
"He was hurt! Macavity got him bad at the ball! The stubborn stray wouldn't let anyone attend it so I forced him down on the ground and did it."
"And the nuzzling at the beginning of the ball?"
"I nuzzled with you too!"
"So I'm your brother."
"He's like one!" Munkustrap stared at him. "I can't believe we're having this discussion."
"That's what most cats talk about."
"What?!"
"Well me and Lina anyway."
"Since when are you two most cats?"
"Since I said so."
Munkustrap shook his head and looked out the window again.
"Please Everlasting cat let them all be okay", he thought.
Pouncival woke up that day by a loud clanking, but when he opened his eyes everything was black.
"What is going on", Coricopat asked as he walked to the entrance and collided with something. "Ouch! Aw damn the cupboard must have fallen down by the wind."
"Can you move it", Tantomile asked and Coricopat grunted in the dark.
"No", he said. "You'll both have to help me."
Pouncival and Tantomile hurried to his side. But they couldn't move it on their own, too weak after not eating for three days. Pouncival felt something cold beneath his paws. It was water.
"Uh guys", he said.
"We know Po", Tantomile put her arm around the kitten's shoulders.
"Are we going to die?"
"No", Coricopat said. "Mil call Alonzo, maybe with his help we'll be able to move this thing."
"Right", Tantomile said. "Po look through that hole and see if you can see him."
"Okay."
Alonzo was watching the rain when he heard a whisper in his ear. He thought he was imagine things and shook it off then...
"Alonzo", it was Tantomile's voice... inside his head. "We need your help our den is blocked by a cupboard and starting to get flooded. We need your help."
Alonzo jumped to his feet and took off into the rain. He stared at the open area at the yard with big eyes. It looked like a small lake; the water reached the trunk of TSE 1.
"Stupid humans want to flood this place", he grumbled and sighed. He saw that there was no way he could climb to their den son he shrugged and leapt into the water.
In the den Pouncival saw it and shrieked in horror.
"What is it Po", Tantomile asked.
"Alonzo jumped into the water!"
"So", Coricopat asked.
"It's water", Pouncival said.
"Exactly."
"Exactly, cats don't swim!"
"Hey guys", Alonzo called from outside. "You need an extra paw?"
Coricopat and Tantomile laughed when they heard Pouncival make strange sounds.
"Is the kit alright", Alonzo asked. "He's making strange noises."
"He's fine Zo", Tantomile said.
"Good, now Ori what do you want me to do?"
"Can you get hold of the edges of this blasted cupboard and pull it outwards if we push too?"
Alonzo swam around and saw that he had a good opportunity to do what Coricopat wanted.
"Yes Ori, I believe I can. Okay on three", the three cats inside brace themselves. "One... two... three!" Alonzo pulled with all strength he could muster and the other three pushed. The cupboard slid away so much that water rushed inside. Coricopat pushed Pouncival outside and Tantomile followed the kitten. Coricopat slid out just in time. The cupboard was pushed back by the water. When Alonzo let go of the cupboard ha looked around for Pouncival. The kitten was nowhere to be seen.
"Pouncival", he shouted and the three strays look around. "Kit can you hear me?!"
"Help", a voice spluttered from the side. "Help!" Alonzo hurried over and grabbed the kitten bu the scruff.
"Pouncival calm down!" he ordered the panicked kitten. "Don't move!"
The kitten froze. "I-I can't swim Alonzo", he said frightened. "Am I going to die?"
Alonzo smiled friendly. "No you won't. Climb onto my back and I'll swim the both of us to safety. Ori! Mil! Get to my den!"
Pouncival shivered as he got out of the water and Tantomile felt sorry for him and hugged him close.
"Don't worry little one", she said. "You're safe now."
"Let's hope the water won't get here", Coricopat said and looked at the panting Alonzo. "You okay Zo?"
"Yeah..." Alonzo said between gasps for air. "I'm just... tired."
"Figures", Tantomile said. "We haven't eaten for days."
"Are there no mice around here", Pouncival asked.
"Only Jenny's and we won't harm them", Coricopat said. "I hope the little buggers want drown."
"They'll... be... fine", Alonzo said. "Now... Po... Mil... get... inside... the... den."
"What about you and Cori", Pouncival asked.
"We'll stay here", Coricopat answered. "Alonzo's den isn't big enough for the four of us. Zo and I can take shelter beneath that." He pointed to an old piece of metal that had once been part of a tin roof and was now creating a little one on its own. "Hurry up before you catch a cold Po."
When the two of them were gone Coricopat turned to the still exhausted Alonzo.
"You think we'll make it Zo? No food, no way to get out, the water rising and the cold wind... our chances are pretty slim."
"We'll make it", Alonzo said and lied down. "We'll have to. We can't let Munkustrap blame himself... or the ex-strays."
"If we die", Coricopat sighed. "Plato will never forgive himself for 'ditching' us as he put it. What was that he said again?"
"'Why to live like a dirty, cold, hungry stray when you can live as clean, comfortable, warm and full housecat'. We're not dirty are we?"
"We shouldn't be... I mean we just took a bath."
They laughed and then decided that sleep was the best thing.
TBC
