It was a Dark and Stormy Night
Dragon Child #1
It was a Dark and Stormy Night
by: Firecatt and Maven
(Aislinn Graves and Jennifer D'Agostino)
Peter Caine left Delancy's close to closing time. An icy deluge instantly plastered his hair
to his scalp. One hand clasped his collar closed while the other fished for his keys. Dashing towards his car, he froze at a commotion in the alley. *Crash, rattle, smash*
A yowl had him running, gun pulled, eyes and ears straining to penetrate through the dark and rain. "Hello?" He maneuvered down the alley, using a small key chain light to illuminate the path. There was a flash of lightning, followed by a crashing *boom!* 'Damn,' he thought. 'That was close.'
His attention was drawn towards the back corner. A large grayish dog was rutting about in the garbage, a low growling could just be made between thunderclaps. Peter started to put away his weapon, feeling a bit sheepish.
The dog gave a fierce bark and a small dark figure broke away from the shadows and streaked like lightning towards the startled detective. It raced up his leg and dived into the sanctuary of his jacket before Peter could even blink.
The dog turned, and launched itself towards Peter. Instinctively, Peter retaliated with a snap-kick, catching the dog in the chin. With a howl and puzzled shake of its head, the dog raced out of the alley.
Pinpricks drew his attention back to the problem at hand. With an oath, he reached into his jacket searching for the intruder. Fingers contacted wet fur. Tiny needle sharp teeth contacted fingers. "Son of a ... !" He snatched his hand away, shaking out the pain.
"Ouch!"
"Okay, you, out of there, now!" Steeling himself, he reached back in and pulled out a handful of the most bedraggled looking kitten he'd ever seen. Tiny fear-filled eyes gazed into his own. "Mew?" the kitten cried. With a sigh, Peter placed the kitten down on the floor. "Go on, now. Go home." He took a few steps away, then, "Merrw?"
Peter glanced back. The tiny black kitten was near the garbage can, nudging something and mewling piteously. In another flash of lightning, Peter could just make out the shattered form of an adult cat lying in a heap. The kitten nuzzled its mother and Peter's
heart ached for it. Unaware he was doing so, he knelt beside the body and checked for a pulse he knew didn't exist.
The kitten turned from its mother and began nuzzling at Peter's fingers, giving tiny licks and mewling deep in its throat. "Oh, no. No, I don't have time for this." But he sounded pretty unconvincing, even to himself. He picked up the tiny thing and brought it closer to his face. It stared back at him, emerald green eyes latching unto his own hazel. With another sigh, he glanced around at the alley, bringing the kitten up to cuddle beneath his chin. "Can't just leave ya here." The cat mewed again. "Ya wouldn't last very long, now would ya?" The kitten gave his chin a tiny lick. "Well, I guess I can look after you. At least until we can find you a proper home. Right?" The kitten began to purr and Peter resigned himself to having a pet.
So... what do you think? As always feedback is craved. :-) Contact either or both of us.
Thanks. Jennifer and Aislinn