Feline Faults
ChipsAhoyPup
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Never have, never will. (This doesn't stop me from wishing I did, though.)
A loud, shrill scream broke through the darkness of L's slumber. The cat jumped up, fur on end. He glanced around with wide eyes, searching for the source of the scream. It didn't take long for him to spot the young humans that were racing around the playground, screeching with happiness. The fact that L had been scared so easily embarrassed him. He licked his chest as his fur began to lay flat again.
The rain had ceased, and no clouds remained in the sky. The sun glowed brightly, hovering high in the ocean blue sky, drying L's black fur. He noticed that his paw pads were a dull brown, as well as the fur on his underside. He glanced down at the spot where he had previously been sleeping; the mud was slightly stale. He gently pressed his paw against the soil, testing the thickness. He hastily drew back his paw, meowing in surprise. The mud was still soft, and his whole paw had been sucked in.
Unlike other cats, however, L didn't care about his appearance. Most cats would busy themselves by licking the mud out, but L preferred not to. He'd rather have the dirt clinging to his fur than have it sticking to the roof of his mouth. Needless to say, he ignored the uncomfortable feeling of the mud pressing his fur against his flesh.
Instead, for the third day in a row, L passed the time by gnawing at the chain. He rather disliked the flavor of the metal, but if it was the only possible way to escape, he would bite at it all day and night. Anything to escape.
"Woof!" L froze in mid-bite. He knew that sound. It was inevitably a dog, the very thing that all cats were scared of. And L was no exception. There was the sound of stumbling paw-steps rushing towards L. The black cat tensed, listening closely, waiting for the perfect moment…
Now! L yowled inwardly. He leapt expertly to the side, right as the dog's jaws snapped. L had expected the sound of fangs clashing against fangs. But instead, there was the sound of the dog's canines grounding against some sort of metal. Immediately afterwards, there was a loud snapping sound.
Wide-eyed, L risked a glance towards the dog. It was whimpering in pain, three-quarters of the chain dangling from its mouth. The chain… i-it broke… I'm free! L realized. Before the dog could even blink, the black cat dashed off, the remaining quarter of the chain flying behind him, occasionally slapping against his spine. The dog didn't even bother chasing him. Excitement coursed through L's body as he ran. He had no idea where he was going. He was so happy that he was free that the general direction in which he was heading was unimportant to him at the moment; all he wanted to do was run, run away from the tree which he was sure would haunt his memories for months.
When he finally recollected all common sense, he realized that he was no longer near any type of foliage. Buildings towered over him, making him feel unbelievably small. The surface underpaw was cold and rough, gradually scraping his pads raw. Right beside the ground that L was walking on was the same type of ground that he had seen his master's car drive on. And, indeed, cars were rushing past on that very surface.
L padded along, intimidated by the size of the buildings. They stretched on and on for what seemed like forever. The cat was beginning to get tired. His tail sagging behind him, he wearily searched for a place where he could remain out of sight as he slept. It didn't take all too long. By the time L had found an indent in the rows of buildings, one that had absolutely no light source, the sun was only a sliver of yellow that peeked out from behind a couple of especially tall buildings.
The ebony feline dragged himself into the farthest corner in the alleyway. The sound of car horns blaring pierced through his ears. He pressed his chin into the pavement, covering his ears with his paws. It didn't completely prevent the sound, but it would have to do. At least it dulled down the volume of the sound. Sighing, L fell into yet another uncomfortable slumber that contained no dreams whatsoever. His sleep was another one of empty darkness, one that matched the feeling in his heart.