A/N: I hate snap-traps. You know, the original, neck-snapping mouse trap? They make me sad. However, they are insanely effective. Four mice in a span of about 45 minutes, all caught from the same place. I hate the thought of killing an innocent creature, but they're too smart for our humane approach. :'( Also, I would like to thank my reviewers, Getsemone and Sarah Victoria Cullen. I appreciate your compliments more than you know. :)
Ch 8: And Life Goes On
After the night of the Ball, things went pretty much back to normal. All of the kittens were still kittens, and we all still loved our games. As the weeks went by, the younger kittens' relationships didn't seem to last. Jemima hit the nail on the head when she thought her relationship with Pouncival was doomed to failure. Brutus finally got tired of all Etcetera's whining. Victoria and Mistofelees agreed to just be friends, as they both had other cats they liked more. Plato and I, well, we ended our little near-romance. Neither of us really felt a spark. We're still good friends, however. The only relationship that passed the test of time was that of Electra and Admetus. They were the perfect halves in a whole. Anyway, as I said, life went on pretty much as normal. My human started school again, and was gone most of the day. Her father was always out and about, doing I-have-no-idea what, but I was under the impression that it was physical labor, because he always came home tired and dirty. The humans being gone all day meant I could hang out in the Junkyard more. One day, as I made my way to the Junkyard, a Pug approached me. She looked to be around my age.
"Hello," the pup said.
"Hello," I replied.
"Um, I was wondering if you could give me directions to Kensington Square. I'm supposed to meet my mother there today, but I'm lost," the pup said glumly.
"Sure," I replied. I explained to her the fastest route to the Square, and she thanked me and went about her way. I continued on my trek to the Junkyard. When I arrived, I was put to work almost immediately.
"Pepper, you must help me find my mice. I've lost track of them, and I don't want other cats confusing them with their next meal," Jennyanydots said as she lifted a newspaper and searched underneath it.
"Alright, I'll do my best," I replied. We searched for about half an hour before finally locating the little creatures hiding in the farthest junk pile from Jenny's den. She thanked me and stalked off, scolding her mice for running away. I went to find my two best friends. I found them with all the other kittens, trying to decide on a game to play. "Hey, guys! Mind if I join in?" I asked.
"Sure! You can sit by me," Lecty said. I padded over to her and took a seat between her and Brutus. Addie was on the other side of her. "Hey, Admetus!" I said, looking around Electra.
"Hey, Pepper," he replied.
After a long-ish discussion, we decided on our most played game, Den. Admetus and Electra were the parents, Plato, Victoria and I their kittens. Jemima and Mistofelees were the best friends of the parents, and Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, and Etcetera were their kittens.
As it always went, we got bored of Den and decided to play another game. We decided on Freeze Tag. We played until lunch time, when all the kittens had to go to their respective dens. My parents were out on errands for the day, so Jem and I ate at Pouncival and Tumblebrutus's house. Cassandra had prepared Jenny's recipe for mousecakes. They were delicious. After lunch, Pouncival and Jem went to go play with Victoria and Plato, and Electra and Admetus went on a date. Brutus and I decided to walk to our favorite hangout. When we got to the pond, it was full of its usual teeming of life. Fish were swimming all about, dragonflies were buzzing around, and the occasional wasp was dipping down to the water for a drink. The birds were singing their cute little melodies, and the air was fresh. It was a beautiful sight, to any sense. We sat down next to the water, gazing in at all the little lives inside.
"It's so wonderful out here," I said quietly, watching a small minnow swimming around.
"Yeah, it's so full of life," Brutus replied. "I love looking at all the little critters living their lives."
"I do, too. It almost makes you wonder if someone, much bigger than we are, is sitting, watching us live our lives, doesn't it?" I asked, pondering the question.
"It does, in a way," he agreed. We sat, enchanted by the flow of life in the water. I felt a sudden slap on my shoulder. "You're It, Salt," Brutes said slyly before running off. Salt? Really? I raced after him, as fast as my legs would run. He saw me, and sped up. I ran after him, struggling to increase my pace. I managed to go just a little faster, but only for a short distance. I tripped on a tree root and went flying across the dirt. Brutus heard me crash, and he skidded to a stop. He turned and trotted toward me, the kitten lying face down in the dirt. "You alright there?" he called.
"Ow…" I mumbled.
"I'll take that as a no…" he said. He walked over to me and helped me up. "Let's take you back to the Junkyard and have Jelly look at you." We slowly went back to the Junkyard. My front left paw was in immense pain, and every time I put weight on it, the pain intensified. I whimpered inwardly, not wanting to show weakness in front of Tumblebrutus for some odd reason. I had several cuts on my face and forearms, as well as my front paws. Needless to say, it hurt. When we finally reached the Junkyard, we went straight to Jellylorum's den, which she shared with Old Deuteronomy, when he was in the Junkyard.
"My word, Pepper! What did you do to yourself?" Jelly asked me.
"I tripped…" I replied.
"I see. Well, follow me. We need to take a look at your injuries," the medical at commanded. By this time, Brutus had left to go find my parents. I limped slowly over to the back hallway, where Jelly was waiting for me. I winced with every step that was taken with my injured leg. When I finally reached her, she put an arm around me, to steady me. We walked to a large room in the back of the den, which had a small bed. I lay down on the bed, and Jelly began her examination. After a few minutes, my parents, Jemima, and Tumblebrutus all came into the room, looking worried. I must have looked pretty awful, because Jem's eyes went wide, and she turned away. Great, I probably look like I got mauled by a car. Oh, Everlasting Cat, OW! I looked over at the source of the pain to see Jenny moving the joint on my paw back and forth, testing it. I winced every time she moved it. Finally, after what seemed like ages, she set my paw gently down. I drew it closer to me, guarding it.
"Is she alright, Jelly?" my mother asked.
"She's got several shallow lacerations, contusions, and a sprained wrist. She'll heal just fine, but it'll take some time," Jelly answered. Huh?
"Jelly, what do lacerations and contusions mean?" Jem asked her. Thank you, little sister.
"Simply put, cuts and bruises," the medical cat clarified. Darn these medical terms!
"Oh," Jemima said quietly.
"How long will it take for her to heal?" my father asked.
"Oh, it just depends. Probably no less than a week, but no more than I'd say two months," she answered.
"Ah, I see. What are the factors that influence recovery time?" he asked. I lost interest in the conversation and began talking to Brutus and Jem.
"Wow, Pepper, you look like you're in pain," he said.
"Yeah," I replied.
"What happened?" Jem asked. I explained to her just how I got hurt, and she just nodded when appropriate. "Hmm, well that sucks," she said when I was done.
"Little bit…" I said, laughing.
"Well, you can go now. I assure you, your injuries look worse than they are," Jelly said. We thanked her and left. I did my best not to put weight on my stupid sprained paw. When I got to my den, Brutus hugged me and left. I went to my room and started to clean my fur, which was caked with blood around my gashes. It took me a while, but I finally got myself clean. I limped into the main room, where Uncle Tugger, Aunt Bomba, Mom, Dad, Vicky, Addie, and Jem were sitting.
"See, not so bad," I said.
"I suppose so. Your wrist is rather swollen, though," Aunt Bomba replied. I looked down. Ugh, it looks like someone shoved a ball into my wrist. I sat down next to Victoria. We all talked about my visit to Jellylorum's den, how it happened, and things like that. They left no stone unturned. Finally, Tugger and Bomba decided it was time to go home. Vicky asked to stay, and both sets of parentals said yes. She, Jem, and I slept in the main room. I couldn't play Tag, so we just talked. Toms was our main topic, as always. Jem and Vicky finally got tired and went to sleep, but I couldn't. I got up and limped slowly over to the door and climbed painfully to the roof. I lie on my back and look at the stars. They're so beautiful… I heard paws coming towards me, and I froze.
"It's a nice night, isn't it?" Brutus asked me. I relaxed.
"Yeah," I replied softly. He laid down next to me and looked up at the night sky. A cool breeze started to blow, and my friend pulled me close to him, to keep me warm. I lay my head on his shoulder, and he started to purr. I purred too.
I woke the next morning, not on my roof, but on the floor of the main room. What the… I saw Jem and Vicky, still asleep. I got up and padded to my parents' room, and they were asleep. I wonder how early it is… I looked out the door, and it was still dark. I saw a figure, retreating into the night. I walked outside, and limped as fast as I could to catch the cat. He turned around, and it was Tumblebrutus.
"Thanks for putting me back in my den. That was sweet of you," I said quietly.
"You're welcome…" he said, almost nervously. "I figured I should, so your parents wouldn't get mad…"
"Well, thank you," I said. I couldn't really think of anything to say, as I was too entranced in his gaze. It captured me, made my heart beat fast. What is going on? I internally slapped myself, to regain focus.
"You're welcome… I should go now. My parents are probably wondering where I am…" he said. He almost sounded sad.
"Okay… Well, I had fun with you today, Brutes," I replied, glumly. I didn't want him to leave. Wait, what? I hugged him, and rubbed my head on his. I backed away just in time to see a slight blush fading.
"Me, too. I'll see you later, Pepper," he said.
"See ya, Tumblebrutus," I said back. He padded to his den and went inside. I turned and padded home, slowly and painfully. I curled back up in the same spot he put me earlier, and went to sleep.
[A/N:] Yay! Long chapter! Anyway, yesterday was eventful. I went to a start-of-school party for an extra-curricular activity I do called English Expo, and got thrown in the river, fully clothed. Great, right? No. This was after getting less than enough sleep, being at Theatre for a set day for like five hours. We were painting, putting up flats, securing flats, and doing a little bit of dutching, or sealing, flats. One of the seals got completely screwed up, so I had to go fix it. I don't like the flour-water stuff. It's nasty. Today, I learned a couple of things about fighting. I won't share them, but they're pretty cool. :D