A Tale of Three Kittens Chapter One
"Abandonment is the cruelest kind of neglect. No one told our parents that."
Steve...Steve. wake up.. "What? Hmm...what is it honey?" John...remember the other night...at the bar? "Yeah, my head still hasn't stopped throbbing" Well...I don't remember most of the night...But...I've been vomiting in the morning a lot...gaining weight...I think. I think I might be..."Don't say it.....Pregnant?" Yes, I knew I had forgotten something important. "Admit...well. what do you want to do?" What do you mean? "You know. With the kid...Do you want to keep it?" "Well...my mother began in a stuttered tone, "I dunno where I'd money is pretty tight...we don't really have the time for a baby My boss would never give me a raise"---"Shhhush...it's ok.."
"What?"
"It's ok...go back to bed."
"As the 9 months passed them by, they sank into a depression. After we were born our father changed drastically. Over a span of seven years 3 of us were born on every other year. I remember my father getting drunk often, and hitting us. With the belt on the wall...he would hang it there, to remind us not to 'sin to our parents'. Our dad started to hit our mom right be for they abandoned us. He beat her pretty bad. She ran outside, he chased after her. We yelled at him to stop. Then he came after us! We scattered, or had planned to scatter, we ended up going the same direction, to the back yard. He caught up with us when we became cornered behind the dumpsters and the deck. He raised his fist, high above his head, and well...I don't remember much after that. I remember waking up...on the side of a highway I was bleeding from my lip. He had busted it...I looked around in dismay...tried to get up. I fell flat on my face. Then. Blacked out"
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When I woke up for the second time, I was still lying on the side of a highway. The blood on my lip had hardened into an itchy crust. "Heh, must have been here for a while......no way!"
There was a sign next to the road filled with different kinds of information, mostly directions and distances to cities"
"Los Angeles-50 Miles"
"Dammit, he dropped me off this far!?" I could not believe he actually did it but when darkness set in, so did my rational mind.
I checked my pockets to see what I still had left, not that there was much in there to begin with. "Hmm, my pocketknife, and ten dollars in small change. Decided now was as good a time as any and that starting walking to the nearest gas station would be my best chance of making it through the night.
"Maybe they'll let me crash in the garage or something" I thought to myself.
I arrived, much later, to an old gas station, deserted at this time of the day, except for an old husky that was closing the place at the moment.
"Sir! Excuse me!" I called out, trying to get his attention.
The man turned to me, a look of surprise crossing his gray muzzle. He remained there, speechless for a moment, his staring making me a little uncomfortable. I finally managed to open my mouth to add something else... but closed it right back, as I tried to think of what to say. I needed some explanations, some story, to justify my request. And, not really wanting to have to deal with the police at the moment, nor any agencies of familial issues, the truth seemed better to be left hidden for a little while longer. "Hey... I... I lost my way, sir." I finally managed to tell, quickly building a story in my mind, would he ask for details. "And...since it's late...I wondered, would you mind if I...stayed the night... here? In the garage, maybe?"
Rubbing his paws down his somewhat greasy pants, he talked for the first time. "No, kid. There is no way I'm letting you stay here. This is not a motel, this is a gas station. Not a safe place for a kitten like you to sleep either. And I'm no willing to risk leaving you here without anyone to watch you, so you might steal something." His voice was hard, yet I didn't feel like he was angry. But neither did he seem to be compassionate. My ears flattened on my head, and I was about to leave when he called out to me again.
"But I'm not letting you go either. It's not safe for a child like you to sleep in the wood, around here. Come, I'm giving you a drive to the nearest city." With a move of his paw, the husky invited me to follow him. I wasn't too thrilled at the idea, but it was better than saying out there. I walked to his old car, which he had likely spent many hours fixing himself, and took place in the passenger seat.
Along the way, I wondered... what had happened to my brothers? Had my father dropped us all at different place? I swore under my breath, for his uncaring behavior had brightened this situation over me now. Out of my consideration, I suddenly realized that the man driving me was eyeing me suspiciously. More than once, did I catch him looking at me, or more... studying me... Then it's struck me... "Oh god! " I though for myself, "He plan to rape me! I'm a lone powerless kitten, which is lost far away from home! I'm the perfect prey!" I began to panic, but tried hard not to show it. Soon, however, we were in a small village and this stranger was pulling his car near an house.
I got out of the car as quickly as I could and said "Well, thanks a lot mister. I'm in your debt. Bye!" I started to skip away, but his arm caught me. " You aren't going anywhere." I gasped, tried to break free from his grasp, but is muscular arms were far too much for me. Before I could say anything else, he added: "You're far from home... You don't know anyone around..." Those words froze me, fear overwhelmed me... He was about to do what I had suspected! I wanted to get my knife, but was to afraid to move... "I doubt you have the money for a hotel room or any ID to get one for that matter, so the least I can do is offer you shelter for the night." I didn't believe the story he told me at first, my thoughts were scrambled and from years without interaction I had very little expirience sensing true intentions.I looked at him in fear, expecting a cold stare, but all I got back was a warm smile on his face, and a female husky standing in the door way. The woman walked close to the man and kissed him on his cheeks. "Welcome home! oh dear, you brought a stranger again?" The lady walked close to me and smiled as warmly as her husband had did before. "Oh, you poor dear, let me get you a towel." On this, she left, leaving me staring at the husky who had brought me there.
Before I could even ask, he answered my silent question: "What, you thought I would try to rape you? I'm perfectly fine with her, you know. I was just studying your wounds... they needs some cleaning." This time, it was I who was smiling. Even my own father, in his good moments, had not been that kind to me. I stepped foot into the house, the poor lighting, or lack of light was proably due to the hour of night. I felt as an intruder in the home, but invited in all the same. I looked up at the old husky that brought me into his home, and thanked him.