I am frozen to the spot, not even able to seek safety in my Mimi-hen pose, as those fiery yellow eyes lock into mine. How come that cat does not blink even once! Why is it staring at me so? I am not a threat? I am just a 6 pound, tiny, black and white cat. The real threat would be Fat Pig-Cat (or Beauty), my overly large companion. Cat-with-yellow-eyes just sits high up amongst the leaves and branches of the tall, dark, tree, not moving. I cannot see how large the cat is, its fur melts so perfectly into the black night. Maybe the cat is black?

“Mimi look!” Beauty whispers in awe, her mouth hanging open, tongue lolling out.

“Oh yes my ladies, we live in a colony full of cats! Is it not incredible how we all found each other in the middle of disaster?” That annoying Ignoramus’s voice rings out cheerfully, cutting through the spooky stillness. Oh wait...it is extremly quiet here. The many cats walking and crawling in the branches, four of them silently leaping down the trees to come and sniff us, none of them make a single sound. Two of the cats, maybe from the same litter, were completely hairless. Really they looked like starving drowned mice. Yuck! Another one, has matted, very long gray-violet fur with a black streaked face and a face buried well inside its fur. Yuck! This cat must be a fleabag. And the fourth one, is a tiny black cat with glowing eyes. I don’t even bother paying attention to this fourth one. These four walk around to our backsides and start sniffing our backsides. Ow!!! It tickles!

“We all help each other out in so many ways, now that our Humans have left us and will not be coming back. I tell you, even if my Mistress Lavinia de la Coeur, does want me back, I will not be going to her! No Sireee! She cannot just leave me and then come back whenever she wants, I tell you! I cannot forgive her for her abandonment and mistreatment. Regardless, as a result, us felines have banded together and founded our own colony. It is especially helpful for getting food. We get to eat so many varieties here, live animals, thanks to the bounty of the forest. That is one thing I am glad about not living with Mistress de la Coeur: I do not have to resort to eating the kibbles that she felt like feeding me, as if I was her pet dog, like her stupid teacup poodle, Lavinia the Second. ” Ignatius the Annoying continues.

The cat with the yellow eyes continues to stare at me, still not blinking and hidden high up in the giant oak tree. I cannot look away.

“ Speaking of food,” grunts out Beauty, “Where are you getting it from? There hasn’t been any food, anywhere.” I make a small noise at the back of my throat, in agreement. For once she and I agree on something. Even outside noises like frogs, crickets, birds, insects, running water, cannot be heard in this clearing, so where does one find any food?

“Ha Ha Ha Ha!!! Well when you hear the name of our merry band of cats, you too shall realize WHERE we get our food from...I tell you, we named ourselves...”

“ENOUGH!” A voice that was half whisper, half guttural shriek rings out and an even deeper silence falls all over the colony. I cannot even hear the soft footfalls of the others cats that are sniffing mine and Beauty’s bum. Those nosy cats freeze in fear as well, and stop sniffing us, altogether. 

Finally, Beauty and I spot the cat with the yellow eyes move and jump quickly from the trees, never taking its fiery eyes away from us. This mysterious cat is standing at the bottom of the gnarly, oak tree and I see this cat in his full glory: he is a long, tall and muscular cat; with long black fur, black paws and a white chest and mouth. Beauty and I both noticed his nails, no, better to call them tiger’s claws, which are out, as he silently pads over to us. His whiskers are short, his ears long and standing straight, and his long and thin tail hanging low, as he walk up to us. At long last, he comes to a dead stop directly in front of us.

Up close, his yellow eyes looks more yellow, like the sun, and they are narrowed into slits. He rises up to his full height, when he sits back on his haunches. Although, he is level with Beauty, even Beauty shrinks back and she digs into the ground, making her large back look like a table-top.

I am afraid.

“This is our Great Leader. His name is Boot Polish. A feline sired by a long line of agile, beautiful, graceful, strong and prodigiously intelligent hunters. He IS the perfect leader. Boot Polish the Great Leader, was smart and strong enough to bring us all together here. Why, I tell you, his grandsire was half-tiger and half-cat, so rich is our Leader’s pedigree.” Ignatius squeaks with his eyes wide open, staring at his Great Leader dreamily. 

“ENOUGH Ignoramus!,” Hee Heee this Boot Polish also calls our annoying guide by the same name that I did, “ You have done your work. You may go now.” Boot Polish command rings out in the silent clearing. He looks at Beauty, specifically, his eyes travelling up and down, down and up. His yellow eyes somehow glows brighter.

“ Will I...uh...get what I asked for...Sire?” Ignatius hides behind Beauty’s massive girth, taking the same Mimi-hen pose that I take.I hate him for this!

“We will discuss that later. You may get your pickings later, after me and my she-cats are done. You are dismissed.” Boot Polish orders this without taking eyes off of us. Ignatius wastes no time to scamper off and disappears behind an ancient tree.

“I am not one to waste time, like that foolish cat is. He is foolish, but he is very good at finding us food. That’s why I keep him around...” The deep growl from Beauty’s hanging tummy interrupts this Great Leader. Boot Polish smirks and glances at her.

“Please give us some good food first and then we can talk later. Mimi and me are starving. I’m like you too and don’t like to waste time.” Beauty finally stands up tall. She is getting her courage back, me, not so much.

“Well...perhaps,” replies Boot Polish in a devious whisper which makes my fur stand up straight, “I should tell you first, what we call ourselves?” Boot Polish walks around us in a slow circle, stopping close to smell Beauty, licks his lips, swishes his tail, and ignores me completely. “ This scrawny cat will not suit my purposes, but YOU, you will do just fine.”

“ Please don’t leave me Beauty! We come as a package deal!” I cry out, begging him.

Boot Polish glares at me, “ Be Quiet! Bob and John, come and take this irritating thing from my sight. Leave the fat one to me!” I squeak and nearly choke in fear, as I see two muscular and extremely fast orange cats come out of nowhere, grab a hold of my paws and drag me away from Beauty. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” I wail.

“ Let her go!” Beauty tries to run after me, but I crane my head back and spy Boot Polish slapping Beauty, HARD. Blood starts rushing out of Beauty’s face. Bob and John continue to drag me to the water, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I HATE THE WATER!!!” I scream.

The woods echo with my scream and the hissing of all the countless cats in this colony. I spot more of them coming down from the trees and walk menacingly towards Beauty.

“ We call ourselves, the Cannibal Cats!” Boot Polish hisses and jumps at Beauty, striking her in the head, with force. Then they became a blur of black and white and brown fur, rolling on the forest floor, hissing, shrieking, clawing at each other, Beauty biting Boot Polish’s neck, Boot Polish sitting on Beauty’s chest and punching her. The other cats gather in a circle, jumping and screaming excitedly, 

“KILL HER!”

“LET’S EAT HER!”

“Beauuuuutyyyyyyyy!!!!” I call out to her. I am almost close to the water when I am launched into the air and then I belly flop into the small pond, my fur becoming wet instantly! I HATE IT! My fur will never look soft and shiny and pretty again, due to this dirty looking water.

Luckily though, I only hit the shallow end.

“ C’mon Bob! Hurry up! Don’t wanna miss eating that fat!”

“Duhhhh....durrrr....ok Johnny!” They both melt into the night.

Then I quietly get out of the water, not even bothering to shake myself, and run off to rescue my only friend.

�p�gd\’

Next Chapter: FINISH HER (Chapter 8)