A Cat’s Tail CH 7

“No, Cyris is another day walk.” Abigail thought, “Though we could rest there for a bit.”

“We shouldn’t.” I interjected, “We need to get to the Earth Viewing Area as soon as possible, we can see our families.”

I tried to go around the sphere, only Abigail and Ace didn’t go around like I was. “We shouldn’t risk anything, Toby.” Abigail spoke, “It’s a weak veil, we need our own time to regain energy.”

Ace walked forward into the barrier like Abigail had, created a rippled effect as they entered. I took a deep breath and walked through, rippling into a loud city with singing and lights flashing. I’ve accustomed myself to the silence in the barrier, this was painful to hear.

Our group walked into a small house with its door open. Did we let ourselves into someone’s house? I was last to enter, seeing the huge food displayed before us. “Where are we?”

“Just getting some food.” Ace explained. “You haven’t eaten since you got here.”

“You haven’t eaten anything!” Abigail shockingly asked, “This place has the best chicken! Better than any cat food on Earth!”

I found myself asking why I’ve only seen cats here, yet they serve chicken. Are there other animals in Heaven? How is it we are eating meat here? I focused back at the group, they all sat down at a table and I was last to sit. We all casually ordered food; Abigail had some salmon while Ace and I had grilled chicken.

“What district is this?” Abigail asked while we waited.

“According to the map, Sitamus.” Ace explained. “It’s like a haven for the stray cats and home cats alike, like the International District.”

“Why would there be two districts with he same purpose?” I asked. Both districts had the same function, protect the domesticated cats. Why have two separated districts and a dangerous road to connect them?

The group didn’t answer, I don’t think they knew how to answer. “The districts can separate cats because of certain clauses.” Abigail started to explain, “Like, this district was more populated with the stray cats rather than guardians and gates like the International District had.”

“But there’s house cats here too.”

“The population is like more stray cats than house cats though.” Abigail argued. The food we had order came out and slid onto our tables, interrupting and distinguishing our argument.

Everyone got their food, salmon and chicken. “Eat in!” Ace promptly announced, being happy and joyous as we had first met. I felt a grin hit my face, Abigail as well it seemed.

We started devouring our food, when some new cats entered the establishment. I couldn’t help but look at the new folk, they were all different shades of dark or gray. One cat was a slim white cat. I couldn’t hear anything over my eating, or rather Abigail’s loud eating, though they didn’t seem like housecats.

Abigail did say the district was dedicated towards stray cats, it was obvious for it. I guess the Heavenly districts have the cats adjust to what they are used to on Earth. Would I be part of this district? No, I adjusted to the human life. I was more like the house cat than a stray. They officially adopted me too.

“A toast!” A scruffy voice called out. I glanced to the stray group next to me, their messy fur and dirtiness were sprawled across the ground. “To no filthy house cat wannabes.” The cat deeply laughed, the entire group following afterwards. “Rounds for everyone!” The group erupted with joy.

“Ugh, rowdy.” Abigail murmured as she was eating her salmon, “I’d hate to be the authority looking after them.”

I looked at the group, seeing them more clearly. Five cats, all different colors. The pure white one sat next to the pure black one with tattered fur. The black cat had a clear tear on his eye with his ear nicked off. The gray cat had three legs while the tattered brown cat had an overbite, not to mention he was enormous compared to the rest. This all was brought to the singular Siamese cat in the middle, the one with an x-mark on his nose. “What do they have against house cats?” I whispered under my breath.

The Siamese cat looked at me, his eyes were clearly thin and intimidating to look at. I quickly looked back down to my food, avoiding anymore eye contact I could have with him. How could he have heard me? Technically, I was still a stray cat. Abigail was a barn cat; did that consider her as a stray cat? My curiosity took over, forcing me to look up at the table.

Nothing, the stray cats weren’t there. Their empty plates were, but not them.

“Hey!” Abigail groaned. I felt a bump into me, the tattered fur touching mine. “Get your own salmon.” Abigail hissed at the stray cats forcing themselves into our table. The pure white cat stole her salmon, though Abigail didn’t want to fight back. I don’t blame her; the group was too intimidating for me.

I looked across to see Ace sharing a seat with the giant forest cat, Ace gladly sharing his grilled chicken politely with the humongous cat. Though the rest of the cat crew sat around us, the Siamese sitting next to me.

“You three seem new in this area, too clean for my taste.” The Siamese cat chuckled, signaling the rest of the group to follow his lead. He reached his paw out and flexed his claws out. One small hook on his claw took my chicken in a swoop. “You like the classic kitty foods, don’t cha.”

I scooted over a bit, feeling my ears flatten a little, “I’d like the food even more if you’d leave.” I murmured again. Though, the breathing of the Siamese got closer, his x-mark clearly showing in my face. “That’s alright! We were just leaving.” I got up to leave, though I felt a bump behind me. The rest of the group pushed me back, forcing me to sit here.

“Aw, the newcomers are too scared.” The Siamese grunted, “Where are you guys going to?”

“The Earth Viewing Area.” I proudly said, the cats automatically laughing afterwards. I felt more annoyed than I did when Abigail kept attacking my tail. “Is there something wrong?”

The Siamese focused his intimidation onto me, “Of course a pet would like to go back to a life to a human.”

“What made you think I was a pet?” I asked, seeing how more questions might make him more annoyed and finally leave us alone. His eyes darted at me again, he knows how much it takes to be intimidating.

“You mean, you don’t realize you were a pet slave?”

“I mean, being part of a human life doesn’t mean I’m a slave.” I started to lecture, seeing Abigail shake her head and Ace still eating his food. “My family really loved me actually.”

By that notion, the Siamese slammed his clawed paw of grill chicken back onto my plate, splattering some grease onto me. “No human loves one thing.” His tone changed drastically, from what seemed like a joke turned into a serious matter of subject. I found my fear turn into annoyance, my tail lashing about.

“Humans have just as much emotion as we do. I don’t think you understand that.” I smiled at the Siamese, seeing how he’s grown angry and entered a mind of red. “Maybe you were just never loved.”

Ace interjected, “We were going to leave for the Earth Viewing Area, you guys can come too!” Ace’s polite interruption made the other crew smile back. Abigail rolled her eyes at his genuine attempt. “You know, the Earth Viewing Area helps any reincarnating cats to be more than just cats. Some cats become part of a household, some aren’t cats anymore!” Naïve Ace, trying to teach the unteachable.

“We’d love to pay a visit, though we are stuck in this district for a reason.” The Siamese started cutting shapes into my grilled chicken, his claw can cut anything so easily it seemed. “You might want to join the district, learn a few things.”

“I’m completely capable of learning, something you seem to lack.” I sighed, “Now, we’ll be on our way.”

“No…” The Siamese leaned onto me, “We don’t let kitty-pets go astray in our city.”

“You know,” Ace started up again, “Some kitty-pets were also stray.”

“Once a kitty-pet, always a kitty-pet.” The X-cat snickered.

“A bunch of cats get the feeling that being a pet means you lose your past.” Ace clarified. “Actually, I bet many strays were once house-pets.”

“Not this posse.” The Siamese growled, threatening me with his claw.

A small whimper stunned the air, stopping the table from talking. I looked over to the large forest cat, seeing how he is looking down at the grilled chicken. “Olaf?” The Siamese asked.

The tattered giant flicked his tail, Ace put his paw on his shoulder, “It’s alright, Olaf.” Ace turned to the table, smiling innocently.

The giant, Olaf, took in a deep breath and stood tall, “I had a family.” Olaf stopped standing proudly and hunched over, feeling guilty at his secret. “A mom, and a dad.”

“What?” The Siamese angrily asked, feeling betrayal from his own clique.

“I had one too!” The table all looked at the black cat with a nicked ear and a blind eye. He stood tall as well, “My family was a mother and her two sons.”

“Todd?” The Siamese asked, feeling more betrayal than he had towards Olaf. I heard the heart of his crack a little.

“I’m sorry, X. I was a stray after I left home and came back to a different family.” Todd looked down, ready to tear up and cry. “I felt bad not telling you guys, I knew you all wouldn’t like me anymore.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” The Siamese cat sighed, retracting his claws.

Ace put his paw gently on his table, “You feel better now, right?”

The black cat looked at Ace’s paw, then put his own on the table, “So much better.”

I stood there, shocked at this random encounter. I looked at Abigail, open mouthed like me. Ace looked at the both of us, smiling happily. “Sometimes we just need to let go.” What an explanation. Ace sighed, “X, did you have a family?”

“No!” X growled, looking around at the once-stray clique. “I did not endorse in this betrayal!”

Ace’s smile became into a concerned frown, “X, are you sure?” I looked at the tabby, his eyes glowing blue rather than their original color. It was an abnormal blue, striking as cobalt could be.

X looked at him, angry as ever. He tried to argue back, but he gave into Ace’s treatment. “I had a human friend.” He looked down, “A tiny girl.”

I felt myself wanting to laugh, the irony of an intimidating cat having a little girl be his best friend. Though, I reminisce back to my own family. Aaron, mom, dad. It was good to know that X realized his new clique – The Human Encounters Clique. “Did she name you?”

X looked at me, tears in his eyes. “Fluffy.” His intimidating voice turned shaky, upset that he lost such a vital memory of his. “I thought if I forgot her, I would be better off.” X looked at Ace, the only one smiling, “I miss her.”

Olaf and Todd walked over and gave X a huge hug, I’ve never felt more out of place or confused since entering Heaven. Ace got up and hugged X as well, spreading his cobalt aura to the group. “Thank you, so much.” Soon enough every member except me and Abigail had hugged the heartfelt fluffball.

“No problem.” Ace smiled. X was now excessively generous, buying us more grilled chicken and salmon. Ace gave each cat another hug as they left the restaurant. Ace sat back down and ate his grilled chicken, leaving us in suspense. He looked up from his plate to see us two. “What?”

“What was that?” I asked. “You casted some type of magic on them? Your eyes were blue, but now they are yellow?”

Ace looked shocked, but gave a little chuckle, “I’ve trained as a guardian, I’m there to help those who need help.” He went back to eating his food, not a care to the sudden change of atmosphere nor the random encounter we just witnessed.

“So, you caused the group to confess their guilt?” Abigail asked, barely touching her salmon like me.

“I guess so?” Ace mumbled. “Eat up, we will rest here for a bit until leaving tomorrow morning.”

Ace started eating his food, making us eat. I was first to finish, it was true I’ve yet to eat since the day I’ve died. Abigail and Ace finished, and we were greeted once again with X and his crew.

X provided us with a small house and happily gave us a few bread slices that he found from the restaurant across the street. Abigail and I sat from X and Ace, though we all converse in a friendlier conversation than before. Olaf sat behind us, giving us lots of warmth in the small homestead. He acted like a blanket to a cold day.

We slept in the room, using Olaf’s tail as a blanket. He didn’t seem to mind either, he was ecstatic of us anyways. Ace sat beside us, looking over everyone as a soldier to protect us. I felt nothing less from safe, that’s how Heaven became the haven it is.

I looked at X, seeing a newly changed feline. The little girl named him Fluffy, he did leave up to his name.

“Goodnight,” I quietly said, curling myself up, “We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.”