Flames licked the night sky, like an over-excited toddler demolishing a rapidly-softening ice cream. They roared, searing, obnoxious, and uncaring of the screams.
"My baby's in there! My baby! Mimi!!"
She shrieked and wailed. She wasn't pretending to try to escape their grip, oh no. She really would do anything to break loose.
"Are you saying there's an infant in the buil- ow! Motherfucker!"
The fireman put a hand to his bleeding nose. For a hot second, he almost didn't feel bad for the crazed woman sprinting towards the burning house.
"There's nobody in there," Zahra said. "I swear. We checked every room."
"Did she mean an actual baby," his voice sounded thick now, likely his nose was broken, "Or could this be a toddler that crawled into a wardrobe or something?"
Zahra hesitated. The team glanced at each other.
"Fuck."
+
The team made it out, but the woman didn't. She succumbed to smoke inhalation, and was declared dead later. No infant was found. Several lives were risked searching for one.
"Mimi" couldn't have burnt away to nothing, could she? Of course not. While her "mom" was running into the burning house, Mimi sat on the cool, wet grass, watching the scene unfold, an aura around her of unsettling calm. She'd squeezed out of an upstairs window before the blaze took hold. From there, she'd leapt, lightfooted, to a nearby Japanese maple, and made her way to the ground.
Disturbed to see the woman carrying on like that, Mimi had held back. Now, it was quiet. All the people had gone, and Mimi was hungry. She meowed loudly. There was no response.
Mimi went in search of dinner. She had a pretty good nose for a soft touch, and sure enough, four houses down, she found an amenable family who took pity on her and opened a tin of tuna.
Mere butlers they may be, but Mimi charmed them just the same. Nobody can love-bomb like a hungry cat.
It was a shame about that other woman, really. A thought like this briefly flitted across Mimi's mind while she washed the remnants of fish from her whiskers.
+
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About the Creator
L.C. Schäfer
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Sometimes writes under S.E.Holz
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The Kelpie (Part Six)
The story starts here Part five Part Six - My Self When I smashed the kitchen window, a shard of glass stuck in my bandaged hand. It hurt. Red blossomed on the dressing. I was getting quite good at cursing at this point. I hauled my bag out after me, and pelted up the drive and down the road to the beach.
By L.C. SchäferExclusive • 8 months ago
Comments (8)
Savage! Brilliantly clever, L.C.!
I had a feeling. Not really a cat lover, but not a hater, either. This sounds likely to me. Cats are resourceful and self-centered. On a side note, I probably would have gone in if Mimi had been a dog.
Pretty little kitty probably chewed the cord that started the fire in the first place.
Well, I wonder what Mimi's new name will be
You are becoming the master of microfiction. Great job, L.C.
As real as it gets, I believe. Mine would definitely hide behind a tree or something until it was over.
They may be evil but I can't help loving them, lol. Loved your story!
Accurate representation. And I say this as someone who likes the imperious little monsters