The Secret Adventures Of Squeakity, part 02

Squeakity paced the circumference of her enclosure, her whiskers twitching to the rhythm of her rapidly beating heart. If what Tigera said was true, then it was terrible news. The pine shavings under her feet made little crunching sounds as she wiggled back and forth on her stubby little legs. After four or five lengths, she stopped at the northern edge and looked up at Tigera.

“When did this happen? How did this happen?”

Tigera’s tail switched back and forth, furiously sweeping the floor, and she kept licking the tip of her nose anxiously. It was a trait that she had picked up as a kitten, whenever something bothered her, and Squeakity marveled that the cat had a nose left as much as she licked it with that raspy tongue of hers.

“He... He just left... This afternoon. And he didn't come back!” she licked her nose some more, “It was when the male staff member, the human, opened the back door.” more licking, “I don't know what Bobby was thinking! I mean, it's dangerous out there! So many dangers.” her tail swishing increased even faster, “so many dangers.”

Squeakity thought for a second. What were they going to do? Their friend had been gone for hours and it was dark now. The humans had looked for him, but with no success. It seemed like he just disappeared. And Tigera was no help at all. The longer he was gone, the more of a nervous wreck she became.

“I think,” she replied thoughtfully, “that we should go look for him.”

Tigera stole a quick glance at the window with its halo of light from the streetlamp outside, then returned her attention to Squeakity, shaking her head vigorously.

“Out there? You want me to go out there?” more nose licking, “No. Absolutely not. I am not going out there, ever. It's dangerous out there. I told you that already. There’re things that can hurt you out there... Even eat you! No, I'm not going out there.”

Squeakity studied her friend intently. She felt sorry for her. The poor cat was afraid of just about everything, and it really didn't make sense since she'd been inside from the time, she was a small kitten. What did she really know, or remember about the outside? Of course, Squeakity considered, what did she herself really know about the outside? She'd never been outside either without a human to watch over her. But Bobby knew what was outside. He'd been older when he moved in, and frequently wanted to be let out but the humans said it was dangerous. Maybe that's where Tigera got her fearful ideas. Maybe she was listening to the humans.

Squeakity gave herself a full body shake, fluffing her fur in all directions, and made a decision.

“I'm going out there. I'm gonna find him, and I'm gonna bring him home.”

Tigera stared at her with wide, horrified, green eyes.

“You can't possibly mean that! What do you know of the outside? I mean, where will you go? How will you find him?” she licked her nose, then her whiskers, “Oh, this is bad. Very, very bad.”

Well, it probably wasn't the best idea, but it seemed to Squeakity to be the only idea. Who else was going to do it? Tigera wouldn't. And, the dog, who was locked in her cage every night, couldn't. So that left her.

“I have to go. But I will be back, with Bobby.”

Grabbing the bars of her enclosure with their little paws, she wiggled her way through to the outside and landed with a muted thud on the floor beside Tigera. The cat stared down at her with her head cocked to the side.

“Well, it's not a good idea but if you're going to go, be very careful. Remember, you are a prey animal and not-so-friendly predators will want to eat you. So, you have to watch out for other cats, and foxes, and coyotes, oh, and don't get me started on owls.”

Tigera gave a violent shutter and followed Squeakity into the living room through the open animal room door.

“How are you going to get out? The humans are asleep, and they wouldn't let you outside anyway.”

Squeakity pondered Tigera’s question, then remembered her encounter with the mouse. If the mouse was able to get in, there had to be a hole somewhere. All she had to do was find it. And find it she would. She had found the mouse in the room next to hers, so it stood to reason that she should start there. Turning around, she hurried back through their room, through the connecting door, and into the spare room. It was totally dark as before, but this time she had Tigera, and her friend could use her night vision.

“Tigera, I think there is a hole to the outside somewhere in this room, but I can't see it in this darkness. Will you please look around for a hole? It doesn't need to be a big hole, a small one will do just fine, because I can chew it bigger if I need to.”

She could hear Tigera shuffling around the room, shoving things out of the way, probably boxes and such, searching for the whole. After a few moments of rummaging, Tigera called from a short distance away.

“I found a small hole over here under the window by the corner of the wall, but it is small, and you'll have to chew it bigger if you want to fit through it. But just know that I'm against all of this. It's so scary, and unsafe.”

Squeakity followed Tigera’s voice and located her quickly enough right where she found the hole. it was indeed a small hole, and she began to gnaw at the edges, making it wider and taller so that she could fit through.

“I know you don't approve,” she mumbled around a mouthful of plaster, “but I have to find him, you know, in case he's hurt or something.”

She didn't even stick around long enough to hear Tigera’s reply and wiggled her body through the hole to the waiting darkness outside. It was different out there. The air was cooler, and crisper, and she could hear crickets chirping all around her. And was that a frog? Oh my. She turned toward the streetlamp, her little legs taking her through the bed of flowers to the front yard. She hurried through the grass, not stopping for a nibble, then jumped up onto the sidewalk. Which way should she go? Outside with such a big place. The light from the streetlamp glowed, giving a faint luminescence to her immediate surroundings, leaving dark shadows at the edges of its domain to bleed into blackness. She hesitated for only a second or two, then decided to turn right. The direction said at all; right was the right way to go. The cement under her paws felt scratchy and rough, but she couldn't worry about that. Her only concern was finding Bobby.

She quickly came to the corner where another street met the one that she was on. There were streetlights in front of her, behind her, and to her right, but only darkness and foreboding was on the left. Would Bobby have crossed the street? Would he have gone into the darkness? A chill ran through her, and she shivered slightly. Again, right was the right direction. So, she turned right, without crossing the street, and waddled her way down the sidewalk.

Before too long, she heard something, a slight sound coming from a shrub at the corner of a house. The scent of damp peatmoss tickled her nose as she drew closer and closer to the noise. When she poked her head under the bush, she didn't see anything at first. Then, from deep within the shadowy realm, glowed a pair of giant golden eyes. They stared at her like crescent moons, unblinking, menacing. She couldn't breathe. It felt like her heart was going to thump right out of her chest, and she began to back away hoping for the safety of the sidewalk and the glow of the streetlight overhead. Her little paws scrambled backward, through the grass, until her back paws felt the rough cement. Just when she thought she was safe, the monster leapt from the shrub, it's fangs pearlescent and deadly. With a mighty squeal, Squeakity began to run as fast as she could go. She didn't look back, and she didn't watch where she was going, she just ran.

She could hear her pursuer getting closer and closer. Her breathing was ragged, and her lungs burned. She didn't know how long she'd be able to keep up the pace that she had set, but she had to try. Her life depended on it. She made right turns and left turns, zigzagging through yards, back and forth from grass to sidewalk, squealing the entire way.

Then from out of nowhere came another dark shape, with neon green eyes and flashing teeth. It came at her in a flurry of activity, huge claws extended. She tried to think quickly what to do but instead she froze right at the instant that this new pursuer launched itself into the air. She was a goner, she just knew it, but then nothing happened. This newest threat sailed over her cowering body and slammed into the monster behind her. There was a cacophony of motion, a myriad of teeth and claws slashing as the combatants rolled and tumbled in a furious display. There was yowling and hissing and screeching all at once, and it was terrifying.

Squeakity couldn't move. She was immobilized with fright and could only watch the savage display that was unfolding before her. Though it only lasted less than a minute, it seemed like an eternity. Gasping for breath, she watched as the defeated dark figure sprinted off into the inky distance. The victor turned to her, and she was certain that she was next. But before she could turn to run again, a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Are you okay, Squeakity?”

“Bobby?” she gasped.

A soft chuckle preceded him into the faint light.

“Yeah, it's me. What are you doing out here?”

“I came to find you. Tigera is beside herself with worry, and the humans were looking for you.”

Bobby's stocky form emerged from the shadows, and he cocked his head to the side.

“You came to find me?”

“Yes, somebody had to.”

Bobby sidled up to Squeakity and rubbed the side of his face along her body, purring loudly.

“Well then, let's go home.”