FictionPress.com - let the words flow| FictionPress.com - let the words flow |
| Home Just In Communities Forums Beta Readers Dictionary Search | Login Register Extras |
PNEK MEKS back in action! Woo! I wrote another shorty! It’s about a kitty...surprise surprise. Welp, I sure hope you all enjoy it. Sorry about not updating my other stories, just haven’t been in the mood. That and all my creativity has been focused on my creative writing class. There isn’t much left at the end of the day. R&R!!!!
Racing down the crowded sidewalks and dodging feet, carts, and several other obstacles, the cat was pushing himself to the limit of his feline skills and abilities. The dog behind him was not as skilled, and toppled several newcomers to the daily ritual. Both continued in this fashion for several blocks until a particular hobo appeared, marking the location of the correct alley way. The cat took a sharp turn down the alley, the dog following close behind disrupting an older woman with several bags. She gave an angry shout as her array of items cascaded across the ground.
This commotion was all left behind as the cat and dog barreled down the alley. There was no sign of hope as the brick wall and dumpster loomed closer. There was no escape for the cat who continued his charge forward, or, was there? As the cat reached the dumpster, he veered left and made a bit of a squirm between the wall and the back of the dumpster, escaping the vicious mutt behind him, who, in turn, collided with the metal object.
Once on the other side, after several tuff struggles, he licked back the more rough areas of his fur. Once satisfied with his physique, he stood up, raising his tail high, and began his strut down the alley way.
Cats on all sides were shuffling about. Humans thought their world was insane, ha! The calico continued forward, snaking through the wide variety of felines laid before him. Calicos, tabbies, Persians, and Siamese, hundreds of breeds as well as mixes, all going about a usual routine.
He continued walking till he reached a nearby trash can. Sitting at it’s base, he gazed up at a slim black tail that was hanging out of it. He grinned in a way only felines know how and called up to the tail.
“Hey Conner! You still alive?”
The tail twitched and slipped into the abyss of the can as it was replaced by two white paws and an oblong head patched with brown and gray.
Conner blinked his gray eyes and peered past his nose down at the calico before him. Gray eyes meeting the strange white ones and he grinned to reveal several missing teeth.
“Well, lookie here. If it ain’t curiosity ‘imself. How is da lord of da interestin’ taday?”
“Tired. I picked and awful time to see how stupid a dog is. Nearly got hit by the morning rush while crossing the boulevard,”
Conner shook his head.
“That’s da kinda stuffs gonna git ja killed, Ian,”
Ian flexed his claws out, arching his back and slightly in a yawn.
“Whatever Conner. Do you have any gossip for me?”
As he said this, his back paw was scratching his ear. Conner tilted his head slightly and began rambling along about who had done what and “he said that she said” stuff. Ian didn’t even pay attention till Conner got to a particular spot.
“And a group of ravens and crows were spotted out in the old parkin’ lot on fif street,”
“Wait, ravens and crows on fifth street?”
Conner stopped and looked down at him.
“Dats what I said, ey, ravens and crows on fif street”
Ian got up, shaking his body out, a wry feline smile upon his face as he began to walk back the way he had come. Conner followed after him with his eyes, shouting loudly at him.
“An where be you goin’?”
“Haven’t you guessed yet? A group of ravens and crows! That means free eats!”
“I wouldn’t if I were you! Just crows is one ting, but ravens will drive da sanest insane!”
Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears. Ian was already half gone, his mind set on fifth street and the meal he would find there.
XXX
The abandoned parking lot was a memory of the past. The once active building standing behind it had been the proud 5th Street Grocer. Now, it sat empty, gathering dust and crumbling in on itself as it slowly rotted away. The cracking black top had grass growing upon it in several areas. Ants were some of the only occupants of the barren wasteland on most days, but today, a flock of black, ruffled-feathered crows sat picking at the remains of most likely a ballerina of the high telephone wires. Sitting back from the squawking beasts was a lone raven, perched upon a broken post that perhaps once marked the holy grounds for those with disabilities.
Ian sat within the shadows of a long abandoned house of cardboard. There, he bided his time, thinking up the best possible way to go about his next course of action. He decided on the old fashion way.
Pulling his haunches beneath him and bunching his muscles, he waited. His muscles tensed as his skin began to prickle, his fur standing on end making him look twice the size he was. Then, he leapt forward, putting his strength into the spring as he raced forward, a growl and then a hiss escaping from his fuzzy lips.
The crows flapped their wings and took off with caws of anger and annoyance. Each one disappearing into the blue-gray sky of the polluted city landscape.
Ian sat down and licked back his frizzy fur, laughing to himself quietly. As he turned to begin feeding on the stolen meal, his furry face with its white eyes and satin nose met that of a hard beak, feathers and brown. The raven screeched loudly in a high pitched manner, wailing out, “ ‘Ello!”
This, taking Ian by surprise, caused the calico to topple backwards. He regained his stance, glaring back at the raven. Having not received a reply from the cat, the raven began again in a softer tone.
“ ‘Ello.”
Ian rolled his eyes and bent over the carcass and took a bite of the red meat. He knew very well to never answer a raven. They were known to act stupid in order to get your attention, but behind the mask was an intelligent mind bent on twisting reality and causing those who were once sane to go crazy. He kept quiet and to his meal, ignoring the bird to the best of his abilities. However, this particular raven was very persistent and tried several more times.
“ ‘Ello! ‘Ello! ‘Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello!”
Ian ripped up his head with a jerk and, loosing his temper, growled at the raven.
“What do you want!?”
“Do you like riddles?”
Ian rolled his eyes.
“No,”
“Aw, come now. If you can answer my riddle, I’ll leave!”
The calico sighed heavily .
“Fine, what’s the riddle?”
The raven cleared his throat and spoke clear and précised.
“Why, is a raven, like a writing desk?”
Ian blinked. He hadn't a clue, but his curiosity enticed him to try and think of something. He sat stumped and staring at the ground. Several minutes passed and he looked up.
“I don’t know, why is a rave...hey!!!”
As Ian had concentrated on solving the riddle, the raven had eaten the last of the meal.
“You jerk!”
Ian growled as he struck out with an angry clawed paw. The raven dodged and flew up to sit nicely on it’s previous perch. Ian sat hissing at the bottom of it, the raven peering down at him. Ian grumbled and cursed under his breath.
“Sad to live the life of a feline,” the raven said.
Ian ignored him as he began to walk back to the carcass to see if anything was left.
“Especially in a world where no one likes you,” the ravens words were slow and pronounced fully.
Ian growled.
“People like me,”
“No, people don’t like you. Humans are cruel. Keeping dogs around to chase you off. The young ones especially love to tease you,”
Ian picked up and turned over several bones.
“What would you know about it?”
The raven flexed his claws, gaining a better grip on his perch.
“Oh, I see things, and hear things. Too bad you don’t live in the land of sands. there, they worshiped cats. Treated then like kings,”
Ian perked up, turning slowly towards the bird.
“Kings?”
The raven hid his amusement in the cat’s curiosity.
“Oh yes, never have to lift a paw,”
Ian’s mind raced with ideas of a wonderful place where cats ruled on high. It was such a sweet thought. He snapped back to reality and looked up at the raven.
“Can you tell me where it is?”
The raven cawed and fluttered down, landing in front of the calico.
“Where the great river flows the opposite way and sand surrounds all you see, where stone steps lead to the heavens, and pictures spell the legacy of kings. Where gold and riches are close by in a land so far away, you’ll find what you’ve been looking for, a place where you can play! But it’s been long since it’s existence, ages in the sun, buried long in times sweet bliss, where humans can no longer touch.” The raven cackled and flew back up mounting his pole.
Ian was confused beyond reason. He hadn’t a clue to where this place could be found. He shouted up to the raven.
“I don’t understand! Where is this place? What dose the riddle mean?”
The raven stretched his wings out, fanning the feathers and cawed.
“You will have to figure it out! But remember the reward at the end! Now I’m off!” The raven flapped his wings with strong beats and lifted off the pole.
“Will I be able to find you if I need to hear the riddle again?” Ian called out desperately.
“Quote the Raven,” he cackled and swooped low, raking his claws across Ian’s head and then pulled up quickly, “Nevermore!!”
The raven laughed in an insane cackle that faded along with his silhouette into the dreary dusk of the dingy city. Ian sat bewildered. He wondered and then shook it off. He padded slowly back towards the cat alley, pushing the ravens silly banter to the back of his mind.
XXX
As Ian trudged along the somewhat quiet streets, his stomach growled it’s annoyance about loosing such a meal. He sighed heavily and continued his meaningless walk.
There was no place to get food here. The birds sat too high and dogs guarded every worthwhile alley. The cat alley would be bare by now and Ian’s stomach gave another moan as he thought this. He had one chance. There was a seafood restaurant on the tail end of main street. Not a dog in sight and the chef was slower then dirt. He began his trudge along the darkened streets.
On approaching the dingy restaurant, he lopped slyly towards the back alley. Finding it barren, he began his quiet slide down the shadowed wall. He inched up to the cracked door, bright golden light and the tangy smell of salt and rotting fish pouring through to his satin nose.
Ian drooled slightly as he pawed the door open and slunk his way inside. It was too easy. The fish sat in a slimy bucket before him on the shinny linoleum floor and the warm kitchen was empty of all signs of trouble. Ian padded swiftly up to the bucket, and as he went to take his first bite, something shiny caught his eye as a swish sounded in the air.
Managing to dodge the butcher knife being brought upon him, he knocked over the bucket, spilling it’s wet contents upon the floor, the water spreading every were as the fish twitched slightly. Ian got himself up and made a mad dash for his escape route as the chef came lobbing behind him.
His escape wasn’t pretty. Once on the outside he began to run for the front streets. The chef, however, gave a sharp whistle that sent a hairy retriever after him. The chase went on and on as they ran across traffic, nearly killing themselves and others, and ended only when Ian happened to find one of the few trees that still existed in the greenery deprived city.
Now trapped within the tangled branches of his one and only escape, Ian truly began to believe the raven.
“People do hate me.”
The dog sat glaring into the tree. Time and time again he would pace back and forth and bark his aggravation into the cold night. Ian heard very little of it, constantly reminded of what the raven had said. Especially in a world where no one likes you. Ian lowered his head and pawed at his ears to get the resounding voice of the feathered devil out of his head.
XXX
Ian was running from several annoying ravens and angry dogs. Just as he thought he would die, a staircase shining brilliantly like gold and surrounded by sand appeared before him. He began racing towards it, servants, human servants, bowing as he did. He saw a beautiful light and could feel it’s warmth as he drew closer. Then the raven appeared, block his path. He cooed his annoying riddle and Ian felt defeated as he fell before the feathered creature. He felt pain as the raven’s beak jabbed at him. It hurt. Why did it hurt?
Ian awoke drearily to an annoyed blue jay attacking his head. the blue-white bird continued it’s attack until Ian, rolling over to swat the crazed thing, lost his balance and fell out of the tree.
For most creatures, this would normally end in a loud crack and perhaps several bones shattering against the sidewalk. Ian, being of the feline race, had a reflex built in for these particular occasions. In mid air, he twisted his body around. First he turned his head, then his front half, rear end, and his feet touched the rough surface in a perfect 10 point landing. Ian blinked his eyes wearily, having accomplished the past feat while still half conscience. He then went about a quick wash with his tongue and then trotted down along 7th street.
As he went, he was shoved, tripped, kicked and had his tail stepped on as he tried to survive the crowds of humans. After about the sixth time his tail had been crushed beneath a shoe, he had reached the edge of 7th street. Before him lay the bridge and on the other side...
Ian didn’t know what was on the other side. He had never been across the bridge. He sat very still watching the unknown that laid a mere 2 feet before him and then back at the city that despised him so.
Ian stood tall and nodded his head. He finally decided to find the land spoken by the raven in his riddle. He began padding his way across the bridge, contemplating the riddle to himself.
“Surrounded by sand... a place where humans no longer touch... what was the rest?”
He sighed wearily. He couldn’t remember anything else from the riddle.
As he trudged along the short bridge, he spoke out loud to no one but himself, muttering things.
“Where is there sand? The desert has sand right? No, humans go there,”
Just then his paw kicked a loose stone that rolled across the concrete bridge and fell down to the water below, making a soft “plunk” as it hit the surface.
Hearing the noise, Ian perked up his head and looked down. There the water lay still and muddy below him. That familiar cat grin spreading across his face.
“Under the water,” he said to himself, “It’s under the water! Humans can’t live there and there’s sand under the water! That’s it! It’s under the water!”
He was overcome with joy as he leapt from the 20ft high bridge, falling towards the mud stained water. The wind swept up his fur and he shut his eyes against it. He could see that wondrous land now. It was going to be wonderful. His ears were then pierced with the sound of a loud crack and everything went black.
XXX
The 7th street bridge was very quiet as dusk began to approach. The loud beating of wings shook the silence as a raven with brown eyes perched on a slime covered rock. The half inch deep stream of muddy water slapped against the shore as well as the once fuzzy fur of a mangled calico that lay in the center of the stream.
Concrete, not sand, had laid hidden beneath the shallow muddy water. Any blood had long been washed away and flies had begun to accumulate around Ian’s slowly rotting corpse.
The raven cackled softly and hopped down, standing in the water beside the cat. He cooed aloud to the fallen corpse, musing to himself as he did.
“What a fitting end. It’s true, tis it not? Your curiosity led you to listen to me and then believe you could find a place that can’t be found ,” he cackled insanely.
“So in a way,” he had a hard time controlling his laughter, “curiosity really DID kill the cat!”
He cackled his laugh and brought his wings down in strong beats. As the sun faded into it’s last strand, so did the black feathered creature into the darkness of the city.
