This was written as an English essay about how we would sell an heirloom of ours. Enjoy! (I hope)

Priceless

The cool metal found its perfect place amongst my midnight fur. The gold chain weighed lightly around my slender neck. Pricking up my ears, I caught the sound of a Jaybird straight ahead. Lips forming an inscrutable smile, I stumbled uneasily, but was sure of myself this time. Nocturnal eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness, I caught sight of my prey. Quietly as my gawky body allowed, I pursued the feathery delight.

But deplorably, like all my other attempts, I came up short. It was terribly distressing; I couldn’t hunt if my life depended on it, which of course right now it did. My stomach was horribly empty, and my limbs grew weaker with every hunt. The life of a stray was hard and cold. It was time to do what once I swore I never would. Strolling down the damp streets, I searched for the familiar dwelling- 312 O’Hara Street.

Upon finding it, my little kitty heart skipped a beat. Would they want me back? Pushing aside the doubtful thoughts, I walked through the cat flap, only to be greeted with warm green eyes. My second mother walked up, licking my ear.

“So you’re back?” she smiled. A sheepish smile was returned and we left to the living room.

My humans looked up, immediately full of overzealous joy. With many hugs and kisses, I was pulled on many laps. The ginger cat sitting across from me I called my second mother because I had one before her.

In a previous life I was human, with a family and everything. My whole life (which wasn’t very long) I loved cats, so in death I became one. I was born to the ginger cat, and really did consider her a second mother. The golden chain hanging around my neck was given to me by my first mother, and I had worn it always. Even in my second life it somehow fell into my possession.

I never wanted to live the life of a pet, that’s why I ran away. But my mother was always trying to convince me that we were family. My humans constantly reminded us that we were simply “furry family members” and treated us as such.

After eating my full, I strolled over to my bed amongst my ten-month old siblings. They were all squiggly with excitement because our mother’s life-day was only a day away. Cats celebrated something called a life-day, almost exactly like a birthday. But cats honored the cat and the day itself, for being given the breath of life that day.

The normal thing to do would be to prepare a feast for the honored cat. Between the four of us we planned out who would hunt what. JB would catch a rabbit, Sheba a salamander, Comet three large crickets, and me, out of bad luck, a bird.

“Roni,” I heard a whisper to my right. It was JB.

“Yeah,” I responded.

“I know you don’t hunt very well…” she started.

“I can too!” I countered, “If I really wanted to.”

“You ran away and had to come back from lack of food.”

“So?” I snapped.

“All I’m saying is this time really try, for Mom.”

I had no response to that.

…………

The next day we set off in different directions in search of our prey. As the hours passed I grew weary, watching first Comet bring in his scrumptious crickets, a smug expression from the triumph of being first; Then came JB, with one of the toughest catches, giving me an encouraging smile as she passed. Third was Sheba, only the salamander tail visible from her mouth. It was about an hour before evening fell upon us that I realized just how hopeless I was. Sighing I sat down, drawing out my options. Eventually an inane thought crossed my mind. There was a cat everyone spoke of, named Artemis, who could hunt anything. But he didn’t hunt anything for anyone without remunerate. My mind wandered to my chain. In the life of a cat I surely wouldn’t need it, would I?

Making up my mind, I set off down the road. He lived on 381 Dasher Street. Evening was coming on fast, so I picked up my pace. Treading anxiously I turned down the block. By the time I reached his street I realized just how many dog enthusiasts lived in our neighborhood. Strident barks were thrown my way, and I started getting nervous; I had never really been down this way. My paws began to speed up without my consent, and soon I was running. I slipped, face crashing into the concrete. I lay on my back, feet sprawled to the heavens. A passerby would have thought that I had been hit by a car… not tripped by my own feet. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t hunt…

“You didn’t have to run,” I looked up to a raven furred cat resting lightly on a wire mesh fence. My attention turned to the mailbox, it read 381.

“Oh... right, sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize to me. You should apologize to your face,” she said in a smooth voice.

I attempted a laugh, but nothing came out. Deciding to get straight to the point I straightened up asking, “I’m looking for a cat named Artemis.”

“Well you’ve met her” she smiled. The shock on my face didn’t surprise her, “Thought I was a boy? You need to get rid of those prejudice thoughts.” She said tapping my skull.

“Oh, no ma’am!” I answered quickly, “Sorry-I just wanted to ask a favor. Tomorrow’s my mother’s life-day, and I need to catch a bird…”

“Of course, considering that clumsiness, why wouldn’t you need my help? What do you have?” she asked directly, “I don’t do free favors, not even for cute innocent kittens.”

I motioned to my chain, “It’s all I have to offer.”

Considering it, she looked it over. Finally deciding, she accepted, slipping it off of me. “The bird will be ready in half an hour,” she promised, “not a single feather out of place.”

…………

True to her word a half hour later I was striding down the streets, no longer afraid of the barking dogs, confident with the satisfaction of “my”catch. It felt a little bad, not catching the hummingbird myself. But mother would be so happy! A hummingbird!

The sun was nearly gone now, and I wanted to get home before it disappeared. I dipped under a fence and through a yard convinced it was a shortcut.

That opinion soon changed as the scenery became less and less familiar. The idea was completely lost when I found myself on the bridge over a deep river. I continued over, hopelessly tired. Leaning over the bridge, I stared down at the treacherous fall. My mouth gaped open, dropping the precious catch.

I watched it whirl down, like a priceless gem down the drain. It was useless trying to retrieve it. It was gone, along with my cherished chain. I had never felt more exhausted, especially since I was skipping happily only minutes before. Figuring there was nothing else to do I headed home, somehow my legs finding their own way.

Once I reached home the other kittens were already gathered around their valued eats. Mother was standing in front of them, thanking them individually. When I walked up she looked at me, curiosity written on her face.

“Roni darling, where is your chain?”

“Sorry… I gave it away to The Huntress to get you a life-day present. But when I was coming home I dropped the present in the river.”

“Dear, why did you do that?”

I started, slightly surprised at her disappointment in me not having a present, “I’m sorry! I mean, the bridge was so big, my mouth fell open…”

“No dear,” she interrupted my rant, “I mean trading your chain.” I lowered my gaze; she pulled me away so the others wouldn’t hear, though they did draw away from the mosaic for a better eavesdrop.

“Roni, that was special to you, it was given to you by your human mother.”

She was the only one I told about my first life, “Yeah, but you’re my mother now… no use dwelling in the past…” I murmured.

Smiling a sad smile she whispered, “Yes, but there is nothing wrong in keeping reminders…will you be okay?” I nodded, and she pulled me close, “Then let’s celebrate the rest of the day.”

So we ambled back over to the mosaic, quite a few hummingbirds fluttering around me, as if mocking me. But I didn’t care; I didn’t care if I never learned to hunt. I didn’t care that I’d never see my chain again, I still had memories. I’d be fine. A slight breeze rustled my fur, and I smiled. In my second life the grass had never felt so nice, the aura so warm, or the air so welcoming.

A little bit of a happy-go-lucky ending, but I couldn’t be too mean to Roni. Had to give him a moral to learn.