Kitty's night stroll

All afternoon, Kitty was thinking, plotting, constantly grooming herself like she had become obsessive. She kept crouching in corners. She wanted to sleep, so she went to her spot and curled up, staring at the wall with longing, licking the scar from her wound. She was completely restless. She saw Luna approaching from afar. She didn’t feel like talking, so she closed her eyes, but it was too late—Luna had already seen her.

“Kitty, don’t sleep. I need to talk to you,” Luna said softly as she walked over. Kitty stared at her. Luna walked so gracefully. Her eyes were green and she had a charming face. Kitty had never noticed her beauty before.

Luna gently leaned down and said, “Kitty, what are you staring at?”

Kitty yawned and shrugged.

Without any introduction, Luna said, “Do you think I should become a house cat? Two streets over, a little girl is looking for a cat. I went there—it’s a big house with large doors that open to their garden.”

Kitty interrupted her, “The Patios’ house? Wow, don’t even talk about that place! That house has two dogs. Hugo, that big black dog, lives there. He always bothers cats. Last year, he chased us all the way to the third alley. Mila and I dumped garbage on his head to get away. Now, whenever he sees me, he growls and lunges at me. I heard that house has strict rules. Pets wear specific clothes, they have to keep their sleeping areas clean, they’re not allowed to socialize with neighbors, and they have to follow strict training. No way! Please, don’t make that decision. I won’t let you.”

Luna lowered her head and quietly said, “But with these new cats around, we’re going to struggle. Soon there won’t be any food left. The twins are still so little…”

Kitty looked at her and simply said, “Go to sleep.”

Luna quietly turned and went back the way she came. Moonlight shone into their den, lighting it up. The sound of the kittens’ snores filled the space. Kitty couldn’t sleep. She quietly got up and walked toward the street. No one was there. The distant barking of Hugo echoed from several blocks away, mixed with other indistinct sounds filling the air. Kitty slowly walked through the street.

This was a wealthy area where people lived in fancy homes but didn’t care for stray cats. In their houses, they kept clean, well-behaved pets trained with special manners. She passed by some shops, the lights from inside illuminating the street. Without realizing it, she had reached a pet store. She longed to stop for hours and look at all the items. She had seen her friends who lived in those homes using these tools. She moved on.

From afar, she saw a mouse crawl out of a drain and run toward the park, but she didn’t feel like chasing it.

Then she heard a voice: “Kitty, where are you going? Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

She looked up—Ralphie, the neighborhood crow, was hovering above her. Ralphie talked a lot. He greeted her and was about to go on when he said, “Kitty, did you know four cats have arrived? Their leader is called Schooper. I talked to them—they live on Seventh Alley. They’re doing really well. Tonight they had lots of sausages, dry food, and drinks. They were having a feast. They even gave me some things. Schooper had a nice watch—my eyes were stuck on it the whole time…”

He kept talking, but Kitty had already started walking away. Her eyes were shining. She had found their address. Now, she headed home, very sleepy.