A Familiar Sensation.

The carrier rattles as it’s sat on a table. The room has the bare minimum, barely to be considered a room at all. I’m curled up in the back of the carrier, the cloth from before had been draped over the carrier while they carried me into god knows where. This definitely isn’t any place I’ve been to before.

Layla’s deceptively friendly face pops into view.

“Don’t worry, kitty!” She says, cheery. “You won’t be here for long. We just need a place to hide you for a little bit. We’ll move you somewhere much nicer a little later!” She then turns and leaves the room, leaving me all alone.

There’s not much I can do except crouch pressed against the walls of the carrier. I don’t know how long I waited, but the door suddenly opened once again, and someone new walked in. Someone I recognize.

Janice.

She bends down to look into the carrier.

“Hi, pretty kitty!” She says with a chipper voice. “I’m glad you made it here safely! My Vallie really cares about you, doesn’t he?”

YOUR VALLIE? The hair on my back stands up and I hiss at the girl. How DARE she?! She frowns, but quickly regains her smile.

“It’s ok! You don’t have to warm up to me right away. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other later, after all!” She hums and looks at someone I can’t see behind the carrier. “Take her to the cat room I set up. Remember; NO ONE is to enter it aside from those cleared by me! She must stay hidden until Prince Valentine is desperate enough.”

“Yes, Lady Janice.”

The man throws the cloth back over the carrier and it’s lifted into the air. Next time it’s removed, the door is opened and I’m in a colorful room filled with all sorts of cat-related objects and furniture. I refuse to move, even as the carrier is kicked.

“Relax.” I hear Janice’s voice. “We don’t want to scare her. She’ll get used to her surroundings on her own time. Layla says cats are like that! We have to wait until she likes me enough before we can give her back to Prince Valentine. I can’t have you making her scared of me!”

“My apologies.”

“Hmph.” Janice looks down at the carrier. When I refuse to come out, she turns around and opens the door. “Let’s go and give her some time to get familiar with her surroundings.”

Janice and the lackey disappear behind the shut door, leaving me on my own. I slowly poke my head out to look around the room. There’s no windows, only a single door, but it’s decked out roof to floor with everything you would think a cat would want. Too bad I’m a human in a cat’s body! I know how to be petty! I curl back up inside the carrier.

I had no idea the sister was crazy too. She looked normal when I saw her at the ball! Both of the Lias siblings have a screw loose, it seems. This is ridiculous. I know my beloved Vallie is oh, so charming, but this is too much! I almost liked her!

There’s not many options right now but to wait…

…

…

…

How much time has passed?

It feels like days, but for all I know, it could just be hours and I’m being dramatic.

Layla’s come in a couple of times to try and coax me out, thinking a familiar face would make me give in. You idiot, I know you betrayed me and my Vallie! I’ll never trust you again. I refuse to budge at your demeaning coaxing!

I do have to leave the carrier now and then to stretch and relieve myself. I have standards, after all. But I refuse to do so when those criminals are in the room!

I’m close to nodding off when I hear a commotion outside. I hear people talking, arguing maybe? Either way, it quiets down after a while. It’s only a couple of minutes later that the door creaks open and someone pops their face in. I don’t leave my carrier, so I can’t see this intruder. My back starts to arch in anticipation.

“...Princess?” A familiar, meek voice calls out.

…Huh?

Cautiously, I creep to the edge of the carrier and lock eyes with none other than sweet, timid Yancy. No, don’t tell me she’s in on this too! I hiss at her and back up into the carrier. I hear the door shut and she comes and kneels in front of the carrier.

“No, no, it’s ok! I’m not here to hurt you! I’m here to help!”

When that doesn’t convince me, she mumbles a bit before getting on her hands and looking into the case.

“I’m here to take you home. Don’t you want to see his Highness again?”

That makes me pause. She’s… here to help me escape? Really?! She smiles as if she knows what I’m thinking.

“I can get you out of this place, we just have to hurry. The longer we wait the harder it’ll be.”

Oh, Yancy! I’m sorry I ever doubted you, my heroine! I dart out of my carrier and leap onto her lap.

“Haha, good kitty!” She laughs, but stops and seriously looks around. “Now… how do I get you out of here? Um…”

She… really came here without a plan?! Yancy, I expected better! She looks down into my eyes, seeming to steel her nerves.

“I have an idea, but it might be scary. Can you trust me?”

I meow at her. I know it doesn’t mean much to her, but I trust her with my life! Whatever she wants to do, I’ll cooperate! She smiles.

“Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute.”

She sits me down and quickly, but quietly, leaves the room. A couple of minutes later, she returns with some clothes in her arms.

“Ok, I’m going to cast a spell on you. It has a time limit, so we have to be fast, ok?” She pauses. “I hope you understand. His Highness says it’s like you do, but… Ahhh Yancy quit questioning yourself and just do it!”

With a new, determined look on her face, she kneels in front of me, picking up my front paws in her hands. She closes her eyes, and light glows around her as she mumbles out words I don’t understand. I feel kind of fuzzy before I realize I’m growing in size; growing into a shape that’s familiar feeling. When the light fades and she opens her eyes, I’m at eye level with her. I look down.

I have hands.