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A clatter struck through the
silent alleyway. It penetrated the night like thunder, but without the
white flash streaking through the sky. Nobody noticed, though, except
for a couple of mice frightened from their early morning snack of pizza
crusts and mold-covered hamburger bits. They had reason to scurry away.
On the other side of a pile of splintered wood sitting atop a sofa the
same color green as the mold, a black tail stuck out of a toppled aluminum
garbage can. It whipped from side to side, forming an arc until it looked
like a question mark every time it stopped to whip to the other side.
The tail disappeared, and out
of the shadowy cave walked a black piebald cat. Its black body splotches
were irregular in shape, resembling large amoebae, as if they were splattered
on the animal from a throwing contest and darkened to black from such
mistreatment. The only regular splotch was a black thumbprint mark over
the cat's nose. That mark of clownish dignity created a contrasting demeanor
to the skeleton that took an illusionary form. If you stared closely enough,
it appeared is if you could see the faint outlines of the brick wall on
the opposite side. The apparition would fade form the earth soon and leave
only the impression of a thumbprint in the garbage man's vision as he
would scoop up the debris and shove it back into the garbage can.
Now the cat padded away, its
paws landing on the air above the concrete. Something bulged out of its
mouth as it lowered its head and moved its eyes from side to side to spot
any highway robbers ready to snatch the prize from it. A few feet behind
where the alley ended at the side of a street, the cat slipped into an
alcove with a door peeling that was peeling its green skin off, and devoured
its food. Its jaws gnawed on the stiff clump of bread, reluctantly breaking
it apart.
As the cat finished eating,
a small gray furball sauntered near the alcove and stopped to sniff the
ground, its whiskers quivering, radar detectors for dropped crumbs. Staring
at the mouse with tiger intensity, the cat twitched only the tips of its
whiskers while contemplating how to shock it into paralyzation. It would
be tastier than the piece of white cardboard-like substance it had just
eaten. Sitting as still as stone, craning its neck forward in concentration,
the cat pounced suddenly on the mouse. Its paws landed on either side,
its fur brushing the mouse's ribs.
In a blur the mouse was gone,
scurrying out of the alleyway. The cat took chase. Just before the vampire
teeth clamped onto its neck, the mouse gripped its paws in between the
cracks of concrete and sprang off the curb. Dashing after it, the cat
landed ahead of the mouse in the open canyon. Turning around, intent on
capturing the mouse, the cat did not notice the white blazing eyes rolling
towards it until it felt burning fire on its thigh, and a screeching "Mrrrroooooooooooowwwwwww"
mingled with a loud horn, cutting through the dawning, still air.
Moments later, a woman with
hair the shade of the moon stooped over the cripple, her eyebrows drawn
together, feeling guilty for wounding such a pretty animal. When she saw
the crumpled cat on the street, she broke into a sob. "Poor baby,"
she cooed to the cat and stroked the ears flat as if wishing to wipe them
off. Meowing weakly, the cat did not resist, only gazed with its liquid
eyes into the older woman's tearful eyes. "I'll help you. Just stay
here." The woman walked to her car and opened the trunk, the lifting
hood resembling a mouth opening to swallow her as she leaned over. She
withdrew a box and tore off the cardboard flaps. She carefully set it
down next to the cat. She stroked the cat's head and murmured into its
ear, her voice drifting through the air like a lullaby.
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