Cat Eyes || Tomtord

People

Fortunately, the mother came back. A scared and sorrowful kitten hung near lifelessly in her mouth. She had climbed the tree twice in order to get her other children safely back on the ground.

From what Tom could notice, she only had two bad cuts. One across her hip and the other on her chest. The brother was in far worse condition. There were cuts all over him, his neck having the worst of all. Every breath he took was a wheeze. He was shaking and couldn't walk properly.

The smell of blood was intoxicating. Maybe it was just because his senses were heightened or because there was so much. Oddly enough, Tom didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. Again, it felt natural, almost as if he was supposed to be used to it.

Mother licked her babies, mostly the brother. She carried the scared and dying brother as Tom and his sister walked next to her. This place wasn't safe anymore. If there was one fox, there had to be more.

Tom didn't know to where they would go. Turning back clearly wasn't an option. Are they searching for something? Food? Water? He was so confused. He worried for the male kitten, hanging from his scruff. Will he die? What will they do then? Are they just going to abandon his body? Bury it? He shivered at his next thought; eat it?

Tom jumped at every snap that came from afar. Could it have been another fox? A wolf? A cougar? As the leaves began being less and less beneath his paws, he noticed that they were coming into a clearing. Not a clearing- civilization!

Tom was shocked when he saw real people. Part of him wanted to go run at them while the other part said not to. Surprisingly to Tom, his mother arched her back and sticked to the alleys. Whenever Tom stepped two inches off the wall mother was there, keeping him to the wall while hissing at the civilians.

She maneuvered around dumpsters and strictly avoided all people. They snuck through an open window and only a moment later did he see a real person up close.

It was an old man with a white mat of curly hair and large, round glasses. Mother didn't arch, instead she rubbed her cheek against his leg and set the brother down. The man winced when he looked at the ghastly kitten. He gently knelt down and hoisted the kitten into his pale hands. Mother didn't mind at all.

"Oh," he groaned. He then said something that Tom couldn't understand. Another language? It sounded sympathetic at least. Tom sticked close to mother and raised his back slightly in confusion. Mother was just hissing at strangers and now she trusts him with her baby?

He presented his fist to her and she rubbed her face along it, seemingly enjoying the touch. He then did the same thing to Tom's sister. She bit the fist but he didn't even flinch. Instead, he chuckled and carefully slipped his hand free. Next was Tom. Tom scurried away behind mother. The man laughed again.

The man gave back Tom's brother and shook his head. Tom took that as he couldn't do anything. Although, mother picked up the body and kept it, not giving up. Tom already knew that she held on to false hope.

He gave mother a bowl of cat food and soon enough, they were on their way out again. As mother trotted the streets, she became more and more protective with every step, keeping the two so close to her. Tom focused on the sounds. Footsteps, words that he couldn't understand, unidentifiable snaps and his own mother's hissing.

She stopped abruptly and Tom ran into her. He noticed immediately that there was a large, scraggly mutt in front of them. What he could only assume was part golden retrieve towered before them, baring a set of disgustingly yellow teeth.

Sister was quick to dash away, leaving Tom, his mother and his helpless little brother. Tom didn't know where she went nor would he ever. He could imagine she got hit by a car or he could imagine that she found a nice home to live in; Tom chose to believe the latter.

Tom couldn't move. He was just to absorbed in between fight or flight that he could not make a decision, so he stood there as helpless as his brother.

Fortunately- or maybe unfortunately, however one chooses to look at the situation- another man rounded the corner with a wire leash in hand, one that would be used by a dog catcher. Tom believed that he was a dog catcher as the man threw the leash over the dog's head before the dog even could react.

The man yanked the dog back as the dog yelled in pain and sorrow. It flailed and tugged violently against the wire but the man was much stronger and pulled the dog with twice as much power away. Apparently Tom isn't the only animal to know what happens to strays.

Another man rounded the corner, also bearing a wire leash. As mother backed up with a hiss, making sure Tom backed up with her, the man swung and caught onto mother's neck first try. She yowled and scratched and flung herself around.

Why can't Tom do something? Well, Tom is still trying to decide what he should do. Fight? or Flight? The decision wasn't made by Tom as he was soon scooped up into giant hands and set gently into a cage.

Fuck, I should've ran.