The Past Is Closer Than It Seems
By~Arimay
Munkustrap hid behind the tin can, his breath escaping
in short gasps as he tried to regain his composure.
His dark blue eyes peered over the edge of the tin,
and he scanned the area for his hunter. He slumped
back down, and watched his rising and falling chest as
he fought to regain his breathing.
" Gotchya again, Strap," came a voice from behind him.
Within moments, the black and silver tabby was pinned
under the strong paws of a black and white tom. "
You'll never win at this game, pal, as long as I'm
around."
Munkustrap laughed, and used his back paws to knock
the tom off him. Once he was sure the hunter was gone,
he quickly jump to his stomach, and pounced on the
other, pinning him lightly with his own strong paws. "
Not this time, Cobalt," he laughed, watching the tom
squirm under him. " This time I win."
" Munky," came a soft female voice from somewhere not
too far away. " Come in for dinner now please."
Munkustrap groaned, and jumped off his friend,
cleaning the dirt out of his fur before joining his
family for dinner. " Sorry I can't play longer, Coby,"
he grumbled. " My stupid grandfather is coming over
tonight, and I have to be in bed before he gets
there."
Cobalt nodded, joining his best friend in cleaning his
own fur. " I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked, his
green eyes looked up at the silver tom in hope.
" Yeah," Munkustrap said enthusiastically. His smile
soon faded and he hung his head. " Only I have to go
to my aunt's house with my grandfather. Ugh, I hate
Sundays."
Cobalt nodded. " Oh well, we can always make up some
more trouble on Monday," he said. " As long as the sun
rises, we can still have fun."
Munkustrap nodded, and swiped at the black and white
male's tail before running off. " See ya Monday," he
yelled behind him. When he arrived at his home, his
mother scorned at him for being late. The small tom
pinned his ears to his head, and stalked lowly past
her. " I'm sorry for being late, mama," he said sadly.
" It wont happen again."
The tall queen smiled, letting the scornful look fade
from her face, and she tapped her youngest son's
behind to prompt him to where the family was waiting
to eat.
Monday morning, Munkustrap rose extra early to see his
best friend, Cobalt. He hurried his breakfast, and ran
out the back door of their house without even
acknowledging his parents or owners. He ran the three
streets until he reached the alley way that Cobalt's
family lived in.
" Excuse me, Mr Cobalt sir," he said, clearing his
throat as he ran into the tall father of Cobalt. " But
is Cobalt home?"
The tall, usually evil looking tom spared a brief
smile for the young tom, and indicated the hill over
his shoulder. " He's out there," he said, baring his
fangs in an attempted smile. " You kits be careful,
and have fun."
" Yes sir," Munkustrap said, running off towards the
hill. He ran as fast as his young legs could take him,
and finally made it to the top. He found Cobalt
sitting, watching over the city like he was a guard
dog. Munkustrap silently crept up to him, and then
pounced at the last minute. " Roar!" the silver tom
said, making his spring on the unsuspecting black and
white.
Cobalt jumped up, and swatted the silver tom off him,
laughing joyfully. " Long time no see, buddy," he
smiled, grabbing his best friend in a head lock.
Munkustrap laughed, and scratched his friend off with
his claws. " What are we gonna do today?"
" I thought maybe we could go down near that old
warehouse where the pollicles and strays all hang
out," Cobalt suggested. " I hear there's good food
there."
" But.... Our parents wouldn't let us go there."
" That doesn't matter. It'll be fun, and besides we're
teenagers now. We should be able to do anything we
want."
Munkustrap nodded, and followed Cobalt as the black
and white led him down the hill and to an old part of
town where only the mangiest, scrappiest, and most
poor excuses for cats strayed. They sat on a fence,
well hidden by the shadows of the near bye houses,
providing a good cover for two young males.
They watched for hours as cats and dogs made their way
in and out of an old pub, some drunk, and some sober,
and some males exiting with a shabbily made-up female
on their arms. Finally, their stakeout became boring,
as the same type of cats seemed to continually exit.
" Let's go find something else to do," Cobalt
suggested.
" Good idea," Munkustrap said, nodding in total
agreement.
The two toms slowly began to make their ways to the
other end of the fence, when suddenly, one of the
posts gave way, making Cobalt slip suddenly.
Munkustrap whirled round to see his best friend
holding on for dear life to the wood, and five hungry
and angry pollicles snapped at his heels.
" Cobalt!" the silver and black screamed. He started
to run towards his friend, but the beam could not hold
the weight of both males, and it snapped, sending
Cobalt falling straight into the jaws of a hungry
black beast below. " No!" Munkustrap screamed. He
hastily hauled himself onto the ledge, and watched as
the dogs salvaged his friend, leaving only the bloody
pulp of a kitten behind.
His breath got caught in his chest, and he watched the
five monsters strut away, with blood smearing from
their muzzles and chests. Cobalt lay bleeding badly
against the blood stained bricks of the house across
from the one Munkustrap stood on.
The swift young tabby tom jumped down, and licked at
his friends wounds, trying desperately to save what
little life was left. When Cobalt drew in his last
breath, and his heart stopped beating, Munkustrap
cradled the young black and white in his arms, sobbing
loudly.
" Why Cobalt?" he questioned to the darkening sky. "
Why him? Why not me? I deserve to die." He stood up,
with the bloody corpse in his arms, and walked slowly
towards the alley way that Cobalt's family lived in.
The rain began to fall heavily, and Munkustrap could
see the faint lights of the restaurant window shining
onto the back streets where Cobalt's family made their
retreat. Through the tears in his eyes, and through
the pouring rain, he saw a young female walking
towards him.
" Mama, dadda," she called out. " It's Munkustrap, and
he's brought back Cobalt all injured."
Cobalt's father ran out, baring his fangs in a savage
hiss to the young silver tom. " Stay away from my
family you bastard," he hissed, snatching his only son
from the loving arms of Munkustrap. " Get out of here
before I make you look similar."
Munkustrap stood around no longer, but hung his head,
and walked off, his ears turning to listen to the sobs
of Cobalt's mother and three sisters as they found the
body of their son and brother.
Munkustrap saw the laundry light of his home on,
waiting for him no doubt. He slowly entered the
slightly heated hallway, and crawled into his basket,
not in the mood to see anyone. His head was filled
with the gruesome images of all that he had witnessed
that night, but he closed his eyes tightly, and forced
himself to sleep.
" Wake up, you no good son," a sharp voice yelled in
Munkustrap's ear to wake him the next morning.
The silver and black tabby slowly sat up, and blinked
a few times firstly to wake up and then in surprise as
he realised who was standing before him. " Father?" he
asked sleepily. " Is something wrong?"
The tall black tom slapped Munkustrap hard across the
face, leaving three small slits in the side. " My own
son," the old tom yelled. " My own son, a murderer. I
can't believe it." The beating came one after another,
until Munkustrap was forced out of his warm basket and
into the wall, trying desperately to cover his legs
and back from the beatings that never seemed to let
up.
" I didn't murder anyone, dadda," he cried, his tears
gathering in salty lumps in his fur. " I swear I
didn't."
" You have brought shame upon this family. Shame upon
your now bed ridden mother. Shame upon your
grandfather. Shame upon your aunt giving birth to your
cousins as we speak. Shame to the entire generations
of our family. Shame on all cats in general."
" I haven't killed anyone, sir," Munkustrap cried,
preying in his mind for the beatings to stop.
The old tom stopped his beatings, and watched as his
youngest son cringed to the ground, hugging himself
tightly, and crying into his own fur. " Not only a
murderer, but a wimp as well." The claws slowly
unsheathed as the old tom named every code in the cats
book, and then every reason why the young silver tom
didn't deserve to live. Finally he started to rake the
sharpened claws down the silver tabby's flesh, leaving
scratches down his face so deep that his fur appeared
to take on a permanent dark red finish.
Munkustrap awoke the next morning, saw all over from
being beaten. He could feel the pounding in his head,
although his whole body was practically numb from the
bloody scratches that still bleed steadily. He tried
to sit up, but breathing hurt him enough, and he lay
back down. A few salty tears fell from his eyes from
the pain in his heart, and from the pain on his body.
The salt mixed with the blood in his cuts and he
winced, and tried to lick them off, only to find his
tongue as weak as the rest of him.
The door to the laundry was pushed open, and in walked
his father, again. The tall tom stood over his son
with a scornful look, wondering what a fitting
punishment would be that hadn't already been dealt.
Finally, he pulled back his paw, kicking the silver
tom hard in the stomach, making him double over in
pain. With that done, the black tom turned and left
the room.
Munkustrap sat up, and looked around. His head still
hurt, and he no doubt had broken bones from being
kicked for the last three days, but he knew he had to
do something. He dragged himself over to the food
bowl, which lay across the room to him, and managed a
small mouthful, before bringing what he had eaten up
in front of him. His stomach churned, and he brought
up everything he had eaten in the past week.
Feeling a little weak, he lay down, resting his head
on his paws. As hours past, he realised that sleeping
was not part of the plan. He stretched his neck up to
the window, and noticed that it was dark outside.
Night time, and his father would not visit until the
after noon. He dragged himself slowly to his feet, and
limped out the door, and onto the street.
Unsure of where he was heading, Munkustrap turned away
from his house, and went a way he had never been
before. It was in the opposite direction of Cobalt's
alley way, so he knew that wherever he was going, no
one would try to beat him up for murder.
The overwhelming sound of singing reached his ringing
ears, and he opened his eyes to see a large, almost
lit up area, filled with cats singing their hearts
out. He lay down in the shadows, and watched silently.
He had never seen anything quite like it. The cats
were dancing around a large tyre, where sat a tall,
large tom, watching them with a wide smile.
Munkustrap heard approaching footsteps, and fearfully
turned around, thinking it was his father, following
him to make sure he never told anyone what happened.
He was surprised to find a young, gold and black
female standing there, looking just as nervous as he
did.
" Hello," she said, her voice just as soft and sweet
as the singing that met his battered ears. " My name
is Demeter. What is yours?"
Munkustrap cleared his throat and tried to speak, but
the lack of use of his vocal cords meant he wasn't
sure how to use them. " Mun.... kus.... trap," he
replied, his voice sounding coarse and dry.
" Are you a Stray?" Demeter asked, backing away
slightly.
Munkustrap shook his head, and gestured to the leather
studded collar he wore around his neck. " I am a.....
house cat."
Demeter smiled softly. " What happened to you?" Her
voice, although inquisitive, sounded soft and
concerned, and her paws gently traced over his cracked
ribs, and scarred exterior.
Munkustrap looked up at her with tear filled eyes, not
sure whether he could trust her enough to tell her all
that he had been through. Luckily, he didn't have to
answer, as she slowly, and gently, began to clean his
wounds with her tongue.
" Maybe you should come inside," she said, her emerald
coloured eyes gleaming in the bright moonlight. " Come
into my den. Then you can rest, and I can finish
cleaning you up."
Munkustrap nodded, and let the small queen help him to
her den. She lay him gently on some pillows, and
continued to clean his wounds, purring softly to calm
him down. Munkustrap closed his eyes, totally unaware
of the purring sounds that occurred within him. It had
been so long since he had purred from pleasure he had
forgotten what it sounded like. He slowly drifted off
to sleep with the her soft purring filling his mind.
The next morning, Munkustrap awoke, feeling almost
totally healed. He sat up, and examined the wounds he
thought to be incurable, and saw that they had stopped
bleeding, and although they had not quite fully
healed, and stung whenever he moved, they looked a
whole lot better. He looked around the room for the
little queen who had cured him, and found her to be
nearby, fixing a bowl of warm milk.
He smiled over to her turned back, and cleared his
throat gently. " Thank you for healing me," he said
softly, his normal voice returning.
Demeter turned at the sound of his voice, and smiled
kindly. " That's no trouble," she said. She slowly
walked over to him, holding the bowl gently in her
paws. " Here." She put the bowl in his paws, but kept
hers wrapped around his to guide them to his mouth. "
Drink this. It will make you feel a little better."
Munkustrap drank the milk slowly, then lay back,
resting his head against the pillows. He kept his dark
blue eyes on her face, and smiled. " I have to repay
you for saving me like that," he said softly. " I
can't let this go unrewarded."
" You are very kind," Demeter said with a smile. " But
you do not need to thank me. I have all that I need
right here."
" I have to repay you," he whispered.
" All you have to do to repay me is stay here. That is
payment in itself. You may stay here, and that will be
payment. Sound fair?"
Munkustrap nodded. " Okay. But I don't see what you
will get out of it."
She smiled softly, and hung her head a little, keeping
the smile on her face. " Companionship. That is what
you will give me in return. Just be my friend. Stay
with me. I live here alone."
" But what about those cats I saw last night? Surely
they are...."
" They wont accept me because of my past. You see, I
used to be a Stray. Not just a homeless cat, but one
of Macavity's Strays. I was his.... his lover. It
wasn't my choice believe me. And ever since that, cats
just.... they don't want to even know me. Please, just
stay here. That's all I ask."
" Of coarse. If it means that much to you."
Demeter nodded and smiled. She then stood up, and
walked away to wash up the bowl.
Within weeks, Munkustrap was up and walking around
again. He had a slight limp, but nothing too obvious.
He caught dinner for himself and Demeter every night,
and helped her cook and clean.
The relationship between the two had started to
blossom, but unknown to the silver tom. Munkustrap had
never been in love. Demeter could sense that he had
feeling s for her, and taught him what it was to be in
love, and to be loved. He was slowly learning, and
slowly realising that he had strong feelings for her.
" Munkustrap, could you give me a hand with this,
please?" Demeter asked softly, carrying a pile of old
bedding scraps out of the den. It was time for spring
cleaning, and at this time of year, she hunted for new
bedding, and got rid of the old stuff.
Munkustrap hurried over, and took most of the scraps
from her. " Sure, Dem," he said, following her to the
old alley way where they dumped all of their rubbish.
He stopped, and looked over the city, watching the
pretty lights from their elevated view. The tiny
twinkling lights were like little stars patterning the
ground. " Isn't it beautiful, Dem?" he said as more of
a statement. " It's wonderful isn't it?"
Demeter smiled, and joined him, watching the city with
a slight smile. " Very beautiful," she said. " Come
on. We should get inside before we catch a cold."
Munkustrap didn't move, and she sighed. " It is truly
beautiful, Munkus" She started to head back into her
den.
Munkustrap nodded absently, and cleared his throat. "
Not nearly as beautiful as you, though," he said
softly.
Demeter stopped suddenly, and turned to face him, to
find out if what she had heard was real. He was facing
her, and slowly began to walk towards her, somewhat
menacingly. She wasn't sure, for a second, whether to
back away or stand and see what he was going to do. He
met her, and took her shoulders, staring into her
light eyes.
" Dem, I love you," he said, almost forcefully, then
he lowered his head, kissing her softly on the lips.
The kiss lasted longer and longer until it was no
longer soft, but more of a passionate one. He let go,
and held her to his chest, feeling her heart beat fast
and frantically against his strong chest. " I've
waited too long to say that," he muttered. He tapped
her chin, making her tilt her head back to look at
him. " But I've said it now, and believe me, Dem, it's
true."
Demeter smiled, and moved in to kiss him, knowing that
he knew she felt the same way. They kissed longingly,
before Munkustrap took her paw and led her into their
den, kissing her neck and face softly. Once inside,
they lay down, and commenced kissing once again.
Munkustrap sat on the fence, watching the sun rise up
over the horizon. The sky changed from a series of
dark blues and blacks, to lighter blues, to finally
reds and yellows. He smiled, and sighed, feeling like
a different tom after the night he had. He looked up
to the sky where the sun had not yet reached and
mouthed a message to Cobalt, grinning secretly as he
jumped off the fence, and ran back into the den for
another round.
Munkustrap sat up in the cold bed, and felt beside him
for signs of Demeter. There was none. Panicking, he
sat up, and began searching the room, looking for a
hint that told him where she was.
It had been two months since the night the two had
become mates and declared their love for each other.
Each night was like their first time, and it was
always magical. Nothing could ever go wrong in their
relationship, until this.
The sun rose, and the night faded into a brand new
day, and there was still no sign of his little gold
and black queen. He sighed and lay back in the bed,
holding her pillow as if it were her. He pulled his
paw out from under it, and found there to be a letter
addressed to him.
It read: Dear Munkustrap, I'm sorry for not saying
good bye, but I didn't want to hurt you. I guess I
might have hurt you even more by not saying good bye.
Please, I can't tell you where I am going, but don't
try and look for me. I hope you find another female,
maybe one who can satisfy you more than I could. I
love you more than I can express, which is why I must
go. Good bye, Demeter.
Munkustrap cried into the violet coloured paper, and
lay down, cradling his head in her pillow, sobbing
hysterically. He lay there, thinking of her, dreaming
of her, crying over her, and wondering why she had
left him. His mind was filled with questions, but he
did not want any answers. What he needed was something
to take his mind of it.
Munkustrap raised his head to look at the sign in
front of him. 'Jellicle Junkyard'. He sighed, and
started in, hoping that, even if they wouldn't accept
Demeter, they would accept him.
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