Chapter 59: Escape

Chapter 59: Escape

Scarletpaw

      I race around the den for an entrance. Then I see a clear wall and twolegs are running in and out because of the pouring rain. As soon as the door is wide enough to slink inside, I enter. I crouch low and look around. I'm behind some kind of plant, but it doesn't look real. Why have a fake plant when you can have a real one? I life my head and smell around for Blooddrop's scent. The invisible orange line leads me forward towards... gulp... the dogs.
For Blooddrop. For Blooddrop. I have to repeat this as I near the clear entrance to the dog part. A twoleg opens the wall, and I race inside. The barking grows really loud.
"Ah, dinner," a dog says.
"What you doing out of your cage, cute, fluffy cat?" another asks. I ignore them and keep going. Finally, the horrid scent ends as I enter another clear wall to the cat section. I take a moment to breathe, then look around. The scent is more bearable, yet still bad. Poor Blooddrop! I look around for him. But another cat catches my attention. Something about her long gray fur is familiar, but I shake it off. No distractions. To Blooddrop.
The orange line leads me to one small den.
"Scarletpaw!" Blooddrop exclaims. He's with a yellow elder.
"So this is the one you talk about? She's a cute one," the yellow elder says. I look at Blooddrop. He blushes and shakes his head.
"Scarletpaw, you have to help Grayfur! She's here too, and a two-leg is about to take her away!" So that's who that was! Oh, no!
"Let me get you out first!" I exclaim. I look at the little thing that keeps the den latched.
"Push down on the big stick and then, at the same time, use your other paw to swing the door open," the yellow cat says. I use one paw to grasp the stick, but it's difficult to hold the door with my other paw.
"It's sooo hard," I say.
"Hurry, Grayfur's about to leave!" Blooddrop yells. Sure enough, out of the corner of my eye, I see Grayfur in a small den- cage- and a small twoleg kit is grasping it impatiently. I use all my strength to pull the door open. Blooddrop and the yellow cat fly out.
"Thank you, Scarletpaw!" Blooddrop purrs. We just stand there for a few seconds, then a twoleg screech interrupts us. The twoleg reaches out for me, and I break into a run.
"Run! Follow Grayfur!" Blooddrop yells. The twoleg carrying her is walking out of the den. The twoleg chasing us is right at our heels. We make a sharp turn and are out of the building in the pouring rain. A monster races nearby us.
"Where's Grayfur now?" Blooddrop asks. He's frantic, any cat can tell. Monsters are zooming by.
"Over here!" I yell. I can see the little twoleg lifting Grayfur into the very back of the monster. The twoleg walks over to its mother. No one is looking at Grayfur.
"Now!" Blooddrop whispers. Mustard lunges forward and unlatches the cage. Grayfur hops out. She sprints toward us.
"Let's get out of here!" she exclaims.
"That was close!" I agree.
"Thank you, Mustard," Blooddrop says. But Mustard the yellow cat isn't here. He's back behind us, looking towards the little twoleg and the monster. We run back to him.
"Come on! Let's get back to the forest!" Blooddrop instructs.
"No." Mustard says. "I can't leave the twoleg. She'll be so sad to see Grayfur gone.
"You can't suggest me going back to her!" Grayfur exclaims.
"No, I'll go," Mustard says. "I'll never forget you guys. Thank you for giving me a home."
"I'll never forget you either, Mustard." Blooddrop says. Mustard runs back to the crying twoleg and rubs against its leg.
"Come on," Blooddrop says. "Let's go home."

End of Act 5

TO BE CONTINUED