Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Monica woke with a panic; the cat dozed on.
Outside, she could hear loud voices seeping in
through the window. Glaring through a gap,
she could just make out a group of alerted
guards Monica nudged the cat awake. He lay
in the darkness and glanced up at her with
his warm, beautiful eyes. She put her finger
to his mouth to indicate that they should be
silent. Sharp voices howled commands; the
cat let out a throaty meow; Monica gasped.
They tip-toed across the dirty floor, Monica
signalled to the wolf. Quietly, he padded
towards her. Ducking down, they hid behind
a pile of machinery. Carefully, Monica
tugged a huge piece of tarp across the
machinery so hopefully no one should find
Them.
At that moment, someone entered the school.
There was a pause, nothing moved. A light
flickered; furniture shifted and someone
began to search. Risking a glance, darkening
shadows moved. A wintry wind slipped
through the smashed window. Shivered,
Monica cuddled into the warmth of the cat’s fur.
They could wait and move on once the guards
had left.
It seemed like hours, but it possibly had only
been forty-five minutes by the time the guards
had left. It was the afternoon now and in the
darkness, the cat spoke to Monica… without
Speaking. Their minds had almost seemed as one
as he explained that he had to reach the gateway.
A gateway back to her own land where she
would not be followed.
Monica had an idea that possibly the gateway
was part of the town borders where there was a
huge stone arch that had once been fitted with
an arch gate. Nervously, she checked his wound.
It still bled; he seemed weaker. The town walls
could be a long walk… and dangerous. She
wondered whether they would make it or not.
Monica knew that her family would be worried
but there was nothing she could do but be safe.
She had to find the gateway before thinking
about getting home to her family. So it was that
only the moon and the stars saw two slim
shadows, a girl and a cat, slip through the creepy
alleyways heading across town. They made their
way, street by street, avoiding checkpoints,
they were locked in a deadly game of cat and
mouse.
No comments yet.