Unanticipated Help

The eastern horizon glowed gold and pink, and overhead a half moon peeked out through the low scuttling clouds. The wind cut like knives and shrilled like a mother mourning her slain children. It was getting darker and I was overwhelmed with fear. Huddled underneath a bright green table, I watched as people passed by me. They paid me no heed and so I continued staring at the water that was monotonously dripping from the sides of the table.

Humans always seemed so daunting but today I would not mind being picked up by one of them.  The cold was seeping through my tawny fur and everything was becoming blurry. I could vividly recall the smell of tuna fish and the warmth of a massive fireplace. I saw the café waiter across the street staring off into empty space with a dreamy expression on his face. I think he probably likes the rain for some odd reason. He had a bald head fringed with tufts of orange hair and his beard was salted with white. He looked like a kind man to me, someone I could approach. However I certainly could not grab his attention so I stayed put.

I always felt that women were more compassionate compared to men. Considering that I decided to follow two women who scurried past the table I was under. The sound of my ‘meowing’ was muffled by the pattering of rain and I became more desperate as my attempts to catch their attention proved futile. The women were walking briskly and I realized that I could not possibly keep up with them. Luckily I found shelter underneath the brightly colored awnings of an exquisite French cuisine. However I felt too exposed here and decided to retreat. After staying underneath the awning for another minute or so I prowled back stealthily and crouched underneath my original spot in a miserable heap of fur.

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Suddenly a woman came out of the hotel and bundled me up. She held me tightly against her chest and took me inside the hotel. Fear crept up my body, fresh and strong, and it engulfed me. Cats are known for mistrusting humans and are generally very paranoid. Nevertheless, what choice did I have? I would have to go with this woman and I decided not to resist.  The woman was delivering me to someone else, I realized with a sickening jolt. A fair skinned Caucasian girl who wore a huge grin on her face. She certainly seemed delighted by me. Maybe humans aren’t so bad after all, I decided joyfully. I might even be fed some tuna fish.

Acceptance

It had been a crisp clear autumn day, sunny almost warm, but there were clouds off to the west now. The horse-drawn carriage ride had tired me and my legs felt sore. I limped towards the broken down inn, giddy with excitement. My future, that had seemed bleak a few days ago, was brighter now. I was finally going to become a part of the Etelwins which was what I had worked for my entire life. I had come so close to becoming a wanderer; a person who is not a part of any society.  Even the thought of it makes me shudder. I had cleared the numerous tests that the Etelwins had put me through and I was heady with victory. I had finally succeeded. Living in the magnificent castle with fellow Etelwins was a dream that had come true. I stepped into the inn and was greeted by the innkeeper. He was an old man whose chin was covered with stubble. His skin sagged treacherously and a weary smile brushed his lips. He gestured for me to follow him which I did without a thought.

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He made me stand on a flimsy stool and fumbled with something in his coat. I had the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach and suddenly I was falling. The wind shrilled and I screamed. My screams were drowned out by the noise of the wind. I tried to grab onto something to break the impact of the fall but my fingers found nothing. I hit the ground abruptly but the ground was soft mud and so I was unscathed.  I immediately got up and saw a hat nearby. It was a beautiful lavender hat and I gingerly picked it up. A piece of parchment slid out of the hat and a message was written on it in beautiful cursive writing.

This hat is the only way that you can enter the castle, Good Luck!

My heart pounded like a bird thrashing wildly in her cage. This was turning out to be quite an adventure. Maybe the Etelwins were still testing me and watching me. I decided to embrace courage and wisdom. I hastily stowed the hat inside the back pocket of my ill-fitting breeches and limped towards the unknown.