PhoebeJaneWrites

The black cat stared at me, her tail swishing back and forth. I never cared for cats. My grandmother’s Siamese in the Philippines would bite at my ankles as a child. Everyone lives in fear of that cat but Lola loved it and so the cat was going nowhere.

Two decades later, I promised a friend that I would take in her cat. Named after a Star Wars character, the car ran under my bed and refused to come out. Pieces of chicken left on the floor would disappear the moment I turned my back.

“She’s here but I don’t always see her, like the moon.”

I re-named her Luna. It was not long before she overcame her shyness and started following me around the apartment. Soon, I would have to move her litter box out of my room. Her nocturnal instincts would kick in and she would spend the night running throughout the bedroom refusing to grant me sleep.

Once banished to the living room, she would cry at the door to be let back into the room. I would ignore her cries. She always wanted to be around me, following me to the bathroom or from room to room. Eventually, she would give up her cries but when it was not bedtime, she was like a shadow; always around.

Now here she sat on the white couch staring at me. I felt like I was losing my mind.

“Did you not here what I said? They are coming for you and we do not have time to waste. The rebellion has begun and you are the next target.”

How can a cat speak?

“She’s right you know. We have been monitoring the airwaves for some time. Initially, we thought your day job would shield you from suspicion. However, it has now become apparent that you are in grave danger.”

First the cat, now the dog (Leo). Animals that spend their days licking themselves, chasing each other, and begging for food. Work has been stressful and coupled with these side projects, I have not been sleeping well. Maybe it is time to…

“There isn’t time! Grab the dog and your backpack. Go out the window in your room. It’s a drop but grab onto the large tree and get out. I will meet you soon with more directions.”

Luna jumped up from the chair and hurried to my room. Leo looked at me expectantly.

“We have to go friend. You’re not safe.”

Just as I was deciding on whether to take their words seriously, a banging noise came from the door. I looked through the peephole to see men in suits. They had guns.

“Friend!”

I grabbed Leo and threw him in my bag. It was the blue backpack that held my iPad, battery pack and the notebook. The corgi mix could barely fit but I hoisted the bag to my shoulders and ran to the window in my room. Looking at that tree, I could not imagine making the jump.

The sound of windows shattering in the living room made the choice for me. I climbed the window, stared at the tree

….and jumped.

Phoebe Jane