In a Cat's Eyes

In a Cat's Eyes

Chapter two: Middle

By ms_c_mouse

The characters and story belong to me; all rights reserved.

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Bobby parked his car in the driveway of his family's two story beige house. He usually had to park in the street to keep the garage accessible for the other two cars that his parents owned, but he would be at the lake by the time his mother and father returned from work. He looked around carefully before getting out of the car. The cat was nowhere in sight. Strangely, he didn't feel a sense of relief. He was worried now because he didn't like the idea of the lost cat having to fend for its self and perhaps getting hurt or killed.

He removed his sweat-drenched shirt as soon as he stepped out of the car. It was a relief to finally be free of that awful polyester blend polo shirt and the stupid name tag he was required to wear for work. After locking the car, he walked up the cement path that led to the house's main entrance.

The little patch of grass, shaded and cool, near the front door was the perfect place to relax. Bobby sat down, placing his shirt, his soda, and the bag of burgers next to him. At the drive-thru, he'd surprised himself by ordering an extra burger, plain. While driving home, he had eaten one of the other burgers, so he wasn't as hungry as he had been several minutes ago. Now he just wanted to rest for awhile. Yet even with the bag closed, he could smell the hamburgers and he hoped the scent of food would entice Jinx to come out of hiding, if he was nearby.

Bobby stretched out on the grass and put his hands behind his head as he stared up at the clear blue sky. The cool grass tickled his bare back, but it was a welcome change to the stiff shirt he'd been wearing all day. Minutes drifted by. Bobby's eyelids drooped lower and he considered taking a quick nap before meeting his friends at the lake. A nap sounded so tempting, yet he knew he should at least walk around the neighborhood one time with the bag of hamburgers before going inside. Yawning, he rolled onto his side so he could find a more comfortable position and was astonished to see that he wasn't alone. The cat was sitting on the walkway, only a few feet from him. It stared at him with intelligent eyes, while its tail swept slowly back and forth. The movement was a little hypnotic.

Bobby wondered how long Jinx had been there. "Hiya, Jinx. Are you hungry?" He tried to keep his voice steady and low to avoid scaring the cat. The cat approached him and began to rub against the bag of hamburgers. "I think that's a yes." Sitting up, he opened the bag. The plain burger sat on top, readily available. He picked it up and removed the paper wrap before dropping the bun back in the bag. The wrapper, now folded in half, was his impromptu serving dish. Using his fingers, he broke the patty into smaller pieces. Jinx sniffed at the little mound of crumbled hamburger before starting to eat.

Bobby wiped his hands on a paper napkin. He watched Jinx nibble while he thought about what he should do next. He considered picking the cat up once it was done with the hamburger; however he had no idea about what to expect from Jinx. The cat could bite or claw him if it didn't trust him.

It didn't take long for Jinx to finish. Bobby tensed as he worried that the cat might run off, but his concern was quickly forgotten. Jinx jumped into his lap. He even placed his front paws on Bobby's chest so that he could nuzzle his face. Bobby knew right then that he really did want to keep Jinx. Any thoughts of returning him to Felix were quickly banished. He grinned as he smoothed his hand over Jinx's back. The orange tabby was a real sweetheart and it seemed to crave attention as much as it did hamburger. He spent several minutes petting the cat and rubbing behind its ears. The cat stretched, extending its front legs forward, lowering its head and raising its butt in the air when Bobby touched the spot right on it back near the tail.

As Bobby scratched Jinx's chin and throat, his fingertips brushed against the cat's white collar. He had thought at first that the collar was made of plastic but when he touched it, it felt cold, like metal. Bobby ran the tip of his index finger around the outside of the collar and was shocked to discover there wasn't any way to adjust or release the collar. That couldn't be safe for the cat. As he attempted to slide his fingers under the strange collar, he found that he could barely manage to place one between it and the cat's neck. That definitely was harmful; the collar would have to be removed. As he attempted to withdraw his finger, the cat shook its head and a jolt of pain ran up Bobby's arm. Bobby felt the collar sink into his flesh. Blood welled up from the gash on the tip of his right index finger and dripped onto the collar and the cat's fur. The cat looked first at him, then at the blood on his own body, and began coolly washing itself, as though this were a natural occurrence. Bobby was still perturbed.

He grabbed more napkins from the fast-food bag and pressed them against his finger. What sick fuck designed that collar? He stood up as smoothly as he could so he wouldn't scare the cat. After jumping out of his lap, Jinx circled around Bobby a few times before brushing up against his legs. There was no reason to panic or so he told himself as he scowled at the blood that was quickly saturating the paper. He wrapped one more napkin about his finger before picking up his keys and his shirt. Using his left hand, he collected the paper bag that contained the other hamburgers. He hurried inside to clean and cover the gash on his finger.

After he unlocked the door and pushed it open with his arm, he went into the kitchen, leaving the door ajar. He hoped the cat would follow him in. His mother kept a first aid kit stowed under the sink along with various cleaning supplies. He threw the bag and the keys on the counter before crouching down to retrieve the kit.

As he was opening the cabinet door, he heard the paper bag rustle and he glanced over his shoulder. The cat had come inside and was now up on the counter. Bobby immediately jogged back to the front door, closing and locking it. He was thrilled at how well this was working out. Because the cat was so beautiful and seemed to have a very good temperament, Bobby was certain his parents wouldn't object to it being in the house. He would keep the cat in his room and take good care of it for a few days before truly deciding if he would return it to the man who claimed to be the owner.

When Bobby went back to the sink, he washed the gash on his finger with soap and warm water. A fingertip cut was such an annoyance because a bandage wouldn't stay in place for very long and Bobby knew it would be irritating him tomorrow as he bagged groceries. The blood was flowing too quickly for one of those small, flesh-colored bandages, so Bobby picked up a two inch square non-stick pad, some gauze, and a roll of tape in an attempt to improvise his own bandage. His mother was a nurse and she had stocked the first aid kit with all kinds of helpful items.

Just as he finished wrapping his finger, Bobby heard the bag hit the floor. He turned to find the cat with its face and a front leg in the bag. It clearly wanted the rest of those hamburgers. Bobby laughed at its antics. It had been many years since his last pet and he really did miss having an animal around the house.

He also knew the cat had other needs besides food. Taking a bowl from one of the cabinets, he put water in it. The day had been hot and there hadn't been much rain lately, so it was possible that the cat was also very thirsty. As soon as Bobby set the bowl on the floor, the cat scampered over to it and began lapping up the water. "That's a good boy, Jinx." He picked up the bag and put it in the refrigerator.

Now that the cat was taken care of and his wound was bandaged, Bobby decided to figure out a way to remove that dangerous band of metal from around Jinx's neck. His father had a box that was full of basic tools like screwdrivers and a hammer and other items that might be needed for simple repairs or general chores like hanging a picture. If he remembered correctly, the toolbox was in the closet by the front door.

Bobby lugged the gray metal tool box to the kitchen and set it on the linoleum. As soon as he opened the box, he found what he needed: metal snips. Bobby knelt down next to the cat. He wasn't about to put the cat in his lap while he cut the collar because he sure didn't want to get scratched if the cat panicked. He pushed the cat onto its side so its back was resting against his legs and he stroked it a few more times before positioning the snips. Jinx squirmed as Bobby held him down, but he did not try to escape. "Hold still, boy. This should only take a few seconds." The bulky bandage around his finger made it somewhat difficult to hold the snips; nonetheless he managed to position the cutting tool properly.

As soon as the snips pressed against the metal, everything began to go wrong.

Yowling and flailing its paws, the cat began to struggle violently under Bobby's hold. But that wasn't the worst of it. The collar was beginning to heat up, just like the element on an electric stove. Bobby attempted to pin the cat's hind legs with his shin. His left hand was between the cat's front legs and his finger tips were touching the collar. Instinct and reflexes demanded that he let go, but Bobby knew that there was no assurance that the collar would return to normal. He would not give up. Adjusting the snips, he clenched his hand with the added strength that a surge of adrenaline provided.

The stench of burning hair and flesh stung his nostrils. "I will not let this thing kick my ass!" he snarled. The kitchen seemed to grow darker as all his attention focused completely on removing the collar. He no longer heard the cat or felt its claws rake his forearm. The pain was forgotten as he worked to save the cat.

There was a burst of light and Bobby felt the handles of the snips slam close in his aching hand. The cat twisted free and was out of the kitchen before Bobby could do anything to stop it. Why worry? He knew it couldn't get outside.

He had other problems. His right hand was so cramped up that he didn't even notice when the snips fell on the floor. Standing up, Bobby repeatedly scrunched his eyes as he stumbled towards the sink. Water sloshed onto his feet as he stepped on the edge of the cat's water bowl. He almost slipped. Black spots kept dancing in front of his eyes. Pain was making him sick to his stomach, and he thought he might lose the hamburger he ate at lunch. For a moment he wished his mother was home so he could just sit down and let her take care of everything.

Nudging the faucet handle with his elbow, he was able to turn it enough so that cold water began to flow. "Damn that hurts," he groaned as he put his hands under the water. At least there was pain, which he hoped would mean that he would not have any permanent damage. Blisters were already forming on his left hand and his right hand wasn't much better. There was also a series of deep scratches that ran from his wrist to the crook of his elbow.

Thinking of the cat distracted him for a little while. Jinx would need help also, no doubt. He could hear Jinx running about the house and scrambling up and down the stairs. A muffled crash reached his ears and Bobby knew the cat had knocked over something fragile. It was likely one of his mom's collectable figurines and he grimaced as he mentally deducted the money that was going to come out of his next paycheck.

He continued to listen over the hiss of the water. Now everything was quiet. He experienced a sudden urge to find Jinx and to make sure that the cat hadn't collapsed, yet he was reluctant to remove his hands from the cool water. He thought about what had just happened. Looking over his shoulder at the collar, he noticed that the white linoleum under it was now discolored. This was turning out to be an expensive day. It occurred to Bobby that Jinx might be aptly named and he began to reconsider keeping him.

"Where's my cat?"

Bobby jumped at the sound of Felix's voice, and started yelling obscenities. "What the fuck," he cursed. Somehow the creep had followed him home without being spotted. And how had he entered the house? Bobby was positive that he had locked the door behind him. He turned and said, "Get the hell out of …" The words died in his throat when he saw Felix.

***continued in part three***