Gingerbread PART 2

   After a long day of traveling, Ginger stopped to rest for the night beneath the shelter of large rock. When she awoke, her belly was grumbling with hunger and her mouth was dry. She stretched and yawned, then yowled in surprise when she found herself looking into the eyes of a large black and white tom.

   She growled and unsheathed her claws, prepared for a fight. But the strange cat remained in a friendly crouch, his claws sheathed and fur unruffled. They stood like that for quite some time, just blinking at each other, until the tom stood up.

   He sniffed her nose. “My name is Twigs. What’s yours?”

   Ginger stiffened at his touch. “Gingerbread.”
   “That’s a nice name.” Twigs said. “Look, I’m sorry if I came off as a creep, but I was out for a walk, and I saw you sleeping and you just looked so…”

   “So what?” Ginger meowed.

   Twigs shifted his paws. “Well, your fur is all wet. You slept in the rain. Do you need a place to stay?”

   “Not really.” Ginger answered, swallowing. Did this tom really expect her to just trust him from the moment they met? she thought.

   “Oh, well I’d be willing to share my home.” he met her eyes hopefully.

   He wanted a friend, Ginger could tell. But she shook her head.

   In the days after that, Ginger started to regret her decision. She was so lonely living her on own. She had found a decent place to stay, but she spent her days sulking in the shadows, with nothing to do but hunt, and no one to talk to but herself.

   Then something interesting happened. Each morning now, Gingerbread found a freshly killed mouse or shrew, just on the other side of the rock, which she slept against. She had a strong suspicion about who was leaving her breakfast, but was too depressed to really investigate further.

   One day, Gingerbread woke up in a cheerful mood. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and she felt sleepy and warm. She wanted to cuddle back up in her makeshift nest, but she was eager to have her breakfast. She crept to the other side of the rock, and smacked into Twigs. Startled, he dropped the mouse he had been carrying.

   She processed this new information quickly. “Thanks,” she meowed. “For bringing me breakfast every day.”

   Twigs looked at the grass. “I was going to come say hello, but you didn’t seem to like me very well. So I thought I’d at least catch you something to eat. You’re so thin.”

   Gingerbread didn’t want to like anyone. She didn’t want to end up hurt. Everyone she had ever loved had disappointed her.

   “Gingerbread… Are you sure you don’t want to come stay with me?” Twigs meowed.

   Ginger looked around, at the scratchy nest she had made out of leaves and dried grass, and the large rock which did little to shelter her from the wind and rain. Then she looked at Twigs. His coat was shiny and his belly filled out.

   He looks like a housecat. He would have food and a warm place to sleep… More importantly, I wouldn’t be lonely any longer. she thought. She opened her mouse to say “yes”, but the memory of her mother and Boots made her change her mind. She shook her head.

   Twigs looked sadly at her. “Alright, then.” Rejected once again, he turned and began to walk away.

   “Wait,” Ginger said.

   Here was someone who cared about her. Loved her, even. She couldn’t keep holding on to her past. This was her life now.

   “Could I come with you?” she meowed.

   Twigs smiled, and rubbed his muzzle against hers. “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. I have a great home. Yummy food and nice humans who let me go in and out of the house as I please. They love me, and I just know they’ll love you, too.”

   Gingerbread purred. Someone to love me, she thought happily. “Thanks, Twigs.” she meowed. “You’re a good friend.”