It was night. The moon was shining bright, creating shadows around two cats on the ground. Electra and Jemima were on their way home from the junkyard, when Electra suddenly stopped.
Jemima looked at her. "What's the matter", she asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just… forgot something at the junkyard", her sister answered. "You go on home. I won't be long." With those words she turned around and hurried off towards the junkyard.
"But El…", Jemima started, but Electra was already gone. Jemima shrugged her shoulders and continued her way home.
Electra slowed down before the junkyard to calm down a bit. She wanted to catch Alonzo before he went to sleep. She'd been waiting for an opportunity to talk with him the whole week, but he never seemed to be alone. He was always with some of the other cats. Electra felt that she needed to tell him what she felt for him. Even if he didn't feel the same way for her, she wanted to get it off her heart. But when she walked into the junkyard, her heart sank. Alonzo was already lying on the ground, next to Pouncival. Both seemed to be sleeping.
"You're too late", a voice suddenly said above her.
Electra quickly turned around and saw Tumblebrutus sitting on a pile of junk. "You scared me, Tumble", she said accusingly and jumped up to join him.
"Too late for what?"
"Alonzo is already asleep."
"I wasn't…" She became silent and looked at Tumblebrutus. "Is it that obvious?" she asked embarrassed.
"No, not really", the brown-patched cat answered. "I don't think anyone else has noticed it."
"Well, Alonzo certainly hasn't", Electra sighed and rested her head in her paws. "And it doesn't seem like he ever will."
Tumblebrutus smiled comfortingly at her. "If it's any consolation, I can tell you that doesn't notice any girl. He's still in love with Cassandra."
"Well, isn't it about time he got over her?" muttered Electra. "She's been gone for ages!"
"I guess a love that strong doesn't dies" said Tumblebrutus.
"Yeah, I guess you're right", Electra sighed. Then she looked at Tumblebrutus and smiled. "Since when are you such an expert on love?" she teased. "I've never heard you so philosophic before."
Tumblebrutus didn't answer, just stuck his tongue out at her. Electra laughed, and then turned her attention to the two cats sleeping below them.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked the cat beside her.
"I just wasn't tired.", he answered.
"Me neither. Wanna do something?"
"Sure! What?"
"I don't…" Electra began, but then her eyes grew wider. "Look", she yelled and pointed her paw to the left.
"Where? What?" Tumblebrutus cried and looked around him. Then he gave a cry of pain when Electra's sharp teeth sunk into his tail.
"OOOUUUCHH!!!" He glared at the female cat, which had quickly jumped down on the ground and now almost fell over laughing.
"Oh, that's really mature, El", he snarled and licked his hurt tail.
"Come and get me, if you can", she laughed, turned around and ran off.
Tumblebrutus growled and hurried after her, out of the junkyard.
Alonzo opened his eyes. Something had woken him, he just didn't know what. He looked around him, but didn't see or hear anything unusual. He shrugged and went back to sleep.
"Why didn't Electra wake me up before she left for the junkyard" she complained to herself, while stretching her legs. "She never waits for me." Jemima hissed at the empty basket, pretending her older sister was there. Then she sighed and walked out through the cat-door. The bright daylight blinded her at first, and she felt the sun warming her face. Jemima smiled. It was such a lovely day, she wouldn't waste it by being crossed with Electra.
When she had come halfway to the junkyard she heard a loud giggle, followed by a "Ssschhh!". Jemima stopped and awaited the arrival of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. The two cats soon came. Rumpleteazer giggled again.
"Hi Jem", Mungojerrie said and tried to make his partner stop laughing, which isn't the easiest thing to do.
"Hi Mungo, hi Rumple", Jemima said. "Where are you going?"
"Well, you know, the usual business", Mungojerrie said and tried to look sophisticated. He didn't do very well though.
"Yeah, we found this great house, down the street", Rumpleteazer said xited. "There must be tons of…"
No, no, I don't want to know", Jemima laughed and shook her head. "Just on't get caught, ok?"
he cat burglars looked very offended. “We never get caught", Mungojerrie said condescending. Rumpleteazer nodded.
"Exactly!" Then she giggled again. "At least not very often"
Mungojerrie sighed. Oh, he loved Rumpleteazer, he wouldn't be able to live without her, but all this giggling could be just a bit tiring. He took Rumple by the paw and dragged her down the street.
"Bye Jem", he shouted over his shoulder.
Jemima smiled. They were two of a kind, those two. "And there's nothing at all to be done about that", she said to herself, and continued her way toward the junkyard.
"Oh, I don't know what to do about them", Jennyanydots sighed. "I got a new class last week, and they are totally hopeless!"
"You'll get them in shape, Jenny", Jellylorum smiled. "You always do."
There was full activity in the junkyard that morning. Etcetera and Victoria were playing with Pouncival. Alonzo sat in the shadow together with Mistoffelees and Quaxo. The three black and white toms were discussing the next Jellicle Ball. On top of the old car, Bombalurina and Exotica were sunbathing, while Skimbleshanks, the railway cat, was taking a catnap inside an oven. Bombalurina opened her eyes when she heard someone coming.
"Hi Jem", she said as the little calico kitten joined them.
"Hi Bom, hi Exo", Jemima said and rubbed up against Bombalurina. "Have you seen my sis-ter today?"
"Electra?" the red queen asked. "No, I haven't seen her today." She looked at Exotica.
"No, me neither", the slim, black feline said. "I don't think she's here yet."
Jemima frowned. "But she has to be. She wasn't at home when I woke…" She stopped talking when a sudden thought crossed her mind.
"Jem, what's the matter" Exotica asked concerned. Jemima didn't answer her, instead she jumped off the old car, down on the ground.
"Jemima!" Bombalurina called after her, but the kitten had already reached the three toms sitting in the shadow.
"Hi Jem!" Mistoffelees said and smiled at her, but she ignored him and turned to Alonzo.
"Lonzo, have you seen my Electra this morning?" she asked with a worried voice.
"No, she hasn't come yet" he answered and looked concerned at Jemima. "Why, has some-thing happened?"
Jemima felt her heart beginning to beat faster. Something was very wrong.
"What about last night?" she asked Alonzo. "What did she say when she came back here?"
"Did Electra came back?" Alonzo asked with a confused look. "Well, I didn't notice it anyway, I fell asleep right after the two of you left." The black and white tom rose to his feet and looked around him. "Pounce, get over here!" he shouted.
"What is it?" the grey-patched cat asked and turned his attention to Alonzo. He was therefor completely unprepared when Etcetera pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.
"Got you!" she said and laughed with delight.
Pouncival hissed at the female cat on top of him. "You just wait, I'm gonna…"
"Pouncival, get over here right now!" Alonzo growled.
Pounce stared at his older friend. "I'm on my way", he said, a bit scared by his wrath. "Geez, don't have a heart-attack." He walked over to the other cats. "So, what did you want?" he asked.
"Did you notice that Electra came back here last night?" Alonzo asked him.
Pouncival frowned for a moment. Then he shook his head. "No, I think I fell asleep before she even left. But maybe Tumble talked to her."
He looked around. "Hey, where is Tumble anyway? I haven't seen him today."
"Neither have I", Alonzo said thoughtfully. "And he wasn't sleeping when I fell asleep last night", he added.
By now, the rest of the cats had gathered around Jemima and Alonzo, sensing that something was wrong.
"What's the matter, dear?" Jennyanydots asked Jemima and tried to comfort the worried kitten by licking her ears.
"You better tell us what happened last night", Quaxo said softly. "Where did El go?"
"I… I don't know" Jemima stuttered. She was close to tears. "We were on our way home, and then El said she forgotten something, and turned back. I went on home, and fell asleep, and when I woke up this morning, El wasn't there. I thought she had already left and was here, but now it seems as if she didn't came home at all!" The kitten began to sob and hid her face in Jenny's chest.
"And you don't know if Tumble was here last night either?" Demeter asked Alonzo, who shook his head. "I don't know", he said distressed. "I honestly don't know."
At that moment, Munkustrap and Admetus entered the junkyard. Munkustrap smiled when he saw his love, Demeter coming to greet them. But his smile faded when he saw the look on her face.
"What's the matter, Dem?" he asked in a worried voice.
"Tumblebrutus and Electra seem to be missing", she answered.
"Missing? What do you mean missing?" Admetus asked.
"I mean missing, as in gone, disappeared, not here!" she snapped.
"Dem, hey take it easy", Munkustrap said to her. "Tell us what happened."
Demeter sighed. "Sorry Metus" she said apologetically. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that." She filled to two toms in on the details, as they joined the other cats, who were all relieved that Munkustrap had arrived. They trusted their beloved leader-to-be to take care of this.
"So…" Munkustrap said and looked out over the group. "Does anyone know where they might be?" the cats shook their heads. No one knew anything. Munkustrap sighed. "Ok, we'll have to organise a search party", he said. "Bom, Metus and Etcy, you'll check the way from here to where Jem and El live. Maybe they got hold up somewhere along the way. Vicci, Pounce, fetch the twins, maybe they know something. And see if you can find Plato and Tugger too. Quaxo, Jelly and Jenny, you search the area from here to the old fish-industry, while Skimble, Dem and Exo search by the railway, ok?" All the cats nodded in agreement. Munkustrap continued. "Misto, you come with me, we have to tell Old Deuteronomy about this. Jem and Lonzo stay here in case Tumble and El come back." He looked around to see if he'd forgotten anyone. He hadn't. "We'll meet back here in two hours", he said, and within a few seconds, Jemima and Alonzo were left alone in the junkyard. Jemima sniffled and curled up next to Alonzo.
"What could have happened to them?” she asked with a shivering voice.
"Don't worry, Jem" Alonzo answered. "I'm sure they are ok."
"Do you really think so?" she said hand looked up at him, her green eyes filled with tears.
"Of course they re" Alonzo said and smiled at her. But he was worried. Very worried. Tumble and Electra were not the most responsible and careful cats he knew. In fact, he thought and sighed deeply, they were quite the opposite…
