Finding Home 

  “My name is Ditto. I’ve wondered why for a long time. Everyone knows Ditto 
  means the same as, but the same as what or who?” 
  This ran through the small cat’s mind as she padded toward the junkyard. She 
  hoped the Jellicle cats would be able to help her and she knew they would 
  all be together tonight for the Jellicle Ball. She slowed when she heard 
  voices and saw the moon rising over the junkyard. She proceeded slowly now, 
  for the first time afraid of what the Jellicles would think of her. She 
  entered the junkyard and scampered into an empty pipe where she could watch 
  all the cats and not be seen. She was amazed; she had never seen so many 
  cats. As she watched she noticed one cat turn slowly and stare in her 
  direction. Her breath caught in her throat and she backed into the shadows. 
  Could the cat see her? He was a handsome black cat with a white face and 
  chest. His black coat shimmered in the moonlight. He must be the one known 
  as the magical Mr. Mistoffelees and she sang the tune to his song under her 
  breath. He must have heard her for his ears pricked up as he came toward her 
  and she closed her eyes and waited. 

  “What do you see Misto”, asked Jemima. 
  “Nothing yet but I sense a presence, you better wait here with the others.” 
  He made his way to the pipe where a proud, but frightened Ditto hid. He 
  entered the pipe and rubbed up against something soft like himself. He 
  looked toward this something and saw a small, frightened female. She had her 
  eyes tightly shut and, though she held her posture, trembled like a leaf. He 
  sat down and gently laid a paw on her shoulder. 

  Ditto felt the soft paw on her shoulder and slowly opened her eyes. The 
  handsome black cat sat before her with wide curious eyes. She let out a long 
  breath and relaxed her body slightly. 
  “Don’t be scared,” he said softly. “Where did you come from?” 
  “I really don’t know,” she said in a soft melodic voice. “I know I had a 
  home once but I lost my tag a long time ago,” she added pointing to her 
  collar. 
  Misto looked at her black leather collar and saw the silver studs and the 
  lonely ring with no tag on the front. He recognised the collar; a friend of 
  his had one just like it. 
  “I was hoping you Jellicles could help me solve my mystery.” 
  “What is your name?” he asked her. 
  “Ditto” 
  “Ditto?” 
  “Yes, Ditto. Ditto what I don’t know, I was hoping you could help me with 
  that too.” 
  “I will speak for us all and say we will do our very best to help you 
  discover who you are,” said Misto. 
  “My name is Mistoffelees, you can call me Misto, follow me and I will 
  introduce you to the others.” 
  “Thank you very much,” she said as she followed him. 
  She squinted her eyes as she entered the moonlight. As she drew nearer to 
  the group, heads turned and cats gasped and stared at her, mouths and eyes 
  opened wide. Seeing this Misto turned and it was his turn to be amazed. 
  Ditto looked at each one of them and wondered what should surprise them so. 
  “She looks just like him…” 
  “She has all his markings…” 
  “Look at her eyes…” 
  These were some of the comments she heard and she became nervous again. Who 
  was the him they spoke of? 

  Munkustrap sat on the hood of a car not far from the other cats. He wondered 
  why they were all crowded in a circle instead of taking their places for the 
  ball. He jumped down and made his way over to them. Misto intercepted him. 
  “There is a visitor here that may be of some interest to you,” he said with 
  a knowing smile. 
  His curiosity now peaked Munkustrap walked through the crowd. He came to a 
  sudden stop in front of a beautiful, sleek female cat. Her chin drooped at 
  the same time his did and they stared at each other with matching copper 
  eyes. She looked just like him. Her markings matched his to the very stripe. 
  The saying that no two Jellicles are exactly alike would have been wrong if 
  she had been male or he female. 

  Demeter tapped him on the shoulder, “Who is she?” she asked jealously. 
  “To tell you the absolute truth Demeter, I don’t know.” 
  “But she is warring a collar identical to yours,” Demeter pointed out. 
  Munkustrap turned back to the little female cat and moved closer to her. He 
  could see that she was nervous now and he was surprised when she started to 
  wash her ears. That was what he always did when he was nervous! This was 
  like having a mirror image. He shook himself to clear his mind. 
  “Where did you get that collar?” he asked gently as he lifted his paw to 
  inspect it. He felt her shiver and pull away. He also felt a shiver in his 
  chest as he touched her. 
  “I don’t…really know,” she stammered. “It is the only thing I have left to 
  remind me that I once had a family.” She rubbed the collar with a soft paw. 
  “All I remember is being born to a very large litter and that I must have 
  been named after a sibling because they called me Ditto for short.” 

  Munkustrap backed up a step at the unveiling of her name. It couldn’t be, 
  but it must; after all she looked exactly like him. A smile spread across 
  his face and before Ditto could blink Munkustrap had picked her up and was 
  swinging her around in circles. 
  “Oh Sis, I never thought I would see you again,” he said as he swung her 
  around. 
  She looked down at him in confusion. 
  “Don’t you remember you identical twin brother Munkustrap?” 
  She was motionless for a moment and then her memory kicked in and she smiled 
  and hugged him. 
  “My brother, I thought I would never see any of my family again.” 
  Just then she heard her name and turned to see a tall black and gold 
  coloured cat running toward her. He had leopard spots on his chest and legs 
  and a bushy main. He reached her and picked her up whirling her around just 
  as Munkustrap had moments ago. She laughed and held on as the junkyard 
  whirled by. 
  “My older sister, by a few seconds, it is so good to see you,” he said 
  hugging her. 
  “This curious beast is your younger brother Rum Tum Tugger, Tugger for 
  short,” said Munkustrap grinning. 
  “I remember now, You’re the ball of fur who would never stop moving, you 
  were never content to be in one place,” she said as she hugged Tugger. 
  “You remember me?” he asked as he returned her to the ground. 
  “My memory is returning quickly and I remember you very well, you would make 
  such a fuss if you could not get out of the bureau drawer we were born in.” 
  If a cat could blush, Tugger did then. 
  “Come and meet the rest of your new family,” said Munkustrap as he led her 
  toward the crowed. 

  She met everyone and Misto smiled a knowing smile when she was reintroduced 
  to him. She met Her twin brother’s love Demeter and immediately the two 
  became friends. Everyone was so nice to her and she felt so welcome into 
  this new family. Munkustrap led her up to the large tire, which was situated 
  in the middle of the yard. He demanded everyone’s attention and addressed 
  them all. 
  “This is a special day, my twin sister has found her way home to us. Help me 
  to make this, her first, Jellicle Ball a special one.” 
  Everyone cheered and left to get into their places for the ball. 

  Munkustrap led her over to a spot where she would be able to observe the 
  ball. 
  “Do you sing and dance?” he asked. 
  “Of course I do,” she laughed and lay her head on his chest where she could 
  here his heartbeat, “It is in my blood.” 
  Munkustrap stroked her head and smiled. “Good, sit here and enjoy the ball 
  and tomorrow I will teach you all the songs.” 
  “Thank you so much for accepting me back into the family, I was so lost and 
  alone. I thought I would remain so for the rest of my life.” 
  Munkustrap held her paws and smiled at her. “I am so glad you found your way 
  back to us, now sit back and enjoy the ball your family is about to perform. 
  Next year, I hope you will join us.” 
  “It will be an honour… brother.” she replied as he turned to join the 
  others. 
  Ditto, happily, settled down to relax and turned to watch the Jellicles 
  perform. 

  From his perch in the junkyard Munkustrap smiled and thanked the Heavyside 
  Layer that his sister had found home. 

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				The End
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