“Misto!” Misto jerked his head up. Outside the window, he could see Victoria.
“We need your help!” she shouted.
“What’s going on?” Mistoffelees called back.
“Jemima went into the tunnel. That’s all I know. Mungojerrie and Alonzo went in to find her.”
“Okay. I’ll be out in a minute.”
* * *
Jemima screamed. The terrible thing behind her stepped forward. “Help!” she screamed.
“Jemima! Where are you?”
The monster dissolved in front of her. Jemima stared in horror at where it had been. “Where’d it go?” she whispered.
“Jemima! What happened? Are you okay?” a familiar voice said behind her. Jemima turned and saw Mungojerrie coming up through the tunnel with Alonzo on his heels.
“There was something here,” Jemima said in a trembling voice. “It was horrible! As soon as you yelled it disappeared. It could be anywhere in here!”
“Well, whatever it is, it’s gone,” Alonzo said, glancing into the darkness before them.
“Come on. We should get out of ‘ere,” Mungojerrie said. Jemima slid between the two Toms as they walked out of the tunnel.
* * *
Mistoffelees ran as fast as he could into the junkyard. To his relief, he could see Mungojerrie and Alonzo walking out of the tunnel with Jemima between them. Misto hurried forward.
“’Ey Misto!” Mungo shouted. “How’s it goin’?”
“What happened?” Mistoffelees said breathlessly.
“Nothin’ much. Just a scary face appearin’ in the air, then disappearin’. Other than that, we’re just fine.”
Misto stared at Mungojerrie. “That’s what happened?” he whispered.
Alonzo nodded. “Yeah. Just what he said, except for the fact that he’s crazy to be so calm about this!”
Mungojerrie shrugged. “I’ve seen worse than this. Like the time when Pouncival got his paws on some glow-in-the-dark paint…”
“Okay! We get the point.”
“Is Jemima okay?” Mistoffelees asked. ,p> “’Ey, I don’t know. She was pretty scared, if you ask me.”
* * *
“That was too scary!” Jemima wailed. “I hate things that just pop up and then you have no clue where they go!”
“There, there,” Jennyanydots soothed. “It’s all over now. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”
“Jemi, you’re such a scaredy-cat,” Pouncival taunted. “Nothing’s going to hurt you. Yet.”
“Mom!” Jemima whined.
Jenny glared daggers at Pouncival. “Go help Munkustrap tear down the block in front of the tunnel,” she ordered.
“Cool!” Pouncival cheered. “Maybe we’ll see the big floating head if we’re lucky, Tumble.”
“Yeah!”
The two Toms took off towards the main part of the junkyard. Jennyanydots sighed and shook her head.
* * *
Munkustrap peered cautiously into the pipe. Nothing but darkness. He heard scampering behind him. He turned to see Pouncival and Tumblebrutus shooting towards him.
“Hey Munku!” Pouncival shouted. He screeched to a stop, missing Munkustrap by centimeters. “What are you two doing here?” Munkustrap demanded. “You’re supposed to be helping Alonzo get things organized.”
“Jenny said we could help you,” Tumblebrutus said. He looked around. “That’s okay, right?”
Munkustrap sighed. The last thing he needed were two kittens tagging after him. “Yes, that’s fine.”
“Alright!” Pouncival shouted. He and Tumblebrutus exchanged high-fives. “What do we do?”
“You can start by clearing a path for the block.”
“Then what?”
“Then we move the block.”
“Cool! Heavy-duty work.”
“Can I keep the block?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so.”
“Please?”
* * *
Roxnious slunk through the pipe. He was furious at himself. He let that kitten into the pipe. He could’ve stopped her. And yet, Roxnious had never sensed her presence in his domain.
“Wow! This is really heavy.”
Roxnious froze. Then he hissed. The Jellicles were coming to investigate what was in here. They would wreck everything! His plans would be destroyed. Unless…no. A wipe-out of the Jellicles could not come now. Now was not the time. But now was the time to strike against Mistoffelees.
“Are we done yet Munku?”
“Almost.”
“Can we help you look? I think it’s cool in there.”
“Yeah! I want to find the freaky face.”
“Maybe. We might need all the help we can get.”
Roxnious raced through the tunnels. “Come!” he called through the air. “Gather everyone in range! We meet tonight!”
The shadows slid across the walls, moving to carry out their Master’s orders.
Roxnious watched as they disappeared into the dark. He allowed himself a small, cold smile. This was the night.
* * *
Mistoffelees walked along the river. The birds were silent tonight. It was almost like they were gone, as if this was a warning that something was going to happen. Something bad. He sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He shook his head.
“I am here because I know that there is an entrance to the lair around the river. I just have to find it.”
Mistoffelees looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary. He sighed again and took a step forward into a pile of leaves. The leaves gave way underneath him.
“Whoa!”
Misto slid through a tunnel. A dim orange light glowed somewhere at the end of this crazy slide. Mistoffelees shot out of the tunnel. He fell through darkness.
* * *
Roxnious watched as all his subjects filed slowly into the chamber. Thousands of shadow cats. Millions of minds of darkness. This time, the Jellicles did not stand a chance. This time, he would not leave until the job had been finished.
This time, it was war.
* * *
Mistoffelees blinked. He couldn’t see anything. And he didn’t dare try to make light in here, for fear that Roxnious would see him.
Slowly, cautiously, Mistoffelees crept forward. The ground was damp and cold underneath his paws. He prayed that this wasn’t some sort of trap that he had stupidly walked into.
Suddenly, light flared up. Misto flinched, the light all too bright. Luckily he found himself behind some moldy old boxes. He peeked out from behind them, hoping to catch something important. And hoping that he wasn’t in serious danger.
Two cats walked by. They were strong, muscular cats. Their rich black fur shone in the few streams of dim, golden light. One pair of electric green eyes glared out to Mistoffelees. Another pair, bright yellow rimmed with pale midnight blue. Their claws were sharply pointed, long, silver, and wicked. The long, silky tails twitched back and forth in the air. The cats had a confident swagger to their walk, as if daring anyone to attack them.
Mistoffelees gulped. He glanced over his shoulder, hoping to see an escape route. No. None that he could see without being where those cats could see him.
“This is foolish,” one cat hissed. “Roxnious does not know what he is doing. It is a waste of time, of energy!”
“Partially true,” the green-eyed cat purred. “Once we have taken the Jellicles, our ranks will swell in numbers. There are many of them.”
“Too many,” said the other. “I do not doubt that we are strong. But the Jellicles have ways of overpowering us. Ways that we cannot see.”
“Roxnious will see them,” the cat said. “His bond with that magician cat, Mistoffelees, will give us the advantage.”
Mistoffelees felt weak. Bond? He had a bond with Roxnious? But how could that be true? This hasn’t happened in centuries! No cat has ever established a true bond and survived. What happened that he missed?
“Mistoffelees. You speak of lies.”
“Yes, that may be true. You have heard rumors of the magical things that have happened at their precious Junkyard. You have heard what happened to Macavity!”
“Everyone has. Macavity, with burns that sparkle! Dust from a magical cat’s weapons. Ha!” the yellow-eyed cat spat.
“We will see what happens.”
“Yes, we will.”
* * *
Munkustrap sat on the old tire, waiting tensely for the Jellicles to arrive. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus had eagerly left to round them all up. Finally, Munkustrap could think in peace and quiet.
All they knew so far was that there was a cat named Roxnious who hated the light, lived somewhere in the pipe, and knew Mistoffelees. That was about it. So Roxnious had the upper hand in this round. But maybe Mistoffelees knew something, knew something that would help. When he arrived, Munkustrap would have a talk with the magical cat.
There was a clattering in the alley. Munkustrap jumped to his paws, claws ready to attack. But all he saw was Pouncival and Tumblebrutus, creating the usual ruckus and chaos. He relaxed back into his position and prepared for war.
* * *
Mistoffelees slowly crept after the two cats. So far, they hadn’t noticed him. But he knew that that wouldn’t last. The only reason he was following them was, maybe he’d find out something good, something useful.
“The door,” the green-eyed cat hissed. “Blood and claw marks. He has performed the ritual.”
Mentally, Mistoffelees smacked himself on the forehead. Of course! How could he have forgotten the ritual? Now things had turned from bad to worse. The ritual was supposed to reassure the whole group that they would win in battle. And they believed in it so much that it worked. Mistoffelees had seen it done before. It was a horrific sight. All cats from ages 4 on up drew a thin line of blood from their backs. As the blood was still flowing, they mixed it together in a bowl. When everyone added their own blood, thirteen lucky few would take some and wipe it across all the doors in the lair. It doesn’t sound bad, but when it’s performed, you will never forget the sight of it. Then those few slash the Sign of the Shadows over the blood. The Sign of the Shadows is a large X with four circles, one in every triangle.
“The ritual,” the other cat whispered.
“You see? Now we will win. Everyone is charged and fueled by their anger. The Jellicles will not survive.”
“Perhaps you are right. And perhaps you are not.”
“Do not doubt Roxnious. Beware, for he will find out about your deceitfulness and punish you for eternity. Of this I am sure of.”
Mistoffelees didn’t stay any longer. He knew that it was too late to find anything out. He needed to get to the Junkyard, before anything beyond imagination happened.
* * *
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