Mutant X
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Dark was the night; the pale gleam of the moon was the only thing
visible. Deep brown eyes lit up under the black silhouette of an old willow
which stood there beside the sea for almost
fifty five years now. Slow and graceful were the movements of the cat
with its almost black fur as it walked along the side of the silver water. It
was a male and his sharp eyes saw every little animal creeping around, every
leaf moved by the slight breeze in the young night.
He
left the shadows of the deep hanging branches, stepped forward from the safety
the tree had given him and found himself on a meadow. The willow was the only
tree what was left over, after Men had come and created everything after their
own will and not like nature had chosen.
The
cat came only a few steps afar, when a loud howl broke through the still of the
night. It sounded like a wolf but there was no such thing in this modern city
with its high buildings, clean sidewalks and almost sterile looking surrounding.
The
year was 2085 and fields, woods, flowers and bushes were almost completely gone.
Rivers and some of the oceans had run dry. It was a treat to hear the voice of a
bird or see other wild animals in the few artificial created parks.
How
the cat had survived… He did not know. He lived in the safety of the willow´s
branches since two years, just leaving in the dark of the night to find some
food, alive or not. He was waiting, patiently… Although he did not know what
for.
The
dog howled again and he hushed down in the short grass. His eyes were big and
his ears moved swiftly around to hear every little sound. Did the enemy come
closer? It sounded like he would.
Not
sure if he should find his way home into the safe arms of the willow or remain
just were he was, he stayed completely still.
The
huffing and puffing of the running dogs breath drew closer, soft steps in front
of it, trying to escape. Suddenly a sharp yelp could be heard after the painful
scream of another cat. The sound of the dog’s paws moved away and the sight of
a red-brown cat making its way slowly towards the tree came into the view of the
one in the field. The brown one was limping, that much was to be seen.
It stepped into the circle of branches reaching for the ground and sat
down with an almost human sound of relief.
Licking
its hurt paw, she forgot to watch its surrounding.
The black cat stepped carefully closer to the branches and looked through
the leaves. Frozen in its movement the red-brown coloured cat stopped licking
and looked up, though no sound was to be heard. Her eyes were from an intense
silvery-blue, like the ocean water in the first ray of sunlight in the morning.
Their
eyes met and immediately the brown cat jumped up. She tried to walk past the
other one but her wounded leg betrayed it. The dark one moved swiftly into the
inner circle around the broad trunk of the willow. One step away from the
invader of his private place of peace in this hostile towards animal life-style,
he stopped. Blue eyes met almost black ones.
They
looked deeper than eyes can see….
And
they remembered and recognised…
Once
upon the time, in another life they had been friends….
And
they had been lovers…
They
made a promise to see each other again when they would leave their first life
behind. And here they were now…
The
cat with the black fur bent down and licked the brown cats wound, tender like a
caress of gentle fingertips on skin. The brown cat started to purr and rubbed
his forehead on the other´s neck. They laid down and rested for a while until
the pain was no real pain anymore. Then they climbed on one of the thick
branches high up in the tree, hardly leaving each other’s side. As they
reached the spot they wanted to, they sat down, curled up into each other’s
legs and tails and necks, skin to skin or better fur to fur. They fell fast
asleep, dreaming about a life they once had, they once have shared….
They
had met again.
The End
PS.A
thank you to Stina for beta reading