Chapter One

A dreary, hot day in the Singh household, Tiger and Lakshmi are up to their usual mischievous selves. Dashing around, knocking over everything, they spot something unusual today.

Tiger stared sullenly at the ceiling as she lay on the chair in the prayer room, her lime-green eyes balefully tracing the movement of an annoying fly that had just entered the room. Circling round and round about the light bulb, the fly then proceeded to fly close to Tiger. She snarled, and tried to swipe it, raising one fat paw in anticipation of the fly's trajectory. The fly just kept moving, undisturbed by the plump cat's eternally slow attempt to catch her. "She probably hasn't seen exercise since the dawn of flies" muttered the fly as it flew out of the prayer room and into the comfortable chintz armchair in the hall. Time to search for some good leftovers in the generous Singh household, chuckled the fly sneakily.

"SWIPE!" The fly was pinned to the floor by something small. "Oh gosh, who is this?" thought the fly as it slowly wriggled itself and turned around. There stood the undisputed Queen of the house, Lakshmi. Lakshmi was a full year younger than Tiger, but made up for it with her extreme playfulness and ferocity in play fighting. The ants whisper that her mother was an antelope, and her father a lion, since she could run like the wind, yet have such great strength. Even her running style mirrored that of an antelope, as she loped gracefully throughout the house, sending everything in her way flying.

Her meow was like a roar, and it became apparent to the fly that it was in serious trouble, as Lakshmi stood over her, a towering shadow blotting out the Sun behind her. Uh oh.

Fixing the fly with a blazing glare reminiscent to Tiger's baleful stare, Lakshmi squeaked "Didn't I tell you that I would eat you the next time I saw you in this house? You pesky fly!" She swatted the fly with her right paw, as she held it down with her white left paw. Her olive-green eyes, normally soft with adoration towards her masters, had taken on a hardness like never before. This is the fly that irritates Master Lavanya and Master Tejash, thought Lakshmi, and it is my duty to protect them! She swatted the fly again with her paw, causing an alarming bruise to throb madly on the fly's eye.

"Please, forgive me! I have a family that I need to feed. I don't wish you any harm, I just need food for my family" begged the fly. Lakshmi stopped in her tracks,  her paw raised in the air, uncertain of herself. Compassion is something my masters have always thought me, she thought. I cannot begrudge this fly the opportunity to feed it's family. Yet, I cannot trust him. He has disturbed my Masters before. Dilemmas raced through Lakshmi's mind as she stood frozen on the spot, unable to reach a decision congruent with her conscience.

Tiger peered, interested, at the struggling fly trapped below Lakshmi's paw, her pig-like nose quivering with anticipation. She licked her jowls, pausing only to give a huge yawn that displayed all of her perfectly groomed and whitened teeth. Normally, Tiger wouldn't help Lakshmi in anyway, but the fly was one bothersome thing after all. Someone needed to cajole Lakshmi into the ETHICAL decision.

"Why not let him go this time?" yawned Tiger as she eased her heavy body down to the floor, causing the chair to swivel slightly. She fixed Lakshmi with a beady look. "Who are we to take life over such petty matters? Why, even our Masters let them go" Tiger said.

"I guess you are right, Tiger. It's just that this isn't his first trespassing. That got me worked up" Lakshmi said to Tiger, who nodded in apparent understanding.

"As for you, you will be spared today" Lakshmi squeaked to the fly, who nodded with great difficulty while being pinned to the floor. "Count your lucky stars that my Masters are merciful, else I would have devoured you in one fell swoop. Scram along now!" Lifting her paw, she allowed the fly to hurriedly make it's way to the window, mopping its bruise as it went along.

Reviews

[Jennie Baron]

Enchanting little story, Tks! I especially like the personification of the creatures. The story stands very well on its own, but are you planning to add more chapters and truly expand it into a book?

[Tks]

Hi Jennie, thank you so much for the kind words! Hmm...now that you mention it, I may want to expand it into a free book, which could put a little smile on everyone's face:)
I would really, humbly appreciate it if an experienced writer like yourself could give me a pointer or two along my "Well, Cats!" journey:)

[Jennie Baron]

If you post any more, I'd be pleased to read and review it. Just bring it to my attention by sending me a read request.