She Waits

There it was again. That movement. It was barely noticeable. She could easily have missed it had she not been looking in that direction at that exact moment. The tall woody shrubs in front of her was hiding something. What, she couldn’t be sure of but she was known to be stubborn in her patience, so would wait as long as she needed to find out. Her keen ears prickled in anticipation as she awaited the sound that alerted her every day at this same hour.

Her breathing slowed now as she settled into a lower position. The coolness of the soft grass beneath her provided a grateful relief after having spent her day on the hot pavement. This was a new town to her and she made it her daily habit to get to know her new neighborhood.

Sidewalks were too confining so she would walk with purpose alongside the road, taking in the sights, sounds and scents of this, her new territory. Her innate ability to memorize streets always amazed her. As if by instinct, she would find her way home no matter how many blocks she had walked that day.

So now she waits. The warmth of the Summer evening invited the fireflies with their lively dance, surrounding her, their tiny beads of light blinking in a rhythm she could not understand. No matter. She kept her focus straight ahead. Her strong legs kept her balanced in this crouched position and she was glad to be so fit. With her daily runs and stretches, she has maintained a core strength that proved superior when faced with such challenging moments as this.

That odd sound appeared again -- what was that? It was indistinguishable. Was it an animal? She has been around these parts enough to know there are certain small animals -- rabbits, foxes and even a stray cat or two -- who called this place their home too. She wasn’t happy with that. Her new home belonged to her alone and nobody or nothing else. This explained why she was here now, listening, waiting.

She turned toward the sound again, her eyes trying to focus on any small movement near her but there was nothing. Except. Yes. That’s it! She quickly turned as the funny sound grew closer. It was followed by footsteps coming toward her, sounding closer with every step. She sprang up to sit, willing it closer as her eyes began to focus on the moving object approaching her now. It had been hours and she was ready.

“Here you go kitty”, murmured the human, “time for dinner.”

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

A day in the life of a feline. How extraordinary! I felt as if I were a voyeur, watching from a window. I've had cats all my life and wouldn't want to live in a house without one....or two, or more! I really love this. Thank you for sharing!

[DianneR]

Thank you Kelly. I really had fun writing this, thanks, in large part, to my ever-present, diva-wannabe feline muse. It occurred to me early in the story how similarly I could create thoughts and movements much like a human's and hoped to be able to fool a few readers in the first few lines. I'm pleased you enjoyed it!

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful story told. I did like the ending. Thank you Dianne for sharing the amazing tale.
Coyote

[DianneR]

Thank you Coyote :-)

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome Dianne.

[Dave]

Dianne - thank you I enjoyed reading about your cat and its' new experience. Until recently I didn't consider myself much of a cat person. This past week however I house sat my daughters' cat while she and her family went away on vacation. I foun.d that "Mr. Whiskers" was a very adoreable and interesting cat.

Take care - Dave

[DianneR]

Hi Dave,
Thanks very much for your kind review. I agree that cats have a way of endearing themselves to us. I'm glad to know your daughter's cat has found a new friend!