Not Again
I
was taking my morning constitutional, and had paused as I always do
by my parents' graves, when I heard laughter from the direction of my
cottage. I blinked. Had I dozed off? The sound might have been part
of an unremembered waking dream. No auditory hallucination this: I
heard it again. I sighed. This was getting more and more difficult
every day. Leaning on my staff, I trudged homeward. Time was, I
mused, when this short walk had not taxed me at all. I had had to
seek elsewhere for my exercise. Now, I could foresee the day when I
would no longer be able to go this far without a rest. I hated the
thought that my parents' markers would be swallowed up by weedy
vines. I had never married, and now it was too late--I was the last
of my line.
When
I reached the cottage I walked around to the front. The door was
ajar; I had left it latched. Puffing my way up the three wooden
steps, I thought I heard the sound of something breaking inside. I
went in. My small living room stood as I'd left it: table, single
chair, bowl of cereal. No, the bowl was licked nearly clean. No
cereal for me today, but I was getting hungry. I do get testy without
my breakfast. Up the stairs. My parents' room, long empty, lay to my
left. I went right. And there, in my bed, the intruder slumbered. As
I shuffled forwards my claws scraped across the floor and she awoke.
She screamed, jumped for the window, and was rebuffed by the bars.
Her golden curls bounced, her blue eyes darted left and right. Dried
porridge crusted her quivering chin. I raised my stick.
***
Replete,
I slumped into bed and slid towards sleep. I did so miss the
porridge. Every morning one of them snuck in and stole it. I hadn't
had any in years. Still, as long as they kept coming I would not go
hungry. Not while my teeth and arms yet had their strength. I sighed.
I would clean after my nap. I'd toss the bones out back and clean up
for tomorrow's visit. Right now, all I wanted was sleep.
Then
I heard it. Childish laughter. I was so tired I could hardly raise a
paw. Was there to be no peace for me today?
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