A Cats Quest

I’m not your everyday house cat. I was born in an abandoned barn. I still live in the barn and I have never been away from it. I look nothing like my family, which is full of white cats. I was born with no tail, and I am a black cat, and black cats get a bad wrap. “Oh, black cats are terrible luck,” “if you cross a black cat you have bad luck.” That's far from true, I have had awesome luck all year until this happened. [[coninue]]

I was playing tag with my siblings and I saw a humongous tree that I could hide in. I thought to myself if I should climb up the tree or go somewhere else Option A: [[Hide in the tree.]] Option B: [[Hide somewhere else]]

I decided to go in the tree. I started escalating up the tree. I reached the top branch, but because I have no tail and I need it to balance, I fell off. I got knocked out because of the tough fall. [[continue -> continue]]

I decided to hide somewhere else. I ran behind the barn and sat there. I see a bunch of fog coming my way. Before I knew it, I was passed out. [[ continue]]

When I woke up, I didn't see my family. I thought that they might be inside. I walked inside and I didn’t see them. I called out their names, they didn’t respond. I think to myself, maybe they went out for a walk. I walked all around the barn and near the barn where we usually walk. I didn’t see them anywhere. [[continue]]

I started thinking that maybe they went within range of the houses, where the house cats live, or near the stores where the stray cats in the city live. I started walking toward the city. I hesitated. Wait why would they go without me and we haven't even been that far before. Ugh whatever this is for my family, I said to myself. I started walking then stopped to think about it, then keep on going. It’s already night by the time I got to the city. I got tired so I decided to take a nap. I found an alleyway that I could sleep in. I curled up into a ball. I couldn’t sleep. I started getting worried about my family. I closed my eyes tight, but it didn’t work. I finally fell asleep. I woke up startled. I had a bad dream. I started crying. I heard a soft kind voice just like my mom’s voice saying “shhh it’s okay, it’s okay, take a deep breath in and out” her voice calmed me down “mom?” I said thinking it was her who was reassuring me, she answers, [[Continue]]

I started walking towards the houses, thinking that maybe they went that way. I stopped to think. Why would they leave me? We have never even been that far before. I started walking back to the barn. The sun was starting to go down. I was looking up at the sky. Watching the sun go down, then it hit me. My eyes got watery. My head started to hurt. I tried to hold it in, but then water fell from my eyes. I sniffled a lot, then I was sobbing. Imagine losing your family. Not knowing where they are. Imagine that. How would you feel? I got up and started walking toward the houses. When I got to the houses it was night time. I found a place under a house to sleep. I woke up crying. I heard a calming voice comforting me. She sounded just like my mom. While closing my eyes I said, “mom?” she answered me, [[Continue]]

“I’m sorry hun, I’m not your mom. I saw you here all alone crying so I came to reassure you. Are you lost?” I feel my heart fracture, like if you have something that you love but you drop it on accident and it shatters all over the ground, like that but even worse. I stay silent for a little while then answer her “yes, I don't know where my family is” I told her everything that happened yesterday I also told her, “I also had a bad dream last night. I-I saw a vision of my family in this huge cage” “okay hun, your gonna find your family, okay” I take a deep breath and say, “ok.” She starts talking again, “now, I’m gonna let you go alone because I have stuff that I need to do. If you see anything mysterious then follow it. Now take this collar. If anything bad happens then it will help you.” I blink and poof. just like that, she disappeared. [[continue ]]

I started walking straight but then I bumped into a tall man. He had a sweet, kind face. He had a gray vest on, with a white buttoned shirt and a red tie. His pants were gray. He had grayish whitish hair with a bald spot in the middle. And he had a big red nose. He looked down at me and said, “Oh hi little kitty. Are you lost?” He picked me up and looked at my collar, “hmm, no name, no phone number, and no address. It’s ok little kitty, I’ll help you find your home.” He took me to his home and it was really nice. He had a huge yard, a huge chair, lots of squares that I could see through, I think they are called windows but I’m not sure. He also had doors, and stairs. He put me down and I ran up the stairs and back down. I did that a few times then flopped on the ground. After that I got some food that he put on the ground for me. [[Continue ]]

Then I saw the chair again. Should I sit in the chair or on the ground. Option A: [[Sit in the chair.]] Option B: [[Sit on the ground.]]

I fell asleep but when I woke up, there was a big face. Slobber was dripping down from its mouth. I got all wet and sticky. At first, I didn’t know what it was but then he backed up and I saw what the slobber creature was. It was a dog. [[ continue ]]

I go over to the chair and try it out. I feel myself sinking into the chair. It was like quicksand but I was able to get out. I find a place to sit. I wake up to someone stepping on my paw. I jump up and run to a different place. The new place was perfect. No one was near me. The sun was shining on my face. After a long time I wake up to something sitting on me. My face is squished and I couldn’t see anything. I meowed as loud as I could. The creature jumped and barked. When I opened my eyes I found out what it was. It was a dog. [[ continue ]]

I did what my mom told me to do if I ever saw a dog, which was to hiss, run away, and get to a high area where the dog can’t reach you. I ran fast and found a big metal box, with handles. It had two doors on it. One on the top and one on the bottom. The nice man walks in the room and says, “oh look at you two playing together.” I’m not playing a game. Can’t you see? It’s so obvious. I just want peace and quiet then this dog goes up to my face and drools all over me! I’m already having a terrible day. What? Do you expect me to give you an award or something? I wish he could understand me so I could tell that old man how I feel and that I don’t belong to anyone! Or do I, maybe my family is gone for good. I can’t just stay at the barn alone. No, I can’t abandon my family. They might still be alive. I can’t lose hope. [[continue ]]

It’s the next day now and I woke up early to scratch the door to see if he would let me go outside, so I could go find my family. It doesn't work. I’m still trapped in this place. I try being really loud and annoying. Still doesn't work. He opens the door! Then he leaves, but then he opens it again, and comes inside with a bunch of mail, then he closes it. I gave up and went to bed. I hear a loud noise. I look where the noise was coming from. The window was open but there was a neted screen there. I tried thinking of a plan and then it comes to me! When the man isn't looking I will run full speed through the screen. It might hurt but it would be worth it. It has been about an hour but I see the man walking up the stairs. Here's my chance. I back up then run full speed and break the screen. I jump out and start running. I kind of feel bad because he’s just gonna come downstairs and see his screen broken and his (not really) cat missing. And I guess I’m gonna miss the dog a little, because he reminded me of my brother. Active, always wants to play, and never wants to take a nap. [[ Cotinue]]

After running the whole day I got to a city. There was a whole bunch of cars and lights. The buildings were tall. There were people everywhere. My head starts to throb in pain from all of the bright lights and loud noises. I find an alley with a big trash can. I jump inside of it and start looking for food. I could only find crumbs at the bottom. I eat them slowly so I can save them. While eating I fall asleep. It’s cold But I'm tired. I don't feel good. I feel too weak to go on. I'm trying to get some sleep but I’m too worried about my family. [[ continue]]

Its morning and I am ready to resume my adventure. I jump out of the trash can and start walking. I hear a noise coming from my stomach. I'm hungry, and I have no food. I take a deep breath and keep on walking. After walking for a little while I see a shadow that doesn't look like anything I've ever seen. I’m thinking of following it, but what if it's just a random animal and I start following it and it leads me further away from my family, but then I remembered what the white cat said, “if you see anything suspicious then follow it.” I might be making a bad choice but it's worth it. The creature might lead me to my family. [[ continue ]]

I start following the creature. I try to be as quiet as possible so it doesn’t see me. I finally get to see the creature and not just the shadow. It’s tall, yellow, and slimy. It looks like someone just barfed out bananas on it. Barf banana turns around but I hide behind a wall before he sees me. I keep on following him until he stops at a dead end, or at least that’s what I thought, for about two minutes he is just sitting there staring at the wall then finally he does something. He walks through the wall. After he goes through the wall I think to myself if I should try or not. [[try going through the wall]] [[don't try]]

After he goes through the wall I follow him. [[ continue ]]

I take a deep breath and turn around. I started walking back home. It started getting dark and I find a place to sleep. I was sleeping for a few minutes but then I woke up crying. I missed my family. I got up and started walking back to the wall. After I got to the wall I tried going through the wall. It didn’t work. [[ continue ]]

I think it might be a good idea to back up a little so I did. I backed up and I ran full speed. SPLAT! I smack my face against the wall. I keep on trying but I just keep on hurting myself even more. I start thinking of what the barf banana guy did, then I get it. The reason he stood there for so long was because it was some type of code to let you in. I go up to the wall and sat there for two minutes, then I walked into the wall. It worked! [[ continue]]

I’m in this dark place with lava waterfalls. The ground is rocky and lumpy. I walked into a dark hallway, then the lights turned on. The walls were black and the ground was white with tiles. I saw a dark room and walked in. I saw my family there. I got so excited and I think they were too. I ran over to them but I tripped and fell. I was about to bump into the cage but instead, I fell through. There is a big hole in the ground and I fell right into it. [[ continue ]]

Now on the ground I was inside a big cage, and a light is on me and the rest of the room is dark. The cage was pretty big. The cage kept on getting smaller and smaller. I heard clapping and see the man that took me into his home a few days ago, walk into the light. He gets taller and turns into a gooey, red monster, with a crown. I get scared and back up to the back of my cage. “It’s okay little kitty,” the red blob says. I don’t speak. He says, “you guys can come out here and defeat our little friend here. Say bye-bye, Sammy.” He disappeared into the dark and so many weird blob things come into the light. They were trying to get into the cage. The cage lifted up right before it smushed me and I am now surrounded by the blobs. They are all coming straight to me. Before I know it I am being squeezed by them. I can barely breathe. I give up trying to get away. Water starts pouring out of my eyes. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open my eyes almost all of the blobs are gone. I’m not squashed anymore. I can breathe. I hear a voice coming from behind me they said, “I told you that the collar would help you.” I turn around and see the white cat from before. I run to her and give her a hug, she says, “right now is not the time for hugs. We still have a lot of work to do.” She turns around and slices a blob in half with a sword, “h-how did you know” I said, “I just felt like it was there, so I just did it, now focus. We are here to save your family not to talk.” [[ continue ]]

We defeated all of the blobs. We see another blob, bigger than the others. It is the king. The one who trapped me. I try to think of what to do then I got it. I run behind him into the shadows so I cannot be seen. The white cat knows what I’m trying to do. She goes up in front of him and she jumps up and down and runs around in circles. I run out of the shadows and slice him in half with the sword the white cat gave me. We ran to go look for my family. After a long time of searching, we find them, but we see the blob king there. How is he still alive? Didn't we already defeat him? He comes towards me and I see a small crack that is too big for him to fit in. I run in the crack and wait for him to come. Then boom the white cat slices him in half, then she separates the two pieces. She unlocks the cage and puts it over one of the pieces of the blob king. “Let’s get out of here.” [[ continue ]]

We run out of the building and start walking home. I hug my family and I tell them about my adventure. When we get home I ask the white cat if she can stay for dinner, she says, “okay but ask your parents” “okay” I said. I asked my parents and they said, “of course she can, she helped you save us.” I ran to tell her. While having dinner I ask the white cat, “what's your name? You never told me” she answers back and says, “Liyla” ''pretty name” I say. “thank you.” “Oh, I better get going,” Liyla says “you have to go already,” I say” yes, and I am sure I will see you soon” while saying that she walks away. I am looking off into the distance watching her walk away. I turned around to see what my family is doing, and when I turned around I did not see her anymore. I go to my family and we have a nice rest of the day together as a family. [[ continue]]

It has been exactly one year since my family got trapped. I am in the city right now walking around and exploring more of the city, then I hear someone calling my name. I turn around and see a white cat. At first, I did not recognize her but then I remembered the face. “Liyla!” I call out. I ran to hug her, “I told you we would meet again,” she said. We went to a park and caught up. I told her what had happened over the weeks, like when my little brother got his head stuck in a cup. We had a good time, but then the time to say goodbye came. We promised each other that every Saturday we would meet up at that park, and we did. Now I have learned to balance without a tail, and if my family is missing then I know who to go to. “Sis you wanna play tag,” says my little brother cream, “okay,” I say. I jump off the tree and run around with my siblings.