Nia curled up on the hallway table, wrapping her luxurious tail around her rear legs and resting her head upon its tip. She watched Rokka and Tahnee’s shadows grow longer. They spoke soft words to her, but a Cat did not ordain to lift one's head at a human’s call. The door creaked closed. The darkness of the hall replaced the shadows. A quiet settled in the apartment. The daily sounds of the streets whispering from afar.
Nia’s whiskers twitched.
‘One is bored.’
She uncurled and stretched her legs, lifting her tail to the ceiling. She sat for a moment, her sandpaper tongue licking across her paw as she cleaned her ears and face. The cool dampness settled upon her skin, leaving her feeling crisp and ready. But not quite ready. A cat never rushed. One always took their time, savouring, preparing. After one last stretch, she leapt from the table, landing daintily on four paws, making the tiniest tap as her weight hit the wooden floorboards. She stretched her toes, claws tip-tapping against the wood.
‘Purrfect.’
She sauntered through the hall and into the lounge, taking care to rub against the door frame, tail vibrating as she released her scent. She crouched beside the sofa, readying herself to pounce, her muscles remembering the formula for the perfect lift-off, the smoothest landing. She leapt onto the arm of the sofa, curling her tail around herself as she sat and looked to the windows, pupils shrinking as they focused on the light. Dust particles shifted in the air, drifting, though no semblance of a breeze entered the apartment. All the windows were sealed. The curtains limb by their side.
‘What a shame. Guess we’ll take the long way.’
She sprang from the sofa, paws outstretched. Another perfect landing. She skipped through the lounge to the study. The green walls reminded her of trees, the wallpapers fabric scratchy. She went to her favourite corner behind the armchair and clawed at the wall, adding yet more holes. A claw came loose and she bit it out, leaving it behind as she made her way to the white block.
It was low to the ground but wide, a big square which might have been built into a floor in another world. Spiralling patterns shimmered across its surface as Nia neared. She purred to please the contraption before cautiously stepping a single paw onto its surface. Cold rushed through her skin, sending goosebumps up her flesh. She stepped all four paws onto the square and sat patiently. She focused her mind, thinking a singular thought.
‘Rokka’s spare bedroom. Dusty floors. Damp sheets. Rokka’s bedroom…’
Nia closed her eyes and waited.
It came in waves. She drifted between coconut and dust, then to nothing. From warm, still air to a cool breeze, then nothing. The time between the two lapsing until only the cool breeze remained. Her nose twitched as dust drifted into her nostrils. Her ears fluttered with the rattle of a busy street. She opened her eyes slowly, allowing the light to filter through.
She was in Rokka’s spare room, sitting atop a fellow white block, this one with shimmering square patterns. As she stepped from the contraption, the shimmering ceased. The block returned to a dormant white block state. Dust particles flew more thickly here, swirling in tornados. She wiggled her shoulders and ran towards the window, leaping up onto the windowsill.
The breeze ruffled her fur, her whiskers pushed back against her cheek. Below, the street bustled with activity. Carts, bikes, and people meandered past. Some rushed, others dawdled, but all were moving. Horses whinnied as they pushed through the throng, irritated by the constant noise.
Nia clawed the windowsill, calculating her decent. She’d made this climb before. It was easy. She walked to the edge of the windowsill and stepped out onto the narrow ledge which circled the house. Dainty paws stepped one in front of the other. She jumped onto the roof of the entryway, claws scraping against the tiles. She stayed near the guttering, but not too close. It was old and rickety, yellowed by the sun. One step could shatter its resistance. At the edge of the roof, she stopped, looking down the drainpipe to the boxes below. She leant back on her haunches, eyeing the closest crate. One paw moved forward.
“Meow!” Nia Screeched. She slipped from the tiles. Her claws scrambled for purchase, fur standing on end as her paws slammed into the drainpipe. It cracked mercilessly and snapped away, leaving nothing but air beneath her feet. She fell. Body hurtling towards the floor, heart plummeting into her stomach. With pure cat momentum, she stuck her four paws out before her, making her body rigid, her teeth clenched for impact. She thudded heavily onto the second crate, her claws latched onto the wood, clinging onto life. She opened her eyes and unclenched her teeth. She hesitated, eyeing the crowd passing in the street. No-one was looking. Paws skidding on the crate, she jumped onto the last crate and finally onto the floor, slipping herself behind a crate and poking her head out.
The crowd passed by without a second glance.
Nia straightened, shrugging her shoulders and smoothing her fur. Her shaky legs steadied as her heart returned to her chest.
‘Why would they notice? Nothing happened.’ She sniffed. ‘Purrfect landing. As Always.’
She moved from behind the crates and sat under the chair of the garden set that decorated the front of Rokka’s house. Not that anyone would want to sit out here. The street was far too busy. Hectic even. She sat and curled her tail around herself, eyeing the passers-by with judgement.
“Motier, loo! U Cat!” A young boy shouted, pointing towards her and pulling at his mother’s hand.
Nia hissed and walked away, returning to hide between the crates. The mother tugged the boy back, dragging him down the street. He uselessly tried to pull back, keeping his arm outstretched towards Nia. But human children were weak, and his mother pulled him away with ease. Nia shook her head and bathed. The dust stuck in her mouth, making it dry. She yawned and licked her lips.
‘Right, back to it.’
She glanced around the crate. She needed a lift, and preferably not an awful one. But who would head for the sea in nice transport? Humans walked by, their hair in messy tufts. Why were humans not clean? At least her human seemed to try. These looked terrible.
Nia’s nose twitched. The delicious aroma of fish swam through the air. Fresh fish. Her stomach growled. It was coming closer. She peered down the street. A donkey was heading towards her. A large, haggard human sat atop the cart, his cheeks dirty. And behind him… Fish. It was heading away from the docks, but surely a fishmonger must return that way at some point. And he carried snacks for the journey.
Nia crouched on her front paws, readying herself to pounce. Her heart quickened, blood pumping around her body, filling her limbs with energy. She inhaled deeply, a low purr emanating from her throat. She could already taste the soft, meaty fish. Her mouth watered. She waggled her rear, preparing to lunge.
‘Wait for it.’
The donkey’s hooves came first, snapping twigs and lifting dust as they moved. Then the first wheel, creaking under the weight of the human and fish. Nia held back until the rear wheel made its appearance. She sprang forward, legs pumping. As she neared the rear of the cart, she leapt into the air, landing with a tap in the back of the cart. She nuzzled her way between two trays of fish, lying flat on her belly as the human turned. He huffed and looked back at the road. Nia breathed out a sigh. She sat up and sank her claws into a fish, dragging it towards the end of the tray. It flopped onto the cart, splashing her with a dash of saltwater. She licked her paw and cleaned her face before nestling down for her ride.
She tucked in.
***
The cart thudded to a halt. Nia snoozed between two empty trays. It hadn’t been as relaxing a journey as she had planned. Every time the fishmonger stopped she had to rearrange her hiding place, hoping she wasn’t behind the tray he would take. The human replaced the trays of fish with empty ones, so Nia aimed to be amongst those. And, with each interference of her rest, she took another fish.
Now, her belly swollen, she slumbered. The journey to the dock was peaceful. With no more fish to drop off, the fishmonger had left her hiding place alone. Bliss.
The cart rattled and a red light shone through Nia’s eyelids.
“U Cat!”
Nia’s eyes shot open as the human grabbed a stick. Her claws skidded on the wood. She hurled herself past the human and thudded onto the muddy dock below. She hissed and ran into the crowd, hoping to lose the man in the throng. It worked, but it didn’t help.
Nia meowed helplessly as she tried to manoeuvre between carts and thundering feet. Her ribs hurt with exertion, legs shaking with fear. She screeched as a passerby stepped on her tail. Her fur stood on end, back arched like a bridge. She scurried through the throng, hiding her tail between her legs. Her muscles ached as foot after foot scraped and kicked her. She dove into a dark alleyway, panting. Her eyes were wide as her body quivered.
‘How dare they treat me this way? Don’t they know who I am?’
A light tip-tap of feet approached. Nia spun around hissing, baring her teeth. Her claws scratched against the mud, digging deep grooves.
“Hello, Nia,” Farlyne said, kneeling before her. She fanned out her white dress and patted her knees lightly.
“Meow,” Nia cried and ran towards the girl, snuggling her head into her legs. She climbed into Farlyne’s lap. Her tail throbbed, her legs shaking. Farlyne stroked her head and back, soothing her. The girl took a comb from the front of her dress and smoothed back Nia’s fur, gently pulling the clumps of mud from her feet. Nia lay back, letting the human move her into position, trusting her to take care of her.
“How goes our dear friend?”
Nia purred and rubbed her face on Farlyne’s wrist. She meowed softly.
“Wonderful.”
***
Farlyne smiled and giggled with their conversation as the air-cooled around them. Nia’s heart was at peace, far removed from the bustling crowd in the street. Like her human, Farlyne understood the importance of a cat. She asserted the correct amount of attention and worship without getting on Nia’s nerves.
“You should head home, dear friend,” Farlyne said, stopping her scratching of the ear. “She’ll be waiting for you soon and you must make sure she comes.”
Nia nodded in agreement, nuzzling Farlyne’s hand once more.
She leapt from the girl’s lap and looked out into the busy street. She didn’t look back. You never gave a last glance to a human. She stepped out into the street, sticking to the sidelines this time. Her tail twitched with memory, an ache running down her spine.
She searched for a likely cart. This one had to be cleaner than the last. She couldn’t arrive home smelling of fish and dirt.
A cart carrying fabrics came forth, pulled by a human peddling a bike. The bike was splattered with mud, but a few glints of golden paint shone through. Nia waited for the opportune moment. As the cart’s rear wheels came into view she leapt forward, jumping into the back. She settled down amongst the soft fabric, pawing herself a comfortable bed. She curled around herself and watched the world pass by. They rattled out of what the humans called Dockmead and towards Tawson. The street lights lit up around them, bouncy cobbles replacing the mud. Nia jumped out of the cart when they passed the trees of the park between Tawson and Caraway, leaving plenty of thank you fur for the human. It would make the cloth much softer and warmer.
She headed through the street towards Rokka’s house, sticking to the edges. The streets had calmed since earlier. Fewer humans and animals roamed, but one could never be too careful, especially after the utter disrespect from earlier. Rokka’s house loomed before her, the rusty garden set still stood covered in road dust. She climbed back up to the window. The broken drain pipe still hung from the side of the porch. He wouldn’t notice. But Nia’s chest hurt at the disgrace of her… purrfect, landing.
She pulled herself through the window and padded towards the white slab. She purred softly as she laid a paw on its surface. The square patterns lit up, and a cold climbed Nia’s leg. When it reached her elbow, she stepped further onto the block, sitting comfortably in its centre. She kept a singular thought in her head.
‘Greenroom. Warm space. No dust. Greenroom…’
The scent of coconut and parchment drifted towards her, receding to dust and then nothing. Warmth replaced the breeze, then nothing, then back again. The sound of the busy street died away to a near whisper, then silence.
She opened her eyes back in Tahnee’s office. She rose from the slab and turned to thank it before the sparkling swirls disappeared and padded from the office; her paws hurt from her day's exertions. When she reached the hallway, she leapt onto the table, utterly exhausted, and wrapped her tail around herself. The front door creaked open.
Tahnee stepped in, eyes rimmed red.
“Hello, Nia. Are you hungry, girl?”
Nia meowed feebly.