The Mental Ward - Emery Starts a Story (8)

     Emery closed her eyes and swallowed hard.  She could still feel Beastly's glass against her skin, and her mind raced to think of a story.  Why did her imagination evaporate when under pressure?

     "Once upon a time..." The words came out in a gasping sort of way.

     The glass lifted from her throat, and Beastly's weight moved off of Emery.  Emery cracked her eyes open to see the girl settling down on the floor, with her back propped against the wall.

     "Once upon a time, there was a city cat named Precious.  She was very fat and very fluffy.  All her life, she had lived indoors in the city, but she considered herself a mighty hunter.  Did she not catch the pink, feathery string when Mr. Human tossed it around?  Did she not chase the yarn when it fell from Mrs. Human's lap?  Did she not devour bowlfuls of kitty food?"  Emery took a chance and eased herself to a sitting positing, tucking her legs under her.

     Beastly had dropped the glass shard and was chewing on her finger.  Her eyes roved around the room, but the crazy look was gone.

     "One day, her humans moved to the country, and they took Precious with them.  For many days, Precious hid in the new house.  There was too much activity -- people carrying boxes and shouting directions.  But, as things began to quiet down, Precious discovered the joys of boxes.  She jumped on top of them, climbing them like mighty mountains from which she could rule the world.  She crawled inside of them, pretending to hunt foes deep in the caves of the earth.  Sometimes she attacked the box itself, as if it were an invading dragon.  And it was so much fun! -- until Mr. Human invented an adventure that was far more exciting than boxes."

     Beastly's eyes flickered to Emery's face and then away.  She chewed on her finger even harder.  She was interested.

     Emery's heart lurched.  How long had it been since the child had heard a story?  What must it be like to be locked in a windowless room, day in and day out?

     "Mr. Human decided that, since he thought the country was so much safer than the city, Precious would be allowed to go outside whenever she liked."  Emery cast her eyes around the tiny office that was now her prison.  "Precious loved it.  The grass, the wind, the trees, the flowers..."

     Beastly whimpered.  She curled herself forward, hiding her face against her knees, and rocked.

     "One day, Precious looked across her field and saw something at the edge of the woods.  It was a rabbit!  Precious puffed her chest out.  Was she not a mighty hunter?  She would catch this rabbit and bring it home to amaze Mr. and Mrs. Human."

     Beastly tilted her head, still resting it against her knees, until one eye could see Emery.

     "So Precious crouched.  Slowly and painstakingly, she crept across the neatly-mown field.  Her mouth watered.  Already she could imagine the taste of rabbit in her teeth."

     Beastly licked her lips.

     "But the country rabbit was not afraid of Precious.  He sat near the brambles at the edge of the woods and watched the fat cat slinking over the short grass.  Precious crept closer and closer, and still the rabbit didn't move.  Precious felt very much like a mighty hunter now.  One leap and she would be on him.  This was it!  Precious took a deep breath.  And POP!  The rabbit disappeared with one bound into the brambles!"

     Beastly threw her head up and her breath caught in a funny little sound.

     Emery pretended not to notice.  "Precious sat straight up and stared at the brambles.  How on earth had the rabbit disappeared so quickly?  It completely baffled her.  Her pink, feathery string never did that.  Neither did her ball of yarn.  She blinked rather dazedly and looked around, hoping no one saw her.  But there was only one thing to be done in a situation like this: She stood up and pranced back to the house as if all had gone according to plan.  The sound of food pouring into a dish caught her ear, and her mouth watered again.  Yes, she was quite certain the food bowl needed to be conquered next.  And she was, after all, a mighty hunter!"  Emery took a deep breath and added, "The End."
     For a few seconds, Beastly didn't move.  Then, ever so slowly, a tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and eyes.


[To read previous episodes, click on the label "MentalWard."  That will take you to all the episodes posted so far.  Enjoy!]