Post by Ailera on Oct 14, 2014 11:12:48 GMT -5
Ink was being his usual impatient self with me. Dad hadn't locked us in the room in a while, so he was better fed, but he still demanded food everywhere we went. If he would leave my side, he might have had better luck, but instead he chose to stay next to me all the time. In a way it was adorable. In a way it was loveable. In another way, it was annoying. Right now he is rubbing against my legs, begging me to pick him up. Any other time I would have picked him and carried him away, perfectly content to take him everywhere. Right now, though, I was tired. I wanted to get home and go to bed. The evening sun falls lower, and I sit on a bench to let Ink hop onto my lap.
Ink is more of a lap cat than any other cat you ever might meet. He can be killer sweet, and very playful in the right setting. Sometimes, though, all he needed to do was curl up in a warm place and take a nap. He would take it whenever he felt like it, even if it inconvenienced me. I was okay with it only because I was used to it and I loved him. He was my best friend, possibly my only friend. He understood, because he was hungry when I was hungry, and he was hurt when I was hurt. When I was locked in a room, he was most likely on the same side of the door, accident or not. I doubted we would ever be separated under any circumstances. When he died, his ghost would follow me. If I died first, I doubt he'd survive long after that.
He curls up, and almost immediately buries his head in my stomach and closes his eyes. I sigh and smile. He was most adorable like that. When I begin to stroke him, he purrs harder, and then I am leaning against the back of the bench with my little cat in my lap. "I hope you are sleeping well, Ink. If we get home too late and Dad's already home you will be sorry!" I laugh at my imitation of my father's voice. I often pretended he was Ink's dad as well. It made me feel closer to him. I scratch Ink behind the ear and close my eyes. This was the way to enjoy something. To tilt your head back and let sweet air enter your lungs, and let the soft fur of a little cat calm you.
It was that sort of moment that distracted me from everything I couldn't really get away from. Things like my dad, who had only recently let me out of the house again. I hated when he "forgot" I was locked in my room. I hated when he purposely kept my cat from food just to drive him crazy. I hated it more when he kicked Ink, or picked him up and pulled his tail to get a reaction out of me. Of course I reacted each time, I wanted him to stop. That never helped, though. It always made things worse. Then he'd move onto me and forgot Ink, and I got what I felt all the time when I wasn't in this kind of moment. Bruises.
I don't realize I've fallen asleep until Ink's claws dig into my thigh. Quickly, I jerk myself upward and hold onto my cat. He hisses, and I look around to see what could have frightened him. Then I see a person, and Ink climbs around me to get behind my back. He didn't like strangers. I furrow my eyebrows and tilt my head at the person, slightly irritated. Why were they watching me. "Do you need something?" I ask, a little bluntly. Then I stand up. I didn't like this person already.
If I disliked strangers, Ink hated them. Everything about me was triple amplified in that cat. I generally decided pretty quickly I didn't trust someone, and someone I assumed was okay was a very rare occasion. Sure, I often misjudged people, but I was extremely wary. It was part of my nature to not trust, and to watch everyone as if they would hurt me. I try not to be hostile. Even if I was quick to decide what other people were like, I hated when people made up their minds about me too fast. But I was upset, and I didn't care what this new person thought. I was only concerned with making sure they weren't a threat and weren't going to pester me.
Ink jumps off the bench to stand about six inches in front of me. He hisses, and I glance down at him. When the person doesn't reply, I cross my arms. "I'm sorry, but is there a reason you were staring at me?" The stranger gets closer to me, and I feel myself tense up. I didn't like how he was approaching me so comfortably. The man smiles and puts out his hand. I ignore it and let Ink continue hissing and sputtering in front of him. One more step and Ink would be angry. While he could be a docile cat, he was very protective. Sometimes he could be like a dog in his antics. I used to make fun of him for that, but right now I didn't feel particularly in the right situation to call out my cat.
"Call off the rat," he says, laughing. I take it offensively and shake my head. I prepare to run. "Hey, hey, sorry!" he says, raising his hands and backing off a few feet. "You just looked kind of cute, with your head tilted back. And that adorable face all relaxed. right now you look, what's the word? Ugly! Smile!" I open my mouth slightly, then shut it tight and click my tongue at Ink. The man shakes his head as if he is the one getting tired of me. Ink hisses again. "I said calm down your rat." Then his face is darker. Almost threatening. I move my foot forward to scoot Ink to the side. I didn't want to anger this man that seemed more threateningly than jestful.
I'd had past experiences with men like him. They felt like they owned the world and everyone in it, and they wanted to take advantage of it. His kind was why I didn't trust people. A red hot glare burns behind my eyes as I think of all the people that had no regard for others. I knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted something to entertain him. I wasn't going to be it. Not today, not tomorrow, not every again. I glance down at Ink. He looked almost like he was waiting for me. Trying to see what I would do? Face up?
"His name is Ink, and he's a cat," I say. The man ignores me and takes a few steps closer. My body freezes for a second, then I'm walking backward. His hands are up, "I'm not going to hurt you," he claims. I shake my head, and then my hands come up. I feel my backwards pace quickening, until he lunges forward and grabs me by the shoulders. "Help!" I scream, shaking myself when he folds me into an uncomfortable embrace. Ink is tearing at his legs, but I can feel stray scratches fluttering over my ankles. The man kicks Ink out of the way and shoves his glove in my mouth. I continue with muffled screams. What did he want?
Just as I begin to wiggle out of his arms, he rakes his fingers into my hair and pulls me back towards him. I screech, my arms coming up to grab his, and he takes them down to my sides. Almost seamlessly, he gets me into one of the streets between the backs of two stores. I hadn't remembered being so close to them. Suddenly he thrusts me against the back of one of the buildings, cornering me and laughing. I knew what happening. I was becoming the entertainment. I needed to get out before he started really enjoying it. I look around for Ink, but he isn't nearby. That's when I really begin to panic. My breathing becomes shallow.
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