Journey of Atlas

Chapter 1

Slowly opening his eyes, Atlas awoke in a cold dark kennel. The forest, hills, and grass were long gone, but remained in his memory. Atlas gazed out of the metal bars of the kennel. He didn't know where he was. This was not the hills, nor his home on the farm. The young tom raised his left paw to his chest. Where is my pendant? He thought to himself. His pendant he received in his dream was not there. Atlas panicked, looking around the kennel. As he swerved around, he winced as pain seared through the right side of his face. The cat grunted in displeasure. He took a breath and stared at his front paws. Gritting his teeth, he gave up the search. Atlas noticed that he could not see out of his right eye. He sat up, attempting to scratch his face. Did my eye fall out? He considered nervously. His paw touched an odd rough fabric. Atlas quickly put his paw back down. This is weird....... Perplexed, he pressed his nose against the metal bars of the kennel. He looked on at the world beyond where he was. Machines whirred and beeped. The door to the room was wide open. There was a wide hallway and doors to various rooms. Atlas took notice of the scents of numerous animals, some canine, some feline. He was suspicious by all the scents, sounds, and the general atmosphere. "I don't like the looks of this place" Atlas spoke quietly. The young cat shifted his paws nervously. "I don't blame you" a strange voice spoke from a kennel above. There sat another tom who was much older than he was. "Those humans stabbed me with sharp objects, not exactly my definition of fun". The tom sighed. "They say it's to help with my joint issues". Atlas shifted around in the kennel nervously. He worried that the humans would do those things to him. "Oh no, that doesn't seem fun at all". Atlas replied. "Have they done it to you?". Atlas looked down warily. "Well...umm...I don't think so?". He said as he looked at his paws. "I just woke up anyways". Atlas grunted. The young cat shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the bandage covering part of his face. He rubbed his face against the metal bars. Atlas sighed in frustration and disappointment. "Oh this thing is not coming off" He hissed. "Chill out young fella". Responded another cat in a kennel besides him. Atlas narrowed his eyes and sat back down. "I have a bandage on my stomach, it's not very easy to get off." The cat explained.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. A lady walked into the room wearing gloves. She opened the door to Atlas's kennel and reached in. Atlas crept backwards, unsheathing his claws. He let out a cautious hiss. "Stay back human!" Growled Atlas. "I don't trust you!". He attempted to swipe but his paw caught nothing. Before he could react again, the human placed a bowl of wet cat food down inside the kennel. The strange human spoke, but Atlas couldn't decipher what she was saying. Soon enough she closed the kennel and quickly departed the room. Atlas slowly crept over to the food. He leaned over, sniffing the bowl in front of him. It was of mild similarity to him. Atlas was reminded of the food that the farmer would occasionally put out for him and his brother. This brought memories of his time at the farm. Will I ever go back?. The young cat worried he would be trapped inside this kennel for the rest of his days. Shaking the thought, he stood to eat. He was getting pretty hungry at this point. Atlas started to consume his food. He enjoyed every bite of the savory meal. The fishy taste tickled his taste buds. A thought crept into his mind as he ate. Well if I go on my quest, I wont be provided any food. However, he soon realized that he often hunts for mice instead. I really shouldn't be bothered. Atlas lapped his paws, then, cleaned his fur getting rid of any food stuck to his whiskers. He stretched his back legs. The cat felt soreness creep through his muscles. Atlas decided to just lay back down. The young tom grumbled in pain. Gazing out the bars, he sorrowfully thought of the openness of the fields in his dream. The endless grass, the wind in his fur, the rocks, the plants, the world beyond the kennel. He longed to run in the hills. He longed to climb the oak trees. Staying in this kennel was not a way for him to live. Atlas sighed in pure disappointment.

The door swung open yet again, startling him. A human man walked in, heading for Atlas's kennel. He said something and opened the entrance to the kennel. Oh Not again. "Go away!" Atlas exclaimed. He took a couple steps towards the back of the kennel. Hissing, he spat at the human. Ignoring the cats pleas, he grabbed the food dish. Atlas growled in a frightened demeanor. Before he could unsheathe his claws, the human closed the kennel door. He said something and left the room. "Kinda tired of all this human interaction" growled the frustrated tom. The cat in the next kennel sighed. "Guessing your not an uhh, human's pet huh?". Atlas scratched the bars of the kennel. He relaxed his claws and sat down. "Not really" . Atlas sulked and looked over his shoulder. "Well..... if your not a human's pet then what are you". The other cat questioned. "I just happen to live on a farm". Atlas explained. "Well at least for now". He flicked his tail. The cat in the next kennel crept closer to the wall separating his and Atlas's kennels. He yawned and stretched his legs. "So a farm cat?".
Atlas grumbled in frustration and spoke, "I guess if thats what you call it". Atlas attempted to curl up, however the soreness in his legs prevented him from doing so. He decided to just lay on his stomach. The young cat began to fall asleep.