Didn't you say "Forever"?

Bikkit, Stacie and another other characters are made up, and are in no way related to any other real life people or characters. Any resemblances are purely coincidental.

'Didn't you say "Forever"?' is a short story telling the journey of Bikkit, a lonesome kitten who believes her owner discarded her into the world. She slowly changes to adapt, her soft sweet kitten personality changing to match the cruelty of the dark town she must now embrace as her home.

          The kittens pounced around their mother on the soft green grass, trying to find a weak point to force her down from her proud upright pose. She forced one of the little kittens down with her left paw, keeping it down as she softly attacked the rest of her kittens with her tail, giving them the fight of their lives. They jumped, dived, sprang and hopped around her, but she never gave up her conflict-ready position. "Come to Mommy sweetie!" Stacie called, picking up her favorite kitten from the light dew-swept ground. Stacie was only six years old, close to turning seven. "I have something for you!" fumbling in her pocket for something. The kitten extended its head, gently bobbing it around as she tried to peer into the dark pocket to see what her owner had for her.

          "It's a name tag!" Stacie smiled, finally retrieving the round metallic tag. It shone brightly as she held it up by the collar, swaying against the soft breeze, casting a sharp jolt of sunlight in Stacie's eyes. "It's for you! It says Bikkit!" she delicately held Bikkit's head as she entwined the brown collar around its neck, and with a small 'click!' sound, Bikkit was free to move her head once more. "Now you are Bikkit!" tenderly picking up the little kitten, and hugging her, the overwhelming kitten aroma filling Stacie's senses. Stacie had placed the collar securely around Bikkit's neck, bonding the tag to the soft grey fur that kitten was covered in. She pushed her head hard against Stacie's chest, relaxing in her unwavering embrace. "I will love you forever.." Stacie whispered, as she lightly planted a kiss on Bikkit's now slightly ruffled fur.

          Bikkit fell to the ground as Stacie let her arms collapse. Landing gracefully on her feet as Stacie ran, her laughter spilling as she happily bounded against the firm ground. Bikkit was overcome with excitement, following Stacie, and hastily changing direction running in the opposite direction, trying to entice her to follow. Bikkit had to go further, so she dashed outside the pale white fence without looking back to Stacie, or Bikkit's mother, furiously licking the dirt tightly gripping onto one of the kittens tails.

          Bikkit ran past high raised posts, past adoring children as they 'aww'ed at her, Bikkit narrowly evading their attempts to grab at her. She stopped and looked behind her, Stacie must have been hiding! She kept scampering across the hard concrete path, the small decayed holes slowing her down as she tried to keep her flimsy legs straight. She ran down a side road, finding shelter under a small box, where Stacie would never find her! Or even Bikkit's mother! She lay down, so that her eyes could see just through the bottom opening of the box. She readied her paw at the edge, waiting for the laced up pink shoes to pass by so she could attack them with her deadly claws!

          An hour passed, and Bikkit hadn't let go of her stance. She had tensed at every step that went past in the street, until she finally had had enough of the waiting. She crawled out, the box lifting slightly as her belly dragged across the wet slippery muck on the ground. The alley stunk of dead cuisine, rotted food lying under more rotted food, rats circling the trashbins to scavenge anything that once breathed life, or was once considered edible. Bikkit sniffed hungrily, looking over to the stash the rats had gathered in a small pile, ready to be transported back to the family. A small deposit of blackened fruit, mouldy bread with unrecognizable spreads and stale meats lay idle, as the rats hunted around for more delectable treats.

          The food sat there, a cautious kitten stalking it, licking her lips at the piece of raw beef lying dormant on the moist ground. Silently, her paws treaded the strong ground, making sure not to slosh in the small puddles formed by the previous night. Bikkit moved across the puddles, the reflection meeting the touch of her paw, following every step. Her nose trailed gently across the food pile, it smelled rancid, disabling Bikkit's senses as she hit the top food away with a swipe of her paw. Several large rats saw the movement, and met Bikkit's bright blue eyes, heads tilting as their tiny minds trying to comprehend the presence of their food's predator. Bikkit pawed into the food pile, scraping away the lesser foods to try and follow the wafting scent of meat. She continued prying away at the small food pile, cake icing and syrup making sure her claws couldn't be used. A large rat seemingly slithered over to her, his feet scuttling so fast that they nearly lit a fire against the resisting concrete.