From South to North

12 | Storm Cloud

Nastia went home and surprisingly, not many vehicles were seen on the road. She was walking down the street when she saw an almost lifeless stray cat sleeping in the middle of the road. It was a dark grey-furred cat. The cat was sick, bruised, and sleeping soundly, it didn't know that a truck was approaching. The driver was too focused on the sights of Riverside City while listening to music, he didn't pay much attention to the road.

"Oh no!" Nastia mumbled. She rushed to the road before the truck hit the cat.

At the moment, Sean was also in the neighborhood. He saw Nastia from afar and was about to greet her. His position was a little far from her, but he could still see her. Suddenly, she ran into the middle of the road.

"HAS SHE LOST HER MIND?!" Sean thought out loud and ran after her.

Nastia ran to the middle of the road, determined to stop the truck before it hits the cat.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!!" Nastia yelled as she positioned herself right in front of the truck.

The driver heard and saw her. He immediately hit the brake before hitting her or the cat.

"Nastia, what were you thinking?!" Sean asked as he stopped running and stood right next to Nastia.

"What's the matter, kid?! Are you okay?" asked the truck driver.

Nastia was panting and catching her breath. "You were about to hit a cat," she said as she lift the cat and carried it carefully in her arms, and walked to the side of the road along with Sean. "You can go now."

The driver saw the cat she was carrying. "Oh my gosh! Thank you for stopping me," he thanked her, "I'll try to be more careful next time. Have a good day!"

The driver hit the gas and drove off, leaving Nastia, Sean, and the cat behind. The breeze blew as the truck drove away. Nastia and Sean watched as the truck became farther away from them.

Unbeknownst to Nastia, Sean was in awe of her courage. The fact that she was willing to risk her safety to save a single animal spoke to the beauty of her heart.

"That was reckless! What if the driver didn't stop in time?!" Sean snapped as soon as the truck went away. Clearly, he was worried about her. What she just did was courageous, but also dangerous. If the driver hadn't stopped in time, the consequences would be fatal.

Nastia sighed. She knew that Sean was right, but she couldn't help but follow her instinct to save the cat. "Sorry, I had to." She looked down at the cat in her arms.

The cat let out a faint, feeble meow, a sound that tugged at their hearts.

"Is it okay, though? It looks like it's barely holding on," Sean inquired, his tone a mix of concern and compassion.

"I should probably take it to the vet," Nastia stated, already considering the next steps.

"I'll come with you," Sean insisted, his voice gentle but resolute.

"No, I'm fine on my own," Nastia insisted, her independence still present despite the recent events.

"No, you're not! You were all by yourself and almost got hit by a truck! I can't let that happen. I'm coming with you! Besides, I love cats!" Sean asserted, taking the cat from Nastia's arms and cradling it in his own.

Nastia raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah, so I'm going to accompany you whether you like it or not. You'll just have to deal with it~!" Sean replied, a playful grin on his face.