Allergies: My Superpower

Chapter 3 & 4

Allergies: My Superpower

Chapter 3

I position myself above the lounge and descend. I know how those breakfast supplies disappeared. Someone got into the garden to clean it all up, probably Mom. She wouldn't hurt a kitten though, right, even though it endangers her own?

I grunt and hurry through the garden, checking every corner. Just as I find myself giving in to despair some leaves rustle. The sound originates behind the lounge, I rush over. I lean over the back of the lounge where I find an untamed ball of red fur.

The kitten is sneaking up on a half-eaten piece of strawberry. I don't even want to know how close it was to getting caught. I sigh, but it doesn't vent all of my stress. Mom must realize by now something is wrong, I always clean up after myself. I feel the need to cover up my metamorphosis. I need to protect this freedom.

There is too much risk of getting caught here, besides the kitten needs to go home. I lift it by its neckskin. First, I jump up the lounge, then I stay close to the larger stems of plants to gently climb up the fence. Only when I'm standing on top do I realize, I have never seen any cat climb while holding a kitten before. Oh well.

Getting down will be trickier. It proves handy to have such strong bodily intuition. The kitten appears to imitate my movements mid-air, perhaps it wants to learn. Steady now. I hold the kitten close enough to the fence so that it can find its balance. I keep hold and allow it to make its own steps. It stumbles once or twice but quickly learns until it can walk the fence without any help. I release it to balance on its own, which in turn allows for new possibilities.

I jump down the alleyway and pile all the leaves I can find. To do this one by one was quite a task. Sweeping leaves with my tail isn't an option, because it still has a mind of its own. During my community service, the kitten observes me with its large green eyes.

After collecting a decent pile, I climb back up, with no issues this time. Although, my landing shakes the fence, making the kitten hug it tightly. Sorry buddy. I lift the kitten again and assume the descending pose to reduce the fall as much as possible. I drop it. It falls into the pile of leaves.

I descend as well and check in. The kitten however is rolling and playing with the dry leaves, biting them. Each movement rewards us with crunching sounds. A pleasure to the touch and the ears.

The kitten has no idea of the final hurdle we will face. However, seeing that we made it outside of my garden I no longer fear getting caught. So, I celebrate by playing in the leaves with it. As I look at the kitten it makes me think of my siblings. In the end, they just want to taste life and have fun. This kitten might not even realize I'm trying to bring it home. All it knows is the moment along with the opportunities it brings.

That is exactly what I've been waiting for all spring long. The last time I felt like this was a year ago after I set up the swimming pool. My little brothers were bursting after I had been telling them to be patient for a day long. It was a big pool. When we could finally start swimming we spent entire days in the pool. Our parents would bring us food and drinks now and then. It was one of those rare times that made me forget about my worries. Being on an adventure with the kitten feels similar, except for the family part.

The kitten suddenly stiffens. I hear something. The sound grows louder and gradually closer. My mind imagines a moving metronome, I consistently hear four ticks per second. My body already knows, hair standing on end. The same kind of electricity from before is rushing through my body, telling me to run.

Why? The moment I make the connection a bark echoes through the alleyway. My mind and body align with a message: "RUN, NOW!" I grab the kitten and pace through the alleyway. I have already identified a landmark to recognize its home. However, it isn't just a landmark, it will be our ticket into the garden.