Everybody knows that when humans kick the bucket, they go to somewhere very far away called Paradise. But what about animals? Where do they go when their time is up? Where is their Paradise? That is what Vesper, an orphaned Calico cat, discovered a...
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It had been two days since she lost Vesper.
The pain still clung to her heart, worsened by regret. The feeling of his bloodied body lying limp and lifeless on her hands haunted her dreams, and it made the lonely nights stretch on forever. He was like the family she never had, and she threw it away. The words she lashed out on Vesper still rotted in her mind, never leaving, never silencing.
Maisie wanted to stay in her bed, but she couldn't ignore her rumbling stomach any longer. She couldn't remember the last food she had eaten, though she imagined it to be something round and violet.
Each step of her feet down the stairs was stale and lifeless. The dining hall brimmed of noise and the smell of morning food. The sight of other children stuffing their mouths with buttered pancakes made her regret ever leaving her room. She went to the serving area and got herself a piece of pancake with a few burnt spots on it. She poured maple syrup on it and looked for a table to eat it. But Maisie only took one bite out of the pancake (which was not at all very eatable) before losing all her appetite. She wasn't in the mood to eat, she was in the mood to be alone.
In the end, she left her pancake unfinished and went outside. She sat on the curb in front of the orphanage. Tears began to knock inside her eyes again. She squeezed her palms to keep them all in. She tried to focus on something else. On the fire hydrant. On the manhole. On a crushed soda can. On large dog with gray fur crossing the street, looking very weak and very tired.
Her eyes stayed on the dog, and then at the car speeding its way towards him.
Her heart burst her into action. "Stop! Look out!"
She didn't know what had gotten into her when she ran towards the dog. All she knew was that he had to be saved, and she was the only one there to do it. She wrapped him in her arms to shield him. The driver had seen her figure rush across his car, and he pressed the brake immediately.
Before it stopped, the car let out a loud screeeeech! that hurt her ears.
The driver stuck his head out from the rolled down window."Watch where you're going, kid! I almost hit you!" His face was angry and contorted, and Maisie knew it would not be wise of her to irritate him more.
She lead the dog towards the safe side of the road.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Maisie reached her arms out to the dog, he backed away slightly, with ears standing upright.
He seemed to be afraid of her.
"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you," she assured. She softly caressed the dog's cheeks with her hands. He stared at her nervously and wondered what she was doing. She continued fondle his cheeks, and he began to feel relaxed. It was the first time he had felt something like this. He wanted more.
