A tear meandered down the front of five year old Kendall's face as she entered the kitchen. "Mommy...what happened to all the kitties? How come they're all gone?"
"Well sweetie, all the cats on earth vanished. It was very odd, but three days ago they all just vanished. That's why Lucy isn't here anymore, sweetie. They're all gone."
Three days earlier...
The boxer dog sprinted behind its prey, saliva dripping from a barking mouth as it closed the gap with each stride. The orange tabby cat raced through the alley, heart pounding, eyes scanning, searching for the route to safety. The much larger beast barked, frothy saliva flew from his lips. The block wall was only sixty feet ahead at the dead end of the alley. The scared cat ran to a corner, and turned. As the dog kept charging, the cat leaped over the canines head, and ran back the other direction. Another dog approached from the other end of the alley, running head-on towards the cat. The cat turned, only to find the boxer closing in. The cat leaped to the side wall of the alley to a trash can. The can's lid wobbled then fell off, causing the cat to fall back to the ground. The cat was surrounded.
The cat ran to another trash can on the opposite side of the alley, jumped on top, and sprung itself to the top of the block wall. Before it leaped to the safety of the other side, the cat looked at the dogs as they barked her way. She thought, "Stupid canines! We should be on the same team."
The tabby sauntered as he walked on the grass on the other side of the wall. "Get off my lawn!" shouted a man from his driveway." The tabby looked his way. "Boy, does it really matter if a cat strolls across his lawn?" The man reached down and picked up a rock from his planter, and through it at the cat. "Are you kidding me?" the cat thought as he scurried down the street. The tabby jumped a fence into a backyard. The cat walked up to the glass sliding door of a house. "There you are, Lucy!" said Kendall as she slid the glass door open. Happily, Lucy ran inside.
A spotted bengal cat walked that night, exploring the trash cans of a bowling alley across town. The approaching footsteps caused the beautiful cat to look up. "Get out of here, you cat!" The feline jumped off the trash can and felt something strike him in the side, then saw the empty beer bottle roll away, making a high pitched sound as the glass rolled on the asphalt. It was more difficult to run with a new bruised rib injury, but the cat had no choice. "Why can't these humans just let us live?" The bottle thrower grinned as he watched the cat flee. An obese man with about ten days of beard growth, his brownish teeth were barely visible even on this moonlit night. "Ha!...You stupid cat! I hope that hurt!" The cat slowed its pace and continued down the alley. "Wow, that one did hurt...and my paw still hurts from a couple of days ago. What's with these humans abusing animals? Enough!"
The bengal moved slowly and jumped into the broken window of a dirty, abandoned compact car, complete with the paint peeling, and all windows smashed out. "Ah, back at headquarters," thought the bengal. "It's time." The bengal reached under the seat and batted a red box to the front floorboard. The box was small, about the size of a smaller cell phone, with a black button on top. The cat sighed. "It's time." The cat winced in pain as he leaned forward, using bodyweight to help his paw push the button.
A high pitched voice spoke through the box. "So, you pushed the button, Bengal. You think now is the right time?"
"Yes, King Loki, we're getting hurt and killed everyday. These humans even have what they call high kill shelters where we lose thousands every month."
"Doesn't sound like much of a shelter. So you think after ten-thousand years of us playing the role of domestic cats, our study on earth is over?"
"Yes, my King. We have plenty of data, and now we have to save what is left of us."
"Very well, Captain Bengal. Your request is approved."
The bengal nodded. "Thank you, King."
As the bengal jumped on the roof of the car, a four inch piece of peeling paint flaked off and floated to the ground. The cat looked upward, then in all directions. His eyes glowed hot pink. "Now my fellow felines! I give you the strength of the puma, the wisdom of the lion, and the speed of the cheetah. Stand against those that oppress you, those that harm you!"
In a high kill shelter in East Saint Louis, meows echoed off the concrete walls as fifty cats were led into a pen, a pen where fifty cats died ten minutes earlier. The man in charge opened the gate, holding catnip and treats to bait the cats into the death area. A Siamese cat paused, stopping short of entering the execution room. Her beautiful eyes went from blue to hot pink, right before she jumped on the man. All other cat's eyes turned pink, as they also jumped on the man, clawing his face, neck, and upper body. A dull thud sound could be heard as the man fell to the concrete.
A family in New York was stunned as the late evening news had a startling story. The news anchor stated, "We have breaking news from our sources all over the USA and the world. All high kill shelters experienced a feline uprising. The cats over[-powered the workers, and have escaped being euthanized. This is amazing, as domestic cats are not nearly as strong as humans, but these cats were able to easily handle their captors. More on this story as it develops."
The bengal cat found its way to the trash cans in the parking lot of the bowling alley. He hid behind one of the cans, waiting, stalking. The man who routinely hurts him came out of the bowling alley, full trash bag in hand, belly bouncing, sweat beading above his eyebrows. As he approached, the bengal jumped on top of a trash can lid. "Get out of here you mangy alley-cat!" The bengal didn't move. The man placed his trash bag at his feet. He opened the bag, and pulled out a beer bottle. As he raised his arm to throw the bottle, the cat's eyes turned even a brighter pink, as he jumped on the man. "Ow!" screamed the man as he put his hand to his neck. The man looked at his hand. His mouth opened as he saw blood dripping between his fingers. The cat dug its rear claws into the man's chest, and proceeded to scratch the man's right arm, his bottle throwing arm. The bengal jumped off and ran down the alley for five seconds, then turned. The man glared at the cat, blood dripping from his neck and arm. The cat winked, then jumped the side fence.
All the world's domestic cat's eyes turned bright pink, as they all hail from another part of the universe. They all walked to their closest public park. They glanced at the sky, looking for something, waiting for something. The feline space crafts waited until the public parks were empty before landing. The ships took on the images of the surrounding area to blend in, looking like existing trees and boulders. Within a minute, all the world's domestic cats were gone, returning to their far away home planet.
Two years later...
The bengal approached a lavish room, filled with fluffy pillows, and a throne made of red velvet type material. A regal cat sat on the throne. The bengal approached. "King Loki, it has been two years. Reports from our earth allies, the mountain lions, lend evidence that domestic cats are greatly missed by decent earthlings. Also, those that wished us harm, received street justice from us before we fled earth, hopefully learning a lesson. I think it's time, your majesty.
"Good idea, Captain Bengal. The cats who have formed previous bonds with their earthlings may go back if they wish. Those that were abused and tormented, they will stay here, where they will only experience love and kindness."
The bengal nodded. "It should be that way for all animals, all people, anywhere in this galaxy, or beyond."
"I'm glad I made you captain. You are a compassionate kitty."
"I'll make the next phase happen, Your Highness."
"Oh, and Captain Bengal...I'd like you to watch over things on earth, to make sure felines are treated with respect."
Captain Bengal nodded. "I was going to suggest that myself, King."
Back on earth, Captain Bengal returned to the alley he hasn't seen in two years. He was sitting on a familiar trash can lid, when he heard the familiar creak of the back door of the bowling alley. "I guess that large man survived my attack." The man's food stained T-shirt was stretched to the point the lower part of his belly was exposed, jiggling with every step. The man stopped ten feet away. "Oh, a cat! I've got something for you!" The man placed the large trash bag he was carrying on the asphalt. The tinging sound of an empty bottle could be heard. He reached into the bag.
Captain Bengal's eyes went from green to hot pink. The man pulled his hand out of the bag and said, "Take this, cat!" The man held out his open palm, and displayed a half eaten tuna sandwich. He said, "I have missed the old alley cats around here. Come on kitty, it's tuna!" Captain Bengal's eyes went back to normal, and he enjoyed the tuna as the man pet him behind the ears. Captain Bengal purred. He took a break from eating to lick the scar on the man's arm, obviously inflicted by the captain two years prior.
That evening, now seven year old Kendall, slowly walked to the back glass sliding door. She looked out, rubbed her eyes, then looked again. "Mommy, Look! Lucy's back!"
Kendall's mother yelled from the kitchen, "Oh honey, I know you're having emotional issues, but you have to move on." Lucy's mother met Lucy at the back door and hugged her daughter. "Honey, that's a fern. The darkness made it look like a cat laying down. I'm sorry honey. Why don't you go play with your hamster?" Lucy's mother continued drying the dishes. An hour later, Kendall stared out through the back glass door. Before she turned to walk away, she saw something. "Mom, it's Lucy!"
"Oh honey, you have to move on, I'm sorry." Thirty seconds later, Lucy's mother felt a warmth around her ankles. She looked down at a purring orange tabby cat. She looked up, and saw her daughter smiling.