“The Cat’s Harness”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “The cat with wings.” — suggested by E. L. Stew

“Kimmy, have you seen the cat?”

I poke my head back out through the door. “No, she’s not here with me. Did you check the skylight?”

Rose yells back, “Right, good idea.”

There’s a moment of silence before she shouts, “Yeah, she’s up there. Didn’t I tell you to put her on her harness?”

I wince. I guess I did forget.

“I was really busy this morning,” I say sheepishly. “I took care of the whales and brushed the turtles.”

“Yes, but you forgot about the cat. It was the simplest task, yet you still forgot.”

I sigh. Why is Rose in such a bad mood? I forgot to put the harness on the cat, that’s all.

Rose appears in the doorway holding the cat who’s trying to claw her way out of her arms. Rose’s hair is all over the place as the cat’s wings whip around the wind.

I quickly step forward and take the cat from Rose’s arms. Rose immediately screws up her nose and fixes her hair. I smooth down the cat’s wings and try to calm her down.

“You can’t just grab her,” I remind Rose gently. “She doesn’t like when her feathers get ruffled.”

“I don’t care!” Rose shouts. “Look, Kimmy, I’ve had enough. I’m sorry, but I don’t think our arrangement is working out anymore.”

My heart stops. “What do you mean?”

Rose sighs. “I think it’s time for you to go back home.”

I shake my head. “No, no, I can’t go back home. I’ll do double the chores. I’ll work double shifts. I’ll do everything twice. Just please don’t send me home.”

“Giving you double the work won’t help,” Rose says. “You don’t even do the work I do assign you. I find you off playing with the pigs while you’re supposed to be feeding the rocks. I’m sorry, but I’ve already given you lots of chances. I’ll contact your mother and arrange for transportation.”

My heart drops. I put the harness on the cat and gently set her on the ground. Immediately, she spreads her wings and takes off. I’m glad now that I put the harness on, and I secure her to the ground.

I take one final walk around the farm before I leave. I save good-bye to the air whales and the ground turtles and the baby pet rocks. Then, I meet my driver to go back to my boring old life in New York.

Final Comments: I really liked the prompt but couldn’t really think of anything to write, so the plot seemed a bit forced…

Overall Rating: 😔