This Love
I am alone. At least in waking consciousness, I am alone. I hear the breathing of my mate, a handsome silver tabby tomcat named Munkustrap. His strong arms are wrapped protectively around my slender body, and I can feel the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.
And still I marvel at how we came to be together. We've been through so much that it surprises me that we are together at all.
I first met Munkustrap when I was still quite young. I immediately developed a crush on him, but I was so embarassed of my feelings that I never breathed a word about it to anyone. I was content just to see him everyday.
When he'd compliment my sister, Bombalurina, on her dancing, I became certain that Munku would never see me, because I felt I was too clumsy. Still, I worked harder than ever on my dancing, so that he might notice me. He never did; or at least I never thought he did.
I never thought my dearest Munkustrap knew I even existed until the day I was nearly kitnapped and raped by the villainous monster, Macavity. That frightful evening, I remember my screams for help echoing through the darkened, empty Junkyard, but no one came to help me.
In what seemed to me to be only an instant, I was being held by my sister, and Munkustrap was fighting a battle with Macavity. He was fighting to save me. I was astonished and inwardly moved. I cried to my sister in both fear and joy. I had found that someone cared about me. Not only that, but that someone was Munkustrap!
I found out later that evening that my Munkustrap had had a crush on me as well. When he'd heard my cries for help, he fetched my sister and they came after me. Almost without thinking, he'd jumped into battle with the Mystery Cat himself to save me.
I was so moved, but I had no idea what to do. How could I possibly thank him fo rescuing me, and tell him that I liked him also? I was very confused.
Thankfully, Munku emerged from his fight with Macavity virtually unscathed. He also seemed to sense what I could not find words to express. It was on that night, after Bomba had left, that we shared our first kiss.
We met in secret the next evening, and we talked for almost the entire night. I was to learn that Munku had only befriended my sister so that he could be closer to me, since he had no idea how to approach me. It seemed that I had indeed found true love at last.
However, all was not to go perfectly as we would have wished it to. In fact, Macavity returned shortly after and kitnapped my sister. I was in despair about the ordeal, until Munku promised that he would find Bomba and bring her back to the Jellicles unharmed. When he left to find her, he took Alonzo and Skimbleshanks with him. I wanted to go as well, but neither he nor my adoptive mother, Jennyanydots, would let me go with. So, I waited for them.
I waited, and waited, and waited and waited. They didn't return until well after sundown. This time, Munku had not escaped injury from Macavity. His shoulders were bloody, and he had cuts down his back and chest. I cried for him, and cleaned his wounds with the help of my sister. The others hadn't escaped injury either, and it was obvious that they'd all had to fight the Mystery Cat. Alonzo had cuts all over him, and Skimble's back was torn in several places. They, however, had other queens to clean their wounds.
When Munku's wounds had stopped bleeding and his fur was clean again, I held him, and made him promise never to get hurt so badly again. He just smiled at me, and told me he couldn't promise, but he'd try. I hugged him tightly, and I remember purring so loudly that it almost hurt.
The next few weeks passed without many incidents. I was always content, because my sister was teaching me to dance better, Jellylorum was giving me singing lessons, and I knew I had found true love at last.
I spent my time between my lessons with my sister and Jelly with Munkustrap. We would sit together and talk, sometimes cuddling together. Our second kiss came under a crescent moon. We had been watching the planets, stars and our beloved moon for around an hour, when it just happened. When I went to bed later, he walked me back to my den, and we kissed goodnight.
Sometime during the night, I was awakened by a crash. I knew at once who it was; Macavity. I cried out in alarm, and peeked warily out of my den. He had a little queen, Etcetera, by her throat. I didn't know what to do, and I saw no sign of Munku anywhere. By then, Etcy was screaming her head off, but no one really knew what to do.
Finally, I decided that I'd seen enough. I attacked him alone. I unsheathed my claws and hit him in as many places as I could. I think I surprised him quite a bit, because he dropped the tabby queen, and didn't even fight back. I remember having to be pulled off of him to stop me from killing him. It was Munku who pulled me back. He told me it was wrong to kill, no matter what. I felt bad, almost like I had betrayed his trust for some reason. Macavity had vanished by the time I looked up again.
Etcetera thanked me shakily. I knew she was frightened, so I gave her a comforting smile. She grinned half-heartedly at me, and I returned to my den, thoroughly exhausted. I slept until the sun was nearly overhead the next day.
Munku found me as soon as I was awake. He told me that I had been very brave the previous evening. I was proud inside, but unsure of what to do outside. I knew I was blushing, and he smiled at me. I rested my head on his shoulder, and we sat down together on the giant tire. We spent the day together, not saying much, just being together.
And that night is where I am now, resting in his arms, remembering what has passed, and dreaming of what is to come in this love.