Morning Blue

''A fanfic by Rainy. Rated moderate for violence & mature content. ''



 For most of her life, quiet little Blue has been a kittypet with Twolegs to take care of her.

 ''But one early winter day, everything changes. She's thrown out.''

 Faced with impossible odds, Blue must learn to survive, or else.

 ''Nature's rules are harsh and unforgiving. She stands little chance...''

 Unless , through love & hope, she manages to make it.

 ''It will be tough. It will be hard. It will take a true miracle.''



Chapter One
I press my face against the windowpane, watching my breath stain the glass with warm vapor. Below me, the heating vent keeps me toasty and cozy, curled up on my windowsill rug. Outside, the wind is whipping deadened leaves across our lawn, making them rustle and scratch over the pavement till they disappear in the tangle of bushes framing the front yard.

Lisa, my human, still isn't home. I'm not sure why. Normally Lisa's never out for more then a couple of hours. She's elderly, and so she gets tired with long outings. The longest she's ever been away is when she goes to visit her grandkids, Laurie & Luke. And she wouldn't be going there; they came over just yesterday to see her.

Something isn't right here. I can't put my paw on it, but I can feel it in my gut.

Restlessly, I get to my paws and leap off the windowsill, making my way to the front foyer. I hope onto the front parlor window and peer out. Nothing. No sign of Lisa's battered old blue pickup, nor her snowy white curls blowing in the wind.

Giving a small whimper, I instantly feel ashamed of myself. Lisa wouldn't want me crying like a little kit.

No, I tell myself. She'd want me to wait like a good kitty, and be ready to curl around her and warm her feet when she did get home.

Probably she was just running late. I pad back to the living room and curl up on an armchair.

Everything would be just fine.

Outside, it's night. Pitch-black, with stars sprinkled across a crisp late autumn sky. It won't be long till the first snow.

Thinking about the first snow is obviously a distraction. I'm worried sick about Lisa. She shouldn't be gone this long. Over and over again, I rack my brains to remember why she'd left. She had been cooking, when she said she felt dizzy and had to sit down. Then she made a phone call, got a scared look on her face, and began to whisk about. She put out my food and changed my litter, all the while looking ill. Then she drove away.

Was Lisa sick? If so, where had she gone? Why would she leave the house when she wasn't feeling well?

That's when I hear the roar of a motor. At first, I'm ecstatic. Lisa's back!

But upon closer inspection, I know it can't be Lisa. Her old truck's hoarse roar is nothing like the sleek purring of the car now parked in our driveway. As I look out the window, a slim lady gets out of the new car, gives her blond coiffe a pat, and begins making her way up the drive.

Oh no. It's Shannon.

She can't get in, can she? She can't have the keys. Or did Lisa give her a pair? I can't remember; Shannon and Lisa are always fighting, then making up.

Shannon is Lisa's only daughter, and just about the only human I've met that I don't like. Her two kids, Laurie & Luke, are perfect angels, but their mother is... from the other side- at least that's what I've heard Lisa say when she and Shannon fight. I'm sure Shannon has some good in her, but from what I've seen, she's a conceited, self-absorbed person. And she doesn't like cats. She's divorced, which in human terms means she doesn't live with her mate anymore. I can't really blame the poor fellow.

Unfortunately, Shannon and Lisa apparently made up from their last fight, because I hear the lock twisting, and the door slides open. I hope down from my windowsill perch, hoping maybe Lisa's with Shannon. No such luck.

Today though, Shannon doesn't look as put together as normal. There are circles under her eyes, which are red. She carries a tissue in one hand and a suitcase in the other. As I watch silently from the corner, she begins hurrying around the house and throwing things into the bag. She talks to herself as she does it.

"They'll want her favorite lace cap... and her stockings too. Oh, and that silk flower Father bought for her on her wedding day. And her wedding ring! And all those pictures... Oh!" To my surprise, Shannon collapses on the ground, buries her face in her hands, and begins sobbing.

If it was any other human, I'd have rushed over immediately to comfort them. As it's Shannon, I approach more cautiously.

Before I can reach her, she stands up, wiping her tears away. "Mother wouldn't want you to cry, Shannon."

''Now she's talking to herself? ''Something's definitely wrong here.

"I'll just finish up and get out of here." She throws a few more things into the bag, shoulders it, and begins walking towards the door.

Seeing that I'm about to be left behind, I act quickly. Maybe Shannon knows where Lisa is. Either way, I'm not letting her walk away with Lisa's possessions without a fight.

I spring into her path, mewing for all I'm worth.

At first, she doesn't notice me. Then her eyes travel downwards and she gives a snort of disgust. "Ugh. You. What are we going to do with you?"

Taken aback - as even her usual unfriendliness isn't this bad - I tilt my head to the side.

Shannon bites her lip, appearing to be lost in thought. Then she abruptly puts the bag down and smiles sweetly down at me. "Hey Blue! Who wants food? You hungry?"

I'm not really hungry, but my eyes follow her with interest as she rummages in the cupboards. She comes out with a bag of FishStix, my favorite type of treat. Lisa rarely gives them to me, since they're "not good for me". Hey, if Shannon wants to make peace, she's chosen the right way to do it.

Tentatively, I take a step towards her.

"Oh, but I can't feed you in here," she coos, sliding open the door. She places the treat outside. "You need to eat out here, so you don't make a mess."

Puzzled, I pause on the doorstep. Lisa never has me eat outside. What is Shannon thinking? And I won't make a mess. I always clean up after myself.

"Go on, Blue. It'll be fine, little kitty." Shannon nudges me out the door with her boot, then follows and shuts it behind us. As I'm eating, I hear her walk over to her care. Wait. She's getting in. The engine's starting. That's not right. Who will let me back into the house?

I race towards the car, but it's too late.

"See ya kitty!" she yells, and then she's gone.

Cold has frozen every one of my limbs by morning. I'm shaking as I struggle to a standing position. My fur is hard and spiked every which way, and I have to shake frost off my whiskers in order to get a clear reading of the air.

And there's another problem. It snowed during the night.

Shivering, I scratch feebly at the house door. Maybe Lisa came in during the night?

But I know that's not the case. There's no way Lisa would've entered the house without seeing me sprawled on the doorstep and letting me in. Even if she went in the back door, which is very unlikely, she would've noticed me missing and come to find me.

A ball of dread has formed in my stomach. What is going on here? Why did Shannon lock me out of my own house? Where has she gone? And where is Lisa?

Slowly, painfully, an hour passes. A numbness is beginning to settle into my bones. Instinctively, I realize I'm freezing to death.

The realization brings on a flurry of movement. I spring to my feet and walk a few steps, leaving a bare patch of concrete on the snow-covered doorstep. I pace back and forth across the little gravel path that runs to the driveway.

Somehow, I know Shannon won't be coming back. And Lisa won't be either. At least, not any time soon. And  I can't stay here. If I ever want to see Lisa again, I've got to keep myself alive.

Finally, I force myself to head down the gravel drive. At the end of the driveway, I stop and turn, looking up at the quaint old house where I'd lived with Lisa since I was a kitten. My heart aches. Why did this have to happen? My one consolation is that, though I'm losing my home, I still have hope that I'll see Lisa again. Wherever she is, I'll find her.

Comforting myself with this thought, I turn my back on my home and walk away. Forever.

My plan would probably work better if I had an inkling of where I was going.

By late morning, I'm standing at a random crossroads in God-knows-where, staring aimlessly at the occasional car that zips past. My paws ache, my teeth chatter with cold, and my ears are pounding with a headache. All I want is my soft, fluffy blue catbed, and the feel of Lisa's wrinkled old hand on my head, petting me as I fall asleep. Instead, I'm stuck dodging slush that sprays up from under cars' tires, wondering if I can gather up the courage to cross the road.

Luckily, the traffic is sparse, and during a long lull I'm able to sprint across.

On the other side of the road, I find myself in a park. A park I've heard of actually. I'd never actually been to Liberty Park before, but I'd driven past it with Lisa many times. On the car rides, it looked like a nice place, full of people playing and laughing. Now, barren and desolate and covered with snow, it looks much more imposing.

Gulping, I take my first step onto the snow-crusted ground. Yikes. Much too cold.

The sidewalk is much nicer; most of its been shoveled, and all I have to deal with is the cold pavement beneath.

I pad along the sidewalk for a bit, not really knowing what I'm doing. I do know one thing: I'm hungry.

And that brings on a new concern. How am I going to feed myself? I know other cats hunt or find food themselves, but I have no idea how to do so. All my life, Lisa has cared for my needs. Now... I have no idea how to fend for myself out here. Could I actualy starve to death?