Author's note: Hope you enjoy reading this. This is actually a story I
started writing a little while ago and I recently came across it on the
computer. It is unfinished as of yet, but I would like to finish it when I
have the time (after horrible, evil, A level exams, yuk). Please review and
let me know what you think.
I shakily approached the junkyard. It had been nearly a year since I left my home, and only my pride had kept me away from it for so long. After a fight with my brother Munkustrap. Ok in the past we've had some major arguments but none like that one. Blows were nearly exchanged and definitely would have been if Bombalurina and Demeter hadn't been standing between us.
We both said things we didn't really mean, but I was so steamed that I grabbed my stuff and left. That had been 10 months ago, I had travelled, seen the world and now I was back home where I belong. Ready to admit that I had missed the place and even missed my knucklehead brother.
I frowned as I got closer to the junkyard, something was different, felt wrong somehow. I shook off the strange feeling and went towards the gate. The feeling returned, practically smacking me on the forehead as I saw an unusual sight. Griddlebone, an agent of Macavity's in the junkyard? I couldn't help it, I just stopped and stared. I even blinked and rubbed my eyes. Yes, Griddlebone was still there. Me being a curious cat I had to find out what was going on. I strolled up to her, "Hey Griddlebone, what are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining if the jellicles have an attractive new member."
Grid's eyes grew when she saw me,
"Tugger, oh you don't know do you?" she said, then looked all around her furtively.
"Don't know what?" I demanded. Grid raised her paw to my lips,
"Shh, follow me but be careful, it's not safe here. Things have changed since you left."
I followed, the odd feeling I had earlier slowly turning to dread. Grid reached a small junkpile and knocked on it lightly several times. To my surprise there was an answering knock from inside. Grid anxiously signalled for me to jump down what looked like a trap door.
"Here goes nothing," I thought before I jumped. I wasn't sure whether I could trust her but decided to go along with it anyway. If anything happened I could take care of myself. I landed in darkness, it got even darker when Grid jumped in letting the trapdoor shut above her.
"Don't worry, there's another way out," she assured me as she led me through a tunnel.
"There's a light at the end of the tunnel," I sung to myself, having snuck into a theatre to see Starlight Express once during my travels. Griddlebone glanced at me strangely but said nothing. The tunnel led into a deceptively large room, the roof of which was the junkpile. Cassandra stood in the room working on something. She looked different somehow, as if she had, had to handle a lot of trouble before her time.
"Hello Grid," she said without looking up.
"I've got someone with me," Grid replied, without a return greeting. Cassandra finally looked up, her eyes tired and sad.
"T...Tugger? Is that really you?" she asked once she had gotten over her amazement.
"In the flesh babe," I said cheekily, hoping to raise a smile out of the aloof queen. Instead she ran to me and flung her arms round me.
"Even better," I thought, "Tugger boy you've still got it."
That was until I heard the sound of crying. Cassandra, the usually dignified and uppity queen was shaking with sobs.
"What did I do?" I wondered. Out loud I tried to comfort Cass,
"It's ok, Cassie I'm here now. What's happened?"
Cass looked up from my fur long enough to ask Grid something.
"You didn't tell him?" Cass buried her head against my chest again to continue crying. I continued to hold her but looked towards Grid for an explanation. She tiredly sat down,
"Macavity, he took over the yard and made the jellicles into slaves. Now he lords it over here with his henchcats."
My face dropped, not even in my worst nightmares had I imagined that could happen,
"Oh Everlasting Cat," I mumbled in shock, "And, the leader? Mun...Munkustrap?"
I dreaded Grid's reply as her face clouded over with darkness.
"Your brother is..."
I squeezed my eyes closed to stop the dizziness that was washing over me. Was Grid about to tell me that Munk was dead? She seemed to know what I was thinking and hastened to put my imagination at rest,
"Well he's not dead. But he's a prisoner of Macavity," she informed me. I sighed in relief. He wasn't dead. He was still alive!
The sound of paw steps made us all look towards the entrance. I noticed Griddlebone go very pale and extended her claws in defence. However it was Bombalurina who entered the room. Her shoulders were slumped over, and she no longer held her head high, or had that flirtatious look that always drove me crazy.
"Bomb, you forgot the knocks," Grid reminded her, sighing in relief.
"Who cares about the bloody knocks," Bomb spat throwing down a piece of cloth on to the floor, "If the henchcats found this place do you think they'd bloody well knock?! They'd just barge in, the bastards!"
Grid remained calm, "You saw Munk, didn't you? You're always like this after you see him."
Bomb just nodded dumbly in reply. All the anger seemed to evaporate out of her, and all that was left was a scared ghost of the queen she once was.
"Erm, hi Bomb," I said with a smile and a little wave. Cass had finally released me from her grasp, she was no longer sobbing and even managed a weak smile before sitting down.
"Hi Tugger," Bomb said without even turning around she even continued to speak to Grid, "It's just..."
Bomb stopped suddenly and slowly turned to face me.
"Tugger!" she exclaimed and rushed into my arms. I found myself in exactly the same position as before, except this time it was Bomb sobbing in my arms. I stroked her head and gently whispered to her. An odd thought struck me, maybe it should have really occurred to me sooner.
"Griddlebone, what's your part in all this?" I asked her, it came out sounding a little more suspicious than it had sounded in my head, but Griddlebone chose to ignore it.
She smiled half-heartedly,
"I suppose I'm a double agent," she shrugged.
"Grid has helped us, made our lives a little less like hell," Cass mumbled gratefully.
"But there's nothing she can do for Munk though," Bomb sniffed, her tears coming to an end. Grid sighed,
"I tried Bomb, but you can't reason with Macavity."
I couldn't stand it anymore,
"What has happened to Munk?" I demanded.
"I told you," Grid said, "He's Macavity's prisoner."
"Yes, and?" I asked impatiently.
"Don't you get it?" Grid frowned, "The only reason Munkustrap is alive is because Macavity's such a twisted bastard."
I looked at Grid blankly, not quite understanding her. Grid appeared to be slightly exasperated,
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Macavity has been...he's been torturing Munkustrap."
I gasped,
"That fu..."
Bomb cut me off, "It's sick, that's what it is. Munk's...he's not like himself. He's been so brave, now he just wants to give up."
"That is it!" I banged my fist on the table. The three queens shushed me frantically. I lowered my voice,
"We've got to get you all out of here."
"It's a nice dream," Bomb said tiredly.
"It could be a reality," I told them. The queens remained doubtful.
"What the hell happened to you all?" I asked hopelessly, they seemed so different from their former selves. Grid rose slowly,
"I'd best get going, I'm meant to report to Macavity," she mumbled before leaving the room. The rest of us stood in silence, reflecting, remembering, and trying to forget.
I shakily approached the junkyard. It had been nearly a year since I left my home, and only my pride had kept me away from it for so long. After a fight with my brother Munkustrap. Ok in the past we've had some major arguments but none like that one. Blows were nearly exchanged and definitely would have been if Bombalurina and Demeter hadn't been standing between us.
We both said things we didn't really mean, but I was so steamed that I grabbed my stuff and left. That had been 10 months ago, I had travelled, seen the world and now I was back home where I belong. Ready to admit that I had missed the place and even missed my knucklehead brother.
I frowned as I got closer to the junkyard, something was different, felt wrong somehow. I shook off the strange feeling and went towards the gate. The feeling returned, practically smacking me on the forehead as I saw an unusual sight. Griddlebone, an agent of Macavity's in the junkyard? I couldn't help it, I just stopped and stared. I even blinked and rubbed my eyes. Yes, Griddlebone was still there. Me being a curious cat I had to find out what was going on. I strolled up to her, "Hey Griddlebone, what are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining if the jellicles have an attractive new member."
Grid's eyes grew when she saw me,
"Tugger, oh you don't know do you?" she said, then looked all around her furtively.
"Don't know what?" I demanded. Grid raised her paw to my lips,
"Shh, follow me but be careful, it's not safe here. Things have changed since you left."
I followed, the odd feeling I had earlier slowly turning to dread. Grid reached a small junkpile and knocked on it lightly several times. To my surprise there was an answering knock from inside. Grid anxiously signalled for me to jump down what looked like a trap door.
"Here goes nothing," I thought before I jumped. I wasn't sure whether I could trust her but decided to go along with it anyway. If anything happened I could take care of myself. I landed in darkness, it got even darker when Grid jumped in letting the trapdoor shut above her.
"Don't worry, there's another way out," she assured me as she led me through a tunnel.
"There's a light at the end of the tunnel," I sung to myself, having snuck into a theatre to see Starlight Express once during my travels. Griddlebone glanced at me strangely but said nothing. The tunnel led into a deceptively large room, the roof of which was the junkpile. Cassandra stood in the room working on something. She looked different somehow, as if she had, had to handle a lot of trouble before her time.
"Hello Grid," she said without looking up.
"I've got someone with me," Grid replied, without a return greeting. Cassandra finally looked up, her eyes tired and sad.
"T...Tugger? Is that really you?" she asked once she had gotten over her amazement.
"In the flesh babe," I said cheekily, hoping to raise a smile out of the aloof queen. Instead she ran to me and flung her arms round me.
"Even better," I thought, "Tugger boy you've still got it."
That was until I heard the sound of crying. Cassandra, the usually dignified and uppity queen was shaking with sobs.
"What did I do?" I wondered. Out loud I tried to comfort Cass,
"It's ok, Cassie I'm here now. What's happened?"
Cass looked up from my fur long enough to ask Grid something.
"You didn't tell him?" Cass buried her head against my chest again to continue crying. I continued to hold her but looked towards Grid for an explanation. She tiredly sat down,
"Macavity, he took over the yard and made the jellicles into slaves. Now he lords it over here with his henchcats."
My face dropped, not even in my worst nightmares had I imagined that could happen,
"Oh Everlasting Cat," I mumbled in shock, "And, the leader? Mun...Munkustrap?"
I dreaded Grid's reply as her face clouded over with darkness.
"Your brother is..."
I squeezed my eyes closed to stop the dizziness that was washing over me. Was Grid about to tell me that Munk was dead? She seemed to know what I was thinking and hastened to put my imagination at rest,
"Well he's not dead. But he's a prisoner of Macavity," she informed me. I sighed in relief. He wasn't dead. He was still alive!
The sound of paw steps made us all look towards the entrance. I noticed Griddlebone go very pale and extended her claws in defence. However it was Bombalurina who entered the room. Her shoulders were slumped over, and she no longer held her head high, or had that flirtatious look that always drove me crazy.
"Bomb, you forgot the knocks," Grid reminded her, sighing in relief.
"Who cares about the bloody knocks," Bomb spat throwing down a piece of cloth on to the floor, "If the henchcats found this place do you think they'd bloody well knock?! They'd just barge in, the bastards!"
Grid remained calm, "You saw Munk, didn't you? You're always like this after you see him."
Bomb just nodded dumbly in reply. All the anger seemed to evaporate out of her, and all that was left was a scared ghost of the queen she once was.
"Erm, hi Bomb," I said with a smile and a little wave. Cass had finally released me from her grasp, she was no longer sobbing and even managed a weak smile before sitting down.
"Hi Tugger," Bomb said without even turning around she even continued to speak to Grid, "It's just..."
Bomb stopped suddenly and slowly turned to face me.
"Tugger!" she exclaimed and rushed into my arms. I found myself in exactly the same position as before, except this time it was Bomb sobbing in my arms. I stroked her head and gently whispered to her. An odd thought struck me, maybe it should have really occurred to me sooner.
"Griddlebone, what's your part in all this?" I asked her, it came out sounding a little more suspicious than it had sounded in my head, but Griddlebone chose to ignore it.
She smiled half-heartedly,
"I suppose I'm a double agent," she shrugged.
"Grid has helped us, made our lives a little less like hell," Cass mumbled gratefully.
"But there's nothing she can do for Munk though," Bomb sniffed, her tears coming to an end. Grid sighed,
"I tried Bomb, but you can't reason with Macavity."
I couldn't stand it anymore,
"What has happened to Munk?" I demanded.
"I told you," Grid said, "He's Macavity's prisoner."
"Yes, and?" I asked impatiently.
"Don't you get it?" Grid frowned, "The only reason Munkustrap is alive is because Macavity's such a twisted bastard."
I looked at Grid blankly, not quite understanding her. Grid appeared to be slightly exasperated,
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Macavity has been...he's been torturing Munkustrap."
I gasped,
"That fu..."
Bomb cut me off, "It's sick, that's what it is. Munk's...he's not like himself. He's been so brave, now he just wants to give up."
"That is it!" I banged my fist on the table. The three queens shushed me frantically. I lowered my voice,
"We've got to get you all out of here."
"It's a nice dream," Bomb said tiredly.
"It could be a reality," I told them. The queens remained doubtful.
"What the hell happened to you all?" I asked hopelessly, they seemed so different from their former selves. Grid rose slowly,
"I'd best get going, I'm meant to report to Macavity," she mumbled before leaving the room. The rest of us stood in silence, reflecting, remembering, and trying to forget.