The Aftermath

Night had only just begun.

The birds had returned to their nests, the crickets and appeared to play their songs of the night, and every cat and kitten in the Cramdilly mansion, in Bakersfield California, was sound asleep. Or so thought, that is.

As the star specked orange sky ever so slowly and smoothly drifted into the darkness of full night time, one cat was still very wide awake, in her lonely room in the mansion.

She watched the sun setting, her cloudy blue eyes, light-grey cheek fur and dull brown fur with tints of grey seemed to illuminate a small tint of orange, which faded as the sun set.

The room she stood in was dead-silent, as was the near-night air. Shadow's had started creeping closer as the sun and light began to vanish.

The old cat sighed gently, running a paw through her head fur, now slightly scruffy from not bothering to comb it as much now, and reached out, closing the crimson-red curtains. Oddly enough, the room still stayed lit. She turned and headed towards the bed, big enough for two. She climbed up and crawled over to the other side of the bed, gently sliding down into the covers.

She looked over and down towards the draws right beside her bed-side. Placed upon the top was a small candle, a fresh one at that too. It was the only thing keeping the room vaguely light. Not far from it, on the edge of the draws, was a large velvet book, the frame a, illuminate yellow colour. In the centre of the book, with the same colour as the book frame, was the title 'Memories' written in extremely neat and flowing handwriting.

However, the cat's gaze was not on either of those things, but instead, her sight was drawn straight to a golden picture frame, the closest object to her on the draw top. She felt herself smile widely, as the cat in the photo of the picture frame smiled back at her, his sharp teeth sticking over the top of his white furred lips as they had always done his green eyes still gleaming with a kindness and generosity that she had only known from him. His arms were crossed behind his back, revealing the few orange stray strands of fur on his chest, all the same colour as his stumpy orange tail and patch over his left eye.

The elder cat gently stroked her index finger down the pictures cheek, like she had done before when he stood before her, holding her in his arms.

Only she knew he'd never be able to do it again. Not until they met again, that is. But who knew when that would be?

"Oh, Gordon." She sighed, her Japanese accented voice slightly croaky, almost as though she hadn't spoken in the longest of time. "If only you were here again... If only I could see you again, face to face..."

Her paw retracted back to her chest as she turned away and sat up, staring at the bed sheets. "But you won't..." She shut her eyes tight and shook her head gently, feeling the first tear welling.

No... He wouldn't want her to grieve like this. She promised him she'd keep smiling. Remember the good time's they'd shared in their life-time together, with their family and friends.

"Jus' keep smilin' lass. I give ye my word we'll be together again someday..."

And Gordon never broke a promise to her. Never before. She still loved him, even if he couldn't quite love her back now. But she still felt his presence. It was almost frightening to think he may still be watching over her, but at the same time, enlightening that he was very maybe waiting for her, so they could be happy together. So they could enjoy the next world together. So they could rejoin with their other friends and siblings, passed on as well.

She looked back at the picture. This time, her eyes drew to the book, mostly the title, sparkling in the candle light.

Memories...

"Always remember..."

She reached over and pulled the book up, resting it onto her lap. She delicately opened the front and peeked in at the first page.

There was a picture of the whole family, before they had either passed on, or moved off to seek their own destiny.

She looked down to see herself. Oh, it had been so long ago, when she had chocolate brown fur. Dazzling sapphire eyes, a sweet smile and a lovely voice. She was beautiful then. She had Gordon to assure her that...

She looked to the other page. Her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh gracious, I remember this..." She mumbled to no one particular, but did so anyway.

She flicked through the pages, spying each picture, with each one, a fond, wonderful, dark or even tearfully memory would spring back to her mind.

She turned back to the first page. Placing a paw on the first picture she had seen that had started the eruption of memories in her mind.

In the picture was the cat's butler, Hovis. He had served the woman who, ages ago, owned the mansion and it's riches. When Mrs. Cramdilly passed away, she left the fortune to Waffle, Mr. Blik and her mate Gordon. Of course, Hovis never had been and never was fond of serving cats, of all creatures and people, but still continued to his duties as usual, even if he did get treated lowly by Blik.

Blik had accordingly said it was a family tradition to forget about Hovis's birthday, as the last time he and his brothers had it had ended badly, but he never told the newer additions to the mansion much about it. But alas, in the picture, he was stood there, frowning as usual, but not as sarcastic or grumpy as he usually looked. It may have been to do with the brown and orange kitten, perched on his head, holding a girly pink box by its blue ribbon, and dangling it by Hovis's head. Hovis was not looking at the kitten, neither the box, but the kitten was grinning widely, bearing it's sharp teeth, very much resembling Gordon's.

Pandora smiled.

"My little darling Niko." She said her youngest kitten's name gently. "Refusing to think of it as being wrong, you were determined to get a gift for Hovis's birthday."

She sighed, closing her eyelids delicately, as the memory seemed to fade into the darkness of her view...

Thus, the beginning of our first story...

eH

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