Chapter Text
December 19th was a severely cold and windy night, bins were knocked over and tumbling down the roads and pavements which caused mountains of rubbish to zoom across the street as if to get away from the chaos. The heavy rain hit the roads so violently that it was practically washing the streets just like an over flooded river. The wind was blowing so viciously that the trees were beginning to have the same posture as the leaning tower of Pisa
Out of nowhere there was a huge splash of a puddle and a screech of a car, followed by two burly men that emerged from the car.
“Dump it over here” said one of the men in a low gravelly voice. The other man tossed something which looked like a box at the side of someone’s house, just a few meters away from their doorstep. One of the men grabbed the box and hid it under a bush near the house then jogged back into the car.
The car engine then started up, speeding off into darkness.
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The next morning everyone in the street woke up to the monstrosity that the storm had left behind. There were massive puddles dotted around the roads and grass. There were signs that some people had left their washing hanging up outside during the storm as there seemed to be a sock hanging on a bush and a pyjama top that was drenched in water as it was found lying in one of the massive puddles in the road.
Meanwhile an elderly woman was in her living room looking out of her window, observing the mess that lay in view of everyone who lived there.
“Bloody hell that was a record breaker of a storm last night”
Another woman of the same age appeared in the living room. “I know I couldn’t sleep a wink, I do have to feel sorry for the people down the road, their house got completely flooded”
“Oh my we must check on them later” The first elderly woman declared. She glanced at her watch and tutted.
“Jill can you check if the milk man has been yet?” The elderly woman called out.
“Alright” was Jill’s reply.
Jill opened the door and saw that the milkman had not yet been round, she was about to go in until she heard a faint squeaking sound. She listened out for where the sound was coming from; soon enough she figured out it was coming from the bush. Jill put her hand near the bush and rustled around until she found a medium sized box, carefully opening it she found 8 kittens huddling together and shaking violently.
“Maureen!” Jill called out.
Oh for heaven sake Maureen muttered to herself. “Don’t tell me you have dropped the milk bottle again!”
“No Maureen look!” Jill brought in the box and placed it on the living room table.
Maureen looked at the box with caution. “Well open it then!” Maureen said impatiently.
Jill opened the box and all the kittens squeaked but stopped shaking as the warmth of the house suddenly got to them.
“Where did you find them?” Maureen questioned.
“Under that bush near the doorstep” Jill replied.
Maureen took a closer look at the kittens and picked up one of them, this kitten was pure white and had blue eyes. “I think we shall keep this one” Maureen said kindly.
“She has pretty eyes” Jill added.
“She shall be named Crystal” Maureen announced without giving Jill time to either approve or disapprove.
“What about the rest?” Jill asked.
“We will take them to the blue cross to get them re homed” Maureen replied.
Jill looked at the remaining kittens in the box; her eyes were suddenly fixed on the single black kitten.
“Oh god, there is a black kitten in there!” Jill cried.
“Is that a problem?” Maureen questioned angrily
“Black cats are bad luck Maureen!” Jill exclaimed.
“Oh for heaven sake, I do wish you would stop believing in these silly superstitions” Maureen retorted.
“But that’s something I have always believed in” Jill explained in a small voice.
“Honestly you’re just as bad as those who believe that garlic protects you from evil spirits!” Maureen shouted.
“I-“Jill was interrupted by Maureen’s final sentence.
“Right I’m off to the blue cross to get these kittens away from you and your superstitions!” Maureen said angrily before walking off and slamming the door. Jill was then left in her own misery, while Crystal looked at Jill as if she was disgusted with her.
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Approaching the blue cross Maureen said under her breath hopefully these people will have more common sense.
“Can I help you?” A young blonde woman named Sasha asked at the reception.
“Yes, now these kittens were found near my door step at nine this morning and I came to bring them in”
“Thank you so much” Sasha said as she took the box from Maureen and looked inside.
“They are a mixed litter” Maureen told Sasha who looked content at the sight of the kittens, but her facial expression soon changed when she saw the single black kitten.
“Oh dear, you know that black cats are the least likely to get a home” Sasha sighed.
“Oh, whys that? “ Maureen said in a disapproving tone.
“Superstition” Maureen felt her face grow hot of pure anger, she looked as if she was about to slap Sasha. Her next sentence stopped the temptation.
“I think it’s all a heap of crap but there are many people who do believe in that kind of rubbish”
Maureen’s facial expression softened. “Yes well, those people are fools” Maureen replied.
Sasha smiled. “Thanks again for bringing them to us” she said in a light tone.
Before walking off Maureen asked if she could say goodbye to the kittens. Sasha nodded.
Maureen picked them up one by one, to the black kitten she whispered good luck little one before putting it down and handing the box to Sasha. Maureen took one more look back before walking back to her car and driving off.
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Meanwhile at the nick James and Robbie were sat in their office, going through paper work.
James looked up from his paper work, utterly bored at the sight of it. A question suddenly popped into his head.
“What are your plans for Christmas sir"? James asked genuinely.
“I’m going up to Manchester to see Lyn; she has been asking me for the last three weeks, none stop”.
Before James could reply one of the constables walked in.“Hello sir, I know this might not interest you but there was an advertisement in the local post office the other day about giving a kitten a home for Christmas”.
“Aye, where are these kittens from exactly?”
“The blue cross down the road” the constable replied.
When the constable had left the room, Robbie turned to James.
“Kittens eh, why don’t you take a look round there, you never know a kitten might just grow on you enough to give it a home”. Robbie said.
“Hm” was James’s reply.
Robbie sighed. “Come on James, were done for the day” Robbie said as he shuffled the paperwork into one neat pile. James did the same with his own paperwork and followed Robbie out of the room.
“Have a nice holiday sir” James said as Robbie got into his car.
“Have a good holiday as well James” Robbie replied before driving off.
While driving home James found himself driving near the blue cross, Robbie’s words were now repeating themselves in his head. Why don’t you take a look round there, you never know a kitten might just grow on you enough to give it a home. Those words were trapped in his mind and they wouldn’t budge.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a look” James said to himself. He parked his car and walked over to the reception.
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However the last two days that the black kitten was at the blue cross, her hope of getting re homed was becoming smaller as each hour passed.
The litter of seven kittens including her at first remained the same, as the hours went by the amount of kittens in the litter decreased dramatically.
The two ginger kittens were the first to be snapped up by a middle aged woman, claiming that ginger cats were her favorite. Also there was a black and white kitten that got taken the very next hour by an old man who said that he wanted his daughter to have something special for Christmas.
The next day the Tortoiseshell cat was the first one to be picked up and taken the very second by a little girl who said the cat was pretty. After a few hours a teenage man did actually take a look at me but then decided to go for one of the tabby cats instead.
Now it just left me and the other tabby cat.
After being told where the kittens were kept James went over to look at the two kittens that were left.
James looked at the tabby kitten first which was sleeping, his attention then turned to the black kitten and his first thought was how green its eyes were. The black kitten squeaked and James saw himself trying to stroke the kitten’s ear through the metal bars. The kitten purred and closed its eyes.
Almost an hour later James gave the kitten a tiny smile before leaving, the kittens eyes widened as if it was saying no, no please don’t leave.
The following day all James could think about was the small kitten. To try to pass the time away James being James found himself doing research about black cats and superstitions. He clicked on a website about black cats and he scrolled down and on the page James read out.
A black cat crossing ones path by moonlight on the street means bad luck or even death.
James then went on to another website.
It is considered bad luck if you walk under a ladder when a black cat has walked under it first. Also it is bad luck if you meet or if a black cat turns its back to you in the street.
At that point James had decided that he’d had enough. He switched off his computer and tried to think of something else, the image of the tiny black cat never finding a home was bugging James more every minute.
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The black kitten hadn’t forgotten the blonde haired man’s visit yesterday. As every moment passed the cat’s hope of the man coming back were getting thinner.
Half an hour later two adults and a young boy walked to where the final two kittens were. The little boy was staring at them both and what the young boy blurted out shocked the black kitten.
“I want the tabby!” the boy said then added “The black ones ugly and its bad luck” the boy spat out. The tabby cat was removed from the cage and put into the hands of the little boy and he screamed with laughter.
Once they left, the black kitten was isolated in the cage now left wondering if it will ever find a home.
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It was now three o clock in the afternoon and the image of the kitten was still fresh in his head. Robbie’s words had also come back to haunt him. you never know a kitten might just grow on you enough to give it a home.
“I think you were right all along Robbie “James said truthfully to himself. James had now had enough of this; he was going to give that kitten a home.
James drove back to the blue cross and made his way to where the kitten was but before he did one of the staff members said “There is only one kitten left sir”. James’s heart was pounding; he truly hoped that the black kitten was still there.
He raced over to the cage and he was relieved that the black kitten still remained there. James took the kitten out of the cage, despite a sign saying that he wasn’t supposed to but no one was around to see.
He picked up the kitten and held it close to him. At first the kitten squeaked but to his surprise it then snuggled up to his chest and closed its eyes.
James stroked its head before saying “let’s get you home”.
One of the staff saw him holding the kitten. “Did you not read the sign, nobody is allowed to take the kittens out of the cage apart from a member of staff” she said firmly.
“Yes I can read, but I am taking this kitten to be re homed “James replied calmly.
The staff member looked shocked. “Are you sure that is the kitten you want, there are plenty others in the other cages if you would prefer-“
She was cut off by James’s reply. “This is the kitten I want to re home so this is the kitten I will take home” James retorted angrily.
The staff member sighed and said “Let’s get you sorted then” she didn’t say anything else for the rest of the time.
As James was walking out of the blue cross, he saw an elderly woman walk up to him and smile.
“Oh I see you have just re homed a kitten” she said in a light tone.
“Yes, once I saw her I couldn’t refuse” was James’s simple sentence.
The woman smiled again before saying “I was the one who took the kittens here in the first place”.
“In that case thank you” James replied
Before the woman walked away she whispered to the kitten enjoy your new home sweetie.
After sorting out the kittens food and litter tray James sat down with the kitten trying to decide on a name.
He looked up popular names for a black cat but they were too boring for him. He carefully looked at the kitten and out of nowhere he blurted out the name Emily.
The kitten meowed for the first time since he had brought it home. “You agree with that suggestion “James said to the kitten softly.
The kitten just blinked at him. “Okay then I’ll call you Emily”. The kitten meowed again showing its agreement.
At that moment it had reminded James of a quote.
It’s important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy.