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Wonder Goes Exploring Part 3
By Roalee

We had been traveling together in silence. We passed all the houses in my neighborhood and came to a main road.

“Watch out for cars.”

“I know,” I said quietly.

It was late. Thankfully, we didn’t see any sign of headlights. I didn’t particularly like roads much.

The stench of rubber and exhaust fumes lingered ominously to remind us death could come barreling towards us at any second. The thought of it put my hairs on end.

“Okay, now Wonder! No cars,” he said as he confidently walked into the middle of the street.

I tried to follow just as confidently, but faltered as I glimpsed headlights in the distance. The roar of the engine filled my ears even though I knew it was still miles away.

“Wonder hurry! More cars are coming,” he exclaimed as more pairs of lights emerged. He ran back to me and locked his vivid blue eyes on my green ones. He spoke quietly, but urgently.

“Come along, Wonder. We need to get to the other side now.”

“I... I can hear them... the terrible growling. They’re growling for our blood!” I was completely frantic by now, shaking from ear to tail, frozen to the spot. My eye slits had narrowed so much, only green showed. I didn’t really see Blue’s worried eyes, centimeters from mine. All I saw was a horrible scene I had tried to repress, but the bright headlights caused it to play over and over again in my mind.

Blue looked over his shoulder and saw the lights grow larger. When he turned back, he saw more cars coming in the opposite direction. Determinedly he grabbed my fluffed tail and bit down on it hard.

“Yowch, ow, ow, ow,” I howled in pain. I looked at him in shock. “Only kittens bite tails!”

The tan tomcat growled menacingly, “And if you don’t move, I’ll drag you by the scruff of the neck like one. Go!!”

I ran without thinking. Actually, I was thinking of how angry I was at Blue for being so offensive. When we were safely on the side of the road, I turned on him, hissing angrily. Blue sat back on his haunches, heaving a great sigh of relief. Then he stood, smiling at me. A car raced by causing a small whirlwind of dust and I froze. I suddenly realized what Blue had done.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” I growled lightly.

“What? Saved your life?” he asked, amused.

I shook my whole body vigorously to calm myself. When I moved my tail, it hurt.

“No, biting my tail,” I said as I flinched. “It will be sore for nights.”

I started to groom myself, taking particular care with my sore extremity. I was frazzled in mind and body and needed to just get myself settled down.

“I’m sorry, Wonder. I was desperate.” The big tomcat frowned slightly as another car whizzed by and I froze again, tongue protruding.

“C’mon,” he said as he nudged me farther away from the road and into the bushes. I allowed him to lead me, but I moved slowly. Exasperated with my pace, Blue threatened, “Do I need to pick you up and carry you?”

“Humph,” I uttered as I trotted beside him. “No need. I’m not a kitten, thank you very much.”

“I know that. What are you, three?”

“Actually, I’m almost two.”

Blue flicked his ears in surprise. “Really? Well, you act very mature. I thought you were just small for your age.”

“Is that why Aunt Shark called me Kitten?” I usually hated when I was referred to as a kitten, but I didn’t want to upset the white queen.

“Nope, she calls most of the younger cats in the tribe kitten.”

“I can’t see her calling you kitten. You’re bigger than her!” I chuckled.

“Yeah, well, I’ve known her all my life.” He then gazed at me quizzically with his blue eyes. “I still don’t understand how you stood up to her when you didn’t know she was your aunt. She would have had anybody else in pieces.”

“I honestly felt that it was the right way to approach her. My instincts are always right. Also, if you haven’t noticed, she’s got a superb sense of humor.”

“Yes, it looks like you’ve got it too.”

By now, we had traveled quite a distance. It had been a tiring day and my paws were starting to ache. I didn’t want to be the first to complain, though. Instead, I yawned hugely, hoping Blue would take the hint. His right ear rotated in my direction and he glanced at me.

“What do you say to a rest?” he asked solicitously.

I yawned again and replied, “Hello, rest, I’m glad to make your acquaintance.”

As Blue’s eyes widened, I headed towards the base of a tree. It’s roots formed a little enclosure that I curled comfortably in. I heard Blue’s laughter grow louder, then fade as he came up. He sniffed around the tree suspiciously and lifted his nose to sniff the air.

“Good, nobody’s been around here except squirrels.”

“Uh-huh,” was my only reply. I was starting to drift off when Blue asked another question.

“Why didn’t Great White tear you apart like she said she would when you called her Aunt Shark?”

“I didn’t call her Auntie. Now, leave me be.” I buried my head in my foreleg.

“And what about that remark about bringing me home safely?”

“Quiet, I’ll tell you later,” I said in a muffled voice. With that, I tried to sleep. Still half awake, I felt Blue move in a protective position in front of me. He sighed and lay down, his chin on his paws. I relaxed totally as the sturdy tree pressed against my back and Blue’s reassuring presence faced me. I purred lightly. While I slept, I dreamed of dancing headlights and vivid blue eyes.
******************************
As my senses became fully alert, I smelled fresh squirrel. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the sun begin to rise. Yawning widely, I stepped out from the tiny alcove of roots I had slept in. I stretched my whole body as the first rays of light hit me. Flexing my muscles, I extended and retracted my claws into the bark of the tree and the ground beneath me. After my lovely stretch, I closed my eyes and faced the sun. ‘Another stunning day,’ I thought. The squirrel smell caused my nose to tingle and my mouth to water. I noticed that Blue wasn’t around, even though his scent was there. He had obviously left the kill for me awhile ago.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind if I help myself,” I said to the squirrel. Of course, it didn’t answer.

When I finished eating, I got down to some serious grooming. I was gingerly licking my tail when Blue padded up. He gazed at me.

“It still hurts,” I accused and kept on grooming.

“Well, it didn’t hurt your appetite any,” he said as his gaze shifted to the remains of the squirrel. He purred appreciatively when I stood up.

My fur gleamed in the new light and I felt absolutely alive. I felt as if I could do anything. Green eyes met blue and I asked, “Where do we go from here?”

“We need to get into the city.” His smile dropped away as he said solemnly, “That requires some street crossing.”

I sighed heavily and lay down, dejected. “I don’t think my tail can take it.”

Blue hunkered down, facing me. He had a concerned look in his eyes. He opened his mouth, thought better of it and just gazed into my eyes. I decided to stare back into his. We lay there for what seemed like an eternity. My head began to fill with questions that I knew weren’t mine and I shut my eyes as the pain began.

“Well, I actually won!”

My eyes flew open as Blue exclaimed his victory. “What are you blathering about?” I asked irritated.

Calmly, he said, “The staring contest. I won. Now what should be my prize?” He looked at me thoughtfully.

“Don’t bother asking. I’ll tell you,” I said shortly. My head was pounding.

“Are you okay, Wonder?”

“No.” I softened my tone at his concerned expression. “May I be excused? My brain is full.”

Startled, Blue lifted his head off his paws. “Pardon me?”

“Sorry,” I said as I rubbed my temples. “Why do streets freak me out?”

Blue nodded surprised. I had voiced exactly what he was thinking earlier.

“It’s not the roads, really, it’s the moving vehicular monsters that scare me. So, what scares you, Blue?” I asked, trying to avoid talking about my problem. He must have known what I was trying to do because he looked at me sternly.

“Wonder, I think you need to talk to someone about your fear. Seeing as I am the only other feline here and I have to deal with you, I think I would be a logical choice. Or,” he gave me a fierce grin. “Do you like to get your tail bitten?”

I lowered my eyes and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m not used to telling others about my problems. I tend to listen to everyone else’s.” Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes and recalled that horrible night when I was younger. As I began to speak, Blue lowered his head level to mine. We were practically touching noses, but I didn’t notice. I was reliving a moment.

“Mother’s home is in the city. I loved living there. It was exciting and always well lit, from lamps in the house or streetlights. One dark night, when there wasn’t even any light from the moon, there was a blackout. Being of an exploratory sort, I decided to go outside. I thought playing would be twice as fun in the dark. Blaze, my brother, decided to go with me and I agreed, because he didn’t get out much.” I opened my eyes to see Blue’s face in mine. “He doesn’t have as blue eyes as yours.”

“Really?”

“His coat is as white as my Aunt’s.”

“Oh?” His eyes widened slightly as he connected the two. “Oh.”

“The humans had left a window ajar through which we made our escape. They were busy trying to find torches and candles. We were just two kittens on our own with no fears. We were chasing each other, hiding behind bins and under parked autos, darting about. I was so intent on our game of tag, that I didn’t notice it until too late.”

I shivered all over even though the sun was high and warm. My eyes shut tighter than ever. Blue lightly touched one of my paws with his.

“Go on, Wonder,” he encouraged. “What happened?”

My voice dropped to a whisper. “I sat in the street. Blaze was on the sidewalk. I was daring him to catch me when I heard a growling, like a large dog. An auto, its headlights blazing, had turned a corner and was coming towards me. I was stuck there, Blue. I could hear my brother yelling at me to move, but his voice seemed very far away. The lights were so bright. After that, it’s all a big muddle. Honking and screeching, being pushed out of the way, and an image of my brother’s body lying still. It was absolutely horrible. I was in such shock, that I allowed a stranger to pick me up. She must have gotten a look at my collar. We were both carried home. I remember mother screaming and howling about me and Blaze and my sisters huddled in the basket. Not until later did I find out that my brother was still alive. I thought I had gotten him killed.”

My voice had become the smallest whisper by this time. I was drooping in remorse as the memories flooded back. I had shut my eyes so long and hard that tears squeezed out and trickled down my face. A rough tongue licked them away and as I opened my eyes, I stiffened. I was feeling scared and lonely, but relived and comforted. The warring emotions caused my tail to swish through the air. But the longer I looked at Blue, the calmer I felt. Blue’s eyes held mine sympathetically and he nuzzled me. I nuzzled him back and whispered, “Thank you for listening. I feel better.”

“I’m so glad you were able to tell me. I don’t want you to be afraid any longer,” Blue said softly.

“But Blaze might have died because of me. You might have died because of me!”

“We didn’t."

"Blaze's tail will never be the same."

"Well, I think I got you back for him," Blue said with a slight smirk.

I laughed slightly and lay my head on his shoulder. Sighing, I said, "He forgave me a long time ago. I guess I should forgive myself."

"And I forgive you too, if you're wondering."

I hadn't, but that statement made me feel so full of warmth, that I purred loudly. I was quite content to lay there all morning, but Blue had other ideas.

"We have to get a move on Wonder, or we'll never meet any of those legendary Jellicles of yours."

At the mention of the Jellicles, I felt a slight inward tug. I shifted so I could get up in one smooth motion. I lifted my nose upward and let the sun warm my face. The pull faded and I opened my eyes. I cocked my head and flicked my tail in the direction we were heading for. "Onward, to the Junkyard!"

Blue hastily rose to his feet to lead the way. As I trotted behind him, I realized I knew very little about the tan tomcat. I decided questions were in order. Quickening my pace, I sidled up to him.

"So, Blue, what is so legendary about these Jellicles?" I figured, if I asked him about the Jellicles, he would have to explain his connection with Macavity.

"They're a fairly insular group," he started matter-of-factly. "They have a leader, Old Deuteronomy, who usually only visits the Junkyard once a year.

"Why is that?"

"When a certain moon rises, all the Jellicles gather for their annual Jellicle Ball. I... sorta heard about it from... someone who went to it."

I nudged him in surprise. "Does that mean you know a Jellicle personally?" I asked excitedly.

Blue's ears flattened. "No."

I dropped back at his short tone. I had the feeling he was talking about a certain nefarious cat, but he didn't want to discuss it. I decided to ask him a safer question. "Okay, what make the Jellicles so insular?"

Seeing his ears straighten, I again quickened my pace.

"Well, they're friendly enough. They just have certain standards you have to meet if you're not born a Jellicle and you want to be one."

"Interesting, but I just have a great urge to meet them, not join them. I hear they're House Cats?"

"Yes, although the Junkyard is where they like to hang out, most of them have pets. The ones who don't are encouraged to try to find at least one human to bond to." Blue's voice dropped to a whisper. "I heard that they love humans so much, they've actually taken on some of their characteristics."

"Such as...?"

"Such as, um... oh, I know... they dance."

"So? I do that sometimes."

"On your hind legs?"

My mouth dropped. "Is it possible for cats to do that?"

"Nothing's impossible when it come to Jellicles."

Blue gave me a sideways glance and stopped. I was so intrigued with the thought of dancing on hind legs that I kept walking. A second later, I turned my head to ask Blue something and seeing he wasn't beside me, I halted my forward movement. I turned to see the large tan tomcat standing with his nose in the air.

"Blue?" I asked curiously.

"Someone approaches."

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