Shadow and his unusual tribe try to survive after their old owner disappears, with conflicts and hunger threatening to drive them apart. Relying on friendship and hope to keep them together, they grow closer to each other through memories and struggles. But will their owner ever come back?

Cats Alone

Bars trap me in a small, plastic cage. Thin bars. If I swat hard enough, I might break them. But why would I want to break them? 


I have food. I have water. They’re both to my side, little bowls, also plastic. The food isn’t bad—it’s better than mice, rats and rubbish, in any case. My bedding is soft, some material I don’t know. Comfortable. If not for the space issue, this could be paradise. 


Someone is making a commotion below me, their yowling cutting through the air and shooting itself directly into my ears. Rolling my eyes, I pick myself up and turn a little, paws brushing against the pleasant bedding. Pleasant, that’s a good word for this place. Warm and dry and there’s no one to bother me. 


The bars keep me in, but they also keep everyone else out. 


Chapter Eight