From a sea of green, Herbie emerged onto a dry and dirty track. The track in question was a winding one at that, and it led to many great things. Behind him came a barefooted X with her chin raised to the sun seeking all the hot kisses she could get. By her side, the animals gazed at her with beaming eyes and radiant faces—faces that couldn’t contain their joy—and as they prepared to venture to the city, they were met by a sudden chorus of feline cries, for the cats from X’s part of the neighbourhood had come to meet them. Whipping their tails as they bounced and jigged, the second they spotted her they jumped into the air as if the ground was made of lava, and what a sight it was. Cats of all shapes and sizes momentarily eclipsing the sun before landing on top of a bemused X. Rolling around on the dried and cracked dirt as two dozen cat tongues licked her face and neck, she squealed and giggled as they tickled and for one sweet moment thought she might wet herself. Thankfully she didn’t. Further down the track, approaching a temporarily winded Herbie who had plopped onto his bottom to take a breather, a lone, old cat came hobbling along, his fur and whiskers having seen better days. Rising to her feet, she patted and playfully slapped those jumping on her and made her way to the one who’d been lagging behind. She recognised him immediately, although it must be said, she hadn’t seen him for a long time indeed. Crouching down, she reached out her hand, and as he came over and brushed himself against her, she scooped him up and cradled the old boy in her arms. It was Bertie, brother of George, and when she peered into those eyes of his, she saw the same magic that had saved her life many years before. How happy it felt to be holding him in her arms, not just because he had made the exhausting trip to visit her, but because through him, she felt a little closer to George, and so came the tears that good ol’ Bertie did his best to lick away. Standing there gently sobbing, the other cats came waltzing behind her, and as Herbie once again took flight, X found herself drawn to a certain point on the horizon. It was the Ferris wheel, slowing turning as it always did, and as the cats cried out her name, she breathed in the scent of cotton candy and swayed.

A Journal for Damned Lovers UK

A Journal for Damned Lovers US

Anthology UK / Anthology US