Emerald Eyes by xxxmagiabellexxx
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If there was anywhere I would have rather not been, it would be my new house in the Haunted Woods. I tried to swallow but my throat felt dry as trees shadowed so perfectly macabre faces dotted them were all around me, like they were closing in. The moonlight was so weak and just barely draped over everything else darker than it like a fine veil you can walk through.
“I hate this place,” I moaned as I set my stuff down in a century old bed.
“Don’t be such a grumpy Bori,” said my owner. “You’ll grow to like this place.”
“Especially because I fit in here so well,” I sarcastically pointed out, pointing at my very Rainbow self. My colors were so vibrant they almost blinded in the dark.
“You should explore,” she suggested with a sigh. “It’s not very scenic or picturesque around here, but if you hitchhike like you loved back in Brightvale, it might clear your mind up.”
I snorted and walked out the door, mumbling to myself. “Who does she think she is, just deciding to leave such a perfect paradise for a place where some babbling, mad, insane mental Kyrii could pop out from the bushes any minute?”
I looked around me and peeked over the bushes just to make sure. As I walked further in, I tried to think of the positive things about the Haunted Woods, but come on. Even the name wants to make you pee your pants in fear. It’s hard to be happy about something with such a traumatic effect on anyone. Just then, I heard something scramble in the bushes and they moved just slightly. I picked up a stick. “Whoever it is, I’m armed!” I lied. Nervously, I poked the bush really quickly like it would bite me. Seeing it didn’t, I poked it longer again. The bush didn’t pop up and attack me. But a mad Meowclops sure did.
I screamed as a furry black bullet of fury pounced on my leg and deliberately held on even as I shook my leg like I was dancing. “MEOWRR,” it argued, like it just wanted me to calm down. Gingerly, I stopped fidgeting and the little petpet sat in front of me, licking its paw in a very ‘I-told-you-so’ manner.
“You gave me a scare, little one.” I chuckled, still a bit nervous from the whole ordeal. It turned to look at me like it didn’t want to be called little, and the first thing I noticed was its eye. Most Meowclopses have a gold eye with a green pupil, but this one was the opposite. Its eye shone a brilliant green; it was an emerald shade, and the center was a glistening gold like dandelions in a summer afternoon.
“Wow, your eye is so pretty.” I sighed, admiring it. It purred and wrapped around my leg. Clearly, this cat could think for itself and was a very prideful thing at that. I sighed again, looking at the different colors in my fur. “Well, at least you’re proud of that,” I said softly to myself.
As I began to walk home, it trotted behind me and constantly meowed, like it was planning to do something with me. I turned around and shooed it away. But it wouldn’t budge. “Look here, cat. You were good without me. Now stay.” That did it; the little Meowclops sat there and watched me leave silently. But for the rest of the day, my mind kept drifting back to it.
* * *
“I’m going for a walk,” I said airily the next morning when I woke up. “This early? See, I told you this place was nice,” said my owner as I ran to where I had seen the Meowclops last night. But it was gone.
I knew it was stupid, but I called out for it, calling it the first thing that popped into my mind. “Emerald, come here, girl!” Her eye color had been that pretty.
Then I heard a meow and the little creature bounced over to me, happy as a Meowclops with no owner but a temporary guest could be.
“Aren’t you smart.” I smiled as I pet her. She arched her back in delight and her little motor purred. I took out some bacon from my pocket and fed her off my hand. “You’re a brave little thing,” I cooed. I then replied as Emerald would in a really high-pitched voice. I realized then that petpet-owners sound really stupid when they talk to their petpets, the owners like ventriloquists and the petpets the dummy- only in this case, I had to wonder who the dummy really was.
I also played with Emerald, the new name I gave her, with some sticks she chased gleefully and leaves I threw in the air and we danced under. I had a really good time with this strange kitty, and for the rest of the week I would get up early to go and see her at her usual spot under the bare and twisted tree in the front yard. One day, I went to see Emerald as usual. I didn’t see her and instead saw a faint scarlet smear in the tree instead. My heart dropped like icy water splashing on your face. I called to her, saying her name in hopes I’d hear that happy meow and purr again. But nothing happened and I was all alone. I started to cry, unbelievably enough. And then it started to rain. The rain made my adrenaline rush and I stepped in squishy, muddy pools of dirty water yelling for my kitty. “EMERALD! EEEMERAAALDD!! WHERE ARE YOU, EMERALD?”
After what felt a century worth of searching, I collapsed on the floor and gave myself in. I was so far from home; I couldn’t even see a trail in the ground anymore. All there was around me was rain, twisted trees, and sadness lingering like a Mozito that just won’t stop buzzing around you. “Meow.” It came feebly, but I heard it and my ears tried to pick up the crisp sound of Emerald’s meowing. And then, the little Meowclops limped over to me with a bloody leg from behind a bush and curled up in my lap. It was like the rain had muffled my ears, but all I remember then was hugging Emerald in a tight embrace and rain annoyingly tapping us. Right then, I decided Emerald wasn’t just a Meowclops. She was going to be my Meowclops. * * *
Everything is still. The emerald eyes are focused intensely on the little feathered toy that lies perfectly silent. The furry tail swishes back and forth rhythmically. Then, it moves just slightly, but it is enough for the Meowclops to notice- she pounces and lands gracefully with the toy in her snout. She shakes her head playfully. The Rainbow Bori laughs crisply; the laugh is true and loving. She grabs the Meowclops and rocks back and forth, while the mischievous kitty bites her hand lightly, it wants to play. Both don’t seem to fit in with their surroundings very well. The Bori clashes against the dark background, and the cat’s eye’s color is different and rare. But they seem to know. The Meowclopses nudges the Bori and runs off, urging her to play. And the Bori laughs that laugh again and follows.
The End
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