P5: ELUSIVE CATS AND MICE

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┋ P5: ELUSIVE CATS AND MICE ┋

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By the time John was able to return to classes, he had rested for three consecutive days, one day after the incident with the meeting of cats at his house.

Since then, only stranger things were happening around him.

When he had breakfast with Molly and said goodbye to head to his university, he found two cats waiting for him outside the house, right at the doorstep.

However, he simply walked past them and ignored them; but they did not ignore him.

"Are you John?"

"He must be, fits the description to a tee, let's just not say how the boss described him to avoid making him uncomfortable."

Both cats were almost identical, much like the twins he had promised to help. They were two adult cats with blackish fur and white tufts covering their entire chest. One could almost say that each resembled the famous yin-yang symbol.

He avoided speaking to them as much as he could, but he understood why they were following him. They were his escort.

"Well then? What's the plan for today?"

"We are well-trained cats in the art of exterminating threats; we hunt prey larger than the mice in your house."

"Do I have mice at home?!" John thought to himself, shivering. He needed to warn Molly about that when he got back so she could be careful.

When he arrived at the bus station, he waited for it to arrive and sat on the bench, with the two cats climbing up on either side of him.

"Are you sure he understands us? He should have said something by now."

"Let's try something else. Hey, John, human, non-cat, evolved chimpanzee, Earth alien, pawn, kid, young man, adult..."

"I get it, I get it. Let me try. Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey."

His ears were starting to bother him. For the people around him, he just had two cats meowing incessantly beside him, but for him, he had two more harassers in his life who wouldn't stop bothering him.

To put an end to the situation, he finally addressed them.

"I'm just heading to school, I suppose Charlotte sent you, right? Tell her she can't send cats with me for what she wants; it'll be too obvious."

"Denied."

"Double denied."

They meowed one after the other, briefly locking eyes before returning their gaze to John.

"We can't stray more than 5 meters away from you."

"Orders... from the boss."

"...She's too intense in everything she does, isn't she?"

Both felines swallowed, looking away. However, a few strokes on their heads managed to regain their attention.

"Okay, just don't make noise, alright? I already have to deal with a bothersome cat in my classroom... Oh, now that I think about it..."

He leaned in for a moment to whisper something to both of them, and as soon as the bus arrived, he boarded it, followed by the yin-yang pair of cats.

Maybe they would indeed be helpful after all.

***

Once at his university, he instructed the felines to remain as hidden as possible before entering. They nodded confidently, disappearing from his sight within seconds. All set, he entered his classroom.

He opened the door to his classroom, greeting whoever was inside.

"Jhon!"

"Huh?"

Right in front of him, Eleanor and Emi spoke in un unison, each holding a cat, cats he already knew.

On one side, Emi was trying to keep Eleanor away from Norman, the mischievous and teasing brown cat that mocked him every day. On the other side, there was Eleanor, carrying Charlotte, the family cat who exuded beauty and elegance wherever she went.

However, it seemed like a comedic scene unfolding before his eyes, with one cat trying to get away from another determined to get close.

"Tell me more! You can't confront my great personality with the little you have!"

"I don't understand what you're talking about! You've been chasing me since yesterday, you don't even leave when surrounded by humans!"

"I'm always here, keeping an eye on that fool. Please, just give me a chance."

Jhon was perplexed hearing the desperate attempt of the cat trying to win him over, while the two girls still asked for help to separate them.

There was no other option but to bring out his secret weapon.

From his backpack, he carefully took out a can of tuna, opened it, and placed it on his desk.

Instantly, both cats turned their gaze but fought their instincts to not rush towards the food, closing their eyes and gritting their teeth in an attempt to resist being themselves.

However, it seemed they weren't the only ones in the classroom. Emerging from different corners, a horde of cats hidden under desks, behind the bookshelf, atop the fan, and cats outside the window leaped onto Jhon's desk, resulting in a skirmish among themselves.

Immediately, Jhon turned to look at Charlotte, who let out a disgruntled huff, causing all the cats to turn their gaze towards her.

"Out."

With a cold-toned meow, they all swallowed hard, pale-faced, hastily finishing the tuna before rushing out through the classroom door and others through the window.

However, nothing changed.

"...What was all that?" asked Emi, looking at Eleanor to see if she was scared. But, quite the opposite, Eleanor was holding a camera in her hand, snapping photos left and right of all the cats in the classroom.

"Already tried attracting them with tuna, but it's the first time I've seen them go so crazy over something like that. How did you do it?" asked Eleanor, taking a picture of Jhon.

"It's... a secret formula. I was going to use it as a getaway. You see those outside cats always keeping an eye on me? Well, I wanted to give it to them so they wouldn't bother me anymore."

"You sprinkled catnip on it," meowed Norman, inadvertently drooling.

"Definitely," added Charlotte, doing her best to avoid making the same silly expression as her harasser.

Luckily for the three students present, there was no one else in the classroom. It was still early. However, the problem persisted.

He could easily tell Norman to leave, possibly even ignore him, so he should discuss it with the two girls present.

"What's going on...?" asked Jhon, approaching and trying to take Norman from Emi's hands.

"Coffee has been acting wild these days you've been absent. By the way, how are you feeling? Much better?"

"Yeah, I'm doing better."

Jhon looked at both of them while firmly taking hold of Norman.

"Let me go! Let me go!" yowled the brown cat, ignoring the disgusted look from the cat in front of him.

However, Jhon was confused because both girls seemed to get along. From what he understood, Emi didn't like Eleanor, and Eleanor always kept her distance. But now, they were acting more friendly.

"Did something happen between you two while I was gone?" asked Jhon, tossing the cat out the window, hearing it curse until it landed in the first-floor courtyard on all fours. "Don't worry, he's fine."

Emi and Eleanor nodded, releasing a sigh of relief as the situation calmed down. But they didn't answer his query.

"What was all that cat situation about a moment ago?" asked Emi, taking a seat in an empty chair.

"That's what I want to know. Perhaps there's something attracting them, or maybe they were sent by someone even though it was clearly stated it wasn't necessary," he clarified, smiling with narrowed eyes, looking directly at Charlotte, who let out an irritated huff.

The three of them breathed easier, and Jhon and Emi went to take their seats.

However, Eleanor sat in the empty seat next to Jhon, petting her cat sitting in her lap.

The cat looked at him with great suspicion after noticing how her owner occasionally glanced at him, just like the other girl sitting beside him did.

"The others won't take long to arrive... Shouldn't we leave your cat somewhere else?" asked Jhon, watching as Charlotte looked away to ignore him.

"Uhmmm, what do you say, Charlotte?"

"Miiou," to which the others merely heard a simple meow. Jhon swallowed hard as he understood her words: "No, not yet..."

Eleanor and Emi exchanged a meaningful glance while Charlotte, the elegant and reserved cat, seemed to have a clear opinion on where she wanted to be.

"I think Charlotte likes it here," Eleanor remarked with a smile. "But if her presence bothers you, we can find another place for her while we're in class."

Jhon nodded, seeing the annoyance in the feline's expression, who had him in her sights.

"Damn... at this rate, she'll start suspecting me. Eleanor, you're not helping."

Trying to change the subject, as Eleanor left Charlotte outside, a displeased cat who ran back home in a huff, Jhon became intrigued again about the relationship between Eleanor and Emi. There seemed to be a shift in their usual dynamic, and though he didn't want to pry, curiosity drove him to ask again.

"Hey, sorry if I'm intruding, but has there been any change between you two? It seems like you get along better than you used to," Jhon asked, trying to be as subtle as possible.

Eleanor and Emi exchanged looks again, this time with a mix of surprise and complicity. Both seemed about to say something when a commotion from the hallway interrupted the conversation.

"We caught the brown cat."

"He was trying to sneak back into the classroom."

Holding Norman between the two yin-yang cats, the brown cat tried to break free.

The two yin-yang cats held Norman firmly, who struggled to free himself while attempting to enter the classroom. Jhon tried to ignore them, pretending not to notice.

"Well... could I borrow your notes, Emi? The professor will scold me for my irresponsibility again..."

"Sure, but... what about those cats?"

"Just ignore them."

"Huh?"

As Jhon tried to convince her to ignore them too, Eleanor only photographed the new cats, who stared directly at Charlotte, who appeared behind them, glaring at the three of them.

"I see you've caught a nice prey. If he wants to mess with me so much, then so be it. Come on, let's take him to the dungeon."

"Y-Yes, boss!"

"Y-Yes!"

The two black-and-white felines continued dragging the brown cat, pulling him out of the main hallway following the steps of the leopard-patterned cat.

"Dungeon?! H-Hey, I'm not into that kind of stuff!"

Charlotte would glance at him slightly, smiling.

"I'm a cat valued in millions of dollars... know your place, plebeian."

With that said, they ended up taking him out of the school, leaving the place calmer.

And as if nothing had happened, other students began to arrive, and among the three who were previously present, they promised not to say anything.

Meanwhile, Jhon wondered what Molly might be doing in his place, back at home.

***

Molly, always meticulous with cleanliness, was focused on the dust behind the furniture when she began to perceive an unusual sound. At first, she thought it was just her imagination playing tricks on her, but the noises persisted. It was as if faint scratches and whispers filled the air.

Perking her ears, she gracefully rose from her cleaning position and ventured into the living room, where the sounds seemed more audible. Her cat eyes were alert, searching for any clue about the source of the noise.

She glided among the furniture, inspecting every corner cautiously. Until finally, she noticed a furtive movement near the window. She approached stealthily, her tail twitching slightly, indicating her total concentration on the task.

Peering out, she saw a small group of mice scurrying through a hole in the corner of the window frame. Molly's gaze turned serious. She wouldn't tolerate intruders in her home, especially rodents that could disrupt the cleanliness and tranquility of the place.

With graceful yet determined movements, Molly approached the hole. She used her feline skill to temporarily block it with a piece of fabric she found nearby. However, she knew that wouldn't be enough to prevent the mice from returning.

With her mind in action, she headed to the kitchen in search of supplies. She found some DIY materials and tools, along with a bit of wire and wood. With skill, she began working on the window, reinforcing it precisely to prevent future intrusions.

As she finalized the details, her sensitive hearing detected a slight rustling in the nearby wall. She quickly turned, finding another small hole where the rodents might have entered. She made sure to seal it with the same skill as the window, thus securing the integrity of her home.

While Molly busied herself fixing the potential rodent entry points, she encountered a small problem: the tool she used to block one of the holes got stuck. She delicately tried to retrieve it, but the tool refused to budge. With an expression between exasperation and amusement, Molly struggled to free it while murmuring to herself in a feline language no one else would understand.

Finally, after a couple of attempts, she managed to free the tool, but in the process, she accidentally took a step back. Her agile movements led her to collide with a small table, causing a precious and decorative vase to teeter on the edge of falling.

Molly, with her feline instincts activated, attempted to catch the daring mouse perched confidently on her head. She made swift and quick movements, but the rodent was elusive, maneuvering skillfully between her ears and evading every capture attempt.

In an unexpected turn, Molly paused for a moment. She looked at the mouse with curiosity. It wasn't just an ordinary rodent; there was something different in its gaze and way of moving. The cat surprised herself by finding something special about that small creature.

She decided to try a different approach. Instead of chasing it, she sat quietly, maintaining a close but non-threatening distance. With gentle movements, she began to establish a kind of communication with the mouse, moving her ears and emitting soft guttural sounds that, in the world of cats, could be interpreted as words.

The mouse, surprised by this unexpected reaction, watched Molly with curiosity. It didn't appear scared or threatened; there was something in the bipedal cat's attitude that conveyed a sense of safety.

Molly, determined, tried to communicate in the best way possible. She made soft sounds and movements with her body, trying to convey a message of peace and curiosity to the little visitor.

The mouse, apparently understanding Molly's attempt, began to move in a particular way, swaying its body from side to side and making scraping sounds with its paws, as if trying to respond to the "dialogue" that the cat had initiated.

The scene became a strange but touching interaction between two species that don't usually relate in that manner. Molly, with her ability to communicate in unconventional ways, seemed to be establishing a special connection with that mouse, who responded in an equally unusual manner.

Both, cat and mouse, continued their "conversation" of movements and sounds, creating a unique and special moment in the living room. And in the meantime, Jhon, who had been sick for a few days, returned to class with all his energy, feeling peaceful without any cats tormenting him for a while.