Chapter Two: The Cats Wandered in, I swear.

The dim sunlight shone through my window as the sun moved around the east, indicating yet another, hopefully, productive day. The crisp morning air flooded the house, as I hadn't bothered to shut the windows. Not that it mattered; this is probably the most unlikely place in the universe to get robbed of your belongings.

The flowers on my dining room table have started to wither away, the petals traced intricate dances as they glided down to the table top. The leaves looked shriveled and dry, and the petals had started to fade. The vase shone as the sunlight streamed through it.

Something furry curled up on one of the chairs under the table. I see a tail covered in fur swaying from side to side, and soon after I hear a cheerful and content purr coming from the furry, winged beast. Its wings extended outward revealing its ram-like horns and its sharp canines. I concluded that one of the cats had snuck in through an open window and fell asleep on the chair last night.

I get up and step into the kitchen. Half the fruit that was on the counter had now vanished. "Strompi are you awake?" I say while looking around for any signs of them. After a few minutes of waiting with no avail, I walk into my bedroom and to my surprise, there are 3 more cats stretched out across my bed and Strompi is sitting on the carpet eating the missing fruit.

A look of disbelief washes over my face. "Strompi, did you let all these cats in here?" I say staring into their glossy round eyes. Their imploring eyes gazed back up at me, and their paws held an orange close to their chest.

"Don't you dare give me that pouty face." I say kneeling down next to them. Strompi emphasized their posture but crouching low and craning their necks to look up at me. "Oh fine!" I give in, extending my arms to them. They happily obliged by curling up on my lap.

There's a knock on the door. At first it was soft, but then a second knock came soon after. If I'm being honest with you, it sounded more like a thud. Strompi dashes into the kitchen and I get up and walk to the front door. My hair is still kind of messy, but who cares. I open the door just a crack to peer through, but the door is shoved open rather quickly.

"SSKYYYYYYEEEE!!" The figure that was in the doorway just seconds ago was now tackling me to the ground. It was my best friend, Marine. We've known each other since childhood - about 2000 years ago.

Her curly red hair flowed down onto my face as she proceeded to lay all her weight on top of me. She was now laying on me. Her deadweight was a lot more than I was used to, but what can you do when your friend group is chaotic?

"Skye! I've missed you!! It's been so long since we've last seen each other!" She says with a hint of cheerfulness as well as silliness.

"Yes indeed! It's been a long while since our last meeting." I say with a hint of regret. It has been a while since I've spoken to Marine at all.

"Oh my gosh, is that a cat!" She says excitedly, getting up from on top of me and running over to the chair where the cat slumbered. My lungs felt instant relief as I stood up to close the door.

"Apparently. Strompi over here decided last night that it would be a great idea to let four cats stay the night. Strompi is a baby dragon that I found on my way to the market yesterday, by the way." The loud purrs of the cat filled the room as Marine stroked its soft fur.

"You absolutely have to keep them! You can't just leave them out in the cold. That'd be cruel." She picks up the cat in her hands and slings them over her shoulder. "Just look at its scaly horns, these marvelous wings! And you got four of them in your apartment! Why not just keep them? They only ever eat berries so letting them out into the string gardens wont be a bother. And besides, just look at them!!!" She exclaimed while pouting at me.

"Ugh, fine! Okay? You win. I'll keep the cats." I sigh as I stride towards the kitchen.

"I knew I could break through that cold barrier of yours." She said wryly. I shrug it off and open the cupboard in an attempt to find something to eat for breakfast.

"Didn't you go to the market yesterday? There's nothing in your cupboards." Marine states as she starts going through the pantry.

"Well, yeah, but I had forgotten what I needed and then I ended up buying Strompi some fruit. I sure as hell remember what I need now." I sigh whilst sitting on top of the counter.

One of the cats was striding into the kitchen at this point. Their loud meow echoed throughout the silence in the hallway. Unlike most strays, the cats here were soft and fluffy, healthy, and well taken care of. A berry rolled off of the counter, and the cat started pawing at it, rolling it around on the floor for a few seconds before picking it up in her mouth. She gazed up at me with a look of pure gratitude, and proceeded to jump up onto the counter.

After a few moments of silence, Marine spoke, "Hey, do you think we could meet each other at the market for breakfast? My treat." She said with a soft smile.

"Sure! I'd love to." I replied while stroking the cat that had sat besides me. "Maybe we can come up with names for them over breakfast." I suggested while letting out a small chuckle.

"It's a date." Marine said playfully as she pulled me off the counter by my arms.

"Meet me there in 2 hours!" She yelled as she dashed out the door. "And wear something nice."

After 2000 years of friendship, you'd think we might get tired of each other, but no, somehow we always have something to talk about. There's always something we can do together, places to go, memories to be made. I love it. I'm proud of our friendship for lasting this long, and I hope it lasts forever.

The cat jumps off the counter and follows my footsteps to my bedroom. The other two cats were still strewn across my bed, and the other went back to the dining room to take a nap on the chair. I open my closet and look for an outfit to wear. "What would Marine consider 'nice'?" I wonder out loud to myself. I decided to wear something casual - perhaps jeans and a hoodie.

I picked out a black zip up hoodie with a pattern of roses on its front, and a pair of skinny black jeans. I took out a white shirt to wear underneath it, figuring it would look better than just a normal shirt. Time to shower! I stride quickly towards the bathroom to find Strompi playing in the empty bathtub. I chuckle as I like them out. "Now now, Strompi, I have to get ready, so you have to wait outside the bathroom." I petted their head and they hopped into the bedroom and jumped on the bed to lay down with the cats.

I take a quick shower and get dressed. I stand in front of the fogged up mirror and run a brush through my curly jet-black hair. It fell softly over my shoulders and down to my waist. Since we're going out for breakfast, I tie it in a quick messy bun, not really caring about how it looked and step out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. Strompi is playing with the cats on the carpet; but when they see me, they run towards me in hopes of more pets.

I pick Strompi up in my arms and sling them over my shoulder. "It's time to go, Strompi." They didn't even bother to try and wiggle their way out of my grasp, but instead swayed their tail from side to side with enjoyment. I find it amazing that such a magnificent beast could grow so fond of someone within the space of a few hours. Then again, I am grateful for it.

Making my way to the door, I make sure to leave my window open for the cats, and then step outside. The sun shone a brilliant pink and orange hue to the west, which faded into purple and blue towards the east. I allow Strompi to jump down onto the pathway because I know I won't be able to carry him all the way there.

It's best for us to take the quicker route today, through the city and past the library, seeing as we're running slightly late. The city is much more quiet today, and everybody seems to be taking things easy. Sletch and Fiorg are out of sight, and I find myself silently hoping that they aren't getting up to mischief. Maybe they'll resort to a calmer, less chaotic form of mischief in future, if we're lucky.

The trees sway with the wind and the string gardens are beginning to be duller than ever. You could practically smell the change of season in the air, as well as see evidence all around you indicating a change in season. 'Tis nearly winter, the season that everybody loves. It's the time of year where the entire planet freezes over, and we are free to make it our playground.

I glance down at Strompi, who seems to be enjoying himself. "We're almost there, buddy." I assure him and he hops along by my side.

The breeze brushed against my skin and the sea stirred below our feet. All was calm and peaceful, on a fine autumn morning.