Chapter 5

"So what are we doing, exactly?" questioned Munkustrap.

He and Rum Tum Tugger sat side by side on the massive black tire that sat in between two large piles of junk in the junkyard. Tugger nodded his head.

"I've asked Jemima and Old Deuteronomy to start singing 'Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat' song and usually Macavity tries to kidnap him, but fails. However, We're going to let him kidnap him and then-".

"Hold on a second, we're going to let Macavity kidnap Old Deuteronomy?" interrupted Munkustrap.

"Yeah and after Bombalurina sings the 'Macavity' song, you're going to actually fight Macavity" explained Tugger, with a grin on his face.

"Are you mad? You're putting mine and Old Deuteronomy's lives at risk, just so Mistoffelees can win Victoria's heart? That is a terrible plan".

"Well, do you have a better plan? Don't tell me you're thinking about that foolish one you told Mistoffelees earlier" replied Tugger, not smiling anymore.

"I unfortunately don't have another plan, so we're going to have to go with yours".

Munkustrap and Tugger watched as their tribe made a train quickly out of the random objects around the junkyard.

"Is there anything else I'm going to do in your plan?".

"Well after you fight Macavity, he'll turn out the lights and I'll start singing Misto's song. Then he'll come down from the bars above us on a rope, with his LED light jacket and the lights back on for us".

""How do you know for sure that Macavity will show up, fight me and then turn out the lights on us?" questioned Munkustrap.

Tugger chuckled.

"For one, Macavity likes to show up right after we finish Skimbleshank's song and tries to ruin the rest of our night every year. Second, Macavity won't ever back down from a fight. And third, he always turns out the lights whenever he leaves us".

"Wow, you're really confident in your plan. I just hope we get our leader back".

Tugger let a huge smile spread across his face.

"Don't worry; We will definitely get our leader back".

Tugger looked over at his tribe again and realized that Skimbleshank's song was about to be over.

"I better go help Misto get ready for my plan" he said, before he got up from his seat on the tire and walked away from Munkustrap and the rest of his tribe.

Tugger poked his head in the black pipe on the ground and found Mistoffelees, who had his LED light jacket on and was sparkly from from his head to his toes. He crawled out to see his friend.

"So, what's the plan?".

"I'm going to sing your song and when I start to sing the chorus a second time, you're going to come down with your jacket flashing and turn the lights back on. And then you'll--".

"Come down? On what?" interrupted Mistoffelees.

"On a rope that is connected to a pulley. Jemima is going to lower you down".

Oh no, not her. She has a big crush on me.

Mistoffelees, if you go behind that red curtain, there's going to a staircase to your right. Go up those stairs and you should see a metal bridge. Jemima is going to be on the other side of it".

"Is there anything else I need to know?" asked Mistoffelees.

"Yeah, think about the dance moves for you and I need you to make Old Deuteronomy reappear".

"Reappear? What do you--".

Suddenly, both cats heard a loud crash and saw all the lights around the junkyard turn red, followed by a familiar evil cackle of laughter.

"Macavity" whispered Mistoffelees and Tugger, in sync.

They glanced at each other, before parting ways.

Mistoffelees ran behind the red curtain, raced up the staircase and accidently bumped into Jemima on the metal bridge.

He caught her before she could hit the short railing and plummet down to her death.

"Sorry Jemima, I didn't see you there" apologized Mistoffelees as he brought Jemima back up onto her feet.

"That's alright Mistoffelees. Good thing you caught me; Otherwise I would have ruined Macavity's song".

Mistoffelees turned his head away from Jemima and looked down at the junkyard, putting his paws on the short railing. He watched as his tribe mates danced around the piles of junk.

"Don't they know that Macavity's song draws him to the junkyard?" asked Mistoffelees, with concern in his voice.

"Yes, they're aware of that. It's all part of Tugger's crazy plan" confused Jemima.

He turned to face her.

"Wh-wh-what crazy plan?".

"You know, the crazy plan where he lets Macavity kidnap Old Deuteronomy".

"Tugger is going to let Macavity kidnap Old Deuteronomy? He didn't tell me about that part of the plan. Why that bastard--".

Mistoffelees turned to march off the narrow metal bridge when Jemima stepped right in front of him to stop him in his tracks.

"Calm down Mistoffelees. It already happened".

Jemima looked down at the junkyard and saw their leader walking towards the tribe.

"Look, there he is!".

Mistoffelees quickly turned back to the railing and looked down again to see his leader.

"That's not Old Deuteronomy," said Mistoffelees, coolly.

"But it is him; Our tribe is gathering around him" explained Jemima.

"Then why is Demeter trying to stop him?".

Jemima paused for a moment, before replying back.

"Do you always have to be right about everything?" she said, rolling her eyes at him.

"I am the cleverest cat in the whole tribe," said Mistoffelees, charmingly.

"That's true," blushed Jemima.

They both made eye contact with each other, before Mistoffelees quickly shifted his gaze back down to the center of the junkyard, where Munkustrap and Macavity were now brawling.

As he watched him both fight each other, Mistoffelees felt drops of sweat dripping down from his face.

Hopefully I can make Old Deuteronomy reappear again. It would be embarrassing if I couldn't.

"Don't worry Misto, We all have faith in you" said Jemima, as if she could read his thoughts.

She handed him a dark brown rope that would hold his weight.

"Why are you handing me the rope now?" asked Mistoffelees, as he turned to face her.

"Because it's going to be pitch black in a few moments.".

"But I can--".

Mistoffelees was cut off by the loud crackle of electricity, before being swallowed by complete darkness. As he stood there on the metal bridge, Mistoffelees felt someone's head hit his chest and arms wrap around his waist tightly.

What has gotten into Jemima?

He turned on his LED lights on his jacket and instantly Jemima looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Y-y-you're afraid of the dark?" he asked, as he put a paw behind Jemima's head to let her head rest on his chest.

"Yes, ever since I met Macavity".

As they stood there together, Mistoffelees comforted Jemima. He could hear his Rum Tum Tugger starting to sing his song.

"Jemima, I've got to go down to the junkyard in a minute or two. Are you going to be okay when I leave you here all by yourself?" he asked, as he slightly pulled away from Jemima.

"Misto, you can't leave me here in the dark; you got to take me with you" she quietly sobbed.

'I can't; The rope will only hold my weight. That and someone has to lower me down".

More tears streamed down Jemima's face.

"However.....".

She watched as Mistoffelees started to form a glowing shape in his paws. He cupped his paws together to finish forming the object, letting some pink and green light escape from in between his fingers. Mistoffelees unfolded his paws and revealed a small, glowing pink rose.

Jemima held her paw to let the rose hover over it.

"Oh, wow. It's beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Mistoffelees".

"Now you'll always have a light to guide you through the dark" he replied, before he climbed over the short railing.

Mistoffelees grasped the rope and wrapped his right leg around it, so he would have less of a chance of him losing his grip on the rope.

"Jemima, it's time to lower me down now" whispered Mr. Mistoffelees, as he made his LED light jacket flash all kinds of different colours, such as white, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange and light blue.

"Oh, right".

Jemima scurried over to the other end of the rope and ran it through a pulley, before she started to give the rope more slack.

"Thanks again, Misto" she whispered, as she watched her friend disappear from her view.