I cracked one eye open. The biped stood there holding red straps. Before I could jump away, I was locked into them. I opened both eyes and glared at the biped.
“Don’t give me that look.” She said as she reached down to pick me up. “This is for your own good.’
“What’s going on? What are you doing? Nothing good ever happens after someone says ‘for your own good’.” I complained.
The female biped didn’t answer as she tried petting me into submission. “Here, your turn,” she gave me to the other biped. “She’s pissed.”
The male began to pet me. I allowed myself to be soothed. I purred to let him know I didn’t blame him for my situation. I protested when he stood. Absentmindedly, he calmed me down. He carried me through another door, and I saw my exit. I was about to leap down, when the noise began. A loud, squeaky, rumbling noise filled the room. I saw my exit disappearing and I tried to run the other way.
The male’s grip tightened so I couldn’t get away. “It’s alright.” He began repeating. The noise continued while I struggled to no avail. Eventually the male walked me to one of the death machines outside. He opened the door and placed me inside. I felt a tug on the straps around me, I couldn’t escape as the door closed, locking me inside the machine. I began to cry, pitifully. The machine roared to life beneath me, and I hid.
When the machine stopped, the biped pulled me from my hiding place, and began trying to calm me,. I wasn’t that easily subdued.
She held me in her lap, and wrapped one of her layers around me. The world became dark, yet warm and comforting. My cries faded as I listened to her heartbeat. I could feel her moving, her slightly unsteady gait taking me away from the death machine.
We entered a building my nose remembered, and I yelled, “I don’t wanna go to the doctor’s!” I struggled to escape my confinement.
My nose was full of the scent of fear, predators, and prey. Light entered my world again, and I flipped from her arms to the ground. As always, landing on my feet. I could see outside, and was about to make a break for it, when I paused. There was something in my way. That pause was all the biped needed to snatch me up again. She held me tightly as we passed door after door. All of them closed. All of them smelling of fear.
We entered one, and I tried to bolt again, but I couldn’t escape. Resigned to my fate, I gave up and curled up in the biped’s lap. There was no point in fighting anymore.
She removed her outer layer, and placed it beside her. She lifted me, and put me on the pile of cloth. I snuggled in while her hands idly rubbed my head.
A door opened, more bipeds entered and started speaking. I closed my ears to their conversation. I didn’t want to be here.
I was lifted from my comfortable nest and placed on a cold flat surface. I protested, and quickly lowered to my haunches to protect my belly. Both bipeds started petting me, and I gave a small purr of satisfaction.
The door opened again, and I eyed it warily. The sounds and smells that blasted from the other side frightened me. I hoped I didn’t have to go in there.
Another biped entered and began running their hands all over me. I was upset when the new one tried to look in my mouth, but I just twisted my jaw from their grip. After that final indignity all three of the bipeds started petting me. I felt so safe and secure. So, I stretched out on my side. The bipeds talked some more, but I was at peace.
The door opened again, and I shifted to cover my belly. The biped who left, returned quickly.
Before I knew what they had planned, I felt a jab in my back haunch.
My biped picked me up and began cuddling me, but I didn’t want anything to do with any of them. Flipping out of her arms, I found the floor. I sat facing the corner, my tail swishing with my anger at how I’d been treated.
The biped put her outer layer back on after the other two left the room. And I was once more bundled inside, next to her heart.
When the light returned, I recognized the inside of the death machine. I stayed right where I was. The machine eventually rattled to a stop and died. My biped cradled me until we were back in the house.
She finally removed the straps. I was free again.
** This PonyTale is in memory of Pugsley and Wednesday. Pony's kitty friends in Montana who have crossed the rainbow bridge. Goodbye Pugsley, we'll miss your messages. **