the box to me, opened the car door, and climbed
in. I handed the box back to her and shut the door. I then got in
the car myself, and started it up. It was only a five minute drive
to the shelter. I found a parking spot and we headed in.
Branna was sitting at the front desk, as
always. She looked up at Rania and me. She was quite startled when
she saw us. “What on earth are you doing here?” she asked.
“Shouldn’t you be in school still?”
I tried very hard to swallow the lump in my
throat and nodded. “Yes, I know we should be…but something has
happened.” I stopped there. I couldn’t tell Branna the truth, at
least not all of it. She would never understand. Besides, I didn’t
really know her all that well.
She looked very concerned. “What’s happened
Crimson? You can tell me,” she coaxed.
Tears now streaming down my face, I said,
“My parents are gone.”
“What do you mean gone?” She obviously
didn’t understand what I was saying.
“I don’t know. I woke up early this morning
and they were gone. No sign of them at all. The car was still in
the garage. They just…disappeared.” I stopped myself there, before
anything else came pouring out. “That’s not why we’re here though.
I elbowed Rania. She thrust the box forward.
Branna peered in, “Oh my, what a cute little
guy. Where did you find him?”
“He followed me home last night.”
Branna nodded. The look on her face said
that she understood far better than she should have, but the look
was fleeting. She got real serious then. “I cannot take him in,”
she said calmly.
“What do you mean you can’t take him?” Rania
spat at her. “You’re an animal shelter, that’s what you do.” She
was furious enough for the both of us.
Branna looked completely un-phased by
Rania’s outburst. “I just don’t have the room for another animal
right now. I’m sorry. You’re going to have to keep Cinder.”
How could she have known that? I hadn’t told
her that I named him Cinder. I tried not to let it show that it
freaked me out. “Come on Rania, let’s go…now!”
“But, but, what are we going to do with
him?”
“We’ll figure something else out. Please,
let’s just go.”
“Oh, fine. I don’t want to hang around here
anyway,” she said, giving Branna one of her looks.
I practically drug her out the door.
“Alright, what’s going on?” she asked once
we were outside and standing by the car.
“She…she knew what I named the kitten! I
never said what I was calling him.”
Rania looked at me for a moment, puzzled. “I
don’t even think you told me that,” she concluded. “So how could
she have known that?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it. I don’t
like what’s going on. What are we going to do now? I can’t keep
this cat. I just can’t.” I knew I was going to start crying
again.
Rania set the box on the hood of the car and
wrapped her arms around me. “We’ll figure something out, I promise.
For now, I think you should stay with me. I don’t want you to be
alone, and my parents won’t mind.”
I smiled. “Thanks Rania, you’re a good
friend.”
We headed back to my house, so I could
gather up some things. I was so glad I had Rania for help. Without
her, I’d be so lost. I wandered around my room in a fog, trying to
figure out what I needed to bring with me. I tried to hurry,
because I knew she’d be impatient. She always was. At least I could
count on that.
She glared at me from the doorway. “Are you
ready yet? “
I shot her a glare back. “I’m working on
it!” I threw some clothes and beauty products into my duffle bag.
“Umm, Rania, what are we going to do with Cinder?”
“You’re not bringing him with us, if that’s
what you’re getting at. I will not have that fluffy ball of
evilness in my house. Besides, my parents would flip out. I don’t
care what you do with him, but you can’t bring him with.”
I knew she wouldn’t budge on the subject.
Not that I
in. I handed the box back to her and shut the door. I then got in
the car myself, and started it up. It was only a five minute drive
to the shelter. I found a parking spot and we headed in.
Branna was sitting at the front desk, as
always. She looked up at Rania and me. She was quite startled when
she saw us. “What on earth are you doing here?” she asked.
“Shouldn’t you be in school still?”
I tried very hard to swallow the lump in my
throat and nodded. “Yes, I know we should be…but something has
happened.” I stopped there. I couldn’t tell Branna the truth, at
least not all of it. She would never understand. Besides, I didn’t
really know her all that well.
She looked very concerned. “What’s happened
Crimson? You can tell me,” she coaxed.
Tears now streaming down my face, I said,
“My parents are gone.”
“What do you mean gone?” She obviously
didn’t understand what I was saying.
“I don’t know. I woke up early this morning
and they were gone. No sign of them at all. The car was still in
the garage. They just…disappeared.” I stopped myself there, before
anything else came pouring out. “That’s not why we’re here though.
I elbowed Rania. She thrust the box forward.
Branna peered in, “Oh my, what a cute little
guy. Where did you find him?”
“He followed me home last night.”
Branna nodded. The look on her face said
that she understood far better than she should have, but the look
was fleeting. She got real serious then. “I cannot take him in,”
she said calmly.
“What do you mean you can’t take him?” Rania
spat at her. “You’re an animal shelter, that’s what you do.” She
was furious enough for the both of us.
Branna looked completely un-phased by
Rania’s outburst. “I just don’t have the room for another animal
right now. I’m sorry. You’re going to have to keep Cinder.”
How could she have known that? I hadn’t told
her that I named him Cinder. I tried not to let it show that it
freaked me out. “Come on Rania, let’s go…now!”
“But, but, what are we going to do with
him?”
“We’ll figure something else out. Please,
let’s just go.”
“Oh, fine. I don’t want to hang around here
anyway,” she said, giving Branna one of her looks.
I practically drug her out the door.
“Alright, what’s going on?” she asked once
we were outside and standing by the car.
“She…she knew what I named the kitten! I
never said what I was calling him.”
Rania looked at me for a moment, puzzled. “I
don’t even think you told me that,” she concluded. “So how could
she have known that?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it. I don’t
like what’s going on. What are we going to do now? I can’t keep
this cat. I just can’t.” I knew I was going to start crying
again.
Rania set the box on the hood of the car and
wrapped her arms around me. “We’ll figure something out, I promise.
For now, I think you should stay with me. I don’t want you to be
alone, and my parents won’t mind.”
I smiled. “Thanks Rania, you’re a good
friend.”
We headed back to my house, so I could
gather up some things. I was so glad I had Rania for help. Without
her, I’d be so lost. I wandered around my room in a fog, trying to
figure out what I needed to bring with me. I tried to hurry,
because I knew she’d be impatient. She always was. At least I could
count on that.
She glared at me from the doorway. “Are you
ready yet? “
I shot her a glare back. “I’m working on
it!” I threw some clothes and beauty products into my duffle bag.
“Umm, Rania, what are we going to do with Cinder?”
“You’re not bringing him with us, if that’s
what you’re getting at. I will not have that fluffy ball of
evilness in my house. Besides, my parents would flip out. I don’t
care what you do with him, but you can’t bring him with.”
I knew she wouldn’t budge on the subject.
Not that I
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