Writing Challenge - Stray Animal

The scent of cooked food woke me from my daze, it definitely smelt better than the food I got from the garbage earlier. 

This ting alley with a pile of cardboard boxes was my home, the love I knew from humans was the occasional child who dropped their food and the woman who sometimes left a sausage or piece of chicken on the corner for me; she hadn’t been for awhile.

I wasn’t upset about that, friends come and go all the time whether it’s a friendly human or a new member of the pack. They either get caught by the pound, go to a different alley or they join a new pack. 

There were people everywhere tonight, the scent was strong here mixed with other delicious smells as well as some not so nice smells. 

I was coming up to the cat alley when I could hear what sounded like a commotion. I was hesitant at first thinking it was a start of a cat fight and not wanting to get involved. 

Listening more closely though it didn’t sound like a cat, or even a dog; it sounded human. 

I’ve heard that voice before, I looked around the corner and saw the woman I hadn’t seen for a while backing up to the dumpster at the end of the alley being followed by a man holding a sharp object. 

The woman cried out for help and I leapt at the man from behind, he didn’t see me coming so I caught him by surprise. I didn’t like the sharp object in his hand so I grabbed hold of that arm so he couldn’t hurt me or the woman. 

Attacking him seemed to help the woman as she pulled something out of her bag and pointed it at the attackers face. 

It smelt like pepper, the man yelled so I let him go and followed the woman towards the street. 

I checked she was okay, two man showed up and were talking to the woman, they all turned to me and called me a good boy. 

That made me happy; but what the woman said next said the happiest thing I’ve ever heard “do you want to come home with me?” Did I ever. Maybe she has that really nicely scented cooked food or she will get me some. My pack had expanded and I didn’t need to return to the cardboard boxes ever again.

Writing Challenge - Country Mouse

“Welcome to New York, it’s been waiting for you” the song goes. It was a long drive but I’m finally here. The lights are so bright you can barely see the stars. 

The city is so alive at night, loud music, honking of cars and yelling and laughter of people on the streets. 

Back home it is so much quieter, you can hear the occasional owl hoot and crickets chirp but it was quiet. When you look at the sky it is full of stars. The night is so dark and yet so bright at the same time. Here in the city that never sleeps you can’t hear crickets or owls. 

Just driving through the Main Square in the taxi shows so much activity happening in the city. All the buildings are lit up and all the bars are full. There’s music everywhere, from the performers on the street, to speakers blaring. 

A theatre just finished, there’s people streaming out into the streets.

I have never seen so many people in one place at once.

This was my new home. 

I get to my new apartment and look around the room, it’s suddenly very quiet and empty here. 

I had came to the city of lights, soon I will live my dreams.