A Thief's Life

One stormy, wintry night, two kittens wandered the streets, cold, starved, and helpless. They were half frozen with cold in the snow, and their orange, red, gold, white, and black striped fur was stiff against their bodies with ice. The older one, a boy, kept the younger one, obviously his little sister, close to him and was trying to keep her warm by licking the ice particles from her face gently as they walked. He soothed in her ear, his voice trying to be comforting, but he was obviously suffering much more than she was.
The pair paused under a street lamp. The boy rubbed his sister’s back. “Don’ worry, Teaze. Ai’m gonna ge’ us through all this.” He licked her cheek gently.
The girl smiled weakly. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, nearly freezing there. “Ai miss momma,” she whimpered.
“’Ey, Ai miss ‘er too,” the boy said gently. “Bu’ we hafta fin’ a plaice fer the night ou’ o’ the col’ before we freeze.” He licked her cold nose gently.
Suddenly a shadow fell across the two kittens. They looked up, startled, to see a cat standing above them, a tall, thin, ginger-colored tom, with hard, golden eyes, and a tight, evil smile. He stood over them, his shadow engulfing them both. “Oh, poor kittens,” he said. “Are you all alone out in the cold?”
The boy kitten stood protectively in front of his sister. “’Ho’re you?” he demanded, his brown eyes glowing as much as a kitten’s could.
The tom smiled at the kitten at his feet. “My name is Macavity, and it’s a name you’ll do well to remember. You look like you could use a hot meal and a warm bed. Come with me, and I’ll help you.”
Teazer clutched her brother’s arm. “Momma said neva ta trus’ a stranger,” she whispered.
Jerrie nodded slowly. “Bu’ if we don’, we’ll freeze.”
They turned to Macavity and nodded, their identical brown eyes wide. Macavity smiled and picked them up gently. He held them gently against his warm chest. Instantly the two snuggled closer to him, protected from the biting cold.
>^..^<
Macavity carried the kittens to his warehouse on the docks. Once inside, he deposited them in a soft box full of expensive-looking silk blankets. They immediately curled up. He fetched them a bowl of warm milk and watched them eat.
The boy kitten made sure his sister had her share first, and even let her have part of his. Once she had finished, he drank the rest. It filled his stomach and warmed his body right up. He mewed his thanks.
“What is your name, kitten?” Macavity asked gently.
“Me name’s Mungojerrie, an’ this is me sis, Rumpleteazer.” Jerrie rubbed Teazer’s back gently.
Macavity smiled a bit. “Where’s your mother?”
“She’s dead,” Jerrie whimpered. “She wa’ killed by a straiy.” Teazer mewed and whimpered, burying her face in Jerrie’s neck.
Macavity’s gaze turned surprised for a moment, but he masked it and smiled softly. “Oh, you poor kittens. All alone in the winter like that. You are welcome to stay with me here as long as you like.”
The two had scarcely nodded when Macavity summoned the Dames, a group of females who worked for him, and whisked the kittens off for a thorough cleaning.
>^..^<
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer lived with Macavity for many months, and Macavity taught them how to steal. They were happy and contented with their “father”, for a while, anyway.
One day, Rumpleteazer came back beaming, with a spring in her step. She cornered Jerrie in the hallway. “Jer, Ai jes’ met the mos’ wonnerful group o’ cats you’ll ev’r meet,” she giggled. “They’re calle’ Jellicles, an’ they’s really great.”
Jerrie instantly grabbed Teazer and pushed her against the wall gently. “Teaze, wha’ did Macavity alwaiys say about the Jellicles? ‘E says ta staiy away fro’ them.”
“Bu’ they’s real nice!” Teazer protested.
“No!” Jerrie said, holding her close. “Macavity woul’ kill ya fer disobeyin’ ‘im. Please don’ do it, Teaze,” he said softly.
Teazer’s brown eyes overflowed with tears. “Jer, they’re nice. Them Jellicles, they’s diffrent. They don’ steal, an’ they sides with ‘umans. The one Ai met, Alonzo, ‘e’s real nice. ‘E saiys we ca’ come staiy wit’ the Jellicles.”
Mungojerrie shook his head. “No. It’s too dangrous. Macavity’ll kill ya, Teaze. Ai can’ letcha taike tha’ risk. Please don’.”
Teazer said nothing, but she turned and ran away, not looking back.
>^..^<
The next morning, Jerrie searched for Teazer everywhere, but she wasn’t around. He became worried as the day wore on. Finally he was informed by Venge, one of Macavity’s henchcats, that she had disappeared early that morning and hadn’t been back since. Macavity summoned Jerrie before him.
“Yes, sir?” Jerrie said, facing his ‘father’.
Macavity’s golden eyes narrowed. “Where’s Rumpleteazer?” he asked.
Jerrie shivered. “Ai… Ai don’ know. She disappeared.”
Macavity growled. “You don’t know where she is?”
Jerrie knew exactly where his little sister was, with the Jellicles, but he wasn’t going to tell Macavity that. He shook his head. Macavity glowered.
“You’re a bad liar, Jerrie. She ran off to the Jellicles, didn’t she?” he demanded.
Jerrie’s eyes grew wide. “N… no.”
Macavity jumped to his feet and advanced towards the young tom. “She is. I know she is. How could you let her go?”
Jerrie turned to run, but Macavity grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him across the room. Jerrie hit the wall hard. He yelped. Macavity stalked up to him. He unsheathed his claws and slashed Jerrie across the eyes. Jerrie screamed. He scrambled against the wall, his paws over his clawed face. Macavity kicked Jerrie and punched him in the face. Jerrie felt blood streaming from his nose and the corner of his eyes. He gave a whimper of pain and fear.
Macavity growled. “If she ever comes back, I’ll kill her!” He gave Jerrie one last blow, and then stamped out. Jerrie curled into a ball and didn’t move for a very long time.
>^..^<
A few days later, Jerrie was doing his ‘errands’ in the middle of London when he caught a familiar scent. He whirled around. “Teazer!” he cried happily, throwing his arms around her. Teazer hugged him back. Jerrie stroked her head. “Macavity threatned ta kill ya if ya came back, Teaze,” Jerrie said.
“Ai ain’t goin’ back,” Teazer said. “Ai am stayin’ wit’ the Jellicles, an’ ya can too.”
Jerrie thought a moment. “Ai think Ai an’ ya woul’ be safer if Ai staiyed wit’ Macavity. Ai’m sorry, Teaze.”
Teazer’s eyes overflowed with tears. “Ai unnerstand. Ya sure, Jer?”
Jerrie nodded. They embraced for a moment. Then Jerrie kissed her cheek. “Go ta the Jellicles. They’ll keep ya safe. Ai loves ya, Teaze.”
“Ai loves ya too.” They locked eyes for a moment, and, in that look, they shared all their emotions for what seemed forever. “G’bye, Jerrie.” Rumpleteazer turned and fled. Jerrie stared after her.
“One daiy Ai’ll join ya, Teaze. One daiy.”
>^..^<
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