Frazzelspitz
A young kitten named Frazzelspitz awoke one morning and opened her eyes for the first
time. Instinct had already told her that one day she would see, and s soon as her sense of
hearing had developed her mother had tried to explain sight to her. Nothing, however, had
prepared her for this whole new world of shapes and colors.
The calico kitten was hungry. She looked for her mother so she could nurse, but her
mother was nowhere in sight. Neither were her brothers and sisters. She mewed softly and
walked around her family’s box in the basement of a large farmhouse.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, her mother,
Ballimore, came in. “Glad to see you’ve opened your eyes, Dear. I’m sure you’re hungry,
but it’s not safe down here anymore. I have to move you upstairs.”
“Why isn’t it safe down here, Mommy?” Frazzelspitz asked.
“There are rats in the basement,” replied her mother. “Rats will eat kittens when given half
a chance.”
Suddenly, Ballimore heard the familiar scratching of tiny paws on the floor in the corner.
She smelled the foul stench of a rat. “Frazzelspitz! There’s a rat in here. Don’t worry. I’ll
catch it.” Ballimore followed the scent to a crack in the wall. She reached her paw into the
crack and began feeling around for the rodent. While she was kept busy, a second rat
came out of a crack in the wall, right behind the kitten who was watching her mother with
fascination. The kitten sensed trouble behind her. She spun around and faced the rat. The
foul rodent pounced on her and she let out a screech to warm her mother.
Ballimore raced to save her baby. When she got to the box, she pounced on the rodent and
snapped its back. She tossed aside the reeking corpse. She was able to end the battle
without being hurt, but Frazzelspitz was not so lucky. She had many scratches on her back
and legs, and those would heal. But the rat had done more permanent damage too. About
an inch of her tail had been bitten off, and when you’re that small, an inch is a lot. Several
deep claw-marks would leave scars. They left her face somewhat disfigured. She began to
cry.
Ballimore soothed her daughter until she fell asleep. She cleaned the blood out of her fur
and picker her up. She carried her daughter gently up to a box where the others were
already sleeping. Frazzelspitz awoke and drank some mother’s milk. She fell asleep and
dreamed about and being a beautiful dancing cat. She awoke and thought bitterly I’ll
never be beautiful. These scars will haunt me forever.
Over the next few weeks, Mrs. Thompson, Ballimore’s human. She played with each and
every one-except Frazzelspitz with a shorter tail and a scarred face.
During this time, Ballimore also played with her kittens. She treated Frazzelspitz the same
way she treated every other kitten, for a mother’s love is unconditional. She also taught
her kittens to sing and dance and hunt. She taught them about Jellicles because she had
always wanted to be one, but could not bear to leave her home.
After the kittens had been fully trained, it was time to give them away. As fond as she was
of them, Mrs. Thompson only wanted to keep Ballimore and one other. She decided to
keep Cimorene, a black queen.
One day a young boy came by and decided to take Dizinel, an orang tabby. A young
couple came in later that day and looked at the kittens. Frazzelspitz was napping at the
time and so her face was hidden. “Oh, isn’t this one pretty,” said the woman as she picke
Frazzelspitz up. She turned her around to look at her face and saw that it was disfigured.
She dropped the poor calico and picked out a kitten named Xinamon.
Over the next two days, the rest of Frazzelspitz’s brothers and sisters were taken to new
homes. She was the only kitten left. No one wanted to take her.Then an elderly man came
to the door one afternoon.He was elderly and his wife had died recently. He wanted a
compainion.
“I’d like to take home one of your kittens, Mrs. Thompson,” he said after she let him in.
“I’m afraid we only have one left to give away. You may want to look at her before you
decide on her,” she said gently. Then, under her breath she muttered, “He’ll never take the
ugly little beast.”
Mrs. Thompson led the man to the box where Frazzelspitz lay. He picked her up and
looked at her face. She tensed up a little. He turned her over nto her back and cradled her
in his arms. He scratched her belly and she batted playfully at his finger. “I’ll take her,” he
said and took her home.
Over the next month, Frazzelspitz was pampered and fawned over. John, her human,
called her Jessica. She was content and forgot all about her scars and her difficult past.
Until one morning...
Frazzelspitz woke up early. She was excited. John hadpromised to take her to the park
that morning. She jumped on his bed and began licking at his ear, which was her way of
getting him up in the mornings. But he didn’t get up. He didn’t move. He felt cold to the
touch. She kept licking at his ear. Then she pounced on his stomach. He still didn’t move.
Oh, no, she thought. He’s dead! She cried for a long time, but knew that
crying doesn’t solve problems. She ran out the kitty door and out of the house. Ballimore
had always taught her to sing when she was upset because singing calms the nerves. So
she sang. And as she sang, she walked. She had her eyes closed as she was was
concentrating on her song. Amazing ly, she did not run into anything. She was very good
at not running into anything when her eyes were closed.
When she finished her song, she opened her eyes and realized that she was in a junkyard.
There were many pairs of cat eyes staring at her. Staring at her face. Staring at her scars.
Staring at her short tail. Staring. Staring. Staring...
Continued in the RPG...
