Turn Your Face to the Dawn
By Matropolis
A large kitten was slammed against the wall. He looked up meekly. A tear escaped from his eye. He tried to hold it back.
"Don't cry, you brat!" a dark voice bellowed at him. He tried to be strong. "I told you to kill her!"
"I know sir, but--"
"And you didn't, did you?" the dark voice asked.
"No sir," said the kitten.
"Then you pay the price!" He roared up a mighty paw and took one blow at the kitten and knocked him against the cave wall. "Why? Why didn't you kill her?"
"I couldn't sir. I just couldn't."
"Then you are grounded. You can't do anything except your chores and what I order you to do."
"Yes sir." The voice stomped away from the bruised kitten. His cuts kept bleeding, even after he put one paw over them. His claws were worn down and rough and his fur was scraggled and burnt. There were several spots of fur missing from being beaten before. The pads on his feet were scraped and raw. He was skinny from day after day of being unfed. The kitten scratched his head and stumbled upon his feet, only to fall and pass out.
The next morning the sun glared through a tiny opening of the wall. It shone on the kitten's fur. He was striped with calico colors, orange, black, yellow and brown. They all when in a nice pattern, even though his fur was torn and ruffled. The dark catty figure snatched him up by his tail.
"Get up!" the cat ordered. The kitten stood up straight. "Now, you're going to go out, and steal 3 bags of Woolworth pearls. Understood?"
"Yes sir," the kitten answered.
"Oh, and one more thing. Associate with a Jellicle, and I'll have you head!"
"Yes sir." The kitten stumbled out of the dark cave in to the early morning. He looked to the horizon, where the sun was just peaking from behind the high mountains. He remembered his mother's last words before she died: "Just turn your face to the dawn." He couldn't help thinking of his mother. She died and Macavity took him in from the cold and made him his worker.
Sometimes he thought he would have rather died than work for Macavity. But Macavity took care of him, and was all he had. He turned his face to the dawn.
"GIT GOIN'!" Macavity shouted from the cave. The kitten perked his ears and ran out of site. He ran into the big city of London. He ran and looked behind his tail several times, then slowed to a halt. He started to walk around the streets. They were a little damp from the stormy night before, but he found them walkable. He jumped onto a fence and looked around. He didn't see anything, so he hopped over and rolled on the grass. It was warm and sweet in this new yard. He looked around, when he remembered his chores. He started out, and fell over the fence.
Suddenly, a woman chased after his with a broom. "Get out!" the woman cried. He ran, but she caught him by the tail. "You little--" she raised her hand to whack him, when a large dog jumped in front of her. He growled angrily. The woman ignored him at first. The dog snapped and opened his jaws to show his long, sharp teeth. She screamed and dropped the kitten. The dog stopped growling and looked down to the kitten who was rather large for his age.
"Uh, thanks, but I gotta go..." the kitten backed away nervously, remembering what he had heard about dogs.
"Hey kid!" the dog called.
"Yeah?"
"You're welcome!" the dog said.
"I am?" the cat said, coming closer. "Gee, thanks."
"What's your name tiger?" the dog asked.
"Gee, I don't think I got a name. I don't really live anywhere. I live with my pop."
"You mean you're not a Jellicle?" the dog asked.
"No, Pop overrules Jellicles."
"Who's you Pop?" the dog asked suspiciously.
"Macavity. But not really. He adopted me."
"He WHAT? You have to escape!"
"I can't. He trails me. I work for him. But thanks anyway. Your a very nice dog for what everyone calls 'bad'. I'll be sure to visit you again. "What's your name?"
"Aries, after the--"
"The God of war. I know. I look up to the stars alot."
"You need a name." Aries went into contemplation. When you born?"
"On a rainy night about two months ago," the kitten replied.
"Then your name is Mungo--Mungojerrie. After the Kenyan rain God. Yes kitten. Your name is Mungojerrie."
"Gee, thanks alot Aries! I always wanted a name! Well, I'll see ya later!" the kitten wandered off and Aries kept waving till he was out of site. He managed to swipe a young lady's pearls. And broke into someone's jewelry box and pulled out some jewels. He brought them home with him.
"I said three bags!" Macavity roared.
"I know sir, but--" Macavity didn't listen. He took a mighty blow and Mungojerrie slammed against the stone wall.
"Let this be a lesson to you, boy! One day you'll learn!" He started to turn into his dark office.
"Sir?" Mungojerrie said through the tears.
"What?" Macavity didn't turn around.
"My name is Mungojerrie."
"Whatever." Macavity walked until he was far into the darkness and out of site.
Mungojerrie couldn't see at all. All he could see was Macavity's red, black, and white scraggled body slamming against him. When he could see again, blood was trickling down the corner of his eye. As always, he tried to get up, but stumbled and fell to the ground, passing out.
He rose the next morning extra early so he could get his chores done. Macavity was away on 'business', so he had a list of chores next to him.
As he started out, he headed towards the dump. He was suppose to find some good junk. He didn't know why, but it's best not to. Especially with Macavity. Somehow, he got the feeling he was in the wrong place, when he ran into another cat. He looked up.
This cat was a queen, or female. She was rather pretty in Mungojerrie's opinion. She was undoubtably siamese and had bright blue eyes. But he couldn't let that get to him. He let out a feirce growl. This queen only giggled! Filled with anger, he growled again, only louder. She laughed! Practically filled with rage, he snapped and growled as he saw Aries do. The queen somehow found it hilarious. He snapped and jumped on top of her, still growling angrily. She kept laughing and giggling, as if it tickled. He got off her.
"What's so funny?" he asked sourly.
"You of course!" the kitten roared with laughter.
"I coulda bit your head off right there!" he said.
"But you wouldn't! It's obvious your dumber than a box of rocks!"
"I'm an alley cat, an' alley cats are very smart! So watch out girly, I'm got beat ya if ya don't!" The queen didn't move. He jumped on top of her and ripped out a clump of fur.
"OW!" she yowled.
"You thought I was jokin', didn't you?" he asked.
"Pf!" she scoffed. "You're not a Jellicle, are you?" she said, her laughing stopped.
"No. Are you?"
"Yeah. It's not all that great. I didn't think you were a Jellicle. I've never seen you before. And you're an alley cat. And you're pretty strong."
"You mean it?" Mungo asked hopefully. She nodded. "You're alright."
"Yeah, whatever. Just keep off my back. You got parents?"
Mungo wasn't sure if he should say. Should he say he was adopted by Macavity? Aries flipped out when he told him. "No...I was adopted."
"By who?" the Siamese asked.
"Oh, no one."
"Well you had to be adopted by someone!" she laughed.
"No I don't!" he sounded mad again.
"Alright, alright! You weren't. Come on, I'll introduce me to my friends."
"Why don't you introduce yourself, dorkwad!" he said.
"Dorkwad?" the Siamese backed off. She had never been called that before. "Get outta my face!" she scampered into the junkyard. Mungo shrugged.
"Jellicles." He started to walk away when he slammed into another cat. He looked up once again. surprised to see a mirror image of himself. Only it was a queen. He backed off queen. "Who are you?!" he screeched.
"Who are you?" the girl asked.
"Whoever I want!" Mungo snapped.
"You're pretty queer," the queen said. "If I weren't a tom I'd spit on you."
"No you wouldn't!" Mungo laughed. "You're a wimp!" He only said that because he knew she was a Jellicle. And Macavity warned him about Jellicles.
"No?" she said. She pursed her lips and spit on him. His face turned red and he dragged his claw across her face. "You jerk!" she swiped him as well. With another bloddy mark, the queen could see he had been beaten before. "I'm sorry!" she said. "Lemme help." She ran into a car trunk then came out with a cloth. She cleaned out the cuts. "Who'd you say you were?"
"Whoever I want."
"What's your name?" the cat sounded frusterated.
"Mungojerrie. Yours?"
"Rumpelteazer. We look an aweful lot alike." She sniffed him. "We have the same scent!" Mungojerrie sniffed her.
"You're right," he said, less enthused. "We're related." They nodded. "I gotta go do my chores." Then he remembered that if Macavity saw him now he was doomed. He scratched Rumpelteazer away and ran. When he got home that night, Macavity was waiting for him.
"You were with a Jellicle, yes?" Macavity asked.
"Yes sir," Mungo answered. Macaivty eyed him and noticed he had no open cuts. Surprisingly, Macavity walked away without another word. Mungo shrugged as much as he could, his shoulders in pain from many beating before. He, for once, got upon his feet and walked to his bed, a cardboard box. It was uncomfortable, but at least it was dry.
The night brokeinto morning, and Macavity was not around. Mungo started out bright and early again, but wasn't doing his chores right away. He had to talk to Aries. It was about what had happened to him.
He ran all the way to the fence, and found Aries scrounging in a garbage can. "Aries!" he called. Aries looked up. he was frowning, but when he saw Mungojerrie he brightened into a smiled.
"Mungojerrie!" Aries cried. "You came back!"
"Yes I did. I missed you. And I gotta ask you somethin'."
"Oh?" Aries said with a cocked eyebrow. "What?"
"Yesterday I ran into some Jellicles. I thought that I would hate them, like I'm suppose to. But I couldn't. I met this Siamese cat. I tried to reject her, but when I saw her I got this tingly feeling inside. I tried to reject her, and then she got mad at me. But now I feel like I wanna see her again and I don't know why. Then I met my sister! She healed all my cuts and scratches. I tried to reject her too, but she didn't get mad. She just watched me walk away. And their both Jellicles. Then my Pop found out I associated with Jellicles, and he didn't do nothin'!"
"Well, I think you got a crush on this Siamese girl. And you shouldn't reject Jellicles. They're perfectly fine cats, just different. I know your Pop doesn't like them, but that doesn't mean anything," Aries said.
"But I can't disobey him. He'll beat me if he found out I became friends with them! An' I'm too tough to have a crush on some stupid girl."
"Now that's not true. Girls are not stupid, and you're going to be coming up to that age soon where girls are gona mean alot to you."
"No way. Girls are just too dumb. Especially them."
Aries rolled his eyes and smiled. "Alright. Just mark my words." Aries couldn't help but chuckle. "And if you want to be with Jellicles, you have to overcome Macavity. He's not your father, and you better beleive that. I don't think you should work for him at all. So I's on the Jellicles' side for that."
"But he has henchrats everywhere. And he'd kill me if he caught me tryin' to escape. that's why I thought all my family was dead. But my sister survived."
"All you have to do to know what to do is turn your face to the dawn. It will show you the meaning of Happiness." Aries started to get up. "I have to go now. I'll see you again, soon, I hope." Aries waved good bye along with Mungojerrie. Mungo turned and headed back to the junkyard. He had to see that Siamese again. He didn't know why, but he did.
For several hours, he lounged in the grass in the Jellicle Junkyard. No one spotted him, so he just kept lying there. When he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey you! Get outta here!" He whipped around to see the same Siamese cat bounding forth.
"Why?"
"Cuz it's ours!" she answered.
"Don't have your name on it," Mungo replied snidely.
"You're real sarcastic, aren't you?" she asked.
"Yeah. Better than bein' a dumb kitten!" Mungo shot back.
"What are you then?"
"A smart one!" The Siamese had no reply, so she just smiled. Her smile turned to giggles. And then laughs. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." She kept laughing, she tried to stop, but she couldn't. Her face puffed out and turned blue trying to hold it all in, but she couldn't. Soon, Mungojerrie started to laugh. THey were in hysterics and they didn't know why. They just kept laughing. When they stopped, they both looked at each other in the eyes. Mungo finally stuck out a friendly paw.
"I'm Mungojerrie."
"I'm LeAnn (you thought it was Cassandra, didn't you?)," the Siamese answered. By then the sky was lit with stars and a full moon. They were kind of bored, so Mungojerrie thought up some jokes and told them to her. They kept laughing hysterically. "Wanna dance?" LeAnn asked.
Mungo stopped. Could he dance? He wasn't a Jellicle...or was he? "I'l try," He answered. LeAnn let out her paw. She helped Mungo up. LeAnn jumped up and twirled around in circles and then landed in a split. Then she motioned for Mungo to try.
Mungojerrie jumped in the air and twirled aroud three times, did a cartwheel then landed in a split. He hopped up and twirled LeAnn above his head. She laughed. Then he realized he should be home. "Oh, uh, I gotta go!" he started to walk then broke into a fast run. LeAnn didn't know what happened.
When Mungojerrie got into Macavity's Lairs, Macavity was waiting. "I'm putting an end to this madness!" his fist flew back and then socked Mungo in the ribs. Mungojerrie flew back and banged his head on the stone wall. He rubbed his head which was in greater pain than his ribs. "I've got one chore for you tomorrow," Macavity said more calmly.
"Yes sir?"
"Kill LeAnn!"
"Kill her, sir?" Mungo wanted to make sure he heard right.
"I want you to kill someone you love."
"I don't love her!"" Mungo said angrily. Then he realized he was talking to Macavity and said more meekly, "I was just pretending so you can get her in your grasps!" he lied. Of course that was not at all true, and after he said it he wished he didn't.
"Oh really? Then I'll kill her myself." Macavity stormed to his dark office. Mungo didn't know what to do. He may not be able to escape, but he could visit Aries. He climbed out the small crack that light shone through everyday. He ran, faster and faster to the fence. He found Aries fast asleep in a garbage can.
"Aries!" he whispered. Aries looked up.
"Huh?"
"It's me!"
"What's wrong?" Aries asked. Mungo told him the whole story. "...So you wanna save LeAnn because you like her?"
"Well..." Aries cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah." Aries smiled.
"Alright then. We're gonna save LeAnn and the whole tribe. But you gotta do it."
"Why me?"
"The Jellicles don't trust dogs. I don't know why, they just don't." The big black dog shifted his legs, for his back was worn and old, and was probably suffering from Arthritis.
"Then why do you trust them?"
"Just because they don't trust me doesn't mean anything. One day they'll understand that dogs aren't all that bad. Now, first, you have to tell them the truth."
"The truth?" Mungojerrie gulped. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because, if they find out I work for Macavity, they'll be mad at me. Plus, most of them don't know I exist."
"It doesn't matter Mungo. You have to or the plan won't work. Then tell them LeAnn is going to possible be murdered."
"I can't. I'll run away. Like I always do. And LeAnn probably hates me now."
"Mungo, stop running from your problems. Some things have to be done. While you tell them, I'll distract Macavity. Once the attack on Macavity is done, you will no longer be in Macavity's grasps."
"But I trust Macavity!"
"No you don't," Aries said bluntly. "Now go!" Mungo ran once again to the junkyard. He found LeAnn, who was waiting for him.
"LeAnn?"
"Mungo!"
"LeAnn," he said dully. "I have to tell you something."
"Don't worry about that. I know you came back to see me!" she wiped away the blood scrape over his eye.
"No I didn't. I came back to tell you the truth."
"What truth?" LeAnn asked.
"I-I-I..." he didn't know if he could say it. "I... work for Macavity."
"NNNNOOOOOOO!" she screamed, pushing him away. "Tell me your lying! You don't work for him! You're to perfect!"
"I do. And I came to tell you he's going to try and kill you...and it's all my fault."
"Get away from me! You're probably lying! You're just trying to scare me, you monster!" s he backed away slowly.
"Please LeAnn, I'm sorry. I don't want to work for Macavity. He raised me since I was born an I couldn't run away. He told me Jellicles were bad and I trusted him. When I met you I knew he was very wrong." LeAnn stopped. For some reason, she knew he wasn't lying.
"That's how you got all those bruises and cuts?" she asked more gently. He nodded.
"I'm sorry. But you have to warn your friends and family here...there's gonna be an attack. My friend Aries--he's a dog--is stalling him. We have to hurry!" LeAnn nodded. She ran to her Cousin Cassandra. They spread the word while LeAnn cleaned Mungo's cuts. Before they could go anywhere, Macavity appeared out of nowhere.
"You're too late!" he laughed.
"Macavity!" Mungo screamed. "Where's Aries?" Macavity just laughed. "Aries!"
He ran once again by the old fence and found Aries in his garbage can, barely breathing. "I tried Mungo. But--but he was too strong for an old dog like me." Mungo saw where Macavity had slammed his head against the fence and there was a big gash. "You can do it Mungo. You can do it without me. I know you can."
"No I can't! I can't do it without you! You're my best friend!"
"I've taught you all I can. And now..." he started to fade. "...now you must turn your face to the dawn." And with that, his pulse stopped and his head dropped. Mungojerrie drooped over the lifeless body. The dog that gave him his name, help, attitude and love...was dead.
"MACAVITY," he whispered to himslef with an angry glare in his eyes. He set Aries down and cried over the body. He had to help his friend. But how could he? He couldn't leave Aries out on the side of the street. He meowed at a door. The lady chases him with a broom to the dead dog's body. She ran inside and dialed a number. Mungo looked back with tears in his eyes. When the vet service came, he knew Aries was taken care of properly, he took one last look at his best friend and ran for the junkyard.
Macavity was in an all out deathmatch with a black spotted cat. He ran by LeAnn's side. "His name's Alonzo," she whimpered. Suddenly, there was a big crash, and Macavity heard the police. He looked and ran, leaving Alonzo in a big puddle.
"Come on, Jerrie!" he yelled. The cats looked stunned. They hadn't found out he worked for Macavity.
"Get out of here, villain!" the cats screamed. Mungo stumbled away.
"No!" LeAnn cried. But her family held her back and Mungo just kept going.
He got into the cave and his eyes were watery and red from crying. Macavity stomped up to him. "How could you?" Macavity roared. You disobeyed me. You went to the Jellicles... all because that dog and those cats influenced you. Well, I'll do away with them." He heard Mungo whimper. "Stop cryin', or I'll give you somethin' to cry about!" He punched Mungo in the nose. But with full surprise, Mungo, for the first time, shot right back at him.
"You'll leave my friends alone!" he roared. "If you wanna kill them, you kill me first! You killed the person that meant the most in my life. Now you'll pay!" he held back the rage and tears.
"And now I'll kill the girl. And your sister. And you." Mungojerrie didn't say anything. "WHy do you trust them? You trusted them and look what they did to you! Rejected you! For being by apprentice!"
"Because they don't understand! And I hate being your apprentice."
"Hate your old dad now?" Macavity asked with an evil grin.
"Your not my dad! My dad's dead!"
"That's right! And you know how he died? I killed him!!" Anger roared inside Mungojerrie. No longer being able to hold it in, her let out a long hiss and roar, and jumped on Macavity. He was now almost as tall as Macavity. He pinned him down. But Macavity threw him off. "And then you fell in love! What a sucker you are!"
*That's when it hit Mungojerrie. He did like LeAnn. In fact, he loved her. And he didn't care about what Macavity thought. Macavity never loved him, cared for him, or trusted him. And perhaps somewhere, he had a heart. But not today. Today he was a cold-hearted killer. And this had to stop. Suddenly, Macavity stormed off, as he always did. Mungojerrie broke into more and more tears. He crawled through the hole in the stone wall. Only this time, he wasn't going home.
****************************
Mungojerrie raced to the Jellicle Junkyard. He ran as fast as his little legs would and could carry him. He was about to run in the nearly unseen opening, but he smashed into a rather large cat.
This cat was tall and muscular, firmly built. He was mostly smoothly jet black, with a large brown mane like a lion. On his chest he had some leapord spots, along with some by his feet. He also had a couple brown stripes on his face. And he had an angry face.
"Get away!" the cat ordered. "We don't want Macavity workers!"
"But I can help you!" Mungojerrie exclaimed. Thunder crashed in the distance He knew Macavity was getting closer. Rain started to pour down.
"GO!" he hollered. Mungojerrie slinked away. But he wasn't going to let Macavity kill them. He was going to find another way in. But LeAnn was one step ahead of him. He ran over behind an old Ford, where he saw a tiny Siamese paw poke out. She motioned to an opening in the broken down car. He scrambled in quickly.
"You've got to escape! Macavity's coming!" he warned, about ready to cry again. "You have to go now!"
"What about you?" LeAnn asked with a worried look on her face.
"Don't worry about me. Just do it!" LeAnn scampered away. Thunder crashed. Mungo was sure they would win this time. But just as all the Jellicles were alarmed, the evil voice Mungojerrie had heard to many times bellowed from the opening of the Junkyard.
"You're to late." Mungo heard the grin in his voice.
"You stay away," Jerrie warned. "You've done enough damage already!" Macavity only laughed.
"Oh, Mungojerrie. You fool! Don't you see? This is all your fault. If you hadn't met LeAnn, I would have to kill her. Adn if you had done your chores, I wouldn't have to kill you." Macavity's evil voice bored right into Mungojerrie's head. his voice almost made Mungo beleive this was his fault.
"Maybe it was my fault I worked for you...but i care to much for these cats to let you hurt them anymore. You'll have to kill me first!" the rain and wind carried his voice away.
"As you wish," Macavity said. Mungo only raged on.
"For too long I called you 'sir'. And 'Pop'. But Aries brought it to my face that you don't love me--never did--never will. And if you don't back off right now then you'll pay dearly. These Jellicles may not trust me, but I trust them. And they'll hurt you. You'll pay dearly." Macavity only laughed harder.
Without another word he leapt on top of Mungojerrie. Every time a cat tried to intrude, Macavity knocked them away. They wrestled. Stripes of red were slashed across Mungojerrie's face. He punched Macavity in the nose. Again. Macavity covered his nose. There was quite a bit of bloodshed. Until there was a loud yell.
"Get off 'im!" the cat yelled. The cat, which sounded like a girl, jumped onto Macavity's face and slashed at him. She pinned him down. Not being able to move, Macaivty just looked up. And for once in his life, his cold, dark stare was met with another. He gained enough energy and threw her off. She ran over to Mungojerrie. Macavity looked around for Mungojerrie.
"Come on, Jerrie!" he yelled.
"I ain't go with you!" Jerrie yelled. "Not this time--not ever!"
"You little...I raised you! I kept you alive!"
"I would have rather died!" he screeched. Mungo remembered Aries' cold, dead, bloddy body in his garbage can. Rage filled his mind that he could not hold. "You killed my best friend! Why didn't you kill me? Why?" Macavity only smiled.
"Because I'll be back for you." He turned and disappeared. Mungojerrie's head drooped. He collasped. He rose to his feet, only to fall and pass out.
*******************************
He woke the next morning, all alone where he had collapsed the night before. The sun was just rising. LeAnn ran to him quickly. "LeAnn!" he exclaimed. He greeted her with several licks. "I just wanted to tell you-"
"I love you too," LeAnn purred. But she was frowning. "Listen Mungo. I can't stay. I have to go. I was only here to visit my cousin."
"But I love you!" Mungo's eyes turned red. "You'll be back, right?"
"No, Mungojerrie. I won't be back. I'll never see you again. Because My father will not allow me to return. But you'll always have a place in my heart."
"Thank-you, LeAnn," he said honestly.
"For what?"
"For showing the meaning of Happiness." LeAnn walked away into the dark and Mungojerrie started to cry.
Rumpelteazer came out and sat next to him. "I'm real sorry about what happened to that dog--I mean Aries. If it makes you feel any better, I promise you I'll be your friend forever." Mungo nodded.
"Thanks. No offense, but no one will be as great and wise as Aries. He may have been a dog, but he was the greatest. And I loved him. And LeAnn.
"I'm sorry Mungo. Some things just aren't meant to be."
"I turned her away. I tried to beleive that I wasn't a softie, but I was. All that time with Macavity made me a dork. That's why she left. There'll never be another cat like her."
"I'd like to make you feel better Jer. But I can't lie to you> You're right there'll never be a cat like LeAnn or a dog like Aries. But through it all, don't you see? You grew older. You're not a kitten anymore. You're a teenager."
"I miss Aries. And LeAnn," he whimpered.
"I know," she rubbed his back.
And as the sun rose they both turned their faces to the dawn.
Epilogue
I'm doing alot better. I'm funny and playful as always, and you would never know that I was ever beaten or abused. I live in Victoria Grove, as you know, with my wonderful friend and sister, Rumpelteazer. But there will always be a place in my heart for Aries, the dog with a good heart. And LeAnn, the only girl I'll ever truly love. I dream about them alot. i try not to talk about them, it only makes me cry. And every time I hear Demeter yell Macavity I shudder and get ready. Maybe one day he'll understand the meaning of happiness. And maybe one day I will see LeAnn again. One day. When Pollicles Fly.
