Part 3Cat Knight

Dad wouldn't let me leave the house anymore.

He kept me locked inside while he went out early every morning, telling anyone who would listen that he was taking me on a special trip, putting on a show of being a doting father.

"It's her birthday wish, you know? You have to make a kid's wish come true."

I didn't see it myself.

Ginger told me.

She was too scared to come near the apartment, afraid he'd hurt her. So she'd just call up from the darkness below my window late at night.

"Hey, kiddo! Hey!"

"Your dad's really gonna do it. He's gonna ditch you."

"Are you gonna run? You gotta run!"

Afraid Dad would hear, I couldn't shout back.

I just stuck my head out the window, shook it, and whispered, "I can't."

"Okay, got it."

She flicked her tail and vanished.

All the cats disappeared after that.

By the time Dad loaded me into the car on the day we were leaving, I hadn't seen any of them.

A part of me was sad.

Sad that I hadn't saved up for more treats.

Sad that I didn't spend a little more time with them that last day.

Sad that as the car pulled away from our building, the street behind us was completely empty.

I was so lost in my sadness that I didn't even hear Dad tell me to sit properly and close my eyes for a nap.

He got angry.

His voice suddenly sharp, he snapped, "Annie, I told you to sit still! How many times do I have to tell you to listen?"

His impatience was the same as when he forbade me from feeding Ginger, the same as when he demanded I suck up to Jenna.

I used to hesitate, taking forever to find the right placating words. "I know, Daddy."

But now, I didn't know what to say at all.

Just then, after passing through an intersection, the car sputtered with a loud thump-thump and rolled to a stop.

Dad's attention was diverted. He got out to check, muttering under his breath, "Damn it! The fuel tank's leaking."

He pulled a reflective triangle from the trunk, set it up behind the car, and started making a call.

The tow truck arrived quickly, hauling our car to the nearest repair shop.

I sat in the waiting room, listening to my dad. "How long will it take? It's my kid's birthday, and I promised her a road trip to the plains. Can we get it back today?"

The mechanic had arms covered in tattoos and a tough-looking face, but his smile was warm.

"Takin' the kid out, huh? Sure thing. I'll bump you to the front of the line. Looks like a busted connection pipe. An hour, maybe a little more, and you'll be on your way. Won't ruin your trip."

Dad agreed and told me not to wander off before stepping outside to call Jenna.

He didn't need to worry.

I wouldn't run.

Mom didn't have any family.

My grandparents didn't like me.

Even if I ran, I had nowhere to go.

But… staying felt like I had nowhere to go either.

My eyes started to burn. I felt that familiar lump in my throat.

But Dad hated it when I cried.

Terrified he'd see, I quickly rubbed my eyes.

Just then, a piercing shriek cut through the air from outside the shop. It was Ginger.

"Annie! Annie!" she wailed. "It hurts, it hurts so bad! Come here! You have to come here!"

Ginger was hurt?

I shot to my feet. But when I stepped outside, I couldn't see her. I only saw my dad, standing a short distance away, still on the phone.

Ginger's cries were coming from the opposite direction.

Not wanting to bother Dad, I hesitated for a moment, then broke into a run toward the sound of her voice, turning into a narrow alley.

But Ginger wasn't in the alley. Only her voice, echoing off the walls.

The closer I got, the farther away her cries seemed.

No matter how fast I ran, she was always just ahead, calling to me. "Over here, come over here!"

Her voice grew more pained, more desperate.

My heart pounded. I ran for what felt like miles, crossing several streets until I finally spotted her beneath a large office building across an intersection.

But as I got closer, Ginger vanished.

And another cat leaped out.

It was the little tabby.

He clamped his teeth onto my pant leg and started pulling me toward the building's entrance.

Just then, a few people came out. One of them was a man in a sharp suit, but his shoulders were slumped and his face was a mask of misery.

When he saw the tabby, his eyes lit up.

With a loud sob, he rushed forward, dropping to his knees and scooping the cat into a tearful embrace.

"Rocky? Is that you? Oh, Rocky! Daddy missed you so much!"

The tabby, Rocky, didn't let go of my pants. He just gave the man's face a few impatient smacks with his paw while letting out a series of urgent, muffled meows.

"Dad! Stray human! Quick, before she's gone!"