Round Robin One [Cats]

[Katheyrn Mae Wilson MD♥]

I dedicate my additions to rlyzitzmollz for her role of Grizabella in Cats this spring!

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The lithe tabby feline stalked across the open clearing, it was nighttime - not a single sould saw her as she slipped nimbly from the Junkyard and into the city.

It was a whole new world, going in there, the city looked as if a million things had been thrown at it at once, and this was the end result. Lights flashed, horns blared and tires squealed as she raced across two streets and down a narrow alleyway.

Shaking her ginger, tabby fur, she dropped the small parcel that she held in her jaws.

"Here you are Grizabella," she mewed, "It wasn't hard for me to get some scraps out. I'll bring more tomorrow."

"Thank you so much, my dearest Jemima," the worn she-cat purred, "Ever since Skimbleshanks was chosen to got to the Heaviside, the humans have been setting mouse traps. There's not a sinlge mouse to be caught."

[rlyzitzmollz]

Jemima nodded her furry head. "And the railway never will be the same...I think you deserved to go to the Heaviside Layer, Grizabella."

Grizabella's eyes shone bright in the light of the Jellicle Moon. All of the Jellicles believed that she should have been chosen. Old and withered as she was, most of them had not accepted her until recently. But Old Deuteronomy was jealous of Grizabella, of all the attention she got, good or bad. He knew she would be happy in the Heaviside Layer, and therefore chose Skimbleshanks.

"Life has been hard, young Jemima. One day I will leave, no matter what Old Deuteronomy wants...will you remember me?" Grizabella asked her friend. Jemima had been the first of the Jellicles to accept Grizabella for who she was, and in doing so, had become her best friend.

"Of course. You will always live on in my memory. Turn your face to the moonlight, Grizabella. Soon a new day will begin," Jemima purred in her melodic voice.

"Yes. A new day...with less food," Grizabella said grimly.

[Katheyrn Mae Wilson MD♥]

Jemima let a muffled laugh sound from her throat then stopped. She dropped her head to the ground, "I'm sorry," she mewed.

"Don't worry," Grizabella looked worried as two shadows slunk across a fence and dropped down. But besides her, Jemima breathed a sigh, "Mungojerrie! Rumpleteazer!"

[rlyzitzmollz]

The more slender of the two cats looked up from the shadows.
"Who's there?" Rumpleteazer whispered.

"Grizabella and Jemima," Grizabella said. "Mungojerrie...what have you got there?" she said, gesturing towards the brown paper bag he held in his mouth.

"Oh, this?" Mungojerrie muttered, his voice muffled, being that it was stuffed with paper. He let the bag drop to the ground. "This here's today's catch."

"I believe it's little Annie's school lunch, innit Jerrie?" Rumpleteazer giggled.

"Aye, Teaze, that it is!" Mungojerrie replied.

"Do you know what exactly is in it, though?" Jemima murmured.

"Well, let's find out!" Mungojerrie lifted a paw to open the bag. Rumpleteazer hovered over him like he was performing an autopsy. Grizabella and Jemima edged closer as the tension grew.

"Oh, just do it already, Jerrie!!" Rumpleteazer yelped.

[Katheyrn Mae Wilson MD♥]

The calico tom turned his head to face his sister and a deep purr rubbled from his chest, "Easy Teaze - I've got it." Returning his attention to the sack, he tore it from top to bottom in one fluid motion.

Four delighed mews chipped the still night air as the contents of the sack rolled out onto the torn bag. Rumpleteazer pawed at them, "A sandwich - turkey, good we can eat that. And cheese, little tiny orange carrots and ..." she sniffed at a pale looking round shape, "...dessert?" She confirmed, nervousness in her usually confident purr. Slipping a delicate paw into the sandwich's clear wrapping, she split the main piece into four pieces. Each Jellicle took a share, and for a while, all the sound from the alley was the contented sound of four cats eating.

"Shall I go fetch some of the meat I found earlier?" Jemima asked, licking her paws, "It's stale, and a bit sour - but it's all we've got." She mewed, and without waiting for a response, she bounded across the alley, leapt onto the fence and disappeared over the other side.

[rlyzitzmollz]

Jemima trotted down the busy London main street. The dark sky was clouded, and the clouds were illuminated by purple and yellow lights from the cars and buildings. One of those buildings was a small bistro and grill. Jemima had heard tell that if you went to the back door at closing time, you might have a chance at getting some food. It was on the way to the junkyard where she had found the meat, so why not try? The quality of the food would be better...

She dodged the speeding cars across the four-lane road. When she reached the sidewalk, she looked up and down the street for the restaurant. Placing it, she dashed for it and ducked into the alleyway next to it. There was a wire fence halfway through, and behind it, Jemima saw bags and cans of garbage and steps leading up to a door on the side of the building. There was a light coming through the door as someone opened it and threw a bag of trash outside. Jemima edged forward, watching as the person leaned back behind the door and asked someone something. It was a man wearing a white shirt and black pants. He reached his arm back and when it returned, it had another bag of garbage.

The tabby cat jumped up and hooked her claws onto the fence. She vaulted herself over the fence and landed silently on all fours.

The man was throwing a third bag of garbage into the alleyway when Jemima mewed and caught his attention.

"Well, hello there, little kitty! Wha' are you doin' out here all alone?" he asked.

Jemima mewed.

"Are you a hungry kitty?" he asked. In response, Jemima stepped a few steps closer. The man said, "Oh, you is a hungry kitty!" Then he leaned back into the building and looked around. "Just a minute," he said to Jemima. Then he disappeared through the door and Jemima was in darkness. She only had to wait a moment, however, for the man was back with a dish of milk and a plate with steak on it. It appeared that it was left over from someone's meal, someone who hadn't been very hungry. "Wasn't well done enough for 'em. Whaddya say, eh, kitty?" He set the meal down in front of her.

Jemima purred and rubbed herself against his leg as a way of thanks. She lapped up the milk in about two minutes, and took the steak in her teeth. She gave the man one last thankful look and then jumped back over the fence.

[Katheyrn Mae Wilson MD♥]

She made her way across five alleyways, two roads and through a backyard, the steak weighing her trek down.

"Mrow!" A lithe, white shape darted towards her, bowling her over, and knocking the meat from her teeth.

On guard, Jemima tensed, unsheathing her claws and leaping upon the attacker. She rolled the feline onto their back and froze, looking confused.

"Victoria?" She gave a short mrow of laughter then stopped short, grasping the forgotten steak in her jaws and darting away.


Reaching the alleyway where Grizabella, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie crouched, she spotted a fourth cat, a tom, amongst them. Ignoring the slight pain in her shoulder where Victoria's claws had torn at her coat, she dropped the meal at the paws of the cats and brushed her muzzle against the newcomer's.

"Welcome Mistoffelees," she purred, "what are you doing here?" She stretched out on her side, turning her white belly towards him. Giving an affectionate purr, Mistoffelees licked her shoulder, "Nothing. Visiting you and Grizabella in the least."

Rumpleteazer looked quizzically at her and Jemima gave a short purr, licking Mistoffelees' ear. "We're mates now," she mewed quietly to the curious queen. A mutter flew through the ears of the two others and Grizabella nodded.

[rlyzitzmollz]

"I always knew you two would be..." Grizabella smiled wistfully. It had been forever since a man had loved her. She let out a huff. As the rest of the cats began sharing the steak, she shrunk away from the crowd. In the shadows, she examined her torn and shabby coat.

[Katheyrn Mae Wilson MD♥]

Grizabella closed her eyes, but kept her ears pricked towards the group of younger felines, who she guessed, were watching her intently. She could remember when he had loved her. It was been silly for her to love him. Him, he was a down-to-earth cat, so to speak, and many, many moons younger than herself. His ruffled gray coat was soft, kitten soft, for he was a kitten when they had met. She was younger, she could hazard a guess at thirty-six to forty moons younger. Now, his coat had turned to a light, dusty brown and he was frail, but Gus' love for her hadn't lasted.

Now, she had lost his love and he had a new mate, one younger than him, only, in her eyes, a young kitten. His new mate was nearly his age and respected him deeply, but no matter what, she knew Jellylorum would always hold his heart.

[rlyzitzmollz]

Grizabella darted farther away from the group to be alone with her thoughts. She wandered around a corner and out of sight. There, she was alone with her thoughts and her song.

Memory
Turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin

One day, Grizabella would make it to the Heaviside Layer and get away. All the Jellicles had wondered why she had left to "see the world." They had wondered why their tribe had not been enough. In truth, it was more than enough. She had never expected to see more world than the London streets she roamed.

She had been so beautiful. She could have had the perfect life...it seemed like she had it, but the others were secretly jealous of her. Grizabella had never expected to fall in love, but she had.

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember a time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Grizabella the Glamour Cat mewed happily. Gus was performing another one of his acts for her. She giggled and tapped her paws on the ground when he was done. He bounded over and licked her ear affectionately. Later that week, Aspy, as she called him, told her that he was with someone new. Jellylorum could look after him better, he said. That night, Grizabella stood at the mouth of the alley, staring at the Jellicle Moon. Then, she darted into the street and let the world do its number on her.

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale, cold smell of morning
A streetlamp dies
Another night is over
Another day is dawning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

After years on the streets of many places, Grizabella wanted to come back. She was no longer a Glamour Cat. She was old, tired, haggard, and her coat was torn. It was no longer glossy and beautiful. It turned out that the jealousy of the other Jellicles drove them to kick her out of the tribe for good.

***

Back at the feast, Jemima wondered where her friend had run off to. She followed Grizabella's footsteps and found her in a corner where the only light came from the Jellicle Moon. She was silently crying. Jemima gracefully went to her and sang.

Sunlight through the trees in summer
Endless masquerading


Grizabella looked up at her and purred. Jemima was always there for her. She sang with the young cat now.

Like a flower
As the dawn is breaking

Regaining her strength, Grizabella stood on all fours. She wouldn't forget, but she would live in the present and make the best out of what she had. She now sang alone.

The memory is fading

Touch me
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is
Look!
A new day has begun

[rlyzitzmollz]

That brings this Round Robin to a close!! Thanks for reading!!!