Barn Kitty, Barn Kitty
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When her Nanny burnt a potato and carrot casserole in the oven, Jrue knew she'd be stuck outside for at least 45 minutes. Sure, Nanny was helpful and thorough, but she wasn't anything near speedy. And Nanny knew it was time for dinner, but Jrue would be fine, she was a big enough girl who could live with her tummy growling once or twice. Her mother and father were out on a date in London. They had flooed there together, probably to hang out at a bar, or ridiculously fancy restaurant, or maybe something in between. But that left Jrue and Nanny, and Nanny was preoccupied, so here Jrue stood on the front porch to the Peterson estate, staring at the somewhat shadowed ground.
The sun had just peeked down below the trees and hills, leaving a cascade of light receding away with it. It wasn't too cold, rather warm, actually. The awkward transition from summer to fall brought that sometimes. Jrue was lucky enough to grab her boots and a jumper before she left, ignoring Nanny's loud commands and instructions as she fleed the smoke filled entrance hall. "Don ger too far, keep er the pasture, it's filthy! An don poke yer eye out!" She yelled after Jrue, the girl bounding down the steps and into the grassy lawn.
She took a deep breath in through her nose, the slight breeze that filtered past her skin give her goosebumps. The outside hills were silent, seldom noise occupying the space, except for the flittering of the windchime on the deck surrounding the house. Jrue whistled a note, licking her lips softly as her boots and knees trailed through the grass. She touched the tips of the grass with her finger pads, biting her lip as the prickly edges grazed her hands. She turned around to face the house, several yards away now, and closed her eyes as she took another breath.
That's when she heard it coming from the barn.
A soft, muted noise coming from the rocky building called out to her, stark contrast to the nothingness that occupied her thoughts. She dropped her hands to her sides, her brows knitting together as she stared at the structure. Was it one of the calves? Or a Marten... She held her breath as she heard it clearly now; a distant mewl, belonging to a kitten.
Jrue perked up, wandering to her family's barn, her soft boots landing on the grass without a noise. As she neared the stable, cobble and moss littering the floor, more mewls and yowls came from inside, high pitched and warm. She hoped it was a kitten. If it was a wildcat, or, who knew, a beaver. They'd probably chew her face off, or bit her toes, or something horrible only magic would restore. She peeked her head in, piles of hay and short little fences filling her view. The cows who weren't in the field poked their little heads up, braying softly as they saw Jrue gazing into the building.
She took a few steps in, a light blue dashing past her. She turned around just as she saw it dash into a hay pile. It must've been a Siamese cat, no longer than a foot, with bright blue eyes that stood out in the unilluminated barn. Jrue bit her thumbnail, scooting closer to the pile of hay. She swallowed hard, peeking around a column that held the barn up. She cleared her throat softly, clicking her tongue. "Hello silly kitty. I see your little tail poking out of the bale..."
"Mrow..." The little kitty responded, and Jrue nodded her head. "I know, I know. You must hate me for following you in here... but why else would you yowls if you didn't wanna be found, little one?" She added, her soft voice echoing through the mostly empty shelter. She watched in Glee as the kitty stuck it's head out of the hay, the rest of it's pudgy little body following out. It must've been 6 or 7 months old, brown splotches at the end of it's tail and ears and nose just starting to pop out even more. He blinked at Jrue softly, a faint purring coming from the feline.
She reached a hand out, the kitty accepting the hand eagerly. Jrue giggled a light noise, the whiskers and tail of the feline brushing against her arm as the kitty spun in a circle. "You," Jrue said in delight, "are a keeper." She picked the kitty up, a soft yaw escaping it's mouth. She looked at he, he looked at her, and they both squinted their eyes, almost as if exchanging smiles. "Hm... you need an awful proper name. One dignified," the feline hummed, "oh, but not too dignified, I understand. What about... Oh!"
Jrue smiled to herself, recollecting a childhood book her grandmother gave her. Skippyjon Jones, it was titled, a story of a rambunctious Siamese. Just like this one. He had the large ears as this cat, it was fitting. "Well, Skippyjon, it's time we introduce you to Nanny. I'm sure she'll love you. So will Mother and Father!"
Nanny did not, in fact, much to Jrue's dismay, love Skippyjon.
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✵ Jrue Aberdeen Peterson ✵ mentions ~ N/A speech ~ #4b6075 song ~ Paul (2023 Remastered) by Big Thief |
The sun had just peeked down below the trees and hills, leaving a cascade of light receding away with it. It wasn't too cold, rather warm, actually. The awkward transition from summer to fall brought that sometimes. Jrue was lucky enough to grab her boots and a jumper before she left, ignoring Nanny's loud commands and instructions as she fleed the smoke filled entrance hall. "Don ger too far, keep er the pasture, it's filthy! An don poke yer eye out!" She yelled after Jrue, the girl bounding down the steps and into the grassy lawn.
She took a deep breath in through her nose, the slight breeze that filtered past her skin give her goosebumps. The outside hills were silent, seldom noise occupying the space, except for the flittering of the windchime on the deck surrounding the house. Jrue whistled a note, licking her lips softly as her boots and knees trailed through the grass. She touched the tips of the grass with her finger pads, biting her lip as the prickly edges grazed her hands. She turned around to face the house, several yards away now, and closed her eyes as she took another breath.
That's when she heard it coming from the barn.
A soft, muted noise coming from the rocky building called out to her, stark contrast to the nothingness that occupied her thoughts. She dropped her hands to her sides, her brows knitting together as she stared at the structure. Was it one of the calves? Or a Marten... She held her breath as she heard it clearly now; a distant mewl, belonging to a kitten.
Jrue perked up, wandering to her family's barn, her soft boots landing on the grass without a noise. As she neared the stable, cobble and moss littering the floor, more mewls and yowls came from inside, high pitched and warm. She hoped it was a kitten. If it was a wildcat, or, who knew, a beaver. They'd probably chew her face off, or bit her toes, or something horrible only magic would restore. She peeked her head in, piles of hay and short little fences filling her view. The cows who weren't in the field poked their little heads up, braying softly as they saw Jrue gazing into the building.
She took a few steps in, a light blue dashing past her. She turned around just as she saw it dash into a hay pile. It must've been a Siamese cat, no longer than a foot, with bright blue eyes that stood out in the unilluminated barn. Jrue bit her thumbnail, scooting closer to the pile of hay. She swallowed hard, peeking around a column that held the barn up. She cleared her throat softly, clicking her tongue. "Hello silly kitty. I see your little tail poking out of the bale..."
"Mrow..." The little kitty responded, and Jrue nodded her head. "I know, I know. You must hate me for following you in here... but why else would you yowls if you didn't wanna be found, little one?" She added, her soft voice echoing through the mostly empty shelter. She watched in Glee as the kitty stuck it's head out of the hay, the rest of it's pudgy little body following out. It must've been 6 or 7 months old, brown splotches at the end of it's tail and ears and nose just starting to pop out even more. He blinked at Jrue softly, a faint purring coming from the feline.
She reached a hand out, the kitty accepting the hand eagerly. Jrue giggled a light noise, the whiskers and tail of the feline brushing against her arm as the kitty spun in a circle. "You," Jrue said in delight, "are a keeper." She picked the kitty up, a soft yaw escaping it's mouth. She looked at he, he looked at her, and they both squinted their eyes, almost as if exchanging smiles. "Hm... you need an awful proper name. One dignified," the feline hummed, "oh, but not too dignified, I understand. What about... Oh!"
Jrue smiled to herself, recollecting a childhood book her grandmother gave her. Skippyjon Jones, it was titled, a story of a rambunctious Siamese. Just like this one. He had the large ears as this cat, it was fitting. "Well, Skippyjon, it's time we introduce you to Nanny. I'm sure she'll love you. So will Mother and Father!"
Nanny did not, in fact, much to Jrue's dismay, love Skippyjon.
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