Mended Hearts Pet

It was a sunny, moderately warm morning, and Aluna sat under a tree in her family’s huge backyard. Her beloved baby blue sewing machine was sitting next to her, waiting at a moment’s notice to sew a brand new piece of clothing. A notebook sat open in her lap, sketches of bags dotting the pages. She rummaged in the bag she had brought out, producing a small pack of colored pencils. She tested a few colors next to each other and switched a few out, trying to create the perfect color palette. Her train of thought was interrupted by a soft, pathetic mew. Aluna looked up in surprise. A little black egyptian mau with yellow eyes, padded slowly into her view. It didn’t seem to notice her, and Aluna stayed perfectly still so as not to scare it. The light pink colored pencil she was holding slipped softly into the grass. Oh no!, she thought. The kitten perked its ears up, looking up at Aluna in surprise. It tried to run backward, but it stumbled and fell. That’s when Aluna noticed the blood that dripped from what looked like a coyote or a dog bite on the little cat’s left leg. It fumbled to get up, mewing sadly. Aluna felt her heart break. She crawled slowly towards the cat, trying to make herself seem small. The cat trembled in fear. She pulled the handkerchief she was wearing out of her hair, using it to scoop the tiny cat up. “Shh, you’re gonna be ok.”, she stroked the cat’s head soothingly. He snuggled into Aluna’s chest, and she felt her heart break even more. If she couldn’t save him…Aluna shook her head, and used her free hand to open the sliding door. She headed straight for her room, pulling a box full of thread out and dumping it on the floor. She pulled a blanket off her bed and folded it with one hand, placing it inside the box. She placed the little cat inside and ran off to the kitchen. She filled a shallow dish with water, grabbed some paper towels, and zoomed back down the hallway. She placed the bowl gingerly in front of the cat and ran to her parents’ medicine cabinet. She pulled out a roll of bandages, a healing salve, and some rubbing alcohol and ran back. The kitten mewed at her entry and lapped up the last of the water. Aluna dropped the things next to the cat’s box. I’m missing something, what is it?, she racked her brain. “Oh!”, she remembered racing back to the kitchen. She pulled a clean dishrag out of a cabinet and wet it with warm water. She placed it over the cat’s head. It mewed once, and visibly calmed down. She wiped the blood away with a paper towel and grabbed the alcohol. “Sorry little guy, this is gonna hurt.”, She petted his head again. She poured a drop of alcohol onto the paper towel and wiped the bite. He mewed, and kicked his little legs. “Shhh, I know, I know.”, She wiped a stray tear aside and stroked his head until he calmed down. She wrapped the roll of bandage around his leg and tore the roll away. She pulled the towel over his eyes away, and he mewed sadly. “Let’s go visit Mom. She better let me keep you”, She poked her head through the door of her Mom’s office. “Mom…”, Aluna started slowly. “I found this kitten outside and it looks like he got bit by either a coyote or a big dog, and I bandaged his leg up already. Can we keep him? Pleease? He need’s a home!” She pouted at her mom’s stunned face, which quickly melted into a smile. “Well, if you pay for his food with your allowance and show me that you can take care of him responsibly, then I think that’s a great idea!”, She smiled and patted the cat’s head. “Yes! I can keep you! She danced out of her Mom’s office, hugging the cat. “Let’s go eat lunch!” She picked him up out of the box and nestled him in her arms. She grabbed a can of her dad’s favorite sardines out of the cabinet and placed it in front of the cat. He attacked the fish and it was gone in a matter of seconds. She smiled. She made herself some instant ramen and grabbed a pack of seaweed. She ate the ramen first, but when she turned around to eat her seaweed, it was half gone! The cat looked up mischievously, a seaweed sticking out of his mouth. He stared at her and swallowed the last of the seaweed. She laughed out loud and picked him up, snuggling his head. “You like seaweed, huh?”, She grinned. “I’m gonna call you Nori”.