Smell

My furry grey face gets hit with a beam of sunlight early in the morning. I stretch and my paws touch the dusty hardwood floor. I swipe away the dust bunnies and chase them for a bit, pretending they are my four legged vermin prey. After chasing away the dust, I look upon the counter and see the leaky faucet. I hop up and begin to drink each drip that trickles out of the faucet head. The process is slow, but I drink enough that I am satisfied. That smell seeps into my nose, that wretched stench that I cannot ignore. I can’t even begin to describe it. It’s like the smell of my litter box after it has been sitting out in the baking sun for days.

The smell always hits me after I have drank from the sink every morning and I am not sure what to do about it. I gazed out of the kitchen window, our grass stood as tall as me. The master hasn’t had the chance to mow the lawn in quite some time, but I must continue my venture. I am a cat after all. I sneak out of the house with my cat door that slaps the back of my paws gently. I look around as I make my way around the neighborhood.

Everyone adores me in the neighborhood, from taking pictures with me, to teasing their other cats in the window as their masters laugh tirelessly and a lot of them even give me some free goodies. These goodies range from bits of cat treats to something better like opening up a can of tuna. I spend most of what feels like all day outside, but I always return home for dinner before it gets too dark out. My master is certainly precious to me, they gave me my special collar that jingles when I prance around outside. It even has my name on it; Smoky which I found didn’t suit me very well, but it was my master’s wish. Master always spoils me between giving me some fresh tuna in the morning or sparing some of their dinner from big chicken dinners or some tasty beef strips. Master hasn’t been feeling too well lately so I try to make it my mission to get something for the master during my time outside.

One house in particular at the end of my usual route, always gives me a little extra something for the master. All I have to do is flop on the tough cement ground and meow a few times in order to get the extra treat. It always guarantees me some sort of meat. I always make sure to go to this house before I head home because I need to make sure the master sees what I got for dinner. As the sun begins to set, everything seems somewhat hopeful. The clouds shift and the sky are hues of purple and pink. I stopped for a second before I went to that house with the best treats. My fur enjoys the light breeze and the sun begins to slowly disappear amongst the colorful sky. I begin to stand up and make my way over to the home. I happened to luck out today, I don’t need to do any sort of performing. The owners didn’t seem to be home, but they left a bowl out with a fresh piece of the largest chicken leg I have ever seen. The smell was tantalizing and the smell almost danced into my nose. My eyes widened at the sight, but I knew I could not have too much of it. Master won’t mind if I have a nibble...or two. The meat juices filled my mouth and the meat tasted so fresh, it’s like I was in the kitchen with them as they made it. I took one huge bite and picked up the leg by the bone. As much as the meat was delicious, the master needed to eat too. I carried the chicken leg until the sun was engulfed by the dark and I was finally home. The wind begins to pick up at night and the grass taunts me in the night by shaking like crazy due to this sudden wind. I shook my bottom and I ran through my cat door like I was running a marathon.

I was tired from my usual route as always, begging can sometimes be hard work believe it or not. I didn’t want to rest though because my master needs to eat. I carried the chicken straight into what felt like a never ending hallway and I knew I was in front of the master’s due to the creak in the floorboard near their room. I pushed open their door paint withered door and the smell began to overwhelm me again. Many treats I had brought to master ranging from chicken breast to hamburger had all grown black and caked in green oozing mold. I am not sure why the master doesn’t want to eat or leave their room. I encourage them to do so by returning them the best of treats. Master’s face was sunken in and the master’s body smelled of something not even the most foul of creatures could fathom. But, they are my masters and I need to make them happy as they have done for me. I hop onto the master’s bed which is still neatly pressed against them despite the smell and condition of the room. I place the chicken leg on my master’s boney hand which has been frozen for months and I rub up against their face, forcing my head against theirs in order to show my love for them. I began licking my master’s cold pale cheek and I moved down to what used to be a plump belly. I lay there with my master in silence and I settled onto them, missing the warmth they used to make me feel. From the obnoxious kisses on my furry face, to the very rough, but enjoyable chin and head pats I used to receive. I know my master though, they love me and they did everything for me to take care of me.

I know my master will wake up someday, they just need to rest for a while until they are better. I will do as the master did for me. My eyes begin to get heavy and I fall asleep on them. My nose becomes smell blind to the horrid stench, as I rest for the night to continue my usual ventures the next day.