Tales from Far Away

Walking the Night

On a snowy night in a small town on the outskirts of the city lived a woman with her cat, Mr. Meow, who loved to sleep all day and roam all night. But on this night, Mr. Meow could not go out because of the heavy snow falling outside. 

His owner, Miss Rin, knew about her cat's nightly adventures but was never bothered by them because every night, he returned safe and sound—through winter, spring, and fall. Mr. 

Meow never failed. 

But sadly, tonight was different. With snow falling so heavily, Mr. Meow wouldn’t be able to walk ten steps without being buried in snow. Knowing her cat’s disregard for the elements Rin decided to cat-proof every corner of her apartment before going to bed. After doing everything she could think of, she yawned and said. 

"Good night, Mr. Meow. Sorry—no going out tonight."

Then, she drifted off peacefully in her sleep. By the time Rin was asleep, the snow had already fallen heavily.

Now Mr. Meow Curled up in his cat bed opened one eye then the other and rose quietly and made his way to his owner's bedside. He jumped onto her bedside table and looked over her with a cold, thoughtful expression. Then, he hopped down and walked into the living room.

He jumped on a few objects that led him to a mid-height bookshelf, and from there, leapt to the balcony door handle. Pressing down with his paws, he unlocked it. 

He landed on the floor and nudged the sliding door open. Snow was now blowing slowly in as Mr. Meow stepped onto the balcony, he climbed the railing, and looked around. Below him sat a car buried in snow.

Her apartment was on the second floor of a short ten-story building with a parking lot directly beneath her apartment.Without hesitation, Mr. Meow jumped onto the car, then made his way down to the ground and into the night, leaving only a trail of paw prints behind.

A while later, Rin lay still asleep in her bed when a cold chill stirred her. After a few moments of tossing and turning, the cold wouldn’t go away. She woke up groggily, slipped on her slippers, turned on her bedside light, and rubbed her eyes. She looked toward Mr. Meow’s bed with sleepy eyes and rubbed them again. She realized he was gone. Bolting into the living room, she saw her balcony door standing wide open, moonlight now shining in across her dining floor. 

She ran out onto the balcony, hands now pressed to the cold railing, gasping at the icy snow under her palms. Looking down, she saw tiny paw prints. She followed the trail with her eyes—onto the top of a car, and then vanishing into the snow-covered street.

Back to Mr.Meow we see him sitting contentedly in the lap of a woman whose face we do not see—only her red lips, her soft short curls, her long painted blood-red nails, and her hands with many rings holding a cigarette. She stroked Mr. Meow while sitting in a leather chair before an elegantly dressed table. 

Back at Rin's apartment, she now sat on her bed, all the lamps in her room on and now fully dressed, she wore a long coat, and had a big red scarf wrapped around her neck, with a long skirt, colorful gloves, and lace-up Converse-style sneakers.With dark circles under her eyes, she grabbed a flashlight, walked to her apartment door, and began mumbling gibberish in annoyance of her situation under her breath. 

Now standing at the steps of her apartment building entrance, she looked up at the full moon lighting up the night sky. She spoke to the apartment security guard in his booth. He leaned halfway out the window and pointed, telling her where he saw her cat go.

She bowed, smiled, and rushed off—following paw prints while they were still visible, but they soon disappeared into the busy street. She ended up near a row of upscale restaurants and small nightclubs. While standing near the last paw print she could see, she then spotted a man sweeping snow and asked.

"Excuse me. Sorry to bother you sir, but did you happen to see a round dark gray cat with a red leash walking around here?" 

The man gave her a strange look while squinting his eyes together trying to get a better look of her, then gestured to her to come closer, looking like he was about to whisper something to her. Then suddenly loud and cheerfully—while stretching his back he said.

"Of course I did! That little hairball passes by every night—acting like he owns the place. He always goes into that club over there." He shrugged.

"Not sure why a cat would want to be in a place like that, though. Why do you ask?" 

"Oh, thank you so much! You're a lifesaver! she said, while shaking his hand aggressively with both of hers. " He waved his hat at her as she ran of and said.

"What a strange lady," he muttered. 

"And boy, what a grip..." while rubbing his now red hand. 

She neared the 1920s style night club, live jazz music pouring out and two bouncers guarding the entrance. She peeked in and saw Mr. Meow on the lap of a dignified woman, sitting at a table with two bodyguards behind her. The woman smoked, laughed at a conversation, and soon stood up.

Her bodyguard put her coat on for her as she gently placed Mr. Meow on the table. As she walked toward the entrance, Mr. Meow stretched out on the table, then jumped to the floor and followed a short distance behind her.

Rin, now standing outside the club, she saw them approaching—the elegant woman walking out, cat trailing behind, and the bouncers parting the red rope. One of the bodyguards opened a door from the black limousine. The cat, like a little host, sat by the entrance and watched her leave. Rin stood beside Mr. Meow at the entrance. The woman glanced down lovingly at Mr. Meow, then neutrally at Rin, while Rin looked quietly stunned at it all.

The door closed and from across the street, we see the limo drive off into the distance, only Rin and Mr. Meow remained, with the bouncers still standing in place Rin looked to her side and glanced down at Mr. Meow, and saw him lick his paw and rub his face with it and she said. 

"Well, I guess I don't have to wonder anymore about what you get up to at night." 

As the words left her mouth, the snow that had constantly and heavily fallen stopped falling, and only carpets of white snow remained.

The end.