It was late, but all the lights were still aglow. I could hear the soft hum of my caged companions’ breathing against their metal containers, but there were squeaks and grunts echoing from the brightly lit lobby. The bell hung on the front door chimed sporadically like a broken coo-coo clock. My usual resting place was overrun by the mobile jungle of plants that all of the sudden took root in my lounge. Something was definitely not right.
In need of a solid night’s sleep, I ventured out of the lounge to expose my nocturnal disturber. As I made my way to the front of the lobby, I felt a surprisingly pleasant rush of cold air on my whiskers. There was no one around, and the front door was being held open by the only bench that is still in the building - its mates lining the sidewalk. I let out my roar of a meow incase burglars or cat-nabbers alike have found a way in; this hospital is in my charge after all at night. Nothing greets me.
The chilled air continued to creep through the open door like icy hands beckoning me forward. With my head out the door I could see the cold asphalt glittering with grains of salt, almost a perfect reflection of the starry night above me. I could only hear the tires and engines of passing cars on the highway nearby, the rest of the unknown was silent. My feet had not yet crossed the threshold that was my home, my shelter. I had never left this place since my arrival all those years ago and never thought I would have the opportunity. I looked back towards the lounge where my bed and food were but then I thought of all the times I was forced off the warm printer, scolded for sampling someone’s lunch for quality, and disturbed during nap times.
Without a second look back, I ran out into the uncharted world with the wind in my face and dirt on my paws.
I had spent so many hours dreaming of a life on my own back at the hospital, but they were just dreams. I never thought I would have the actual opportunity to venture out of the building without being in a holey box with a handle. The world outside was that of a different nature. As I made my way through the shrubbery that divided my residence from the local retirement home, I could see several pairs of glowing eyes amongst the foliage. I hadn’t had much practice in stalking creatures other than insects and various inanimate objects, so I was hoping to avoid any scraps my first five minutes outside. They began to slowly approach my location as I lowered my self to the earth and puffed out my tail, prepared for anything that may emerge from the shadows. It was either my regal demeanor or the shock of just one glowing orb staring back at them that made my assassins retreat.
I spent the remaining hours of darkness exploring the colony of apartments in the area. Most of the lights were extinguished, but every few I would see people in their homes watching TV or making dinner. For those on the bottom and first floors I could easily get a front row seat to their sliding doors on balconies or patios to see how the other species lives. I pitied the poor kitties and dogs that laid at the feet and laps of their owners perfectly bored and content in their warm homes with full bellies, clearly they have never experienced a night of freedom such as this. It wasn’t until one of those sleeping dogs began to bark at my intrusion causing the owner to chase me off the porch that I began to realize that I did not recognize where I was.
All my explorations of the apartments began to blend due to their similarities in architecture. I was almost positive that I had come from the ones down the hill, but the trail did not look familiar to me. My stomach began to rumble and the dirt I cleaned from my paws did not suffice as a solid midnight snack. It couldn't be that hard to find my way back, right?
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| Visit us online next week for the 2nd part of my Great Adventure! - C |
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