NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5: Peace
She wandered through the deserted streets, her stomach finally full. The only sound was the wind howling through the broken windows of abandoned buildings. What had once been a bustling town was now nothing but crumbling ruins, debris scattered everywhere. Her soft steps barely made a noise as she padded toward what she hoped would be a safe place for the night.
She didn't know what dangers might be lurking. Humans roamed the town in groups, that much she was certain of, but beyond that, her knowledge was limited. There were no stray animals, only the occasional bird or insect.
She had been on her own for a while now, ever since waking up like this. The days of having food in a fridge were long gone. She had learned to fend for herself, something she never thought would be necessary. Now, humans saw her as little more than prey to skin and eat.
The thought of spending the night exposed sent a chill through her. She needed to find a shelter before darkness fell. Somewhere a person is unable to sneak up on her.
As she searched, she came across an old brick building, its entrance partially blocked by rubble. Squeezing through a narrow opening, she slipped inside. Relief washed over her as she realized the space was too small for anything bigger than herself to follow. The air was musty but dry, and no signs of danger pricked at her senses.
With a light leap, she jumped onto a windowsill and curled into a ball. From here, she could see outside while staying hidden. The emptiness of the room gnawed at her, but she pushed it aside. Tomorrow, she would have to move on again, but for now, this moment of stillness was enough.
As she rested, fragments of a past life surfaced, unbidden and fleeting, like shadows cast by a flickering flame. They emerged from the depths of her mind, fragile and indistinct, yet they carried the weight of something she could never forget. She remembered being human, a life far removed from the one she now lived. The faint outline of a family took shape: a husband whose smile once brought her comfort, four children whose laughter had filled her days with warmth.
The faces floated in her memory, blurred as if viewed through fogged glass, but their presence was undeniable. She clung to those silhouettes, trying to hold on to every detail before they slipped away again. The faint scent of her husband's cologne, the feel of her youngest child's small hand clutching hers, each fragment surfaced only to dissolve, leaving her grasping at the empty air of her thoughts.
A sharp ache spread through her chest, as if her very heart was mourning what she had lost. The love she felt for them was as vivid as it had ever been, a beacon of warmth in the cold void of her current reality. But that love was tinged with a raw, searing grief. Were they still alive? Are they safe from whatever happened here? Did they think of her as she thought of them? Did they even know what had become of her?
The uncertainty was a heavier burden than she could bear. She had no answers, no way to reach back to the life she once knew. All she had were these fragmented memories, precious and agonizing, a bittersweet tether to the person she used to be.
Her chest tightened as the loneliness pressed in. The world around her was empty, devoid of familiar voices, of the laughter and warmth that had once surrounded her. And yet, in the aching stillness of the room, she held onto the love that filled those memories. It was all she had left, a fragile reminder of who she had been and what she had lived for.
Why had she become a cat? What had happened to the world to leave it in ruins? Was this even the same world she had once known? She had heard whispers of a great disaster in far-off war zones, but the details were lost to her. Perhaps this was one of those places. For now, all she could do was to survive, hunting for food and avoiding danger until she understood what had led to this new, lonely existence.
But the thought of living this way forever felt unbearable.
She forced the loneliness away, focusing instead on a warm, flickering energy inside her. She imagined herself surrounded by her family. Laying on her husband's lap while his hand stroking her head gently, her children laughing and playing around her. The thought brought a fragile comfort, filling the emptiness for a moment.
Outside, the wind howled, and rain began to tap against the broken pavement. But inside, she felt wrapped in the warmth of love and memory. She took a deep breath and let the sensation settle over her, pushing away the fear and uncertainty of tomorrow.
The world had changed, and so had she, but the love she carried inside was untouchable.
As she drifted into sleep, the chaos outside faded, leaving her in a cocoon of peace.