Miko and the Puppy Read online

Miko and the Puppy

  by

  M.R. Harris

  Copyright © 2011 by M.R. Harris

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  Chapter One

  Miko, a huge silver and white tabby with long silky fur, stretched in the sunlight that streamed through the bay window. Even though the warmth of the sun made Miko drowsy in a happy contented way, and even though she was fed four times a day and her litter box was cleaned twice a day and even though she spent hours lying on her human's laps and purring, she was miserable.

  More than anything else, Miko wanted to spend time outdoors in her human's backyard but Matt and Jane Lark never allowed her outdoors. Each day she would look out her window at the Lark's back garden and see the green plants and brightly colored flowers and she would look at the butterflies and the bees and the diminutive sparrows and the eminently climbable oak tree that grew outside the kitchen window. Miko wanted to pad through the garden and smell the tanginess of the onions and feel the thyme brush against the fur of her tummy. She wanted to run through the freshly mown grass and feel the wind in her fur as she chased grasshoppers and butterflies.

  Another reason Miko wanted to run away from home was that she didn't like her whole family. A year ago, her humans had seen fit to adopt two scrawny kittens whose only saving grace was that they weren't dogs.

  Miko sighed and settled back onto her terrycloth towel and halfheartedly licked her paw as she gazed out the window and lazily tracked the progress of a bumblebee as it droned past. She was soon fast asleep.

  Chapter Two

  "What's she doing?" Larry asked Spark. Larry and Spark had just finished cleaning themselves and had curled up together on Matt and Jane's bed for a nice snuggle, but -- to Spark's annoyance -- Larry wanted to chat.

  Spark stretched and curled into a ball, "If you're that curious, just go look."

  Larry got up and nervously kneaded the bedspread and licked Spark's ear for comfort. "But she might see me look, and then she would hiss and get all upset and run away ...,"

  Spark sighed. It wasn't that Larry was wrong, that's probably what Miko would do, but he was mystified why Larry cared. If Miko detested him the way she did his brother he would steer clear of her, but Larry, Spark shook his head. Larry was in love.

  "Listen, Larry, the crazy one is never going to want to be your friend. She is never going to want to touches noses with you and give you a kiss."

  Larry gave Spark a little nip at the base of his tail. "She is not crazy. Just because she sits in the kitchen window all day looking out at the backyard ... well, it just means that she knows what she wants. You needn't be so negative. Just because she doesn't like you ..."

  Spark looked at Larry and, exasperated, sprang up from the bed, shaking his head. "Me? Doesn't like me?" Spark swatted his brother. "Wake up! You don't think I've seen you? Every morning since you were big enough to crawl you've padded up to Miko and said in that hopeful voice of yours, 'Hello Miko, how did you sleep?' and every morning she hisses at you and swats your head with one of her gigantic bear-like paws. Every morning she scares the stuffing out of you and you slink away and eat everything in sight."

  Larry's nose turned bright red. "Do not!" He shouted at his brother. "You take that back!"

  Spark rolled his eyes. "Whatever, dude. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Been putting on a little weight," Spark said and looked pointedly at Larry's bulging waistline.

  "I'm just big boned, that's all," Larry huffed.

  Spark rolled his eyes again, "Yea, and they're all in your waist."

  "Well ... Well ...," Larry said, temporarily unable to think of an appropriate comeback. "Well, I'm not the one with the catnip problem. Ever since you tried that designer 'nip last year you freak out every time you get near the stuff."

  Spark rolled his eyes. "Whatever dude. All cats like catnip and, besides, you're just jealous because I know how to let loose and have a good time ..."

  "You get violent!" Larry yowled. "When you get within a foot of the stuff I have to run away or you'll attack me."

  Spark looked uncomfortable and huffed. "Do not. You're exaggerating. Besides, you're just trying to change the subject."

  Larry sighed and settled back onto the bed. "Maybe I was. Look, If I don't try and make friends with Miko ... well, then we are never going to be friends, are we? I'm not ready to give up my dream." Larry tucked his front paws into his chest. "Is that so hard to understand?"

  Spark got up, stretched and settled down next to Larry. He licked Larry's ears affectionately and said, "No. No, I guess it's not," and snuggled into his brother. "More sleep, less talk," Spark said, but Larry was already snoring.

  Chapter Three

  Matt and Jane were sitting at the kitchen table having enjoyed fried eggs and bacon with multigrain toast slathered with lots of butter.

  "Matt," Jane said, "Hilda, my friend from work, you remember my mentioning her ...?"

  Matt grunted noncommittally.

  Jane plunged on. "Well, Hilda's husband, Stan, ran into some money problems, something about investing high and now the market is low or ... oh I can't remember ... but they're selling their apartment!"

  Matt made another grunt.

  "Matt, you don't understand, they need to sell it within the next week and for half of what it's worth!"

  Matt raised his head to Jane and froze in the act of raising a yolk-soaked piece of bacon to his mouth. "Half?" he asked, eyes bright.

  Jane looked at her husband and smiled.

  * * * *

  Miko scratched her post with such vigor that part of the carpeting came away; she screamed in frustration. The Larks might be moving into an apartment; an apartment! Miko jumped up on her windowsill, stared out at the backyard, and blinked back tears. Gone, all gone. If they moved into an apartment she would never be able to frolic in the backyard that she had spent every single day of her life looking out on.

  Miko sniffed and told herself to pull it together. It wasn't as though this was the first thing in her life that hadn't gone her way -- Larry and Spark being excellent examples -- she would just have to make sure her dream came true, no matter the cost. All she had to do was think and come up with a good plan.

  Miko turned around three times and curled up into a ball on the windowsill. She felt the sunlight bathe her fur but she didn't fall asleep. She thought and she planned and she schemed and then, as though out of the blue, an idea came to her. A beautiful, horrible, idea. She narrowed her eyes and sighed. Like all great plans -- and she had no doubt that this was a great plan -- it called for sacrifice; or, more exactly, a sacrifice. Miko smiled, and it was a smile that would have stopped your heart. And, along the way, she thought, I just might be able to get rid of Larry.

  Chapter Four

  "I have a plan," Miko said to Larry and Spark. Miko had invoked article 451 of the Feline Charter and called an All Cat assembly in the living room. Their humans had just left for the day so they had the house to themselves.

  Larry sat on his haunches in front of Miko, head tilted to the right, and watcher her adoringly. Spark looked at Larry and rolled his eyes but didn't needle his brother about his futile adoration of the furry one; he wouldn't embarrass him in front of her. "So ... What's up?" was all he said.

  Miko was annoyed by the question and by Spark's casual manner toward her. Miko bared her teeth in what she hoped looked like a smile. "Excellent question," she said.

  'She's crazy', Spark thought and sighed wearily. If only for his brother's sake, he'd listen to what Miko had to say but, unless she was proposing they raid the catnip drawer, he wasn't going to help the pompous windbag with anything.
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br />   "What do we all want?" Miko asked, but before either Spark or Larry could answer she plunged on. "I'll tell you what we want, we want freedom!"

  Spark rolled his eyes and sighed. This was going to be a long speech.

  "Freedom to ...,"

  Spark cleared his throat and held up his paw. "Yes?" Miko said, irritated.

  "Let me guess, you want to find a way to escape into the backyard before Matt and Jane move us all into an apartment and you want our help."

  Miko jumped, her eyes opened wide and she caught her breath. "Well ... well ... yes, but how did you guess?"

  Spark shook his head. "You lie on the kitchen windowsill everyday and stare dreamily out into the backyard, it wasn't a big leap."

  Larry grinned from ear to ear. He was so excited he couldn't stand still and started turning in circles, then he sat down and licked his belly fur. Larry looked up at Miko and his eyes glistened with excitement. She was asking him for help! That's what friends did. And if he did a good job and she was pleased with him maybe, just maybe, she would give him a kiss.

  Miko looked at Larry and growled, but Larry didn't care. Nothing could douse his happiness right now. With a belligerent grunt Miko recognized this and gave up trying. Instead, she outlined her plan.

  "The next time Matt or Jane opens the back door, Spark, you pad over and slip a piece of cardboard between the door and the doorjamb so it can't shut properly." Miko looked at Spark and he nodded. Gritting her teeth, Miko turned to Larry. "You are to provide a distraction by pretending to fall into the sink in the cellar. While our humans are occupied with rescuing you I'll slip out the back door."

  "Provided Larry does his job ...," Miko said and glared at Larry. Her stare would have turned most other animals into quivering piles of goo but Larry just lapped up the attention and gave her a dopy smile

  Miko frowned at Larry then turned away and cleared her throat. "Well, as I was saying, provided Larry does his job I'll have 15 minutes or so to romp around to my heart's content and be back inside before our humans figure out I've been gone." Miko smiled at Larry and Spark condescendingly. "Questions?"

  Spark had a question, but it wasn't one he would ever ask Miko. Namely, what was to stop him from going along with her plan and then locking Miko outside? On her good days she was condescending and cold but on her bad days she would yell at him and Larry, call them interlopers and, sometimes, attack them! What was to stop him from ushering Miko outside and locking the door behind her?

  Larry nudged Spark, "Hey, isn't this great! Miko needs my help and if I do a good job, maybe she'll be my friend," Larry gushed. Spark looked at his brother, his poor addled brother. Larry was what was stopping him from taking this golden opportunity to get rid of the crazy one. He sighed and shook his head. The things he did for his brother.

  "Okay then, the meeting is over." Miko turned to Spark, "I'll get you that bit of cardboard ...,"

  Spark laughed, cutting Miko off. "I never agreed to do anything for you."

  Miko looked at Spark horrified. "But you have to. I thought I made that clear. If you don't help me I may never get to go outside."

  Larry glared at his brother but Spark shrugged, unconcerned. "That'd be a shame," he said to Miko. It didn't sound like Spark thought it would be a shame. Miko narrowed her eyes at him.

  "I would help you but I've been running a bit low on catnip lately. If someone were to replenish my supply then I would have time to help you with your little excursion, but as it is ..." Spark said and smiled at Miko.

  "That's blackmail," Miko hissed.

  Spark frowned at Miko. "No. No, that really isn't. Extortion, maybe, but definitely not blackmail."

  Miko hopped up and down with impatience. "Whatever! Okay, okay, if that's the only way you'll help me, I'll make sure you get your precious catnip."

  "And you will give it to me before I help you," Spark said, impassively staring at Miko.

  Larry gave Spark a shoulder check and glared at him but Spark took no notice.

  Miko growled at Spark but quickly nodded her furry head and turned to stalk away.

  "Hold on now, where are you going?" Spark called after her.

  "I'm going to send a letter via cat post requesting my next two month's allotments of catnip. And, just so you know, you are going to cost me extra for rush delivery.

  "Well, that's great, but what about Larry?" Spark said.

  Larry looked at Spark, puzzled. "What about me?"

  Spark glared at Larry. "Well, don't you want something for helping Miko?"

  Larry's nose went from pink-white to full-on red. "Stop it!" he whispered to Spark.

  Spark rolled his eyes at Larry and turned to Miko. "Larry wants a nose rub from you and he wants you to let him bury his head in your fur as well as touch your fluffy tail with his paw."

  Larry's nose went even redder, and his ears turned pink. "Spark shut up!" Larry groaned.

  Miko stalked over to Larry and stared down at him; she towered over Larry as he cowered at her paws. "He can rub my nose with his and he can bury his head in my fur for no more than five seconds but I will never ... let me repeat that, I will never ... let him put his furry pink paws on my tail. Are we perfectly clear?"

  Mute, and horribly embarrassed, Larry nodded.

  Miko turned and stalked off.

  Chapter Five

  Miko and Larry and Spark were ready to set their plan into motion when Matt and Jane arrived home from work the next day, but one look at his humans told Larry that something was wrong. Matt and Jane looked guilty. Not only that, they acted guilty. As soon as they got home they gave each of the cats treats and new toys. Miko and Spark were ecstatic and ate and played with delighted abandon but Larry stood back, fear thrilling through him like ice water. What had the humans done that they felt this guilty, he wondered.

  After a few minutes of play Jane looked at Matt and Matt cleared his throat. "It really is for the best Jane. Even at half price we couldn't have afforded the apartment."

  Jane nodded sadly and ran her hand over Miko's soft fur. "I know. But I won't pretend I'm not disappointed, I've always wanted an apartment in the city ..."

  Matt bent toward Jane and kissed her head. "Something good has come out of this, if we didn't live in a house with a yard we could never have ...,"

  "Oh!" Jane squealed, cutting Matt off. "We have to show the cats."

  Matt nervously glanced at the cats, "Do you think we should wait? I'm not sure what their reaction will be."

  Jane stared at Matt. "Why should we wait? Don't be silly." Jane turned toward the cats. Although she didn't believe that Miko, Larry or Spark could understand her, she liked pretending they did. "We have some happy news for all of you," she said.

  "Our family ...," Matt reached out and took Jane's hand as he said this, "Our happy family is growing by one."

  "Jane is pregnant!" Larry called out to the other cats, grinning. "Oh it will be fun having a baby around to protect and make laugh and ..."

  "Just a minute," Jane said, smiling uneasily. "I'll introduce you to her."

  Larry put his head on one side. "That was quick!" he said to Spark.

  Spark frowned and looked at Larry. "What do you mean?"

  "Well, It usually takes cats a full two months to have babies, I guess it's quicker for humans," Larry shrugged.

  "You don't know it's a baby, you're just guessing," Spark said and turned back to his new toy, unconcerned. Matt and Jane had bought him a purple spider with bells on the ends of its six legs. An elastic band was attached to the spider's back and Jane had fastened the end to the back of a stool. Spark loved batting at the spider and making the bells jingle. Now if I only had some catnip, he thought and sighed.

  When Jane came back a few minutes later she was carrying a bundle of blankets. Larry nudged Spark and nodded toward the bundle. "Told ya," he said. Spark looked surprised and stopped playing with his spider.

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nbsp; "I don't see a baby," Miko sniffed. "I just see a bundle of blankets."

  Larry huffed and pressed his lips firmly together. For someone so beautiful, so utterly gorgeous, she certainly could be obtuse. "Well, how else would she carry a baby?"

  The three cats crowded around Jane and peered at the bundle.

  Then they sniffed it. When they did, Miko hissed, Spark jumped back in surprise and Larry slanted his head to the side in puzzlement. All three cats stared at each other in shock. This didn't smell like a baby, this smelt like ...

  A snuffling bark sounded from within the blankets and a tiny red tongue flicked out and licked Miko on the nose. Miko let out an ear-splitting yowl and jumped so high she nearly hit the ceiling.

  A puppy! Their humans had adopted a dog!

  Jane looked at Matt and said, "It was wonderful that Hilda's and Stan's dog had puppies, I just wish that we could have taken her brother home as well."

  Matt patted the puppy's head and said, "Dear, that would have been nice, but you know we simply can't have five animals in a space this size." Matt and Jane Lark looked at the cats.

  Larry and Spark swallowed hard. Well, a puppy wasn't so bad.

  Spark went over and sniffed the puppy and flopped down beside it. Larry went over and sniffed the puppy and rubbed his face against her fur. The puppy felt so soft, just how he imagined Miko's fur would feel. Larry sighed and looked at Miko.

  Miko sullenly stared at the puppy. She narrowed her eyes until they were sinister slits and she stared to growl, deep, deep down in her chest.

  Larry and Spark knew what that meant and got out of her way but the puppy and Matt and Jane had no idea. Miko stalked over to the puppy and swatted her on the nose. Miko's claws bit deep into the tender flesh and sliced it open. Blood was everywhere.

  Chapter Six

  Matt and Jane were furious with Miko and did something none of the cats ever thought they would do, not in a million years: they tossed Miko out the back door and closed it on her when she tried to run back inside.

  It was dark outside and from somewhere in the blackness an owl hooted. The air was heavy and damp and there was no sun to warm her fur and no gentle breeze to play in her whiskers. Miko shivered and backed up until her behind ran into the closed door. Shivering, she padded over to the oak tree by her window, climbed it, and sat on the branch by her window so she could look inside and see what Matt, Jane, Spark, Larry and the puppy were doing. They were all curled up together on the couch watching TV. Tears welled up in her eyes and dribbled down her cheeks. All she wanted was to be on the couch with them, watching TV.