#collared kitten

Mistress’ words jolted them out of their daze. “M-mistress?” They asked, their voice quavering, afraid to question, but afraid of what was happening. They were standing on the side of the road as Mistress tied their leash to a log. “Mistress, I-I-I’m sorry, I-I-I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up, I won’t eat, I’ll be a better pet!” They begged, dropping to their knees in the gravel. Mistress stroked their cheek and they pressed their head into her hand. Moonlight shimmered off the tears trickling down their face as they looked up at their mistress.   “I know. You were a good kitty. But I can’t take you with me.” Mistress said quietly, running her hand through their hand tenderly. “Stay. Ok? Be a good kitty and stay.”  “Y-yes mistress,” Aerick whispered. She would come back. Mistress had to come back. She was just leaving them here for a little while. Then she would come back and take them home and they could clean up the blood and they would go back to their normal life as Mistress’ good kitten.   They sat on the log, with these hopeful thoughts in their head as they watched Mistress turn her car around and speed off. As the glow of the car’s lights faded off into the dark, Aerick was struck with panic. Mistress was leaving them here in the dark, tied to a log, out here in the middle of nowhere.  “Mistress!” Aerick jumped up, launching herself off the log, hitting the end of their leash as the sudden momentum flips them onto their back mercilessly. They gasped and tugged at the collar as a sharp throbbing pain echoes through their head and down their spine. “Mistress!” They cried out again, their voice cracking and breaking, as tears run down the side of their face, turning the dirt beside them to mud. “P-please... I-I’ll be a good kitty... P-please don’t go mistress... P-please... I-i’l be a good kitty...”