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octoberink · 2 years

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A Game Of- Part 2

The loud crack of thunder woke her from her slumber. Penny’s eyes shot open at the alarming sound. Her head was still a little sore, but it didn’t hurt as much as when she first woke up. And she was suddenly reminded of where she was. Of everything that happened. Tears breached her eyes out of sorrow for those she had known and cared for. Those who were now gone.

The sorrow was soon replaced with a sense of fear and anxiety. Jasper the cat. The one who had chased away the rats, and allowed her to stay in his shelter with him. In the blind alley. Penny slowly lifted her aching head. She was warm. Surrounded by heavy, dark cloth. A deep, rumbling purr emerged behind her. After glancing around, she realized she was in the crook of Jasper’s arm. His sweatshirt warm and soft for her to lay in. He was laying on his stomach, resting his head beside her on his folded arms.

The gentle purrs he released vibrated her bones in an odd way. Being in his clutches and so close to him caused her heart rate to speed up. She grew nervous again just by looking at him. He was intimidating and scary. His size and strength greatly outmatched hers. He could easily do what he wanted with her, and she could only scream and cry in return.

She looked away from him as she was reminded of how the pair of cats swallowed her people whole. Her heart began to pound madly once more, drowning out the purrs and pouring rain. She was so scared. She shouldn’t have stayed in this place with a cat. He could be tricking her. She was so naive to believe he wouldn’t harm her.

“Relax.”

Jasper’s groggy voice broke through her panic attack as Penny froze in fear.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, remember?” he muttered in a sleepy tone. “Just calm down, Pen.”

She slowly turned her head and saw him peek a golden eye open. His black pupil was very large as he took in deep breaths. She noticed his ears twitching. He must be able to hear her heart beating. It probably woke him up.

She swallowed. “S-sorry,” she stammered in a raspy voice.

Jasper eyed her for another moment before he sighed. Without warning, he began to move. She tightly clutched the fabric beneath her, afraid of falling before his large hand reached out for her. His fingers gently wrapped around her frail body as he sat up, lifting her with him. He opened up his other hand and carefully placed her in his palm before scratching the back of his left ear.

She watched his mouth open wide, revealing white, sharp teeth as he yawned. The sight caused her ears to slightly fold back with uncertainty. Jasper closed his mouth and watched her for a moment before he smiled.

“You were out for so long, I was starting to get worried,” he muttered. “Glad to see you’re awake.” He passed a quick glance to his right, ruffling the black hair on the back of his head. “You must be thirsty.”

She slowly nodded.

He paused. “Hungry?”

The moment he uttered the word, her stomach growled. She felt weak. She definitely needed to eat. She nodded again, but then felt her blood freeze in worry. Was he hungry? Did he change his mind, and he would eat her after all?

He seemed to have sensed this. Maybe his ears were picking up her heart rate again. “Like I said, I don’t eat mice.” He placed a massive hand on his chest. “I promise you that I won’t hurt you, or kill you, or eat you, or anything terrible, Penny.” He passed her a sneaky grin and a wink. “Honestly, I’m a nice guy. You’ll grow to like me soon enough.”

He certainly was a confident kitty. Penny would have responded if not for her aching throat. She could only pass him a look of gratitude for his kind, reassuring words. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant them. He wasn’t cruel like the cats that murdered her kind. He was gentle. Thoughtful.

Penny watched as Jasper reached behind him and pulled out a cup from another area of his home. He lifted a part of the tarp to reveal the pouring rain outside, and held the cup out. After a few moments, he glanced in it and nodded.

“Here,” he murmured as he tipped the edge towards her to get the water closer to the rim.

Penny didn’t hesitate in diving forward with cupped hands. She gratefully drank the cold water as her throat was finally relieved. When she had gulped down as much as she could, she backed away from the cup. Jasper put it out in the rain again, and Penny took in a breath.

“Thank y-you,” she said.

Jasper looked at her in his palm and gently smiled. “You’re welcome.” He took his own sips from the cup. “When the rain lets up a little, I’ll see what I can find for us to eat.” He turned his position to lean against the brick wall that made up part of his makeshift home. “You can stay here and rest if you want. No one really bothers this blind alley in particular.” He paused in thought, keeping his golden gaze on her small frame. “Although I do have some friends that visit from time to time.”

Penny felt her body begin to tremble at just the thought of more cats. Of someone other than Jasper that would know she was here. She nervously swallowed as Jasper’s ears twitched in her direction.

“Easy,” he quietly murmured. “They’re good guys. They’re like me. They don’t hurt mice, or anything like that.”

Again, the gentle gleam in his eyes reassured her. She believed him. She nodded, pulling in her legs to hug them. She felt so small in his hand. So delicate and insignificant. It would be so easy for him to hurt her. To play with her or swallow her. To eat her when he got hungry.

“Why?” she asked, as her ears slightly swiveled back with uncertainty.

He passed her a confused look. “Why what?”

“Why don’t you eat me?” she whispered, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

Jasper cocked a brow and shrugged. “Because that would be murder. Which is wrong. Besides,” he reached his other hand up with a finger aimed at her. Penny shied away before she felt his fingertip gently brush at her large ears. “You’re cute,” he murmured. “And pretty.”

Penny snapped her gaze back to him with reddening cheeks. “Y-you think I’m pretty?”

He nervously bit his lip. “Is that a weird thing to say?” he chuckled. “Did I just make things weird between us?”

Penny smiled as she shook her head. “N-no,” she replied. “No one’s ever said I was pretty before.”

Jasper’s cheeks also blushed a subtle pink. He grinned. “Well, I think you are. You have pretty eyes. And a nice smile.” His smirk slowly started to waver. “I don’t know what you’ve been through,” he murmured in a quiet tone. “Whatever it was, I’m sorry it happened to you.”

Penny looked down with a small ache in her heart. “It was terrible.”

A long stretch of silence followed her words, and she felt embarrassed. She supposed something like that should’ve been kept to herself. Now she’s just made things awkward.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Penny lifted her blue eyes to the giant cat before her. His golden gaze was overflowing with concern and sympathy. He wasn’t being nosy. And he didn’t feel obligated to comfort her. Once again she could tell just by looking into his eyes that Jasper was a very genuine person. Someone who actually cared about her feelings.

She hesitated, though. She didn’t know why. What would she lose by telling him her story? If nothing else, at least someone other than her would know what the rats were capable of. What they’ve done. Penny took in a deep breath. And explained everything to Jasper.

She told him about the monthly payments. About how cruelly the rats treated her people. How she was picked once for the lineup. And why she had been so scared and convinced that she would share the same fate as the other sacrificed mice because Jasper was a cat. She told him everything. She cried. Raised her voice. Covered her face and shook at the memories.

And Jasper didn’t say a thing. He listened intently to every word she said. His eyes grew sad. His ears slightly pulled back with hurt and rage. And when she was finally done, his voice was calm. Gentle. As soft and tender as the palm she sat in.

“I am so sorry, Pen.”

Penny kept her eyes lowered, taking in deep breaths to calm herself. She wanted him to know. She wanted Jasper to understand her fear of him. She was terrified of being killed in such a horrible way. He had the strength and capacity to harm her how he pleased. That was what truly terrified her.

“Hey,” he whispered.

Penny felt a warm finger at her cheek. As she slowly returned her gaze to his, the tip of his massive finger gently moved beneath her chin to keep her eyes on him. Jasper stared down at her with a deep sorrow in his golden orbs. And he took in a deep breath.

“I get it now,” he gently murmured. “I get why you’re so scared of me. But I meant what I said. I promise I won’t hurt you. You are safe here with me, Penny.” He removed his finger from beneath her chin as she stared up at him in awe. He passed her a soft smirk. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Ever.”

Penny was shocked by his kindness. And she still didn’t understand. “But why?” she breathed. “Why help me?”

His smile remained. His eyes lowered down a bit before briefly glancing around his makeshift home. And he shook his head with a small shrug. “Because kindness doesn’t have to cost anyone a damn thing.”

His words struck her in such an odd way. Her heart skipped. Her eyes watered. And she smiled with a nod. “Thank you, Jasper.”

Jasper’s eyes stayed on her for a few more moments before he slowly blinked with a playful smirk. “Now that you know my services are for free, don’t think you can just take advantage of me, Pen.”

Penny lightly laughed at his words, shaking her head. “I won’t.” She somewhat returned to a serious demeanor, and looked him in the eye. “Is there some way I can repay you?”

He admired her with a thoughtful look for a moment before shrugging. “Just be you.”

And then Penny began to wonder about herself. Who she was. Who Jasper was. She’d only lived a life in a prison. Being someone who was scared to die every day. Someone who cried, and trembled almost every waking moment. Was that who she was? Or was she meant to be more than that?

Penny didn’t know how to be herself. Because she didn’t even know who she was.

Jasper must’ve sensed her confusion and sorrow. He let out a small sigh, lightly ruffling the hair on her tiny head. “You’ll find out,” he gently murmured, gathering her attention. “It’ll just take a little time.” He slightly shifted his position with a growing grin on his face. “Now, since I know more about you, I suppose it’s only fair to tell you about myself, right?”

Penny eagerly nodded, prepared to listen as intently as he did. “Yes, of course,” she shyly murmured.

Jasper smirked at her before taking a brief moment to think. Something suddenly changed in his eyes before he spoke. “I hated that house.”

Penny’s ears perked up in curiosity and surprise at his words. At the twinge of anger in his deep voice. But she didn’t ask questions or anything. She let him continue.

“I grew up in a toxic home,” he went on. “A deadbeat dad. A drunk mom, and an abusive older brother. I lived in that house for sixteen years. And I hated every moment of it.” His gaze remained away from hers as if he was ashamed to be telling her this. “Which I know isn’t fair, considering how many people will literally do almost anything to stay in a warm house with a roof over their heads. But—” he shook his head. “No one knows what really happened. What I was going through everyday, physically and mentally.” He paused, closing his golden eyes. “And I tried to tell her my injuries were from Matt, but she wouldn’t listen. She called me a liar, and said I was garbage. One day, I almost—” he stopped himself as he took in a deep breath. “I figured that running away had to be better than just...giving up.” His eyes finally opened, and he looked at Penny. “So, I left that awful house. Ended up here after a month of just wandering around. And I’ve been living on these streets for about...three years. Almost four.” He looked away again, lost in his own thoughts. “Haven’t seen them since. I don’t think they ever tried looking for me.”

After a few moments of silence, Penny finally realized something they once had in common. “You were a prisoner, too.”

His eyes quickly flicked over to her in surprise before his ears slightly swiveled back. “In different ways, maybe. What you went through doesn’t even compare to my past, but—”

“That doesn’t matter,” she gently interrupted. “Suffering comes in many different forms.”

He shrugged with a light huff of amusement. “Which is supposed to do—what? Make us stronger, right?”

“Or kinder,” she replied. She tilted her head at him when he looked away with a small shake of his head. And she finally understood the guilty gleam in his eyes. He felt guilty for being happy in his current living situation. When so many had everything else taken away from them, he chose to leave, and stay homeless. And he felt guilty for the decision, and the relief that came with it. As he nervously scratched the back of his fuzzy ear, she looked down, unsure of how to convince him otherwise of his guilt. Maybe simply stating something true will help him see his worth. “You’re kind.” His golden gaze focused back on her tiny frame in his palm. His brows furrowed at her words, and he looked lost. Confused. Penny blinked at him, and nodded. “You’re very kind, Jasper. No one else would have scared off those rats for me. Someone like your brother would have never done something like that for another person. Your mother didn’t want to help her own child. But you—” Her heart fluttered at the gleam of surprise in his eyes. “What you’re doing for me is something only someone with a good heart can do. And I find that admirable. Because it would be so easy to use your suffering as an excuse to hurt others, or take advantage of people. But you don’t Jasper. You allowed it to mold you into someone who’s genuine, and kind. And selfless.”

Penny watched him smile again. His eyes seemed a bit brighter, too. He edged her slightly closer to his massive features, and nodded. “I needed that, Pen. Thanks.”

Penny did her best to ignore the thumping of her heart, and be brave enough to move slightly closer to him on her own. She smiled back. “No. Thank you, Jasper.”

He smirked at her with a shake of his head. “No, no, no. Thank you.” He chuckled at her slightly baffled reaction. “We could go back and forth all day, pipsqueak,” he winked. “I guess it’s a good thing we found each other.”

Penny smiled at the return of his humorous attitude with a nod. “I guess it is.”

As Jasper’s grin widened at that, his ear twitched towards the world beyond his makeshift shelter, and he turned his head. “Looks like the rain has stopped for now.” He looked back at her with a shrug. “If you feel more comfortable coming with me, it’s no trouble. But this place is safe if you wanna stay and rest.”

Her instinct was to go with him. To stay protected in his gentle hand. But she was very tired, and felt like sleeping a little more. She hesitated, taking another look at her surroundings. At the home he deemed safe enough for her. Penny turned to Jasper with a nod. “I’ll stay here.”

Jasper nodded in return. “Alright. I’ll be sure to make it quick,” he murmured as he slowly moved his hand back to the plush blanket on the ground. When Penny carefully climbed out of his palm, his voice rumbled the air again. “Anything in particular you’d like me to find for you?” When she gazed up at him with question, he shrugged. “I can’t promise I’ll actually find it, but I’ll take a look around for whatever it is you’d like.”

Penny wasn’t sure how to respond. She and her people were used to eating rotting vegetables, and stale bread. She had been told about other wonderful, delicious foods out in the world, and wondered what it would be like to taste them. One food in particular popped into her head. One that a friend of hers had pointed out, because Jay and some of the other guards had been fighting over it.

She looked up at Jasper, and nervously replied, “Cheese?”

Jasper’s ears twitched in her direction as his pupils slightly dilated with amusement. He smirked. “Cheese?” he repeated. “Have you ever had it before?” When she shook her head with warm cheeks, he nodded. “Alright, then I will do my best to find you some. Anything else?”

Penny would’ve liked to ask for more, but also didn’t want him to be away for too long. She shyly shook her head. “N-no, thank you, Jasper.”

“Okay,” he murmured as he lifted the tarp. “I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as his heavy footsteps stopped vibrating the ground, Penny’s heart began to race. It felt so odd to be more afraid without Jasper than with him. She backed herself up to the pillow, and slunk down with the plush surface on her back. She pulled in her knees, and hugged them tightly, keeping her blue eyes on the opening of the tattered tarp.

She wasn’t sure why, but her eyes suddenly began to tear up. Her vision blurred, and her lip quivered. She quickly realized she was completely alone for the first time in her life. This was the first time she wasn’t crowded in a large group, or following orders, or being chased down. It was the first moment she was experiencing without another presence near her. Without a warm body willing to bring harm or comfort to her.

And with this understanding of being alone, she finally took a moment to properly process the death of her people. If what Jasper said was true, that meant she was the only survivor of her camp. Even the kind mouse that had been providing her comfort and encouragement was gone. All those she had once called friends—family—were dead. She’d never see them again.

Penny began to sob into her crossed arms. She knew she would miss them. She knew that for the rest of her life there would be a gaping hole in her heart that was once full of love and togetherness from her fellow victims. As she thought of that hole in her chest, Jasper’s face appeared in her mind. His kind smile, gentle voice, and warm hands. Maybe he could help fill some of the emptiness she was feeling. Maybe someday he would call her his friend. His family.

Penny knew it still wouldn’t be enough to undo the fate of her people. But Jasper’s kindness may help her heal. Even if at the end of it all there would still be a scar. But for that to happen, she had to learn to trust him. Otherwise, because of the rats, and the two cats that consumed her own people, other emotions could take over. Anger, hatred, resentment. Or fear.

Like the fear that still remains fresh in my chest. The way it keeps me from looking him in the eye for too long. Or makes my heart race whenever he moves.

Penny didn’t want that. She’d been through enough. She wanted her future to be full of light and warmth after her dark and terrifying past. It was time for her to move on, and live her life the way she was always meant to. Freely, and without the fear of the world around her.

And with Jasper by her side, she knew in her heart that she could still have that.

Penny could almost feel a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. She thought she could hear quiet whispers of encouragement and love in her ears. As if the very souls of her people could hear her thoughts, and were telling her that it was okay. She took in a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and put on a small smile as she exhaled.

Her new life was just beginning. All thanks to a nosy kitty cat.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Penny woke up to the light tremble of the ground beneath her. She had fallen asleep at some point after her well-deserved sob. She slowly sat up, the skin on her cheeks slightly stiff from her dried tears. She looked at the tarp, waiting for Jasper to enter. She was eager to see him home again after feeling so lonely.

But before the giant hand she saw even removed the tarp, a voice emerged—an unfamiliar voice. “Jasper? You home?”

Instead of the dark skin, black hair and ears, and yellow eyes she knew, she saw light orange hair. Vivid green eyes. Pale, freckled skin with a few piercings around the face. A stranger. A strange cat that had just entered Jasper’s home right in front of her. His emerald gaze searched the small area for only a moment before he turned in her direction.

Penny froze under his intense gaze. Her heart pounded madly as she tensed her muscles in preparation to run. The cat’s pupils widened in sudden anticipation. His ears twitched at her heartbeat. And a sneaky grin snaked across his freckled face.

“Well, well...well,” he chuckled at the final word. “Are my eyes deceiving me right now?”

Penny kept her terrified gaze on the giant creature. She slowly stood to her feet, waiting for him to lunge at her. He followed her movements at the same time, slowly entering Jasper’s home. She stared up at him with wide eyes, her limbs trembling violently beneath his eager stare.

“Oh Maaaasssooon!” he sang in a soft tone. “Look what I found.”

“Whaaaaat?” a deep voice lacking enthusiasm sang back.

Penny suddenly felt as if she was going to faint when a second face appeared. Another cat. His hair and ears a deep, dark brown. Amber eyes. Piercings on his face and tattoos across the skin of his arms. Dark scruff lining his hard jawline. When his eyes landed on her, his pupils also dilated with interest. He smiled.

“Looks like our friend’s been holding out on us,” the one apparently called Mason murmured.

Penny wanted to plead with them. She wanted to explain the situation to them, and tell them that Jasper was allowing her to stay with him. But her fear kept any words from escaping her mouth. The orange cat slowly began to lean forward.

“Not like him to keep a secret like this from us,” he said with a hand reaching out to her. “I’d bet she’s an intruder.”

Penny finally moved. She darted forward between Mason’s feet, and sprinted past the tarp. However, she didn’t make it far. Mason seemed to be even quicker on his feet, somehow managing to get in front of her, and blocking her path. Penny turned around to find a place to hide in—somewhere they couldn’t reach—but she didn’t notice the orange male exiting Jasper’s home with an outstretched hand.

His fingers wrapped around her rather roughly, ceasing her escape. She squirmed in his clutch, pounding his hand with tiny fists. He lifted her up to his face as he stood to his full height. “Got ya, rodent.”

Panic reached her tiny body as she continued to writhe and squirm violently in his fist. She could hear Mason approach from behind her. “Nice catch, Archie.”

Archie smirked at the compliment, keeping his green eyes trained on the tiny mouse in his hand. Penny didn’t stop fighting as he huffed in amusement. “Quit squirming, you rat.”

Penny suddenly felt the fear and panic briefly disappear at the insult. She glared up at Archie, ceasing her attempts to escape his grasp. “I...am not...a rat!” she yelled.

Archie and Mason both chuckled at her words before Mason lifted a finger to poke at her ears. “She’s cute when she’s angry,” he mocked.

“I like her better when she’s scared,” Archie replied in a playful growl. The fear had wiped away any sense of bravery and rage. She stared up at him, and began shaking again. He nodded. “Yeah. Like that.” He leaned in for a closer look. “Look at the fear in those big blue eyes.” His pupils slowly turned into slits. His ears slightly swiveled back as a touch of anger crossed his features. “Trespasser.” Before Penny could defend herself, he slightly loosened his fist. “Why don’t we have some fun before Jasper gets home?” His eyes lifted to Mason. “Then he can decide what to do with her.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Mason replied.

Archie gazed at her with a gleam in his eyes that twisted Penny’s stomach. “You’re gonna regret coming into this alley.”

Without warning, he shot his hand into the air, and let her go. Penny felt her body soar higher and higher before her gut dropped when she stopped going up. Gravity took hold of her tiny frame, and pulled her back down. Her arms and legs flailed as she screamed in terror.

She landed back into the cat’s soft hand. His fingers closed in on her rather tightly as if he was about to crush her. Before she could beg for mercy from him, he shot her back up into the air, and then caught her again. As if she were merely a pebble for him to play with, he tossed her up once more, and caught her for the final time with a laugh.

Her stomach rolled from the nauseating movements, and her entire body quaked in horror. “P-please,” she whimpered. “Stop...”

“Not yet,” Mason’s deep voice rumbled her ribcage. “My turn.”

Tears engulfed her vision before a familiar pinch greeted the end of her tail. “Please...” she tried again.

Whether or not they heard her didn’t stop the brown cat from lifting her out of Archie’s palm by her tail. That awful pain in her spine returned, causing her to yell and grunt at the sensation. He lifted her to eye level, observing her with curious, and amused eyes. His face soon became blurry when Penny couldn’t fight the tears climbing into her eyes.

“How else should we play with you?” he mumbled in a thoughtful tone.

Penny raised her voice to make sure he heard her. “W-wait, please!” She cried out her words, shaking and swinging from her tail. “Please, s-stop. I’m n-not...I’m not a tr—”

“What the hell are you two doing?”

All eyes turned to the voice that was lathered in layers of emotions. Penny detected shock, fear, and anger all at once in that question. And relief hit her like a stone wall when she recognized who it was. She reached out her dangling arms to Jasper, who stood at the end of the alley, frozen at the sight before him.

“Jasper!” she wailed and sobbed. “Jasper, please! Help me!”

Without hesitation he hurried over to her, holding his hand out beneath her. “Let her go. Now!” he raised his voice in a deep, throaty growl.

Penny felt herself gently lowered into his soft hand before the pressure from her tail disappeared. She balled herself up into his curled fingers, trying her best not to cry. Her body quaked and trembled in fear and relief. Jasper’s warm breath washed over her as he leaned in to look at her.

“Pen, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head with a whimper. She was too afraid to speak. She had a feeling that if she opened her mouth, she would start sobbing. She felt Jasper move again, holding her close to his chest. She tried to listen to the conversation over the fast pounding of his heart.

“What is going on here?” he said in a low voice with a sharpness to it.

“Hold on,” Archie chimed in, his voice causing Penny to flinch. “Calm down, Jasper. We didn’t know she was with you. We thought she—”

“That she’s just hanging out on my bed in an alley of cats for fun?” Jasper interjected. “Did you even give her a chance to explain herself?”

“She didn’t say anything, she just ran,” Mason murmured. “So, we figured she was trespassing.” He paused as Jasper heavily sighed in both relief and annoyance. “We weren’t gonna hurt her, Jasp. Just scare her.”

Jasper’s hand slightly closed in more on Penny as she continued to tremble. “Well...I think you did one hell of a job.” He paused, relaxing slightly. “Get out.”

Penny wondered if they would try to justify themselves again. Or if they would attack Jasper in an attempt to get to her. She thought of the worst possible things that were about to happen with the silence that suffocated them.

Instead, without another word, both cats finally left the blind alley.

After a few moments of silence, Penny felt Jasper move. His heavy steps thundered the warm hands around her. She heard the rustling of the tarp before he sat down. He opened his fingers a little more, but Penny wasn’t ready to open her eyes and look at him. She was still shaking in terror.

“Penny,” he breathed. “I...I am so sorry. I would never have left you alone if I knew they were coming—you have to believe me, I—”

“I believe you...”

Her voice came out in a pathetic whimper. She could feel his golden gaze on her tiny frame as she kept herself curled up in his hands. She couldn’t stop the few tears that tumbled down her red cheeks.

“I believe you, Jasper,” she repeated with a small sniffle.

“Y-you...you do?” he asked with great disbelief in his tone.

She nodded, still adamant on keeping her eyes closed until her shaking stopped. “I trust you.”

He slightly sighed in relief. “Okay. Are you okay? I mean, I know you’re not okay, b-but...you’re not hurt, right? They didn’t hurt you?”

Penny took in a deep breath, and finally opened her tear-filled eyes. She turned and looked up at Jasper before she shook her head. “No. They just...” Her ears flattened slightly. “They called me an intruder. A rat.”

Jasper swallowed at that and his pupils quickly condensed into slits. “What else did they do?”

Penny hesitated, sitting up. “They tossed me into the air a few times. Played with me.”

“By the gods,” Jasper hissed with anger. He was silent for a moment before his eyes moved back to her. “Pen, I can’t tell you just how sorry I am. I should’ve had you come with me.”

She looked up at him, shaking her head. “I don’t blame you, Jasper. And...” she paused, unsure of how to continue. “...I didn’t even say anything. I was too scared to.”

“You’re not to blame, either,” he replied in a soft tone. “I’m going to have a talk with them about this. They aren’t like that, especially with mice. I don’t understand what they were thinking.” When she didn’t respond, he leaned in slightly closer. “Are you okay, Pen?” he whispered.

She looked him in the eye, and nodded. “I will be.” She shrugged. “I supposed I’ve been through much worse.”

Jasper eyed her for a moment, unsure if he believed her before his ears swiveled forward again. “Oh! I almost forgot...” He reached into his pocket, and pulled something out. It was wrapped in a napkin, and Penny thought she could smell food. “I couldn’t get you any cheese, but I did get you some fresh fruit.”

The napkin uncurled itself to reveal bright red pieces of the fruit he’d mentioned. Penny tilted her head to one side as she inched closer. “W-what is it?”

“You’ve never had strawberries before?” he asked. When she shook her head, he smiled. “Well, go ahead and try it. See if you like it.”

Penny tentatively reached her hands out, and grabbed a piece. She sniffed it, the sweet aroma tickling her nose, and making her mouth water. It smelled delicious. She took a bite, and let the flavor sink in. It tasted better than it smelled. It was still somewhat juicy, and flooded her mouth with sweetness. She took another bite and another before grabbing another piece.

Jasper huffed. “I take it you like it?” She nodded, grabbing the last piece before looking up at him. He shook his head. “Go ahead. I brought it for you.”

She simply thanked him with her eyes and small smile before finishing off the last piece in a few bites. With her stomach full, and her hands sticky from the fruit, she relaxed in Jasper’s hand again, feeling sleepy from the hectic morning. She watched Jasper nod as her eyes fluttered.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “A nap sounds nice.”

Jasper carefully moved to lay down in his bed with Penny safely in his hand, no more than a few inches from his face. She snuggled up in his palm and watched his golden gaze observe her. Feeling safe and secure once again, she finally closed her eyes, and fell asleep to his rumbling purrs.

*********

here’s part 2! I hope you all enjoy!

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octoberink · 2 years

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A Game Of (Rewrite)- Part 1

So, a while ago I decided to rewrite the first part of this story (it was split in half for here) mostly because I felt that the setting wasn’t right, and Penny’s backstory needed...more. So, in this rewritten version, you learn more about her and the situation she was in before running into Jasper, and Jasper’s setting has been changed to homeless. He’s basically a suave alley cat now :D Anywho! I hope you enjoy! I’ll be posting a part 2 very soon!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She quietly stood in the murmuring crowd around her, trembling with anxiety. Another month has passed. Another month of her enslaved people suffering at the cruel hands of the rats. Everyday they were all hurt, abused, and sometimes even killed by the vicious rodents. She had been lucky, however. Every month they gathered together like this, she’d gone unnoticed. Unseen, and unheard. While other mice were picked out to be in a group of five, she had remained. After all this time.

Little did she know that her luck was about to run out.

That day, as she stood there, trembling with her head down, she could hear the heavy footsteps of the guards get closer and closer. Her heart hammered itself furiously against her chest in an effort to leave her body. She tried to keep her tail and ears frozen to avoid drawing attention to herself.

But it didn’t matter. She saw two booted feet stop just before her. In front of her own small, bare feet, standing on the cold, hard ground of her sad home. A large hand harshly gripped her chin, and forced her gaze up. The rat that stared at her sneered with the smallest smirk on his lips. His name was Jay. He was extremely tall and muscular. He had these horrible red eyes and a deep cut in his left ear. Long, sharp claws at the end of his large fingers. A long, fat tail. His disheveled beard made him look ever more rugged and mean. He quickly turned to a fellow rat behind him.

“This one,” he muttered.

Before she had a moment to even process his words, the rat behind him tied her fragile wrists together, and shoved her in the small group they had already picked out. Her people released sad, quiet whispers for her and the others with her. It was then that she understood something terrible. Something horrifying.

This could be her last day alive. Her final moments.

“It’s okay, Penny.”

She glanced up at one of the male mice beside her. She knew him pretty well. He was the one who typically distributed things like food and blankets to everyone when they were given such luxuries. She didn’t remember his name. But she knew his face. He watched her with worry and despair in his kind eyes as he shook his head.

“You need to breathe,” he whispered. “Stay strong. For them.”

She nodded in reply, taking in a deep breath. A rough hand pushed her forward from behind. “Move it, filth.”

Shaking beyond anything she could hope to control, she followed the four other mice before her outside of their shelter. The rats kept her people trapped in a fenced-in clearing with nothing more than a large tarp over their heads. Winters were extremely brutal. Wet summers were unforgiving. They had all been suffering for as long as she could remember. She has never recalled a time when she wasn’t a slave to these brutes.

They moved from beneath the tarp to the rest of the forest beyond the fence. She knew where they were going. What was about to happen. It happened every month. Five mice would be picked out, and leave for some time. Only three would come back.

Penny was absolutely terrified she would be one of the ones that didn’t return. But she tried to remember to breathe. If she caused a scene, the rats would have no problem killing her immediately. They hardly needed an excuse to perform such a heartless act. She looked up. The trees around them as tall and massive as they always were. She and her people were so small in this world. So insignificant, it seemed.

In a matter of minutes, they began walking up to an enormous shelter. A concrete base with metal walls and a roof. At the right size, it would be a shed. But for Penny, it was the size of a building. The rats harshly forced them inside, grabbing them and shoving them into a single file line.

“Faces to the wall,” Jay ordered. She and the others did as they were told. “When they get here, don’t you dare turn around and look at them. Doesn’t matter what you hear, you keep your eyes on that wall, and don’t say a word, understand?”

They all answered that they understood. Penny started shaking again. Her arms felt as if they would fall off. Her legs could barely support her. She could hear her teeth and bones chattering in her own body. But she soon realized it wasn’t just her fear that caused her quaking.

The ground trembled. It shook. It violently quaked beneath her feet. Her eyes widened. Her heart stopped. She nervously swallowed to hold back the urge to scream.

They’re here.

Every month, something horrible happened here. She’d only heard stories. Imagined what it must be like to come to this dreaded place. Nightmares of what could possibly happen to her. And as much as she hoped and wished this was nothing more than a dream, she knew the truth.

For several years, the rats have used her people as “payment” for protection and security. Two giant creatures. Cats. Massive beings with fuzzy, pointed ears, and fluffy tails. Their eyes could easily pinpoint anything in the dark. And their appetite and instinct to hunt tiny, scurrying things like her was unmatched. These “guardians” of the rodents in the forest. And the price for the safety of those who enslaved her? Two mice. One for each cat. Devoured. Eaten. Murdered. Never to be seen again. And the fact that Penny was hardly standing because of the heavy steps that they carelessly took was enough to make her want to wail. She quickly bit her lips to keep herself from screaming in panic and pure terror.

These cats would pick two mice among the five that were brought to them. She was in that group today. She listened as they briefly chatted with Jay. She would have liked to pay attention and focus on what they were saying, but her pounding heart was too loud in her round ears.

“Help yourselves,” Jay’s maliciously amused tone broke through the deafening heartbeat in her skull. Tears breached her eyes.

She could hear movement behind her. Warmth brushed her back. She tried to keep still. It took everything in her to keep her whimpers at bay. The last thing she wanted was to be singled out. To be chosen.

“Hmmm,” a low, deep voice rumbled the air, almost causing her to jump. “Nice lineup today.”

Penny took in deep breaths through her nose to keep herself from fainting. She had to stay strong. Be brave. For the rest of her people at home. For the victims against the wall with her.

“You.”

She expected to be snatched away. But a cry sounded off to her left. She dared the quickest glance and saw massive fingers clutch the midsection of a young male mouse. Not much older than her. He was pulled back. And even though she couldn’t see him anymore, she could hear everything else.

He begged and cried to be released. She could feel his panic and horror. He started to sound further away as he was lifted high up. He struggled. He sobbed and wailed.

“Best not to go down fighting,” the cat that had chosen him purred. She thought she heard the sound of his saliva-coated mouth open with a wet smack. The young mouse screamed. The snap of sharp teeth quickly closing. The muffled screams slowly disappeared into silence.

The cat gave out a burp and chuckled. “He’ll be putting up a fight for a while in there.”

By the gods, she thought with a numbness consuming her. She slapped her hands to her mouth to stop the scream that was climbing to her throat. He swallowed him whole?

No one among her people had ever mentioned that. A new presence emerged behind her. Her ears had involuntarily flattened against her head with fear and complete horror. Panic was controlling her heart rate. She begged and prayed for herself to be left alone. She didn’t want to die like that. She didn’t want anyone to die in such a horrifying way.

Another was taken from her left. Lifted up, begging and screaming for mercy. Swallowed. Gone. The cats left. Jay forced the remaining mice out of the dirty shed. Penny couldn’t feel a thing on her body. She kept replaying the sounds in her head. The horrible fates of her people.

This was what they endured every month. But no more. Penny wished her people had decided to go forth with their escape plans before this month’s payment. But they wanted to be careful. Cautious. They only had this one chance to get out.

And Penny would fight with everything she had to get out. If not for herself, then for the rest of her people. And especially for those who had been sacrificed in the manner she had experienced today.

As soon as they all returned, Penny hurried over to a corner of the fence and vomited. She felt awful. Tears tumbled down her face as she tried to keep her sobs relatively quiet. Again, it didn’t take much for the rats to end one of their lives. Being slightly too loud because she was crying would be a fine excuse for them.

A hand rested on her shoulder. She didn’t know who it was. But it didn’t even matter. She was grateful for the gentle touch. She wiped her mouth and turned around. And saw it was the same mouse who had reminded her to breathe. He also had tears in his eyes. A deep sorrow and fear in his features. He looked years older with these emotions.

“This will never happen again,” he breathed to her.

Penny nodded before he helped her up. As she looked around, she saw the same glimmer of determination in everyone’s eyes. They were all ready for this suffering to end. For their freedom to begin. Penny and the rest of the enslaved mice were ready to escape.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Penny, wake up.”

Her eyes flashed open. It was dark out. And by the look on the face of the mouse that awakened her, it was time to leave. She followed her people towards the gates of the massive fence. They all stayed quiet. No one spoke. It was as if everyone was holding their breath. Their plan was pretty simple. Knock out the single guard, and disperse in the woods to avoid getting caught while it was pitch black out. There was no moon. It would be hard for the rats to spot her people. Once they were all out, they would gather a little ways past the shed. There, they could at least be together again and figure out their next move.

Their biggest obstacle was timing. The only time there was ever one rat on duty was when they were about to switch guards just before dawn. It was the best time for the mice to make their move.

Penny watched from further back in the crowd. The older mice and young children were at the front to ensure they got out first. Penny was certainly nervous about being one of the last ones out. But all she needed was a chance. She could do it.

She heard a grunt at the gate before it was slowly opened. A familiar, friendly face appeared. The same one that had been comforting her lately. He gestured with his hand for everyone to leave. And the crowd moved forward. Voices were kept low. Feet light. Ears perked up to listen.

Soon enough, Penny was at the gate. As soon as she stepped out, harsh, vivid lights blinked on. Penny began to charge in the direction of the shed, but was cut off by a couple of rats. She turned around, and began running in the other direction.

“Get them!” Jay’s cruel voice ordered in a shrill cry. “Get them all!”

Penny sprinted through the enormous woods as her heart pounded in her chest. The sun was quickly rising. And she knew she’d have to find a place to hide before the darkness completely went away and she was exposed. Especially with her white ears and tail that easily stood out among the browns and greens of the world around her. Her blue eyes darted in every direction to find a spot.

“Stop!”

She turned her head for a second. The moment she saw those red eyes, she pushed herself harder. She’d been spotted. She had to keep going. Past the forest. To a new world that was dangerous for both herself and the rats. It would at least get them on the same level of peril. Of risks and threats for them both.

Her tiny legs carried her as quickly as they possibly could. Her chest heaved with each panicked breath she took. And her body was trembling with terror. The cold morning weather made the ground beneath her bare feet feel like a field of needles. But the icy temperatures were the least of her worries at the moment.

She would not give up. She would not stop until she had reached the city. Unfortunately, the city she was running to was rampant with cats. Even so, as afraid as she was to be caught, played with, and eaten by a giant feline, it was still a better outcome to getting captured by Jay. She would do whatever it took to keep him from gaining any information from her. That was her sole priority at the moment.

If her people were found, they would not be spared like the first time. They would not simply become slaves again. Instead, they would all be killed. Finished off and left to rot. Maybe even given to those two cats. Every single one of them.

I can’t let that happen, she thought to herself.

The moment she felt the ground change beneath her feet, she looked around. She had finally arrived at the city. The enormous buildings towered over her as the sidewalk stretched on for what looked like miles ahead. It was pretty empty as far as she could tell. Which made sense, since morning had just barely arrived. She didn’t stop, though. She kept running. She was gaining some distance between herself and the pursuing brutes. This would be her chance to find a good place to hide.

She dared a quick glance behind her to see they were even further back than she had thought. After returning her gaze ahead, she caught sight of an entrance to her right. Using the last of her energy, she sprinted as fast as she could before jumping into the entrance. It was a massive alley.

“Oh, no,” she suddenly breathed.

She was wrong. She soon realized it was a blind alley. There was no exit. It was a dead end. And she had no choice now but to hide. Her blue eyes searched the space around her as her little white ears perked up and swiveled to listen for the incoming rats.

She spotted a massive box beside a jumbled mess of wooden crates, and torn cloth. She was out of time. She dashed into the box, and silently waited. She could hear the rats running in her direction. Their feet echoed in the blind alley as she suddenly clasped a hand over her mouth to keep her breathing silent. There were murmurs she couldn’t make out. Their feet edged closer and closer to her position.

She squeezed her eyes shut in fear. If they found her now, it would be all over. But they didn’t. They soon began to move on, back to the entrance. She let out her breath in relief, taking a peek outside of her hiding spot. After seeing a long tail disappear behind the brick wall, she practically collapsed on the ground with a deep sigh.

“That was a close one.”

She froze at the amused voice that emerged behind her. Fear quickly and easily replaced the hope and relief in her heart. She knew what she would see when she turned around. And she almost convinced herself to just start running again without looking. But her instinct told her to see what would be giving chase next.

She slowly turned around. And glanced up. She gasped at the sight, and backed away with short breaths of terror. It was indeed a cat like she had suspected. But to see one with her own eyes for the very first time was shocking. His size was even more intimidating and fearsome than she had imagined. His yellow eyes were locked onto her. And his black ears surrounded by pitch black hair that twitched in anticipation at her movements. He was on his back, lying lazily on the mess of crates, looking comfy in his bulky, black sweatshirt, and gray sweatpants. His head hung over the edge so that he was looking at her upside down. His arms were crossed over his chest as an amused and curious expression lit up his freckled face.

She slowly crawled backwards, unsure if she had the time to run from him. Or even the stamina. She was exhausted. But he didn’t even move. He only watched her with a small grin on his young face. He looked no older than her.

As soon as she stood up, she was blindsided by one of the rats. Jay pinned her against the wall opposite the cat, keeping his back to the dangerous creature. The other rat joined his comrade as both glared down at her with furious, red eyes. She struggled under his grip, but was easily picked up, and bashed into the bricks behind her.

A bolt of pain electrically danced from the back of her skull, all the way down her spine. Her vision blinked in and out between blurs and clear imagery. She fluttered her eyes heavily, trying to stay awake as her sensitive ears rang from the impact she just took.

“Where did they go?” Jay demanded in a rough voice. “Tell us where they’re hiding!”

She struggled in his grip once again, feeling his claws dig deep in her skin. The warm touch of blood slid down her arms, alarming her to the damage he was already causing with such little effort. She was truly no match for these brutes.

But the other nagging concern in the back of her mind brought her attention to the cat. He eyed her situation closely before putting a finger to his grinning lips in a signal for her to keep silent. She soon realized that the reason the rats hadn’t reacted to the feline was simply because they didn’t know he was there. They were so focused on her, they didn’t even look behind them when they entered the blind alley.

She watched with wide, scared eyes as the giant cat slowly and silently removed himself from his previous position on the crates. He then quietly tip-toed over to them, proving one of the many gifts that his kind possessed. They could be as light as a feather on their feet to maximize success in their hunting. A skill she wished she had.

“If you don’t tell us where your people are hiding, we will use every resource we have to make you squeal,” Jay growled. “And none of them are pleasant, you filth.”

She still wasn’t focused on them. Her eyes remained on the giant that had made his way over to them. Having her distracted must have pushed the rats over the edge. Jay lifted a large hand up to grab her head. He pulled her forward before bashing her back into the brick wall, yet again.

Her world started to grow dark as she did her best to fight off the sleep that was barreling her way. But the rats must have finally seemed to sense that something was wrong, and turned around. She heard both cry out in shock at the cat before them, and felt them release her to fall to the cold ground. She continued to try and stay awake, watching the blurry shapes before her.

“She’s with us!” Jay desperately tried to explain. “We were just going to take her and leave!”

And then, she heard that cat’s voice again. As deep and calm as before. “Either you leave without her, or you don’t leave at all.”

She didn’t know what the outcome would be. Either way, she was dead. She would never get to her people. But she would also never reveal their location, no matter how hard the rats tried. At least they were safe. That was what truly mattered.

With this in mind, she allowed the darkness to consume her just as the rats ran back to the entrance of the blind alley. A glowing pair of golden eyes settled on her just as she passed out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She knew she was awake. Which meant she was alive. For now. Her head throbbed as her brain slowly woke up from its forced slumber. Her limbs felt heavy. Her entire body was sore. She remembered everything. The rats. The alley. The giant cat.

She recalled seeing Jay leave as the giant feline had ordered. She had to assume that wherever she was, she was most likely in his clutches. He was probably watching her. Waiting for her to wake up so that he could have the proper chase he wanted. To play with his food before he finally consumed her.

The thought sent shivers up her spine. She suddenly felt the need to survive. To run from this danger she had gotten herself into. The moment her ears twitched, she flinched at the zap of pain in her head. That’s right. Those cruel brutes bashed her into the wall. Twice.

She decided to try and open her eyes. She had to blink a few times to clear her blurry vision. Even then, everything felt distorted. Surreal. The way her body begged her to just rest and stay still. Her head giving her the feeling it was about to implode. And her heart returned to it’s fearful pounding against her chest.

She ignored the way her skull practically screamed when she managed to lift her head. She swayed a bit as she lifted herself up on shaky arms. Her deep blue gaze tried too hard to understand what they were seeing. It was hard to make out. There were no walls or a ceiling. Only cloth. Some sort of soft, red cloth that was draped over her position to create a tent-like shelter. A giant, electrical lantern sat before her, lighting up the entire space, which was bigger than she had initially noticed. She was in a new world of giant felines, after all.

She looked down to see she was on a rugged-looking pillow. It was enormous. It must be his. At the thought of his smug grin, she felt her stomach roll with dread. She needed to get out of here. She had no idea where he was, but since he wasn’t here at the moment, this was her best shot to escape.

It took a few tries, but she managed to stand on wobbly legs before carefully sliding off of the pillow. She noticed that the floor beneath her feet was also soft. Covered neatly with a giant, thick blanket. This was definitely his home. Where he slept. He would probably be back soon.

She looked around, unsure of how to leave. Her eye caught sight of a small hole in the material that hung over his sleeping area. She could get through that. No problem. But as much as she wanted to run, her legs wouldn’t let her. She would take a few steps, and simply collapse on her knees as her head swam. She fought off the urge to sleep over and over. The more she did, the more nauseous she felt.

Her body was doing everything in its power to bring her to her doom.

Stupid body, she thought bitterly to herself. Frustration slowly took over the fear she was feeling. Come on, legs. Work.

She stood up. And immediately fell to the plush ground, once again. She gave up. She was exhausted. In pain. Afraid. This was her end. How she died. At the hands of a cat. Although, if she were honest with herself, she’d rather have it be like this than be tortured for who knows how long only for the rats to kill her anyway. If she was lucky, this cat wouldn’t play with her pathetic self for too long.

She then felt the smallest trembles on the ground beneath the blanket. He was back. This was it. As scared as she was, she just wanted this to be over with. She was tired. And in no mood for his games. Please, end it quickly, she prayed to herself.

“Well, you didn’t get very far,” his voice was laced with amusement.

Her stomach dropped at the way he spoke to her. No sympathy, or concern for her exhausted state. This would be a gruesome death, she was sure of it. She heard him sigh at the same moment the entire world seemed to shake as he casually collapsed on his makeshift bed.

There was a tiny pinch that greeted the end of her tail. Just as she realized what was about to occur, she felt her entire body slowly snake among the blanket beneath her before it disappeared altogether. The height was bad enough, but with the pain that traveled down her tail right to her spine was what truly startled her.

She cried out at the truly bizarre and painful sensation before his enormous face suddenly appeared. Right below her dangling body. She struggled at first, turning every-which-way to get to his fingers that snatched her up, but she knew it was completely pointless. She was hanging over her doom. Her end.

And unfortunately for her, he didn’t seem to be in a rush to eat her. He simply stared, his golden gaze observing her face and eyes. He smirked at her. “So, what’s a little pipsqueak like you doing in my alley?” he murmured. “You got a death wish or something?” he chuckled.

She didn’t know what to say. What could she say? He wouldn’t understand her struggle to survive. To be free. What she would do to keep her people safe. When he moved his arm to get her closer to his face, she squeezed her eyes shut. This was it. It was happening. She would share the same exact fate as the other sacrificed mice. The sounds from the previous day still haunted her.

“Can’t you talk?” the cat asked.

She opened her eyes again to see him watching her closely. He cocked a brow at her silence before he hummed.

“Guess they really did a number on you,” he muttered. “Disgusting rats.”

So they agreed on something. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. She nervously swallowed to give him a clear voice. “I h—” she paused to swallow again. “I h-hate them, too.”

His eyes suddenly lit up at her voice. She didn’t miss the way his large, black pupils dilated a bit as he brought her even closer to his face. The pain in her back was driving her crazy, causing her to struggle a little. The fear churned her gut with worry.

“Well, what do you know,” he smiled. “She can talk. So, tell me something, mousey,” he began. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you about manners?”

Manners? Where was he going with this? Was he going to do her a merciful service and not play with his food? Would he just straight-up swallow her like a good-mannered kitty cat? She only continued to stare at him in confusion as he sighed with a playful roll of his eyes.

“I mean,” he shrugged, swaying her world into small circles. “Letting you sleep in my bed is one thing. But saving your life is another. From what I’ve been told, when someone does something nice for you, you say thank you.”

His voice betrayed the teasing tone of his words. He wasn’t being a hundred percent serious. But she could tell he wanted her to say something about his apparent-heroic actions. She felt her confusion melt into a sudden sense of defiance.

“Y-you want me to thank you?” she dared to ask. The look on his smug features didn’t waver. She’d had enough. She was in a ridiculous amount of pain, her head was still swimming, and it didn’t help that she was dangling and swinging over his face. Right over his mouth, in fact. She was done. She wanted him to get angry. To just kill her already. “Why would I thank you for saving my life when you’re just going to eat me anyway?” she bravely raised her voice.

The moment he started laughing, the world around her harshly jerked and twirled with his convulsive movements. She closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the nausea climbing into her belly. When he finally stopped, she looked at him again to see his cheeks glow a soft shade of pink.

He chuckled again, shaking his head. “Wow,” he huffed. “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time, pipsqueak. Thanks for that. It felt good.” He paused, smirking at her confused expression. “Look, I may be hungry, but I am not that hungry.”

She felt the smallest touch of relief, but quickly pushed it away. It wasn’t time for that just yet. “Then, what?” she pressed. Her tail was going numb. “You’re just going to hunt me down and kill me for fun? Throw me up in the air, and watch me break over and over?” she couldn’t stop the words. The fear had shifted from defiance to something new. There was sorrow. A deep heartache that consumed her at how pathetic her existence seemed to this creature. How pointless and meaningless she truly was. Her words continued to overflow as much as the tears that climbed to her eyes. “You’ll just watch me die alone, and in pain? Listen to me cry and beg for mercy?”

Through the blur of her tears she caught the smallest hint of guilt in his golden stare. She reached her hands up to her face to quickly wipe them away, rubbing her eyes as her heart pounded with newfound emotions.

Helpless, she thought. I feel completely and utterly helpless.

“I’m not going to kill you, Mouse.”

She sniffled, removing her shaky hands from her eyes. His expression remained as smug as ever. But his voice had changed. It was soft. Dare she admit, a little reassuring. His gaze was glued to her as he sighed, and lifted a brow at her tears.

“Please, don’t cry,” he went on. “There’s no need for the waterworks.” He gave out a small sigh through his nose as if somewhat amused. “I was just playing around a bit, I didn’t mean to scare you so much. That’s my bad.”

She wiped away her remaining tears, feeling pathetic for showing him such weakness. She didn’t even know where all of that came from. It was a brand new feeling for her. A strong one. She tried to put her brave-face back on. “Then, w-what are you going to do to me?”

His smile widened. “Well first,” he started to move again into a seated position. “I’m going to put you down. You’re as red as a tomato.”

She looked down to see his other hand slowly rise up beneath her. He then released her tail, allowing her to plummet into his palm. She slightly struggled to sit up, feeling her back ache from being stuck in that position for so long. The strain on her tail kept it numb for a while. She looked up, feeling alarmed once again by his size. The way he loomed over her. And now she was in his hands. Still at his mercy.

She was lifted to his face so that he could get a closer look. She shied away from his intense stare, backing herself right into his fingers. They slightly curled over her as if to trap her, then bounced back to give her space.

“Now,” he began, leaning forward to get comfortable. “I’ve got a few things in mind here. You clearly need protection from those dirty rats. And I could use a roommate. It can get pretty lonely in this alley, you know?”

Uh oh. A roommate? She didn’t like where this was going. If he wasn’t going to kill her or eat her, then she wanted to find her people. She passed him a look that she hoped would gain his sympathy. “Mr. Cat, that’s very generous of you, but—”

“Jasper,” he corrected. Once again his tone was playful, matching the amused gleam in his golden gaze. “My name is Jasper.”

“Jasper,” she repeated. “I’m sorry. I was on my way to my people. They’re hiding from those rats, and I’m supposed to—” she stopped dead at his face. All amusement had faded. His eyes seeped sorrow and guilt. And his features even turned slightly pale. She didn’t like it at all. Something was wrong. “What?” she whispered. “What is it?”

His golden gaze looked down as he shook his head. His heavy brows furrowed in uncertainty. “After you passed out, another rat showed up to intercept the two that were after you.” His eyes met hers. And she felt her heart break in two at his next words. “He told them that the mice had been found.”

Her heart stopped. “No...” she breathed in despair. Her mind had gone blank.

“They didn’t leave anyone alive.”

No.

“I’m sorry, Mouse.”

No!

She clutched her aching head and screamed in fury. In sorrow. In loss. It was as if her very heart had shattered in the most painful way possible. Everyone she knew was gone. They had tried so hard. They had suffered for so long and finally freed themselves. And now, they’re all gone. Just like that.

And she was alone.

Alive. But alone. She’d rather be dead than be here. Breathing and crying while everyone else was dead. She couldn’t believe it. And for a moment she wondered if this Jasper-guy was lying to her. But what could he possibly gain from doing that? And the look on his face...

No, he had been telling her the truth. She knew that. She could tell.

And she honestly should’ve seen it coming. The rats were smart. Clever. Her people never stood a chance against them. A part of her even wondered if they already knew about their plans and released her people on purpose. To let the rats hunt. To give them something to do. A challenge.

She shook her head, hoping that their deaths had been quick. That they were all together in a better place than she was. It was all she could hope for in the end. But now she had to figure out what to do with her own life. Where does she go from here? She has nothing. No one.

“Look, uh,” his voice was still soft and gentle. Cautious. “If you need a safe place to stay to process everything, I meant it when I said I could use a roommate.”

She lifted her blue eyes to him. And never once imagined in her lifetime that she would seek some sort of comfort from a cat. She could easily read the sympathy on his face as he watched her sit in his palm and grieve. She needed to figure things out. What to do from here. Where to go.

She gave him a slight nod. “Thank you, Jasper.”

“Don’t mention it,” he casually replied in a soft voice.

Exhaustion was hitting her again. It was hard to keep her eyes open. Her head was starting to swirl with dizziness. Her head lolled forward before she finally gave in, and collapsed in his warm hands. Her cheeks were still wet from her tears, and slightly rosy from being dangled. Her beating heart felt empty at the news of her people’s fate. Would she be next? Could she really trust Jasper to not kill her? Or eat her if he got too hungry?

He was an alley cat after all. Homeless on the streets. They were known to be cranky, and always desperate for any kind of meal.

But he already didn’t seem that way. He looked so relaxed to her. Calm, confident. As if being homeless didn’t bother him in the slightest. Like it was something he wanted. That he was happy with. But she was homeless too, now. Another thing they had in common. And both would have to figure out how to survive in this scary world.

“What’s your name, mousey?”

The way his voice and warm breath gently washed over her exhausted body finally put her at ease. She mumbled a response as sleep slowly began to consume her.

“What?” he whispered.

“Penny,” she silently breathed. “My name is Penny.”

#giant #cat #tiny #mouse #Giant/tiny #gt community #short story #writerscommunity

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octoberink · 2 years

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Just some new characters I designed! He's a size-changing half merman, half siren that's very friendly, and especially curious! No names or story behind them really, just wanted to have fun with it, I hope you all enjoy!

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THIS STORY AND CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME

#giant #merman #siren #fish #tiny #redhead #Giant/tiny #gt community #ocean #art #cartoon #artists on tumblr

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octoberink · 2 years

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Zeke 2.0!

I’ve wanted to redraw this guy for soooo long! And I’m really happy with how he turned out! In case any of you aren't familiar with him, you can learn more about his story under his previous design (from 6 years ago?!) here...

https://www.deviantart.com/october-ink/art/Daily-Doodle-Challenge-22-619981169

(from 2016)

Hope you all enjoy! And I hope you're all doing well!

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#green #fire #powers #badass #art #cartoon #old vs new #artists on tumblr

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octoberink · 2 years

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Finally finished a page! Hope you all enjoy!

I have merch on Red Bubble! go take a look, and keep an eye open for more stuff!!

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THIS STORY AND CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME

#giant #shark #tiny #mermaid #Giant/tiny #gt community #ocean #art #cartoon #comic #artists on tumblr

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octoberink · 2 years

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When a young woman manages to find herself on board a pirate ship, the captain himself interrogates her in order to figure out how she managed to stow away on his vessel without him or his crew knowing. She eventually reveals to him that she's cursed. By day, she's like any other ordinary person. But at night, she transforms into a dark fairy. And in this world, dark fairies are notorious for bringing bad luck and misfortune to anyone they come across. They are either seen as the worst kind of nuisance...or extremely valuable in certain dark markets. Either way, revealing her curse to him could be the end of her life. But this captain is more captivated by her curse than anything else. When she tells him where she's trying to go to break her curse, he surprisingly decides to help her get to her destination. As they get closer to a mysterious island that's shrouded in myth, the young woman makes her own shocking discovery about the pirate captain...

Yet another idea, and new characters lol I hope you all enjoy! :)

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THIS STORY AND CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME

#giant #tiny #Giant/tiny #gt community #fairy #pirate #curse #magic #art #cartoon #artists on tumblr

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octoberink · 2 years

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Rescued (Blurb)

Samantha held herself tightly in the cold prison. Her wrists were raw from the rough rope keeping her tied up. She was tired. She was hungry and thirsty. But she was mostly terrified.

Everyone in the village had believed Devin that she stole a loaf of bread. Even though she was innocent, and had never done such a thing in her life. Backs were turned on her. King Mortem had eagerly drawn his sword in preparation to remove her head. The memory made her want to vomit. She squeezed her eyes shut as a few more tears trickled down her cheeks. She was almost killed. Unjustly. The king could do whatever he pleased, and no one seemed to be standing up against him. Except for one.

Samantha heard the door to the prison open. Her heart pounded with fear. Was it the king? Would he execute her after all? She stood up on quaking legs, and pinned herself into the corner. But the figure that stepped into the moonlight surprised her. She immediately fell to her knees and bowed. “Prince Jacob.”

Jacob edged closer to the young woman, and quickly bent down to help her up. “There’s no need for that, Samantha,” he murmured in a gentle whisper. She looked up at him with wide eyes as he gently held her hands in his. He looked over the scratches and dirt that covered her delicate features, and shook his head. “I’m so sorry for what he’s done to you.”

Samantha looked to the ground at his words, feeling weaker than ever in this man’s presence. She swallowed nervously, and gazed up at him again. “Please, don’t apologize. You saved my life from him.”

The prince before her casually shrugged. “Well, I’m about to do it again.”

Samantha watched as he removed a small dagger from his belt, and began cutting at the ropes around her wrists. She didn’t understand. “W-what are you doing?” she breathed.

Jacob released her from her bonds, and continued to hold her hands. “I’m rescuing you.”

Samantha felt her heart skip. “If you do this—” she paused with shock. “Your Highness, if you let me go, he’ll kill you for disobeying his orders.”

Jacob edged a little closer, admiring the twinkle of worry in her eyes for him. “That’s a risk I'm willing to take, Samantha.”

She still didn’t understand this. “You’d risk your life for me?” she whispered with disbelief. “For a peasant?”

He shook his head at her. “That’s not who you are,” he murmured. “You are more than that, I can see it. You’re—” he stumbled a bit with his words. There was so much he wanted to say to her. So much he wanted to learn. “You’re different.” But there wasn’t enough time. They had to leave. He gripped her hand a bit tighter, and turned to the prison door. “Let’s go.”

Just as he was about to check for guards, a massive figure emerged into the dark room. Jacob gently pushed Samantha back, removing his sword from his belt. He held it up in front of them both, keeping it between himself and his father.

King Mortem’s black eyes were trained on Samantha as he edged closer. His gaze soon rested on Jacob as he shook his head. “Traitor,” he simply hummed in a low growl.

“You’re the real traitor,” Jacob murmured with an edge to his deep voice. “After everything Grandfather built in this kingdom, you dared to rip it apart with hate and bloodshed.” Jacob felt Samantha grip his shoulder with a shaky hand. His heart fluttered at her fearful touch, fueling his courage. He locked eyes with Mortem, and tightened his grip on his sword. “I’m done following you. And we’re leaving.”

Samantha’s eyes traveled behind Mortem to see his second born hiding in the shadows. Prince Acer was observing the scene with an intrigued gaze and a slight smirk in mischief. His reddish eyes moved to her, making her take a step closer to Jacob. Acer grinned at her fear as his eyes grazed up and down her trembling body.

She was brought back to the King and his firstborn when Jacob lifted his sword to Mortem to keep the dangerous man at bay. Mortem eyed his son with hatred and amusement at the same time. He shook his head again. “You would give up your life—your crown, your throne—for this peasant filth?” he snarled with a twinge of a chuckle at the end of his words.

Samantha’s heart skipped with despair at the jab. And for a moment, she wondered if Jacob would change his mind about her, and allow the King to execute her. But Jacon didn’t move an inch from his protective position.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Jacob replied with a steady tone. “And you’re going to allow us to leave.” When Mortem tilted his head in question, Jacob continued. “I know how much you enjoy a good hunt.”

Samantha felt her blood turn to ice at the way Mortem smiled at Jacob’s words. Acer remained silent behind him, observing the scene with interest. Mortem nodded at the prince, and took a step back. “Two days,” he muttered. “On the third sunrise, I send out my best trackers. And they’ll take you both in. Dead or alive.” His eyes slowly glided over to Samantha, sending an icy chill down her spine. “Preferably the latter,” he smirked.

Jacob’s hand gripped Samantha’s as he began to pull her with him. Mortem stepped away from the door, as Jacob gently urged Samantha ahead of him to the door while he kept the sword no more than an inch from the king’s chest. Samantha noticed how closely both Mortem and Acer watched them as they exited the prison.

Jacob then gripped Samantha’s hand once more, and began to run. They dashed down the long corridor, both surprised to see no guards with each doorway they passed. They turned left at the end of the hall, and Jacob rushed to open the large wooden door before them. In moments they were in a stall full of horses.

Jacob hoisted Samantha up on one of the horses after placing on a saddle, reins, and other necessities. He hopped up behind her, grabbing the leather straps and encouraging the animal forward by digging his heels into its sides.

The horse charged out of the stalls, through the courtyard outside, and past the heavily guarded gate. All eyes turned to them, but none tried to stop their prince. Samantha did her best to hold onto the horse’s mane to stay steady, feeling her body ache with tension.

Just as they galloped past the well in the center of the village, Jacob called into Samantha’s ear, “Where do you live?”

Samantha was about to point ahead, but was afraid of letting go of the mane and falling off. She felt Jacob’s hand snake around her midsection to steady her. She lifted a hand straight ahead to a small hill no more than half a mile away. “Next to the tree on the other side of the hill,” she called back.

Jacob’s hand dug a little deeper into her gut as the horse obeyed his silent command, and shifted it’s pace into a sprint. In a few minutes, they had reached the hill. The horse slowed into a prance as they reached the top of the grassy hill, and watched the tiny house slowly come into view.

Jacob stopped by the tree, and first helped Samantha off the horse before sliding off himself. He tied the reins securely to one of the stronger looking branches, and turned to the peasant. Samantha was kneeling on the ground, covering her face as she violently shook. He could hear her trying to keep her voice quiet as she took in deep, shaky breaths. His stomach dropped at the sight as he realized what he had gotten this young woman into. For the rest of her life—however long it may be—she would be hunted down by his father.

He stepped over to her, and bent down to her level. He then reached a hand out to gently place it on her shoulder. Samantha flinched from him, whipping her head up to look at him with wide eyes. Jacob’s heart skipped at her sudden movement, unsure of what to say to her. What words could he possibly say to the poor girl before him to give her some hope and comfort?

“I’m so sorry, Samantha,” was all he could utter.

Samantha didn’t know how to respond to him. He saved her life—twice now—meaning she owed him everything. She wanted to thank him, but she also couldn’t bring herself to say the words. A part of her blamed him for dragging her into his challenge with the king. This “hunt” as he had put it.

And with the way he was staring down at her trembling frame, she knew he was thinking the same. It was the reason for his apology. She turned away from him for a moment wondering what she should do now. How she could escape the kingdom and survive on her own.

“Where do I go?” she whispered in despair.

There was a stretch of silence between them as thunder rolled overhead. Jacob looked up to see heavy clouds moving in quickly to cover the moon. In a matter of moments, it grew pitch black. Rain spat its way down here and there before it slowly rose to a steady pour. There was a flash of lightning that briefly illuminated the young woman still sitting on the ground. Her eyes still wide and distant as she fought for a solution to her new problem.

Jacob cautiously reached for her again, placing a hand on her shoulder. Samantha stood up without another word and walked to her home. Jacob took small steps to follow her, not wanting to seem too eager to get out of the downpour. He heard the scrape of wood against mud covered pebbles, and soon enough a familiar glow emanated ahead. Jacob hadn’t realized just how small Samantha’s house was—even for a peasant—until it was lit from within. Her door was still open, and he observed her for a moment as she fed the small fire. He took the open door as an invitation and walked up. He stepped through the narrow doorway, taking a look at his surroundings.

There was one bed in the far left corner, on the floor. If one could even call it that. It was nothing more than a single—and rather flat—pillow, and a few pieces of old, torn cloth sewn together. There was a short table in the opposite corner. No chair to accompany it. A small chest of what he assumed to be her other belongings against the wall to his immediate right. And in the center sat the small fire with little pots, pans, spoons, and cups around it for cooking. He also noticed that in the corner to his immediate left were a few hooks on the flimsy walls and a thin rope stretching from one part of the wall to another. And another larger trunk of possibly more supplies against the wall to the left.

His eyes moved back over to Samantha who was warming her hands near the hot flames. She looked up at him with lost eyes before she blinked away the distant gleam. As if suddenly pulled out of a dream, she stood up and reached her hands out to him.

“I’ll take your cloak,” she murmured. “And...anything else that may be soaked from the rain.”

Jacob nodded. “Thank you.”

He first removed his cloak, and handed it to her. Then, he removed his vest, and the loose shirt beneath that, leaving him in nothing more than a pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt. As Samantha went to hang up his clothes to dry, he removed his shoes so as not to bring dirt further into her home than he already had. He put his boots by the door and made his way over to the fire to warm up, and get dry.

Jacob watched Samantha fling his vest over the thin rope before she cautiously turned to him with a rosy face. It took a moment for Jacob to observe her soaking wet dress, and embarrassed gaze. When he realized what she was silently asking from him he nodded. “Right. I’ll look away.”

Samantha watched as he turned around to face the wall behind him. Still slightly paranoid, she kept her eyes on him as much as possible while she removed her dress and hung it up on the line. She went to her trunk to pull out her nightgown, and an extra blanket. Once she slipped on her sleepwear, she tentatively walked back over to the fire, and reached the blanket out to him.

“Here,” she murmured.

Jacob finally turned around, saw the somewhat tattered cloth in her hand, and gently took it. “Thank you, Samantha.”

She looked at him as if he were about to ask her for more. For something else. But before he could even ask if she needed anything from him, she went back to her trunk, and pulled out some vegetables. She also grabbed an empty bucket and put it outside to catch the rain.

Samantha went to the table in another corner, and using a dull, somewhat bent knife, began to slice and chop at the array of vegetables. Once she was done, she went to retrieve the bucket. She grabbed two cups and filled them with water. After passing one to Jacob, she placed the rest of the water in a pot and hung it above the fire.

Soon enough, the water began to boil. Samantha put the vegetables in the water, added some salt and other spices from the table, and slowly stirred the soup for several minutes. She wordlessly poured the soup into two bowls and passed one over to Jacob.

He hesitated, watching as she slowly slurped the hot meal straight from the bowl. When she noticed him staring she shrugged. “I’m sorry. I don’t have spoons.”

Jacob quickly nodded. “That’s okay,” he murmured with a reddening face. “Thank you very much for your hospitality.”

Just as he began to drink, Samantha’s voice brushed his ears. “My home is not fit for a prince’s visit.” Jacob lowered the bowl so he could see her, and noticed how flushed her features were. Her hands were trembling, and she kept her gaze to the floor.

He realized that she was embarrassed.

“Well, our prisons are not fit for beautiful women,” he murmured, gathering her gaze back to him. He had hoped that his words would’ve made her smile or even comfort her in some small way. But instead, he saw worry flood her gray orbs. Before he could even utter another word to her, she quickly stood up to visit her trunk again.

Samantha dug through her things to make it seem like she was distracted by something. But in reality, her heart was pounding. Her fingers had grown cold. She felt dread sit in her stomach like a rock. She had grown a new kind of fear with the prince. One that seemed somewhat familiar. Almost inherent.

When she was able to get her breathing back to normal, she stood back up and turned around. Jacob was now standing before her, gazing down at her with those icy blue eyes. Samantha took a step back when he raised a hand to her face. His brows furrowed.

“Does this still hurt?” he asked as his thumb gently brushed over one of the many scrapes on her features. “Do you have anything for it?”

When his hand gently caressed her cheek, she closed her eyes, and prepared for the worst. If Samantha did as Jacob asked of her tonight—whatever it may be—even if it was a night of pain and helplessness, then maybe she’d have a better chance of escaping the kingdom before King Mortem sent out his trackers on her. Maybe by giving her body to this next heir of the land, she could find a way to save herself.

“Samantha?” his voice whispered. It sounded gentle to her ears, but she was afraid to see his face. His eyes. Possibly full of lust, eager to claim his next prize. She waited for his lips to be forced upon hers, giving her no choice but to gift him with the last thing a peasant like her could offer her ruler. But his voice breathlessly brushed her ears again. “Please, tell me. Why are you crying?”

Samantha finally opened her eyes. She first noticed that Jacob’s hand was no longer touching her cheek. She then saw that he had taken a small step away from her. And when she finally looked up into his eyes, she didn’t see the eager lust she thought she’d find. Instead, there was a great deal of concern and uncertainty.

“What’s wrong?” he tried again.

Samantha was still wary of his intentions, trying to find the right words to explain herself. She first backed herself against the wall behind her, and practically hugged herself. She tried to stop the anxious feelings that were climbing to her throat, threatening to suffocate her as if trying to keep her from saying anything at all. But her next words would have to be followed by bravery. A sense of dignity on her part. Otherwise she may lose all of who she is in just one night.

She straightened her stance, putting her arms back to her sides, and took a step closer to him. “I...” she began with an uncertain voice.

“Why are you afraid of me?” Jacob’s sad voice caught her by surprise, but she kept her eyes to the floor.

Samantha shook her head with her next words. “How could I possibly deny my prince of anything?” she whispered with a shaky tone. “How can I say ‘no’ to the son of a king who murders his own citizens without reason?”

Despite how brave and dignified she wanted to sound in that moment, her tears betrayed the truth of her fears. She braced herself for this man to grab her and take what he wanted from her. To accept her fearful words as an invitation to do what he pleased. He was a prince, after all. Even if he had betrayed his own father to rescue her, she had no right as a filthy, dirty peasant girl to fight him for the freedom of her own body.

Her body belonged to King Mortem. As such, it also belonged to his sons.

Prince Jacob finally realized what the young woman before him was insinuating. He could see the way her shoulders trembled, and hear the dread in her voice. He was suddenly horrified that she thought of him in such a way. Especially after saving her life. But a painful understanding pushed aside his shock. If he were in her shoes, he would’ve thought the same. That any man—especially one of high power—that was welcomed into her home would have hardly hesitated in engaging in such maltreatment.

Jacob also realized that calling her beautiful wasn’t quite the compliment to her as he had intended. Or that gently caressing her cheek to observe her wounds wasn’t comforting. For her...it was threatening. Even ill-boding. Had he known sooner, he would’ve kept his distance. Maybe he would even offer to sleep outside in the rain if it made her feel safer in her own home.

Now that he understood things, he took a few more steps back as he tried to find the right words to apologize. “Samantha,” he began, trying to sound calm and quiet.

Her eyes lifted to him. Eyes filled to the brim with tears and unease. His heart sank at the sight. And for a moment he wondered if she had feared the same with his father when she was taken prisoner. If she still feared that fate if she were to be captured by him now.

Jacob kept his hands to his sides, keeping his eyes on hers. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t...” he trailed off, feeling discomfort at having to say it outloud. “I swear to you that I will never take advantage of you like that. And I never intended to.” Her shoulders dropped a bit with the smallest sign of relief, but doubt still remained in her features. “I helped you because I wanted to,” he continued. “I couldn’t watch my father murder another innocent person. Not if I had the power to stop it.” He could see her eyes soften at his words as she began to slowly let her guard down. Jacob shook his head. “But it’s also my fault that he’s hunting you down like a wild animal. Which is why—if you’ll let me—I’d keep you safe.” He watched her face change to surprise. “To make up for putting you in harm's way, as well as repay you for your generous hospitality, I will do everything in my power to protect you. And find you a new, safe place to call home.”

Samantha observed the man before her with new eyes. She could easily see the genuine truth in him. She heard it in his words and voice. And for a moment she felt foolish for just assuming the worst about him. Then again, when she had managed to somewhat explain her fear to him, he seemed to fully understand. It was the last thing she expected from him. As well as his offer to protect her from his own father yet again.

“What about you?” she asked.

Jacob was slightly surprised by her concern for his well being after what they just discussed, but shrugged with a small sigh. “I’m hoping I can find allies in other nearby kingdoms to help me overthrow my father. I’ve been trying to find a way to do it in secret, but...” he trailed off with another shrug. “I guess secrets like that are a thing of the past.”

Samantha nodded in understanding. “When do we leave?” she asked.

“We can get some sleep first, and rest for the night,” he answered. “Then, we’ll pack up what we need, and leave by midday.”

The young woman nodded again, gesturing to the corner of her home behind him. “It’s not much, but feel free to use the bed—”

“I’ll be fine by the table,” Jacob interrupted. “This is still your home, Samantha. I refuse to take any more than what I’ve already been generously given tonight.”

Samantha felt her heart skip at the gentle tone of his voice as well as his kind words. “W-well, in that case, it would be best for you to sleep closer to the fire,” she murmured. “It can get very cold in here this early in the spring.”

Jacob sent her a small nod. “Thank you.” He watched as she went to her trunk again to pull out a small rag. With the small bit of water she had left in her cup, she dipped the rag into it, and lifted it to wash her face. Jacob stepped forward. “May I help you with that?”

Samantha looked up at him with the instinct to feel uncertainty about his intentions. But his eyes betrayed his concern and yearning to do something right by her. He only wanted to help her. Nothing more. She could see that now. She cautiously handed him the rag as he edged closer.

Jacob’s eyes observed her cuts and bruises, his brows furrowed with mixed emotions at the dirt that now caked her face. He lifted the wet cloth, and very gently began to wipe away the dirt and dried blood on her fair skin. He avoided going directly over the cuts, afraid to cause her any more pain. She suddenly winced under his touch before he realized that underneath some of the dirt were more bruises. With the way they were placed along her cheeks and jaw, to him it almost looked like fingertip bruises. As if someone had aggressively been holding her face with a cruel hand. The sight made his stomach churn.

“Sorry,” he whispered before he continued to wipe away the dirt. He lowered the rag to the cup, and allowed it to soak up more water. He then began to carefully wash her chin, lifting her gaze to his. As he did this, he couldn’t help but stare into her eyes.

Gray eyes full of a lifetime of fear. Fear for men. Not just men in power like himself and his father. But all men. Jacob had seen the way one man in particular had tightly clutched her hair in a white-knuckled fist as he dragged her to a guard, claiming that she had stolen a loaf of bread. And no one had stopped him. No one had dared to order him to let her go.

Jacob would never know all of the terrible things this poor young woman had gone through before she was thrown to his feet by her own people. He would never be able to truly understand her fear of others around her. To be accused of something he believes she didn’t do.

Even after seeing the state of her home, and what little she does have compared to him, he couldn’t picture her stealing from those living under the same conditions as her. In her eyes that stared right back into his, he saw a sincere human being. A genuinely kind, compassionate person. Someone who deserved to be saved, even at the cost of his throne. Even if it meant turning against his own flesh and blood.

Even if it meant laying down his own life.

A heavy knock on Samantha’s door broke both out of their daze, and they twirled their gazes in surprise. Jacob turned to her with furrowed brows. “Are you expecting someone?” he whispered.

Samantha shook her head. “No,” she breathed with that wild fear back in her eyes.

Jacob went to the door, and grabbed his sword. There was another pounding knock that shook the door. Jacob unsheathed his blade as Samantha backed herself up behind him.

“Open up in the name of the king,” a voice called from the other side of the door, followed by more knocking.

Jacob slowly edged closer to the door, reaching his other hand out. In one swift movement he swung open the door, and lifted his sword at a face. A familiar face. His eyes caught the shine of light blond hair, and the color of vivid green eyes.

He slightly lowered his sword in surprise. “Captain Raymond?”

The young man before him eyed the sword with wariness. “Your Highness.”

Jacob kept his weapon aimed ahead, watching the captain with uncertainty. “What are you doing here?”

The blond shrugged. “I could ask you the same, sir.”

Jacob narrowed his eyes and tensed his muscles. “Did my father send you?”

Raymond looked his prince in the eyes, and shook his head. “No. He didn’t.” He paused, swallowing as if nervous. “I only referenced the king to gain a response.” His eyes briefly flicked to the sharp blade once more. “One of the prison guards told me what happened. That you ran off with that peasant girl.” He took a small step closer with a twinge of worry in his gaze. “And that you’re now being hunted down by the king. Both of you.”

Jacob repeated his first question. “Why are you here?”

Raymond offered a small smile, slightly bowing his head with his next words. “My duty as your captain is to protect your life even if at the cost of my own.” His eyes locked onto Jacob’s. “A vow is a vow, Your Highness. Even if those words had last been uttered ten years ago, they still ring true right now.”

Jacob lowered his sword, but shook his head. “No. I can’t let you do that. You’ll be hunted down as well if you betray the king.”

Raymond offered another smile. “Sounds like a fun challenge to me.”

The prince kept his icy gaze on his friend, unable to smile back. “You could never go back. You’d lose your title, your home...everything.”

The former captain nodded as he stepped closer. “I understand that. I’d be walking away from a kingdom in distress and turmoil. And hopefully...” he reached out an open hand. “...when we eventually return, we will have the chance to save it, and restore it to its former glory.”

Jacob could see the hope and determination in his green eyes. His friend meant every word. Which meant that he could be trusted with Samantha. He reached up an open hand and clutched Raymond’s wrist with a nod.

Raymond then somewhat perked up, as if he suddenly remembered something. “By the way, I didn’t come alone.” He turned to his horse in the distance, beside Jacob’s own horse at the tree. Raymond waved a hand to something in the darkness just before a third figure quickly came into view. A short, soaked figure.

The brown haired man quickly bowed, his body trembling with shivers from the pouring rain. “Your Highness,” he greeted in a shaky voice.

Jacob nodded. “Nice to see you again, Boris. But there’s no need to bow.” He watched the royal jester slowly stand with a mix of surprise and question in his dark eyes. “I am no longer a prince, therefore, showing me such respect isn’t necessary.”

“You will be a prince again, sir,” Raymond murmured. “And one day—king.”

Jacob remained silent, unsure how to respond. Mostly because he didn’t believe his friend’s words. Boris passed him an encouraging smile with a nod. Before Jacob could say anything, there was a quiet voice behind him.

“Um,” Samantha uttered before all three pairs of eyes turned to her. She gestured inside. “Would you like to get out of the rain?”

The short man with the brown hair immediately stepped forward as Jacob moved aside. He passed Samantha a grin. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he bowed, still shivering from the cold rain. “I’m Boris. The palace jester.” He paused with a shrug. “Or...I was, anyway.”

Samantha smiled. “I’ve only heard about what you do—that your shows with the mage are always spectacular.”

Boris’ grin wavered a bit at the mention of his partner, and he shrugged again. “Thank you, but...her show will be even better with a fool like me out of the way.” His eyes briefly observed her home while Jacob closed the door after Raymond stepped in. “Thanks for letting us in, by the way,” Boris murmured as he slightly moved closer to the little fire.

“Of course,” she replied before gesturing to him. “If you’d like, I could hang up some of your clothes to dry.”

Boris gratefully removed his vest, and shirt underneath and handed them to her. Samantha handed him the little blanket she had first given to Jacob to keep his bare torso warm while she hung his items on the line beside her dress. She then went over to the tall blonde, recognizing him as the royal captain.

Samantha quickly fell to her knees. “Captain,” she greeted. “I didn’t realize—”

“Former captain,” his gentle voice replied, gathering her gaze to him. Samantha saw his gloved hand stretched out to her, and she hesitantly took it. He helped her to her feet, passing her a large smile. “Call me Raymond.” He gently kissed the top of her hand, confusing her with his actions. When his eyes returned to hers, she saw a look of respect and gratitude in his green gaze. “I can’t thank you enough for giving the prince shelter from this storm. It was very kind of you to open your home to him.”

Samantha now understood. This was his way of thanking her—removing formality, and kissing her hand—it was for feeding and drying Jacob. She only nodded in response before her eyes settled on his cloak dripping fresh water on her floor. “I can dry your clothes as well, if you want.”

Raymond nodded. “Thank you.” He gave her the clothes that were soaked through, and she filled up the rest of the line with his vest, shirt, gloves, and cloak.

Samantha then turned to see all three young men sitting around her small fire, keeping warm, and trying to get themselves dry. Her heart fluttered at the sight. She wasn’t sure why. She couldn’t tell if she was grateful to have decent company in her home for the first time in quite a few years. Or if she was nervous. Not only were there three strong men in her tiny home, but they were all from the palace. One born of royalty, one chosen to protect that royalty, and the other to entertain and delight very important people from all neighboring kingdoms.

She felt so small amongst them. So insignificant compared to their importance for her kingdom. She looked to her trunk where the last of her food stayed out of sight. She had already fed the prince, and had used up most of her vegetables. All she had left was half a loaf of bread, a very small block of cheese, and a slab of meat she had been saving.

With the urge to care for the company sitting in her home, she went to the trunk once more to grab the last of her food. She assorted the bread, meat, and cheese onto three plates before grabbing the bucket to fill it with more water. Once it had caught enough rain, she filled up three cups, and handed them off to each. She then gave them the plates of food, and finally kept herself at a small distance, watching as they began to eat.

Jacob had only taken a few bites before his icy eyes landed on her. His gaze moved up and down her thin frame before he ticked his head to the side as if to say, Come sit with us.

Samantha obeyed, scooching closer to the three men. She felt her stomach rumble, trying to ignore it. She had just had some soup, and was surprised that her body seemed to be aching for more food already.

“Here.”

She looked up at the deep voice to see Jacob holding his plate to her. There was still at least half of what she had given him. For a moment she wondered if he was giving this to her because he was done eating, and wanted it thrown away. That he expected her to clean up after all three of them. But her thoughts were cut off when he edged it closer.

“The rest is for you,” he murmured. “Since we just had some soup earlier.”

Samantha gently took the plate with surprise. “Thank you.”

“No,” Raymond interrupted, gathering everyone’s gazes. “Thank you, Samantha. You didn’t have to feed us.”

Boris nodded, passing her a smirk. “Yeah, this is some good cheese. Thanks.”

Samantha felt her face warm up at their grateful words and attentive eyes. “A-anytime,” she slightly stuttered.

As she began to eat, Jacob sighed. “So...what’s the plan?”

There was a pause as everyone waited for someone else to respond. Raymond swallowed, keeping his eyes on the flames before him. “Well,” he began in a quiet tone. “We first need to figure out where we’re going.” His gaze moved to Jacob. “What’s your intention? Are you looking to hide, or find allies?”

Jacob’s stare slowly moved to Samantha as he watched her for a moment. When she looked down, he shook his head. “I’m not too sure. Maybe hiding first isn’t the worst idea.” He looked to Raymond with uncertainty. “Maybe once we find a safe place far away from here, that’ll give us some time to come up with a better plan.”

Samantha felt her stomach suddenly curl at the words, wishing she could just disappear altogether from her predicament. She stood up, grabbed a few more small pieces of wood, and fed the fire. Instead of sitting back down with them, she gestured to the corner behind her.

“I’m, uh...” she began with a quiet voice. “I’m going to get some sleep.”

Jacob nodded. “We’ll be quiet for you.”

She passed him a look of fear before her eyes flicked back and forth between the other two men.

Jacob simply blinked at her, and nodded again. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

As she felt her fears of the strange company in her home slowly diminish, she passed them all a smile. “Please, make yourselves as comfortable as you can here.” She paused, feeling slightly awkward. “Goodnight.”

They each wished her a good night as well before she went to the corner. She laid down, keeping her back to them, and pulled her blankets up as close as she could to her nose. She wasn’t cold. She was just somewhat uncomfortable. The last time she had a man in her home—at night—had been a very, very bad night. But instead of focusing on the flashes of the awful memory that invaded her mind, she kept her eyes on the wall ahead of her. A wall that flickered with the warm light from the flames, and three shadowed bodies.

She could see the way they were huddled together to speak with each other quietly. She could hardly hear them between the pouring rain outside, the crackling of the fire, and the slow drips from the drying clothes. She took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and soon fell fast asleep.

*******

I know it’s not Gt but I had a lot of fun writing more of my Shifted babies in their fantasy AU :3 Hope you all enjoy!

#fantasy #blurb #writing #romance #art #cartoon #artists on tumblr

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