Grim Reaper • Chapter 11 • Gatorade the cat

by Megan W., 12

A Summer 2025 Monthly Story Challenge Winner 

The middle aged woman who walked out of Nicola’s portal was rather fair. Her eyes were light hazel and her hair was auburn rust. She wore a light jacket with pockets large enough to fit myself in it. Underneath was a flat black outfit. 

I soon fell into a deep slumber, for my eyelids couldn’t bear a second more of looking at these earthly creatures. The last thing I heard before I passed out were her soft footsteps and a tremendous gasp.

I awoke to the large gold-flecked pools that were the woman’s eyes.

“Aww, you’re awake you cutie patootie.” The auburn haired lady’s voice warped into a soft childish call when she looked at me. It made me feel sick.  I squirmed out of her grip and tried to run, but when I did, the lady easily scooped me up again, as if I was a flailing pillow. 

I turned and caught a glimpse of a large marble-like dome in the distance. Atop it, I saw a blue flash. Could it be Nicola? I had to tell her about the breach in the universe!I scanned the room, looking for an escape route from this woman’s arms… and her apartment. By the door, there was a tall flowering plant in a fragile looking pot. If I broke it, the lady would have to deal with that first! I leaped to it and aimed at its base.

CRASH~~!

The pot shattered and the terracotta flew everywhere. I leaped to the handle of the door, successfully opening it. I practically flew out of this weak human’s apartment, cackling about the cleverness of my plan to break the plant pot. However, I started to hear footsteps behind me. I then realized that the auburn-haired lady was chasing me!

“This cat is crazy! I need to get it to the shelter!” she said to herself.

Once I had reached the end of the hallway, I saw an odd closet. It was full of people, and the door was automatically closing. I ran quickly in between the shutting doors of this weird closet crammed with peasants. I saw the auburn-haired lady run toward the closet, but the door closed before she could catch me. I was safe! All of a sudden, I could feel a rumble beneath my paws! The ground started moving downwards! It continued to do so until me and the peasants heard a clear Ding! Noise. The door opened! But then, a lowly human stepped over me! 

“Watch where you’re going you-” 

Another pathetic human stepped over me! I was simply outraged by the low life behavior of these- AAAH! A human has stepped ON me!

I later staggered out of the building and surveyed my surroundings. I then remembered my goal. The marble building! Servant Nicola might have her portal there, and if I told her about the weird, red streak of a portal. She will help me fix it! I approached the building with ease, climbing up the majestic flight of stairs. However, the door was more of a challenge. When another human finally came and opened it for me, I could already see the auburn-haired lady behind me! I quickly dashed through the cathedral, and bumped into a line of peasants. I dashed ahead of their queue, and into a doorway. Another moving closet! However, I wasn’t able to squeeze between the doors this time, so I dashed as fast as felinely possible through the nearby circular staircase.

The staircase seemed to go on forever, and it was constantly crammed with annoying humans. But I just kept dashing up the stairs. I felt my paws cramp and grow weak, so once I had gotten up to a level of open air, I practically collapsed into a pile of fur. Just a little shut-eye…

“There you are, you kitten!”

I jolted awake and jumped backwards. The auburn-haired lady! I was so surprised that I leaped a little too far. I soon found myself plummeting down the side of the cathedral!