{C-4-D}

You go to the hatch leading out to the corridor outside, but Neko-chan goes in a different direction.

“Not that way,” he says. “I know a quicker way.” He leads you to a smaller hatch on the wall with a control panel next to it.

“Use your human fingers to work those controls,” Neko-chan says. You do, and the smaller hatch opens into a cramped compartment just big enough for a single human and a kitten to fit inside.

“Do you mean for us to get in there?” you ask, but Neko-chan just hops in, and stares at you, waiting for you to follow suit. With some difficulty, you climb into the compartment, and the hatch closes suddenly behind you with a loud hiss.

“What is this, Neko-chan?” you ask, bringing your knees up in the cramped space. “What’s this for?”

“This is the turbo chute we take when a new kitten gets adopted,” Neko-chan says, “Okay, here we go.” He taps at a small control panel with his paw, and you suddenly feel yourself pressed back against the inside of the compartment as it shoots upward rapidly, stopping abruptly.

Emerging in a hallway, you realize that you are at the back of the pet shop. A sign on a door up ahead reads, “Private Office, Keep Out”, and Neko-chan nods in that direction. You approach the door, and quietly turning the doorknob, you realize that it is locked.

“Help me in through that chute,” Neko-chan says, and you help the little kitten slip into a mail chute. Within moments, he unlocks the door and lets you in. As you step into the darkened office, you approach the desk, when suddenly the lights come on. The pet shop owner is standing in the doorway looking at you disapprovingly.

“I’ve been around too long to be outsmarted by a kitten,” he says, picking up Neko-chan by the scruff of the neck. “You, stay right where you are, and wait for the police,” he says, pointing sharply at you.

When the police arrive, you tell them everything. They don’t believe you since you tell them about how Neko-chan can talk. They don’t find any money on you, so they don’t arrest you.

Your mom sees the police car out front and runs in. You tell her the truth and she says she believes you, but you doubt it as you are grounded for getting into trouble. You spend the next month in your room wondering what happened to Neko-chan and the other pets.

Destiny Discovered