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##''That Damn Cat''
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by Theodora Rose
[[Start|start]]It all started one day.
It was the day before my 18th birthday, my last day as a teenager. I couldn't wait to become an adult. //Tomorrow's gonna be a special day//, I thought. All of our friends were going to visit my family and give gifts(and money) to me. I was going to go outside with my family to celebrate my adulthood and have fun.
My sister and my mom were shopping. I could only guess that they were going to buy me a gift. I was inside, playing games on my laptop, but losing everytime because my mind was wondering somewhere else.
//What they were going to buy for me?//
I was happy thinking that I would accept anything they would buy for me. I mean, the intention matters, right? So I lost, like, 39 times(?) at a game of Tetris, because I was too lost in my thoughts to do anything else. Not like I had to; it was summer vacation after all and I could(hypotetically speaking) do whatever the hell I wanted.
[[Knock, knock!|The cat arrives]]I bolted out of my room as soon as I heard the knock at the door.
My dad was still sleeping as I opened the front door. My mom went in first.
"Maddie!", she said, as she hugged me. I hugged her back.
"Mom! How was shopping?" I asked.
"Well, I wanted to show you this tomorrow, but..."
She reached in her shopping bag and gave me a perfume. A lady perfume.
"Oh, wow! Thank you so much!", I said, "Where is Miranda-"
Oh, there she was, holding something.
"Hello, Maddie.", my sister said. I squinted at the thing in her arms.
"Is that-", I was going to ask, but then I realized what it was. "Oh, it's... it's a cat", my voice dropping a bit.
The tiny kitten meowed. It was the highest-pitched meow I had ever heard.
"Awwwww, she's so cute!", Miranda said, stroking the kitten.
"Where did you get this kitten?", I asked, curious.
"Well...", my mom started,"after we went walking around the mall and bought your perfume, we stopped at the pet shop. You know your sister likes animals",she paused,"and there was this little girl, that had a kitten whose owners didn't want. I think they had a cat that gave birth to kittens and they decided to give those to adoption."
"So we accepted to take her", Miranda said, "I hope you're not upset, Maddie..."
"No, I'm not upset." I said, a little harsh, "But how are we going to take care of her?"
"Well, me and mom are going to go shopping for litter box, cat food, cat toys and other things, right, mom?"
"Yes", my mom said, "Do you want to come with us, Maddie?"
[[Yes.|Go shopping]]
[[No.|Stay at home]]"Yeah,sure." (set: $goShop to 1)
"Ok. Then change your clothes and we're ready to go", my mom said.
I went back to my room. I heard my dad getting up and speaking to mom.
"Where did you find her? She's so tiny!" my dad exclaimed happily.
"What should we call her?", I heard Miranda's voice say.
My dad concluded: "I think we should call her 'Catty'."
---
"I think we should buy the pink one", Miranda suggested, as she and my mom looked at the litter boxes. I was behind them, looking at some cat toys. The pet shop sure had plenty of them.
I yawned. This was going to be a long shopping trip.
"Maddie, are you tired?", my mom asked.
"No, I'm fine", I answered. I looked at the kitten in Miranda's arms, "I wonder why this kitten hasn't peed yet."
"Maybe she didn't drink any water!", Miranda exclaimed in realization, "We forgot to feed her too, poor Catty!"
As if on cue, the kitten meowed twice. Miranda cooed at the kitten, stroking her neck fur.
"Ok. Now for the cat food-"
"Oh, some sites say that cats should eat dry food", Miranda interrupted my mom, "Maybe we should try-"
I quickly lost interest in what they were talking. Instead I looked at the bird aisle and found a bag of bird food, which had images with [[budgies|Dead bird 1]] on it."No, I don't think I'll come." (set: $goShop to 0)
"Ok, then we will go right now", my mom said.
I went back in my room to play games. I heard my dad getting up and speaking to mom.
"She's so tiny!" he said.
"I know, right?" Miranda's voice replied. "What should we call her?"
My dad concluded: "I think we should call her Catty."
---
I was currently playing the 99th(?) game of Tetris.
My mom and Miranda hadn't returned yet.
//What could possibly take them so long?//, I wondered, as I looked at the laptop's digital's clock.
It was 10:35 pm.
I yawned. This was going to be a boring night.
As I played, though, I couldn't help but think about Miranda's previous [[pet|Dead bird 2]].One of the budgies on the bag of bird food looked exactly like Fluffy.
(display: "Reminiscence")I still remember the day we bought her.
It was Miranda's 9th birthday. I was 10 then. It was a nice day in September, right before school began.
We were shopping with my mom for Miranda's gifts. Miranda was excited, as always when we were buying her something. I remember mom bought her a Bratz doll.
Then we stopped by a pet shop, to look at animals, because Miranda liked animals. She looked at fish, then at bunnies and then at birds.
As she looked at budgies, however, she stopped.
Then she asked us: "Can we buy a budgie?"
My mom said: "No. Why?"
"Well, I want //''that''// budgie", Miranda said, her lips quivering. Her index finger pointed to a cage full of budgies, but the one closest to her finger was a budgie that was holding onto the bars. Its big eyes looked pleadingly at us, like she wanted to get out of there.
"Please...", Miranda begged us.
"No, we can't. You're too young to look after a bird", my mom said.
Miranda looked down, dissapointed.
We headed home, but on the way my sister started crying.
We tried to console her, but to no avail. She continued crying even louder.
So I said the words that I never thought I would say:
''"Why don't you buy the stupid bird!"''
Mom looked at me confused. Then she sighed in realization.
We went again to the pet shop and bought that budgie. We also bought a cage, budgie food and other things.
I've never seen a smile //so big// on Miranda's face.
When we came back home, my dad was utterly glad that we had a pet. Miranda showed her new friend our flat, then came back and asked:
"What should we call her?"
Mom raised an eyebrow, "Well, what do you want to call it?"
"Well", my sister wondered, "she is green and yellow, has big eyes and fluffy feathers-", she interrupted herself, "Oh! I know! I'll name her Fluffy!"
"That's a nice name, dear", my mom said, "isn't it, Maddie?"
"Yeah", I replied, half-heartedly. "Where will we put her cage?"
"It could stay in your and Miranda's room", my mom suggested.
Great.
Me and Miranda went to our room(we had the same room until my 15th birthday) and put the bird on our desk.
---
"Keeh,kekekekekekekekekekekeh,keh,kekeh,kekekekekekekekekekekeh!"
I woke up, startled.
"Keeeh,kekekekekekeh,kekeeh,kekeh!"
That damn bird...
"Shut up!", I shouted. If our family wasn't already awake, that would surely wake them up.
And I was right.
"Maddie! What happened-", my mom entered our room, "Why is the bird-"
"I dunno", Miranda woke up, blearily.
"I didn't do anything!", I defended myself. "It has suddenly been chirping this way!"
"Ok, it seems that it was a bad idea to put Fluffy in your room", my mom said. "I will put the cage in our storage closet."
"But it's dark in there!", Miranda exclaimed.
"That's the idea. It started chiping //because// it's morning and the sun rose up. Do you want to sleep or do you want to let her //keep chirping//?"
That seemed to make Miranda think, and she agreed.
---
The following years were mostly me and Miranda adapting to puberty, Mom and Miranda(sometimes) taking care of Fluffy, keeping her in the storage closet when she bothered us, Dad having crises and mood swings(he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder before my 7th birthday) and me wondering why my Dad and Mom haven't divorced yet, since he was a useless pile a garbage(he didn't even have a job, he was retired for medical reasons and didn't do house chores, a thing Mom and Dad argued a lot over).
But there was one more thing.
I was bullied in school.
The last two years of middle school had been ''hell'', especially.
There was a bully and //its// accomplices that were torturing me.
Some of them stole things from me and when I would try to get them back, they would toss them over to each other.
Some of them would say bad rumours about me behind my back, like the one rumour that I snorted cocaine. Nevermind the fact that some of them were snorting the same thing, or //worse//.
Some of them called me names and made fun of my glasses.
Some of them stole my seat, so I had to stay in the back of the class. Especially that //bully//.
I told the teachers many times they were bullying me, but none of them listened. And when they listened, they didn't do anything. I told my parents many times and my mom even came to school once, but nothing was done.
They simply said to not respond to the bullies or to avoid them.
So that's what I did.
It didn't work, however.
"Well, well, well, look who's here", the bully said, walking over to my seat. "The class monkey", //it// said in a condescending tone. "I heard that your mommy came yesterday to school."
Crap.
I didn't look up from the book I was reading.
"So, are you ignoring me?"
Suddenly, //it// spat. On my hand.
I feigned ignorance.
Then I felt a hand on my butt.
I snapped.
Before I realized, my fist collided with //its// cheek bone.
Then //its// fist collided with my lips, hard enough to knock my glasses off.
Our classmates gathered around to see us fight.
I remember that I somehow bit //its// leg while //it// pulled my hair.
//It// screamed.
Unfortunately, a teacher entered the clasroom as I yelled: ''//"Die, you filthy piece of shit!"//''
---
Naturally, nobody believed me when I told them what really happened.
My classmates only saw the fight, and the bully shamelessly lied.
However, because I was a good student, I only got suspended for two weeks, during which I was advised to go to a psychologist. My grades weren't affected, so it was like an extra vacation. And it was right before my final exams, so I had time to study a lot.
But, it really hurt that I had no one to trust me.
I had no friends and my family wasn't that supportive.
One day, after I came back from my psychologist's appointment and was home alone, while I was studying, I heard Fluffy chirping loudly.
"Kekekekekekekekekekekekeke-"
I ignored her.
"Kekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekekeke-"
"Shut the hell up!", I shouted. I could feel my prolactine level rising.
"Kekekekekekekekekeke-"
In a fit of rage, I threw my pencil case at her cage. It fell right off the desk.
Fluffy was flying erratically in the cage.
Realizing what I had done, I put the cage back on the desk, then cleaned up the mess.
---
I still remember the day Fluffy [[died|Fluffy dies]].It was one year ago, in the summer.
Fluffy was sick. Very sick.
My mom and Miranda went with her to many vets, but none of them knew what exactly happened to Fluffy. One of the vets advised them to give her vitamins.
But they didn't work.
So, Fluffy was standing lethargically in the cage, quiet and sad.
Miranda was outside with her friends. She gained many friends in the highschool, unlike me, who stayed the usual, lonely self. At least I wasn't bullied anymore.
I was playing on my laptop when I heard my mom //scream//.
''"Fluffy!"''
I immediately came in Miranda's room.
Fluffy was down in the cage, twitching. My mom was saying encouraging words to her.
"It's going to be okay, Fluffy, it's going to be okay, hold on, please..."
"What happenned?!", I asked, worried.
"She fell! She suddenly fell!", my mom exclaimed, very upset.
"What should we do?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!", my mom snapped, "I don't know..."
The twitching stopped.
We looked over at Fluffy, who collapsed in the cage with the face down.
If she didn't have her eyes open, I would've thought she fell asleep.
Both me and Mom started crying.
We cried for an hour, before deciding to call Miranda, to tell her the sad news.
I could hear her cries over the phone.
When my sister came home, she took Fluffy out of the cage and held her to her chest.
Then we decided to bury her in the garden behind the our block of flats.
Miranda closed her eyes, before we put her in a box. Then we dug out in the garden, put the box down, buried her and then put over a rock.
When dad came home, we told him about Fluffy's death. He started crying too.
---
(if: $goShop is 1)[[[I didn't want to think about that anymore, so I stopped reminiscing.|Back to shop]]]
(else-if: $goShop is 0)[[[I didn't want to think about that anymore, so I stopped reminiscing.|Back to games]]]My mom and Miranda were still shopping and talking.
I realized I've been staring at the bird food for too long, so I went over to Miranda.
"Look at that cat leash! It's so cheap-hey, Maddie! What do you think about this?", my sister said, showing me the leash in question.
"It looks nice", I answered.
"Good. Then we're buying it", my mom said, "before this shop closes."
"Do we have everything...?", I inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Yep", Miranda replied, "this is it."
//Just how long I have been staring into space...?//
"Let's go", my mom said. We approaced the shop's casher and paid for everything we shopped.
---
When we came home, I headed straight to my room.
Little did I know I wouldn't sleep [[that night|Sleepless]].My laptop's digital's clock showed 23:12.
//Crap, how long have I been remembering...?//
Just as I turned my laptop off, I heard rumbling at the front door.
As I thought, my mom and Miranda came home. My dad opened the door.
"What took you so long?", he said, smiling.
"We've only been gone for two hours", my mom said, matter-of-factly."which means less than the hours you spend outside playing chess. //Every day//."
I chuckled. Dad's smile dropped, "Lets see what you bought-"
I went back in my room. I got in the bed, waiting to fall asleep.
Little did I know I wouldn't sleep [[that night|Sleepless]].My mind started to wander, so I let my thoughts flow free.
(display: "Reminiscence")I was in bed, trying to fall asleep.
"Meow!"
I opened my eyes.
"MEOW!"
That damn cat-
"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOW!"
I got up and left my room.
My mom and dad were in the hallway, barely awake. Miranda got in the hallway too, tired as hell. Meanwhile the cat //meowed// and //ran// all across Miranda's room.
"What happened?", my dad inquired.
"The kitten doesn't sleep", Mom answered.
"It doesn't let //us// sleep", I added.
"Catty doesn't sleep. I've tried everything", my sister said. "I tried stroking her fur and letting her sleep next to me and it doesn't work! I've tried giving her food - maybe she was hungry and couldn't sleep - , I've tried giving her water - nothing. Nothing works."
My sister started to cry. "What if she'll //never// let us sleep at night?", she added.
"Then give her to adoption", I said.
"No."
"Honey, we can't stay like this", my mom added. "Either we give her to someone else or we //make// her sleep."
Miranda was upset, but she agreed with Mom.
For that night, we decided to lock //it// in the storage closet.
---
I slept, somehow.
When I woke up, I saw that my digital clock was 07:23. Which meant...
I slept only three hours and a half.
Yay. What a //great// day.
Later that day, our friends and some of our relatives visited us and gave me gifts(no money, though). One of them brought us a chocolate cake with "Happy Birthday, Madeleine" on it.
Meanwhile, we tried to find Catty a new home. Emphasis on ''tried''.
We searched many adoption websites and Facebook cat adoption groups, to no avail. Everyone seemed to already have a cat or more.
We even called Miranda's friends. None of them wanted //it//.
I looked at the clock, bored. It was 16:53.
"Mom, shouldn't we all go outside to see the movie 'Alice in StupidLand'? It's almost 5 pm", I said.
"Oh! I almost forgot!", Mom replied.
"But what about Catty? I can't bring her with us", Miranda said.
"Oh, that's right...", my mom realized. "Maddie, we can't go today. We have to watch over Catty".
"Can't Dad watch over her and we three go to the movie?"
"Dad can't watch over his own coffee", Mom quickly said, "And we are tired. Very tired. So, no."
I felt my enthusiasm commit seppuku.
I did not know if [[to go alone to the movies|Joy]] or [[to stay inside|Despair]].Without a word, I decided to go alone to the cinema.
I quickly changed my clothes and bolted out of the door.
I got to the bus station in record time, right before a bus appeared.
I made sure it was the right bus, then got in.
//This is my worst birthday//, I thought, as the bus got to the cinema. //Wait...//
I remembered my ''worst'' birthday.
I was 10.
My dad was shouting at mom because my mom didn't let him go with his "friends", right after eating the ''whole'' cake //by mistake//, as he said.
My mom was //furious//.
She said he didn't take his medication //for weeks// and that's why he was acting strange.
Then my dad //punched// Mom.
Me and Miranda somehow took my mom's cellphone and went in our room.
We called the police.
When the police came, Mom had several bruises over her face, including under her left eye, and a broken right arm.
He was immediately arrested.
The only reason he wasn't thrown in jail is because he had bipolar disorder, so he spent three months in hospital instead.
I snapped out of my thinking and got off the bus.
I went inside the cinema and got a ticket to "Alice in StupidLand".
As I went to my seat, I noticed there weren't many people. I didn't like crowded spaces, so I was glad.
The movie was surprisingly better than I thought it would be.
It was about a girl, the titular "Alice", that lived in an absurd world, where insanity was the norm. Her friends could be bad to her one second and nice the next, decapitation by the Queen of Spades is common and eating and drinking things had effects depending on the day of the week. Only Alice noticed that things were not right and everyone considered her crazy for it. Her only true friend was a cat named Dinah. Unlike Lewis Carroll's Alice from "Alice in Wonderland". Alice wanted a mundane world, like ours. The movie put the following questions: What is normal in a world were everyone and everything is crazy? Is normalcy defined by majority or there is something inherently normal by which we measure normalcy? What is insanity?
Fortunately, the movie was more of a black comedy one. The plot wasn't much, but basically everyone wanted to "cure" Alice by doing stupid things like biting her foot, painting her house with mud and so on. At the end, Alice managed to escape them and find a secluded place with her cat.
As I went back home, I started to think.
Our cat wasn't guilty for anything that went wrong.
Things went wrong way before she appeared.
And I realized that I was angry at the cat because I projected my own negative feelings on her.
Soon, I arrived at [[my apartment|I luv cat]]."Ok, I guess I'll stay inside."
"Are you sure?", my mom asked.
"Yes", I replied bitterly. "When are we going to eat the cake?"
"Well", my mom answered, "let me try this one site for adoption to see if Catty can be given there and then we'll eat."
---
Unsurprisingly, Catty wasn't accepted to that adoption site.
We were pretty dissapointed, but we tried to be cheerful.
After singing "Happy Birthday" to me, we seated ourselves at the table.
"Miranda, why are you holding the kitten in your arms when we eat?" I asked.
"Well, I don't want her to be alone."
I blinked. "What if she jumps on-"
As if on cue, the kitten jumped out of Miranda's arms //right// on the table.
My mom screamed and my dad yelled at the kitten to get off the table.
I stared dumbfounded as the kitten started to eat my own piece of cake.
---
Later that night, I tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't.
Not with //that// cat in the house.
And no, //it// wasn't meowing or anything. It was fast asleep.
But I couldn't sleep knowing what this cat was capable of.
I couldn't decide if [[to get rid of the cat|Throw the cat]] or [[not|Don't throw the cat]].My mom opened the door.
"Hey, Mom", I said trying to smile.
"Hey, Maddie, you're late! We already ate the cake!"
Great. I already knew who suggested the idea `*`cough`*`my dad`*`cough`*`.
I took my phone out of my bag. It read 10:48.
"How was at the cinema? Did you like the movie?", my mom asked.
"Well, it was good" and then I told her the plot of "Alice in StupidLand".
"Wow, sounds like a good movie."
I turned around. It was Miranda, holding the kitten.
"I mean, the message and all", Miranda continued. "We're sorry we didn't go with you."
"Nah, it's not a problem", I said. "How's Catty?"
"She's doing fine", Miranda answered.
"Miranda."
"Hm?", she said.
"What about we adopt Catty?" I said, smiling.
My mom looked surprised, "Are you sure?"
"Yep."
"Yay! Thank you, Maddie! But I thought you didn't like her", Miranda said.
"Who said that?"
"Well, you seemed a bit upset that we brought Catty here."
Was it that obvious?
Well, it didn't matter now.
Suddenly, the kitten started to purr.
"Awww", Miranda said, looking at the kitten.
"By the way, you have one piece of cake, ok, Maddie?"
"Thanks, Mom."
---
As I ate the piece of cake, my mind started to wonder.
I thought about all the insane events in my life.
It was like I was the only one noticing when something wasn't right.
My father's illness and crises, me being alone and bullied in the past, my mom's passivity and my sister's obliviousness.
But Catty wasn't one of them.
Catty came into my room and meowed.
I went and pet her on her head.
"I guess you're my //friend// now."
[[the end| Ending no. 1]]Finally, I decided to get rid of the cat.
But I had to make sure it looked like an accident(not from my part of course).
---
It was after four days when I finally found an opening.
My mom was tired from her night shift(she was a nurse), and was asleep.
Dad was outside playing chess with his "friends".
And Miranda was getting ready to go outside with her classmates.
"Miranda."
"Hm?"
"What about Catty?", I asked.
"Can't you take care of her while I'm outside?", she said, a bit annoyed.
"Well, no. I have to go shopping for food."
"Why? Don't we have food? Can't you eat eggs-", she stopped as she opened the fridge.
There was really no food.
Because I threw it all away while Miranda was busy doing her makeup in the bathroom. Luckily, there wasn't much.
"Where's the food?", she asked.
"I think Dad ate it all this morning.", I lied.
"Ugh! Why can't he stop eating? He's gonna be 400 lbs at this rate!", Miranda whined. "Well, then I guess you have to go shopping. But come back fast!"
"Ok, I will", I said.
Then she stormed off the door.
---
And so I was home alone.
But I was still hesitant.
What if they caught me? [[Will they ever trust me again?|Trust]]
On the other hand, the cat was really [[annoying|Deceive]].
Finally, I decided against getting rid of the cat.
That would be unnecessary trouble and it would make Miranda sad.
And it's not like Miranda wouldn't find another pet to replace //it//.
Soon, I fell asleep, wondering what tomorrow will bring.
[[the end|Ending n0. 2]]You've achieved Ending 2 out of 7: ''A Compromise''
[[Replay|start menu]]You've achieved Ending 1 out of 7: ''Maddie In Catland''
[[Replay|start menu]]Of course not.
So, I gave up on my plan.
---
A week passed since then.
I was home alone, playing Tetris on my laptop. The game soundtrack was catchy and I had a good time.
But I had to go to the toilet. And I stayed pretty much in there.
When I came back, however, I froze.
My laptop's mouse was utterly ruined and the cat was munching on my earbuds.
I quickly grabbed and threw //it// off my desk.
//It// came back and bit my toes. Really hard.
//It bit me.//
''//It bit me.//'''
''//IT BIT ME!!!//''
Before I realized, I kicked //it// in the stomach.
//It// flew, meowing.
I approached //it//.
[[Beat it relentlessly|Dead cat]]
[[Leave it alone|The cat lives]]I immediately went inside Miranda's room, took the cat and put //it// on the leash bought by my mom and Miranda.
Then I opened the window from Miranda's room //slightly//, so my family will believe that the cat escaped through the window.
I took some money and went outside.
I took the bus and went five bus stations until I reached the supermarket.
I got off the bus with Catty. I took her into the park near the supermarket and went far, far away until I found some thick bushes.
Then I took the leash off and let the kitten there.
As I walked away, the kitten started meowing like never before.
A pathetic, high-pitched meow caught my attention.
I looked at her.
[[Take her back|Home, sweet home]]
[[Let her there|Cat got lost]]I couldn't let the kitten there.
Not like that.
So I took her and put the leash back.
I went to the supermarket. I tied her leash to a pole.
The kitten looked dumbfounded.
"Stay there, Catty, I'm coming back", I said.
After shopping groceries, I took Catty and headed home.
---
When I got home, Mom was still asleep and both Dad and Miranda weren't home.
I went inside Miranda's room, closed the window, took the leash off the cat and put the leash back carefully in the drawer.
The kitten mewowed.
I stared at her.
Then I remembered she wasn't fed this morning, so I put some cat food in her bowl.
Catty quickly ate everything, then went to a corner, sat on her side and purred.
Maybe having a cat wasn't that bad.
---
When Dad and Miranda came home, they were surprised to find out I took care of the kitten so well.
If only they knew...
Mom woke up, then talked with Dad.
I went in my room.
I heard Mom and Dad arguing about the "eaten" food.
Luckily, no one believed Dad.
I was glad I wasn't caught, and even more glad I hadn't abandoned the cat.
Soon, I fell asleep, with no guilt on my shoulders.
[[the end|Ending no. 4]]I let the kitten there.
I went to the supermarket and took some groceries.
Then I went back home.
Luckily, Mom was still asleep and neither Dad nor my sister were home.
I carefully put the leash back.
I put the groceries on the table, then I tried to wake Mom up.
"Mom?"
"Huh?"
"I can't find Catty."
"Isn't she in Miranda's room?", then she saw I wore different clothes, "Why are you-"
"I went outside to buy groceries."
"But we have food."
"Well, I think Dad ate it all."
"What? But I told him-"
And with that, Mom got up.
She went to the fridge and saw that there was really no food, then saw what I bought.
She went pale, "Catty!"
We went to my sister's room.
We searched and searched, but there was no trace of her.
Then Mom saw the open window.
She stormed out of the house. I went after her.
After three hours, my mom was crying. We searched all around the apartment block, but we couldn't find Catty.
When my dad and Miranda came back home, we told them what happened.
"Are you sure you searched everywhere?", Miranda asked.
"Yes", my mom said, wiping her tears. "She's nowhere to be seen!"
"Dammit!"
We looked at Miranda, who started crying.
I went back into my room.
I could hear Mom and Dad arguing over the "eaten" food.
Fortunately for me, nobody believed Dad.
But I couldn't shake the guilt.
[[the end|Ending no. 3]]You've achieved Ending 3 out of 7: ''Guilty Winner''
[[Replay|start menu]]You've achieved Ending 4 out of 7: ''Guiltless Joy''
[[Replay|start menu]]I grabbed the kitten, then threw it at the wall. Hard.
//It// meowed.
I went to the storage closet and took the broom.
I went back in my room.
When the cat saw me, it hid under my desk.
I grabbed the cat an put it on my bed.
Then I hit it once with the broom.
Then twice.
Then three times.
I lost count after the tenth time.
I beat it relentlessly.
I beat it even after it stopped moving.
"MADDIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
I turned my head.
It was my mom.
My mom took the broom out of my hands.
She looked at the once-alive cat.
Then she looked disgustingly at me and threw the broom in my direction.
It fell on the floor.
"Madeleine."
I looked up at Mom.
She was furious.
"Why the hell did you kill Catty?"
I gulped.
"Why?"
I stared down, "Because it destroyed my mouse and earbuds."
"AND COULDN'T YOU WAIT UNTIL WE CAME HOME?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, MADDIE? WHAT WILL ''MIRANDA'' SAY ABOUT THIS?"
I started visibly trembling.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN ''ADULT'', MADDIE! I knew you were unstable, but this..."
But it wasn't because of fear.
My mom took out her cellphone.
I heard her calling someone. It was Dad.
//"Hello?"//
"Hey. You must come home. ''Right now''."
//"Why?"//
"Something terrible happened."
//"Okay, I'll come right now."//
She closed the phone.
After five minutes, Dad came.
"What happened?"
"Catty's dead", my mom said.
"What?"
He looked at the cat.
Then he looked at me.
"Did she...?", my dad trailed off.
"Yes."
"Well, there's nothing else we can do", he said, "We have to take her to a //mental hospital//."
"What? No, I'm not going there!", I said, raising my voice.
"Maddie, we have no other choice", my mom said.
"No! I won't go there! I refuse!"
"Then we have to call the police", my dad replied.
I stared silently at him.
''//"You fucking pile of garbage."//''
My dad looked at me, "What?"
"You heard me."
"Maddie, I don't want to-"
"Both you and Miranda! And Mom! And those assholes from middle school! And the police! All of you! ARE! FUCKING! ''GARBAAAAGE''!!!!!"
"George, call the police", my mom told Dad.
"YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME! ALL YOU CARED ABOUT WAS NOT TO GET IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF ME! THAT WHY YOU ABANDONED ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU THE MOST!"
"Maddie, calm down-"
"NO! I WON'T! MIRANDA ALWAYS GETS WHAT SHE WANTS! WHY CAN'T I? IT'S LIKE YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT I THINK!"
"What happens here?", Miranda entered the room.
"Get out!", my mom yelled at her.
"I'll call the police", Miranda said.
That was the last straw.
I lunged like a rabid dog at Miranda, not caring what happens to me.
She screamed.
Fortunately for her, Mom and Dad got a hold of me.
Both Mom and Dad had to struggle to hold me down.
I shouted and yelled curse words until my voice became hoarse.
I was exhausted by the time [[the police came|Mental hospital]].I stared, then took it into Miranda's room, and let it there.
I went back in my room.
I started crying.
My laptop was the only thing I really enjoyed in life, and now I couldn't enjoy a simple game of Tetris. Not until I buy a mouse and earbuds.
I started to think about all the times ebverything went wrong in my life.
My dad's illness and crises, my mom's passiveness, my sister's obliviousness and me being alone and bullied in school.
And now this stupid cat.
It was like my family didn't care about what I want, or what I think.
I cried harder.
"Dear, what's wrong?"
Crap. My mom came back already.
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying", I lied.
"I heard you crying."
"Leave me alone!", I said.
My mom came in my room. She was shocked to see my mouse and earbuds in such state.
"Maddie, who did this?", mom asked.
"Catty!", I said, furious. "That damn cat did it!"
"Well, we could always buy other-"
"''NO!''", I shouted.
My mom froze.
I calmed myself, "I mean, that's not why I was ''crying'' about."
"Then why?"
I hesitated.
Then I told her everything.
Everything that made me upset and the fact that I didn't want the cat.
She listened, then gave me a hug.
"Oh, Maddie!", my mom said, "I couldn't believe that I neglected you that much!"
"I'm sorry, Mom."
"It's okay, Maddie, it okay..."
[[the end|Ending no. 5]]You've achieved Ending 5 out of 7: ''It's Okay Not To Be Okay''
[[Replay|start menu]]Mom and Dad explained the situation to the police, who put me in cuffs until the ambulance came.
The ambulance took me right to the nearest mental hospital. There, my mom completed some documents and papers, then I was placed in the care of the facility.
The next day, the doctor asked me some questions I wasn't eager to reply, then told me I was going to stay two weeks, to see if the medication I'll receive will calm me down.
I was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder.
It was a ''nightmare'' come true.
---
When I came back home, it was already July.
I didn't know if the medication or the weather made me feel lethargic.
My family returned to normal activities.
My dad went outside to play chess.
My mom went to work.
And my sister went outside with her friends.
Only I was staring blankly in my bed at my ceiling.
I didn't even have energy to play Tetris anymore.
And then, I realized something.
I was only a burden to my family.
I was just a mentally disabled person.
All sense of normalcy was lost.
[[So, why was I living anymore?|Dead or alive]]I was standing on the frame of my window, trying to jump.
//C'mon, just do it, do it, do it...//
But was afraid of two things.
One, heights.
Two, what if I won't die, then my parents find out and get me to the mental hospital again?
I was hesitating.
[[Jump already|Die]]
[[Get off the window|Live]]I finally decided to jump.
I turned myself with the back outside.
Then I pushed myself off the window.
The last thing I heard was Miranda's shrieks of horror.
[[the end|Ending no. 7]]I got off the window.
I did't know if I was brave enough not to do it or cowardly enough.
But it didn't matter.
My life was ruined anyways.
And I had only myself to blame.
I went back to my bed, and soon enough I fell asleep.
[[the end|Ending no. 6]]You've achieved Ending 6 out of 7: ''A Girl And Her Bad, Bad Temper''
[[Replay|start menu]]You've achieved Ending 7 out of 7: ''A Jump To Remember''
[[Replay|start menu]]