off of walls and jumping over beds until Katherine tackled Iris and Colleen caught Scout. Lilac rocketed under one bed, and lodged herself in the far recesses of the box spring’s lining.
“Great,” Katherine said in exasperation, putting Iris gently in the carrier and partially closing the door. Colleen handed Scout to her. “Waugh,” Scout complained, trying to squirm away. Katherine put the struggling cat next to Iris and closed the metal door.
“How are we going to get Lilac out of there without ripping off the lining?” Colleen moaned.
“Where’s Lilac’s toy? Do you see her bear?”
Katherine and Colleen looked around the room. “There it is,” Colleen said, picking the toy off the foot of her bed.
“I’ve got a plan. We’ll crawl under the bed and you’ll hold the bear up to the opening in the lining. I’ll be poised, ready to catch Lilac.”
“Listen to this one,” Colleen said incredulously. “Have you gone crazy? There’s creepy crawlies under there.”
“Here, take the bear.”
“For the love of Mary,” Colleen protested, snatching the bear and getting down on her knees. She partially slid under the bed. “Ah-choo,” she sneezed. “I found the clock.”
“That’s a relief,” Katherine said joining her. “Now put the bear up where Lilac can see it and say, Qweek! Qweek!”
“Squeak, squeak,” Colleen said in a monotone voice.
“No, not ‘squeak.’ Qweek! Qweek!” Katherine corrected. “It’s a game we play.”
Both women began saying “Qweek! Qweek!” Lilac hesitated for a moment, then lunged out the hole and grabbed the bear. Katherine seized Lilac and placed both cat and bear into the carrier.
* * * *
The rain pelted the small car as it headed south on Indiana State Highway 28. Katherine struggled to see the road through the dense fog and pounding rain. The squeaking and scraping of the cracked, aged windshield wipers had so frightened the cats, they had given up crying and now lay huddled in the far corner of the carrier.
“‘Tis a nightmare to behold,” Colleen said. “Do you realize it started raining on the Indiana-Ohio border, and it hasn’t stopped since?”
“This is the worse drive I’ve ever done,” Katherine said wearily.
“It snowed to beat the band in Pennsylvania,” Colleen declared. “And now this wretched rain in Indiana. I hope this isn’t an omen,” Colleen finished.
“Omen?” Katherine said skeptically. “I don’t believe in such nonsense. Maybe Mark was right and we should have flown.”
“Shoulda, coulda,” Colleen laughed. “But we didn’t. At least we’re almost there. That sign a while back said Erie was only nine miles away. What did Mark say when you called him?”
“He said he was relieved that we’d finally made it, and he’s waiting for us at the house.”
“Hey, look,” Colleen said excitedly. “There’s a sign for Erie.”
“Woo hoo! This is the town limit. There’s the Red House restaurant. I had lunch there.”
The cats began meowing loudly. Katherine slowed down and said, “Help me look for Lincoln Street.”
“Jackson Street . . . Washington Street . . .,” Colleen said as they drove by. “Here it is. Turn, turn.”
Katherine split off the highway and began squinting for house numbers. “Look for 512.”
Colleen cupped her face to the passenger side window, “It’s so dark here. I can’t see anything.”
“There it is.” Katherine stepped on the brake and did a complete stop in the middle of the street.
The house loomed like a pink giant. Every light had been turned on in the house, as well as the two outside lampposts. Katherine pulled into the driveway and parked under the covered carport. Mark’s Honda was parked several feet away. The cats became unusually quiet.
“We’re here, kids.”
“Incredible. This house is huge,” Colleen said, gathering her handbag and getting out of the car.
Mark opened the side door and bounded down the steps. “Welcome
“Great,” Katherine said in exasperation, putting Iris gently in the carrier and partially closing the door. Colleen handed Scout to her. “Waugh,” Scout complained, trying to squirm away. Katherine put the struggling cat next to Iris and closed the metal door.
“How are we going to get Lilac out of there without ripping off the lining?” Colleen moaned.
“Where’s Lilac’s toy? Do you see her bear?”
Katherine and Colleen looked around the room. “There it is,” Colleen said, picking the toy off the foot of her bed.
“I’ve got a plan. We’ll crawl under the bed and you’ll hold the bear up to the opening in the lining. I’ll be poised, ready to catch Lilac.”
“Listen to this one,” Colleen said incredulously. “Have you gone crazy? There’s creepy crawlies under there.”
“Here, take the bear.”
“For the love of Mary,” Colleen protested, snatching the bear and getting down on her knees. She partially slid under the bed. “Ah-choo,” she sneezed. “I found the clock.”
“That’s a relief,” Katherine said joining her. “Now put the bear up where Lilac can see it and say, Qweek! Qweek!”
“Squeak, squeak,” Colleen said in a monotone voice.
“No, not ‘squeak.’ Qweek! Qweek!” Katherine corrected. “It’s a game we play.”
Both women began saying “Qweek! Qweek!” Lilac hesitated for a moment, then lunged out the hole and grabbed the bear. Katherine seized Lilac and placed both cat and bear into the carrier.
* * * *
The rain pelted the small car as it headed south on Indiana State Highway 28. Katherine struggled to see the road through the dense fog and pounding rain. The squeaking and scraping of the cracked, aged windshield wipers had so frightened the cats, they had given up crying and now lay huddled in the far corner of the carrier.
“‘Tis a nightmare to behold,” Colleen said. “Do you realize it started raining on the Indiana-Ohio border, and it hasn’t stopped since?”
“This is the worse drive I’ve ever done,” Katherine said wearily.
“It snowed to beat the band in Pennsylvania,” Colleen declared. “And now this wretched rain in Indiana. I hope this isn’t an omen,” Colleen finished.
“Omen?” Katherine said skeptically. “I don’t believe in such nonsense. Maybe Mark was right and we should have flown.”
“Shoulda, coulda,” Colleen laughed. “But we didn’t. At least we’re almost there. That sign a while back said Erie was only nine miles away. What did Mark say when you called him?”
“He said he was relieved that we’d finally made it, and he’s waiting for us at the house.”
“Hey, look,” Colleen said excitedly. “There’s a sign for Erie.”
“Woo hoo! This is the town limit. There’s the Red House restaurant. I had lunch there.”
The cats began meowing loudly. Katherine slowed down and said, “Help me look for Lincoln Street.”
“Jackson Street . . . Washington Street . . .,” Colleen said as they drove by. “Here it is. Turn, turn.”
Katherine split off the highway and began squinting for house numbers. “Look for 512.”
Colleen cupped her face to the passenger side window, “It’s so dark here. I can’t see anything.”
“There it is.” Katherine stepped on the brake and did a complete stop in the middle of the street.
The house loomed like a pink giant. Every light had been turned on in the house, as well as the two outside lampposts. Katherine pulled into the driveway and parked under the covered carport. Mark’s Honda was parked several feet away. The cats became unusually quiet.
“We’re here, kids.”
“Incredible. This house is huge,” Colleen said, gathering her handbag and getting out of the car.
Mark opened the side door and bounded down the steps. “Welcome
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