Trap


She has travelled through the country. She came from the north of England. She has made this journey to find Jellicle Cats who accepts her. To reach her aim Moondagger travells towards London. On her journey she has made special experiences. She has learnt forgotten things about the Jellicles. She has even learnt about herself and her abilities. In spite of she possesses magic Moondagger is not a wizard or mage like we would call people who has magic. Her magic works only in three special abilities: To hide herself, never to fail to defeat herself in throwing knives or stones, to sense danger. Without these three abilities Moondagger would have died somewhere of her journey. But she has survived…
"20 miles till London" is standing on a shield. Moondagger grins.
At last and after many, many days travelling through the country she is near the capital, the town London. Her aim where she hopes to find other nice Jellicles who doesn't share to have a thief in their clans. Moondagger has heard about a clan who accepted each Jellicle who asks for and haf no dark things in mind. She hopes that she will be accepted, too. But now Moondagger was standing in a small town twenty miles away from London. And it was beginning to get dark. She was hungry and tired from a hard day. Moondagger looks around. Houses are standing next to her. One of them seems to be a pub. And in a pub there is surely something to eat. But Moondagger is a cat and the pub is usually only for humans. She thinks that even in her Jellicle form she won't get anything to eat. But… a pub has a door on the other site for the kitchen. Perhaps there she can find a little bit to eat. Moondagger walks around the house. There… There is a door and next to the door there is a dustbin which smells after food.
"Okay, there is the dinner." Moondagger thinks happily.
She jumps on the dustbin and opens the lid. And there is… Food! Moondagger takes out the feed and jumps from the dustbin. Carefully she brings the meat to a lonely place and begins to eat. Moondager is hungry and so she concentrates only to her dinner. She doesn't notice that a purely white Jellicle approaches her.
"May I sit next to you?" the Jellicle asks.
Moondagger makes a little jump. She looks surprisingly at the Jellicle. It is a white tom, and he looks elegant and handsome.
"S-s-sure." Moondagger stummers.
The white tom sits gracefully down next to her and watches her through bright green eyes.
A long time there is silence, then…
"You are new here, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yes, I am on journey."
"And where do you want to travel?"
"To London."
Moondagger doesn't know what to think about him. He looks so nice. He looks like a gentleman. But something in a her mind warns her before him. But why? He is only sitting next to her and asking simply questions.
"Then you have reach the end of your journey soon. London is around twenty miles from here. I don't like the capital. It is too big and too many humans are walking around. I prefer to live in a small town next to the capital."
"Maybe." Moondagger answers. "Maybe I don't like it there, but how can I decide it when I have never been in London?"
"Sure, you shall visit it. Everyone should know London or has even visited it for one time."
Moondagger nods.
"What is your name?" she asks.
"Oh sorry. Forgive me my worse behavior. I'm Nightblack."
"Nightblack? Why if I may ask?"
"A foolish thing in my youth." Nightblack replies with a gently smile. "I fell in a tub with black colour. You can imagine how I looked like after getting out of it."
Moondagger laughs.
"Yes, I can imagine! I'm Moondagger."
"Moondager…" Nightblack is listening to the sound of her name. "A beautiful name. Really. One of the nicest names I have ever heard."
"Really?" Moondagger is very flattered.
"Really!" Nighblack answers.
Then he looks up to the stars.
"It seems to be that the night will be very cold. The sky is clear and all the stars can be seen. Have the Lady Moondagger a stay for the night?"
"No." Moondagger say without thinking.
Is she crazy? Telling an unknown tom that she has no stay? But he is so galant.
"Then I want to invite you to stay a night with me."
"Thank you! That is really nice of you."
"What can I do else for a homeless Lady?" he answers. "Come on. We have to go this way."
He gets up and walk along the way he has come. Moondagger follows him slowly. Something warns her from hin. But what? Anf for what reason? He is so nice. He behaves like a gentleman. Angrily Moondagger bans her thoughts of warning out of her mind.

Nightblacks home lay in a backyard of a very shabbish house. It is small, but also comfortable. Moondagger likes it for the first moment she enters it.
"Nice!" she says happily.
Nightblack smiles and settles himself down on a large pillow. He looks at her as she wanders around his home. Then she goes out again.
"I have to go to the toilet." Moondagger says as an excuse.
Outside she stands a long time before the opening. The moon was shining bright and gives the backyard a mystic atmosphere. Slowly Moondagger steps out in the middle of the place. She has forgotten the matter why she has gone outside. She wants to dance. The music comes up. She lifts a leg and then begins to dance. She whirls around, doing pirouettes and little jumps as she notices that she is not longer alone. The white tom has joined her dance. He leads her through every figure. After long minutes the music fades away. They stand close to each other, coghing and full of joy. Slowly Nightblck puts his arms around Moondagger. She gets a bit startled but then accepts his touch. He leads her into his home and on his pillow.

Moondagger stays several days by Nightblack. She is lucky. She has never remembered a time when she was luckier than now. Everthing is great. Nightblack is so nice, lovely - everything she has dreamt of a perfect tom. Everyday for her is a day of surprise. Nothing bores her. Everything is perfect.
She hears a sound. A sound of help. A sound of Nightblack.. He is in trouble. Moondagger doesn't wait any longer. She runs and stops immediately. Dogs are hunting after Nightblack. They seem to be very angry and want to kill Nightblack. They are great and frightening.
"He hasn't any chances!" Moondagger thinks. "They are too large and too many. Perhaps if I can get their attention and use my ability to hide?"
She starts to run. She runs towards the dogs and jumps on the back of one of them. The dog stops, turns around. White long teeths searches for his attacker. Moondagger jumps off him and begins to run for her life. All dogs follow her. Moondagger runs. She runs towards a garage at the end of the town. This garage she knows is full of woods. A very good place to hide! Her breath comes fast. Nearly a cough. Only hundreds metres and the dogs are shortly behind her. Then she can see the garage. Ten metres, nine metres, eight metres…
The garage is empty! No woods. Nothing. Moondager makes a stop totally of surprise. That can not be! Yesterday the garage was full with wood. And today…
The thought comes never to the end. The dogs has reached her. Teeths goes down into her fur, wounding her. She tries to defeat herself. But the dogs are too strong. Moondagger looses her consciousness.

Hours later she awakes. She lives, but she is weak. A female cat sits before her.
"What?" Moondagger coughes.
"Poor dear. You are another victim of this brad Nightblack. He has used you for his crimes. He let you deal with the dogs and at that time while dogs are busy with you he steals."
"Noooooooooooo!" Moondagger screams. "You are lying. It can't be true. It can't be true. It… is true."
Moondagger remembers that something in her mind has warned her. Nightblack - this name should her made suspicious. But he had a good explanation for that dark name.
Another cat comes into her sight. It was an orange Jellicle.
"This is Skimbleshanks." the queen tells her. "He will bring you to a safety place in London. Don't worry. This tribe helps Jellicles like you."

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