Crashed (2009) by Wasserman Robin

Author:Wasserman, Robin [Robin, Wasserman,]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-03-26T18:09:34+00:00

Susskind was gray with thin black raccoon stripes streaking his fur and a long strip of black trickling down his spine and tail, a reverse skunk. If you looked closely, you could see the gray was speckled with white, like a permanent dusting of dandruff. His eyes were a pale, watery green, the color of wilted celery. All of which made for one extremely ugly cat.

He curled up against me, butting his head into my arm. Pet me, in cat speak. Love me. But every time I gave in and stroked his fur, Susskind would stiffen and creep away. It was only when I gave up that he would return, nuzzling my hand, digging his claws into my leg, giving me those cat eyes, which, unlike a pitiful puppy-dog gaze, bore no neediness or desperation, just a pale green watchfulness. We repeated the cycle a few times, head butt, purr, escape, return, until he judged me worthy and lowered his bulk onto my lap. Now he gave me a different look. I'm ready, it said. I deserve it.

What are you waiting for?

So I rested my hand on his soft coat, rubbing slow circles into his warm, ample belly. When I was a kid, Susskind's fur had looked irresistibly soft. I'd longed to run my hands through it--but he always ran away before I got the chance. Now the fur barely made an impression. The synflesh wasn't designed to appreciate that kind of subtle sensation.

He let out a guttural purr and clawed my arm. That felt good.

"Did you really miss me, you psycho?" I whispered.

He rested his paws on my knee, then lowered his head onto them. His eyes narrowed to slits. Naptime.

"I think I've slept enough," I told him. But I sat there with him, my hand on his back, rising and falling with the even breaths.

I hadn't been a cat person back when I was a person. But then, Susskind hadn't been a person cat. Orgs were as repulsive to him as they were to Jude. Whatever I was now, he approved. No questions asked. Even in catspeak.

"I missed you too."

Something to remember about cats: They're not your friend. If you ever came across a giant dog, some kind of mutant puppy towering twenty feet off the ground, the dumb thing might knock over a few trees while it was doing its yippee-yay-a-new-friend happy dance, but the worst thing it would do is lap at you with its giant tongue and maybe drown you in dog slobber.

A giant cat would bat you around for a while between its giant paws.

And then eat you.

You can't blame them; it's just the way they're built.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.