A New Life [flash 201]

When she was a child, she played in a magic garden with a sparkling unicorn and a rainbow of butterflies. One day, she jumped in a glittering aqua pool and was pulled out by rough hands. Scared, she stared into an unfamiliar face.

“Foolish girl,” the old man said. “That river is dirty. Don’t go in there again.”

“What about my white horse?” she cried.

He laughed but not unkindly and returned her to the orphanage, where they punished her for escaping again. A few years later, they sent her out to work for a wealthy family to earn her keep. She cleaned their floors and sometimes was allowed to help in the kitchen, where she might stir a pot of sauce or cut up vegetables.

One day, she was in the driveway helping the chauffeur wax the white limo when the old man appeared, the one who pulled her from the river. He didn’t seem to recognize her however.

But when he walked past he commented, “When you’re eighteen you can get your license and learn to drive my limo. Maybe a car can replace the white horse you left behind and you can create a new life for yourself.”

~*~

BrewNSpew Cafe

Image credit to lovethispic.com

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Glow [flash 341]

“Let’s use the darker shades now to layer our sky,” Anita instructed. “We want to get a sense of the deep lavender hues of the waning night, and then we’ll put the bright light of the golden sun last.”

She stood back to admire her painting in progress–her best one yet. She was really nailing this Glow series. But then she glanced over at Michael, who seemed to be having quite a bit of difficulty. Poor guy. He didn’t seem to be focused. She walked over to help him.

“Hey, honey. That’s a really good start.” Anita swirled her own brush through his pink mixture. “Let’s just brighten up your sky a bit here and here, okay?”

He was so non-responsive. But that was the trouble with guys like Michael. You gave and you gave and they didn’t care at all. They acted like you should worship them or something. The hell with that!

“Now look, sweetie. You’ve got way too much chocolate brown there for the tree. For heaven’s sake!” Anita began painting over Michael’s tree with conviction. “I’ll fix it. It’s always my job to fix things, isn’t it?”

She stepped back to view his canvas. Much better. “What do you think?” She nudged his shoulder and he toppled off the chair and onto the floor.

“Dammit!” Anita was annoyed. Now she’d have to take time away from painting to get Michael situated properly in the chair again, which wasn’t easy given how stiff he’d become already. She bent down to pull him up and noticed that he’d begun to smell.

Painting class was officially over. Anita picked up her finished canvas and her unused paints and put them in her truck. She doused the studio with gasoline and tossed a flaming rag through the window before driving away. As she headed for the freeway, she saw the glow of the burning building bathe the early morning sky.

She really didn’t cope well with rejection. Hopefully the next man wouldn’t be such a jerk.

~*~

The Daily Echo

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Entanglement [fiction 875]

[This is a multi-part story. Lexi Brown is trying to escape her past and create a new life for herself in Otter Village, 500 miles from where a traumatic event occurred 6 months ago. In our last episode, we read that Kevin was having second thoughts about getting involved with Lexi so soon after he had to deal with his own romantic drama back in Chicago.

Here are the posts in order so far:

Falling
Sisterly Chat
Smoothies
The Angry Brother
Trust Issues
Something You Don’t Know
Moonlight
Who Needs Drama?]

Lexi was ashamed of herself for checking her phone every five minutes like a lovesick teenager. It was just a kiss on the beach, for heaven’s sake! Well… a few kisses. Under a romantic full moon, in his warm embrace…

Stop! She stuck her phone in a drawer and busied herself with laundry. She was not falling for Kevin, despite the fact that the first time they met she had literally fallen off her bike and he helped her up. It was too soon. She needed to chill here, not get involved in a new emotional entanglement.

But a bike ride was an excellent idea. As soon as her clothes were out of the dryer, she’d take a long one. It was a great thing to do on her weekday off work and especially today to clear her head and get re-centered.

She grabbed her phone before she left the house. No messages. Kevin was probably busy working, plus she wasn’t naive. A moonlit walk and a few sweet kisses didn’t necessarily mean that much to a man. Just because she felt all fluttery at the memory of last night didn’t mean he felt similarly. He might not be thinking about her at all. Maybe he took romantic walks all the time with various women.

Biking down to the beach, Lexi took deep breaths of the fresh air. Another gorgeous day! She couldn’t help but smile at people she passed on the path. Even though she didn’t want to get close to folks here yet or reveal much about herself, didn’t mean she couldn’t be friendly. It was a relief not to be wary and tense all the time like she’d been back in the city. The news from Vicky about Dan had flung her back into that whirl of stress, but being with Kevin had magically swept it all away.

Her feet slowed; her ebullient mood popped like a child’s bubble. She turned off the path and stopped, gazing out at the crystal blue waves breaking on the sand. It was still warm enough to play in the water, but the school year had begun, so the beach was relatively empty. Lexi took her phone out of her backpack and saw that she had a message.

She allowed her mind to drift back to last night and how good it felt to be with Kevin. He was so understanding. Even though a new relationship hadn’t been on her radar when she’d escaped the big city after her husband’s death, now it seemed exciting when the idea circled around a certain sexy dark-haired hotel manager. Maybe a good, slow-building relationship with a nice, steady, calm, even-tempered man would not be stressful…

She unlocked her phone. The message was from Vicky. Dammit! Okay, she’d listen later. Lexi got back on her bike and in a surge of energy pedaled for miles up the coast. By the time she turned around and got back to the rooming house, it was dusk and her legs felt like overcooked noodles. She put the bike away and climbed the stairs an inch at a time.

“You okay?” Carolyn the landlady asked at the second floor. “You hurt your back?”

Lexi shook her head. “I overdid it on a bike ride. Just lost in my thoughts. Pretty silly.”

Carolyn laughed. “That can happen. Go lie down. I’ll make you a cup of tea and bring you some Advil. I think there’s leftover veggie lasagna. Want me to check?”

“That’s so nice of you!” Lexi said as she hobbled toward her room.

“Well, of course, dear.” Carolyn started down the stairs. “We’re all little refugee birds up here. Thanks for making those yummy cookies for us last night.”

As Lexi arranged herself in her room, stretching out in her comfy chair, she thought about Carolyn’s comment. Little refugee birds. That’s why people came to Otter Village, to escape something. Not just Lexi, but Kevin too. She’d been so wrapped up in her own head she hadn’t thought about what his story might be.

Why was Kevin here? She recalled him saying he was relatively new, around three months, but that was a month ago. So, what had made Kevin leave Chicago four months ago? What was his story? He had never told her.

But then again… she hadn’t asked. There was no reason not to. He knew all about her life. After she rested for a bit, she was gonna call him. But first, Vicky’s message. She’d procrastinated long enough…

“Hey sis, call when you can. It’s nothing urgent. Just an update on the Dan situation. He kinda confronted me again, but this time Nick was waiting in the car, so things got a bit heated. Nothing terrible! It’s just that Dan is really pissed we won’t give him your new phone number, so he threatened to drive up there and find you in what he terms ‘hickville.’ Nick said he’d slap a restraining order on him, but Dan said he had a right to take a vacation where he wants, it’s a free country, blah blah. He backed off on the finding you part, but I’m worried about it. Nick thinks he’s all talk, but I dunno…”

[to be continued]

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Karma Chameleon

This may sound odd coming from an atheist, but I believe in karma. Now, this is not the first dictionary definition of karma, with reincarnation and yada, but my own notion of logic and being held accountable. Cause and effect, baby.

Forex, if you drive like a rude, reckless jerk, sooner or later you’re going to pay for that. Maybe you’ll rack up a pile of tickets and eventually lose your license or get hurt in an accident. Unfortunately, you may end up hurting others. Then you’ll get dumped in the $$$$ end of the insurance pool. Cause and effect, no supernatural interference necessary.

I am of course aware that this karma (or whatever you prefer to call it) does not work perfectly. Some jerks seem to cruise through life, breaking rules and screwing people over, with zero consequences. Or so it appears. I don’t believe they suffer some “hell” after death; perhaps they experience suffering we simply don’t know about. Or they just escape penalty for their terrible behavior. It happens. As we used to say on Usenet, shurgs.

And what about the total other end of the spectrum? I’m talking about wonderful folks like my mom who are inclined to help everyone they can and are full of general goodness and virtue? We don’t always see these people get rewarded, and sometimes they suffer when they shouldn’t. Again, (a) we don’t always know all the facts, and (b) it’s not a perfect system. Shurgs.

Have I come to believe all this merely as a way to reconcile events in my own life? Yeah maybe. And so what? I’m as guilty as anyone else for wanting order to things, and maybe more. Probably lots more!

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Current Events

Swirling under a butter sun,
Languidly I become
One with the current,
Ever circling
This luminous pool,
Looping through my lazy reverie.
Vaguely aware I am losing
Some essential identity,
A separateness
That makes me, me;
I vow to forsake this place.
Yet the heady siren’s call
To blend into the cool blue thrall,
The glassy-eyed sameness,
Knowing a belonging
Even while longing
To stand alone and free,
Breathing, thinking, feeling…
Without worrying whom to please,
Recaptures my peace.

[Inspired by Rory’s sheeple post.]

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon

A Cup of Tea? [fiction 645]

[This is a multi-part story. We previously read that Miko, the pirate commander who had originally captured Liana for his Queen, planned to prove she wasn’t special in order to have her to himself. When that didn’t work, he came up with a new idea.

If you’d like to read the chapters in order, please follow this list. Thanks!

The Murmuration
Liana’s Journey Continues
Captured
The Shark’s Tooth
An Honored Guest
Miko’s Plan]

Liana paused in the secluded garden as a disturbance suddenly fluttered through the morning like a swarm of bats. She didn’t see anything, but she felt a presence and, already unstable in her ninth month, she stumbled over a stone.

“Careful.” Miko emerged from the shadows of the coconut palms. “Mustn’t let anything happen to the babe.”

“What are you doing here?” Aware that she was alone except for Sura, Liana felt jittery in the presence of the large, looming pirate. All the other warriors had left to capture a trading vessel from Australia. “Aren’t you supposed to be gathering more wealth for our dear ruler?”

Miko grinned. “That’s what I have trained men for. I have come to protect you. The Queen would be distraught if you were to have an accident.”

“I have Sura to help me.” Liana knew Miko would be the cause of any accident and tried to find a way to get him to leave. “It is bad luck for a man to be around this close to the baby’s time.”

Miko put his powerful hands on his hips and laughed, his white teeth sharp as a cat’s. “Sura is gone. There was a family emergency. Her father is badly injured and may not live through the day. I just gave her the sad news myself and watched her rush away. I told her I’d stay with you.”

“Oh no!” At once, Liana grieved for Sura and felt terrified for herself, alone here with Miko. Then came the certainty that Miko had engineered this predicament by hurting Sura’s father. The warmth of her lovely garden began to feel oppressive and her skin grew sticky under her loose cotton dress.

“No worries, little sea witch.” Miko stepped closer to her, swatting away a bee. The hard planes of his bronzed face were just as frightening without war paint. “Your secrets are safe with me, as long as you grant me a small favor in return.”

Quickly, Liana turned and put her small herb basket between them, though it scarcely was a barrier. “What could you possibly need from me? I’m about to become a mother. Sura says such babies conceived from the Sea Gods need all a mother’s attention.”

“That may be so,” Miko said. “But you and I both know that prisoner spoke true. You’re just an ordinary island girl, the daughter of a so-called oracle, who couldn’t even save his people from a volcano. Your baby was created the usual way, not at sea by a god.”

Liana didn’t reply. She was searching for a certain plant… ah, here it was! She broke off a stem full of shiny berries, careful not to touch them.

“If you marry me,” Miko continued, “you will still have the Queen’s favor. But then so will I, as your husband. I will protect the babe as well as you, though it isn’t mine.”

“You already are a favorite,” Liana said, laying more flowers in her basket. “You’ve brought lots of wealth to the kingdom.”

Miko shrugged. “For now. If a season passes with no captures, she’ll turn on me. I’ve seen other commanders put to death and eaten after being favored. But as your husband, I will have the blessings you do. The Queen will look upon both of us with favor. And our children.”

Liana suppressed a shudder at the idea of creating children with this massive brute. He was so unlike the sweet, slender, soulful island boy she’d loved. The one she’d made a baby with. Gone forever. Her heart was broken. No other man could take Ken’s place… the first time she’d felt their baby move, she vowed to live the rest of her days as a widow.

“I see.” She forced herself to gaze up at Miko and smile alluringly. “Would you like a cup of blackberry tea?”

[to be continued]

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

The Angry Brother [fiction 780]

[This is a multi-part story. Lexi Brown is trying to escape her past and create a new life for herself in Otter Village, 500 miles from where a traumatic event occurred 6 months ago. Her sister Vicky still lives back in the city. Here are the posts in order so far:

Falling
Sisterly Chat
Smoothies]

Dan opened his news app as he nursed his third cup of coffee. It had been another sleepless night and he couldn’t focus on work. He hadn’t been able to focus on much of anything lately since Jim had been killed six months ago by that trigger-happy cop. They should have known his brother wasn’t going to hurt anyone; he was sick, and he’d needed help. His wife had run out on him instead of trying to help, but that was women for ya. Dan shook his head and clicked from one article to the next.

He found himself scrolling in the event section. Bunch of crap. Ren faires. Concerts. Festivals up and down the coast. Dan was about to close the app when a photo caught his eye. Happy couple, heads close together, smiling… wait a damn minute!

“That’s Alexandra!”

He scanned the article, but she wasn’t named. It was about a project way up in Otter Village to benefit the animals. Whatever. He’d know his sister-in-law anywhere, even if she’d chopped off her long brunette locks and dyed them red. Those eyes! That smile! And she was with a new man already, just six months after her husband had died? Women, right.

Pacing back and forth in the office hallway, Dan cursed under his breath. He wanted justice! He wanted his brother back! It wasn’t fair! That cop who killed Jim didn’t even have charges filed against him. So what if Jim had a gun? He only fired it because he was scared. Nick had already talked him into setting the women free, and the only reason Nick got wounded was because the other cop was a hothead. Now Jim was dead, Dan had no family, and Alexandra had a new guy plus her all the love and support of her big, happy family.

Well, she might be 500 miles away in some remote village, but Vicky wasn’t…

*

“Leave it, Ginger,” Vicky said to her puppy, who was trying to sniff something gross. It was a beautiful afternoon and Vicky was thankful for her lack of appointments so she could enjoy the cooler weather. So nice to have the park almost all to herself on a weekday. She’d make up the work later.

“Vicky,” a male voice behind her. “I need to speak to you.”

She whirled around, suddenly nervous. Oh, it was only Dan, Lexi’s brother-in-law. “Hi, Dan. How are you?”

“Not good.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Not good.”

“Sorry to hear that. It’s understandable.”

“Don’t patronize me!” he shouted. “You still have your whole family!”

Ginger woofed, but she was just a little puppy. Vicky backed up. “Okay. Right. I see you’re pretty upset. Maybe we should talk about this later. Did you follow me here?”

Dan shrugged. “I’m sure not gonna come knocking on your door when you’ve got a cop in the house.”

Vicky backed up another step. “I see. Well, maybe we can chat more tonight. I have a few errands I need to–”

Dan shook his head and stepped in front of her. “It’s always later with you people, isn’t it? You and your sister. Always avoiding problems. Never able to deal with reality when it’s not pretty and prefect.”

“Dan, hey. I’m really sorry about Jim. But it’s not my fault. Or Lexi’s. You know she tried really hard to save that marriage, to save him. But he wouldn’t go to a doctor. He refused counseling. He–”

“Lexi!” Dan laughed. “So, that’s what she’s calling herself now? Typical. Run away and change your name. God forbid you deal with your responsibilities.”

Vicky took a deep breath. She saw that Dan was in a rage, out of control, unable to listen to reason. Just like his brother.

“I found her, you know.” Dan gave Vicky a smug smile. “Yep. Otter Village? I tracked her down, and I have a thing or two to say to her. You bet.”

“Leave her alone!” Vicky yelled, pulling her phone out of her pocket to call Nick. “Just stay away from my sister! She’s been through enough.”

“Put your phone away, you coward.” Dan stepped back. “I’m not doing anything but talking to you in a public park. I haven’t threatened anyone.”

Vicky watched him storm away, knowing this wasn’t the last she’d be hearing from him. After she picked up Ginger’s latest offering and put it in the doggy trash, she pulled out her phone again.

“Lexi, it’s Vic. Sorry to leave a bummer of a message but Dan just confronted me in the park and apparently knows where you are. Stay alert. He seems really upset.”

[to be continued]

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Smoothies [fiction 745]

[This is a multi-part story about Lexi Brown adjusting to her new life in Otter Village. Here are the chapters in order.

Falling
Sisterly Chat]

Lexi hadn’t realized how much work was involved in helping to organize the juice bar for her landlord at the Otter Days Festival. She’d assumed it would be a simple lemonade stand, but nope! Carolyn had decided she wanted a fancy smoothie bar with colorful fruit selections, and she’d roped the tenants into contributing time. She’d given Lexi and two others money for shopping, while a couple of the guys had been tasked to persuade a big box store to donate glassware and straws.

The week passed in a blur of work for Lexi. Between her new job at the souvenir shop and helping Carolyn, she didn’t have much time to worry about Kevin. She was bound to run into him again sooner or later in a town this small, but hopefully by then he’d have forgotten that he’d seen her picture before. Lexi’s photo had been splashed in the news six months earlier when her estranged husband, in a drug-fueled frenzy, had robbed the store Lexi had managed. He’d taken Lexi and a coworker hostage, and Nick, her brother-in-law had rescued them. But now she’d moved 500 miles north of all that…

Impulsively, Friday night after work, Lexi dashed into the salon on the way home and had her long hair cut short. She wanted more of a change, plus she hoped it would further distance her new self from her old one.

“Suits you!” Carolyn said as they set up the smoothie stand at dawn Saturday morning. “Super chic and sets off your pretty eyes.”

Lexi blushed. “Thanks so much.”

She covered her eyes with large sunglasses though and stuck a baseball cap on her head, feeling more secure with an extra “disguise.” This was a big charity cause for otter rehabilitation and already people were clicking away with their phone cameras. Lexi took a few as the high school band marched past followed by creatively costumed characters. She forwarded them to Vicky and got a thumbs-up in reply.

The first customers began trickling in at 8:30 in the morning, after they finished the 5K race. After that, business stayed constant throughout the morning. They were raking in the dough and Carolyn was thrilled. “Maybe I’ll get honored at the Chamber of Commerce dinner!” she said to her helpers. “I’ve been contributing for years, but I’ve never received a plaque.”

Lexi took a break mid-afternoon to use the restroom and get a sandwich. She took the opportunity to wander around and check out the other concession stands. A man was playing a mini-basketball game trying to win an otter. Lexi removed her sunglasses and stood in the shade, watching him hand over five more bucks. She smirked as she finished her sandwich, sure the game was rigged, but then he won. As the vendor gave him the otter and he turned around, she saw it was Kevin.

Crap, it was too late to leave. Lexi was trapped right in his line of sight. All she could do was smile and act like it was cool. “Hey,” she said. “Congrats!”

“Lexi?” Kevin grinned. “Great to see you again! How are your injuries?”

“Oh, no biggie,” she said. “I’m fine. Thanks again for your help that day.”

Kevin handed her the otter he had won. “For you. Obviously your presence here brought me luck.”

She took the soft little toy. “Oh, a beanie baby. It’s adorable! Thank you. How much did you actually spend to win this?”

“Don’t ask.” He laughed. “I like your new haircut, by the way, but I hardly recognized you there in the shadows. Trying to stay incognito?”

“Something like that.” Lexi smiled mysteriously. “A girl can’t be too careful.”

“Well, it’s nice to see you enjoying the beautiful day anyway.” He gazed at her. “Look, if you’re running away from some trouble, or an ex, I totally understand. You don’t have to worry about me–”

“Yes, it’s a gorgeous day!” she cut him off, not wanting to get into that discussion. “I’m actually helping at a smoothie stand. Are you hungry? I should get back.”

Kevin walked with her. “Can you make me a banana split?”

“I can make you a banana smoothie with frozen yogurt and strawberries and blueberries and coconut, topped with chocolate sprinkles.”

“Close enough!”

As they chatted and smiled, a reporter for the local newspaper snapped their photo and uploaded it with a story about the Otter Village Festival.

[to be continued]

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Sisterly Chat [fiction 572]

[This is a continuation of Falling.]

After Lexi put her few groceries away, she changed into comfy clothes, and called her sister. “Thank God it didn’t go to voicemail, Vicky. I really need to chat.”

“I’m just getting some coffee before an appointment. Why?” Her sister’s voice immediately became concerned. “What’s happened up there?”

“Nothing terrible.” Lexi took a deep breath and sat on the bed. She fluffed a pillow behind her back, feeling better now that she was back in her safe environment.

“But something must be going on,” Vicky said. “Or you wouldn’t sound so panicked. Did someone discover that you’re–”

“No!” Lexi gasped. “No, sweetie. I just had a bit of a scare. First, the good news. I got a job as the assistant manager of a gift shop.”

“Fantastic! Congrats! Jobs are elusive down here for sure. Raises too. I doubt I’ll see one this year.”

Lexi smiled. “At least you have a partner. How is Nick doing?”

“Making progress.” Vicky sighed. “He’s a tough guy. He has a hard time telling me when he needs something.”

“Yeah.” Lexi thought back to that terrible day when Nick saved her life… But she didn’t want to spiral down into negative memories. “Please tell him I said hi.”

“Will do. And we’ll visit when he’s a bit better.”

“Yay!” Lexi smiled. She’d love to see them. “Anyway, I guess I wasn’t paying attention when I was biking home after getting the job, and I took a tumble.”

“Oh no! Are you badly hurt?”

Lexi shifted position. “Just some bruises. I’ll be fine in a few days. But a man helped me. Super nice guy named Kevin. Really cute too. He manages the hotel in town.”

Her sister giggled. “Let me know when you get to the bad news!”

“That is the bad news!” Lexi insisted. “In my zest to be friendly to this helper guy, I began chattering away, and now he thinks he recognizes me!”

“Yikes. Hey, I’m sure it’s fine.”

Lexi sighed and got off the bed, anxious again. She paced in front of the window, watching the tiny figures biking and skating on the boardwalk in the distance. Beyond that was a golden strip of sand and then the jade ocean sparkling in the late afternoon light.

“He said he’s a news junkie, Vicky. So, he obviously saw me on the news and read about the whole horrible mess.”

“Honey, everyone has read about that. But it’s been a while now and other stuff has happened.”

Lexi knew this was true, but even so she was nervous. She wanted to be a private citizen again, an ordinary person no one took notice of, someone reporters never cared about. No one would think to snap Lexi Brown’s photo and upload it to Twitter because there’d be no interest. As opposed to her infamous married name…

“Lexi? Are you still there?”

“Yeah. Sorry.” Lexi took a deep breath. “I know you’re right. I can’t be so paranoid.”

“It’s understandable,” Vicky reassured her. “But I’m at my client’s now. Can we chat again tomorrow?”

“Sure, love you.”

“Love you too.”

Lexi ate a simple dinner as the sun set over the ocean. She was almost relaxed again until she remembered that she’d agreed to help her landlord run a refreshment stand at the Otter Days parade. Maybe she could do something behind the scenes instead.

She did not want to bump into that Kevin person again!

[to be continued]

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon

Territory [flash 150]

“You’re such a mouse,” Rhonda snapped at her husband. “I’m disgusted with your milquetoast attitude.”

Ricky blew out a cloud of smoke and gazed at Rhonda calmly through the haze. “I just don’t want to be part of all the insanity. I thought we could all just chill and enjoy the day.”

Rhonda rolled her eyes. “That’s just great! We had no food yesterday and today you want to chill. Our kids are hungry, Ricky. Now go downstairs and get us some food!”

“But we’re roof rats, Rhonda,” Ricky reminded her. “That’s not our territory. We should stay up here in the attic where it’s safe. There are cats downstairs.”

There was a sudden commotion behind a box. Bouncer the cat jumped into the middle of the conversation. “Shame about that loose stair, eh?”

“Shame,” Pouncer agreed, following him in. “Now there are cats up here too. Let’s party, bro!”

~*~

©️2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.