Cleopurrtra

Her name was Cleopatra because she dominated the house like a queen and embodied all the qualities of Antony’s scandalous lover- she flirted, she was playful, she was fierce, she was devious, and she thought herself beyond earthly beauty. You could tell this by the way she would stroll boldly into the family living room with her head held high and her hips swaying from side to side. She would glide into the centre of the room and sit there nonchalantly, as though to soak up the exclamations of awe and wonder from the family and their guests. She was more than a cat- she was family. On family movie night she would spring up to the television set and stretch her body across the table, blocking the tv, in an attempt to demonstrate that she took aesthetic precedence over Angelina Jolie’s porcelain skin or Liam Hemsworth’s abs of steel on the big screen. Or on family games night she would crawl onto the Monopoly board, knocking over tiny green houses that threatened to stand in her way, entirely disrupting the game as the board rattled with each paw she placed and the pieces shuffled about in disarray. Her self-assured hubris was undeniable, and she certainly believed that without her beauty and elegance to dote upon, the family would be at utter loss. 

So when Friday night came and the family were next reclined on the sofas, awaiting the queen’s arrival, they were confused as to why she didn’t arrive. Her throne (the cat cushion) was empty and had remained untouched since the previous night. She may have gone for a walk in the night’s air, but this was completely uncharacteristic; Cleopatra was an attention whore, and would never miss even a minute of swaddling and patting for solitary time out in the cold.

Little Phina was the first to notice her absence. The others often felt that Cleopatra was too arrogant and boastful. But to Phina, she was everything. Cleopatra was her pride and joy, and she would spend every waking moment petting her beloved, and showering her with kisses. When she had to go to school, she would tell her classmates all about what Cleopatra had been up to the previous night, painting her as a hero and friend, describing her beauty to the fullest. She maintained a strong social media presence for Cleopatra, with a wavering 133 followers on Instagram, under the username ‘QueenCleopurrrtra’, and would frequently update the account with the same stories she bored her classmates with. 

Phina felt uneasy as the night loomed closer and Cleopatra was nowhere to be found. Cleo was a smart cat, and knew her way around the town well, so she couldn´t be lost. Her parents told her not to worry, that Cleopatra would arrive in the morning, but Phina couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

As she lay in her bed that night she gripped onto her teddy bear for support. There was a large space where Cleo usually snuggled up beside her. The warmth of her bed offered no comfort and she kicked about restlessly. She couldn't find a comfortable position- on her back, on her tummy, on the side- nothing felt right. Her eyes refused to shut, and so she sat upright and looked out her window. Cleopatra was out there- alone in the big scary world. She hoped Cleo was okay, and with a sigh she began to lay back down. But as she did so, she thought she saw a golden streak of light momentarily reveal itself in the night sky. Like a lightning bolt, but celestial rather than frightful. Phina sat upright and stared, mouth agape with incredulity. Suddenly, the entire sky was becoming enveloped in a thick golden stream of light, blinding almost. The golden light filled the air, clouding her vision, and seemed to paint her windows in a layer of gold. She ran to the window and opened it. Some of the gold seemed to dance into the room through the window. She touched the gold air. It was cool, and captivating. Grabbing her jumper, Phina crept down the stairs on her highest tiptoes and surreptitiously slipped out the front door. She stepped into the gold tainted air and inhaled. The cool air filled her nostrils and she felt a warm sense of elation and excitement. She took some more steps beyond her front door, not worrying about leaving the house in the middle of the night, but instead enraptured by the sight before her. 

She felt as though she was being pulled away from her front door by some magnetic force. It directed her down the street, away from the familiarity of her front door. It deposited her by a dark alley and for the first time since she first saw the gold light, Phina felt very scared. 

And that’s when she saw her. She knew it was Cleopatra standing before her, yes standing, by the way she held herself, majestically and fiercely. Yet instead of a cat, a tall beautiful woman stood before little Phina. The woman glowed with an ethereal beauty and radiance that made Phina feel starstruck. 

She was unlike any other woman Phina had ever seen. Her black hair, which shot down to her shoulders, was divided into tight braids and punctuated with sets of golden beads. Her piercing green eyes could be mistaken for jades, but were sheltered under an umbrella of thickly applied teal eyeshadow that matched her dress. Phina remained rooted to the spot, struck by the young woman’s sublime grace and poise.

“Yes Phina, it is I, your beloved Cleo” the woman said, “I lived under your care for many years while in hiding for my own safety. I thank you for your love. Now my guise has been discovered by he who I most fear and I must go. Take care, my sweet one.”

Phina knew she wasn’t dreaming and that she had to save Cleo from the danger she was in. She felt bemused and somewhat afraid. But bless the young girl whose first thought, on this astounding turn of events was: Boy, do I need to update the Instagram account with this!