Scaredy Cat POV

*Note: This is a fictional story inspired by my scaredy cat, Leo. It is rooted in reality. Every noise that is slightly above average volume causes him to freak out and run, even though he hears similar noises every day. We treat him like a King, yet still he fears. We like to make fun of him–in a light hearted way, of course.* 

The room was unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. It smelled different. It was not a welcoming smell. The room was dark and the walls were uncomfortably close. Leo could see well, but had a growing sense of claustrophobia. The room was lined with many foreign objects. A sliver of light peaked out from underneath a massive exit (a closed door).

“Hello?” Leo called. No answer.

He called again, met with the same silence. To no avail, Leo tried clawing under the door to escape. He also tried pushing the door open. After trying and trying, Leo concluded that he was stuck for good.

“Hello? Hello? Hello?” Leo cried. Each question with no sign of an answer increased Leo’s panic. He shrunk, unable to move. “HELLO? HELLO?”

Leo continually yowled for help. He kept hearing strange crashing noises on the other side of the door. He lost track of time. “HELLO?!” Help me! I’m trapped! 

Finally, the door swung open. Light flooded into the room, exposing a giant reaching for Leo.

Escape! Leo bolted.

One Year Later…

He bolted with the speed of wind, knowing he would catch the mouse. Leo had finally tricked the mouse into a false sense of security. The mouse had exposed itself to the light of the day– 

ZZZZIP! The mouse fell to the earth. Leo had found victory at last. Proud of himself, he nibbled at his prize. Before he could finish, he decided it would make a great gift to the giant who fed him. 

Leo snatched up the mouse and scampered back home. The skies were clear and the trees danced in the slight breeze. Through the bushes, under the bridge, and over the meadow, at last he found himself back again. He carried the gift to the entrance of the home and called to be let back in. 

His giant heaved the glass sliding door open. Leo entered and purred, pleased to see his giant. The giant freaked out for some reason. She gave a yelp of fright and closed the sliding door behind Leo. She hummed noises and sounds which were entirely nonsensical. She disappeared in a flash, leaving Leo quite confused. The giant did not understand communication. Leo left her behind, hoping she would find time to enjoy her gift.

After a quick snack left in his bowl from the giant, he climbed up onto one of his many perches and basked in the sunlight. Leo stretched in the warmth and settled. It was time for his favorite activity of the day: napping! He closed his eyes and let sweet sleep overtake him.

WHAM! Leo was instantly awoken. What was that terrifying noise?! He bolted to find cover from the chaos, darting under the giant’s bed. He found it oddly cozy; it was dark and full of hiding spots. There were many strange objects shoved under there, giving Leo a strange sense of security. He squished in between a few blankets stored up against the wall, Nothing could reach him here. Leo was mildly disappointed that his nap had been cut short, but mostly terrified of the horrifying noise. Although weird noises happened frequently, it didn’t make them any less scary.

After several hours of hiding, Leo deemed it safe enough to creep out of his spot. Slowly, he slithered out from under the bed. Leo wandered over to the kitchen where his giant greeted him. He ate some more, and ate again. He ate and ate and ate until he could not take one more bite. All that eating left Leo quite exhausted, so he made his way over to his favorite perch. The sunlight was warm and bright, perfect for a good rest. He curled up snugly. 

For several hours he slept. He dreamed of the mouse he had caught. It wasn’t until night that he arose from his slumber. He stretched, tensing every muscle. He heard the sound of the sliding glass door opening and ran toward it. Unfortunately, Leo was what most would call a scaredy cat. Only at night did he feel courageous.

He slipped through the crack in the door and ran into the night. Now was the time for some serious exploring. He set out along his nightly path, prowling his territory borders. The night sky was clear and dotted with stars. Insects chirped and the grass was cool to touch. Everything was going according to normal. 

Leo dove into a nearby bush when he heard growling nearby. 

A dog. It had seen him. But Leo was one step ahead. He could have smelled the dog from a mile away. As a precaution, Leo had deviated from his normal route. He knew a spot where he could lose the dog. He tricked the dog into following him, and led the dog right into a trap. The dog walked right into a small pit covered by grass and fell.  

Leo glanced down the pit and hissed. His evil plan had worked. No one messed with his territory. Take that. He never intended to harm the dog, but this particular dog had been causing trouble on his territory for nearly a week. Leo was so confident that nothing could stop him now! Unfortunately, at that moment he heard the inevitable sound of the glass door slide open. OH NO! With a speed like no other, he rushed toward his home. He leapt over a bush and landed gracefully on the grass. He raced up the steps into the home and brushed against his giant’s leg to say hello. The door closed. Leo did not like closed doors. It felt like a trap. 

…

The next evening, Leo escaped to explore once more. His whole day had been filled with scary sounds and crashing noises. Now he could relax in the dark of the night, where he felt he could truly see. 

He crawled through the greenery, camouflaged by the plants. The leaves rustled as he crawled, but not in a distracting way. He heard the soft steps of another creature approaching. The steps were too light to be the dog, but too heavy to be a small critter. Leo whirled around to reveal the mysterious figure.

It was Delta the Blind. Leo leapt back, cursing himself for not noticing her earlier.

“I don't want to fight you,” she said.

“Wha- Really?” 

She brushed against him to say hello. “Stop being so anxious.” Leo the Wimp. That was his alias–NOT picked by himself. He would have preferred anything else, really–something like Leo the Wise, Leo the Rightly Cautious, or even Leo the Chonky. 

Delta was born blind and had learned to navigate primarily through smell and sound. Leo was thankful he could still see. How Delta could get around, Leo would never know. He still bumped into things with two working eyes. Leo the Clumsy? No, nevermind. 

Delta circled Leo playfully. She was right–his anxiety lowered his quality of life. But he wasn't sure how to overcome his fears. 

“Well, you're out here now, aren't you?” she asked, sensing his feelings. She playfully pushed him, then bounced off into the night. The whole interaction left Leo twice as cautious as usual. He had to be on his guard. What’s that over there?! Oh, just a tree branch.

He turned his attention back to nightly patrol. The night was misty and cool. Everything on his route was in place. He kept to the shadows, avoiding light. All the bugs sang their song. Every plant was still there. Satisfied, Leo looked beyond his border. 

He made his way to the Eastern boundary of his territory. A new frontier. He was ready to explore. Tonight, he would take the step marking the furthest distance from home as he had ever been. 

Just as he was about to take the new step, he heard the glass sliding door open from a distance. Too scary! Time to go!

…

Leo never did take that step. Every time he got close, the glass sliding door opened, and he was brought back to the day of the closed door. Still, he lived a life of luxury. Leo loved his giant. And to him, that was all that mattered.

Special Thanks: Leo