Pumpkin (Finished version)

(This was for the last prompt where a character must ask "Have I met you before?")

“Here kitty kitty kitty food time,” She shouted into the undulating waves of hills and trees. Two precious kitties came running, their names Pumpkin and Empress.

***

“Come on Empress don’t be so slow our food is here,” Pumpkin shouted over his shoulder.

“I’m coming!” She shouted back.

He dashed into his pen and started to eat his food. There the weird thing was again. It wore weird pelts over its furless skin. It always watched as they ate. It also delivered the food and gave good pettings. Pumpkin overall liked it, but wasn’t sure why it adorned itself with strange pelts of various colors.

“Hello,” Pumpkin meowed. 

It copied his meow as if to mock him, but did not pull off the pronunciation instead stating that it was a cat. Was it a cat though? It didn’t look like one. It only had fur on its head and walked about on two legs. Not to mention the fact that it had thumbs. 

“I don’t think you are, are you confused?” he asked.

It responded in its only language saying ineligible words then started petting him.

He nuzzled into the pettings, but then dove back to his food. A moment's hesitation could get one's food stolen. The thing said something else and when he finished his food it scooped him up and placed him in the device of torture. It did the same to Empress who let out a mew of anger.

***

“MOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM,” she shouted.

“Yes? Did you get them both in their cat carriers?” She shouted back.

“Yup, I did. I am coming now,”

She grabbed both the handles of the cat carriers and started to walk towards the car trying her hardest to not fall over due to the amount of struggling her cats were doing. She put them in the two unoccupied seats and buckled into hers. 

“Alright, let's do this,” Her mom shouted as she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.

      ***

“We’re gonna dieeeee,” Empress wailed as she clawed frantically at the cage which held her.

“Calm down Empress! We have been in here before we won’t die. They will just bring us to a place where they stab us with painful pointy things.” Pumpkin soothed.

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” She cried.

“Alright, alright. Just wait it out then,”

They sat there in silence waiting, their impending arrival looming closer every second when finally they jerked to a stop. Pumpkin started to pace. He may have told Empress not to worry but he threw aside that advice because this wasn’t the vet, this was a whole different big box structure. The weird things carried them into the house. Talking in their different language briefly with the weird thing that scent was everywhere. It must be the leader he decided. They were set down in an open room with a strange rectangular thing in the middle and a black thing across from it. The doors were opened and Pumpkin peeked his head out. There was a odor of something familiar, something sweet and welcoming. Pumpkin stepped out further now halfway out of his cage of doom. The smell washed over him and he stepped completely out of the doom box. Empress crawled out besides him.

“Is this safe?” Empress asked.

“I don’t know, but can you smell that? I can’t place it but something feels so familiar about it.”

“That is weird,” she agreed.

From behind the rectangular thing peeped out a head of a long furred cat with dark brown and white hair.

“Have we met before?” Pumpkin asked.

“Yes! Yes we have!” The cat shouted as it dashed toward Pumpkin and Empress.

Pumpkin shrank backwards.

“You don’t recognize me do you?” They asked.

“Well… No… I don’t,” He admitted.

Her eyes dropped to the floor a depressed smile curled on her lips, “I guess it makes sense, but… I had hoped that maybe… just maybe you would remember me,” She cried silently.

“Well… who are you? If you could elucidate,” He prompted.

It was driving him crazy. Who were they? Why did they know them? Could they be a threat? Were they making this all up? These questions swirled around in his head as he awaited a reply.

“Well… I am your mother,” she admitted.

“What!!!!!! That isn’t possible, wait… oh hee ha ha ha ha,” He started but then broke out laughing, “That was a good joke, but who are you really?”

She pawed the floor, “It isn’t a joke I am your mother,”

“But that is impossible… I don’t have a mother,"he retorted.

“Oh, but you do. You just don’t remember me. They took you from me when you were just three months old. Those terrible humans,” She explained.

“I-I don’t believe it. Also HUMANS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Is that what those weird things are called?” 

“Yes. I mean I think they are called humans,” she concurred.

“Pumpkin… I don’t think she is lying. Why would she lie? Plus you just said her scent seemed familiar. Also… I remember her from when I was a kitten she took care of us and… maybe you don’t just because… I was the favorite child and you were the least favorite.” Empress lectured.

“I’m so sorry!!!” her mother cried, “I know I shouldn’t have picked favorites, but I did and maybe that caused you to forget me,” 

"YOU! I remember you. You chose favorites, ha! You-you forgot about me. You ignored me as a kitten. You carried all your other kittens... my siblings under the desk, but you left me. If if wasn't for those "humans" I never would have gotten there,"

"I-I thought you could make it yourself. You were always the more outgoing one I thought you would like it as a challenge," She mewed

"Well, I didn't like it. I hated it and apparently that injured our bond," Pumpkin meowed back.

"Pumpkin..." Empress interrupted.

"Yes! What do you need. You can't comfort me. You were always the favorite. You wouldn't understand what I am going through," Pumpkin snarled, "to finally meet your mother you had wondered about for ages only to remember how she had treated you. To hear her say she still loves you, what a joke. No, you never had to go through that." Pumpkin cried as he slumped down on the floor.

"Pumpkin... I'm sorry. I know I wasn't the best mother, but I loved you,"

"It doesn't matter now, goodbye," Pumpkin said as his "human" picked him up and placed him in the doom chamber. He didn't know if he could forgive his mom. Still he felt a sad pit in his stomach at the possibility he might never see her again. Maybe one day the bond between them would finally mend.