Get her out of the rain.

You step closer, and she cringes away slightly. You’re unsure how to show that you’re not going to hurt her, until an idea pops in your head. Gingerly, you reach out and gently pat her head, gently scratching her ears like you would a cat. She freezes when you touch her, then visibly relaxes. Her strange eyes close, and she leans into your hand, her three ears twitching slightly.

You spend a moment petting the cat girl’s head, before speaking. “We should get you out of the rain. Can you understand me? I’ll take you to my house and you can get clean and dry.”

She looks up at you as you pull your hand away. After staring at you for a moment, she nods. Slowly, she stands up, and you see how small she actually is, her head barely reaching you shoulder. You gesture towards your car, and she takes a hesitant step, but immediately stumbles. You catch her as she falls, scooping her up in your arms instinctively. She’s even lighter than she looks, and as you cradle her, she looks up at you again, something undefinable in her eyes. Then, to your surprise, she closes her eyes and leans her head against your chest. You hear her sigh, as you walk back to your car.

You set her in the passenger seat, and she curls up, still shivering slightly. You reach in the back and grab a spare blanket you have, wrapping it around her. Her eyes stay closed, but she pulls the blanket tightly around her as you close the door. You go around and get in the drivers seat, wiping the rain from your face.

You turn and look at your new passenger, and see that she seems to be asleep already. You’re not sure who she is, or where she came from, but she’s clearly exhausted, and probably hurt and hungry, based on her appearance. You shake your head, wondering what you’re getting yourself into, as you pull out into the road again.

The cat girl doesn’t move, and you drive on, making your way home to your small apartment. When you arrive, she’s still asleep, and doesn’t wake, even when you pick her up and carry her again. It takes some fumbling to get into your apartment without dropping her, but you manage it. In fact, by the time you get inside, she’s clinging to you. You note that her fingers are tipped with catlike claws, rather than fingernails. Another mystery.

Gently, you lay her down on your couch, and she curls up into a ball. You watch her sleep for a minute or so, before heading into the bathroom to shower and change. Once you finish, you come back out to see nothing has changed, though she appears to be drying off. Thankfully, she’s no longer shivering, and you sit down on the couch beside her. Her eyes open as you sit, then close again after a moment of looking at you.

You sigh, watching her drift off again. “Rest up, I guess. We’ll figure out what to do with you in the morning.”

You pull the blanket up over her better, and turn away, heading to your bedroom. You glance back one more time at the peacefully sleeping cat girl on your couch, and shake your head. What a strange night this turned out to be. You climb into your own bed, closing your eyes. It only takes moments for you to fall asleep after the night you’ve had.