Wake up

You roll out of bed the next morning, still groggy. The events of last night replay in your head as you pull your clothes on, and you wonder how your foundling is faring. Wiping your eyes, you walk out to the living room.

The strange cat girl is standing at the window, hands on the glass as she looks outside. Her tail sways slightly behind her, and her three ears twitch as she stares out at the world. As you walk in, she spins around, gasping, and darts back to the couch, clutching the blanket. She looks at you with her strange, mismatched eyes, seemingly scared of what you might do. You glance at the window she was looking out of, and see the rising sun.

With a smile, you sit down on the couch, leaving a bit of space between the two of you. She watches you, partially hiding behind the blanket. You can’t help but chuckle, and shake your head.

“It’s ok, you don’t need to be afraid. Can you understand me?”

She nods, but otherwise doesn’t move. You keep smiling, trying to show that you’re friendly.

“Can you speak?”

She nods again. You wait, expecting her to say something, but she remains silent. You shrug, still smiling.

“It’s ok, you can talk to me. I’m trying to help you. What’s your name? I’m Andy.”

She seems to hesitate for a moment before speaking, in a quiet, halting voice. “I have…no name. I am 83. The masters, they say not to speak. They hurt me if I do.”

You hesitate yourself, hearing her say that. Then you shake your head. “Well, you can talk all you want here. I promise I won’t hurt you. And you should have a name, don’t you think?”

She looks down, her lip quivering slightly. “I am…just an experiment. A failure. I deserve no name. The masters said so.”

Your smile fades. “Hey. I don’t know what happened, but it’s in the past. You should have a name. We’ll come up with one you like, ok?”

She looks at you again, wide eyed. “You would…name me? But…I am a failure. I was to be disposed of. I couldn’t even do that. My cage fell, I ran into the woods…”

You nod, starting to understand. “So that’s why you were out on the road last night. How long were you out there?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. More than a day.”

You nod again. “You’re probably starving. What do you like to eat?”

She looks away again. “I eat what the masters give me. Mostly food paste. They say I can eat like a human, but I rarely get food.”

You smile at her, trying to stay positive. “Well, I’ll make us both some breakfast. But you probably want to get clean. Come on, I’ll show you the bathroom.”

You stand up and walk towards the hall. After a moment, she follows, and you lead her into the bathroom. “Here we are. Do you know how the shower works? I’ll get you something to wear, your dress is ruined.”

She nods, and without hesitation pulls the ragged dress off over her head. Caught by surprise, you stare for a moment at her naked body. She’s thin, clearly underweight, with her ribs visible beneath her skin. The scarring on her face continues down the side of her body. Beyond that, though, she’s extremely attractive. Small, perky breasts with pale pink nipples, a narrow waist, and long legs. You get an eyeful before realizing what you’re doing. You tear your eyes away, blushing slightly.

“So…go ahead and shower, I’ll leave some clothes on the counter for you. Breakfast will be ready when you’re done.”

Still blushing and embarrassed, you make a hasty exit. As you close the bathroom door, you hear her speak again, in a small voice.