Eyes of her namesake stared back at her as Jill examined herself in the mirror. Her skin
had recovered for the most part, and her white fur covered well what little damage
remained. Only a few patches of vaguely reddish skin were still visible near the tips of her
ears and her nose.
Another face joined hers in the reflection, the blue eyes and beige features of Tanner as
he stepped in to hug her from behind. 'Looking beautiful as always.'
'Yea.' Jill sighed. 'I think managing to keep my skin is probably the main reason for that.'
'You've recovered really well.' Tanner continued. 'A few more days, maybe a week. You'd
never know that you spent twenty minutes inside a cat's stomach.' Jill tensed at the words,
and he loosened his hug slightly. 'S-sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up again.'
'I-it's fine.' Jill shrugged and shook her head. 'It's not like that's a thing I could ever forget.'
'I have an idea.' Tanner whispered, slowly bringing himself to smile and reaffirm his hug
with a steady playful sway. 'Why don't we start stacking some good memories to outweigh
all the bad?'
'I like to think it was pessimism that kept me alive all these years.' Jill replied, allowing
herself a small smile as well. 'But I guess... a little "optimism" before bed couldn't hurt...'
The following morning, Jill awoke to find Tanner already gone from the bed. She made her
way from the bedroom ensuite out into the corridor of his apartment, hearing him having a
soft conversation from his living room.
'I'll try to talk her into it today.' She heard him say. 'Yea. She's still a little self conscious I
think. I've been telling her she looks fine, but she's still pretty shaken.'
There was a pause, as Jill waited a moment for the conversation to continue.
'Alright.' Tanner continued. 'Well no promises, but I'll try.' As he hung up the phone, he
sighed and Jill heard his footsteps approaching the corridor. She stepped out as he got to
the doorway and stopped short.
'Friend of yours?' Jill asked.
'Yea, kinda.' He shrugged, visibly struggling to think of what he was going to say next.
She smiled coyly as his expression gave away his game. 'So what are you going to try and
convince me of today?' She placed a hand on his shoulder in a gesture that could pull him
into a hug or punch him depending on his answer.
'Well, mostly I was hoping to get you somewhere social again.' He replied, well aware of
her position. 'I love having you here, but hiding from the world isn't healthy.'
Jill made a playful scowl, then opted for the hug. 'What did you have in mind, then?'
'Well, I heard about this nice place that does a good breakfast, we dress up nice, get
something to eat, and then I was thinking we could see how we feel... '
'About what?' Jill pressed.
'Oh just in general.' Tanner squeezed her tighter. 'I heard you singing the other night. You
have a beautiful voice.'
Gears in Jill's mind began to turn, and she stepped out of the hug to meet Tanner's eyes
with her own. 'You're setting something up. You think I should try to become a singer
instead of an actress?'
'No no...' Tanner shook his head, then gave a small nod. 'A singer as well as an actress.
You have an amazing voice and if people know you for singing, it's all gonna add to your
reputation and make it easier to land acting jobs. Right?'
'Well, maybe?' Jill thought, realizing that she had genuinely never considered the idea of
singing before. 'But I'm not good at writing songs. And I can't play any instruments.'
'It's alright, that's covered.' Tanner assured her. 'We know someone who does.'
A dread feeling began to form in her mind and she narrowed her gaze at him. 'Oh, please,
don't tell me it's Andrea, is it?'
'Of course not!' Tanner scoffed.
'Good.' Jill sighed, letting her shoulder slump as she relaxed.
'...It's actually Kira.' Tanner responded, prompting Jill to reconsider that punch.
'You just need to give her a chance.' Tanner was practically begging at this point. The pair
were dressed in their sunday best, sitting opposite one another at a small table on the
Murid sized balcony at an upscale café known as Edras. While waiting for the server to be
free to take their order, Tanner had reinforced his idea of accepting Kira's help to make a
start on a musical presence that could be shared on the Net.
'She's a cat, and you know how I feel about that!' Jill growled. 'I don't care if you don't
understand. It's just... not something that's easy for me.'
'They both like you.' Tanner pressed. He was about to say something else until they both
saw the server approach, a tan and brown furred squirrel woman whose height placed her
chest at level with the balcony.
'Welcome to Edras, I'm Jenn.' The woman greeted them with a friendly smile. 'Are the two
of you ready to order?'
'I think so.' Tanner nodded. 'But first, have you found the felids in this city to be
trustworthy? Just in a general sense? I'm trying to reassure Jill here that even if there are
some bad cats around, most are perfectly reasonable people.'
Jenn's blue eyes widened momentarily, seeming to betray a moment of discomfort and
Tanner began to wonder if he had made a mistake. 'Look, I know it can be hard for us...
rodent folk, to fit in and be respected by a lot of these felids, but we do need to remember
that by the vote, they were happy to have us here. I've had a bad encounter with someone I
hoped to call a friend and almost paid dearly for it, but I try not to hold one bad cat up as
the standard for everyone else. We don't get to choose what we're born as, and rather than
hold a grudge against them for something beyond their control, I think I'd rather be grateful
for the respect they've been willing to give us overall.'
Tanner and Jill were both looking back in stunned silence, completely unprepared for
such an in depth answer. Clearly, the squirrel had thought hard about this.
'R-right.' Tanner nodded. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drag up any bad memories. I
shouldn't have presumed-'
'Don't worry about it.' Jenn smiled. 'It's something I'm sure we all think about from time to
time. So. What's for breakfast, you two?'
After the two had eaten, bid farewell and thank you to Jenn, and made their way back to
the micro rail, Jill found herself starting to panic over Tanner's decisions. Watching the city
zoom past from their train seat, she shook her head before turning to stare at him.
'What's wrong?' He asked.
'You're making some really awkward decisions is what's wrong.' She replied sourly. 'I
can't believe you're so blindly trusting those two!'
'I don't blindly trust anyone, Jill.' Tanner retorted. 'I saw how much they cared about you. I
watched Andrea cry when she thought you weren't gonna make it. I cried too. Kira basically
carried us both until we knew you were going to recover. Kira blames herself for letting
Andrea go after Therese instead of chasing her down herself. Feels terrible about being
careless with your safety and letting Andrea lose an eye. They're friends. WE are friends.
And they consider you a friend too. I trust them, because I can see that much.'
'I... I just... I can't...' Jill turned back to the window, struggling not to let any tears loose
from her eyes.
'What is it you have against her?' Tanner asked. 'There's something more between you,
isn't there?'
'You've been planning things with them behind my back and you never asked her?' Jill
sighed. 'Maybe that's something you should have considered before anything else. Maybe
you should ask her how long we've known each other when we get there.'
'Do you trust her to give me a real account?' Tanner asked. 'Or is this something I'm
better off hearing from you?'
'No, I wanna hear her say it too.' Jill growled. 'But don't worry. I'll be there to fact check.'
The pair sat in silence for the remaining ten minutes before the train pulled into a micro hub
in the middle of a street, clearly sized and apparent as being in the Fourth District. The zone
of lynxes, servals and ocelots. They left the train and waited on the elevated platform as
Tanner sent a message from his phone.
It was five minutes of watching mostly felid pedestrians in the area before they spotted
Kira approaching.
'Wow, almost didn't recognise her without a Donny's uniform.' Jill remarked as they
boarded a small elevator that took the pair down to a lower platform closer to street level.
Kira stood waiting with a smile and held out a hand as Tanner led a reluctant Jill towards the
edge of the platform. Kira was wearing a simple green top that contrasted sharply with the
tan and grey of her striped fur. Additionally to her jeans was a strap that joined from her
shoulder to her belt. Fastened to these straps was a small leather pouch that looked just
about the right size for...
'Tanner, Jill.' Kira smiled as the pair stepped carefully into her hand. She gingerly moved
her hand to the pouch Jill had eyed and it became apparent that this was a fitting designed
for felids to carry murids without the indignity of being handled the entire time. 'I'm really
glad you decided to come out here. Jill? How you feeling?'
'Uhh...' Jill stammered as Tanner helped her slide into the pocket before dropping himself
in beside her. It looked like it could hold a rat comfortably, so for the two of them it was a
snug and secure fit. 'I've been, um... alright I guess?'
'It's good to see you out of the house.' Kira continued as she began to walk, glancing
down for the first few steps to ensure the mouse pair were stable and secure. 'We were
starting to think you were about to... I dunno. Give up on all of it.'
Jill refrained from responding to the thought, instead just taking a deep breath and trying
not to dwell on the fact that a terrifying digestive organ easily capable of ending the lives of
Tanner and herself was mere inches away through a few layers of skin and flesh and a
vibrant green tank top. Tanner must have felt her discomfort, holding her close and
wordlessly trying to reassure her. The ocelot had taken them almost to the end of the block
from where their train had stopped, a huge distance if the pair had to try and make the
return trip alone. She rounded a corner, turning left and heading down past another three
houses before approaching the fourth.
Kira's house was like all the others in the area and it was apparent that she had done
nothing to customise the place. Other houses nearby had painted doors, more elaborate
mailboxes or some other fancy addition, but it seemed apparent as they stepped inside
that Kira intended her residency here to be on a temporary basis.
The first thing that struck Jill about the place was the stark contrast from outside to
indoors. Unlike the plain looking exterior, inside was lavishly decorated with stylised
furniture and hanging paintings occupying much of the walls. A grand piano dominated the
corner opposite to the living room doorway as Kira stepped into the room. Andrea was
relaxing on the sofa, sitting up as she heard Kira's light footsteps.
'Jill.' The cat called with a smile. 'You look good. I guess the damage wasn't too bad, huh?'
'The physical damage, at least.' Jill replied glumly as Tanner helped her climb from the
pouch back into Kira's hand. Her heart was beating a little faster now, acutely aware that
the two mice were behind closed doors, out of the public eye and basically at the mercy of
two felids. Part of her wanted to scream and run, but she managed to keep herself
composed, reminded of the uncomfortable possibility that Andrea and Kira were actually
genuinely well intentioned. 'I... I'm sorry we won't be able to say the same for you. And I...
I'm really grateful that you did what you did.'
'Hasn't changed anything between us, has it?' Andrea asked. She had replaced the pad
and bandage from the hospital with a purchased black eye patch that blended in almost
perfectly with the black fur of her face. It made her expression harder to read, and left Jill
unsure whether the question was genuine sadness or just good natured sarcasm calling
back to one of their earlier conversations.
'Kira!' Tanner interrupted suddenly. 'Why don't you show Jill the setup we were talking
about? We can figure out how we'll-'
'No.' Andrea cut him off. 'I think we need to clear the air first. Don't we, Jill?'
'I'm sorry.' Jill dropped to her knees, causing Kira to curl her fingers reflexively to keep the
mouse from falling. 'I know this is a lot, but... there's also a lot that was there before, and it
can't all just disappear because things are different now.'
'I understand.' Andrea said, nodding slowly as her gaze lowered. 'But I think we need to
move past it, one way or another. Otherwise you're just gonna keep on being passive
aggressive and I'm gonna keep setting myself up for disappointment trying to make things
up to you.'
Kira lifted her hand a short distance and gave a questioning look to Tanner. He simply
shrugged, confirming that whatever history lay between Andrea and Jill was known only to
the two of them. 'Uhh, is this private, or does someone wanna fill us in?' She lowered her
hand to the arm of the sofa, allowing the pair of mice to step onto the soft fabric surface.
Andrea raised her eye back to Jill, and the mouse simply shrugged and nodded, gesturing
with one hand for her to explain. 'Alright then... When I was a young girl, it was pretty much
just me and Dad. Mum was killed in a car accident, and Dad buried himself in his work so
never got married or started seeing anyone else. He did hire a housekeeper to help look
after me during the day. So I was pretty much raised by her. Her name was Bonnie. She was
a desert cat. It was funny to me, seeing a grown cat almost as small as I was. She taught
me how to make food, help with cleaning and how to... well, hunt.'
'She was damn good at it too.' Jill muttered darkly.
'How do you...?' Tanner began to ask before it dawned on him. 'Wait, you mean when you
were a scavenger... I mean, before Equality... You lived...?'
'In Andrea's house, yes.' Jill nodded, sitting herself down cross legged and resting her
head in her hands. 'I was a scavenger in Andrea's house. There were about nine in my
family. And three other families that we knew of.'
'I'm sorry, I didn't know.' Tanner knelt beside Jill and wrapped his arms around her. He
gave a look up at Andrea as though weighing what to ask next, but simply shook his head. 'I
emigrated here after Equality, so I never lived that life. So... Andrea, could you tell me how it
ended?'
'My dad and Bonnie, they both hated scavengers.' Andrea continued. 'Used to say the
only good thing about them was easy and convenient food. That's what they taught me. And
I believed it for a while. Catching mice was like some fun game that you got a treat out of in
the end if you were good at it.'
'That is generally how parents teach it.' Kira agreed softly.
'Yea. But when you get a bit older?' Andrea continued. 'You start to realize that they're
tiny little people too. And you start to wonder how many of that mouse's kids has she
watched me eat? Does she think about that every time she has another baby? Is she gonna
outlive this one too?'
'It's hard...' Jill added, looking up as a tear rolled down her cheek. 'She tried so hard, so
many times, to warn us. But there were so many of us. And the other families were always
trying to compete with us. Getting food was dangerous and Mum couldn't do it all alone.
Dad was a great scavenger. But... your housekeeper was a better hunter. I was so young for
most of it, and I remember so little. My most vivid memories from that time are the day she
told us Dad was gone... Then the day you... you caught her.'
'I remember.' Andrea took a deep breath. 'I didn't even think, I just saw her and grabbed
her. And then I was thinking I should let her go but Bonnie... I'm real sorry but she was too
much like a mother to me and I just couldn't disobey her. Then right after, I saw that you
were watching from that gap in the kitchen tiles.'
'I think that was the first time it really hit me.' Jill nodded, now shedding a few more tears
as the memories were refreshed in her mind. 'It was such a horrible thing to see. That's why
I just always tried to be so careful. After I saw what you did to my mother I just couldn't get
past the fear that one day it would be me. And I just became so careful.'
'It made you a good survivor.' Kira pointed out. 'Not many mice live to be your age. And
you could live another decade or two yet. Another decade as a successful performer.
Singer, actress, I'll help you go as far as you want.'
'But why?' Jill asked, standing and wiping the tears from her face. 'Both of you eat mice.
You've eaten hundreds each at the very least over your lives, and you'll eat hundreds more.
Why make an exception for me? Why should I believe that I'm any different from any other
mouse you'll meet? It's all a game to you, right?'
'No!' Andrea replied, seemingly to be genuinely distressed by the accusation. 'I mean,
yea we eat mice. And we'll keep eating mice because we go crazy if we try to stop for too
long. But I still want to consider you a friend. I know I can't undo what I've done. But I've
tried to make things better for you. Remember when Bonnie retired and I moved things from
the pantry into the wall cupboards so you could get to them easier? Remember when I
moved my television so you could see it from your hiding place in the living room wall? And
when Equality passed, I searched the whole house to give you the news. One of the best
days of my life was when that little mouse I'd been sharing a home with finally told me her
name. I've tried, Jill. Maybe it's guilt. Maybe it's love. But I've tried, for you.'
'We both want to see you succeed.' Kira added. 'I didn't know your history with Andrea
was so... personal. But we both voted in Equality's favour. And now you've survived
something most mice don't. To me, that sounds like there's no better time to take your shot
and make the most of this second chance. And we're all here for you. We're all here to help.'
Jill felt her chest get heavier and her eyes squeezed shut. Was it really like that? Was she
just being stubborn about what she perceived to be her lot in life? Every time these
thoughts crossed her mind, she always reaffirmed her pessimism and pragmatic
behaviour, reasoning that it was the sole reason that she had survived. But had Andrea
really been looking out for her even before Equality? Was it actually possible for a cat to
consider a mouse a... friend?
'Your survival skills were top notch.' Andrea said, leaning close to her. 'But they weren't
the only reason you were the last mouse in that place when Equality passed. I like you, Jill.
I've liked you for a long time.'
Jill opened her eyes and looked back up through blurry vision at the felid's softly smiling
face. Her heart raced, then her mind cracked. She had to admit it. Finally, she was
convinced. Andrea really was trying to be a friend. 'Alright.' She sighed. 'I get it. I'll let the
past go. But I'm still going to be careful. Please don't take that personally. I just don't think
it's a part of myself I can change. Besides, this idiot trusts any cat with a pretty face, so now
I need to look out for him too.'
'Aww.' Kira smiled. 'Hear that, Andrea? She thinks we're pretty. Now how about we show
her how pretty she is, too.'
'Is this necessary?' Jill asked, trying her best to hold still. Tanner sat in front facing her,
giving a reassuring smile as he helped to hold her steady by her shoulders where they still
sat on the arm of the couch.
'Is anything necessary?' Andrea retorted with a laugh. The claws of her forefingers moved
like a pair of deftly handled knitting needles as she wove Jill's hair into an intricate stylised
braid. When it was done, she wound the braid into a bun and loosened two strands to hang
forward like bangs, framing the mouse's face. 'There, that'll look better than the having it
loose, I think.
'It does look pretty impressive.' Tanner agreed, partly to tell the truth and partly to help Jill
relax. While this was happening, Kira was setting up a laptop and some sort of box with a
side missing on the coffee table, then retrieved an expensive looking digital camera and
what seemed to be a small microphone from elsewhere in the house. All of these things
were set up on the coffee table between the television and the couch, and Andrea carefully
set Jill down alongside them when her hair was ready.
'What's all this?' Jill asked.
'A sound stage I made for you.' Kira replied. 'The sides of the box are thick and they'll help
keep out unwanted noise. The microphone is directional so once it's facing you your voice
will be the main thing it hears. And the camera has a macro setting, so even at your size
you'll be captured in glorious high definition.' As she explained, she ran several cables
between the devices, connecting them to the laptop and the television itself. With the
press of a button, the television came to life and Jill saw an image or herself looking slightly
upwards, every bit as detailed as Kira had said.
'Wow, you're huge.' Tanner called. 'That makes you look bigger than Andrea.'
Andrea laughed and stood beside the television, showing that with the camera focused
as it was, Jill's image did indeed appear larger than the cat. She held Tanner close to the
screen, prompting Jill to be stricken with a hint of mischief. She leaned closer to the
camera and opened her mouth suddenly, her looming maw almost seeming to engulf him
before she chomped her jaw shut.
'There you go, Mr never-been-hunted.' Jill remarked with a smirk. 'Imagine seeing that in
your nightmares every night.'
'No dream of you could ever be a nightmare for me.' Tanner replied, flustered but
recovering quickly. 'Even one like that.'
'Don't worry.' Kira laughed. 'If he gets too confident he can be my toy for a while. Now Jill,
what's your favourite song?'
Jill's mind froze. She knew lots of songs, some she'd heard Andrea listening to growing
up, some she had heard since, but a favourite? That was something she hadn't thought of.
'Life's Melody.' Andrea answered, smiling at Jill.
'Ooh, right.' Tanner agreed. 'That's what you were singing the other night. It sounded
fantastic.'
'Life's Melody...' Jill repeated. 'Alright, let's try that. I suppose I could consider that a
favourite.'
Kira nodded and set the box up over top, almost completely concealing Jill from the
others. Inside the box, the mouse was illuminated only by the light that shone through from
the television and one of the ceiling downlights that was close to the wall above it. With this
effect, her image on the screen resembled a dimly lit stage, and Kira adjusted the camera's
position to get almost all of her in the shot except for her feet and ankles, keeping the lens
aimed up to preserve the illusion of size and give Jill a stronger presence on screen.
'Okay...' The ocelot nodded when she was done, shuffling the microphone a little bit
closer without getting it in frame. As she stood, she looked down at Jill and pressed a
button on her laptop. 'Alright, it's recording now. Don't worry, just wait for my cue and then
sing. The mic and camera will only pick up you and your voice, but you'll be able to hear my
playing and I'll be able to see your singing so just signal if you need to stop. We can edit
everything into shape afterwards. Ready?'
'Sure, sounds perfect.' Jill nodded, taking a moment to steady her nerves with a few slow
deep breaths. A few seconds later, the sounds of piano reached her ears, playing a few
warm up notes before Kira began the opening to the song.
Her playing was masterful, putting Jill completely at ease as she prepared for the
musical cue to start singing. She relaxed, swaying gently in time for a few moments before
lifting her gaze to the camera. As the moment arrived, with a smile on her face, Jill sang.
She sang. And in the first moments, memories returned. She remembered the first time
she had heard this song during her childhood, when Andrea as well was but a young kitten.
She remembered the times it had comforted her on cold nights, times of grief after losing
siblings, every time she had hummed or sang to herself when things seemed dark.
Memories of the night she had seen her mother die, and finally acknowledging the guilt that
Andrea had carried ever since. Renewed perspectives and the realization that the black cat
had indeed been looking out for her. For guilt or love, reasons neither of them had any real
clarity on. But there was time now.
As Jill's song continued, a single tear formed on her right cheek. She let it fall, and kept
singing. Upon the song's second verse, she began to think of the future she might have. A
life with Tanner, with friends the she needn't fear nor fear for. How much longer would she
tend a pay register? How many songs would she sing? When would she make it as an
actress? When would she see her name in lights? On cinema and television screens? It was
a future she craved, a future she had a new determination to achieve. Fate had tried to
decree that her life would end, but her own strength and the determination of Andrea had
kept her alive.
The final chorus began to leave Jill's lips, and her voice continued to carry her newfound
strength and passion, and she realized that she was enjoying this far more than she ever
expected to. As the song drew to a close, she finished up with one final look into the
camera lens before lowering herself to her knees and taking a long slow breath. A few
moments later, the melody from Kira's piano also finished and Jill looked up, waiting for the
ocelot to rejoin her.
'Jill!' Kira exclaimed as the sound box was lifted and put aside. 'That was amazing! I can't
believe you never considered singing before this.'
'Well... I...' Jill shrugged. 'I guess I just never thought of it. Wait, how could you hear?'
'Oh...' Kira blushed, removing a pair of earbuds that had been concealed by the fluff of
her ears. 'Had these connected to the television. Wasn't gonna say anything because I
didn't want you to feel nervous.'
'Can we have a listen?' Andrea asked, leaning forward from her seat on the sofa. From
the arm of the sofa beside her, Tanner also nodded hopefully.
'Soon.' Kira raised a hand. 'I just need some quiet for a little while so I can record the
melody on piano, maybe add a little bot of complementary violin, and then I'll edit the
tracks together and make the video. It's gonna sound amazing.'
'And... then what?' Jill asked.
'There are a few online Net Sites dedicated to video uploads.' Kira explained. 'We'll make
an account on each of them under the name of Hazeleye, and get this video out there. If we
attract enough views, we make another video. Keep the cycle fresh, and eventually you'll
attract more success.'
'What if it doesn't take off?' Jill asked nervously. 'What if not many people are interested?'
'I guess we keep trying...' Kira said, taking a moment to consider the unwelcome
scenario.
Tanner stepped forward on the sofa and raised a finger thoughtfully. 'Actually, there might
be other options.' He began. 'Nightclubs, and even some private venues around the city
might be interested in live performers from time to time. We could use the video as a sort of
audition or demo for them? An application for live gigs?'
Andrea nodded slowly, smiling before also chiming in. 'I also have... some connections.
And if you're finally willing to accept my help on this, I might be able to make some
introductions. Or point some musically inclined people in your direction.'
Jill nodded excitedly, feeling her heart flutter at the implications. 'This is all so much...'
'Excited?' Kira ginned. 'Well, let's get this video together and see where we can go from
here.'
'Sure!' Jill nodded, feeling a sense of anticipation she had never experienced before. She
looked back up at the television screen, seeing her own resplendent and confident form
looking up before her. Never had she felt such hope. Never had the future seemed so
bright.
