novelraw Chapter 223: Simsim
Chapter 223: Simsim
>>Pen (11 Years Old)
The chill of the early morning air hit me as Val tugged me out of bed, "Pen, wake up!" He practically dragged me out of my bed before I was even awake, made me put my feet on the floor while my world was still spinning, then dragged me outside the house.
I was still half-asleep, my eyes heavy, and my hair sticking up in all directions. The sky was a soft, dusky blue—somewhere between night and morning—still holding onto the last remnants of darkness. The sun hadn’t come up yet, but there was enough light to see Val’s excited face as he led me down the creaky wooden steps of our porch.
"Val, what is it?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I could barely think straight, let alone see what had him so worked up at this hour.
"Shh, keep your voice down," He whispered, crouching low near the bottom step. His golden eyes were wide, filled with a mix of wonder and worry. He pointed under the stairs. "Look, there."
I followed his gaze, squinting in the dim light, and finally spotted what he was talking about—a small, scruffy-looking cat huddled beneath the porch. Its fur was matted and patchy, a mix of gray and white that had probably been more vibrant at one point but now looked dull and tired. Its eyes were half-closed, and it barely moved, just watching us with a wary, almost resigned look.
"Looks like it’s old," I said quietly, noticing the way its thin body seemed to sink into the ground, as if it were too tired to even sit up properly.
"But she looks hungry," Val replied, his voice tinged with concern. He knelt down a little closer, his hand stretched out but not touching, just letting the cat get used to his presence. "She must have been out here all night."
I could see it then—the way the cat’s ribs were visible beneath her fur, the way her body trembled slightly. She didn’t look like she had much strength left.
My heart squeezed a little and the sight made all my sleepiness disappear. "I’ll go get some milk," I said, feeling a sudden urgency. Without waiting for Val’s response, I turned and sprinted back into the house, my feet thudding on the wooden steps.
Inside, the kitchen was still dim and shadowy, with only the faintest light coming in through the window. I hurried over to the pantry, grabbing the milk jug with one hand and rummaging for a deep plate with the other. My fingers were shaking a bit—maybe from the cold, maybe from something else. The thought of that poor cat out there, looking so weak and lost, made me feel restless.
When I finally found a plate, I poured a generous amount of milk into it and rushed back outside, almost tripping over the threshold in my haste. I slowed down as I neared the bottom of the porch steps, though, trying not to startle the cat.
Val was sitting cross-legged on the ground now, and to my surprise, he had the cat in his lap.
"She came to me," He said softly, glancing up at me with a little smile. His golden eyes were practically glowing in the early morning light. His hand moved gently over the cat’s back, stroking her fur with a tenderness that I rarely saw from him. The cat’s eyes were closed now, her head resting against his knee, and she was still except for the slow rise and fall of her chest. "I think she trusts me."
"Maybe," I replied, watching them both closely. I knelt down beside him and placed the plate of milk near his feet, careful not to make any sudden movements. "How is she?"
Val’s face softened, but there was a hint of worry there. "I feel like she’s in pain," He said quietly. "She doesn’t move much. Just breathes, like every breath is hard."
I frowned, my eyes drifting over the cat. She really did look frail, like a strong gust of wind could blow her away. "Really?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"Yeah," Val said, his hand pausing for a moment on her back. "But maybe some milk will help. Give her a bit of strength."
The cat didn’t seem to care much about the milk at first, but Val gently coaxed her, his fingers moving to guide her closer. She sniffed it tentatively, her whiskers twitching, and finally leaned in, taking slow, deliberate laps. Val’s smile widened, his excitement returning. "There you go, girl," He murmured. "That’s it. See? She’s hungry, after all." He passed me a bright smile and I instinctively smiled as I looked back at him.
The first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, casting a soft, golden light over everything. The world seemed to wake up all at once. The grass glistened with morning dew, and the mist that hung low over the fields began to evaporate, dissolving into the cool morning air. A gentle breeze picked up, rustling the leaves in the nearby trees and sending a shiver through me.
I was about to say something when the wind caught Val’s hair, making it flutter around his face. For a moment, I forgot what I was doing.
I just froze there in awe
The way his hair caught the sunlight—it looked just like spun gold, shimmering with every slight movement. It almost didn’t seem real. The golden strands danced around his eyes, catching the light and framing his face like something out of a dream. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn’t look away.
I have something I’ve come to love
When the sun rises, or when it’s setting, the long waves of the sun, when they fall on Val’s hair, they look just like gold.
His eyes, like jewels and I find that beautiful.
Always
Val didn’t notice; he was too focused on the cat, his expression calm and attentive. But I was utterly mesmerized. The soft morning light, the way it lit up his hair, made it glow like it had a life of its own.
My heart started to beat a little faster, a strange fluttering feeling settling in my chest. I could feel the warmth creeping up my neck and into my cheeks, but I couldn’t help it.
I swallowed, feeling my throat go dry. It was such a small thing—just the way his hair shone in the sun—but it felt like I was seeing him for the first time.
He must have felt my stare because he glanced up at me, his golden eyes catching the sunlight too, reflecting it back with a soft, almost molten glow. "Pen? You okay?" He asked, his brow furrowing a bit in confusion.
I blinked, snapped out of my trance, and quickly looked away, my face growing even hotter. "Yeah, I’m fine,"
I said and placed my hands on my cheek
Woah
"Should we keep her?" Val asked.
"We might have to ask mom and dad," I replied
"Then let’s ask them as soon as they wake up!" Val’s eyes shone and there was no way I could ever say no to him.
That was how ’Simsim’, the cat, came to live with us.
She didn’t move much and didn’t play around like other cats but Mom and Dad said that it was because she was old.
We didn’t force anything on her and played with her inside the house and Val grew really attached to her overtime
Everything seemed like it was fine, till one day, Simsim ran away
***
>>Valenor (12 Years old)
The storm had been raging outside for what felt like hours now. Rain pelted against the roof with a relentless rhythm, and the wind howled like it was tearing through the very bones of the house.
I stood by the window, my heart pounding as I peered out into the blurry mess of the storm. Lightning flashed, and for a moment, the world lit up in a blinding white before plunging back into the dark, swirling chaos.
Simsim was out there somewhere. My chest tightened at the thought. I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing while she was stuck out there in this weather, scared and alone. I’d been pacing for what felt like forever when Pen’s mom, Mrs. Elara, put a firm hand on my shoulder. "Val, it’s too dangerous to go out in this storm," She said gently but firmly. "Wait until it passes, and then you can look for Simsim."
I nodded absently, but every second that ticked by only made my anxiety worse. My hands were trembling, and my breath came out in shaky puffs. I imagined Simsim’s frail body out there, shivering and wet, trying to find shelter. What if something happened to her? What if she got caught in the rushing water or worse?
"Why did she leave mom?" Pen asked.
"Hmm," Mrs Elara thought about it, "It might be because Simsim is old, some animals go away when they are going to die."
Her words sent a shiver down my spine
"No, I can’t wait," I muttered under my breath, and before anyone could stop me, I darted for the main door. The moment I stepped outside, the rain hit me like a wall—cold, heavy, and relentless. The wind whipped around me, nearly knocking me back. I could barely see, my vision blurred by the sheets of rain, but I didn’t care. I pushed forward, the mud squelching under my feet as I ran.
"Val, wait!" I heard Pen’s dad shout after me, but his voice was swallowed by the storm. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Simsim needed me.
I stumbled down the narrow dirt paths between the small houses of our town, my clothes clinging to my skin, soaked through in seconds. My heart was hammering in my chest, more from fear than from running. "Simsim!" I shouted, my voice almost lost in the wind. "Simsim, where are you?"
I searched everywhere—
under porches,
behind barrels,
I looked up at the trees and anywhere she might have tried to hide from the storm. My hands were cold and numb, and the rain felt like needles against my skin.
I was starting to feel desperate when I spotted a small, familiar shape just beyond the edge of town. My heart leaped. "Simsim!"
She was there, just beyond the fields, moving toward the hills. I took off after her, the mud sucking at my shoes and threatening to pull me down with every step. "Simsim, come back!" I yelled, my voice hoarse. But she didn’t stop. She kept moving, her small, soaked body pressing forward into the storm. I pushed myself harder, my legs burning as I tried to keep up. "Please, Simsim, stop!"
I was so close I could almost reach her, but she darted away, just out of my grasp. The ground became steeper as we reached the hills, the rain making the grass slippery and treacherous. I climbed after her, my breaths coming in ragged gasps, the wind howling louder than ever. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and frustration. I couldn’t let her get away.
"Simsim!" I called again, nearly slipping as I scrambled up another slope. I could see her just ahead, her little form bobbing up and down with each step. She seemed determined, like she was chasing something I couldn’t see.
And then it happened.
My foot slipped on the wet grass, and before I knew it, I was falling.
The world tilted, and I tumbled down, the ground disappearing from under me. My body hit rocks and mud, and I couldn’t stop myself. I reached out, trying to grab onto something, anything, but it was useless. I slid down, faster and faster, until I landed hard with a sickening thud in a deep trench.
Pain shot through my leg, sharp and immediate. I groaned, trying to move, but a wave of agony crashed over me. I looked down and saw my leg twisted at an unnatural angle, half-buried in the mud.
"No, no, no..." I muttered, panic setting in.
I tried to pull myself up, but it was no use. My leg was stuck, and every time I moved, a searing pain shot through me.
Rain continued to pour down, filling the trench slowly, turning everything into a muddy mess. I tried to keep calm, to think. "Simsim..." I whispered, looking around desperately. She was nowhere to be seen now, lost somewhere beyond the hills. I felt a lump forming in my throat, a mixture of fear and helplessness.
I couldn’t stay here. The trench was deep, and with this storm, I knew it would fill up fast. I grit my teeth, trying to pull my leg free, but the pain was too much. "Come on, Val," I muttered to myself, fighting back tears. "You can do this." But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get loose.
The rain showed no signs of stopping, and I could feel the cold seeping into my bones. My head was spinning, and I started to feel dizzy. I closed my eyes for a moment, just trying to breathe, trying to think of a way out.
All I could do was hope someone would find me before it was too late. And hope that Simsim would be okay, wherever she was.