Nell and the Golden Cat

I’d like to present some really incredible and entertaining pieces of writing thanks to our young creative writers! Please, enjoy! — Alyssa Albano

Nell and the Golden Cat

 Eleanor Mae Sarah Hopp was a happy girl. She lived with her mother Sarah Hopp, her aunt Anna-Leigh Worner, her uncle Logan Worner, her siblings and cousin. Nell was 10 years old and her younger sister Anna and younger brother Carl were 6 and her cousin Antony was a baby. Her father was dead but Georgie Hopp had only a small place in Nell’s heart, she being only four when he died. Logan had been like a father to her for most of her life.

Nell lived in a small town of nice people but then Uncle Logan got pneumonia. The doctor could not save a man so ill. Uncle Logan died three days before Nell’s birthday. 

Nell woke up Saturday morning knowing she was eleven.  She got dressed and looked at herself in her glass.  Messy, shoulder-length, golden-brown hair outlined a pale complexion and sweet, sad brown eyes. 

In the kitchen, her mother and Aunt Leigh were making breakfast.  Nell had noticed the change in her aunt.  Sarah and Leigh had looked very different, though twins before Uncle Logan’s death.  Nell’s mother had had a young, unhappy marriage but an even unhappier and harder time once Georgie died.  She had never quite been rid of the sad, tired, overworked expression in her face.  Aunt Leigh was happy and healthy, with a kind husband, a year old baby and warm smile.  But when Logan died, she melted into a state of fresh sadness.

As they turned around to greet her, Nell knew who was who only because her mother’s short hair was done in a messy bun and Aunt Leigh’s long hair was in a braid. Her mother smiled a small smile and gave her a hug. Her mother had eventually recovered after Georgie Hopp’s death, but she just broke down when the doctor said Logan was dead. 

Both Nell’s mother and aunt had just cried, no one to comfort Anna or Carl except Nell.  Thankfully Tony was too young to notice anything changed, but he could not comfort Nell.  Some moments Nell resented the two women in her life. “Shouldn’t they be helping us get through it?” she thought. 

Now staring at them not even saying happy birthday,

Nell was about ready to yell when Anna came in.  “‘Appy ‘appy birfday” she sang.  Then Carl followed, “We wish you the most joyful day of birth” he said. Nell caught herself before laughing.  Anna still couldn’t pronounce her ‘th’s’ and Carl read his dictionary every night before bed.  They presented her with a bracelet made from twine they braided.  She slipped it on her wrist and turned.  Her mother had started stirring the porridge, but Aunt Leigh was sitting at the table, lost. “Where’s Antony?” she asked blankly.  “Eleanor, go get him”.  “But, Aunt Leigh,” said Nell.  “No buts go get my son.” she snapped, turning around suddenly. 

Nell went upstairs slowly and brought Tony back down.  Her Aunt Leigh was sobbing silently, face in hands. “Lo-gan” The twins were standing awkwardly in the corner as her mother rubbed Aunt Leigh’s back.  As Nell walked in, her mother turned.  “Nell, you know it’s your job to get Antony in the mornings, and when someone reminds you, do not protest. See what you’ve done to your poor aunt.” she said angrily.  “Sorry Mother, Aunt Leigh.” Nell said covering her anger, only because she was extra conscious of the eyes of two young, scared children standing in the corner.

She put Antony in his chair and served the oatmeal to Anna and Carl.  Nell didn’t feel like eating.  She helped the twins get ready and got herself ready.  She left the house without saying another word to her Aunt Leigh and very few to her mother.

As they walked along the road Nell saw the path into the forest. Quickly she stopped. 

“Anna, Carl, I will not be going to school today. I’ve got chores to do. Will you tell Mr. Coleson? Also, take my lunch.” Nell said. 

“Alright, come on Anna.” Carl said matter of factly. 

“Bye” Nell watches them all the way down the hill then turns.  She walks along the path so familiar. It was the trail she and Uncle Logan walked down together when they had time. The day before he got sick they went for a walk. Nell sat on a stump to think.

She was running to see how fast she could get to the little stream that crossed the path.  Uncle Logan had stopped to look at a tree.  Nell got so far ahead of him, and the stream was in sight.  Then she fell and landed on a sharp rock.  She screamed and cried for what felt like an hour (in reality, around five minutes) then Uncle Logan arrived.  She was bleeding from her knee and elbow, and her hands were scraped.  He picked Nell up and sat on a rock.

“Shhh, shh, Nell don’t cry, it’ll be okay”, he soothed. Nell was in a lot of pain and shock. She remembered choking out a few words,

“I thought, you were gone”. 

“No, I’m right here Nell” Uncle Logan said.

“I thought, you forgot about me,” she sniffed. “It was so scary”.

He shifted her on his lap and looked straight into her eyes,

“Eleanor Mae Sarah Hopp, are you listening to me?” he asked.

“Yes,” Nell answered.  “I will never forget about you. I will always be here for you, no matter what happens, do you understand?” he said sternly. 

“I understand, Uncle Logan” Nell said wiping the tears off her face. 

“Good, “ Uncle Logan said, hugging her. 

“Now, let's go home and get you cleaned up”. 

“Okay” Nell said meekly.  She couldn’t help thinking, right now sitting in the same forest, how he was not here for her, and he never would be again. Nell stood up and looked around at the tree.  Her eyes filled with tears. Uncle Logan loved trees and nature.  Then she ran as fast as she could with her blurry vision. Nell ran and ran down the path, down, down, down.  Eventually Nell stopped to catch her breath. 

She looked around and to her horror she was around eight meters away from the stream and to her left was the boulder.  Uncle Logan had sat on when he said the words now echoing through her head.

“I will always be here for you, no matter what happens”.

Nell started running blindly, tears falling off her face. Over the stream, off the path, trees, flowers, plants. She ran till her legs might fall off and her throat burned.

Then Nell collapsed. She looked up at the trees and sky and cried

“You're not here for me Uncle Logan, when I need you most!”.

Then Nell buried her face in her hands and just cried. After a little while she felt something soft brush against her leg.  Then she felt something like wet sandpaper against the palm of her hand. Nell sat up, wiped the tears from her puffy, red eyes.  There right in front of her was a gorgeous golden cat. It was practically glowing. Nell blinked her eyes and the cat was gone.  Just a figment of her imagination.

Nell stood and looked around.  She was completely lost.

“Better start looking for some sign of the path.” she thought.

After wandering around for half an hour, Nell started to get nervous. What if she never got out? What if no one found her in time? She was about to start crying again when, out of nowhere, the golden cat appeared.

“Hi pussy cat.” she cooed. The cat let out a shrill meow and beckoned with his tail. With some strange instinct Nell thought the golden cat wanted her to follow him.

She started walking behind the cat. Nell started asking questions like “where are you leading me?” and “why are you so golden?”. THe golden cat would answer with the same shrill meow. After a while they just walked in silence, occasionally stopping.

It seemed to Nell that the golden cat knew exactly when she needed to catch her breath. After a while they came back to the path, but the golden car just kept walking along it. 

Nell knew she could find her way back on her own from here, but she didn’t mind. Something about the golden cat was familiar and he made Nell feel safe. When they got to the stream Nell stopped and looked at the spot.

She remembered something Uncle Logan had said when her pet caterpillar had died. Nell had gotten over that but at the time it felt horrible. She had gone to the garden to get some cabbage, and had come across the plant she first found Cattie on. “It’s a special place with dear old memories of lost things but that doesn’t mean it has to hurt,” he had said. After that Nell smiled and remembered the dear friend she had had for four days long ago.

This could be like that. She wouldn’t smile, at least not yet, but Nell would remember and think of that happy moment. It was her and Uncle Logan’s special place. After standing there for a little while Nell decided it was time to get going. Again the golden cat took the lead and Nell followed.

Finally the cat stopped a little ways away from where the path met the road. Nell kept walking but when she was almost out of the forest, turned around to bid farewell to the golden cat.

As she looked into his eyes she realized why the cat seemed so familiar. He had Uncle Logan’s eyes.

“Uncle Logan?” Nell stammered.

Instead of letting out a shrill meow this time the golden cat gave a low, soft meow.  They stood for a minute, tears forming in Nell’s eyes.

Suddenly the golden cat started to glow even brighter. The light seemed to be bursting from within the cat. As he started to levitate slowly Nell gasped, “You were here for me”.

Then to Nell’s surprise the cat said “always” in a voice she knew so well, but never expected to hear again. The light coming from the golden cat became so bright Nell had to shield her eyes. When she put her hands down the golden cat was gone. Then, Nell heard voices, she turned. Anna and Carl were walking home from school. Nell easily caught up to them. “Nell!” Carl said, startled.

Nell came back to the forest four more times, with lunch, that week. She missed school, but Nell didn’t care. Anything to see the golden cat again. After the fourth day with no luck, Nell felt about ready to cry. As she walked home Nell heard a shrill meow. She glanced around. Nothing there. Nell dried her tears, but didn’t search for the golden cat. Somehow Nell knew that it was not a “come look for me” meow. Nell had some deeper thought that it meant, this, is the first time she saw the golden cat, but it would not be the last. Nell went home a happy girl once again.