Boy and a Cat

"Look what we've brought for you! A lovely, pretty, cute, cuddly little kitten! See, son; its got fluffy white fur and emerald eyes!" said Mrs. Hurley.

"Yes son, isn't it adorable?" Mr. Hurley asked.

Thomas Hurley, their little boy, was rolling around on the floor, playing with his toy cars. He paid not one bit of attention to what his doting mother and father were saying.

His mother picked him up and said, "Now, little Thomas, aren't you going to thank Mummy and Daddy for your nice kitten?"

For the first time since they had given him the kitten he looked at it. It was not a look of love and amazement but one of frustration and rage. Thomas began crying, his sharp teeth breaking his mother's skin.

"Oh, Thomas, you naughty little boy", she exclaimed, laying him down beside his toy cars again.

Mr and Mrs Hurley then left the room, leaving Thomas with his old Granny. Thomas's Granny then picked him up and gave him a hug. Thomas, although today was his fifth birthday, took hold of a thin, grey strand of his Granny's hair and then she too left the room, mumbling," Oh, that child! He's a menace! A little menace!"

Now the only occupants of the room were the little boy and the cat. Thomas had continued calmly playing with his cars since his granny had left the room, and was now racing a blue car and a yellow lorry, making car noises as he went.

"Brum Brum! Brummmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Brummmmmmmmmmmmmmm", Thomas shouted. "Brum, Brum BRUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

The white kitten was slightly alarmed by the noise. It decided to investigate, its pink nose twitching. It put a dainty white paw on one of the toy cars on the floor and tried to walk in between them.

Thomas was still playing with his cars. When he felt a slight nudge on his back he twisted round and hit strongly out. Then Thomas saw it was the kitten and picked up one of his toy cars and hit out even harder, this time at its head. "Bah, Bah, you nasty kitten! Go away!" The young boy screamed, bringing his stunted, plump arms down hard on the cat's skull.

The bewildered and angry kitten tried to go away from this human that was displaying such strange behaviour, hissing and bringing its claws out, ready to defend itself if necessary. Thomas continued hitting it, and then, in an attempt to injure the cat picked it up and held it upside down, its dainty paws swiping the bare air and then, with the kitten still struggling, held its tail to the great coal fire in the room.

The kitten crumpled, its green eyes still staring at the boy, questioning him. Thomas let it go, and began wailing. "Mummy, Mummy! The kitty hurt me!"

His parents entered the room, having heard his cries. "Oh, my baby, are you hurt? Poor, poor Mummy and Daddy's little boy!" they crooned, checking him for injures. He had no more than a scratch, but they still took him to Doctor Morrison to have a professional opinion.

The white kitten with its unblinking green eyes was left unnoticed, its eyes still staring and questioning. The lifeless clump of fur was a forlorn mess of blood and smoke.