Once upon a time

There was a little kitten

Who was very different

From the others in her litter

 

She was born in a barn

Her mother was a brown tabby

Her brother was black and white

Her sister was also a brown tabby

But this kitten was white and cream

 

Her hind paws, tail, ears, and face

All looked as if

A queen had lightly spread

Pure gold dust on her fur

 

But appearance

Wasn’t the only thing that

Separated this kitten from her siblings

 

She was also unusually curious

And intelligent

 

While her siblings were struggling to stand

This little cream cat

Was exploring the rest of the barn

 

It was no surprise

When she left first

Weeks before her siblings

Even began to think of leaving

 

Outside the barn

She found large, hairless cats

Walking on their back paws

 

She watched them plant seeds

And collect the fruits from trees

She saw one write in a piece of paper

And another read aloud from a book

She found their barn

And saw wonderful things inside

 

The kitten spied on the strange cats

For days and days

Listening, observing

But stay hidden all the while

 

One day

The kitten felt extra confident

“They haven’t seen me yet,”

She thought to herself

“So I’m going to get closer.”

 

The kitten wandered around

Until she found a small hairless walking cat

Playing beneath a tree

 

Slowly,

Ever so slowly

The kitten inched her way

Towards the creature

Staying low to the ground

Keeping silent as possible

As if she were hunting a mouse

 

“Kitty!”

It said

The kitten froze

It saw her!

 

The creature walked towards the kitten

And reached out a long, gross paw

Toward her

The kitten squeezed her eyes shut

Expecting the worst

 

Pat

Pat

Pat

 

She opened her eyes

And gazed up at the creature

It’s eyes were practically oozing

With love and wonder

 

“Kitty hungry? Kitty want nummies?”

The creature meowed a strange meow

The kitten blinked

“Yes, kitty want nummies cause’ I want nummies.”

It wandered off toward the barn it lives in.

 

The kittens stayed beneath the tree

In a daze

 

The creature came back

Holding something wrapped in cloth

It unwrapped the cloth

And set a few pieces of chicken and cheese

In front of the kitten

 

“Mama is makin’ dinner, so I got some for kitty.

Eat your nummies, kitty, eat your nummies!”

As the kitten began to sniff and nibble at the food,

The creature kept talking.

“What your name, kitty? You have a name?

My name Abelia. I am four years old. What you, kitty?”

The kitten did not respond, as her mouth was full of chicken

“I call you Boots. Because you wear gold boots. See?”

Abelia gently touched the kitten’s hind paw.

 

Boots decided that she liked Abelia.

She was kind and gentle.

Boots licked her hand,

Which made Abelia squeal with joy.

 

They spent the rest of the day playing

And napping

Together

 

This continued

For months

They would meet underneath the tree

To play and learn together

Boots taught Abelia

How to hunt, sleep with one eye open, and meow

Abelia taught Boots

How to count, walk on two legs, and talk

 

One day

Abelia brought Boots

A pair of golden knitted boots

“These are gift for you,  Boots.

I made them myself.”

Boots graciously accepted the shoes

And placed them upon her hind paws

“Thank you,” she said,

A tear in her eye

 

The next day

Abelia ran to Boots

And gave her a long, tight hug

“Are you okay?” Boots asks

“Mother and Father say

That I must work

Like my siblings

I can’t play with you anymore.”

Boots gently licked the tear

That traveled down her best friend’s cheek

“I just want to be a princess, Boots

Then I would never have to work

And we could play everyday.”

 

With that, Abelia left.

 

Boots was alone.

 

Boots waited for her friend

Hoping that she would come back

 

But she didn’t.

 

Boots set off into town

Knowing that she had to make

Her best friend

Into a princess

Or they would never

See each other again

 

She convinced a miller

To give her to his son

As his inheritance

 

She had the boy

Find her a pair of real boots

And in return

She deceived the king

Into thinking he was a young lord

Fit to marry the princess

 

This all took time

Gaining the king’s trust

Getting the boy fancy clothes

Defeating the ogre that lived in an old castle

Planning the wedding between the boy and princess

 

Finally

There was just one more step.

 

Boots went back

To Abelia’s house.

 

“Abelia! Abelia!”

Boots called

“Abelia! It’s me, Boots!

I can make you a princess.”

 

Boots knocked on the front door.

A girl with her hair in a bandana answered.

She smelled like Abelia,

But couldn’t have been her

For Abelia never wore her hair like that.

She said it made her look like a poor maid

 

“Greetings, miss! I am Boots.

I am searching for my best friend.

Her name is Abelia.”

Boots bowed.

 

“I am Abelia.”

The girl answered.

“We are not best friends.

Not anymore, you stinky cat.”

Abelia started to close the door.

 

“But Abelia,

I can make you a princess!”

Boots ran past the door and into the house.

“Abelia, don’t you remember

All the time we spent together?

You said you wanted to be a princess,

So we could play everyday!

I know how to make you a princess!

I helped a boy become a lord and marry a princess,

And I told them I know a beautiful young girl

That they can adopt!

They will take you in

And you will become a princess.

Just like you always wanted.”

 

“Boots,

That was when

You were a kitten.

Now you’re a cat.

I don’t like cats.

I don’t want to spend time with a cat.”

 

Boots looked down at herself

Yes, she had outgrown her kitten boots

A while ago

But was that a reason to end

An amazing friendship?

 

Boots fell to her knees

Begging for Abelia

To remember their friendship

To call Boots her best friend again

To go with her and achieve her dream

 

Abelia forced Boots out

And told her to never

Come back.

 

Boots moped towards the town

Towards the old orge’s castle

Where the lord and princess lived

 

She told the lord

“When I die, put me in a gold coffin

As a thanks for all I’ve done for you.”

The lord agreed.

 

Boots pretended to be dead the next day.

The lord told his wife

To put Boots in a bag

And throw her into the river.

 

Boots didn’t realize what was happening

Until it was too late.

 

Her last thought

Was a question

 

“Why

Does

It

Have

To

Be

This

Way?”