The Sick Kitten
The Sick Kitten
FADE IN:
EXT. ALLEYWAY - EVENING
BARB, a mother cat, along with two YOUNGER cats, her children, rummage through trash. Footsteps as PEOPLE walk send the cats dashing behind cans and lids, into the dark.
The daughter, KIB, sneezes. Her brother, RUMI, hisses quietly at her.
A human stops, looks down the alley. Barb’s fur frizzles, she assumes a pouncing position. Rumi’s ears flatten in anger.
The person walks away. The cats wait then soften. Barb rushes to her children.
BARB
Rumi! Kib!
RUMI
Mom, don’t act like we couldn’t have handled that. We’re not kittens anymore.
BARB
You think you could have? What if you couldn’t? What if that human came and kicked you so hard your stomach bleeds on the inside? Or if they picked you up and take you off. Humans are terrible creatures. You are the last two children I have out of three litters. I won’t lose you.
KIB
Sorry mom.
BARB
Let’s keep moving.
They walk on. Rumi hears a noise, sniveling of some kind. He ducks.
RUMI
Get down.
BARB
Go that way.
RUMI
(snarling)
I know.
They all get down. They sneak around the sound. Barb listens, it sounds pitiful. She peers through a hole in the pile of trash.
A sick KITTEN shivers in the cold. It is alone, and can barely pick up its head.
Barb’s ears perk up. She slinks under the trash heap to the kitten. Rumi and Kib notice, they are not happy. Barb smells the kitten, picks it up and brings it back to her other kids.
RUMI
Are you trying to slow us down? We need to keep our pace.
BARB
This kitten needs help.
RUMI
Then stay with it. Let me and Kib go alone.
BARB
No. We go together.
Barb moves on. Kib follows. Rumi is furious but follows.
EXT. BEHIND CONVENIENCE STORE - NIGHT
The group comes to an opening. Rumi scans the horizon of a few trees, a dirty road, and buildings across the way. His eyes dart around, his ears flat.
KIB
I don’t like this.
The kitten makes a gurgling coughing noise. Barb sets it down and licks it.
RUMI
What are you doing?
BARB
It’s not well.
RUMI
I know that so leave it and let’s go, or we won’t be either.
Two COYOTES appear cackling from the darkens.
KIB
Look out!
Barb and Rumi’s attention shoots to the intruders. The coyotes gnash their teeth and salivate.
Barb leans down to the kitten, slowly gets a grip, still low. Rumi hisses fiercely, his tail puffs up. Kib cowers but hisses also.
They’re in a stand off until one coyote dashes forward.
BARB
RUN!
The coyote lunges at Barb, she evades it, leaps over and takes off. She sprints with the kitten across the way, to the apartments. She does not stop until she is in a small area tucked away and safe. She sets the kitten down, but her children are not there. She is worried, terrified.
Noting the kitten is decently ok, Barb leaves and dashes back to the coyote attack.
Kib is thrown to the ground, wounded. Rumi leaps at the attacking coyote and is locked in fierce combat. The second coyote approaches the barely conscious Kib.
Barb sprints over and pounces on the coyote, digging her claws and teeth into it. Her momentum sends the two tumbling off to the side and down a hill.
At the top of the hill, Rumi finishes the first coyote off and approaches Kib. He licks her, helps her up.
Below, Barb has suffered terrible wounds, but finishes her coyote. She drags herself up. Where she sees Rumi and Kib dash away into the night.
She has no energy to call or go after them. She breaths heavily. She catches her breath and trudges back to where she left the kitten.
She carefully squeezes back into the tucked away corner. She is relieved to see the kitten still there. She curls up with it.
EXT. HIDEOUT - DAY
Still wounded, missing patches of fur, Barb looks around in search for food. A GIRL (20s) approaches with a sandwich.
GIRL
Hey there kitty.
Barb spins around, and hisses immediately. The girl backs away a bit.
GIRL
Ok. It’s ok.
The girl tears off a piece of meat from her sandwich and tosses it near Barb.
The girl waits a moment more, then walks away. Barb watches and waits after she has left. She is cautious of the meat. Smells it, then licks it. Then takes it back to the kitten. The kitten cannot even lift its head, much less eat. Barb looks at it solemnly.
The girl walks away, munching on her sandwich. There is movement in the distance and a weak, “MEOW.”
The girl stops and turns around. Barb pitifully approaches her, still keeping a distance. Barb Meows again, then she moves back towards her hideaway. The girl follows.
Barb meows again to keep the girl aware of her location. She leads her to the entrance of the hideaway. Barb slips in. The little girl crouches down.
Barb returns with the limp kitten. She carefully sets it down in front of the girl, looks expectantly but cautiously. The girl carefully picks up the kitten.
Barb lies down. The girl reaches out to pet her slowly, and Barb lets her.
FADE TO:
EXT. BACK YARD - DAY
The girl pets Barb as they sit in a small, fenced in back yard. Barb is much better, not as skinny, her fur is healed. The kitten plays in the garden.
A rummaging is heard. Barb’s ears perk up. She moves in front of the kitten. She growls, and her fur stands up. The girl shifts forward in her chair.
The rummaging gets louder, then two animals pop into the yard from between a slit in the fence. It’s Kib and Rumi! The girl anxiously awaits. Barb softens immediately, not sure she sees right. Rumi and Kib are also frozen, surprised to see their mom.
The cats embrace and start licking each other. The girl relaxes in her chair. The cats all rejoice in finding each other again.
RUMI
Mother.
The girl brings a dish of extra food. Rumi and Kib cautiously smell then eat from it.
BARB
This one isn’t so bad.
FADE OUT.