The Jewelry Thief

The sun was setting over the mountain range, light danced across the wooden floor, but he was there to work, not play. He enjoyed the last bits of warmth before the world became dark. The window was open a bit and cool air was blowing the curtain away from the sill. The days were getting shorter and that suited him simply fine. The best operations were always pulled off under darkness.

From his spot behind the curtain on the windowsill, he could see everything and not be seen. He was sure she was unaware. He could tell from the way she moved that she felt safe and alone. Safe, but not alone. He smiled to himself, he was very clever. It was so quiet. The usual humming sounds of the household faded into the impending twilight.

He watched every move she made, waiting so patiently for her to slip up. And then, silently with great stealth, he would pounce. His only movements were his green eyes narrowing and opening, waiting for a chance; he would make his move and strike.

There was a time when the magical box always stayed open. But she began closing the top making it difficult for him after she found pieces of glittery things strewn around the house. She never suspected him. At least, he didn’t think she did. There were ways to get into a closed magical box. There were always ways. He licked his lips in anticipation and reminded himself how cunning he was.

Suddenly, she turned. Did she see him? She puckered her lips and blew kisses in his direction and snapped her fingers at the same time. She called to him. The jig was up. Very slowly, he poked his head around the curtain. Her lips grew into a huge smile at the sight of him.

“There you are, Strider.” He winced at the sound of his name. He was sure it was an undignified name. His father’s name was Ambrose and his mother’s name was Shahrazad. His naming had to do with something they were watching on a large box attached to the wall. The flashing lights and loud sounds talked about a ring and the name Gondor. How they got to Strider from a ring and the name Gondor he couldn’t understand. His humans are not that bright, he thought, but that’s what makes them so lovable. Such a humiliating name though.

“Where have you been hiding all day?” She asked in an abnormally high-pitched voice.

It was his tail that gave him away. His long, gray striped, Tabby tail was sticking out from under the curtain. He was an intelligent cat for sure. If not for his tail giving him away, he could have stayed hidden for hours. That was not altogether honest; her voice made him want to purr at the top of his lungs, to purr love songs to her, his favorite person in the world.

Strider trotted over to the chair where she sat and rubbed his ears on the chair, in a circular motion, and purred loudly. He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, then placed his head into her hand. She scratched his ears and under his neck with tapered fingers and long red nails. He thought this was as close to heaven as a cat could get.

He wondered what the gang would think if they saw him now, melting into catnip jelly. He shuddered at the thought. He was their fearless leader, except, he couldn't control himself. He loved all his human pets, especially her.

She stood and walked out the door. He wondered if she would come back. She always did. He wondered if he had time to figure out a way to get into the magical box. He licked his right paw and stared at the box which sat next to the open window. He leaped onto the vanity and viewed the box close up. It had pictures of humans wearing wings and floating in the sky. Cherubs, she called them. The cool air was wafting through the window. The remaining light scattered across the sky and lingered. It looked like the ice cream his little boy dropped on the floor. He cried so deafeningly; all the humans scrambled in an effort to make him feel better and stop the terrible noise. While they were distracted, Strider licked up all the ice cream. It tasted pink and orange. He sat and licked his chops for hours. He never tasted anything so dazzling.

Strider followed her out the door and down the stairs pretending not to be interested in the magical box. He would bide his time. He knew she was going out with the one called Husband. A stranger was in the house playing with the boy. The magical box and all the shiny things inside would have to wait. He oversaw the small human. He would need to keep an eye on the stranger, just in case. When the house was quiet again, he would make his move. He would rub up against the stranger and pretend he liked her. When he smelled her, he would know if it was safe to leave his little boy alone with her. Strider decided he liked the stranger and stayed until the stranger took his little boy’s hand and began to ascend the staircase to his sleep room. Strider followed them -- nonchalantly of course -- up the stairs, quickly passed them, and jumped on the chair next to the bed where he had an excellent vantage point. When the stranger began reading a story from the boy’s favorite book about treasures on an island, whatever that means, Strider leaped off the chair onto the bed and snuggled up next to his human. He fell into a deep purr-filled sleep.

Strider woke with a start. The room was pitch black and his small human was fast asleep. Strider wondered if there was still time to find an interesting trinket from the magical box. He jumped off the bed and out of the boy’s room. She wasn’t home yet, and the stranger was watching the flashing box downstairs. Strider sauntered into her room and looked up at the magical box. It seemed so far away and out of reach because it was closed. Strider knew he was fooling himself. Even an extremely smart cat, like he was, couldn’t open the magical box without digits. Strider heard someone behind him. It was her, she was home after all. She lifted him up, put him on her bed, and sat down next to him.

“I know you want to get into my jewelry box and steal things, but this will have to do,” She said.

She took out something golden from her pocket and dangled it in front of Strider. He smiled at her with tremendous love and purred forcefully as he swiped the chain out of her hand. She gave him an incredibly special trinket of his own to keep forever.