One Out of the Kind “Come on Jack, tie it and let’s go,” yelled Papa Johnny. I was just re-tying my bandage on my leg. Why’d I have a bandage? Oh, and you’re probably wondering who Papa Johnny is. Well, he’s the head of the herd, also known as my dad and my life saver. He’s not really my father, as you can tell. I mean, you can spot out quickly that I’m the only cat in the herd.
My original family left me when I was just a fur ball, and Mama Nita was the one who found me behind a dumpster. They accepted me and took care of me as I grew up. But I still don’t feel as if I belong. They gave me the bunny ears on my head so I could feel like one of them, and it did help me with the others in the herd. But to my kind, well, it almost ended my life one day, although, that same day I’ve never loved my family so much. That day, I was guarding our ally way like Papa Johnny tells me to, while the herd is out grabbing food. Then, the Junk Yard Cats came. Papa and Mama always told me about them and how they were the only pack they’ve seen around that was my kind, but they didn’t want me to ever be one of them. They had this kind of label on themselves. Well, Junk Yard Cats pretty much explains where they come from. Papa Johnny told me a few stories about them; like how they would do stupid stunts on railroad tracks, or jump off high places like bridges. Papa also told me they weren’t that intelligent. Mama Nita told me how they would walk around thinking that they owned the place. I always told them I’d be strong enough to take them on, but I was wrong that day. “Here kitty kitty kitty kitty!” said Bobby, one of the members.
“He ain’t no cat Bobby; he’s a pretty boy now. With his precious bunny ears that his hoppin’ mama gave him!” said Sean, the leader. “Where’s your jumpin’ family? Doing all the hard work while they leave the weak link at home?”
“You guys can go and shut up!” I yelled at them. The Junk Yard Cats went silent when I said that.
“Oh pretty boys got a mouth eh?” Sean walked closer to me, while his boys were routing him on. I hated how they called me ‘Pretty Boy’. “The name is Jack, not pretty boy.” “We didn’t ask what your name was!”
“I didn’t ask for your existence, but we can’t always get what we want, right?” The boys “Oh’d” at my response, which I think was what triggered Sean into his raging action.
“I’m gonna mess you up pretty boy!”
I remember after that, Sean jumped on me. He scratched me everywhere, making my clean white fur, bloody. I couldn’t really see what was going on. I remember hearing cheering, and words like “outcast” or “back talking shit mouth.” I remember just lying there, hoping that the herd would come back in time.
At one point, he pinned me to the fence, holding my throat saying “You know you could’ve been one of us, rollin’ with your own kind.” “I’d rather be dead than be with Junkies!” I struggled to say. “Fine then. Have it your way.” Sean was about to choke me to death, when I heard what was like a battle cry, and the pressure was released off my throat. I fell to the ground and held my throat, trying to catch my breath. I looked up and saw Papa Johnny and the rest of the male rabbits in the herd jumping on the Junk Yard Cats. I remember Mama Nita came with the other females and pulled me to the side. They noticed one of my legs was broken, so they wrapped some cloth they found in the dumpster, around my leg. The Junk Yard Cats ran off and everyone in the herd was okay. After that, it was a big blur. That day was the worst day of my life. I was so weak, so bruised, and so bloody. Everyday I remember it as if it just happened. Yet, that day, I never felt so loved. I never felt so part of the herd. I felt like one of them. Even if I was one out of the kind, I felt like a true member of the family. So to this day, with full pride, I walk around wearing these ears on my head. Other animals give me strange looks and whisper to each other, but I just keep moving along, wearing the same ears that changed my life, forever.