It was night. The moon was shining bright, creating shadows around two cats on the ground. Electra and Jemima were on their way home from the junkyard, when Electra suddenly stopped. Jemima looked at her.
"What's the matter", she asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just… forgot something at the junkyard", her sister answered. "You go on home. I won't be long." With those words she turned around and hurried off towards the junkyard.
"But El…", Jemima started, but Electra was already gone. Jemima shrugged her shoulders and continued her way home.
Electra slowed down before the junkyard to calm down a bit. She wanted to catch Alonzo before he went to sleep. She'd been waiting for an opportunity to talk with him the whole week, but he never seemed to be alone. He was always with some of the other cats.
Electra felt that she needed to tell him what she felt for him. Even if he didn't feel the same way for her, she wanted to get it off her heart. But when she walked into the junkyard, her heart sank. Alonzo was already lying on the ground, next to Pouncival. Both seemed to be sleeping.
"You're too late", a voice suddenly said above her.
Electra quickly turned around and saw Tumblebrutus sitting on a pile of junk.
"You scared me, Tumble", she said accusingly and jumped up to join him. "Too late for what?"
"Alonzo is already asleep."
"I wasn't…" She became silent and looked at Tumblebrutus. "Is it that obvious?" she asked embarrassed.
"No, not really", the brown-patched cat answered. "I don't think anyone else has noticed it."
"Well, Alonzo certainly hasn't", Electra sighed and rested her head in her paws. "And it doesn't seem like he ever will." Tumblebrutus smiled comfortingly at her.
"If it's any consolation, I can tell you that doesn't notice any girl. He's still in love with Cassandra."
"Well, isn't it about time he got over her?" muttered Electra. "She's been gone for ages!"
"I guess a love that strong doesn't dies" said Tumblebrutus. "Yeah, I guess you're right", Electra sighed. Then she looked at Tumblebrutus and smiled. "Since when are you such an expert on love?" she teased. "I've never heard you so philosophic before." Tumblebrutus didn't answer, just stuck his tongue out at her. Electra laughed, and then turned her attention to the two cats sleeping below them.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked the cat beside her.
"Sure! What?"
"I don't…" Electra began, but then her eyes grew wider. "Look", she
yelled and pointed her paw to the left.
"Where? What?" Tumblebrutus cried and looked around him. Then he gave a cry of pain when Electra's sharp teeth sunk into his tail.
"OOOUUUCHH!!!" He glared at the female cat, which had quickly jumped
down on the ground and now almost fell over laughing.
"Oh, that's really mature, El", he snarled and licked his hurt tail.
"Come and get me, if you can", she laughed, turned around and ran off.
Tumblebrutus growled and hurried after her, out of the junkyard.
Alonzo opened his eyes. Something had woken him, he just didn't know
what. He looked around him, but didn't see or hear anything unusual. He shrugged and went back to sleep.
When Jemima woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was
that the basket next to her was empty.
"Why didn't Electra wake me up before she left for the junkyard" she
complained to herself, while stretching her legs. "She never waits for me." Jemima hissed at the empty basket, pretending her older sister was there. Then she sighed and walked out through the cat-door. The bright daylight blinded her at first, and she felt the sun warming her face. Jemima smiled. It was such a lovely day, she wouldn't waste it by being cross with Electra.
When she had come halfway to the junkyard she heard a loud giggle,
followed by a "Ssschhh!". Jemima stopped and awaited the arrival of
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. The two cats soon came. Rumpleteazer
giggled again.
"Hi Jem", Mungojerrie said and tried to make his partner stop laughing, which isn't the easiest thing to do.
"Hi Mungo, hi Rumple", Jemima said. "Where are you going?"
"Well, you know, the usual business", Mungojerrie said and tried to look sophisticated. He didn't do very well though.
"Yeah, we found this great house, down the street", Rumpleteazer said
exited. "There must be tons of…"
"No, no, I don't want to know", Jemima laughed and shook her head.
"Just don't get caught, ok?" The cat burglars looked very offended.
"We never get caught", Mungojerrie said condescending. Rumpleteazer
nodded.
"Exactly!" Then she giggled again. "At least not very often"
Mungojerrie sighed. Oh, he loved Rumpleteazer, he wouldn't be able to
live without her, but all this giggling could be just a bit tiring. He took Rumple by the paw and dragged her down the street.
"Bye Jem", he shouted over his shoulder.
Jemima smiled. They were two of a kind, those two.
"And there's nothing at all to be done about that", she said to herself, and continued her way toward the junkyard.
"So how are the cochroaches doing, Jenny?" Demeter asked. She,
Jennyanydots and Jellylorum were sitting on top of an old washing
machine, enjoying the sun.
"Oh, I don't know what to do about them", Jennyanydots sighed. "I got a new class last week, and they are totally hopeless!"
"You'll get them in shape, Jenny", Jellylorum smiled. "You always do."
There was full activity in the junkyard that morning. Etcetera and
Victoria were playing with Pouncival. Alonzo sat in the shadow together with Mistoffelees and Quaxo. The three black and white toms were discussing the next Jellicle Ball. On top of the old car, Bombalurina and Exotica were sunbathing, while Skimbleshanks, the railway cat, were taking a catnap inside an oven. Bombalurina opened her eyes when she heard someone coming.
"Hi Jem", she said as the little calico kitten joined them.
"Hi Bom, hi Exo", Jemima said and rubbed up against Bombalurina. "Have you seen my sister today?"
"Electra?" the red queen asked. "No, I haven't seen her today." She
looked at Exotica.
"No, me neither", the slim, black feline said. "I don't think she's here yet."
Jemima frowned. "But she has to be. She wasn't at home when I woke…" She stopped talking when a sudden thought crossed her mind.
"Jem, what's the matter" Exotica asked concerned.
Jemima didn't answer her, instead she jumped off the old car, down on
the ground.
"Jemima!" Bombalurina called after her, but the kitten had already
reached the three toms sitting in the shadow.
"Hi Jem!" Mistoffelees said and smiled at her, but she ignored him and turned to Alonzo.
"Lonzo, have you seen my Electra this morning?" she asked with a worried voice.
"No, she hasn't come yet" he answered and looked concerned at Jemima.
"Why, has something happened?"
Jemima felt her heart beginning to beat faster. Something was very
wrong.
"What about last night?" she asked Alonzo. "What did she say when she
came back here?"
"Did Electra came back?" Alonzo asked with a confused look. "Well, I
didn't notice it anyway, I fell asleep right after the two of you left." The black and white tom rose to his feet and looked around him. "Pounce, get over here!" he shouted.
"What is it?" the grey-patched cat asked and turned his attention to
Alonzo. He was therefore completely unprepared when Etcetera pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.
"Got you!" she said and laughed with delight.
Pouncival hissed at the female cat on top of him. "You just wait, I'm
gonna…"
"Pouncival, get over here right now!" Alonzo growled.
Pounce stared at his older friend. "I'm on my way", he said, a bit scared by his wrath. "Geez, don't have a heart-attack." He walked over to the other cats. "So, what did you want?" he asked.
"Did you notice that Electra came back here last night?" Alonzo asked
him. Pouncival frowned for a moment. Then he shook his head.
"No, I think I fell asleep before she even left. But maybe Tumble talked to her."
He looked around. "Hey, where is Tumble anyway? I haven't seen him
today."
"Neither have I", Alonzo said thoughtfully. "And he wasn't sleeping when I fell asleep last night", he added.
By now, the rest of the cats had gathered around Jemima and Alonzo,
sensing that something was wrong.
"What's the matter, dear?" Jennyanydots asked Jemima and tried to
comfort the worried kitten by licking her ears.
"You better tell us what happened last night", Quaxo said softly.
"Where did El go?"
"I… I don't know" Jemima stuttered. She was close to tears. "We were on our way home, and then El said she forgotten something, and turned back.
I went on home, and fell asleep, and when I woke up this morning, El
wasn't there. I thought she had already left and was here, but now it
seems as if she didn't came home at all!" The kitten began to sob and
hid her face in Jenny's chest.
"And you don't know if Tumble was here last night either?" Demeter asked Alonzo, who shook his head.
"I don't know", he said distressed. "I honestly don't know."
At that moment, Munkustrap and Admetus entered the junkyard. Munkustrap smiled when he saw his love, Demeter coming to greet them. But his smile faded when he saw the look on her face.
"What's the matter, Dem?" he asked in a worried voice.
"Tumblebrutus and Electra seem to be missing", she answered.
"Missing? What do you mean missing?" Admetus asked.
"I mean missing, as in gone, disappeared, not here!" she snapped.
"Dem, hey take it easy", Munkustrap said to her. "Tell us what
happened."
Demeter sighed. "Sorry Metus" she said apologetically. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that." She filled to two toms in on the details, as they joined the other cats, who were all relieved that Munkustrap had arrived. They trusted their beloved leader-to-be to take care of this.
"So…" Munkustrap said and looked out over the group. "Does anyone know where they might be?" the cats shook their heads. No one knew anything.
Munkustrap sighed. "Ok, we'll have to organise a search-party", he said.
"Bom, Metus and Etcy, you'll check the way from here to where Jem and El live. Maybe they got hold up somewhere along the way. Vicci, Pounce, fetch the twins, maybe they know something. And see if you can find Plato and Tugger too. Quaxo, Jelly and Jenny, you search the area from here t the old fish-industry, while Skimble, Dem and Exo search by the railway, ok?" All the cats nodded in agreement.
Munkustrap continued. "Misto, you come with me, we have to tell Old Deuteronomy about this. Jem and Lonzo stay here in case Tumble and El come back." He looked around to see if he'd forgotten anyone. He hadn't. "We'll meet back here in two hours", he said, and within a few seconds, Jemima and Alonzo were left alone in the junkyard. Jemima sniffled and curled up next to Alonzo.
"What could have happened to them?2 she asked with a shivering voice.
"Don't worry, Jem" Alonzo answered. "I'm sure they are ok."
"Do you really think so?" she said and looked up at him, her green eyes filled with tears.
"Of course they re" Alonzo said and smiled at her. But he was worried. Very worried. Tumble and Electra were not the most responsible and careful cats he knew. In fact, he thought and sighed deeply, they were quite the opposite…
"Oouch!" Tumblebrutus twitched. "Take it easy!" he moaned. But Electra didn't pay any attention to his complaints.
"Oh, come on, Tumble. Don't be such a kitten", she said and examined the left side of his head. "This is a total mess, you know." His usually white fur was now covered with blood and dirt, and his ear was torn.
"Well, you don't look to pretty yourself", Tumble said and looked at
her. Electra knew he was right. Her red and brown fur was all ruffled
and she had scratches and bruises everywhere. She turned her face
upwards, to the hole they had fallen through. It was a really high fall, no wonder that they had hurt themselves.
"It must be morning", she remarked, judging from the faint light that
reached them. Tumble followed her eyes.
"I think you're right", he said.
"Where are we anyway?" Electra asked and looked around in the cold dark place where they were trapped.
"It must be an old well, or something like that", Tumble answered. "The houses in this area hasn't been used for decades."
Electra looked at him. "Do you think they're missing us by now?" she asked, a bit worried.
"I suppose so", the brown-patched cat answered. Then he laughed. "At
least you sister will have noticed we're gone."
Electra smiled. "Yes, Jem has always been nothing but nerves. She worries about everything." Then all of a sudden she burst into tears. Tumble stared at her in shock. He had never seen Electra cry before. She had always been one of the toughest female cats, different from Jemima and Victoria, who were very sensitive.
"El, are you ok?" Tumble asked carefully, afraid to say something that would upset her even more.
"Do I look ok to you?" she snarled back. "I'm cold, I'm hurt, I'm
hungry, no-one knows where I am, and to top it all of, I'm stuck here
with you!"
"Oh, I so sorry!" Tumble snapped. "Let me just go back to the junkyard and fetch Alonzo, so he can keep you company instead." He turned his back on Electra and stared into the dark stonewall. None of them said anything for a long time. The only thing heard was Electra's heart-breaking sobbing. The she broke the silence.
"I'm so sorry, Tumble" she said quietly. "I don't know what came over
me, I…" She shrugged her shoulders.
Tumble turned around and looked her in the eyes. "It's alright" he said. "I know how you feel. But right now there's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to wait until they find us."
The two young cats sighed in unison, which made them laugh. They curled up by each other, and despite their sufferings, they soon fell asleep in their cold, damp prison.
Rum Tum Tugger looked down at the junkyard from the high pile of junk
where he was sitting. "They seem to be gloomy today" he thought to him self about the cats sitting in a quiet group on the ground. "Well I suppose I could change that" he said and jumped down on the ground, a couple of metres from the other Jellicles.
"The Tugger has arrived!" he announced, struck a pose and waited for his usual fanclub to come and greet him. No one came. He frowned. Something was wrong. When not even Etcetera threw herself at his feet, something was very wrong. He walked over to the cats and sat down between Etcetera and Mistoffelees.
"So… What's up?" he asked, looking around him. Etcetera finally noticed him.
"Oh, Tugger!" she said, tears streaming down her face. "Tumble and El
are gone!" She sniffled and buried her face in his chest. Tugger
absently stroked the kitten's ears and looked at Mistoffelees, who told him what had happened.
"Maybe they wanted to be alone", Bombalurina said, always sensing a
romance. "Were there anything going on between the two of them?"
"Tumble and Electra?" Admetus said doubtfully. "Those two were always
fighting." Then he realised what he'd said and quickly tried to correct himself. "Are! I mean, they are always fighting!"
"Misto!" Pouncival suddenly exclaimed and looked at the magical cat.
"Can't you just zap them beck or something?"
"Yeah", Victoria agreed. "Like you did with Old Deuteronomy at the
Jellicle Ball?" Mistoffelees looked down. "I cant", he said unhappily. "I don't know how I did it. It hasn't worked since the ball. I'm sorry."
"Well, what about you two?" Munkustrap asked Coricopat and Tantomile.
"Can't you try to find them with your psychic powers?" The twins looked at each other.
"It could work", Coricopat said slowly.
"Yes, it will be hard, but it could work", Tantomile agreed.
"We'll try!" Coricopat decided. The twins took each other by the paws
and closed their eyes. The junkyard was silent for a while. No one dared to even move, afraid to disturb the two cats.
"They're not anywhere nearby" Tantomile finally said, with and almost
sleepy voice.
"Maybe they got kidnapped by Macavity!" Pouncival exclaimed and his eyes grew wide. Demeter, as always, was upset when Macavity was mentioned, and Bombalurina rubbed up against her sister to comfort her.
"Oh, don't be stupid, Pounce", Plato snarled. "Macavity hasn't been
around for months."
"Well, maybe he's come back!" Pouncival cried.
"I don't thing so, lad," Skimbleshanks said and shook his head. "We
really scared him off at the ball"
"Anything could have happened to them", Quaxo said. "Maybe they've been hit by a car, or attacked by pollicles, or caught by some human, or…"
"Quaxo! Stop it!" Jennyanydots demanded and glared at him.
"Nothing would surprise me when it comes to those two" Tugger mumbled
and defended himself when Jellylorum hissed at him. "Well, they are the ones who always seem to be in trouble, right?"
"How can you say that?" Jemima cried and began hitting Tugger with her small paws. The junkyard was now in total chaos. Tugger tried to protect himself from the angry and distressed kittens, Munkustrap and
Bombalurina tried to comfort Demeter who was still upset by the thought of Macavity being back. Pouncival hadn't give up the hope of convincing Misto to try to bring Electra and Tumble back with magic, and Jelly and Jenny yelled at Quaxo for upsetting the kittens. Angry and scared voices mixed with comforting words and silent tears.
Suddenly one voice rose above the others.
"Would you all be so kind and SHUT UP!!!"
The cats immediately became silent and stared at Coricopat. The usually so quiet and shy cat calmly looked back at them.
"Thank you", he said in a more normal tone, and closed his eyes again. Tantomile smiled a secret little smile before she too closed her eyes. The silence in the junkyard was total.
"A silence you feel you can cut with a knife" Munkustrap thought to
himself as he watched the mystical twins every move. Suddenly
Tantomile's left ear began to twitch.
"There they are!" She exclaimed. "I feel them!"
"Did you feel that?" Electra quickly sat up and nervously looked around.
"Feel what?" Tumble mumbled and yawned.
"It felt like… like someone was reaching for my mind", Electra explained and tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling. Tumble looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
"You're probably just hungry", he stated and yawned again.
"Yeah, maybe", she said uncertainly and started cleaning herself.
Tumble followed her example. Then Electra suddenly laughed. Tumble looked at her with a question in his dark green eyes. "I was just thinking…" the red and brown female smiled. "Isn't it kind of typical, that it's us two who are stuck here. I mean, we're the ones who are always getting into trouble, right? You for imitating the older toms, and me for always talking without thinking."
Tumble thought about this for a moment. "Hey, you're right", he said. "Maybe its des…"
Suddenly a noise was heard above them. Someone was there! Electra
started to shout.
"Hey, we're down…" She didn't get further, 'cause Tumble put his paw
over her mouth. At fist she was surprised, but when he didn't let her
go, she was furious. Her green eyes shot lightning, and she desperately tried to get out of Tumble's grip. But he just held her tighter, and shook his head. Then they heard a voice they recognised all too well…
"You stupid rats! There're no Jellicles in here. Let's get out of this place."
Electra stared at Tumble. The anger in her eyes were gone, and replaced with fear. Tumble let her go.
"Macavity?" she mouthed. Tumble nodded. He was just as scared as she
was. They didn't dare to move, hardly even to breathe until they were
sure that the mystery cat and his rats were gone.
"How did you know it was him?" Electra asked. The white and brown tom
didn't answer, instead he looked down. "Oh, I forgot", Electra said.
"You were catnapped by him when you were new-born, right?" Tumble still didn't say anything, he just nodded. "I'm sorry" Electra said and rubbed up against him. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it"
"It's ok.", Tumble said. "I just get this feeling every time Macavity is around, the same as Demeter and Misto, but they're much more sensitive than I am" He looked Electra in the eyes. "I hate it, El! I hate being scared of getting that feeling all the time!"
"It saved our lives today, though" Electra said and licked away the tear she saw in the corner of his eye.
"Are you sure we're on the right way?" Admetus asked Tantomile and
Coricopat. The twins nodded.
"They're definitely around here somewhere", Coricopat said. "The feeling is much stronger here."
"What on earth were they doing here?" Jellylorum said confused.
"Hey, it's Tumble and Electra we're talking about here", Tugger said.
"Who knows what they were up to."
"Tugger, could you please stop picking on them, for a while at least?" Alonzo snapped.
"Sorry", the lion-like cat muttered and glared at the black and white
tom. Alonzo was more worried that he wanted to show, Tugger thought. Oh, he was worried too, but he would never admit it. While he was thinking, Tugger had wandered off from the rest of the group, which contained of Munkustrap, Tantomile, Coricopat, Skimbleshanks, Alonzo, Mistoffelees, Plato, Admetus and Jellylorum, in case Tumble or Electra was hurt.
"Is anyone up there?" Electra asked carefully.
"Electra? Is that you?"
"Tugger!" Electra and Tumble shouted.
"Hey, where are you?" Tugger's voice came closer.
"Tugger, look out!" Tumble warned. "We're down in…"
"AAAAHHHH!"
"… the well. Tugger get off of me!"
"Tugger! How nice of you to drop by!" Electra exclaimed happily and
hugged the tom, who actually hugged her back. Then he rose, so that
Tumble was able to breathe again. The other cats had rushed over when they heard Tugger's fall and was now looking down in the well.
"Are you alright?" Jellylorum asked with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, I was just fine, until Tugger used me as trampoline" Tumble
complained. "Do you think you could get us up from here? I'm starving!"
"Just hold on, lad", Skimble said and looked around. "We need a rope or something." Mistoffelees stepped forward.
"I'll take care of this", he said and pointed his paw down in the well.
With a 'zap' the three cats joined their friends.
"Hi", Tumble said. "Great to see you. Do you have any food?"
Later that evening Tumble and Electra was saying goodbye to each other in the junkyard. Tumble looked at Alonzo who was standing a couple of metres away, talking with Jemima.
"Do you want me to talk to Jem, so that you could have Lonzo for
yourself a couple of minutes?" he asked. Electra smiled at him.
"Thanks Tumble, she said. "but I don't really care about Lonzo in that way anymore."
Tumble looked at her. "You don't?" He said doubtfully.
"No" She said. "I don't.". She hesitated for a moment, but then she
kissed him. "Goodnight Tumble." She smiled, and hurried out of the
junkyard, together with her sister. Tumble walked over to Alonzo and Pouncival who was lying on the ground.
"What's with that stupid smile of yours?" Alonzo muttered and glared at Tumble.
"Oh, nothing" the brown patched cat answered, still smiling. He lay
down, and fell asleep the same second. It had been a long day.
Outside the junkyard, there was a cat that wasn't sleeping. He didn't have time for sleeping. He had been gone a long time, and he didn't want to waste any more time.
Tumble and Electra had been so happy to be back in the junkyard, that
they completely forgotten to tell the Jellicles the most important thing they had found out. That Macavity was back…
THE END