Холли Вебб - Alone In The Night

Chapter Six

It was almost bedtime. By now Jasmine was panicking. She couldn’t find Star anywhere. She’d even checked the kitchen cupboard drawer, just in case.

“She’s run away because I shouted at her!” Jasmine wailed. “It’s all my fault!”

“She’s probably just out exploring,” Jasmine’s mum suggested, trying to calm her down. “You know she likes to go off and sniff around in those brambles next door.”

Jasmine bolted out into the dark garden, without even putting on her coat, and raced down to the end. She climbed up her mum’s rockery – which she definitely wasn’t allowed to do – and peered over at the brambly bit at the end of the Murrays’ garden. A few tiny snowflakes drifted gently past her nose, and she shivered.

“Star! Star! Here, puss, puss…” She tried again and again, but no little stripy cat appeared out of the trailing branches, looking up at her lovingly.

Jasmine wandered sadly back up the garden. She looked so unhappy that her mum didn’t bother telling her off.

“She isn’t there.”

“You don’t know that, Jasmine. She might just not want to come out.”

“But why?” Jasmine cried. “Why doesn’t she want to play any more? What have I done to make her not like me? I was supposed to be looking after her! She used to like me, I know she did, but she even scratched me! She’s never done that before.”

She slumped down in a kitchen chair, and her mum sat down next to her. “Jasmine, it isn’t your fault. You’ve looked after her really well. Cats are like that sometimes. They can get touchy and grumpy, just like people can. She’s probably stalking blackbirds in a garden a few doors down. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”

Jasmine gave her a disbelieving look. “It’s starting to snow out there, Mum! It’s freezing! Star wouldn’t want to stay out in this weather – she likes being warm.” Jasmine looked over at Star’s bowl, which was full of food. “She hasn’t even come back for her tea and she must be really hungry by now. Oh, what if she doesn’t come back? What are we going to do? How will we tell Andy and Helen?”

Mum thought for a moment, then smiled. “Do you know what I think, Star’s probably gone back home!”

Jasmine’s mouth opened, then she grinned back at her mum. “Of course she has!” She hugged her round the waist lovingly. “Oh, Mum, you’re so clever, why didn’t I think of that?”

The house felt strange, rather cold and very quiet. Jasmine couldn’t help feeling guilty, as though she was trespassing. She was glad Mum had come with her.

She had hoped that Star would come out to meet her as soon as she opened the door, but no little stripy cat appeared, mewing in welcome. Then Jasmine had an awful thought – what if Star had accidentally got herself shut in somewhere like she had earlier? That was only because Mum had shut the drawer, of course, but Star could easily have got herself trapped if a door had swung closed. And no one had been here to let her out! Jasmine ran through the house, calling and calling for Star, until her voice hurt and Mum told her gently to stop.

Tucked away inside the warm airing cupboard, Star could hear Jasmine calling her name. She was tempted to mew and let Jasmine know where she was – she missed her soft stroking, the loving whispers, and the delicious treats Jasmine always had for her. But for now she needed to be alone. She wasn’t ready quite yet. Soon.

Mum had her arm round Jasmine as they walked back home. “She’ll turn up,” she told her, trying to sound encouraging. “You know Helen said she’d been wandering a bit.”

“Did you find her?” Dad opened the front door as they came down the path.

Jasmine shook her head sadly, and Dad gave her a hug. “I’ll help you look for her tomorrow,” he promised. But he gave his wife a worried frown over Jasmine’s head.

“I don’t think we’ll ever find her!” Jasmine wailed.

“Oh, darling, you’re getting way ahead of yourself! If she isn’t back in the morning, then we’ll go and look for her. But she will be. You’ll see.”

Just before Jasmine went to bed that night, she went to draw her bedroom curtains and peered out at the night-filled garden. There were deep shadows everywhere and it looked frightening. Jasmine hated to think of Star out there somewhere all on her own. Last time Star had been out at night, Jasmine had rescued her. But now she wasn’t even sure Star would want to be rescued. Or at least not by her.

“If only I hadn’t shouted at her like that,” she whispered miserably to her reflection in the window.

Suddenly the dark sky filled with thick snowflakes, and Jasmine watched sadly as they began to cover the garden in frozen whiteness.

Chapter Seven

To: Jasmine

From: Helen Murray

Subject: Hello!

We’re having a wonderful time. Saw a newspaper and can’t believe it’s snowing back at home, and we’re sunbathing and swimming in the sea here! Hope you’re really enjoying it though – it’s the first time Star has seen snow. Make a snowman for us!

Love from Helen and Andy

PS Happy Christmas! Go next door and look in the cupboard under the sink, just a little present for you and one for Star, her favourite salmon treats!

A fat tear splashed on to the keyboard. It was snowing still, just in time for a white Christmas, the first one for years. Everyone was really excited about it, but Jasmine couldn’t care less. Lara had invited her to go and build an igloo in her garden, but Jasmine couldn’t face it. She just kept imagining poor Star, shivering in the middle of a snowstorm, ice dripping off her whiskers. It was the worst Christmas ever. She couldn’t even feel excited about presents.

“Do you think we should call and tell them she’s gone?” Jasmine asked her mum sadly. The Murrays’ email said they’d got her a present, to say thank you for looking after Star so well… She felt so miserably guilty. “They left the number of their hotel, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they did,” said Mum. “But Star’s only been gone one night, and we don’t want to ruin their holiday. There’s nothing they could do. I’m sure she’ll be back by the time they fly home in a few days anyway.”

Jasmine nodded. She supposed Mum was right. It would only make the Murrays really sad, and there was a chance she might still find her…

She’d spent the morning going up and down the street with Dad, peering under bushes and looking behind walls. Jasmine had even asked everyone she knew in the street to look in their sheds and garages, and tell their neighbours. Feeling helpless, she went to put on her coat. She didn’t really think she’d find Star now, but she couldn’t give up. It was Christmas Eve tomorrow. How could she leave Star lost out in the snow at Christmas?

“Are you going out again?” her mum asked worriedly. “Honestly, Jasmine, you’ll freeze! Do you want me to come?”

Jasmine shook her head. “It’s OK. Maybe later.”

She was plodding up the pavement through the snow, which was already turning grey and slushy, when she had a thought. The Murrays’ email had said they’d left some of Star’s favourite salmon cat treats, and Jasmine knew she really did love those ones. She turned into the most adoring little cat ever when you were about to open a packet, weaving round your legs, mewing loudly. Perhaps if Star was hiding out in one of the gardens somewhere – and that was what Jasmine was hoping – she’d come back if she smelled those yummy salmon treats?

Jasmine dashed back home to fetch the Murrays’ keys and scuttled down next door’s path.

Of course she shouldn’t be opening Star’s present before Christmas, Jasmine thought to herself as she ripped open the shiny paper, but this was an emergency.