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Story Of A Ghost by Matthew Mercieca A short story, about a man who goes through life being consumed by hate. [1,130 words]
Special by Pearl S - [1,338 words]
Space Walk by Sue (Sooz) Simpson May Cause offense. [1,290 words]
So This Is My Life Then by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [517 words]
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Four Minute Warning by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [476 words]
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Cherry Blossom by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [435 words]
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The Dinosaur by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [1,523 words]
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Naughty Bunny Goes To Ibiza by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [552 words]
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Cat's Chorus
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A Twist In The Tail by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [963 words]

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TITLE (EDIT)
Cat's Chorus
DESCRIPTION
-
[1,332 words]
AUTHOR
Sue (Sooz) Simpson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm thirty nine, recently single again. I have two boys Cli' (pronounced clee) Real name Christopher and Mark. I'm a care in the community nurse and formerly (when I was married) an occupational Therapist working with the mentally ill on a secure unit. I love reading and writing and meeting people. I hate offal, seafood and intolerance. I keep dog, cat, polecats, rats and reptiles. And for seven years ran the second largest reptile sanctuary in Britain. Apart from having my lads, I think that's probably the most worthwhile thing I've ever done. Writing wise, I've been the main fiction writer for Legends magazine for three years.And have two books published 'Lizard's Leap' published by Quillusers, and 'Better the Devil You Know' soon to be released by Bestbooks.Um I drive a knackered old Astra, and ride a two litre trike. I live in the lake district of England, and am happy. :-)
[January 2003]
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
[email protected]
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (84)
A Fork In The Road. (Short Stories) A paradox revolving round the lonely Holker Mosses in the dead of night. [2,835 words] [Mystery]
A Twist In The Tail (Short Stories) - [963 words]
Agony (Short Stories) The First in a series of Agony columns written by the unstoppable Aunt Nasty. (May be deemed offensive) [1,200 words] [Comedy]
Agony 2 (Short Stories) Morew from the irrepresible Aunt Nasty (May be deemed offensive). [1,077 words] [Comedy]
Angel Stew (Short Stories) The kitchens are in uproar. [826 words] [Comedy]
Anne (Short Stories) - [707 words]
Apple Of His Eye (Short Stories) Daddy's little girl, Daddy's little sweetheart. (May be deemed offensive). [1,742 words] [Drama]
Attractions (Short Stories) People stared at the sisters and called them freaks. [678 words] [Drama]
Bandit At Twelve-O-Clock (Short Stories) A sinister note drops through her letter box, but who is it from and what's it all about? [2,144 words] [Drama]
Barriers (Short Stories) Everybody's frightened of the prisoner in the cell at the end of the block. [2,913 words] [Thriller]
Breakfast In Bed (Short Stories) She loved her husband so much, and a sepcial man deserves a special breakfast. [1,633 words] [Horror]
Car Trouble (Short Stories) Boys will be boys. [496 words] [Comedy]
Cherry Blossom (Short Stories) - [435 words]
Cold, Cold Night.. (Short Stories) The night was beautiful but biting, she had to make her final farewells, a cigarette would help. [630 words] [Drama]
Creeping Up From Behind. (Short Stories) You can't ever really know what someone else is thinking ... unless they choose to tell you. [925 words] [Drama]
Dark Solitude. (Short Stories) A woman alone on the moors when a storm threatens, but this is no ordinanry storm and that is no ordinary lady. [1,434 words] [Drama]
Dawn Rising (Short Stories) He looked at his own personal sunrise every morning, yet longed for the warmth of the sun. [1,069 words] [Drama]
Deadly Persuit (Short Stories) Nature at its most cruel .. when it's interfered with by man. [1,541 words] [Drama]
Deep Blue Eastern Light (Poetry) I've never been to Budapest, but I saw an image on a postcard, it was misty and had a sort of dreamy quality about it. I wondered about the spirit of Budapest. Hope I've done her justicce. [204 words]
Different Road (Short Stories) Charlie is running scared. Will he find his way before his precious time runs out? [521 words]
Empty House (Short Stories) This had been her domain, now it was only a shadow. [649 words] [Drama]
Find Me A Place (Poetry) Everybody needs somewhere to run. [193 words] [Drama]
Finding Fleur (Short Stories) Katy desperately wants to find Fleur, but does Fleur want to be found? [1,727 words] [Drama]
Four Minute Warning (Short Stories) - [476 words] [Comedy]
Freedom By Another Name (Short Stories) He's an imposter [557 words] [Drama]
Furtive Glances (Short Stories) Always the last to know! [891 words] [Drama]
Galaxy (Poetry) Let Venus bear witness and Mars be our guide. [139 words]
Hickory, Dickory, Dock (Short Stories) - [991 words] [Drama]
Is The Toilet Roll Half Full Or Half Empty (Short Stories) It's hard when you're at bursting point. [423 words] [Comedy]
I've Always Wanted To Write... But! (Short Stories) There's always an excuse if you want to find one. [510 words] [Mind]
Jasmine And Gardenia Love (Poetry) - [417 words] [Erotic]
Jinny (Poetry) - [176 words]
Just The Ticket (Short Stories) You pays your money and you takes your chances. [5,177 words] [Drama]
Knockers (Short Stories) It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. [2,210 words] [Drama]
Little Bird (Short Stories) He liked fragile things [1,406 words] [Drama]
Lizards Leap (Novels) Four children buy an intricately carved frame from a school fair. A crazy old woman chases them desperately wanting the carving for herself. What is the mystery surrounding the strange frame? [5,753 words] [Adventure]
Long Walk Back To Jurassica (Poetry) Evolution and progress or three million steps backwards? [323 words] [Drama]
Lookingthrough The Window (Short Stories) - [401 words]
Madness Becomes You (Short Stories) She used to be someone, now she's several people, or maybe she's nobody at all, it makes no difference. [394 words] [Drama]
Making My Way Back To You. (Short Stories) She'd told them a thousand times to keep the front door closed, now tragedy had struck. [1,926 words] [Drama]
Memberwhen (Poetry) Memberwhen that mystical word of long ago memories. [189 words] [Drama]
Mortar Doesn't Breathe. (Short Stories) The house was inanimate, dead ... because her child was gone. [1,114 words] [Drama]
Mourning Glory (Short Stories) One of my favourite pieces. Please note *This is not a children's story* It's the tale of a little girl trying to be a child. [1,786 words] [Drama]
Mumbles From The Madhouse (Novels) It was her first day on the secure unit and somehow she had to see it through. [2,215 words] [Drama]
My Friend The Tiger And Me (Poetry) I wrote this for my little boy when he was having trouble at school. [942 words] [Animal]
Naughty Bunny Goes To Ibiza (Short Stories) - [552 words]
One-Man Race (Short Stories) He had only his nerves to rely on. One slip and the race would be lost. [664 words] [Drama]
Out Of Print (Short Stories) A man, a boy, a love of reading and echoes of the past. [2,007 words] [Drama]
Outrun The River (Poetry) The snow was melting fast and he owed it to himself and his seld of dogs to make it to safety. [145 words] [Action]
Pact Of Joy. (Short Stories) Don't we all just want to be happy? [2,497 words] [Drama]
Play With Me Please. (Short Stories) - [322 words]
Return Of The Hellcat (Erotica May Be Offensive) (Short Stories) Please do not read this one if easily offended. Or even not so easily offended. Continuing sexploits of Dark Solitude. [3,390 words] [Erotic]
Room For One More (Short Stories) The dream was haunting and wouldn't leave Mike alone. [1,728 words] [Drama]
Rush Hour (Short Stories) - [419 words]
Sally (Short Stories) - [2,268 words]
Sinister Music (Novels) She had no psychic ability, so why had fate chosen her to foretell of the spate of brutal murders? [6,114 words] [Drama]
So This Is My Life Then (Short Stories) - [517 words] [Comedy]
Space Walk (Short Stories) May Cause offense. [1,290 words] [Drama]
Spirit Dancer (Poetry) - [514 words]
Sweet Child Of Mine (Short Stories) The old lady had been brutally mugged, her son was sucjh a good boy, but would his thoughts now turn to revenge? [1,843 words] [Drama]
Tangled Web (Short Stories) Treat `em mean and keep `em keen. [596 words] [Drama]
The Band Played On (Short Stories) - [1,486 words] [Drama]
The Big Picture (Short Stories) The little girl was a great artist, but her subject matter was giving cause for concern. [776 words] [Drama]
The Comet. (Short Stories) Remember! [796 words] [Drama]
The Dinosaur (Short Stories) - [1,523 words]
The Half Empty Glass. (Short Stories) They had no idea of the horror they were walking into. [3,030 words] [Drama]
The Hhmmm Efect (Poetry) - [783 words]
The Iceberg (Short Stories) She had to break the hold they had on him... release him from his parents grip. [410 words] [Drama]
The Joker (Short Stories) - [2,032 words]
The Lovers (Poetry) - [124 words]
The Mark Of Jack (Short Stories) The start of something maybe. [1,044 words] [Drama]
The Old Enemy (Short Stories) I just hope I've got the names right. [253 words] [Drama]
The Rosary (Short Stories) May cause offense. [422 words]
The Spark (Short Stories) - [557 words]
The Thirteenth Station (Short Stories) - [8,024 words] [Horror]
The Village Green. (Short Stories) - [559 words] [Drama]
Three Mile Gap (Poetry) So close and yet... [285 words] [Drama]
Tomorrow Lies Beside Us (Poetry) - [239 words] [Drama]
Tusk (Short Stories) - [1,012 words] [Drama]
Under The Whether (Short Stories) - [1,626 words]
Watching And Waiting (Short Stories) - [1,253 words] [Drama]
White Icing (Short Stories) - [1,385 words]
Worlds Biggest Loser (Short Stories) - [114 words]
You Are My Sunshine (Short Stories) - [1,285 words]
Cat's Chorus
Sue (Sooz) Simpson

Another day was beginning at the �Happycat Cattery� Hazel hated that name for in reality most of the cats here were not in the least happy. As catteries went it was a damned good one, but like all shelters who rely on charitable donations to survive funds were tight. Each �kennel� as they were called was an enclosure nine feet long by three feet wide, each had a raised platform with a Cozycat igloo, made from washable fur fabric. They also had a cat-scratcher, a large post with horizontals coming off it, each one covered in a different textured material from soft velvet through hessian carpet to sandpaper, the top of the scratcher opened into a covered platform, where the cats could sit and play with the ball or cat nip mouse hanging from it.

   All the cats had floor toys made available to them, but in reality few except maybe the healthier kittens ever bothered with them.

   All the enclosures also had two food bowls and a fresh cat litter tray, The entire block was heated and kept at a comfortable 68*. The cats were loved by a caring and dedicated staff, but with the best will in the world, this was not a home.

The dawn chorus was in full swing when Hazel unlocked the block to start her morning routine, of cleaning, feeding, grooming, cuddling, and treating.

The noise was cacophonous, ranging from a tiny kittens mewl through a plaintive meeeoow, to an aggressive bawling �FEED ME NOW� growl.

   Hazel moved along the line starting with Sally. The ritual was always the same, to go in with a few kind words, check they�re okay, and give them a quick stroke. Then she removed the soiled litter trays, and food bowls. Next job up was to Sanitise the floor and remove the igloos for washing if needed. All the soiled trays and bowls were sterilised, and were never just scraped and returned, as some places seemed to be fond of doing. Fresh clean equipment was given every morning while the dirty ones were being cleansed. Then Hazel groomed and cuddled each cat (unless with young, or sick) for at least ten minutes. Every possible care was taken to give the cats the happiest time possible while serving their �sentence�.

  Sally was as usual fine this morning. Sally�s elderly owner had died, and lain undiscovered in her house for over a week. Sally was found lying next to her in poor condition. She was starving, and badly dehydrated, but with a couple of weeks of TLC, she was now fit and waiting to be re-homed.

   Easy to do, you would think, Sally was a beautiful smoky blue Persian, with a thick lush coat, and tranquil loving nature. Sally was a lady, she had a huge yellow eye with eliptical pupil, unfortunately though she only had the one. And this slight imperfection meant that people passed her over time and again, no matter how much her one good eye pleaded �I will love you take me home please.� Hazel picked her up, cradled the cat on it�s back like a baby and stroked her ruff. typical of the breed Sally had serious respiratory problems, due to selective breeding, to perfect �beautiful� deformity, Her face was completely flat as though she�d hit a wall at eighty miles an hour. She instantly set off purring like a motor though Sally�s purr was more of a snuffle, when she was picked up, �Oh pleeeease yes, yes, that�s soooo good, Oh don�t stop, I like that, thank you.� Hazel always called her, My little princess, she was a firm favorite.

Next up was Ice, or �Madam� Ice to her friends. Ice was a pure white cat with a pure white nature and the most spectacular blue eyes. Ice cared for no one, She was aloof, and considered herself to be above every other living creature on the planet, including Hazel, who she promptly and pointedly turned her back on when greeted. Ice was most definitely not the type of feline to wash her bum in public. Ice had a littler of six adorable little kittens, and had been fished out of the canal by a lady who had seen a man throw a hessian sack into the water. Often when this barbaric disposal is done --witch is more often than you would imagine-- they throw a few house bricks in the sack too.But this time luckily not and the lady was able to fish them out by sending her dog in to �Fetch� the sack before it sunk. Ice, for her part was less than grateful, and came out of the sack, like a thing possessed, scratching and spitting in a most unladylike manner.

   This morning mother and babies were all fine, and Hazel, had a few quiet moments being flatly ignored by Ice, who actually quite enjoyed being tickled behind the ear, though she would never admit it. �Excuse me my good woman. Did I actually say you could touch me? I don�t think so, and I�m only stretching my head like this because it aches okay? It is not because I like what you�re doing.�

   Hazel always referred to Madam Ice as �Your Majesty� and dropped into a polite curtsey as she left the room. Ice was a firm favourite.

Copper was a Tortoiseshell, covered from head to toe in healing fleabite scabs, she was a victim like so many of neglect and abuse, and a very sorry sight. She was so thin when she came in that she couldn�t stand unaided, it was touch and go for the old cat, but she had pulled through for now. It was doubtful whether copper would ever be re-homed She was a very old cat with broken yellowed teeth, and a gum disease problem that caused her terrible halitosis, though we won�t embarrass her by mentioning the smells from the other end. But for all her cosmetic and personal let downs Copper was a cat with dignity, she carried herself with an air of grace and Pride �I�m sorry darling I know I smell, And I know I�m prone to wind, and I know I�m a shadow of my former Self, but I have a lot of love to give. I have feelings too you know.�

Hazel called her �Copper Kettle.� She was a firm favourite

She moved along the line of cats, sharing herself amongst them, and giving each one as much love as her limited time would allow. Every one she came to had it�s own special nickname, a secret between the cat and Hazel, and each one was �a firm favourite�.

Lastly she came to �King Luckshaw.� he was actually called Lucky, many cats coming in seemed to be called Lucky, she couldn�t for the life of her imagine why. But Hazel considered this Lucky boy far too regal a cat to have such a common name. He was a huge ginger tom with an ambition to grow up to be a tiger. He was massive. As soon as Hazel walked in he entwined himself amongst her legs, �Hey girl. How ya, doin?� Ah never mind all the touchy feely stuff. Yeah I know I�m gorgeous, and ya can�t keep yer hands off me, but come on now, any chance of getting something to eat round about now? This hunking great love machine�s pretty hungry you know?�

  Luckshaw was some character, amazingly friendly and trusting; considering! Luckshaw had been rescued by a man coming home from the pub one evening last November. Lucky had been tied round a thin tree stump by his legs, then he�d had a banger thrust in his mouth. Luckily the Good Samaritan had scared the youths off before they had a chance to light the firework. Though Lucky still had three of his four legs broken.

 King Luckshaw The Great. Yes you�ve guessed it ...He was a firm favourite.

  Hazel left the block to continue her duties and the cat�s chorus faded out for now!

 

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2000 Sue (Sooz) Simpson
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
January 2003
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2478
 

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