The Youngster: A Short Narrative Fiction

The youngster was very, very tired. He had come a long way, bounding along as fast as he could. He had never once looked back, and he had had only one thought on his mind: to get as far away from those cruel teenage boys as fast as he could.
His heart had now stopped pounding and had changed into a whirring engine – an engine that was finely tuned on fear. His paws were sore, but he couldn’t stop, not yet; he had to find a safe place to rest.

Granny C. lived in a cottage with a very, very big garden at the back. No one could remember Granny C.’s last name. She had been called Granny C. by everyone for years and years and years.
Everything was peaceful in Granny C.’s garden. The birds flew from tree to tree. They sang all day long. Goldfish

Slowly, bit by bit, he started to come round. More than one whisker started to twitch. Both of his ears twitched. He raised his tail off the ground. It was only half of his tail at first, but then it was the rest of it before letting it flop gently back. A ripple went through his body, and he tried to lift his head off the grass. He shook it as though trying to clear something out of his ears. Maybe he was trying to shift the memories he had in his head.
He tried standing up, but he could only get halfway and ended up in a sitting position.
‘So you are awake now, are you?’ said Granny C. ‘How about something to eat? I think I have a tin of pilchards somewhere.’
Tiger looked at Granny C. standing in front of him. Have I died and gone to cat heaven? It surely would explain why he could understand every word this old lady was saying. His first instinct was to back away. Instead, he crouched very low and hissed. Actually it was half a hiss, as he was still quite weak.
‘It’s alright, Tiger, no one will harm you here. But there are a few house rules – or should I say garden rules – that you must follow if you would like to live here. Understood?’
‘Rules? What rules? And why did you call me Tiger?’
‘You are called Tiger because you look like one. You have the same colour and markings.’
‘Do I?