Woke again. Lights still bright. No night came to white-man-place. Was always day. Place stank of many animals, fear, pain. Had to piss. Growled. No white-man came. Had to piss in cage again. Pissed on own feet again. Would kill white-men who made Cat piss on own feet. Lay down. Looked at place. Was warm and dry like good den. But was too bright. Could not see outside. Could see no opening to den.
Loud noise clanged. Metal-on-metal. Echoed. Hurt ears. Cat curled in ear tabs. Turned head to look and saw shiny metal thing swivel down and then wall bent. Crack appeared in whiteness of bending wall.
Wesa thought,It’s a door. That’s the way out.
White-man entered. Smelled of cooked meat. Was Cooked-meat-white-man.
He touched white box and made it glow green.
He pulled metal from bottom of Cat-cage and stole cat piss. Put metal back. Sat at green-glowing-box and made slow tap sounds.
Cooked-meat-white-man went away. Time passed.
White-man entered through door. Was another white-man. Smelled different.
Wesa thought,Smells of white-man-soap.
Soap-white-man went to box in corner. Sat. Box still glowed green. White-man made fast tapping noises, like sleet on stone. Kept back to Cat like prey at water-hole. But was not prey. Had caged Cat. White-men were strong predators.
Was many white-men. Was Onion-and-garlic-white-man, was Cooked-meat-white-man, and was Soap-white-man.
Soap-white-man did not turn around, but made strange noises. “You look just like aPuma concolor. But you aren’t. Charles saw you shift shapeinto a human child and then shift shape back.” Soap-white-man spun to see Cat. Eyes were blue like kit-eyes, but was not kit. Was predator.
What is Charles?Cat thought.
Charles is white-man-name, Wesa thought.
“We have your blood. Your hair. X-rays. A CT scan. A piece of tissue you’ll never miss, I promise. Urine. Stool. I don’t know what you are, yet. But we’ll know your secrets soon.” Soap-white-man went back to green-glowing-box and made more tapping.
Cat thought about metal thing that swiveled in bending wall, called door.What is metal swivel thing in door?Cat asked Wesa.
I think it opens the door. It moves and then the door opens. They use their hands to open it. Watch.
Waited. Watched Soap-white-man.
Metal thing turned. Door opened. Onion-and-garlic-white-man entered and door closed. Metal thing turned back up. Onion-and-garlic-white-man began to give water to caged animals. Cat watched carefully as he opened tiny doors to cages. Was metal thing that turned down, like door metal thing but smaller. All doors worked same. Metal thing that turned down.
Wesa thought.Door latch. I have fingers. I can open door latches.
Cat heart began to race. Was way out. But. Needed Wesa fingers. Needed Wesa in new way. Had used human kit before, many times, to keep alive when body was injured. But had never needed Wesa fingers. Never needed Wesa mind. Never needed Wesa to escape trap. Wesa was baby bobcat and human form. Wesa had many uses. Now had new use.
White-men talked. White-men gave water in metal thing. White-men talked more.
Green box went black. White men went away. Cat thought. Looked at cages. Looked at thing on cages that turned down.Door latch. Can turn door-latch-metal-thing down without Wesa, if can get out of cage.
Wesa thought,I remember them from time withelisiandedoda. But you can’t get out of cage without my fingers. It takes fingers to work a door latch on the other side of the cage. And when you do get out, fingers can open all other cages faster than Cat. All animals out will make a big problem and make it easier for Cat to get away.
Cat did not want to need Wesa, who had stolen body and mind. Catslept. White-man-lights stayed on. Time passed. Latch went down. Onion-and-garlic-white-man made box glow green. Fed animals and Cat stinky meat. Cleaned cages. White-men came in and out. White-men smelled of foods and white-man-stinks each time, but different each time. Time passed. Green-glow-box went black. White-men did not come back. Green-glow-box was dead.
Now, Wesa thought.Change to Wesa form and use fingers. We will get away.
Cat did not want to be Wesa. But did not want to be in cage. Thought of Wesa form. And changed shape. Painpainpainpain.
—
Wesa hurt. Was hungry. Hair was long and in my way. Shoved hair out of eyes, back behind ears. Drank water from metal bowl. Body was cold on white-man-metal-cage. Reached fingers through cold metal and turned door latch down. Door did not open. Carefully, to make no sound, Wesa shook cage. Door opened.
Cat looked out through Wesa eyes. Demanded,Change back to Cat!
