Chapter 1:

I rush out the door and onto the street, my mind spinning, my heart pounding. How could it be possible? To wish to fire dad, to obtain another job? As I drift off into a hole of trepidation, I spot a flash of black. I halt and survey the street, quiet as the evening sun took hold of the cold bringing slumbrous warmth. I begin to resume my walk my mind drifting back to-

“Hello”

With a start I swivel around, my fur standing on end as I face the source of the voice; a black cat with peculiar spots: her ears, paws, and the tip of her tail are red, as though she dipped them in dye! But her weird choice of fur dyeing distracted me not from her suspicious presence. With a more defensive stance I began to back away slowly so as to not provoke her, though she only stared at me with confused eyes.

She clears her throat before speaking. “Hello, my name is Ms. Picket and I’m from the Mission Travels of Worlds and Time.”

I stare at her for a hot minute, my head tilting in confusion. Mission Travels of Worlds and Time? That is the most undeniably, absurd, made-up thing I've yet to hear in my life! This Picket is either the most delusional cat I've ever seen or must be a snatcher! Attempting to snatch me up and put me for ransom! My ears flick back and panic begins to rise within me. She stares at me, perhaps trying to find my weakness.

“I understand you may be a bit…put off but trust me when I tell you that what I am offering you is a once in a lifetime experience! A chance not only to meet new cats, technology, but also travel to other worlds!”

How… much of an idiot does this cat think I appear that she believes I'll listen to these absurd lies!

“You’ll also be paid."

Now. Now she has sparked my interest!

I stand before the Trail Forward Company, my mind still not comprehending how a company like this would refrain from telling the public that they’ve created time and world travel! I lay my suspicions behind and enter the lobby. I look around expecting a nice committee welcoming me but…nothing, how swell. A bit grudgingly, I move past the waiting area and to the supply closet and pushing open the door (beep) I walk inside to find…nothing! Was all this some sort of cruel joke!? HOW RICDIC-

AHHAHAHHHHHHHHAHAHHH!!!

I let out a scream of horror as I fall to my absolute death! I knew I shouldn't have trusted that dweller of a cat!

It wasn't until the walls began to turn a bright white that I began to retract my angry thoughts. In absolute bewilderment I am lowered onto a metal plate, white walls surrounding me, and paw print buttons illuminate, that I see I am in an elevator! I stand in absolute confusion before recalling Ms. Picket's instructions and press the button marked WORK 1. After a moment a ding sound from...nowhere and I cannot help but gasp as the doors open to a large building! The walls, roof, and floor all colored the same white and different varying size rooms are scattered about just like the stalls in the festivals those dwellers host (it seemed endless)! The floor, covered with 8 different colors all leading to somewhere, and cats all mill about doing whatever they need to do.

I decide to follow a pink line, after all who wouldn’t. Walking around I revel at the different types of cats all with such weird fur colors and sizes. The pink line stops in front of a hazed glass wall room and I peer inside; pressing my face against the glass, and I find silhouettes of cats working with machines and techs, why it was only a cat's dream! I continue to watch when I hear a loud gasp. I swivel around to find a quite peculiar cat; a faded blue gray spot that covered about half of her left face, mirrored with a dark teal spot on her right face, toffee color for her chest that streamed up to her face stopping just at the top of her emerald eyes and also found at her two front paws, color similar to espresso caramel for her body and tail, and finally, dark burn sienna cheetah-like-spots on her body and same color slightly thick stripes on her tail! Why, how exotic and beautiful she looks!

“What are you doing here!?” She bellows out running to me.

My fur rises, my ears shoot back, and I crouch low to the ground, I don't respond so as to not exacerbate things. She looks down, breathing heavily before pausing, her expression changing.

“H-how old are you?” She asks

“...14, “I respond hesitantly.

A hardly noticeable gasp escapes her, as if in shock, and she abruptly looks away and mutters a soft sorry before turning and leaving! I stand up and watch her leave, dumbfounded. How dare she come upon me suddenly, frighten me, and walk away!?

"What are you doing? I told you to stay at the elevator,” She hisses

I smile bashfully and say nothing.

"Don't be near the Engineering room without permission." She says as if I were some ruffian, immature, dweller! She sighs and begins to walk.

She leads me to a large room labeled TRAINING 201, the size of a standard gym it had corner for napping, a corner reserved for storing lunch, and a large empty area. She leads me to the resting area where other cats lay in wait. Upon our approach a cat similar to Ms. Picket, except having white fur, stops his endeavor to balance a type of square snack on his nose. Ms. Picket clears her throat.

“Now that we have everyone, why don't you all introduce yourselves?"

"Oh! I am William." The white cat announces, as if it was much of an announcement.

"I'm Kate."

We then waited

and waited...

Ms. Picket sighs with frustration and turns to a cowardly looking blue cat with light blue spots and a tail that...resembled seaweed? He jumps slightly at the forced participation, his tail curling around his body.

"Uh Jack." He says hardly audible even for me! And I have impeccable hearing!

We all turn to the last cat, who is refreshingly normal, with his gray fur and darker gray spots. He lifts his eyes up revealing nothing but dead and uninterested eyes. Ms. Picket's intensifies, looking at him as if threating him with something only he would know. He sighs and rolls his eyes before answering with the same emotion as his eyes.

"Tom." He then reverts to fiddling with his paws.

As Ms. Picket shakes her head an unfamiliar scent enters the room. We all turn towards the entrance to find a light brown cat, who seemed to have gone through quite a bit. Ms. Picket springs up with a relived sigh and greets him.

"Everyone this is your teacher. Mr. Brown I'll leave you with him." And she quickly left.

Mr. Brown looks at each of us, stopping on me. His eyes, to my amazement, turn harder and his ears flick back slightly as though I were some criminal who sneaked her way in! He clears his throat and begins to grow agitated.

"Everyone, I must go take care of some business. You will all wait here until I return!" And he leaves. What does he have? Some worm infection?

Once he leaves an awkward silence befell us, our breathing becomes the loudest thing in the room.

"SO!" William suddenly proclaims sending a spike of fear slashing though my body causing me to jump! He pauses momentarily, turns his eyes to me, and snickers-not so quietly-and resumes, as if my scare wasn't a sign that his broken silence was not wanted.

"Yall wanna go to the storage room?" He announces proudly.

"...why?"

"Trust me it's worth it" He continues getting up in excitement.

I sigh and begin to wager the potential benefits and consequences of partaking in his "fun". There is the possibility that we will be caught, but, then I will be stuck in this suffocating room doing nothing! And if we do get caught, I could always blame him! After all who would believe him over me.

"Alright, I'll go. BUT if we get caught, you'll be taking the blame." I state slowly and firmly, so that he understands.

He blinks and... rolls his eyes? The audacity! Did he think I would willingly go and accept the consequences of going after he had urged us to go with him? How ridiculous!

Jack looks at us both in surprise. "B-but Mr. Brown told us to stay!" He exclaims hardly audible.

William and I exchange glances.

"No 'un said you gotta go."

Jack shifts uncomfortably avoiding eye contact, clearly opposing to the idea. I walk and sit beside him wrapping my tail around him.

"Don't worry it'll be a fun excursion... I hope." I add with a crooked smile.

Jack looks up to me, sighs, and nods. Finally, it was only Tom left.

"Whatta say Tom?"

Tom exhales and looks to William with the utmost superiority and jaded detachment. He blows through his mouth as if pondering the question and he looks back at William and, with a low dead voice, responds.

"Sure."

"Great! Let's skedaddle." He says before leading the way.

We all leave the training room and William leads us to the elevator, having us hide and make sure to avoid the "snitchers", until we finally arrive! As we all pile into the elevator, a whole burden of anxiety and anticipation lifted off my shoulders. It was so exhilarating! William presses the STORAGE floor, and we all wait for the "cool" thing William is so adamant in showing us. The elevator doors open and I can't help but gasp at the sheer number of things there were! The room darker with random ceiling lights was filled with what seemed of storage racks filled and ordered in alphabetical order! William struts out, as if all of this was as mundane as the sun. He turns to us and with a smirk motions us to follow him. We all walk down the rows of the storage racks until we reach W, here William stops and turns to us with excited eyes.

"Alright! Yall close your eyes!"

And we do and after the sounds of rummaging William clears his throat and we all open our eyes to a WATCH! I gasp and exclaim,

"A WATCH!? How amazing! How extraordinary! Oh, I could faint!" We all look at him with an unamused face.

"I've never seen a watch before." Jack says, and I blink in surprise, but before I could say more William clears his throat and adverts his eyes before quickly turning around and back to us with the watch now turned on.

"This ain't no ordinary watch! It's the very thing that allows us to teleport wherever and whenever we like!" He announces proudly. Pardon? Is this the technology Ms. Picket was on about?

I now look at the watch with amazement and curiosity. The screen shows a rectangular box and below it a drop-down arrow hiding something. With curiosity coursing through me I reach out to take it, but William swiftly pulls away. He chuckles nervously.

"Yall can't touch it! Why you could accidently teleport us to who knows where!" He exclaims.

I frown. "So, what are we to do? Gaze at its majesty?" I ask with a ping of annoyance.

William pauses and seems to ponder my question before looking back at the watch and sighing.

"Fine but don't be touchin' nonthin'!" He warns before, with great care, hands me the watch as if it were his child.

I gasp and my ears perk up as the watch falls onto my paws. Jack shifts closer gazing at the watch as if it were some out of this world technology! Tom even scoots closer to take a better look, with William looking down with poorly masked worry. Curiosity soon overcame me like an overworked machine almost ready to burst. Tentatively I raise my paw so as to tap the drop-down arrow and as my paw was but 2 inches from the screen William gasps and excitedly swipes at my paw, instinctively I recoil back and the watch flies into the air! William and I both make an attempt to catch the watch before it meets its poor doom. We crash into each other, when all of a sudden, I hear this fear striking beep and instantaneously a bright flash blinds me momentarily and everything seemed to have stopped into tranquility, but as fast as it came it went, and I awake to...

...to be continued >:]