King of the Pumpkin Patch

It just wasn’t fair, Smokey thought. Every year the farm has a corn maze and sells pumpkins, and there are hundreds of strangers running all over MY property. These people are crazy! They grab pumpkins up like they were made of catnip. They wander all around in the small field, trying to find their way out of the maze, scaring the mice away and making it impossible for me to catch them!

Smokey hissed at some strangers walking by and a little girl giggled. “Is Mr. Cat feeling grouchy?” she asked, bending down to touch his head. He was so surprised that she wasn’t afraid of him that all he could do was stare at her. “There, that’s better,” she said and dipped her finger into her cup of ice cream, then held it out to him. Smokey licked her finger. Wow! Delicious! He began to purr. Just in case she was feeling generous, he snaked himself around her legs, hoping for more of that treat. The girl laughed and pulled the orange bandana off of her hair and tied it around his neck. “Now you are a Halloween kitty, the King of the pumpkin patch,” she said.

Smokey didn’t like being called ‘kitty’, but the girl gave him more of the cold white stuff, so he forgave her.

“C’mon,” she said and picked him up. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He did NOT like being picked up. She ignored him and perched him on a pumpkin. “Take a picture, Daddy! Look, isn’t he cute?” Her father obediently pulled out his phone and took the picture.

“Sweetie, we need to get going. Say goodbye to the kitty.”

“Goodbye,” she said and kissed Smokey on top of the head, then they were gone.

Well, Smokey thought, here’s an angle I never thought of. I need to get these strangers to feed me! Who needs mice? I see they have long sticks made of meat in bread and popcorn, and that wonderful white stuff. Okay, King of the pumpkin patch, work your magic!

Smokey weaved around the strangers, purring and rubbing himself against their legs, and, sure enough, it worked. He had pieces of meat, popcorn with butter to lick off, and even some milk from someone. When they all left, Smokey curled up beside a pumpkin and purred contentedly. He was glad it was quiet, his tummy was full and the night was perfect.

The image below is from Reba Spike on Unsplash

#FFFC

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #339