Zoie

From ✖ ToXic Noir ✖

Zoie was standing outside the FishCo.
"Hey Zoie" I greeted her as I approached the building and she turned suddenly.
"Hey kitten" she answered walking up and licking my cheek.
I smiled at her and I licked back a rain drop form her cheek.
She looked in to my eyes giving me a smile then she asked "How long is it going to rain for?"
My eyes were full of joy as I said "One week" but in my thoughts the answer was -a year, I wish-.
Zoie's head lowered slightly with annoyance then shook her head and faked a smile "The rain is only good when you have someone special to play in it with, otherwise it reminds you your alone ". I know she was thinking about the past for a second staring at a gathering point for rain.
"Hey you're not alone" I pulled her tail playfully obtaining a smile, then she shrugged "Sorry I wasn't here for a min"
There were something I was thinking about and I wanted to discuss it with her "By the way, could we have a little walk to the beach?".
She accepted to follow me.
We went near the campfire on the south beach, just near the rusted trailer.
"I've got an umbrella if you dislike the rain" I said gesturing the wooden stub near the fire.
She smiled "It's ok, I'm part fisher cat" she answered walking over and sitting.
i took place near her while in my mind I was collecting the words.
I felt her glance on me "You must be fisher cat too?" she said noticing how I was not caring about my soaking clothes.
I smiled looking at her "... I guess so". Was an idea that had already hovered on the edge of my mind.
She took off her claws setting them next to her and examined my face curious on what I had on my mind, I guessed.
"Ok. Let's go straight to the point". Better to be direct.
"When we met about three months ago you talked me about your past..."
She nodded.
"Well... I've met a man. He came to Haven looking for me pretending to be my master. Probably I've already told you"
She nodded again and listened carefully. She leaned down and with her finger drawled Zoie in the wet sand.
"After that I've talked to him again and he told me something that somehow troubled my thoughts".
She looked up suddenly taking her eyes off the 'o' in her name that she was circling around and around and looked at me "Whats that sug?"
"He told me that I was sold as pet and he bought me. But before the delivery in Toxia the ship where we were on had a drawback"
She listened intently.
"And some of us were cast in the sea". I took a little breath.
I Zoie's eyes were the images of what the boat trip must have been like and she wandered what was the outcome. She finally looked over "Were you one of the lost?".
I was rubbing slowly my forehead in thoughts "Well... it's what he said. And I remember about your past. I remember that you were on a boat or something...". A vague vein of hope running in my voice.
She nods and I turned my glance to her "Could it possible... that was the same boat?" I finally asked.
She tried to think back of her repressed memories of that awful ship and the crate.
She bit her lip and thought out loud for a minute.
I noticed the sad expression on her face "I'm sorry, I'm not intending hurt you".
"I was supposed to be on a boat with my family. There were two ships at the dock we were all in the same pile of luggage on the dock ...I remember hearing cries of men shouting and heard money being exchanged although I wasn't sure why because we weren't for sale that I know of".
She paused. "That night the sea was roaring with waves and I remember water splashing in to my bedding.
I was listening her words carefully.
"I remember seeing different species and I wandered for a moment if we all were going to live in the same city my owners were moving too ... but I don't remember seeing my brother again, just random kitties laying and whining in the night... I couldn't figure out why they were so sad except the water".
She stopped in her thoughts "Did you see those things?"
"I can't remember anything, I'm trusting the words of a stranger". I looked down to my fingers "Do you remember well how your brother looks like?"
She sighed "Well we were kittens at the time I last saw him... I think he had dark hair ears and tail ...".
She looked down for a bit seeming to be upset slightly "I don't remember his name just flashes of images of us playing before the boat trip really".
I nodded while I was absently dipping my fingers in the wet sand.
She smiled slightly "You know I gave my self the name Zoie because of its meaning once I got here".
I reached my pocket to show her her contract that man gave me.
She watched me with question.
"That's what certify I belong to him. And the name the merchant have chosen for me".
I handed her the crumpled paper. "I'm trying to find out if he's in Toxia but none seems to know him. That would be a good start to know more about my past. And if you somehow belong to it".
Zoie gazed on the paper looking at the markings and words then notices a symbol that looked familiar: it was like a seal or stamp of a ut in a circle of red ink.
She pointed to the ut in a circle "that".
I looked down to the paper.
She leaned down and drawled it in the sand making it look watered down and dripping as though she has seen it that way before.
"The red star?" I asked.
She shrugged "Maybe not" then she sighed "I guess it is a star huh" said squinting her eyes.
I tried to remember how many times I looked at every red sign in the city with hope, disillusioned every time.
"Well, maybe or maybe not. I was not sure to show it to you, I was afraid to hurt you summoning such sad thoughts". I said putting back the paper.
She shrugged then pointed down at the drawling she made "I think this was on my crate. I remember seeing it after the water came in and it was all smeary and bleeding it looked like this to me at the time I discovered it when I saw the red on my hand I thought I was bleeding... but I was holding on the sides of the crate at the time".
She looked over and smiled "I've not seen that anywhere here .. in hindsight I think the red on the crate was a symbol of trade".
I glanced at the signs in the sand figuring out it in red.
"Yes, that's what I believe, too. But that man isn't coming in Toxia after I've told him to stay away from me and I've no other clues" I sighed slightly.
She looked over then wrapped one arm around me and hugged me, then she said "I'm sorry kitten but any constilation I've felt a connection of some kind to you since I met you and ...... well" she smiled "you know ..."
I closed my eyes feeling at ease, that happen only when is Zoie touching me.
She looked over for a second then back at the drawling smearing more and said "Zoie ... means new life "
"Noir means black. As my ears and tail" I smiled and answered softly.
She giggled slightly glancing over studying my face then back at the ground "I had a stupid name from my old owners and never told anyone .... want to know a secret?".
I smiled nodding.
She smiled for a second then looked at me seriously trying not to laugh "Ok I remember being called Cookies n cream but Cookie for short"
She smiled again feeling embarrassed "Hense why I don't really ever eat sweets like the other kitties".
"Oh but I know why they call you this way" I said amused.
She looked at me pointing to her ears then tail and feet. She giggled "I'm like an oreo cookie".
I gently took one of her hand and I smelled it "And your scent, too".
She smiled pulling away then nudged me giggling.
I giggled in his turn at the joke.
She looked over again "You know to me ... Sketch I think "
I nodded "Yes. Do you know Brianna? She was the first person I've talked to since my awakening. She called me Sketch because of my habit".
She looked over with a look of thought "I didn't know that really "
She nudged me with a smile on her face and asked in a playful voice "So find you a ial kitten yet?"
I shrugged leaning back "Oh well, it was before she joined the shadows" I skated over the question.
"Ok, too much drama, isn't it?" I turned smiling at her stretching my arms "Damn, I've always hated it".
She tugged at the bottom of the ripped part of her shirt trying to conceal what lays underneath looking over and giggling "huh drama .... who is the lucky kitten ... spill it or I'll kick your butt" she smiled playfully.
I giggled pointing her.
She looked shocked as though she hadn't seen that one coming at all "Really?".
She smiled blushing a bit after thinking about what I just said.
I shook an hand as moving away strange thoughts "Oh well, it was not in my intentions but you know, the crackling fire, the sound of the crickets... People may think I'm here to declare my love".
She giggled and smiled scooting a bit closer to me then leaning her head on my soaked sweater with a slight gush noise that only she could hear "I didn't think about it that way actually I'm kinda blinded and never notice when anyone has any interest in me .... I'm glad I met you kitten". She took her hand and squished some of the water out of my shirt on my arm letting it drip to the ground.
I ruffled a little her hair "Well I must confess I love you as a brother does. I can say I don't feel something like that toward anyone else".
I looked over the people fighting around.
She giggled "Well maybe .... that symbol of a ut in a circle used to be a star and maybe ... eh nevermind".
She sighed "I need more time to remember my brother's name dammit ... it started with a 'o' I think. Obserbatory .....no Obsidian..... Oter .... " she looked over studying my ears as though she had a thought of once biting them.
She sees a mark just on the tip of my ear and suddenly says "That's what you get Onex" but doesn't know why she said it.
I detached the wet fabric of the shirt form my chest "Oh probably it will pop up in your mind in an unexpected moment".
I sensed she was feeling embarrassed but she smiled to herself having remembered another piece of the past.
"Hum, guess it's time to move. Air is filling of the smell of blood".
She looked over slightly as she stood to her feet "Yeah well if your name is Onex then your my brother I think ...."((however i cant spell it for some odd reason )).
She shrugged the thoughts form her mind stretched and scratched her back where the log rested against her.
I stood and I barely cleaned my soaked pants from the sand "Well... it could sound weird but I will be your brother even if my name is Kyle or Jared".
She giggled slightly "I'm sorry I cant help you more .... It would be nice to know my brother is safe and what happened to him... really".
"I'm sure he is. And I'm sure you'll hug him again soon".
She wiped a rain drop from my cheek and smiled slightly.
"Ok, I head to the FishCo. Coming?"
She bit her bottom lip looking down at herself "I need to go change anyway this shirt is a bit too ripped.
She turned going towards FishCo and I followed her.