Anne, a twelve-years old girl, has spent her last two years in a hospital. When she was ten, she had a car accident with her parents and survived only herself. But with a broken spinal cord. She couldn't walk, draw, write... everything for which she needed her legs or hands. She only laid in her small world. In hospital room only with small window and bed. Without any more things. Anyone of her relatives didn't want to have her in their home, only her uncle and aunt, but they haven´t got work and could barely care for their own three children...
Even today, everything was the same. Sun was going down and Anne was looking to the same wall because the window was behind her bed. She saw only shades dancing on a side of the room...
The night was coming, but shades weren't disappearing. Moon was shining over the tree behind the window and was making the same shadows as a sun. Suddenly, Anne saw a different thing on the wall. It was a shadow of some animal. Oh, yes! It's a cat! Anne's eyes were closing.
She saw how the cat ran away. The cat was black like its shadow. It ran, ran without stop, like Anne two years ago. Now it turned right. The cat ran out of the dark town and went to a sunny field... And Anne wasn't human. She became a running black cat. She had a strong quick legs. She played with butterflies and than she returned to the town again. It was morning and Anne was jumping on warm roofs. The birds were singing. Pads were light and soft. World, this big world with many surprises was really beautiful. Anne didn't know what has happened with her. Formerly she was closed in a small room only with one window. Now, she is free, happy and healthy! She can do whatever she wants!
Sunshine made her body warm. Another inner characteristic woke up in her. Curiosity. She want to discover and meet something new. Her green eyes sparkled. A man appeared at the corner. Big, tall man in a long coat. Opportunity! Opportunity, where she can satisfy her curious character. She was looking from nearest roof to him. When he turned on the corner, she jumped to a tree next to the roof and quickly climbed down. She slunk behind the unknown man. But it didn't suffice to her that saw him from a safe distance. She quickly changed space, now, she was very close to the strange man... and it was a big mistake. Under her pad a leave rustled and the man turned very quickly to Anne and caught her. She fought, but without any effect. The man was looking at her and then he put her to his knapsack. He walked with her away. There were many things in the knapsack and one of them jumped and stroke her to her head...
She woke up in gloom. She slowly opened her eyes. She was shocked. She was in one of really small cages which were pressed in big, dark room. The only source of light was a small window. Anne had seen that before – but where?
“Oh, a little sweet cat. More cat in prison. Why?” she heard from the next cage. An old grey cat was laying on the floor. “You have a white tip of a tail, that's a sign of freedom. You aren't supposed to be here.” She turned over to Anne with her tired eyes. “Where am I?” said scared Anne. ”In a shelter,” answered the old cat sadly and started looking away. “Can I leave this place?” asked Anne. But the old cat didn't answer to Anne's question. She fell asleep. Anne looked with panic around. Everywhere was frightening darkness and the cage was too cramped...Small world. She was again imprisoned in a small world. Again? What if she stood there forever! No, forever no! Anne laid in the corner and closed her eyes. But then she quickly opened them again, because she heard the big doors of the room opening. There came a little boy. He opened every cage and put to cats bowls some food. When he was preparing to give food to Anne, he stopped. He looked to her deep green eyes and then he said: “You are beautiful!” Than he quickly pat to her bowl food and continued feeding other cats. Anne it ate with resistance and than she laid and looked on other cats all afternoon.
When the sun started going down, the same little boy went to the room. He took to the bowls again something which wasn't good to eat, but it was the only food which the cats could eat there. In front of Anne's cage he stopped again. This time he looked at Anne for a very, very long time. “I can't hold it. Run, cat, run away!” he said and opened the doors of her cage. Anne understood him and started running away. The last thing which she saw was a smile at the old cat's face. Anne was really happy. She didn't know why the boy let her go. But she was free and that was the main thing. She was out from a small world, she had freedom...
“Anne, wake up!” Anne slowly opened her eyes. She was in a white room with small window, unable to move. “Anne! I am your aunt! We have found a new job! We can have you in our home!”
That's how Anne freed herself from the small world as a human, too. When they were leaving the hospital, a young, black cat with a white tail tip crossed their path. “We're going to have bad luck,” laughed Anne's aunt. “No, no,” whispered Anne. “This one has a white tip of the tail.”
THE END
