Kitty And The Moonlight Rescue

Chapter

4

Kitty climbed the clock tower swiftly, digging her fingers into the gaps between the smooth stones.

“You can do it!” Pixie cried.

The steep drop below was filled with darkness, but moonlight poured over the tower, turning the stones silver. Kitty felt her superpowers rushing through her, and her heart skipped. Maybe she could be a superhero like her mom after all!

Pulling herself onto the next ledge, she stopped for a second to catch her breath. The ginger kitten peered down at her with wide eyes. There was a sudden click as the big hand on the clock moved closer to the twelve, and the kitten jumped with fright. Kitty’s chest tightened. It was such a long way down.

She climbed faster, her arms and legs tingling. She could hear the ticking of the clock. With a loud click, the big hand shifted to point straight at the number twelve. It was midnight!

“Don’t be scared!” called Kitty. “The clock is about to chime.”

The kitten shook as he gripped the ledge. “What’s a chime?”

Bong! The clock made a deep sound. It was so loud that the whole tower trembled. Kitty held on tightly.

The tiny ginger cat jumped in fright, then toppled backward, tumbling down the clockface with a terrified mew.

“No!” Kitty shouted.

The kitten clutched at the clock’s long hand and clung to it desperately.

The hand slid back to point at the number eleven. The kitten hung there. He wailed while his legs swung wildly in midair.

“Don’t let go! I’ll come to get you.” Kitty’s powers tingled, and she climbed faster. She had to reach the kitten in time!

Kitty scrambled down . . . ten, eleven, twelve. Just as the last chime rang out, a strong gust of wind swirled around the tower. The ginger kitten swayed wildly, and he lost his grip with one paw.

Kitty’s heart pounded. She couldn’t let him fall!

“We believe in you, Kitty!” Figaro shouted from below.

“Go on, Kitty!” Katsumi called out. “You can do it.”

Pixie jumped up and down, one paw over her mouth.

Kitty stepped onto the ledge below the clockface. The ginger kitten was still dangling from the clock hand, and there was no easy way to reach him. Kitty took a deep breath and climbed onto the closest number, her black cape billowing out in the wind.

Using her superpowers to balance, she clambered from one number to the next and steadied herself. She was just below the kitten. His back paws dangled above her head.

“I’m here to rescue you!” she told him. “Reach down and take my hand.”

The kitten’s legs swung. “I can’t—I’m stuck!”

“You’ve been so brave,” said Kitty. “I promise I won’t let you fall.”

The kitten gazed at Kitty with terrified blue eyes. “I can’t move!”

“Be brave!” urged Kitty. “I know you can do it.”

The kitten’s whiskers quivered and he reached down, letting Kitty grab hold of his paw. He let go of the clock hand, and Kitty caught him and pulled him close. She could feel his body shaking. The wind swirled around them, and Kitty held tight to the clockface. There was still a long way to go before they reached safety.

“Hold on to my shoulders,” Kitty told the little cat. “Then I’ll have my hands free to climb.”

The kitten scrambled onto her shoulders. Kitty made her way down the tower, careful to keep her balance. The kitten clung to her neck as he peered anxiously at the ground.

“It’s too far!” he squeaked. “We’ll never make it.”

“We will,” Kitty told him. “Can you see my friends on that rooftop over there? Soon you’ll be able to meet them.”

The kitten looked at the rooftop, his whiskers twitching. Kitty kept climbing, but the kitten clutched at her face, covering her eyes with his paws.

Kitty didn’t want to worry him, so instead she used her superpowered senses. She felt along the tower wall for every foothold and handhold, balancing perfectly. She could hear Figaro and Katsumi talking, so she knew exactly where she was going. At last they reached the wide ledge where she had begun her climb.

“Are you ready?” Kitty asked the ginger cat. “I’m going to jump across.”

“You mean—all the way over there?” he squeaked, staring at the gap between the clock tower and the rooftop. “It’s too far, we’ll both fall!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before.” Kitty smiled. “And I have superpowers that help me.”

The kitten’s eyes grew big and round. “Then you’re a real superhero?”

“I’m still learning,” said Kitty. “And this is my very first adventure!”

The little cat gazed at her solemnly. “I trust you! I will hold tight while you jump.”

Kitty got ready, bending her knees and throwing back her arms. Then she made an enormous leap. Her black cape swirled out behind her, and for a moment, Kitty felt as though she was flying through the sky. She landed softly on the other side and set the kitten down on the rooftop. Figaro, Katsumi, and Pixie rushed over to meet them, mewing with excitement.

“That was such a daring rescue!” gasped Pixie. “Were you scared, Kitty?”

“A little bit,” Kitty admitted. “But I knew all of you believed in me, and that helped a lot.”

“You certainly have great climbing skills,” said Katsumi. “Don’t you agree, Figaro?”

“Yes, indeed!” Figaro twirled his whiskers. “But I do think it was very silly of this kitten to be up so high in the first place.” He turned to the kitten. “What in paw’s name were you doing up there?”

The little cat’s nose twitched, and a tear rolled down his furry cheek. “I was searching for somewhere warm to sleep. I thought if I climbed up high it would be easier to look. Then I realized I was too high and I couldn’t get down.”

Kitty crouched beside him. “Please don’t cry! What’s your name? Do you have any family or friends nearby who can look after you?”

The kitten shook his head. “I don’t have any family or friends. I don’t have a name, either.”

Kitty was surprised. How could this lovely kitten not even have a name? “We’d love to be your friends if you’d like that.” She looked at the other cats, and they nodded in agreement.

The kitten wiped a tear away with his paw, and a smile spread across his face. “I’d like that more than anything in the world!”