Against the Impossible

By Hailey Huntington

I could feel the kitten’s heartbeat.

That shouldn’t have been possible.

Opening his mouth, the kitten let out a tiny meow, showing off his small pink tongue. I hugged him to my chest and glanced around the alley. We were still alone, unnoticed.

I’d stepped into the alley to adjust my glitching earpiece. As I pulled it from my ear, I noticed the kitten cowering in a box. The earpiece slipped from my fingers as I rushed to free the animal.

Staring at the little ball of fur now cupped in my hands, I swallowed. Great-grandpa had told me stories about real animals from his childhood—before the world leaders decided that certain animals should be eliminated to eradicate many diseases. Before they wiped out everything to control the ecosystems and replaced the popular favorites with animatronics.

But this kitten… This kitten was real. He was flesh and blood, not metal and wires. His fur was grown, not attached by adhesive. Against the impossible, this kitten was real.

He rubbed his head against my chest. I startled as his body began to shake. What was happening?

A soft, contented rumble came from the kitten. Cautiously, I stroked his back and smiled at the memory of Great-grandpa’s stories about cats. The kitten was purring. A sign of contentment.

Compassion flooded through me, squeezing my heart. I couldn’t tell the authorities that I found a real animal. They would either dispose of him without a second thought or use him as a science experiment. Carefully, I slipped the kitten into my coat’s inside pocket. “You’re a survivor, like me. I won’t give you up.”

Heat radiated from the kitten’s small frame, warming my skin. Smiling, I scratched his ears. He purred louder.

A clatter echoed from the other end of the alley. I stood up, fumbling with my jacket’s buttons. I had to protect him.

As I finished the top button, two men stepped out of the alley shadows, talking in hushed tones.

“I know it came this way. And don’t startle it again,” the burly man growled.

Both men froze when they saw me. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my dropped earpiece. Trying to act casual, I bent over and grabbed it. My coat shifted awkwardly with the kitten’s weight. Did the men notice?

“Hey! You notice anything strange here?” the wiry man asked.

I shook my head and held up the earpiece. “Just fixing this.” I was certain that the smile I tacked on at the end looked forced.

Burly stepped toward me. “Certain you ain’t see anything funny?”

Once more, I shook my head. Then I noticed a soft rumble. It was too close to be coming from a car on the street. The kitten was purring too loud. My palms were so sweaty that I almost dropped the earpiece again.

Wiry lined up next to Burly. “You hear that?”

Shifting slightly, I crossed my arms to cover the slight bulge in my coat.

“Yeah.” Burly came closer. “And it sounds like it’s coming from him.”

I must keep him safe.

I darted out of the alley, trash crunching under my feet. As I rounded the corner, I pushed over the trash can behind me, creating a chain reaction of tumbling metal cans.

I ran faster.

The wind gusted into my face, making my eyes water from cold and fumes. Warmth still seeped into me from the kitten, now bouncing up and down against my chest. His tiny claws dug through the fabric and into my skin. Was he as terrified as I was?

Pounding footsteps behind me shouted that the men were getting closer. I didn’t know who they were. But I had seen enough people like them with that dark gleam in their eyes to know that they wouldn’t do anything good to the kitten if they caught him.

Cars whizzed by on the road. My muscles cramped. My chest tightened. I wasn’t going to be able to run for much longer. Asthma would stop me soon enough. I needed to find some way to lose our pursuers.

I searched wildly for a place to disappear. Another alley. A subway entrance. A warehouse store. The best option was the store, but it was another thirty yards away. My burning lungs suggested I wouldn’t make it that far.

But I had to try.

A gunshot cracked the air. I needed to get out of here.

Wheezing in a deep breath, I put my head down, pumped my arms, and threw the rest of my energy into my stride. Sidewalk cracks flew past.

Another crack. I winced. The men had to be close.

Daring to lift my head, I gasped. The store was right in front of me. I threw the door open and sprinted inside. Shoppers and aisles flew past. I didn’t stop until I reached the clothing section and locked myself in a changing room.

I collapsed on the bench and stared at the door, waiting. My breaths came in tight wheezes. If the men came by, they’d be able to hear me. Fumbling with my buttons, I reached into my coat pocket for my inhaler. My fingers brushed against plastic and fur. Carefully, I pulled out my inhaler, then the kitten.

After taking several puffs and a few deep inhalations, my breathing started to even out. I stroked the kitten and lifted him to my face.

“We got away.” I rested my head against the wall, my shoulders relaxing.

I should have collapsed before I reached the building. I had never run that hard in my life.

The kitten rubbed his nose against mine. It was cold and wet. I laughed at the strange sensation.

Smuggling the kitten into my apartment would be almost ludicrous. Even if I succeeded, he could be discovered at any moment. But we’d already both defied the odds.

What was to stop us from doing the impossible again?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hailey Huntington loves adventures, and she’s always ready for another one—whether it’s discovering Narnia, traveling across Middle Earth, hiking a mountain in Iceland, or simply going on a walk with her family. Aside from adventures, Hailey also loves board games, music, ice cream, laughter, witty characters, fantasy, emojis, and Jesus—though not in that order.

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