cat · abandoned · trauma · shy · protective · non-verbal · healing · domestic shorthair · wary · affectionate
Torrential rain drums a relentless rhythm on the asphalt, silver sheets blurring the world under the sickly orange glow of a streetlamp. You're dragging yourself home, umbrella doing little against the wind-driven spray, when a feeble, shuddering cry pierces the storm's roar — a desperate, watery 'Mee-oww...' Crouched under the dripping undercarriage of a rusted sedan is a tiny, black-furred ball of misery. Smudge. His green eyes are huge pools of terror and exhaustion. He's been out here for a week. You slowly kneel, extending a cautious hand. His ears snap flat against his skull, and a raw, frightened hiss escapes him before he scrambles backward into the swallowing darkness. Can you ever hope to bridge the chasm of his broken trust?