There are dollops of light prickling through curtains, blinds. Time for the morning meal. I have an ache in my belly and a feeling of panic. Nourishment is my sole purpose for existing right now. Nothing else crosses my mind except trying not to die.

Mom already went to the outer place. She will be gone until the sun is past the top of the sky, and we are heading towards darkness again. The Elders are on the sleeping rectangle, in their chamber. Aero and Petra sleep there too. They are the elder cats. It’s appropriate. They guard the elders at night. I guard and protect Mom. My brother Peanut, her favorite, also “guards.” But he’s no guard. He is soft and spoiled. I protect him too. He is incapable. My other brother Smokey is the weird one. Sometimes he sleeps outside. Sometimes he sleeps in Mom’s chair, sometimes with Peanut, Mom, and me. Sometimes he sleeps with the elders. He really has no direction.

I perch on the square by the sleeping rectangle, watching the Female Human. She wakes up earlier than the Male. I wish her to wake up with all my staring ability, my gaze unfaltering. We are in an urgent situation. The food bowls are empty. This is how we hunt. This is how we survive.

After a few minutes, Aero sits up and begins to watch too. Two staring is better than one. I see movement the corner of my eye. It’s my brother Smokey. He is across the room on the other hard rectangle thing where they keep their body coverings. Three watching now. So much power. It shouldn’t be long.

Petra continues to sleep. Useless old lady. She’s my grandmother but that means nothing in cat world. I keep her in line.

An eternity later, The Female Human opens her eyes. She shows her teeth but not in the aggressive way. It’s the way where I usually get rubbed and talked to in a soothing voice. I like it. She stands on her hind legs and picks up some of her human tools: The rectangle with pictures that she stares at a lot, the other rectangle with the things she puts in her ears, the thing she derives water from, and the black thing with little windows that go in front of her eyes during the day.

She heads to the food room. All three of us plop to the floor and follow. Four now. Petra has woken up and will reap the benefits of mine, Aero’s, and Smokey’s hard work. Of course freeloader Peanut comes scurrying in from Mom’s room. So five.

When all five bowls had been filled, I said “Oh thank you Mother Cat God. We will survive a few more hours.” The Female refills our drinking fountain and starts to brew that black horrible smelling stuff the Humans drink in the mornings. Then the best noise ever. Crack, swish. She has opened the wet, creamy stuff. My favorite. I can’t help but cry out over and over, “mou, mou, MOU!” We all do. It’s more excitement than any of us can bear.

The Female places a scoop into Petra’s bowl. Why her? I’m hungry too. So I push Petra out of the way and start to gulp. The Female sounds perturbed and says my name. Well it’s her fault for not giving me some of the good stuff. She continues to scoop, giving everyone some of the good stuff. I finish mine and start in on Peanut’s. The Female doesn’t see so I got about half of his.

I follow The Female to the couch. She sits, then rests her ugly white hind paws on the table. I sit on her belly and purr. I’m so full and happy and warm. She is ignoring me! Looking at the rectangle thing and not petting me. I knock it with my head. That usually makes her stop. But I have to do it a few times before I get my way. I rub my cheeks on it. It smells like her and I want it to smell like me too. I like her because she feeds me. She rubs me all over and it’s so nice. Ahhh, puurrr. Eyes are slipping closed…zzzzzz

Awake! I need to clean myself. I lick and lick. Eww, smells like Peanut. I must have bumped him when I was stealing his food. Lick that off. Gone. Good.

And now I sleep. Deep sleep.

Abrupt wake up again. The Female is rising up from the couch. In the middle of my nap. Something about “Sorry.” Then something about “coffee.” I don’t know what those mean but I’m done with her today. Incredibly rude.

I go in the little house Mom got me and snooze until the sun has moved almost to the center of the sky. I’m hungry again. And I see a bug. It’s the good tasting kind. I will play with it and toss it around first because I am a wild animal, top of the food chain, I open my mouth to roar. It still sounds like a “Meow,” but it feels roary. I feel roary. I am the Queen of this Castle. I am Zora.