I like it when they leave the lid open. Like a gacha machine, my chances for something good varies from day to day. Some days there’s nothing, some days they keep it shut and some days I hit the jackpot. Today I hit the jackpot. A bag full of unwanted party food. I claw at the bag and rip it open, I chew into the delicious food with a fervour.

I can smell smoke and it’s making my throat twitch like crazy. I look up and see flames. The light is frightening and I quiver. Black smoke is billowing outwards and it is consuming the tall block building. There are screams and windows are smashing. I see one figure jump from their window, they come and they crash into the bin I’m in. I am projected upwards and what I saw was horrific. The building was mostly covered in fire now, the heat itself was scorching and my fur feels like it is burning.

I land on my feet just outside the bin and I cry out for various reasons. First, for the fire and the peril for them. Secondly, I missed out on my jackpot.

They are running and one of them sees me and carries my scared-stiff body. I can hear thuds as I’m taken away.

That day was the day that my life changed and so did so many of theirs. I now live in a loving foster home where they thought I was a cat who belonged to one of them in the burning block. I truly hit the jackpot.