When lies become the truth... that's when I run to you...

I'm not sure how long I cried.. maybe an hour? Felt like days. By the time I lifted my head from my knees the small mother had fallen asleep with her head next to my hand. Slowly I smoothed my hand from her ears to her tail, shocked that she was accepting me so easily. Needed to accomplish something, I stood up and went upstairs to find the old wicker basket Mom had always used for laundry. I found it in the bathroom closet, but the liner smelled of mildew and had years of dust on it. I grabbed a clean sheet from the shelf and headed back downstairs. Tossing the liner in the laundry room along the way, I knelt back down in front of my new cat and her kittens. "Ok. So I'm going to put this sheet in this basket, see?" I began tucking the sheet into the basket as I spoke to the cat, "And then maybe we can move you and your babies in here?" I don't know why I found it necessary to speak to her... I knew she wouldn't reply. Yet, it was too silent here.

I reached across the basket and gently touched the kitten nearest to me, then stopped. The cat just watched me, but she didn't ruffle her fur again so I picked the kitten up and placed it in the basket. She immediately stood up and walked up to my basket.. sniffing it and licking her kitten. I sat like that.. letting her check the basket out and wondering what she would do next. I was afraid she'd put the kitten back with the others. Miraculously she turned and picked up another kitten and laid it in the basket as well. I took the hint and went into the kitchen to let her finish the job. I would need some cat food.. but for the moment I began to dig into the cabinets. I found several cans of tuna since Mom swore the stuff would last for a good fifteen years. Taking a chance I cracked one open.. and it smelled fine. I took the can and a bowl of water back to my cat and she wolfed it down, emitting tiny growls that I took as a thank you. When she finished I moved the basket into the living room next to the fireplace. I didn't have firewood yet, but the hole in the closet was first on mh list so I left her with her kittens in search of nails and a hammer.

Outside I found a small 2X4 that I managed to nail over the hole. It wasn't spectacular.. but it would hold. It had to be around two in the morning at this point, but the cabin didn't have a furnace so I needed to cut firewood now. I walked around the side of the house where the cutting block was and was shocked to find the south wall of the cabin lined with wood. I knew that there wasn't any left the last year I was here.. and I was the owner of this cabin, so it confused (and scared) me who might have been staying here. Would they be back, and how would they react when they saw me? I stood there for a minute, wondering if I should call someone.. tell them where I am. It was then that I saw her. Across the yard, shining in the moonlight was a panther. I don't know when she walked up.. she never even made a sound. She stood out against the snow that I felt stupid for not noticing her before now. I just stared... there was nothing else I could do. Praying that she didn't see me was pointless, she was making direct eye contact with me. Then, suddenly, she turned and sauntered away.. like she could care less I was standing ten feet away.

My heart was pounding.. it was too much for me, firewood that had been cut and a panther that didn't kill me? I grabbed as many blocks of wood I could carry and ran back into the cabin. There was a soft meow from the fireplace and it occurred to me how lucky it was I had found the hole when I did. That hole had definitely been big enough for the panther's head....