Reflections

Ariel K. Clawson slowly walked down the empty hall, her footsteps causing  resounding echoes in the empty hallway. She bit her lip hard, the blood flowing onto her  tongue. She didn’t care, not anymore.

Her long blonder hair flowed around her shoulders. Once it had been beautiful,  now it was a ragged clump due to lack of care. Her right paw was clenched tightly around  the ten millimeter gun. It had been easy enough to obtain the weapon, a couple hundred  dollars from the right people. She had connections.

‘Guess you’re not the sweet little angel you used to be, Ariel.’ She thought to  herself. A smile slowly appeared on her face, then was gone as her train of thought  changed tracks.

Quickening her pace, she found her locker. Even in the dark, she was able to work  out the combination and opened it. Taking her test pad from inside, she tore out one  sheet. Slamming the locker shut, she began to walk out of the locker room.

When she reached the large oak door, she pushed it open and walked out into  Megakat City. The moon was high, and the city skyline was ‘The most romantic in the  world’ according to Alexander.

Alexander. His voice kept echoing in her head, he kept asking the same question  over and over again. And she answered yes again and again. She had found no other  alternative, and the pain and grief led her to the here and now.

Ariel knew of many places in the city suitable for an occasion such as this. Right  now she was only concerned about the nearest one. She couldn’t take any more of the  pain. Looking towards the city, she wondered why she even bothered to hold out for this  long. It had been a month, and she hadn’t been able to think of anything else but the  accident. She just couldn’t find it in herself to blame the other driver. Alcohol had its  effects.

Consolation was impossible, either by her mother or father. She had found only  one alternative.

Turning left, she closed her eyes for a moment, and reflected back on all the  memories. The two hundreds years of waiting, just to die at the paws of her own father.  The rebirth, then the next sixteen years spent in bliss with Alexander. Their first kiss,  their inseparability. It seemed like only yesterday.

Opening her eyes, she watched a few cars pass by her, and the first few drops of  rainfall fell on her hair. Shrugging, she continued walking.

Felina was tired. Her uncle had tried to go easy on  her recently, since the death of  her son. She had, no matter how hard she tried, not been able to get over it.

Even more devastated was Ariel, who was with him at the time of the crash. Feral  had immediately thrown the driver into jail. But that was no relief for any one of the  Furlongs and a certain member of the Clawsons. Sympathy just wasn’t enough.

As she sat at her desk, she saw Sergeant Wilkins walk in with a folder under his  arm. She waited patiently for him to come to the desk, and when he did, he put the folder  down on the desk with a plop.

‘What is it now?’ Felina asked exasperatedly.

‘She-kat killed herself near Madison and West.’

‘Bad?’

‘It wasn’t pretty, I can tell you that much. We’ve got the file right there.’

‘Identified?’

‘She wasn’t carrying ID, but she did have a ring around her finger. That, besides  her clothes, was the only thing she was wearing.’ He held up a small plastic with a thin  gold band inside. ‘Take it.’

‘Thank you.’ Felina said. He nodded and left. Felina didn’t bother to open the file,  but a small piece of paper stuck out from the edge. Curiosity overcame her as she took  the paper, which had been torn from a school exercise book, and read it.

To whomever shall find this letter.

Should you be an Enforcer officer, you now have a suicide case on your  paws. Should you be a normal citizen, call the Enforcers.

I am sorry. Truly sorry. To my mother, who I hope will not follow in my  footsteps, I pray that you will be able to cope, now that I am dead. Make sure father  knows, and that he doesn’t do anything stupid. Being a SWAT Kat has its many  responsibilities.

Alexander has been on my mind since the accident. I can think of nothing more  than him, and just how unfair it was that he was gone. So, I followed him. The weapon  you shall find with one bullet missing. Obviously, it will be found in my skull. Or if it has  cleared my head, look for it in the alley. It’s bound to be somewhere.

As a final note, I’d prefer a burial. I hate cremations.  Yours.

And her name, signed Ariel K., was at the end.

Felina sat motionless for a while  before standing up and walking to where Sami was sitting.

‘Sami, can we talk?’

The End.