Life was good until two sun-rises ago.
Back when Socks had two housefolk.
Since then, her life had turned upside down.
It all started a couple moons ago. Her two housefolk began to yowl at each other - faces red and eyes furrowed. They were angry, but they never fought. They were too nice for that.
Till the day a third twoleg came, huddled beside one of her housefolk. They were a stranger, and they were bringing them willingly into their den! No wonder the other housefolk attacked. They fought in a strange way, flinging their arms around.
Socks huddled under her housefolk's soft nest. She had to admit - she was on the other housefolk's side. She wouldn't like it if her mate brought a stranger in her den.
She hid for ages, long after the fight was over, and they were just yowling at each other. The housefolk left with the twoleg as night fell. Then her housefolk fell to the ground, crouching and letting out loud whimpers of pain.
Socks peered out of her hiding spot and padded cautiously to her housefolk. She knew twolegs were unpredictable, especially when they were sad.
She reached out a tan paw and stroked Socks' back, murmuring in a language she didn't know. This was the keyword to safety. Socks rubbed her head against the housefolk's leg, purring.
It's ok, everyone loses fights sometimes. You don't have to be disappointed.
A raindrop fell on her head, and she looked up. Raindrops fell from her housefolk's eyes, streaming down her face.
Poor housefolk.
They murmured something again, and Sock's ears pricked when she heard a familiar word.
Socks.
She didn't know what Socks meant, but Socks presumed it was her name, because her housefolk always told her "Socks" when she saw her, and some other words she didn't recognise.
The only other word she knew was "dinner" it meant she'd get to eat. Her housefolk would always call that when they poured dry pellets into her bowl. She didn't like the pellets, but it was better nothing.
The only other thing she had ever had apart from pellets was her mother's milk.
She loved mother. Socks looked like mother. She remembered looking down at her gray silky paws as a kit and being proud of her pretty fur.
Her housefolk lingered around the den after that, only getting up from her nest to eat, drink or make dirt.
She seems awfully sad about losing that fight. Socks thought.
One day she was put in a box and placed inside a monster's belly. The monster rumbled, shaked, and roared till it stopped.
That's when the bad stuff started.
They began living in a smaller den, it had dust in the corners and mold on the walls.
It didn't help her housefolk's attitude either. She was even sadder there.
There was days when she even forgot to feed Socks. She didn't wasn't Sock's encouraging purrs anymore and pushed her away when she got near.
It all changed so quickly and Socks hated it.