Thursday photo prompt: Frozen #writephoto

For visually challenged writers, the image shows a pink and frosty dawn and a path of cracked ice leading towards the horizon.

Trouble at Dawn

By Teresa Smeigh 2019

It was predawn, and I was out searching for my cat who had snuck outside last night when someone opened the door. She is an indoor cat, and I have no idea why she suddenly wanted to go out.

When I got her at the flea market, the person offering the cat told me that she had been attacked by her
Doberman Pinscher and was afraid to go out. That was perfect because I wanted an inside cat. After discussion with my husband, he agreed that I could get the cat. I took her and put her inside my jacket, and she curled around my neck to keep warm. The days were getting colder.

I named her Sheba for Queen of Sheba, and she was indeed a Queen. She did spend a lot of time watching out the large picture window at the lake and occasionally at our Doberman Pinscher. She had never shown any interest in going outside, so I was surprised when she went darted out the door.

We searched for an hour or so, but she was nowhere to be found. I spent the night crying and then was up early as dawn was approaching. I headed out to the side of our cleared beach where there was a lot of overgrowth that had ice crystals frozen on it, and there were patches of thin ice here and there.

I started searching in that area, gingerly watching my steps in case that she was under the ice. I called and called her name. The ice was crackling under my feet as I walked through the area listening carefully. Suddenly I was awarded with a weak meow. I tried to follow her week cries as I ambled through the expanse of overgrowth.

By this time, my family had joined me in the search. I told them where she was, and we discussed how to get her out of the area. She was stuck in an area that was mostly water with the brush and ice on top. My husband warned me of the possibility of her being aggressive due to her fear and her feeling of being trapped and possibly hurt. She might attack me as I tried to touch her and pull her out.

I decided to take my chance. Calling to her softly, I started to pet her. Good so far. I put the other hand down and pulled her towards me. She began to pull back, but then she relaxed, and I pulled her out of the spot where she had been stuck. I held her against me and headed for the warmth of the house. Needless to say, she never snuck outside again. She was sufficiently scared.

*******453 words*******

Tessa – 

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Author of a book, a work in progress on the blog, https://tessacandoit.com/government-property-a-memoir-as-a-military-wife/

Highlighted chapters are done and ready to be read.