I still remember the day I met my sister.

It all began when I was just a few days old. My previous family put me in a cage and we hopped in a car. We drove to a nearby park. The park was huge and had many trees. There were a few people playing and walking around. I was fascinated by this strange place and while I was admiring the beautiful surroundings, my family left me. 

I looked everywhere but I couldn't find them. I looked at every nearby shop but they weren't there. My ears fell almost completely flat as my tail hid between my legs. It started raining so I rushed for shelter in a nearby bush. The rain poured harder and I got a little wet. I was very scared and hungry and cold. I didn't like it very much but I had no choice so I decided I'd take a little nap to pass the time.

Three days have passed. I was hungry and alone. I only took leftover food from the bins. I tried to go to a restaurant but they chased me away. I hid back in the bush as I ate the small chunk of chicken a passerby dropped. Then, I heard a soft voice.

"Come here little kitty!" The little girl called. I was afraid of her and won't come out of the bush I was hiding in. She took out a piece of fish and offered it to me. I was so hungry that I didn't hesitate to grab it from her. She rubbed my head as I ate.

"That's right, Kitty. Eat as much as you want," she said tenderly.

I took a good look at her. She had brown, glossy hair. She wore a black t-shirt and brown jeans and she had a pink rectangular sling bag. I noticed the two adults beside her. The one on the right looked like her mother and the other one looked like a grandma. 

The girl was very kind to me that I started trusting her. She scooped me up and put me inside her bag. She zipped it but left an opening just enough for me to have air to breathe in. I felt her move so I peeked through the small hole. I saw her hopped onto a vehicle

After a few minutes, we stopped. She opened her bag and let me out.

"Welcome to your new home, King. Yes, I shall call you 'King' and you will be my little brother from now on." She said with a smile. "But first, you must take a bath." She added.

Her mother gave me a warm bath. I didn't like it but she told me I need to wash up so I can play with my sister. I was shivering after I finished my bath but my sister cuddled me and kept me warm. My heart was overjoyed to be with a human once again.

The days that followed were full of fun. My sister talked to me, took care of me, played with me, and took me out for afternoon walks. We even took naps together. I love being close to her where I can hear her heartbeat and smell her scent.

I found myself learning the human language. The first words I understood were 'King' which was my name and 'Pretzel' which was my sister's name. I soon learned more and more words. Although I can only say one word "Mama", which is what she calls our mother, I can understand pretty much a lot of their simple conversations.

A few months later, Pretzel put me in her bag and told me we were going to her school. I heard the loud noise coming from cars as we reached the highway. I was very scared. Memories of the day my previous family abandoned me flashed before my eyes. Is she going to leave me too? 

We finally reached her school. Pretzel took me out and hugged me close. She put me on the ground and showed me around. Then some of her friends came.

"Hey Pretzel!' A little girl greeted her happily. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was with another girl who had black hair and brown eyes.

"Oh, hey!" Pretzel replied.

"Is that your pet?" The blue-eyed girl asked.

"He's not my pet, he's my brother!" Pretzel said with a smile.

"Oh, can we play with him?" They asked in unison.

"Yeah, sure!" Pretzel said happily.

They knelt down and rubbed my smooth, black-and-white fur. I was overwhelmed by their attention but soon got used to them. We played and rolled in leaves together until it was almost dusk. Mom called us and we went home. 

I got another shower. I still hated it but I was glad my sister didn't abandon me.

One day, Pretzel told me we were going to spend a vacation at her grandma's house. As soon as we got there, an enormous ginger cat ran towards her. He lifted his head and looked at me with his green eyes.

"Who are you?" He asked me.

"Rambo, this is King. I hope you guys will be good friends." Pretzel said.

"Hi! I-I'm King. I'm Pretzel's brother." I said timidly.

"You? Her brother? You don't even look human." He said holding his laughter.

"W-well, yeah, but she calls me brother," I said. "And you, who are you?" I asked the ginger cat.

"I'm Rambo, Pretzel's beloved cat. I was given to her as a gift by her close friend." He said proudly.

We chatted for a while. Rambo seemed so gentle and calm but he told me that he has been in many fights, showing off his scars. Rambo also told me the wonderful memories he had with Pretzel.

One day, Pretzel told me it was time for her to go back to our home but she couldn't take me. She said I've grown too big that it's hard to take me on trips whenever they need to come here for vacation. She told me I'd be safer and more comfortable here.

"I'll be back often, alright King? Don't be sad." She reassured me. She got on a black car and drove away. I don't understand much what was going on but I felt very sad I started to cry.

The humans in my new home care for me a lot and Rambo was also very nice to me. But I miss my sister. I miss her voice and the way she hugs me. I miss sleeping beside her.

"Will she ever come back?" I asked Rambo, hoping that he knows the answer.

"Well, she always does." He said.

"Do you know when?" I asked hopefully.

"I can't really tell when." He replied while licking his paw. He spends so much time grooming if he wasn't sleeping. "Waiting is a sign of true love, kid. I'm sure she misses you too but she's patiently waiting to come back for you." He added as he slowly dozed off.

I walked away and climbed the fence in front of our house. I would sit here for long hours every day waiting for my sister's return but as always, my heart sank as night falls without any sign of her. I waited day after day, moon after moon. I grew bigger and Rambo grew even older and grumpier, but Pretzel hasn't returned.

One day as I was eating my lunch, I heard the humans talking about Pretzel.

"Do you know what they are talking about?" I asked Rambo secretly.

"Didn't you notice? Our humans have been acting strange lately. They have been buying lots of food and they started spraying the house with that awful-smelling liquid. It hurts my nose when they do that." He said, complaining.

"Yeah, me too. That's why I've been staying outside lately." I replied.

"Anyway, I heard that something terrible is happening in the world and that Pretzel will stop going to school so she will be staying here for a while," Rambo explained.

My heart leaped upon hearing that. I dashed to the fence and sat at my favorite spot. Hours after hours went by. I didn't notice how long I've been asleep when a familiar voice called my name.

"King! Oh, my little brother, King! Look at how big you've grown!" She happily said while rubbing my fur.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I got up with my tail high up in the air. I'm very happy. I jumped from the fence and rubbed my body on her legs again and again.

"Oh, Pretzel! You have no idea how much I missed you. I'm so happy you came back." I meowed loudly. I'm not sure if she understood me though.

"Did you miss me? I brought some treats for you. Come let's wash up first so we can play." She said as she walked towards the house.

I followed her eagerly. We had so much fun. She talked to me a lot. I didn't understand much of it but I remember she told me to stay at home because there's a virus that kills people. I didn't know what that meant but it felt horrible.

It's time to sleep. I snuggled beside my sister. Oh, how I love to feel her warmth again. Listening to her quiet breathing made me feel secured. I tucked myself even closer. I hope we could stay like this forever.

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Writing Challenge: Think of a particular experience in the past and write about it. Imagine if that particular experience ended differently. Think of what you wished you would have done or would not have done.

I hope I will forever remember the special friendship I shared with King so I wrote this story. King is a grown-up cat now. He doesn't want to be cuddled and he won't play with me anymore. I cry every time I think about how much he used to love me. I wish I hadn't left him for too long.