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"I swear if you're an omen of death! I'm so close to going down the hall to lock you in Mrs Picket's apartment. You can be the death of her instead. She's almost there anyway."

Demanding meows came from Ally as she nuzzled and swiped at Alton's legs. High demand for her breakfast. As he stammered towards the kitchen attempting to avoid being tripped over by the cat. Opening the can of salmon, he looked around the too small two-room apartment. On the fifth floor of the apartment he lived with his barley here father, Markus Ilnu. Working up in the mines as FIFO, two weeks on and one week off. Rose loving Marks choice of work, giving herself permission to raid their house for uninvited sleepovers.
Mark being silent man who kept to himself, hance the choice of apartment. In a quiet run-down Melbourne neighbourhood, on the top floor out of sight from the world of the living. The only one to bother him being Mrs Picket, an elderly neighbour, often stopping him in the hallway spieling about her newest government conspiracy theory .

Ally purring as she finished her food. Smiling at her gluttony. A sudden sharp pain pierced down Alton's spine. Hunching over the kitchen table. Feeling of bones blazing like fire. Staggering around, overcome with pain. His body glinting in warm sweat. Feeling delusional. The wall guiding him as he made his way towards his bedroom, collapsing on his bed into darkness.

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"Alton, Alton can you hear me?" Could it possibly be a voice of an angel calling him towards the light.

He was right, the black cat was an omen of death.

Attempting to blink away blurriness from his eyes, he could make out the rudiments of bright red hair.
His short breath, gasping in pain. Sweat clung to him like second skin. Closing his eyes, he succumbed again to darkness.

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A quick jolt, Alton awoke. In his bathtub filled to the brim with cold water, ice cubes bobbing up and down. His initial thought being that the fucking cat was numbing his body prepping it to harvest his kidney and sell it to some MAP on the internet. He had to admit the coldness was soothing his warm skin.

"I didn't pick you for a cat person! What's its name?" She sat on the sink bench looking over at Alton. Ally cradled in her arms as she cooed like the cat was her baby. Ally loving the attention.

Her bright red hair braided into two neat piggytails, blue checked school uniform smoothed. She looked perfect. She looked like an angel.

"Ally" Alton's reply sounding scratchy.

"Alley cat, clever. You do know it's a boy, right?"

'Well I know now' he thought to himself. Embarrassed by his mix of genders. Splashing water everywhere as he clambered out of the bathtub.

"Least of my worries at the moment. Poppy, how did you get in my house? And why did I wake up in the Antarctic Ocean?" Gesturing to the icy water.

"When you didn't show up for school, Rose sent you a million messages without reply. She mumbled something about you being an attention seeking dweeb and gave me your spare key to come check on you straight after school." After a beat Poppy adds "She had detention."

Noticing his now bare chest. Quickly wrapping a towel around his skinny naked torso, "Wait, did you undress me and throw me in the bath?"

"Well, you're hot! I mean your temperature. When I came you were passed out on the bed sweating and your temperature was abnormally high. So, I dragged you into the bath to cool you down" she continued to justify herself, "I saw it once in a documentary" He eyerolled her answer, of course she would know the answer in any situation. She was the school's aspiring prefect for a reason.

"And you undressed me?" Trying to cover his scrawny body from her eyes. A girl like her probably used to seeing buff rugby player bodies. He was self-conscious.

"You're not naked your still wearing boxes. And you might also have a bruise on your knee, the doorway got in the way." He silently thanked the lord he didn't go commando today.

After getting dressed he made his way to the lounge room which was now occupied by both sisters and the black cat purring on Poppy's lap. "Poppy filled me in, are you feeling better? You're still a little warm temperature" Rose strangling him with a hug as her hand touch his face feeling his temperature.

"For goodness sake Rose let him breath" Poppy scolding her sister, annoyed at her sister coddling him. She was here first. "Alton sit down and eat. You haven't eaten all day, and I didn't make that sandwich for no reason." Sitting down he devoured the sandwich like a caveman, while watching the twins bicker back and forth.

It was always bizarre seeing the two together. Whilst their looks are identical, their personalities were the complete opposite.

Rose being loud and rebellious. Poppy on the other hand, always studying or showing school spirit, cheering at rugby practice. Cringing at the thought of her cheering on some brainless jock. When the sisters were together, she would withdraw and let Rose take charge.

"Alt how are you feeling?" Rose asked.

"I'm still a little warm but besides that I'm fine, no need to worry."

"I'm still taking precautions. Poppy go change the sheets from Mr. Ilnu's bed, we are having a sleepover." Rose stated. Like Rose needed an excuse to stay.

Poppy disappearing down the opposite end of the apartment towards Mark's room. Humming the tune of Smelly Cat to Ally who purred loudly in her arms. "Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat, What are they feeding you? Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat, It's not your fault." 

Alton wincing at her horrendous singing tune. 

"You owe me bigtime Alt" Looking at his confused face Rose added "I didn't have detention"

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