March 28th, 2017
     

     As the evening falls, the cat returns to the secret hiding place she shares with her brothers and sisters.
     Ever since the death of the mother of the group she has been both the most intelligent and oldest in the group. This means that she has responsibility of finding food, making decisions, and calming the others when the need arises.
      Tonight she has salvaged several fish from a nearby net. As she returns to the lair beside the dumpster, she finds the family waiting, watching her approach with hungry, attentive eyes. The kittens stop their wrestling and look up, their eyes wide, the lenses reflecting her silhouette.
     As she lays down the small net of fish, the group tears it open hungrily and claws at the meat beneath. As usual, she receives the smallest portion, but is eager to begin her prowling of the coastline as she does on a nightly schedule.
     The cat licks up her portion of the fish, leaving only the bones, and tells the young ones that it is time to sleep. Once everyone is asleep, she may leave at last. 
     She wanders into the depths of the city in a predatory posture, her violet eyes watchful and her tail lowered. Although it is certainly difficult, living in constant fear, in a way she is both the leader and escape artist of her own life, which is quite freeing.

    
     A few hours earlier...
    
     Arthur is having a typical day. He cleans up the materials from the night before, and saves the necessary items for April 24th, the date of the next ritual.
     He has already abandoned the tennis court and skate park where he had spent an earlier portion of the day. He hangs out with a couple other boys there after school.
     All of Arthur's friends are dating the popular girls, but Arthur and his girlfriend split up over spring break. He had realized that he didn't really have anything for her, and had just been showing off by being seen with one of the volleyball girls. He already has enough attention as it is.        
     Arthur is a boldly independent person, and cannot stand being trapped in social settings that cut off what he feels is his "personal energy." Arthur doesn't like commitment or making future plans, and therefore can be quite unpredictable.
     She had been interesting to hang out with though, and without having her to talk to, his life had become more boring lately.
     All that's important right now is being productive. This means schoolwork, studying, and chores. Oh yeah, and working out... He has to look sculpted like a god. Everyone here has to look like a god. That's something that Arthur wants to maintain, and it has also proved to be a great vice. Arthur knows that, even if he did decide to slack off on all these things, it's not like there would be anything better to do, so he might as well do them.
     Arthur has trouble with the rigid structure of school. He has trouble maintaining grades when it all just feels like a trap. It feels like something hovering over him, getting in the way of everything else.
     His mother is still at work, and his younger sister is working on homework while embarking on a major Netflix binge.
     He is running out of time now as the suns sinks lower outside his window, so he goes up into his bedroom, puts his Bluetooth headphones on, and begins lifting weights.
     Some interesting objects scattered about Arthur's room include a jar of cash, a collection of vintage LPs, random pencil sketches, and a pile of sports clothing and equipment, all shoved haphazardly into his closet.
     Arthur naturally approaches life by following his heart, and takes time to enjoy all of the scenery and sensations that life has to offer.

     The unexpected has yet to come...