EARLIER THAT DAY

Birds chirped outside the window of the Housefolk den, taunting the young kittypet that lived inside with their songs. A jet-black cat sat on the windowsill, watching the birds outside sing and flutter between the pinetree canopies that stretched beyond. The she-cat twitched her tail as she observed them through wide, orange eyes. They were free, and she was not. Day by day the cat watched them, wishing she could be a bird so she could be free; and today was no different.

"Hex!" her Housefolk called from somewhere inside the den.

The cat heard the familiar rattling of cat food being poured into the shiny, metallic dish. Hex, as she was called, hesitated for a few moments. She couldn't resist the urge to eat, as it was what she looked forward to each day; and so she hopped down from the windowsill and headed into the kitchen to eat. She was also grateful to have a brave Housefolk to hunt food for her.

Their Housefolk den was small, but it was cozy and clean. Hex approached the bowl, and crouched down to eat the dry, salty pellets of food. As she ate, she heard the sound of the door opening and then closing as her Housefolk left the den. She'd been eating for quite some time, before she heard pawsteps approach her.

"Good morning Hex!" came the familiar, cheerful greeting of her denmate--the orange and white tomcat that now sat before her.

"Good morning Sulley," she greeted. "You woke up late today."

"Yeah," Sulley chimed, licking his paw and drawing it over his head. Hex noticed he was getting a bit plump. "Did you notice the Housefolk left the small window open before they left?"

Hex nearly choked on her food. "What?" Sulley was referring to the small, narrow window that sat in the cold room, where the strange porcelain objects that made water were.

"Yeah!" Sulley meowed. He was just a moon or so older than her, and he'd already been taken to the Cutter. Since then, Hex noticed he was a lot less playful. She often missed their playfights. Sulley continued, "Weird right? They never do that!"

Hex stood up, her heartbeat quickening with excitement. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go see what's outside!"

Sulley blinked at her. "What? Why?"

Hex looked at him, aghast. "What do you mean? We've been wanting to go outside for ages, and now's our chance!"

Sulley hesitated, and Hex felt her heart sink. Had he forgotten their dreams? Since they were just small kittens, they'd dreamt about going outside and had tried at every opportunity to get out. However, each time their plans were foiled by the cautious Housefolk, determined to keep them inside.

"I don't know about all that, Hex," Sulley mewed uncertainly. "I thought those were just games."Hex felt utterly disappointed, and so she reacted outwardly.

"Fine!" she hissed at him. "You know, ever since you went to the Cutter, you're not the same. You never want to play, and you're just lazy all the time. I hate it. I wish you were back to normal. I'm going alone, and you can stay here and hide like a scared kit!"

With that scathing response, Hex hurried over to the other room with the narrow window. She didn't look over her shoulder, but by Sulley's silence, she could sense that his feelings were hurt. Part of her wished he would follow her, but she didn't dare let that be known.

After leaving Sulley behind, Hex looked around the room with porcelain objects. It was the coldest room in the Housefolk den, and it smelled of water and mildew. There! the black she-cat thought.

Above the large porcelain bowl with water inside, was the narrow window. And sure enough, it was open. Hex wasted no time, jumping on top of the lid, and then the top. She wriggled her haunches, and then sprang, launching herself out the window. She expected to land on the windowsill, like she always had when leaping at windows.

Except, there was no windowsill.

Heart racing at this realization, the black she-cat could do nothing but fall out the window. She twisted in the air with panic, and landed on the soft earth and grass outside with a thud. It took a few moments for her to calm her nerves. Nearby, she heard birds chirping.

Birds! she thought. I'm free!

Hex took in her surroundings with wide, orange eyes. Everything was so new and exciting!

PRESENT

Hex would spend the better part of the day exploring this new world. When the sun had long passed its highest point, she heard the loud sound of her Housefolk returning in the metal monster's belly. No! she thought. She'll bring me back inside if she sees me!

But it was too late. Her Housefolk stepped out of the monster's belly. "Hex! Oh my god, Hex!" the Housefolk yelped in an impatient tone, walking toward her pet cat with a quick pace.

Hex froze as her Housefolk drew closer. She was having too much fun to go back now! At the last moment, Hex darted away from her Housefolk's grasp. She could hear the Housefolk calling for her somewhere behind her, and she felt bad. I'll come back, I promise!

For now, Hex kept running. She ran and ran, weaving through grass and trees. Their yard didn't have a fence like the neighboring Housefolk dens, and she was grateful for that now more than ever.

Soon her paws carried her farther and farther from the Twolegplace, and the terrain became much more wild. She had to trudge through the tall grass, and the ground became wet and muddy beneath her paws. She looked over her shoulders, breathing more heavily now. The Twolegplace seemed smaller in the distance now, but she could still hear her Housefolk somewhere behind her. I can't let her catch me! Not now! Hex thought desperately.

She kept weaving through the tall grass, but the ground grew wetter and wetter. Her paws were coated with slimy, thick mud.Suddenly, the ground gave in beneath her feet. She hadn't been watching where exactly she was stepping, as she was too focused on the Housefolk's increasingly distant cries behind her. She gasped as her paws splashed into cold, icy water, and the rest of her body followed suit. The stream was very shallow, but it was freezing cold and it tugged at her fur.

Hex panicked, and trudged through the water to the other side of the narrow stream, where there was at least somewhat solid land. She stopped for a few moments, to catch her breath as she stood cold and trembling. The sky was just starting to grow darker, and with it came the cold, crisp air. Hex began to fret. Was it a mistake running away from her Housefolk? The young kittypet felt a bit fearful now, as she looked around her new surroundings. The trees were tall, and close together. The forest around her felt dark and ominous. Strange sounds echoed among the otherwise eerily quiet forest. Suddenly being outside was not much fun.

"Hello?" a timid voice called from somewhere in the forest.

Hex looked around wildly, still shivering. It sounded like a cat. Something occurred to her just then, that she hadn't thought of before. There were cats living outside!?

The kittypet stood frozen, and a long pause filled the space between the two cats. Hex could not see the other cat, and she didn't know what to do. Should she respond? Maybe this cat was another lost cat, like her! Maybe they could help each other? Although Hex was normally hesitant to trust others, she was in a bit of a desperate situation.

"Hello...!" Hex called back, looking around to find the cat. The cold made her voice tremble along with her body. "Are you lost too?"

She sneezed, and then sneezed again. She was colder than she'd ever been in her life. She shook her fur to try and dry it, but even her fur now felt like ice.

(Im so sorry it's so long, my next response will not nearly be this long. i just needed to establish some background for hex lol)