"OW!" said Persephone, rubbing her arm.
"Let me see it," said Sally, walking down the first few steps.
"NO! Stay away from me,"said Persephone, inching toward the wall. "I've had enough of this insanity, now get out of my way, or I'll..."
"You'll what?" asked Sally curiously.
"I'll do this," said Persephone, pointing at Sally, throwing her up the stairs, back through the doorway, and into the wall, after which she ran up and out.
"Where do you think she's going?" asked Diana, watching the door slam.
"Home, probably," said Demeter,
"I bet Sally knocked her down the stairs," said Al. "She shouldn't do that. No one likes it."
"Sally does," said Isis.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Should one of us go after her?" asked Al.
Demeter shook her head. "No. She needs a break from all of this. Let her be. She'll...probably...come back."
"Probably?" said Diana.
Demeter shrugged. "You never know."
"Where we goin'?" asked Kitty Kitty.
Persephone looked down and said, "Go back, Kitty Kitty. I'm going to my place to resume my real life"
"Good luck with that," he said.
"I never asked for any of this and I don't want it."
"Yeah, that happens a lot."
"Go back. Life with me will be boring. No nymphs or hounds."
"Nymphs are what's boring. All they do is sit around in water and I don't need hounds exactly. Any dogs will do, although the hounds are tough, you should see them in action. Poetry in motion, as they say."
"So you don't hate them?"
"Nah," he said. "There's just more of them than there is of me, so I don't want them getting uppity."
Persephone nodded. "I can understand that."
"The city is pretty far from here. No matter how fast we walk, it will take forever to get there."
"I don't have any money," she said.
"You're a GODDESS. You don't need money. Just step off the curb and hold out your hand."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously."
It wasn't the strangest things she'd heard lately, so she stepped off the curb, held out her hand and three cars almost crashed into each other, trying to get to her. The guy in the red pick up leaned across the seat and threw open the door. "Need a lift?"
She thanked James Michal, the driver, who had three brothers and an exhausted mother, from still trying to get them all to finally grow up. She laughed and thanked him again for the ride, then turned and walked into the building that housed her high-rise condo. Everyone at the desk said hello, handed her her mail, and watched her go to the elevators, the cat at her side.
"Good thing you don't need a key," said Kitty Kitty. "Since all you're stuff is back at the cafe."
Persephone smiled and got off at the thirty-fifth floor. She put her hand on the lock and heard it tumble.
"Wow," said Kitty Kitty, walking inside. This is really...nice."
She kicked off her shoes and started taking off her clothes. "Shower, then food. No idea what to do about a litter box," she said as she headed to her en suite bathroom.
"I'll just stay out here," he said, jumping onto the kitchen counter, hoping to get a drink of water at the sink.
Forty five minutes later, she came out wearing a thick robe. Her hair was wet and her feet were bare. "Thirsty?"
"Yes, and hungry," said the cat.
She turned on the water, then went to the fridge. "I've got some wilted lettuce, two eggs, mustard and some left over Chinese egg rolls. The egg rolls are really good. Want some?"
"So, no cat food?"
"Why would I have cat food?"
"In case you had company, why else?"
"I'll get some," she said, picking up the phone. "Hi Lois. Can you please get me some cat food..."
"Chicken," said the cat.
"The chicken kind, a litter box, litter, a couple cat toys and anything else you think a cat would like. His name is Kitty Kitty. He's tame and yes, you can pet him when you bring the stuff up. Okay. Thank you." She turned to the cat. "Should be here within the hour."
"This whole wall is a window and you can see everything, everywhere," he said, looking outside.
"I know," she said, eating an egg roll, smashing one up for Kitty Kitty. "This should tide you over until your food gets here."
He took a couple of bites and then went into the living room. "I could get used to this."
"No doubt. What would you like to watch?" she asked, turning on the TV.
"Something with birds or cats."
"How about Dr. Strange?"
"Okay, but you might want to check a phone, or something. You probably got a lot of calls, since you've been gone for awhile."
"After the movie," she said, curling up on the couch, next to Kitty Kitty.
"They'll want you back, you know," he said.
"Trust me. It's not gonna happen, now settle down and watch the film."
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