He knew he must keep very still while he waited. Silence was his friend. And the darkness. The darkness really helped. He wouldn’t be able to pull this off without the darkness of the night granted it wasn’t like the city was terribly dark. Between the streetlights and the cars and even the lights of people’s apartments the streets were pretty bright, that's why Mel was in an alleyway, where the lights weren’t as bright. The dirty brick was in shadows, the darkest shadows in the city outside the parks and a few abandoned buildings. He was using what shade the dumpsters threw into the alley to hide further in the darkness, waiting… watching.

What was he waiting for you wonder? What else would a guardian cat be waiting for? He was waiting for the night trash to be tossed from the sushi place he was currently hiding behind.

Siti had no idea what he was up to. She would have been so disappointed if she knew that he snuck out some times to go hunting for some supplemental food. It wasn’t like she didn’t feed him and feed him well. But sometimes one just wanted something a bit nostalgic. His time the street wasn’t the most idyllic but there was something about chowing down on some still good sushi remains in the relative quiet alleyway. It also really didn’t hurt that this particular place deliberately disposed of its excess fish in a way that allowed local strays a decent meal. In turn the strays kept the area mice, and rat, free.

The thoughts of the tuna tartar and the salmon ceviche were dashed when the back door to the restaurant cracked open. One of the workers stopped halfway out of the door, glancing back inside and muttering to someone still in the kitchen. Mel couldn’t make out what they were saying from his hiding spot but it didn’t really matter since he could pick up all the delicious smells wafting out from the kitchen. Sometimes Mel wished he could be a human so he could just stroll into such a place and just eat his fill. Salmon, tuna, white fish, even octopus…. Eel! Yummy, yummy eel! With luck they would be tossing some eel tonight but he would settle for salmon. If he could round out the fish with a good salad all the better. His belly rumbled at the thought of the meal he would shortly be partaking in only to have those dreams smashed upon the rocks of reality.

The worker who was coming out with the daily trash was now yelling at someone inside, he was cursing in some language Mel had no idea about… at least it sounded like cursing, he might have been wishing the other person a good day. It didn’t really matter though since the trash guy went back inside, with the trash, closing the door firmly behind him. No! The food! Damn them and their arguments! It wasn’t fair! Mel was so looking forward to the meal only to have it ripped away from him at the last minute.

Cursing his luck the large cat wiggled his way out from his hiding spot and started to make his way home. Now he needed a bath and he didn’t even get any fish out of it. This justs sucks.

If only the guardian knew just how sucky it really was. Shortly after Mel stomped off in a huff, angry about not getting his sushi, the trash guy came back outside and quickly dumped the day’s trash. Once the human was gone the dumpster was swarmed by dozens of strays. Mel just one of them. Oh well, there was always next time.

((Wordcount: 621))