Bill of Human Wrongs

She picked up the food, and the single steak bag. Her hands began to tremble. Her breathing became short. She slowly made her way to the door, careful not to make a sound. Putting her ear to the wood, she couldn’t hear it. Don’t get cocky, Eve.

Slowly, she turned the knob, then yanked the door open. The animal screamed, a high pitched sound that made the skin on her back ache. She threw the single steak bag down the hall and watched the hungry cat chase after it. This was it, she ran the other direction, she saw the pole, then the stairs. She only hesitated for an instant, then heard the cat coming for her. She screamed, “The pole, Woman!”

Unsure how she’d do it, she was out of time. No more time to make a choice. She threw her arms and legs around the shiny rod and let herself slip down to the main floor of the building. Once on her feet, she turned toward the stairway. She couldn’t see her enemy, but could hear it. She pulled another steak out of the bag and threw it at the bottom of the stairs.

Eve had planned to lock the poor creature in the Engine House, but could now see that the door was broken, leaving the cat an escape hatch. She had no choice, but to run. She still had four steaks.

Then it occurred to her. The cat can smell the steaks. So I’m actually leading it to me. Damn! She had a minute or less before it devoured the second steak. She took off running in the opposite direction than she wanted to go. After two blocks, she saw a way out. She had brought the crowbar, it was stuffed down the back of her pants. She pulled it out and swung as hard as she could against a store window, turning quickly to miss the shattering glass. Looking toward the Engine House, she saw the feline coming toward her. Saliva was dripping from its jowls. His magnificent eyes caught the light from the street lamps. The intensity was disturbing. “So you think I’m your next steak, eh little kitty? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but here’s your runner-up.” She took one steak out of the bag and heaved it through the broken jags of the glass. Then a second one, but threw it at the opposite wall. She finished throwing the other two with little time to spare.

Eve ran to the end of the block and turned up the street. She kept running in the direction of the subway stairs. “My God!” She put her head back and laughed with joy, the sign pointed to the left, the sign that said SUBWAY ENTRANCE.