The human’s approach made the two cats flee out of instinct.
"Why did she suddenly come over here? She scared me to death," said the calico cat.
The tabby cat said, "I hate humans with no sense of personal space."
Renee Jennings said as she chased after them, "I didn’t mean to scare you..."
The two cats exchanged a look of surprise. ’What the hell? This human can actually understand us?’
"I wanted to ask where the little girl who was waiting for her auntie to come back with oranges went," Renee Jennings explained.
The two cats gradually slowed to a halt.
The calico cat said, "We’re hungry."
Renee Jennings: "..."
She immediately went to a nearby convenience store and bought a few cans of cat food.
Only after they had eaten and drunk their fill were the cats willing to provide information.
"That human cub was probably eaten by Brute."
"Who’s Brute?" Renee Jennings asked with a frown.
The calico cat: "A big black dog."
The tabby cat: "A real scary one."
Renee Jennings’s heart tightened. "Which way did she run?"
The cats stared at the cans of cat food in her arms and agreed to lead the way.
After winding through several pitch-black alleys, they finally saw a faint light.
A foul smell hung in the air. Renee Jennings could faintly make out the shadow of a dog standing in front of a trash can.
"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"
Noticing the human’s presence, the big black dog let out a few warning barks.
The calico and tabby cats retreated in perfect sync.
Renee Jennings looked back and asked, "Is that the Brute you were talking about?"
"Yes!" the two cats responded in unison.
Renee Jennings took a deep breath and asked the big black dog, "Where is the little girl you were chasing just now?"
The big black dog: "WOOF WOOF WOOF!"
Renee Jennings’s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists. Tiny beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.
She could understand cats, but she couldn’t understand the big black dog.
Just as Renee Jennings was feeling utterly helpless, she suddenly heard a faint, childish voice.
"Auntie..."
Her head snapped up, and she looked at the trash can in front of the big black dog.
The big black dog began to bark furiously. It even jumped onto the lid of the trash can, its sharp teeth grabbing the handle as it tried to pry the lid open.
A spark of hope ignited in Renee Jennings’s heart. "Jasmine, are you hiding inside the trash can?"
A small, tearful voice drifted out from inside the trash can. "SOB... Auntie, I’m sorry... Jasmine didn’t mean to not wait for you, but the big doggy is so scary..."
Even though she was scripted to be a malicious, two-faced villain, upon hearing the child’s apology, Renee Jennings actually felt a pang of guilt.
"Don’t be afraid," Renee Jennings comforted the child, her voice a little stiff.
She stared at the nearly frantic big black dog, her heart pounding like a drum.
’I have to find a way to make it leave.’
However, the big black dog wasn’t afraid of people. No matter how Renee Jennings tried to scare it, it remained utterly fearless, continuing to gnaw frantically at the trash can lid.
After a standoff that lasted about half an hour, Renee Jennings suddenly thought of something and turned, sprinting back the way she came.