CLAWED BY OLD Gray Old Gray’s back Tray said peering out at the scraggly gray cat squatting in his backyard His mom set down her knitting and hurried over to the window That’s it I’m calling Animal Control Tray glared at the cat The cat glared back its eyes a glowing amber with small black slits They won’t be able to catch him he said But he’s ruining my flower bed Old Gray had a lot of nerve using their flower bed as a public toilet He’d slung dirt all over the patio and twice he rooted up some of Tray’s mom’s blooming asters
Tray sighed I’ll chase him away again In the past he only had to open the door to spook the cat Old Gray didn’t seem to like humans Any sound of Tray approaching and that cat flew into action springing over the fence and jetting away But this time when Tray went out the cat stayed right in the middle of his mom’s prize roses He flung dirt like a raging bull Stop it Tray yelled rushing over Old Gray halted but he didn’t scram He stared up at Tray with hooded eyes You don’t scare me he seemed to say Tray grabbed the long spatula by the outdoor grill and poked the handle at the cat Scat Old Gray didn’t budge The cat raised his hackles and hissed His ears slicked back so far that his head resembled a snake about to strike
Scat Tray hollered again A menacing growl rolled out of Old Gray’s throat It was a warning that said Don’t mess with me boy Tray didn’t get it Why was the cat being so stubborn Was their flower bed really the best potty on the block He looked at the spatula in his hand Mom will hate this but He dug it into the ground and pitched some loose dirt at Old Gray careful not to hit his eyes The grungy old cat flinched but he didn’t flee Some of the dirt showered off his side though most stuck to his matted fur Tray inched closer He had never been this close to Old Gray before Gross The cat was a grungy mess His steel gray hair was a tangle of knotted clots There were some bald spots probably battle scars from fighting other stray cats His crooked tail must have been broken once or twice But it was his teeth and claws
