Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a girl named Sasha who lived in New York City. Right on the edge of central park in fact. She was a remarkable normal girl, so normal in fact that nothing out of the ordinary had every happened to her. And as far as she was concerned, that was perfectly all right. Sasha worked in a department store down town, and made just enough to have her own tiny one bedroom apartment with a view of the park. She didn't mind her tiny living arrangements, it was just her and she didn't take up much space. She was a very solitary girl, what few friends she did have rarely came over and she had never had a boyfriend she really wanted to spend the night with anyway.
Our story begins on a steamy summer night when the high temperatures in the city made most people plan vacations to the beach. Sasha was taking a walk in the park trying to take advantage of the light breeze rustling through the trees. She didn't have much fear of nighttime predators; the heat was so intense even the muggers and rapists were taking some time off. Settling under a tree, Sasha loosened the top button of her blouse and leaned back against the rough bark. She had had a tough day at work, and she didn't really feel like going home to her TV dinner and CSI re-runs just yet. She just wanted to relax for a few moments and try to cool down. The sticky heavy air made everything feel so hot and heavy.
A sudden noise in the branches above her made Sasha start from her semi-doze and look up in alarm. A gentle
mrouwp
as a large black cat slid out of the branches made her laugh nervously. The cat padded over and settled on her lap as if that was what he'd always done. Sasha ran one hand down over his back as she checked for a collar with the other. She frowned slightly when she didn't find one for this cat was far too friendly not to be domesticated. Assuming someone had dumped him in the park to be rid of him, Sasha came to a decision. She had always liked cats, and rather then leave him here to eventually meet his demise in some unpleasant way; she would take him home with her. Scooping him up off her lap, she watched carefully for any sign he was reluctant and didn't want to go with her. Quite to the contrary, he sprawled across her arms and looked up at her with large adoring eyes as the volume of his purring increased until he was practically vibrating with the intensity.
Sasha made it home and dropped him gently on the couch while she went into the tiny kitchen and opened a can of tuna. She would see how the night went before she began buying any kitty supplies. He seemed quite content to curl up next to her on the couch after he was finished and allow her the supreme honor of stroking his fur. After a couple shows on the TV, Sasha decided to turn in. She left the window to the fire escape open in case the cat decided he wanted to leave.
Shuffling down the hall to the bathroom, the washed her face and brushed her teeth in front of the mirror. Pausing for a moment, she gazed at the face she saw there. Not ugly, but certainly no runway model. The dark hair swept up into her nightly ponytail had never decided if it was brown or black, so it seemed to be stuck somewhere in the middle. Her skin was light to the point of transparency and always looked caked when she wore makeup, so she went without. Long lashes framed a pair of shockingly green eyes behind her wire framed glasses. The glasses gave her a slightly nerdy look that directly corresponded with her love of books. That more than anything seemed to be the reason any date she went on ended badly. Most men she had come in contact with seemed to want a woman who was concerned with things like their bodies, the latest fashion and nothing more intellectual than the best color combination to wear after Labor day.
