See what happens ....

When your computer decides to throw a wobbly and go diddy gaga? I ain't been able to get in here to post!

Where did I leave the story? Oh yeah. Here's the rest.

They had many adventures, good and bad. Socks would still misbehave just for the fun of it; he still enjoyed winding the humans up occasionally.
Socks started it of course, but Mitzy soon joined in as she discovered the contents of the cupboard could be, and were, as delicious as Socks claimed. Not that they could open cans of course, but ripping through flimsy and not so flimsy bags of biscuits and other delicacies was irresistible once they had started.
Both were batted out of the kitchen firmly while their female human cried her eyes out. Neither slept in the warm place that night, they had to shelter by the garden shed in misery.
No more kitchen adventures then. But Socks could not be kept out of any cupboard for long. Both humans laughed fit to burst as their pets vanished from sight one day and did not come to calls or banging of food dishes.
They found the pair in the ironing cupboard where all the linens and towels were kept in warmed air from the old boiler. Both were fast asleep wound up in sheets with angelic smiles.

Then Socks disappeared for the whole week. Mitzy moped, why had her friend left? The fun had gone out of life. The Friday came, and Mitzy smelt something on the air; she ran for the front gate as their male human left the door open just too far.
“Mitzy! Here girl! Heel! Heel!” He was starting to go red. “Dratted dog! Darling, can you give me a lift? I’ll miss the bus running after Mitzy.”
A sigh came from inside. “Of course, dear, but don’t take long. I can’t afford to be late again.”
Mitzy ran back to the front gate, bouncing up and down, barking her head off
“What is it, Mitzy? Can’t it wait? You want me to follow you? I haven’t got time, girl. Come on in, please!”
Mitzy was having none of it as he grabbed for her collar. For all she was tiny, his single finger that hung on was near torn off! She was adamant and he was forced to follow bent double to the back lane.
All he could see was that tangle of bush that grew through the back fence, he had meant to tidy it for ages but never got round. Mitzy twisted and his finger came loose. She gave a low whine and poked her head underneath. He was reluctant to look, what poor creature had she cornered?
Socks! Socks was in a terrible state, he had wandered too far near the neighbourhood boundary and been well and truly attacked. Worse, his back legs were useless. A car had hit him as he fled.
Mitzy followed their human with a proud look as he carried the pathetic bundle that could not move another inch.
Their female human screamed as she saw the sight and promptly called in to work saying they had an emergency. Mitzy lay on the double bedding as Socks was gently positioned in the cage and taken to the healing place. She spent many anxious days running rings round the humans, but neither bothered to tell her how he was doing – or not.
She was ecstatic when he came home, legs in plaster and stitches all over the rest of him. At first he wallowed in pity, then cheered up as Mitzy helped him with mere presence at times. She would push his bowl that bit nearer when he could not reach it, and even push her own bowl over to share a treat.
The plasters were gone, but his legs were weak. The humans tortured him with even the gentlest exercise of the limbs. Then they hung the thing with catnip just out of reach. How could they be so cruel? Mitzy watched as Socks strained and failed, and winked at the cat before pulling the thing down enough for him to reach.
How had he managed that, without moving an inch they wondered. Mitzy was out in the garden, playing with the ball. Socks was glad that even if Mitzy was dumb at times, she was fastidious; even he would leave the occasional paw print of guilt that Mitzy never did. There was something to be said for clearing the last crumb and wiping paws as well as face thoroughly.

Caesar and the gang congregated near the boundary and challenged their opposites; Socks’ honour had to be claimed back, never mind the interlopers know who was boss here. Caesar now sported a rakish ear and the next neighbourhood gangs never crossed over again.
And it was Mitzy that brought Socks back to proper health again. She would take Socks’ ball and play with it urging him to do the same. At first, it was at a sedate and wobbly walking speed that the game of pass the ball played out, before slowly growing in pace as strength returned with use. Both humans shook their heads in mock despair as the ball ran under the fence and both animals jumped the thing with ease, appearing in a scramble minutes later with ball in mouth.
The local kids soon noticed the antics, and would playfully take the ball down to the playing field with Mitzy and Socks in full charge after it.
They joined in the kick-abouts, much to the delight of the youngsters, and soon there were other animals watching from the sidelines as Socks became an excellent defender, whilst Mitzy preferred to help the goalie.
The humans shook their heads in mock disbelief as they often found their pets on the playing field rather than the garden.




Mitzy and Socks had no truce, it was not necessary, they were now more than firm friends. When Mitzy took long walks on the hills, Socks would often follow them at a distance and show her his old places when they were out of sight of the humans. He told her to avoid the holes though, even though she loved chasing the rabbits into them. It was a true rabbit warren down there; it was far too easy to get lost.
Mitzy had listened and understood well enough, but the urge to hary the rabbits was just too great. When the last creature had turned and made a raspberry face at her she forgot all the excellent advice and followed it down the dark hole. Of course, the rabbit disappeared in the dark immediately and Mitzy was disoriented. She could not turn round to return to the initial entry point and could only continue into the dark.
She was terrified. She was so weak she knew she could not climb out even if she found a hole big enough. She would die down here. Why had she not listened to Socks? She whimpered small cries as yet another night passed.
Socks was worried when Mitzy had not returned that day, and was soon near out of his mind as a terrifying ten days passed with no sign of her. It did not take long for him to ascertain where she had gone missing. The stupid mutt he thought, she had finally gone after a rabbit. He would have gone on the search with his humans, but they had locked him inside with no chance of following them! Stupid, stupid humans he fumed, they don’t know where to look while I do!

Finally, on the tenth day the cage door was left unlocked by accident as their humans went on the search. They were becoming increasingly sure they would find a dead dog rather than a living one. Socks scrambled through the one open window he found in the bathroom and ran for all his worth.
Steering clear of the lines of humans, he saw Caesar running towards him at a full gallop. He had heard whimpering from the far place but was unable to make the humans understand.
Socks perked up at this and asked Caesar to show him. The place was far beyond where the lines of humans searched of course. Was that a slight sound he heard? He howled his best impression of a dog’s call and was near ecstatic as he heard a definite whimpering call back. Stay there Mitzy he called down the hole in front of him. We are coming!
That was Socks! Mitzy’s heart near burst with love for the feline. But this hole was far too small for either of them to find each other. She was not to know that both cat and dog were even then running back to their owners in the front line, barking, howling, asking them to follow them. At last the humans understood and followed the two excited creatures back to the small hole. A light was shone down and a now dark coloured small shivering shape was seen, trying to speak back to the welcome shouts.
Half an hour later and Mitzy was free. She wanted to thank both Socks and Caesar but was not given the chance as she was swiftly bundled in a warm blanket and taken to the vet who admitted her ahead of the waiting line.
Mitzy was happy with the small cage she was placed in at the animal hospital, it was warm and welcoming with all the food and water she could take. They fed her small amounts hourly so as not to upset her malnourished frame.
Socks was ecstatic the day she came home, still weary but well on the way to recovery. Their humans smiled to see the licks were given from Socks this time and Mitzy seemed to perk up all the more for them.

But the ordeal took a lot more out of her than was realised, her small heart had weakened and she was not up to the longer walks, at least not the running fun she used to have. She now plodded in a dignified manner whilst Socks still ran off in playful mood, but he always returned to her.
The humans were now used to seeing the pair sharing the same pet bed, and replaced the two with one huge one. Both animals were content.

Neither human saw the small tears drip down Socks face as he watched the frail body being lifted into the cage and strapped into the back seat. Somehow he knew Mitzy would not return from this last visit to the vets.
He tried consoling his humans as they returned with the empty cage. He wound his way around their legs and cried with them. But the despondent mood lingered, only to be lifted slightly two days later as Socks was put on Mitzy’s leash and taken to the hills. He noticed several other humans and their pets on leash as a pitiful small canister of ashes was emptied and let to blow on the winds. Mitzy’s spirit had been set free he realised If only his people could know this was what both creatures would want.

Socks became somewhat of a recluse after Mitzy’s departure, he never visited the hills again, he rarely visited the weekly pets gatherings by the school playing fields. In short, Socks became an old man overnight and moped. His mood would never lighten.
His old nature returned with a vengeance when his people dared present a new small bundle of fur to him. His fury at the sight instantly convinced the humans that he would take no new companion. He was left to mope and wander aimlessly for a while. He perked up a little as Caesar howled for him to join the gang outing, but his heart was not in it, fun had disappeared with Mitzy.

At least he was spared the last trip to the vet; he fell into exhausted sleep one night as Mitzy came to him in a dream. The humans wondered what the strange cat smile meant as they found his body stiffening the next morning.
Socks ashes rose in glee as the morning sparkled over the hills, where his soul met and gambled across the winds with Mitzy, both chasing the white rabbit shaped clouds.