[Job] Catventures #1

This was certainly where the client lived. Because Iris has hardly set foot towards the front door to try the doorbell, that same door flew wide open and a typical rich snob-style woman appeared. Already hectically flailing, she immediately made sure the young woman nearing her doorstep was there to solve her problem. Because it was exactly like that. Iris had taken on a request to find someone's lost pet. Usually she would expect firemen or something for that, as it stereotypically goes, but the alternatives for today's good, and hopefully paid, deed were few and far between.

“Ah, yes yes. Finally! I have no idea what to do anymore! Someone needs to find my poor Herman! And quickly! Who knows what's going to happen to him otherwise! He never leaves the house alone, and especially does not stay out that long either.” That was as much as Iris would let her waterfall on about unrelated to the case at hand things. It was bad enough that this seemingly not too poorly off woman rattled about a pet like it was her Husband or child. She definitely couldn't stand trying to extract useful information for finding this cat out of all those statements. “Right. All I need to know is how Herman looks and if there is anything to know about where he's been seen last.” She decidedly cut in.
While the lady apparently was not exactly used to having a tone like that used against her, she did not say anything about that and instead just pulled a photo out of a rather large album, which came right out of her ridiculous purse. Just a minute later Iris could already leave the premises, armed with said photo of a rather well-fed, white cat and the knowledge that someone had already tried to catch it and gave up after it fled into the undergrowth of the city's park.

The park just being a brisk fifteen minute walk away, nothing stopped the green-haired girl from picking up the tracks immediately. Admittedly, the Park was a fairly large green belt with countless opportunities for any cat to hide away in. As such, the search would be tedious and long-winded. Lots of slowly walking around, peering over bushes and hoping the cat was as slow as it was fat.
Eventually, a white ball of fluff shimmered through the leafing of a low-growing piece of shrubbery. Sneaking up on it, Iris made sure to go as slow and cautious as possible. As she was basically on top of the cat, it still had not moved half a centimeter. This was exactly the moment. The girl practically jumped her prey, onto and through the bush. “Gotcha!” she exclaimed, closing her grip on the wooly hat that she was sure was Herman. “Goddammit.”  Not only had Iris made a fool of herself in the middle of a public park, jumping a bush in a struggle for life and death. She also managed to get nice and dirty in the process. Angrily dumping the discarded article of head wear into the nearest bin, the search could continue.

A proverbial needle in the haystack. A rather fat needle in a decidedly green and sunny haystack admittedly, but not any easier to find for it. Irregularly distracted by the persistent stains on her jacket, Iris continued the search. An hour passed, and another hour passed shortly after. Nothing remotely cat-shaped was to be seen. At least that meant Iris did not have to dive into any more greenery. Pretty much ready to give up after what felt like an eternity of looking for a cat that might not even be around anymore, Iris decided on a last go-around of the park just for good measure. But nothing came of that either. Going to leave the park in the direction of where the client lived to call off the search, a miracle happened.

Just meters away from where the park area officially ended, there sat a white cat, surprisingly similar to the one on the photo that was Iris' main hint. Untroubled by people walking by, it regaled itself on half an ice cream cone someone must have dropped. As far as the girl was concerned, the chances that there were two overeating white cats in this park were low at best. So she seized cat and moment, the first being notably irritated but apparently not bothered enough to resist heavily. Thinking how easy it could have been, Iris sighed dejectedly as she held Herman on eye level to give him a disapproving look.
In any case, now all she had to do was have enough energy left to carry the weight back to the cat owner's house. Arriving there after a couple of minutes, just like earlier in the day, it was not necessary for Iris to ring the bell or even walk all the way to the house. The girl passing onto the property was all Maria needed for a cue. After the door was literally kicked open, she shot across the lawn faster then Iris would have expected from anyone. Clearly she could not wait another second to have Herman returned to her. Just like before, the waterfall of almost manic rambling poured over her and the cat almost immediately. Miss Winter could not bother to even listen. But she did notice, that the cat's claws had dug deep into her clothes just when she tried to return Herman to his owner. Thinking about it, Iris could very well imagine he was not exactly happy to be back, the way he probably got treated around the house.

Not that it mattered to her, as long as the agreed on payment was not forgotten. “Ahem.” Also just as before, she had to cut the lady off, to get anywhere. But finally, money changed hands and thanks were said. As both cat and lady returned into the house, Iris could clearly see Herman furiously clawing and hissing. If she were to be asked, it would probably only be a matter of time until he bailed again, potentially making this a complete sisyphus task.

[1024/800 Words]