"What are you doing here?" the man asked again, his voice cold and authoritative.
Without care for dignity, Iris began to crawl toward him. He was handsome, and he didn't seem to want to kill her, which instantly placed him high in her books.
"This feral bit me!" the child complained, his voice the perfect match for 'spoiled brat' title.
When Iris turned around to glance black, he was about to take a step forward, toward her. Her fur stood up as her horror rose, and she turned back at the man, begging him to save her. Yet her voice… it sounded so wrong, high-pitched and eerie. It was nothing like the soft meowing of kittens or yipping of puppies.
'How can anyone want to save me when I sound like this?' she complained internally, crying tears of disappointment. 'Does life seriously want me dead? Is that why it's making it so complicated to survive?'
The man took a couple steps and squatted down before her. She looked up at him, but there was nothing in his eyes; they were two black voids that hid whatever he was thinking.
"Hey, mister, don't touch it!" the boy shouted out that moment, when the man was about to reach out to her. "It's crazy, must have rabies!"
"Why are you not rushing to the doctor then? Weren't you scratched by it?"
The kid only then seemed to have realized the implications. He glanced at his hand, then at Iris, then back at his hand, and after another angry glare, he rushed off.
Iris breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing. But then, the man's big hand descended on her now dirty fur. "What are you doing here, though? Expensive creatures like you normally don't wander the streets on their own."
'Yes, yes!' Iris swiftly agreed. If he thought she was important, wouldn't he bring her somewhere with food, warmth, and no maniacal kids? She even brushed her head against his arm to express her approval of his thoughts.
"Mhm… You don't seem scared of humans. Did you run away from home?" he asked while gently brushing her back. It was a comfortable sensation, and Iris closed her eyes, happy. This was the best thing that had happened to her this day. It seemed small, but in her new animal life, she called it a victory worth celebrating.
Then, she realized what he was talking about. Run away? Didn't that imply that she had an owner? It instantly destroyed her good mood, and the moment his hand left her, she darted away. Her body still hurt like hell, but after a bit of lying about, she could move at least.
Not fast enough, though. The man grabbed her by the tail, and she yelped in indignation. When she turned around to bite him for such an act, he quickly picked her up and stood up.
"Shh, be quiet. I'll help you find your owner, so be nice and don't struggle now. It'll be better for everyone."
For a moment, Iris debated continuing to fight, but when she saw how high up she was, her fighting spirit evaporated. Why was he so tall?! If she fell from this height, wouldn't it be the same as jumping out of the second or third floor building? She didn't want a broken arm or leg!
'Fine, I'll agree to this, but just because you're holding me hostage.'
The man looked down at her, his expression having changed for the first time since they met. He stared at her with incredulity. "You- No, that's crazy," he said to himself, shaking his head. "It's almost like it understood what I said."
'You bet I did,' Iris replied with a roll of her eyes, then shut them closed. Might as well sleep for a bit, now that there was no obvious danger around. After all, she'll need her energy later to escape this stranger who thought to find her an owner.