Bad Cat and an Emergency Flashlight

Finally, after years of sitting quietly by the window, my emergency flashlight was finally put to use. This solar panel charged flashlight has been sitting by the window: spring, summer, fall and now winter. Soaking up the sun, watching the flowers grow, watching the trees shed their leaves and then the snow hit the ground. 

Every now and then a curious cat named Bentley would jump up to the flashlight and whisper, "I will put you to good use someday!" That thoughtful cat sat on the window watching the snow fall day after day and finally put his idea to use today.

putting on his thinking cap

At 6:03 PM this evening the sun was down, the streets were dark and the ice covering them was invisible. The chef carefully slid over the ice and made his way to the door. Very carefully he balanced his bag and opened the front door. Just then, the beautiful ice caught his eye and he got distracted for a moment. Bentley was not as distracted, he had found his golden opportunity to explore the world, albeit at 15 degrees F. He bolted out of the door, through the middle of the chef's legs and into the blanket of dark ice covered snow....

"Goodbye, Bentley!"

The lady in the house heard the door then silence. When the chef gets home there is usually a lot of noise from keys, shoes, etc. This silence was unusual and it meant it was an emergency. She instinctively raced to pull on her boots, grab the emergency flashlight and went coatlesess flying into the cold night. There she pointed the flashlight like a cop at the escaped cat who was dancing across the ice covered snow. He was light as a feather and the chef was pounding and falling through the snow trying to capture him. 

Bentley saw a bush that looked like a marshmallow with a hole. He dashed into that hole and took refuge like a bunny hiding in a teepee.

 The chef went and pulled on his tail trying to get him out. Bentley howled and dug deeper. The chef pounded the snow with his fists trying to break the ice and pull out the damn cat. Bentley hovered and watched the bush above him shake. The lady screamed, "I'll get him!" The chef shouted back, "NO! You will fall and break your leg!" She pointed the emergency flashlight in the hole as the man pounded away breaking ice and pulling chunks of snow rocks off of the bush. Bentley stubbornly refused to budge. 

The lights of the surrounding houses turned on, there is never so much noise outside. The neighbors watched from their windows, the mail woman stopped in her tracks. The drama continued. Bentley saw an opening at the top of the bush and flew out and across the ice. The woman flew after him like a lion chasing her cub. She knew her little beast. Her boots got stuck in 2 feet of thick ice covered snow and Bentley was only inches away, he stopped and glared at her. They stared at each other intently. Then before he could escape again she darted forward and lifted him by the scruff of his neck.

It was meant to be like this

But was really more like this. Bad Bentely.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the neighbors, the mail woman, the chef cursed his life, and the lady shivering from the cold slid across the ice carrying her bad Bentley back into the house. Had he been lost he would have frozen to death overnight. 

And that really isn't the way an old Bentley should loose his life, now is it? 

All participants are safe. Bentley is recounting his tale to El Gordo who is sniffing him curiously. The chef had a BIG bowl of bean soup and a sandwich to calm him down, and the lady took to her blog. 

Here are 10 interesting places Bentley has escaped to during his life:

1. A separate apartment building. He sat at the right door but at the wrong building.

2. Under the neighbors bed 

3. In the apartment hallway dozens and dozens of times 

4. He took the elevator once to the penthouse and was fed, cuddled and cooed at by the owner

5. He once jumped the balcony over to the neighbors in Italy

6. He ran to the pool 

7. He ran into another cat once, turned around and darted back in

8. He jumped out of the window once

And thankfully I can't think of 9 and 10