“Good morning, Captian Cattitude. How’d you sleep?” said Thom as he tried to wake-up from a deep sleep. “Pardon me, I’m still not quite awake yet,” he continued. “I slept great. This couch and blanket were quite comfortable,” said Captain Cattitude. At that moment a hyperactive Shadow emerged from the bedroom running and sliding all over the place. “Good morning guys. Are you ready for an adventure?” “Shadow what are you talking about and what do you have in mind?” said Thom softly slapping his face in attempts to fully wake-up. “Well, I thought since Captain Cattitude has a spaceship, we could take a ride in it and go to San Francisco. I know how you love SF and how much you miss it, Thom” said an overly excited Shadow. “The drive to the spaceship will take a couple of hours, so Thom you should hop in the shower to help you become more awake. Captain Cattitude and I in the meantime will make breakfast. We should be on the road soon if we do this, continued Shadow in a fast, quick voice. “Whoah, Whoah, said Captain Cattitude. “We should not do this. My ship is my way back home. I don’t want to take any chances of my ship being seen during the day. It’s safer at night when no one is likely to be around.”

“Well, then let’s go to the ocean. I’m sure that would be fun and I don’ think Captain Cattitude has seen the ocean,” said a disappointed Shadow. “Now that sounds more reasonable Shadow,” said Thom. “Yes, I agree. Thom, you take your shower and Shadow and I will make breakfast,” said Captain Cattitude…

“So tell me how you are breathing our air without any respiratory support? It’s been puzzling me all night. I mean you look like a house cat, yet you are alien. Let, alone, how do you speak our language if your from another planet, Catmoon, I think Shadow told me. I guess what I am saying is I don’t want you hurting my Shadow as I love her as if she were my only child. I will protect her if I have to, ” said Thom her owner. Captain Cattattude interrupted Thom in mid-sentence, “I have no plans to harm Shadow or your people. My species have visited your planet before during the time when Pharaoh’s ruled this world. We were considered royalty and like kings. In fact, we gave your people the knowledge to build the pyramids. When we left your planet, some of us remained behind. As a result, we have bred with your domestic cats. That is why cats are so mysterious and intelligent animals. I can speak your language because your language is our second language among our species. I can breathe your air as our planet has the same atmosphere as Catmoon’s. You see Shadow is royalty on our planet and is protected as such. Locked in her DNA is our DNA. Shadow doesn’t know this but she has magical powers deep within her, a power that Catmoon inhabitants also have,” said Captain Cattitude. “What?” said Shadow in shock. “I don’t have any special abilities” “But you do Shadow. I just need to teach you how to reach them. They are in you, you just need the training to access them,” said Captain Cattitude. Thom just looked dumbfounded as he looked back and forth between Shadow and Captain Cattitude. “We should talk about sleeping arrangements. Shadow usually sleeps next to me in my bed. Captain Cattitude you can have the couch. We can talk further tomorrow morning. It’s getting late and I’m sure we are all tired,” said Thom as he stood up to get Captain Cattitude a pillow and blanket. “I’m assuming you use a litter box also, right?” said Thom as he lay the pillow and blanket on the couch. Um no, I can use your toilet. We have never used litter boxes,” said Captain Cattitude. “Oh, OK, well, goodnight. Come on Shadow. Let’s go to bed,” said Thom as he made his way to his bedroom…

When Shadow got home, she was surprised by her owner. He had made a feast fit for a king. She was speechless and in awe of his kindness. Captain Cattitue was overwhelmed with her owner’s generosity. As they made their way to the dinner table, Shadow threw her paws up in the air and started purring loudly to show her thanks. Captain Cattitude simply stared into thin air. He never expected such kindness from humans. He has heard stories that humans are vicious and cannot be trusted. For now, he thought he will let his guard down and trust the human. Both Shadow and Captain Cattitude loaded up their plates with turkey, cranberry, mashed potatoes, and green beans. They both were famished from their long drive back to Shadow’s home that they immediately began to eat. Shadow’s owner let them have their time. He told himself there will be plenty of time to ask Captain Cattitude about his species and just how in the heck is he breathing Earth’s air without respiratory support…

The ride home with Captain Cattitude was most interesting. Shadow was nervous and didn’t know how to act or what to say.

“How was your trip to Earth”, asked Shadow. “Oh it was challenging due to my navigation system crashing. I saw parts of the Universe I’ve never seen. That part was enjoyable yet somewhat nerve-racking. I thought I was lost in space,” replied Capt. Cattitude. ” Luckily I was able to make the necessary repairs and get back on track,” continued Capt. Cattitude. “My that must have been scary,” replied Shadow. “Yes, it was,” said Capt. Cattitude. “I’m so happy you made it safely to Earth and that you will be staying with my owner and me. Something has been puzzling me. How do you breathe without assistance from a helmet?” said Shadow. “Our planet is atmosphere is similar to yours. I am able to breathe your air,” said Capt. Cattitude. It’s amazing you look like me. How is that possible?” Said Shadow. “We are your ancestors. We’ve been to Earth before. During the time of the Egyptians, we helped build your pyramids. Some of us stayed behind. Over time our anscestorial characteristics changed as we became domesticated and bred with your planet’s cats. I have so much to tell you Shadow,” concluded Capt. Cattitude. At that moment, Shadow announced, ” We’re home.” “Yes. We are,” said a smiling Capt. Cattitude…

Shadow woke up this morning hyper and excited that it was Christmas Day. She woke up her owner by licking then pawing at his nose. This always works, she thought. Sure enough, he woke up. “Good Morning Shadow,” said her owner. “Good Morning,” she said. “I have gifts for you in the family room for you,” he said. Before he could get out the words, Shadow ran to the family room. Sure enough, out in the center of the family room floor was a bag with a red ribbon on it. Shadow was so excited. She immediately tore open the bag with her claws and teeth. Inside was a multitude of colored fluffy balls to play fetch, her favorite game. “Do you like it,” said her owner as he walked into the family room. “Oh, yes, I do. We can play fetch all the time now. I’ll never run out of toys. Thank you and Happy Christmas”, said Shadow.

After breakfast, shadow told her owner she was driving to Lake Merced to pick up Captain Cattitude and bring him back home for Christmas. Her owner was shocked. “What will the government say,” he asked. “They don’t know he is here. He landed an hour ago using stealth technology. The government won’t pick up his entry nor landing. “I need to leave now. It is a five-hour drive to Lake Merced,” said Shadow. “Goodbye and good luck. Please drive safely,” said her owner.

After driving five hours, Shadow reached her destiny. Captain Cattitude had decided to land on the golf course. His ship would be invisible due to stealth technology. As shadow entered into the golf course, Captain Cattitude was beaming down to her. Once beamed down, his ship automatically went up to the atmosphere where it would not be bumped into by golfers. “We finally meet my dear Shadow,” said Captain Cattitude. “Yes, we have. We should head back to my apartment before anybody sees us. Plus, it’s a five-hour drive…

On the eve of Christmas Eve, Shadow is filled with anticipation of what tomorrow brings – Christmas Day and meeting Captain Cattitude in the hidden location at Lake Merced. She just knows her owner is going to get her fluffy balls and she will meet Captain Cattitude without the government interfering as stealth technology aboard Capt. Cattitude’s ship will cloak his entry into the atmorphere and the landing; thus, preventing the govermemnt from knowing he has landed on Earth.

+

Shadow sent Captain Cattitude a welcome Portable Network Graphics image. She wanted to let him know she was thinking about their secret meeting. She has been depressed as she realized today she has gained weight and now is starting to look like a woman. She wishes she was still a kitten and not a teenager. She got away with so much more. Another thing she has noticed is she gets butterflies in her stomach whenever she looks at Capt. Cattitude. She thinks he is so handsome and intelligent. She feels uneasy as she feels she needs to have his babies.

Shadow woke up this morning feeling different. After she gave herself a tongue bath hoping to feel better, she jumped up on the bathroom sink to look into the bathroom mirror. She didnt recognize the image staring back at her. Her whiskers were longer and she noticed her kitten features were disappearing. Upon closer inspection she saw she was bigger. Shit she thought, I’m a teenager. When did this happen she wondered. Not long ago she was a kitten and now, almost over night, she was a teenager. I have to send Capt. Cattitude a new picture she thought aloud. He may not recognize me was her next thought as she jumped off the bathroom sink to find her owner to ask him to take photos of her. She vaguely felt a certain loss as she mentally said goodbye to her kittenhood.

Shadow realizes Christmas is only a week away and that Captain Cattitude will be landing on Earth on that day at a secret location only her and Capt. Cattitude knows. She hopes impeached President Trump minds his own business and will be too busy trying to stop the impeachment to pay attention to unidentifiable flying objects in our atmosphere. Although she has been reassured by Capt. Cattitude he will come unseen thanks to his species having more advanced stealth technology than our world has.

Shadow took a picture of herself wrapped around a wreath to send to Capt. Cattitude to show how humans decorate for Christmas. Capt. Cattitude told Shadow his species have nothing even close to Christmas as she has described it to him. He’s very excited to be able to participate in it with Shadow and friends,