The old man was getting worried. Every morning for the past few years, the two stray cats, Mike and Sylvia, met him in the alley at this very spot. Today, only Sylvia showed up. They usually travel together.
He lit another cigarette and continued waiting for Mike. He also sent up a prayer, just in case Anyone was listening. He never considered that the day may come when only one cat showed up, or maybe neither of them.
Being a stray and living on the street was a dangerous business. Anything could happen; you had to stay alert. As a homeless man himself, he knew all about life on the streets. He reached down to pet Sylvia, and she raised her back to meet his hand halfway. She looked up at him with her big green eyes and blinked. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she looked worried. He gave Sylvia a few scraps of chicken he’d saved for her and Mike. Usually, she inhaled her food. This time she just picked at it.
Mike’s share stayed in his pocket.
The old man finished his second cigarette and put it out. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his empty stomach, he and Sylvia continued to wait for Mike.
Written for What Do You See? hosted by Sadje of Keep it Alive.
aka, The Abject Muse 
Tell it like it is