Title: Chance's First Love
Author: Rebecca Mason
 
     It was evening in MegaKat City.  The sky was a mixture of a light green
against soft sink; strangely enough, the colour of the sky seemed to soothe the tired
Kats of MegaKat City as they walked or drove home from a tiring day of work.
But, the sky seemed to upset one particular Kat; a Kat who lived on the out-skirts
of the city, A Kat who lived in the Salvage Yard. This Kat was Chance Furlong,
He seemed to look up at the sky (tears held back) and look upset. 

     He sighed. "It's been six years without her." 

     Chance went down to the TurboKat and climbed up to canopy, opened it
up, and reached inside. He reached into a little space (in the Turbo Kat) and drew
out a photograph.  It was in a heart-shaped frame.  The photo was of a She-kat
with pink hair and yellow-orange tanned fur. Her green eyes seemed to look out of
the photo at him.  

     Chance carried the photo into the main room (the one with the t.v and sofa)
"Oh, Megan, if only you were still alive." He sobbed and he finally let the tears
free.   

     (In the morning) Jake woke up feeling great.  He hadn't heard Chance's
loud snoring last night and he'd gotten a good night's sleep.  

     "Morning, Chance," he said as he wiped his eyes.  No answer...  "Chance, I
said morning!"  Still, no answer...  Jake started to get worried. He went over to
Chance's bed on the other side of the room. Chance's bed was empty.  

     "His bed looks as if it hasn't been slept in all night!!!!"  

     Jake ran downstairs and found Chance asleep on the sofa.  Jake noticed that
Chance was clutching something in his hands.  Jake managed to get a hold of it and
pulled it out slowly. Jake remembered his training from the Enforcers about
disarming bombs. 

     "Man!!!! Compared to this, bombs are a snap!!!!" Jake exclaimed.  

     He finally managed to get the photo loose from Chance's hands.  Jake
looked at the photo. 

     "Hmmmm, she looks kinda cute."  Jake tried to remember where he'd seen
the she-kat before. "Hey, Chance, wake up!" 

     Chance woke up.  He looked up at Jake and pulled a sleepy half awake
smile, but then he noticed what Jake was holding. 

     "Hey!!!!!!!" Chance said angrily.  He jumped up and snatched the photo
from Jake.

     "Chance!!!!  What did you do that for?!!!!" 

     Chance looked at the photo, sighed, and apologized to Jake for snapping at
him. 

     "I'm sorry, Jake.  It's just that I haven't gotten over what happened to
Megan...."

     Jake was puzzled. "Megan?  Who's Megan?!!"  

     Chance sighed and started to explain.  "Well, I was only sixteen years old
and I was in love with this girl."  Chance showed the photo to Jake.  "This is
Megan.  *sigh*   I can still remember her to this day - her pink hair, her
yellowy-orange fur, her beautiful green eyes... A heck of a loss." 

     "We were on a date - it went completely fine until we reached the beach
and then I saw all the girl kats from my high school there.  They were doing
cheerleading practice....  Hmm, let's see - there was Callie, Aby, Ann, Amy,... and
Felina, but I think her sister had brought Felina along. Anyway, I just said they
looked kinda cute and the next thing I know I'm sprawled on the ground."  

     Jake was surprised.  "What happened?"  

     "Well, isn't it obvious?  She socked me in the eye and ribs and ran off.... 
That's what happened.  When I got up, I decided to make my way back home.  I
walked along the coastline, which went along a cliff, and, as I was walking, I
heard screaming.  I started running towards where the screaming was coming from
and there was no one.  I looked down and almost fainted."

     "How come?"  

     "Well, Megan was hanging onto the cliff edge and she was losing her grip.
I made an effort to grab her paws and I just managed to get her when she said,
<Chance, please don't worry about me> and then she slipped through my paws. I
watched, *shocked* as she plummeted into the sea.  I tried to save her - I called
the life guards and they went searching for her.  I tried to as well, but I almost
drowned.  Luckily, a life-guard saw me and saved me.  As he put me up on the life
boat, he said that I should stay put and leave it to the professionals. I did and....."
Chance trailed off.  

     Jake wanted to know. "What, Chance? What happened - did they save
her?" 

     Chance sighed.  "All they came back with..... was this."  Chance held out
the photo. "That's the only image left of her now."  

     Jake looked down at the floor sadly, but then something came into his
head... "Hey, Chance, she might still be alive."  

     "Say what?!"  

     "Well, if they never found her body, then that means she still might be
alive."  

     Chance looked out of the window and into the sky.  "Let's hope you're
right......"
 
The End (quite a story huh?)