The story of woe

Over two dozen sneezes and a pulsing throb in temples later I've resigned myself to the folds of an unassuming couch that seems a rather temptress at this moment, given my feverish disposition.

In this vituperated state of febrile assault I might be given to sickened rantings and unnecessarily angry banter, but isn't that what ailments expect of ones they so mercilessly abuse.

On the story of how I got myself in this position begins with the rather tragic tale of affection, love and devotion.
Tragic because only love and longing have the power to tug at your heart with such vigorous force as to mutilate it to strips of gouged out wounded flesh.

As inconsolable and broken-hearted as I was upon arriving here last night from my short stint home, there was but a streak of silver in my blackened grey distant clouds and that was the reunion with my darling cat, whom I'd left two weeks past.
My burgeoning grief upon leaving him and been doubly overburdened with the guilt that he'd be all alone. The thought of abandonment is a frightening one and i wondered if he'd felt abandoned all this time too.
So imagine my anguish when upon my arrival I could discern not a trace of my civilized feline.

I'd fashioned a small cardboard box into a cozy apartment and lined it with his favourite towel outside of my door to serve as his little cocoon and I fully expected to find him there, waiting to plunge into my arms. That did not happen. Not by a long shot.
The box was empty but lived in and yet the furry tenant was nowhere in sight.
I searched for him for almost an hour. Whistling near his favorite haunts and calling out his name near all the trees he patronizes.
No luck and this began to worry me.

I let myself come up with the oddest reasons for his absence. 'Perhaps he left this area because he felt abandoned. Maybe he crossed the road and had an accident'
I came up with a million reasons so ghastly and negative that for a moment I worried myself into a state of uncontrollable sobs.

I wasn't in a great frame of mind yesterday and all these events played into a negativity sphere so vast that I broke down into a feverish sleep.

But that's not how I got sick today.

Sometime around 4:30 am I heard a cat sadly meowing downstairs and to that dolorous song I woke up with a start and without thinking for a second ran out of the house, climbed downstairs and did an Usain Bolt gallop into the world frozen to a deadened silence, only to come across a tangerine cat who was trying to make conversation with another black and orange animal.
Not my darling Gogi that, and I slowly trudged upstairs, holding myself into a bundle of shivers, clasping my arms around me in a huddle. Wearing nothing save a t shirt and underwear I realized I'd been idiotically foolish and temerarious.

I dived back in my layers of warmth but the damage was done.
The cat greeted me with all the love at his disposal this morning and I lavished everything I had and together we slept until I woke up with a feverish headache and creaking body ache.
I knew something was off and the reason for it too.. and thusly ends this tale.

Time to raid the medicine cabinet or find a suitable handgun.

Hearts