Written for a 250 word challenge on the theme of The AGM. Word count 261 words. This was a tough challenge for me. 250 words seemed so short!

Xanthe darted, into the Lutterworth Country Park trees. Choosing one strategically, she scrambled up and perched on a branch.

There was not a lot of business at the LuttCat AGM, and, as expected, cats yawned and paid little attention. The AGM went smoothly, as always. That was, until “any other business” came up.

“What about this new wildflower patch here?” Xanthe asked, looking around at the other cats, licking her paw nonchalantly. There were hisses and spits in response.

“Not a single catmint plant!” yowled one cat.

“Can’t eat bees and butterflies!” grumbled another.

“Which human is going to pick up dog poop in there?” snarled a third, hacking up a furball in disgust.

Voices grew raised in anger. Eventually, Xanthe, the Chaircat, called the meeting to order, mostly by claw-boxing the nearest cats to her.

“Quiet! Are we dogs?” she growled. “What we need is a plan, and I have one!”

Slowly looking at each cat in turn, she outlined her plan.

“We get… the dogsssss… to destroy it!” She hissed out the vile word. “We tell them, there is a “buried bone of epic proportions”, and that flowers were planted to conceal it. We tell them, it is a magic bone, bestowing Alpha status over all of Lutterworth! Then, let’s see what happens to the wildflower patch!”

Xanthe smirked. The other cats began to mewl, raising their hackles and showing their claws in support of the lethal plan. The motion was seconded, passed, and the meeting closed, with plotting cats snickering back to their homes under cover of darkness.

The AGM

For Always

Catherine Knee