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Part Three: This Close
Samara squared her shoulders and raised her paw. Then she lowered it. Knock on Macavity's door? What was she, crazy? Yes. She raised her paw again. She knocked. The sound resonated around the area. The door opened a tiny crack.
Macavity's faced twisted into a sneer. "A kitten," he said. "A kitten has come here with her own free will. Well now, Miss..."
"Samara."
"Well now, Miss Samara, what can I do for you?" His voice was coy and syrupy. It made Samara sick. She swallowed.
"I have read of a poison, sir," she began, without even coming in the door, "that does not really kill you but merely makes it feel like your pulse has stopped. Do you have anything like that?"
"Hmmm... I believe I do... Come in, come in!" He swung the door wide. Samara had no desire to come in, but did so anyway.
Inside, it was too dark to see. The soft moaning sounds of rats filled the air, and Samara shivered.
"What's the matter? Not fond of rats?" Macavity said, grinning wickedly. Samara didn't answer.
He turned around and reached up to a barely visable shelf. He pulled off a bottle. "This, I dare say, is what you are looking for." He suddenly became animated, and pushed Samara toward the door. "Results are not guaranteed, but if not perfectly satisfied, your wasted life will be refunded," Macavity said in a breathless voice. Her shoved Samara out the door and slammed it behind her.
"Well!" Samara said, clutching the bottle. "That was odd!" Then she made off toward her room. Once inside, she removed the stopper from the bottle. The room filled with a sweet, intoxicating scent. Samara raised the bottle to her lips. She threw her head back, and drank.
The room suddenly became dark, and Samara began to feel sleepy. She tumbled onto the bed and fell asleep.
Airmek was cheerful as he began his journey on the way back home. Samara was waiting for him, no doubt. The air was crisp and cold. Airmek spotted a face in one of the windows. It disappeared, and out came a brown and white cat. "Tumblebrutus!" he cried happily.
Tumblebrutus looked at him. His eyes were wide and sad. "You haven't heard," he said decidedly.
"Heard what?" Airmek said, his nostrils beginning to flair.
"Samara..." Tumblebrutus said, his voice trailing off.
Airmek felt his blood turn cold. "What about Samara?"
"She's dead," Tumblebrutus said. "She found out that she was to marry an ambassador's son, and was found dead the next day. There was a strange bottle in her hand, and we think she poisoned herself. She..."
Tumblebrutus stopped. Airmek had disappeared.
Airmek spoke to no one when he reached the junkyard. There was no one to speak to. Everyone seemed to have disappeared. He entered her bedroom. Samara lay unmoving on a ile of blankets. A large tan cat with white stripes knelt beside the bed. He looked up when he heard Airmek come in.
"Ah," he said, "you are the brother, are you not? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Romerall, son of the ambassador who..."
He didn't finish his sentence. Airmek leapt upon him, clawing and biting. "You killed her!" he cried. "You killed her! You killed her..." Romerall had no chance against such strong hatred and rage. He was soon dead.
Airmek turned back to Samara. She looked almost alive, laying there. A flame of hope ignited in his mind. He felt for a pulse. There was none. The flame flickered for a moment, and then puffed out.
There was no life for Airmek without Samara. He extended a claw. "I shall be joining you, shortly," he whispered to Samara. He dug his claw into his heart. He staggered a moment, inviting the pain. He took one last look at Samara and fell, slumped over.
The sound of his body hitting the ground roused Samara from her dreamless, poison-induced sleep. She saw Airmek lying beside her, and rushed to embrace him. She stopped when he didn't move. She turned him over, and took in the long, gaping wound that blood still slowly trickled from. She cried out in grief and despair. "What have I done?" she screamed. "What have I done?"
She, too, clawed herself to death. Her blood poured from the open wound, and she slumped over, falling on top of Airmek, as she would have wanted it. Samara's blood mixed with Airmek's, and as one they began their long journey to the Heaviside Layer.
Mistoffolees entered the room to see Samara. He gaped at the sight that met his eyes. Then he shook his head, trying to rid himself of his emotions. A large book caught his eyes. It stood on the nightstand, which seemed to buckle under its weight. The book was open. Mistoffolees read the title at the top of the page: "Romeo and Juliet."
Mistoffolees closed the book and went home.