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El Gato sat on the ledge staring out the open window of my bedroom into the cool desert night.  Occasionally I would see her swipe at specks of nothing beyond the reach of both her paw and her mind.  At first I sat in wonder thinking to myself, why is this cat swiping at a world it cannot reach?  Then, like a trap, my mind slammed on me.  Here this animal was, trying desperately to reach a world of which it had no comprehension, and there I sat watching.  It was time to get out.
It was nearly midnight and there had been rain earlier that day, but summer was still close enough to allow for shorts and a t-shirt (my armor of choice) even in darkness.  Protection in place, I began the dance across the upstairs landing avoiding every creaking board so as not to wake anyone.  Half way down, then roll over the banister, the rest of the way an impassable mine field.
Almost out, but the front room was its own battle.  Still missing were my shoes, and asleep on the couch our frequent guest.  If his snoring could not wake him though, I felt confident I could maneuver around my nasal cousin.  The search began in earnest, under the computer desk, in the bathroom, in the kitchen.  All the while I damned my inconsistent memory as I searched.  "Where the hell are they?"  I spoke!  Hands covered lips as I heard a stirring on the couch.  Around the corner my head peeked as from his mouth came a tired response.
"I don't..." his words fell off.  Like a shadow I stood without movement for uncounted moments with even my breath silent.  Staring and hoping that he would again slip deeply away into his dream world, finally, back to silent rest.  A deep sigh came over me, as well as a new sense of determination.  Then, as I turned away, something caught my eye.
Poking out from under the couch, A SHOE!  Taking on the spirit of El Gato I made my way to my shiny little prize and scooped it from the grasp of the couch, now marked as an enemy in my eyes.  A slap for the offense and back to the search.  Where is the other?  Beneath the furniture held no more treasures.  So again I was lost.  Then a noise, and more movement from the snoozing conversationalist as he threw his arms into the air.
"Don't stop now!  We're almost to the top!"
Some dream, I thought as I stared curiously at him.  His arms raised straight in the air for a moment longer, then, with a crash of flesh, dropped as he turned his entire body.  Back to...wait...under the delightfully plump body of my hibernating relative was the sign I had been looking for.  At the same time though, a sign which I was dreading.  A slightly flattened heel screamed for air, (a breath mint couldn’t hurt) and cried for me to rescue it.  The mission had changed, search to rescue, and if I did not act quickly it would be a recovery.  My mind raced with possibilities.
"Maybe I can turn him," the words came under guarded breath, "he might not wake up.  Damn, maybe I should just rip it out and hope for the best."
I looked up from my foxhole, the obstacle was as apparent as ever.  How to remove it?  (that’s what I wrote about a year ago)  There would be no easy operation to retrieve the item so vital to my escape.  There was little choice, move quickly.  Like a magician pulling the tablecloth from under the dishes, I must have the quickness to pull this off.  Like Gato I once again crept towards my prey.  Eyes fixed on the objective and the obstacle, nothing else in the room concerned me.  “Ouch,” my voice raised as I cracked my toe against a chair, “damnit!”  My teeth gritted, it was all I could do not to cry out again in anger and pain.  Already I may have made too much noise.  My eyes looked through the coming waters to see if I had disturbed the boy.  He still lied asleep, oblivious to all the world outside his dreams.  My mission was not yet a failure, simply delayed.  The enemy chair became my comfort as I rested and rubbed my injured toe.  The recovery time had to be short, there was no choice in the matter.  Before too long I was back on my feet.  Still like a cat, although slightly limped, I made my way towards the goal.
Crouched in front of the couch I stared at the object of my desire.  The ass end of my shoe sticking was slightly out from under the kid.  My mind was boggled by the thought that he could find that comfortable.  How could he possibly sleep with a shoe jabbing into his side?  Sleep for me is disrupted so easily.  Often I have been awakened by the anticipation of an event or the presence of a waking body in the room.  Here I was crouching over him, about to rip from under him this item that could not be anything but a pain and he slept like there was no care in the world.  My mind focused, my hands hovered over the prize.  Like Indiana Jones, my movement was exact.  I pulled from under the boy my suffocated shoe and replaced only hope that he wouldn’t awake.  Success!  He made only some movement to readjust.  Proudly I stood and examined my shoe, slightly flattened on the end but alive and ready for the night ahead.
Returning again to my chair foe, I hid where it could do me no harm.  My shoes now on my feet, I hopped up.  Stomping around slightly to gain a feel for my footwear and allow it to adjust itself as well.  As ever, I quietly went to the door.  With close attention to the noise made by the hinges and knob I opened it.  Going slowly to lesson the noise, but my actions were futile.  Still the knob squeaked, still the door cracked, and the hinges cried from use.  Still though, the boy slept.  I squeezed out the small opening, just large enough for me to fit through, and returned the door to its state of guardianship over the house.  The door crunched, the knob popped, and the hinges still cried out.  I waited a moment to assure that there would be no one following my escape.  Eyeing through the window, I saw no significant movement.  I had made it.
Joyfully, I turned to the night.  The cool air was a rush.  It came over me causing me to breath deep, it was so fresh.  Drops from an earlier rain still fell from the roof tapping the ground in front of me.  I reached to intercept their fall, to confirm for myself that it was all as it seemed, that I wasn’t simply dreaming myself somewhere.  It was so real, too real, and for a moment I was overwhelmed.  Too much time I spent looking out my window at the world.  It felt good to step into it, and I began the stepping.  Walking across the wet grass, kicking up small bits of deposited water onto my exposed legs, everything felt so comforting.  Some birds were still awake, chirping in the tree at the front of the yard.  I stood beneath it for a moment to see the inhabitants, finding small drops of water falling on my face instead.  It was no bother.  There was no complaint to find in the situation.  It was mine, my night, to make as I wished.
My walk began without real direction, simply following along the sidewalk.  Turning left, crossing the street to follow another stretch.  The direction was strait ahead.  It seemed the right way to go.  I followed the path to another street crossing, and then another where I had no choice but to turn to right.  There were no stars, and little sign of a moon.  Clouds still covered the sky, hovering still as if they had unfinished business.  My mind focused on this and the million other things that I saw.  Another crossing, more like a dance, I jumped over gatherings of water in the street.  Nothing compared to what I saw ahead.  Water running almost at height with the curb, but still a ways down.  The sidewalk now took me under trees, each drying itself on me.