‘Alby – stay,’ said Jim when they arrived at the shop.

Alby did exactly as he was told. Jim disappeared inside, feeling his way, and the shop’s bell tinkled as the door closed behind him.

Alby sighed. He wished he could go inside too. He was allowed to – guide dogs were the only animals allowed on trains and in restaurants and other public places with their masters.

But a milkbar could get quite busy at times, especially if several people decided to go and buy bread and milk all at once. So Jim preferred Alby to wait outside.

It was boring, even if it was still classed as working. Alby just sat there waiting patiently for his master, no matter how long
it took.

Soon he found himself thinking about the cat. There had been no sign of it on the road after that lunatic driver had sped past them. No blood. No guts. Nothing remotely resembling a flat cat.

A terrible thought occurred to him. Perhaps the cat was wrapped around the wheel of that madman’s car?

But if that was the case, surely there would be some of the cat left on the road. A bit of fur, part of a tail, maybe even a squished eyeball ... but there was nothing.

And as annoying a creature as that cat was, at least it was interesting company. So where was it?

Suddenly a noise startled him, and Alby quickly glanced around. There, standing only metres away, was a small human.