Socks and Boots

The kitten was a menace. The sofa was shredded, the remains of a decorative pillow were strewn across the floor, and my favorite pair of socks was currently stuck between the teeth of the tiny terror. I looked at the kitten. The kitten looked back. The kittens eyes widened, innocent and pure. It cocked its head almost reproachfully. "Alright Socks," I grumbled "Alright fine. I'll get you a toy." Shortly thereafter I discovered there are exactly zero pet stores in the entirety of town. Instead, to my surprise and utter disgust, I found that we have a cutlery museum. You'd think that the number of people going out to look for pet supplies would be much greater than the number of people looking to gawk at silverware, but no, not in our town, that'd be much too convenient. I was walking inside the lobby when I saw it. Someone had erected a little shrine in a corner to 'honor' Mr. Evans -fat lot of good it was gonna do him, what with him being dead at all. What's the point of giving gifts to people after they're dead?- and in front of it, hidden between some wilting carnations and a pack of cigarettes, was a small red ball. I shoved the ball into the front pocket of my coat and tried to high-tail it out of there, when one of the other people in the lobby bumped right into me. The ball fell out of my pocket to the ground and I clumsily scrambled after it. "Hey," the person said "isn't that from Mr. Evans' memorial?" "Mind your own business!" I barked and, with the ball safely in hand, stumbled through the halls to the safety of my apartment. Breathing hard, I stared at my kitten, who had occupied itself while I was away with finding and ripping up all of the rest of my socks. "Here you go Socks." I wheezed, and tossed it the ball. "Are you happy now?" The kitten was smitten. For the rest of the evening it scuttled to and fro, pouncing and batting the ball. I pondered the days events. That was the most I had ever done for someone in over twenty years. I peeked at the kitten, now gnawing furiously on its new toy. What was it about that kitten? Why did I even care? What was happening to me?