That thing. That thing that has impacted my life so much is hanging in my room where I can see it from any position. It will always remind me of the thing that is most important to me. That thing would take me back in time and go through my life once again to relive it. And I cherished those times so much. It is the bell of my cat Ally.

I first found Ally near my Aunt’s house. Every single time I visited my aunt, I will always see that cat. It was a black cat with white spots around her. Whenever I would look into the cat’s eyes, it will tell me that she was cold or hungry. After several weeks passed by, I asked my aunt if she was a stray cat, though she told me it was her neighbors’ cat and they always let it out. Sometimes it would cry in the night begging to go back in. And wouldn’t be able to go in until the owners finally left the house to go to work. Then I would wonder who would feed it.
More weeks have passed by and it was finally time to graduate from middle school. I was finally going to be in high school. I visited my aunt to have a little celebration over there before we went back home. When we got there, I was hoping to see that little black cat. Although, I wasn’t able to see her anywhere. When I asked my aunt, she told me the owners moved, but they didn’t take the cat because she remembers seeing it around the streets sometimes. Knowing I will miss my aunt’s famous chili and a metal spatula would be waiting for me to return, I went out to go look for it. I was probably out in the night for 15 minutes. I hardly could see anything, especially if was looking for a semi-black cat. The pitch black dark would be silent and wouldn’t tell me a thing where I was going. When all of a sudden I heard a cry from the ally. I went to go check it out hoping to find it. It took me several seconds trying to make out what I was looking at. I finally found what I have been searching for. It was huddled up in a cardboard box with scrapes of newspaper underneath it. I picked it up and was shocked to find it very skinny. I can feel the bones all along its body. I hurried to my aunt’s house as quickly as I can. The cat felt like a feather in my hands. When I got there, my family and me took care of it. We gave it warmth, food, and comfort as best as we can. When we were leaving though, my parents said that we could not take the cat with us. And my aunt will not be able to take care of it since she was leaving for the Philippines during the weekend. We had to throw it back out. That was something I was not going to do.
I took the cat with me to the car when my parent wasn’t looking. I prayed that the cat wouldn’t cry or we would have to leave it midway going to our house. Mission success. Now all I had to do was to take care of it enough and show my parents that I was able to be responsible for it. Although that didn’t go to well as I thought it would. Thinking I can hide her covered up in my jacket, both my dog and cat sniffed her out and started to bark and hiss. At that point my parents went “Ape S***” all over me. It finally took me hours to convince them that we should see if we could keep it. And those last 4 years with that black and white cat was bliss. I gave her name Ally, because I found her in an ally. She was my Ally cat. And everywhere I go, I would hear her bell follow me. Ally would never leave my sight, and I would never leave her sight. We were almost inseparable. Although almost still means no. Ally loved the outdoors. She was no indoor cat at all, so I had to “walk” her like a dog in our backyard. Whenever a door opens up, she would either try to run out, or if it were I, she would jump up to me. One night, my brother and his friends came over for a little get together. They would constantly go in and out to either the fireplace outside in the patio, or jam out in the basement playing their instruments. In between that time, Ally was able to get out. And it was that time where I saw my cat in the same condition when I first found her. Ally was run over by a car in the street. The streets in Prospect Heights are pitch dark. The same sort of night I found her. Lying down on the cold street, trying to breathe her last breath. I couldn’t believe it was happening all again. I tried picking her up, only to hear a horrifying wheezing comes from her. I didn’t know what to do, and at that point I was crying. For the first time in years I was crying. I cried for help from my family. I was screaming and screaming when finally my little sister came out. I didn’t want her to know so all I said to her was to get mom and dad. The next 10 minutes were hell to me. Ally was covered in a blanket still alive. I was begging my parents to bring her to a vet. Though anyone can tell by looking at Ally, that there was no winning chance what so ever. Ally now lies in our backyard where she liked to bite my mom’s plants off. She would always sneak off and eat her plants, and I will always have to be the one to replant it. A cross stands over her and I visit my cat Ally everyday and every night. When I was with her, I would be in my own little ally with her. Her bell rings every once in while, although I tend to believe it’s just a draft of wind coming by or opening the door. Though I know Ally will always be with me in my heart. Her bell means everything to me.