BILL

My name is Bill and I am a mixed breed cat.

I remember what my house looked like. There, I had my own corner on the windowsill, a bowl of my favorite food, and people who were everything to me.

I lived quietly until the war came to my city. At first there were rare loud sounds somewhere far away, then these sounds came closer. And one day the shelling became so frequent that the house was no longer a safe place. My people had to leave, but they left me behind.

After that day, the silence seemed to have left me forever. It was taken away by the constant shelling. I waited for someone to come back for me. I sat by the destroyed gate, spent the night on the cold steps, hoping, because hope dies last.

I had to hide wherever I could, run between missiles and look for food on the streets, but more often, endure terrible hunger. This went on until I met some strange people. They came to my city and not far from where I was hiding they were feeding the same animals as me. I immediately decided to approach them.

These people with very kind faces decided to take me away from where I was completely unhappy and had to survive every day. And I am very grateful to them for this. 

Now I live in a shelter. Here I remembered what silence and care are. Here are people who pet me just like my owners once did in the distant past. They all say that I love to purr and I do it quite loudly. I also love being the center of attention, but I also sometimes want to be alone and it's not surprising after what happened to me.

My life was destroyed by war, but I still believe that home is where you are loved. And I know that one day I will have it again.