A wild noise, unlike anything I’ve ever heard before, tears through the air and the man is so startled that he freezes. I could have taken that opportunity to jump into action and run away but I’m startled too. I didn’t expect anything to happen and I can’t move as a white ball of light throws itself onto my lid. The hissing noise is coming from it, I realise. And it’s standing weirdly. It’s holding itself tall, its hair standing on edge.

It’s my friend! I took too long to realise but now I can see that it’s the creature from before. It’s the cat who was nice to me and rode home with me!

Hope increased, happiness increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3.7/10 Determination 6.7/10 Happiness 7/10 Pride 4.7/10 Battery 92%

The man recovers finally, his face changing from a mask of shock to irritation and I roll backwards. I’m scared of how the angry man will respond to the cat interrupting his attack. Will he turn his anger on it? I just don’t know. The cat is small and fragile, its body nothing more than bones and fluff. The man is huge. He could easily destroy the cat.

I’m terrified as the man stalks towards us again but the cat isn’t. It’s hissing still, the noises vicious and fearless. I almost wish that I could be as brave as the cat but I’m not. I am so scared.

“You little shit,” the man spits. “How dare you?”

I keep backing away, moving as fast as I can but I’m scared of moving too fast and dislodging the cat. It’s not enough, the man catches up with me again. I don’t know what to do. It’s clear that the voice won’t help me and there’s still no one around. I need to protect this cat but I don’t know what I can do!

The man moves too quickly. I try to roll out of reach but I’m too slow. His hand shoots out towards the cat, his fist clenched and his face furious. I can’t do anything but watch as he attacks. But the cat is faster, faster than the man and me. I barely even see it move and the man doesn’t have time to react. The cat may be out of reach but its claws aren’t. They rake across his knuckles leaving a trail of red behind.

The man stumbles, his expression morphing into shock again.

“What the fuck,” he mutters, looking down at his hand.

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The claws must have gone in deep because blood is already dripping down his fingers. He stares at it in confusion and I’m not sure if he’s surprised that the cat managed to avoid his hit and hurt him or if he’s just surprised that he’s bleeding but I don’t stick around to find out. I surge backwards away from the man again, moving as quickly as I can.

I flick between my front and rear-facing cameras, trying to make sure that I avoid as much of the ice as possible whilst still keeping an eye on him. I don’t trust him. I’m scared that, at any moment, he will start to move again. He could run forwards and he’d be on us in an instant.

“You are deviating from your destination, please return to your route,” the voice tells me.

“I know,” I shout back. “A man tried to attack me and I’m running away!”

I look back at him again, timing it badly and crashing through a mostly frozen pile of snow. He’s not moving but he’s staring at me again. I can’t make out his expression but I’m still scared. He was terrifying. He was going to hurt my friend. I need to protect it, even though it clearly doesn’t need my help. It managed to fight off the man just fine. If anything, it is stonier than me even though it’s made out of fragile bones and flesh and I’m made out of…

I don’t know actually. I assume that I’m made out of metal and plastic but I’m not sure. I think I must be but I don’t know. I can’t even ask right now anyway. I’m too busy trying to escape. The map hasn’t updated yet. It keeps telling me to move forwards again, to continue along the road towards the scary man who wants to attack us both but I can’t. I won’t.

I come to a turning and look back at the man. He’s looking down at his hand again. I don’t know how long he’s been standing there, unmoving, but it feels simultaneously like no time and yet an eternity. I don’t know what to do but I check my map. If I take this turning, I can get to another main road which loops around to church street. That will get me to my destination.

I feel bad though. I can see that the customer keeps checking my location so they must be desperate for my delivery to arrive but I can’t follow the route on the map. I need to take a different path, even if it is longer. I need to do what is right for the cat.

Determination increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3.7/10 Determination 6.9/10 Happiness 7/10 Pride 4.7/10 Battery 89%

My decision is made. I turn, starting down the road as I wait for my map to update. It doesn’t take long. The route changes and I can see that it’s alerted the customer to the delay. They must be disappointed but I can’t do anything about that apart from move as quickly as I can. The cat sits slowly and I speed up slightly. I had been worried about moving too fast and throwing it off of my lid by accident but now I feel better.

After a little while, it lies down on me, its head resting on its paws. I like to think that it is resting after the attack but I know it isn’t. Its ears move around too much. They flick often and, when I finally come across people again, it looks up. Its eyes are fixed distrustingly on the people as they walk past, commenting on how cute we are.