Poor Stella

Last night Mike and I had plans to go out to a Trivia night at a bar in town. We found out about it from the Elementary School principal of ISK and Ava's Grade 4 teacher from last year who play every Tuesday (and usually come in first place). We went once before and came in 5th place - at least we didn't come in last! Anyway, when I was outside waiting for my taxi (because our house is new and is numbered 42A, taxis can never ever find it so we always have to wait outside)- Ava came out to talk to me and Stella must have slipped out into the darkness without her noticing. When Mike and I came in last night, I noticed that Stella wasn't around and went outside and called for her. I figured if she had gotten out she would be anxiously sitting at a side door trying to get in. There was no sign of her so I figured she must be upstairs sleeping under one of our beds. It was really late so I didn't search too hard and just got into bed and fell asleep. As soon as I got out of bed this morning I knew something was wrong, as Stella always greets me with meows when she hears me get up. I ran around the house looking for her, but I just knew she wasn't inside. I woke Ava and asked if she remembered seeing her last night and she couldn't remember. I ran outside and looked around the house but there was no sign of her so I immediately feared the worst. I put my shoes on and decided to walk up and down the road, very nervous that I might find her poor little body on the side of the road. Still there was no sign of her, so I thought maybe someone had found her and taken her inside. I was coming up with a plan of making LOST CAT flyers and putting them all over the neighborhood when I got back to our house (although I had no idea how I was going to write it all in Polish). I called out for her a few times before I walked back into the garage, and then I heard a faint meow coming from somewhere near the side of our house. Oh Stella!! I ran to the fence, thinking she must be in the neighbor's yard but I didn't see her. Then I realized it was coming from near our car, so I got on my hands and knees but didn't see her anywhere, and didn't understand why she wasn't running out to me. Then she gave out another little tiny meow and I knew where she was - under the hood!! I ran into the house to grab my keys, opened my door and then popped the hood. When I lifted it up, there was the poor girl on top of the engine. Thank God I had not tried to start the car, I was planning on taking a drive around the block to look for her next, but I wanted to wait for Mike to come with me in case we found her body : (  I remember when I was younger there were a ton of stray cats in our neighborhood, and one of our neighbors told us how they started their car one morning and unfortunately had killed one of the strays that had climbed inside to keep warm. We were so happy to have found her, she ran into the house, at some food and then didn't stop drinking water. She has a cut under her eye, but it doesn't look like she got into a fight, but maybe she sliced it climbing over a fence or trying to get out of the car. Poor thing! I feel terrible that I did not try harder to find her last night, but now maybe she will think twice before trying to run outside!

All tired out from her adventurous night

Her boo boo