PART II: Katsup's second litter
Chapter 6 (Total 2.500 words)
Petunia Building, Apartment 7B (1.500 words)
Anne and Jean-Luc’s final evening in Beirut. They host a gathering of approximately 6-7 guests, a mix of French expatriates working in Lebanon and Lebanese, influenced by French culture – including Tarek. The playful kittens, Moustache and Popeye, roam freely among the guests.
During this evening, Anne will break up with Jean-Luc, tired of his demeaning manner, and maybe somehow encouraged by Katsup.
You will also include a quick mention of the car bombing that occurred a few days before (9th of July 2013).
After Anne and Jean-Luc vacate the apartment, potential tenants frequently visit the property, and some complain about the cats.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (1.000 words)
The owner of the apartment next-door comes knocking on Tarek's door, reproaching him for the presence of the cats in his property. Tarek apologizes.
Katsup is indeed pregnant, dragging her big belly around and being very aggressive toward Moustache and Popeye, who still always want to play with her. Moustache’s personality grows increasingly melancholic and clumsy.
Tarek is desperately attempting to find homes for his kittens (now 2-3 months old). Whenever possible, he takes them to be sterilized: he transports them to the vet, each in a closed basket, crying in terror. When they all return a few hours later, he opens a can of choice pâté for them
"And your turn is coming too. Soon," he says to Katsup, who replies with a "Meow."
During the evening party to mark Adeline and Chloe's departure, and since Tarek is not very sociable, George is the only resident of the building who is invited. He and Leyla share their first kiss that evening. The other guests are Mark and one other person of your choice, who may or may not be a member of Tarek's family.
(Note: In this section, you also need to mention the Syrian refugee in an intriguing and somewhat suspicious way.)
Chapter 7 (total 2.800 words)
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (1.700 words)
George and Leyla meet at Tarek's and decide to stop seeing each other.
The new French neighbors, a couple, frequently come to complain about the kittens' incursions.
Katsup disappears for 2-3 days, then returns with a "deflated" belly, consumes a huge quantity of food, and leaves again. This same pattern repeats every day. Tarek deduces that, out of fear of Moustache and Popeye, she has given birth elsewhere and only comes to eat before returning to nurse and watch over her little ones.
Moustache and Popeye are now 4 months old, and Tarek has finally found someone to give them to.
A few days after giving them away, he must travel again.
During his absence, Leyla drops by the apartment to fill Katsup's bowl.
Three weeks after Tarek's departure, four kittens start coming to the apartment, following Katsup: two of them are all-white, one is black with a white star-shaped mark on his forehead, and one is all black.
(Note: In this section, you should also mention the car bombing on August 15, 2013.)
Karam Building, Ground Floor, Back side (800 words)
Nadine, an actress struggling to find work, and Salto, her cat, live in a small ground-floor studio of the Karam building, overlooking the inner courtyard. Salto is a plump living-room cat—slow, not very bright, and with very slow reflexes.
The pregnant Katsup frequently collides with Salto, and one time she seriously injures him. Nadine is devastated and nurses him back to health, becoming even more cautious about his outings in the yard.
(Note: In this section, include brief and intriguing interactions with the following characters: Tarek, George, Sana, and Sumit. Also, somewhere in this section, mention the Syrian refugee in a mysterious and somewhat suspicious manner. And mention the gray cat that is leaving bad odours all around the building)
The section concludes with Maïssa and Matteo contemplating the abduction of slow, chubby Salto. However, while making their plans, they spot one of Katsup's new kittens – the one with the star-shaped mark on its forehead – stuck somewhere.
Petunia Building, Apartment 6B (300 words)
Maïssa and Matteo return to Maïssa's apartment with a black kitten bearing a star-shaped mark on its forehead. The narrative must be told with the same level of sobriety and simplicity as in Chapter 3.
Chapter 8 (total 2.500 words)
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (1.100 words)
From one day to the next, the four kittens that initially follow Katsup become three, and the fourth one, distinguished by a star-shaped mark on its forehead, never appears again.
In her effort to take Katsup to the vet for neutering, Leyla mixes sleeping pills with Katsup's favorite first-choice pâté, just as Tarek did the first time. However, Katsup grows suspicious and sniffs the contents of her bowl, ultimately refusing it.
After several attempts that span a couple of weeks, Layla and Tarek decide to purchase a special, odorless sleeping product from the US.
Sometime later, Leyla realizes that "outside kittens" are visiting and soiling their apartment, in addition to devouring Katsup's food. Through certain clues, she concludes that these are the offspring of Katsup's new litter.
The sleeping product arrives, after two more weeks, and Leyla takes Katsup to the vet. But she is already pregnant again.
Katsup eventually engages in conflicts with her kittens, causing them to gradually stop coming to the place.
During one of her passages at Tarek’s, Leyla meets with George, after not having seen him for a few weeks, following their decision to avoid each other. They make love for the first time.
(Note: You also need to mention somewhere in this section the Syrian refugee, in an intriguing and somehow suspicious way.)
Karam Building, Sixth floor (300 words)
Mansoor and his wife Samar toast the fact that no more cats pass through their home. New cats appear and Samar convinces Mansoor to, this time, take radical measures.
Karam Building, Ground Floor, Back side (1.100 words)
The section begins when Nadine asks her neighbor Patricia, who already has a little kitten named Cupcake, to look after Salto while she's away for a week for an audition in Morocco.
The kittens from Katsup's last litter are friendly with Salto and often play with him.
When Nadine returns, she encounters a problem with the generator. (Side note: In Lebanon, as state electricity is only available for a few hours a day, private super-generator owners distribute electricity through makeshift cables in exchange for a monthly subscription. That info should be subtly delivered through the dialogues of this chapter).
Nadine calls Michel, her electricity provider, who agrees to come and investigate the issue. However, when he arrives, he sexually assaults her, with Salto and the kittens as witnesses. The description of this scene should maintain the same non-evocative objectivity as the torture scenes.
Suddenly, the blue-eyed Syrian refugee appears and intervenes, physically confronting Michel, who quickly flees.
The section and chapter end when he introduces himself to Nadine, and his name is Hutham.
Chapter 9 (total 2.500 words)
Backyard of the Petunia and Karam buildings (500 words)
We follow the adventures of the cats and kittens in the yard, with a particular focus on Katsup's second litter, who develop a friendly relationship with Salto.
The only humans who occasionally visit the yard are: Sumit, the janitor of the Petunia building, Amidi, the janitor of the Karam building, Nadine, when she's searching for her cat, and Tarek, when he's in search of Katsup. Occasionally, their paths cross.
In this section, it's essential to provide a detailed description of the yard. The yard is a chaotic mix of various items and elements. It's cluttered with all kinds of objects, creating a haphazard landscape. In one neglected corner, an old, rusty water tank lies abandoned. This tank is substantial, extending over two meters in depth and partially buried underground.
Karam Building, Sixth floor (300 words)
One day, Mansoor comes back home saying he killed the three kittens and swearing to God he really did.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (400 words)
Tarek comes back from France.
During his traditional Thursday evenings with Leyla, they talk about George, and Leyla confesses she’s in love with him.
Karam Building, Ground Floor, Back side (500 words)
Nadine and Hutham has clearly started a love relationship and Hutham now lives at Nadine’s place.
One day, they notice the kittens have stopped coming and wonders where they are.
The section ends when Hutham asks Nadine to marry him.
Backyard of the Petunia and Karam buildings (800 words)
One evening, Mansoor arrives in the courtyard with a bag in hand, holding a large knife. He places the bag on the ground, takes out a first kitten, which is all white, hesitates momentarily as if contemplating slitting its throat, but ultimately, he walks over to the tank and tosses the first kitten and then the two others inside, closing the lid and muffling their cries. But the lid can’t close completely as it is twisted, and leaves an opening of a few centimeters wide.
A few hours later, Katsup arrives, sniffing around everywhere, and eventually locates them. She can go down and up the tank through the opening, but she can't do so while carrying a kitten in her mouth because the opening is too narrow.
So, she stays with them in a permanent way, venturing out only once a day and returning to feed and nurse them. This continues until they grow big enough to jump out on their own, which they all manage to do on the same day.
Chapter 10 (total 2.400 words)
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (500 words)
Tarek follows Katsup's new pregnancy, wondering if this time he'll be able to witness the birth.
One day, Sana suddenly bursts into the apartment, asking Tarek if George is coming to his place, and then threatens him with repercussions if he's lying to her. However, Tarek refuses to answer her inquiries.
Karam Building, Ground Floor, Back side (600 words)
The kittens of Katsup's second litter have stopped being friendly with Salto and have started to attack him.
Nadine is hesitating about marrying Hutham, so she seeks the opinion of several friends, including Patricia. Most of her friends believe that Hutham may be taking advantage of the situation to obtain legal status thanks to the Greek citizenship Nadine has in addition to the Lebanese one. Patricia, on the other hand, is the only one who thinks Hutham is sincere. As a result, Nadine decides to arrange an evening gathering between them. The section ends when they both accept the invitation (via messages with Nadine).
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (300 words)
The birth of the third litter is approaching, but Tarek has to travel again for his daughter's (civil) christening. He is frustrated about missing yet another kitten birth.
One day, Maïssa rings the doorbell, her eyes red with tears, inquiring about the cats. She appears very interested to learn that Tarek is leaving again soon. After a brief conversation, she leaves.
A few minutes after her departure, Maïssa’s mother arrives, looking for her.
And a few minutes after the mother’s departure, Matteo arrives, looking for Maïssa too.
Petunia Building, Apartment 6B (300 words)
Matteo's father and Maïssa's mother are arguing about Maïssa's behavior. From their dialogue, it becomes evident that Matteo's father is also Maïssa's biological father.
Suddenly, Maïssa emerges from a closet where she had been hiding, her eyes red with tears, and she flees from the apartment. Her biological father asks her mother to chase after her.
Petunia Building, Ground floor (200 words)
Sumit frequently chases away the gray cat that leaves bad odors in the building, leading to constant complaints from the residents.
The section ends when, one day, Maïssa's mother comes looking for her.
Petunia building, Rooftop (500 words)
We follow the comings and goings of cats and humans over the past few weeks.
One day, Maïssa arrives on the roof, her eyes red with tears. She begins to explore the side of the roof that overlooks Tarek's balcony, wearing a sadistic smile.
Her mother arrives, and Maïssa successfully hides from her behind a water tank.
A few minutes later, Matteo arrives. Maïssa comes out of her hiding. Matteo mentions that he searched for her everywhere and asks what happened. She responds that she had a small argument with her mother, but shares some good news: Tarek won't be present for the birth of the new litter. She suggests that when the kittens are born, they can jump from here to Tarek's apartment and... "take care" of the new litter.
Matteo agrees with a gleaming smile.
PART III: Katsup's third and fourth litters
Chapter 11 (total 2.500 words)
Petunia Building, Rooftop (200 words)
On the rooftop, Maïssa and Matteo prepare their plan; they train to jump to the balcony and then climb onto the rooftop, using a rope they previously attached to one of the antennas.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (500 words)
Leyla continues to visit regularly to fill Katsup's bowl and meets with George, who begins discussing the idea of leaving Sana.
One evening, while Leyla and George are still there, signs of cat labor begin. The humans open a bottle of Prosecco to enjoy the moment. However, Leyla's parents call her, and she has to return home. They both leave, with George departing a few minutes before Leyla, as is their routine, making it appear as if he's coming back from outside (their dialogue should subtly indicate this routine).
Just seconds after they depart, the birth begins.
Maïssa and Matteo appear at the balcony door, smiling and holding hands.
Katsup spots the kids and starts hissing.
The suspense lasts a moment.
Then, the doorbell starts ringing frantically.
Petunia Building, Elevator (600 words)
This section explores the life of the elevator, starting from the moment when Tarek takes the screaming kittens to be neutered.
Within this section, you have the freedom to discuss various topics, while staying in line with the book’s spirit. However, it's essential to mention that Tarek, always in a hurry to return home, carries his apartment's keychain with him when entering the elevator. This keychain has a unique feature, which you'll choose. You should mention that Sana notices this distinctive keychain during an encounter with her and Tarek in the elevator.
Additionally, within this section, you'll imagine and summarize scenarios that might arise from elevator interactions. You'll also briefly describe the comings and goings of George and Sana for their romantic encounters.
The section concludes on one particular and somewhat agitated evening: Layla arrives on the 7th floor, holding Tarek's keychain. Then, George goes from the 2nd to the 7th floor, followed by Mona from the 5th to the 2nd (a rare occurrence for her). Subsequently, George descends from the 7th to the ground floor, and a few minutes later, Leyla follows the same itinerary. Next, Sana and Mona go from the 2nd to the 5th floor, where Mona gets off, and Sana continues to the 7th floor. Finally, a few minutes later, Sana descends from the 7th floor to the ground floor.
This section is intended to be light and clear, offering insight into the elevator's daily life and the interactions of the characters.
Petunia Building, Ground floor (500 words)
The adventures of Sumit, the janitor, unfold alongside Josepha, his lover, the gray cat responsible for persistent odors in the building, and the building's residents.
Sana frequently visits to complain about the gray cat's odors, and occasionally, a few other inhabitants do the same.
Sumit holds the key to Tarek's apartment when Tarek is away, and he hands them over to Leyla when she comes to retrieve them. One evening, after giving the keys to Leyla, Sumit departs with Josepha (or to meet her), due to an emergency.
George exits the elevator and leaves the building.
Later, Leyla exits the elevator and knocks on Sumit's door, but there's no response. When George returns, she hands him the keychain, asking him to return it to Sumit, and then she departs. While George waits for the elevator, Sana arrives and sees Tarek's apartment keychain in his hands.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (700 words)
Suspenseful scene in which four kittens are born and Matteo and Maïssa try to abduct one (or more) of them, while Katsup fiercely protects her litter.
This section and chapter end on a cliff-hanger, where Matteo is distracting Katsup, while Maïssa is trying to abduct one of the newborns.
Chapter 12 (total 2.500 words)
Petunia Building, Apartment 2B (700 words)
(This section starts a few weeks before the events mentioned above)
Sana and George's relationship is steadily deteriorating. Sana has become completely insufferable.
One day, Mona, the neighbor from the fifth floor, unusually pays a visit to Sana. After a bit of gossip (mainly about how the courtyard actress seems to be dating a homeless Syrian refugee, which is quite shocking), Mona shifts the conversation to George. Finally, she tells Sana that she has proof of George cheating on her with a bisexual Muslim woman in the apartment of the crazy, curly-haired guy while he was away. Sana is skeptical, but Mona insists that they are together at the 7th floor. Sana attempts to call George, who is supposed to be at his brother's, but he doesn't answer. Sana and Mona both leave the apartment.
A while later, Sana returns to the apartment, consumed by fury, with George following, apologizing. Despite the apartment belonging to George and him living there before they met, Sana throws him out of it.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (300 words)
The section begins with Katsup perched on Matteo's head, fiercely scratching and biting him. Maïssa is a bit farther away but approaches to try and help her friend. However, Katsup manages to fend off both of them simultaneously.
Suddenly, the key turns in the entry door.
The children rush to the balcony, with Katsup ferociously following them.
It's George, who, with Tarek's agreement, is spending the night here. He sleeps on the couch and notices the number of kittens: three. Katsup returns, visibly irritated, and George shares with her a sympathetic thought with Katsup for poor Tarek, who will have to find homes for three new kittens.
After a moment, she comes near him and rubs her forehead against him; he’s extremely surprised.
Karam Building, Ground Floor (600 words)
Nadine, Patricia, and Hutham are having dinner.
Patricia discreetly attempts to gauge Hutham's sincerity.
While they’re talking about Tarek and his particular lifestyle, Hutham, a bit tipsy, makes a clearly nostalgic comment about parents who are separated from their children.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (300 words)
Under the watchful eyes of George and Leyla, the newborn kittens begin to grow.
Two weeks after moving to Tarek's place, George relocates to a new apartment–in the same building and owned by the same landlord, on the fourth floor.
Tarek's apartment is now left to the feline family, with the kittens quickly starting to explore the balconies and roofs, following their mother.
One month after George's departure, Tarek returns. However, the kittens, having had limited interaction with humans, are entirely wild and won't allow anyone to approach them, not even Tarek. He finds himself contending with a tribe of untamed animals living in his home, consuming food voraciously. He also must find a refuge for this animal tribe.
Karam Building, Sixth Floor (600 words)
Free section: While mentioning the new litter and their intrusions, conclude Mansoor's storyline in a believable manner that aligns with the story's style and upcoming events in the next chapter. Ensure that, by the end, readers are convinced that this family will never cause harm to any cat. The funnier, the better.
Chapter 13 (total 2.700 words)
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (100 words)
Tarek is still trying to find a refuge. After several unsuccessful phone calls and messages, he shrugs, and goes out of the apartment.
Petunia Building, Ground Floor (200 words)
Sana is complaining to Sumit about both the gray cat and George moving into an apartment in the same building. They are interrupted by a strange activity that grabs their attention in the stairway: someone, who appears to be Tarek, is going door to door, frequently receiving angry replies.
Petunia building, Stairway (400 words)
We follow the comings and goings of cats and humans over the preceding weeks. We observe the gray cat that starts following Katsup, and Katsup chasing him out of the building.
Note: In this section, you can use this setup to remind the reader of certain moments (such as the search for the missing kittens) or narrate events that might have otherwise been missed.
One day, Tarek comes out of his apartment and rings the doorbells on every floor, asking if anyone would like a kitten because his cat has just given birth. However, most of the inhabitants, who have dealt with them, complain to Tarek. The few others systematically advise him to post an advertisement on social networks, and Tarek consistently replies that he's already done so.
When he reaches the third floor, left side, Patricia opens the door for him. Tarek's eyes widen as he stares at a point behind Patricia, stammering, “But… but… but…”
Petunia building, Apartment 3B (400 words)
The section begins when Patricia takes in a small, emaciated, dirty, and shriveled kitten. When she realizes it's a female, she names it Cupcake and decides to adopt her.
At some point, she questions herself and her friends, including Nadine, about whether she should have Cupcake spayed…
One day, the doorbell rings. It's Tarek, the neighbor from the top floor. As soon as Patricia opens the door, Tarek stares at Cupcake and exclaims, “But… but… but… but it's Leyla!”
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (200 words)
Tarek tells Katsup who doesn't care, how he found her kitten, thought dead, a few floors below. He tells her the story of the rescue, as told by Patricia.
Karam Building, Ground Floor (300 words)
Nadine is searching through Hutham's phone. When he arrives, she shows him a photo of a little boy on the phone and asks who he is. Hutham confesses he has a child living with his mother in the US and explains he needs foreign citizenship to be able to travel and see his son again. He also reassures Nadine, emphasizing his deep and sincere love for her.
Petunia building, Apartment 3B (200 words)
Leyla stops by to say hello to Cupcake (formerly Kitten-Leyla), who is now pregnant.
Patricia ponders who she'll be able to give the kittens to once they're born. She steps out of the apartment to inquire with the neighbors if anyone would be interested in adopting a kitten. However, she returns surprised and shocked, realizing that it seems the inhabitants of this building don't have a fondness for cats and shares this thought with Cupcake.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (900 words)
The feral and unapproachable litter of Katsup, consisting of two males and one female, is still around.
Sara, a friend of Tarek, comes to adopt the little female. She's accompanied by Tilda, another friend. Sara is experiencing remorse about separating the poor kitten from everything she's ever known, but Tilda mocks her for her anthropomorphism.
A few days later, Tarek manages to capture the two remaining kittens and takes them to the home of someone who has a small wooded area around their villa, inhabited by cats.
Just before Katsup's neutering appointment, Adeline falls sick, and Tarek has to leave urgently to take care of Chloe.
Winter is coming.
Chapter 14 (total 2.300 words)
Petunia building, Apartment 3B (500 words)
This section narrates the adventures of Cupcake, who gives birth and occasionally turns Patricia into her babysitter; she silently asks the woman to watch her kittens when she needs some time to herself.
One day, Nadine visits, pondering what she should do about Hutham (see Chapter 13). Patricia is as uncertain as Nadine when it comes to that matter.
In this section, you should also include a paragraph where Patricia kindly asks Sumit to chase away the gray cat that passes through the stairs, leaving bad odors and irritating Cupcake.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (900 words)
The gray cat, following Katsup, begins to invade Tarek's apartment and steal Katsup's food. Several fights break out between the two cats. The gray cat sometimes enters through the window leading to the stairs and at other times through the main balcony.
When Tarek returns, aside from the damage in his flat, he takes a look at Katsup's swollen belly and shrugs, resigned.
The intruder cat, whom Tarek eventually assumes, although not entirely sure, to be the father of the new (4th) litter, starts coming more and more often to steal Katsup's food. Since Tarek can't close the balcony doors because Katsup can't stand being locked in, he has to deal with constant fights and incidents.
Note: In this section, you need to quickly include Adeline and Chloe, possibly via video call.
Petunia building, Ground floor (400 words)
Free part: This will be the last scene of Sumit: close his narrative arch the way you wish.
Karam Building, Ground Floor (300 words)
Hutham and Nadine engage in a heartfelt discussion about Hutham's sincerity. Assuming Hutham is sincere, let their dialogue be powerful and emotional. However, end the scene without Nadine providing any definitive answer or conclusion.
Petunia Building, Apartment 7A (200 words)
A new tenant in the building, residing on the second floor, next door to Sana, is a Polish humanitarian named Boris. He invites Tarek to the inaugural party of his flat. Initially, Tarek doesn't want to go, being his usual anti-social self, but Leyla convinces him, saying she has something to share.
As usual, he gets out of the flat leaving the balcony door open.
"Come on Katsup, be nice, wait for me to give birth this time!"