Asl?!

And there they were.
The three cats ran all over the room, trying to snatch a small ball of cloth from each other, causing a mess wherever they went.

There were a lot of cushions lying on the floor, the sofa furniture was scratched, and there was some dirt in the shape of paw prints on the carpet.
You simply stood in the hallway, watching the three of them playing, and a thought crossed your mind: how did this happen?

The first time you found them, it was raining. It wasn't a particularly heavy rain, but it was cold enough to make the streets an unwelcoming place for any small creature.

You had only gone out to buy a few things. Nothing out of the ordinary. Until you heard a meow. You stopped.

—Hm?
You glanced toward the alley between two buildings. Another meow. This time there were three.

You frowned and approached carefully, following that sound until you found a half-destroyed cardboard box next to some containers.

And there they were.
Three kittens. They were tiny. Too small to be alone.

The first one stood in front of the other two, his body hunched over and his hair standing on end, trying to look much bigger than he actually was.
He looked directly at you. He didn't back down.

-Hello...
The little boy grunted.
—Are you afraid of me?

Another kitten appeared behind him.
Unlike this kitten and the first one, it didn't seem to want to attack you. It was simply watching you cautiously, as if trying to decide if you were a threat.

And then the third one appeared. Smaller than the others. It stuck its head between the other two, looked at you for barely a second... And started to meow.

You felt something strange in your chest. You couldn't leave them there. Not that night. Not when they were so small.

So many years had passed since that rainy night. And now, the three of them practically occupied the entire apartment.