She already knows that the feline will chase her, no matter which way she goes, which is one reason she’s mostly holding her ground with the branch in her hands.  She’s also trying to keep out of immediate pouncing range from where she thinks Tamara stopped, as it would give her a bit of extra time to react if the feline has to drop to the ground before trying to tackle Monique — time she can use to decide whether to try clubbing her over the head with the branch or just making a mad dash away from her.<br/><br/>Of course, she still doesn’t know just what her stalker has in mind.  It could be an innocent prank, or it could be something much more sinister.  She feels a lot more comfortable with her makeshift weapon, regardless.  “Here, kitty kitty,” she murmurs, taking another step backward for good measure before stopping.  To a trained eye, the rodent is obviously not experienced at fighting, the stance she’s taken up leaving too many openings.   She looks fairly confident in her ability to defend herself if necessary, though, even if it is partially just a show of bravado.