Meow!

Gazing at the flaming-red eyes, Robert asked, “People’s advice is to stop when a black cat crosses the road. But what if it’s a ginormous one eyeing me as if I’m food?!”

Noticing the cat’s paws tensing, Justin snapped, “Run!”

Having once served in the Special Forces, Justin was adept at quick decision-making. “There’s always a policeman right around that building; he can help!”

As they turned around the corner, Justin yelled while stumbling, “Shoot that beast behind us!”

Startled, the policeman looked up, “Wha-”

At that very moment, Justin’s battle-hardened intuition flickered and he pulled Robert close.

A claw flashed by, missing Robert by a hair’s breadth, slitting the cop’s throat. Out sprayed a fountain of sticky blood and even Justin flinched witnessing it.

Regaining his composure, the brown-haired man skidded to a stop beside the fallen man and drew the gun from his corpse; shooting the advancing figure in the forehead with impeccable aim.

The cat crashed onto the ground, undoubtedly dead and...dissolved into mist. The two men gasped.

“Herrrrre-” Purred a voice from the police jeep’s roof just as drool landed on Justin’s neck, making his spine tingle.

Justin instinctively spun around and shot the cat in the chest as it pounced on him but the falling body dispersed into black-coloured mist again...

Out of nowhere, sharp claws tore into Robert’s side and he screamed loud enough to put a banshee to shame.

Justin’s tensed eyes darted from side-to-side. Within the span of a few minutes, he then felled the cat four more times but it always dissolved into mist.

Having no more bullets, Justin yelled, “Into the jeep!”

Robert somehow clambered in, bleeding profusely. Justin, hands trembling in fear, frantically floored the accelerator.

But just as they pulled away, without warning, the gigantic creature landed on the windscreen; claws sinking into the glass.

Justin yelled, “Sh*t! Out! Now!”

As Robert somehow managed to open the door, Justin kicked him out. It would have been difficult for the wounded man to jump to a safe distance. Then, somehow finding purchase, he pushed his own body out of the door on the driver’s side.

The car spun and overturned, crushing the cat. Yet, again...its broken body dispersed into mist and re-formed in front of them. It hissed, and the teeth glinted. It almost looked like the creature was grinning. Tensing it’s paws, it got ready to pounce...

Robert, the desire to live overcoming his pain, pushed Justin aside and clutching his wound, began running with all his strength, yelling, “Sorry!”

Unfortunately, the creature locked its eyes on the moving target.

“No essscape!” It hissed and powered into the air. The leap carried it all the way and the cat landed and on his shoulders, ripping Robert’s head off in one clean motion!

Justin’s blood ran cold at the chilling sight. The move was so brutal yet so full of feline grace that he froze in awe for a second.

But when he saw it excitedly lapping the pooling blood, Justin roused himself and grabbed a nearby wrench. Running with all his might, he rammed it with a satisfying crunch into the cat’s skull. Not waiting for a second longer in case it reformed, he bolted home shivering uncontrollably all the while.

*****

“Why us? We were just walking along the usual alleyway like every other day...whyyyy?” He muttered to himself as he collapsed to the floor. Even as he racked his brains, he could find no reason and finally Justin had no choice but to accept the inevitable.

“Could this really have just been a coincidence?” Even as he shivered remembering the horror, a cold wind blew in from the window, chilling him further.

Remembering the mist, Justin jumped up in fear and fastened the windows even as his legs felt like jelly. Finally, making his way to the bed, he collapsed it. Crawling forward, he sank his head into the comfort of his pillow.

Finally, turning his weary body over, he stared up the ceiling, endlessly recalling the events of the night. Slowly, weariness overcame him and his eyes began closing.

And just as tiredness was about to overwhelm him, a loud “Meow!” startled him awake.

“Feissssty prrreyssss arrre sssso fun but alssso...Sssso ssstupid. Misssst flowsss in thrrrrrough underrrrr the doorrrrr too.” The cat’s voice resounded in the room.

Eyes widening in terror, Justin barely managed to pull out the pistol he always kept under his pillow when a claw flashed, sending it spiralling away.

“How?!” Justin cried; scared out of his wits.

The cat’s figure loomed, fangs gleaming and drool glistening while it hissed in laughter, “Catsss have nine livesss...”

Justin squealed like a pig as blood splattered against the bed-post and the wall with bone-crunching sounds reverberating all over the bedroom.