THE FALLING DARKNESS AND APPEARANCE OF MYSTERY CAT III

In the darkness beneath the sunflowers I hear a noise.
Then a voice. Slow whisper.
"What are you up to sister?"
Then I saw the black shape of my sister Shadow.
She is a beautiful black cat. I am steel striped tabby.
We did not know our father. Or fathers.
Barely knew our mother before she left us to fend for ourselves.

Before I knew it it was as if her shape materialized beside me.
She was close enough to touch. But I dared not. I love my
sister but we are different. Very different.
"Still writing the book?" she asked.
I did not answer. I knew what she would say.
She said it. "Really? Are human animals so wonderful to you that you must
imitate them?"
And more.
"What good have their writings ever done for you? With them the human animals seem to organize and
overcome other creatures. Make life a plan for them to fulfill. That is not life.
You must beware this dangerous obsession."
Is said nothing again even louder.

Shadow sighed.
We both peered into the darkness. Silence.

She spoke again.
"You have noticed that smell. I know you have. Don't lie.
It is disturbing. Whatever made it is around here somewheres.
Waiting. But for what? We must be wary."

In the distance the sound of a long odd howl stretching out and finally
evaporating away. Made by one of the dark machines of the human animals.
A terrible beast that traveled the same tracks always. No deviation of its path.
In a cat that would be dangerous.

One must always change one's path. Enemies
are less likely to catch you that way. Friends will always find you.

But that machine was so large it was not afraid to go where it wanted.
The only thing to make it seem more like us was its howl. Loud yes but a cry
of uncertainty. As if it said "Yes I am large and terrible but someday I too will
fall."  My foolish poetic projection onto its cry. That beast never slowed down for anyone.

I had come across White Joe lying dead in its tracks last spring.
Not much left of that cat. But through the blood I recognized his collar.
The damned thing never even slowed down for him. I miss White Joe.

Then next to me I heard the low growl from my sister's throat.
Something was coming.

NEXT: THE INDISPUTABLE TOPCAT

~ Jeff Falk