Let's Not Lose Our Heads

Six months later... This is what I entered into the Writer's Digest Short Story competition. It wasn't good enough for them, but maybe you'll think differently?

I do feel the need, based on previous misunderstandings between myself and pre-readers, to emphasize the fact that while the story was inspired by actual events, the characters are not based on any real person. I will say again, no character in this story is based on any real person!

Also, I'm gonna go ahead and just give this an R rating, due to some swearing, mention of drug use and a bit of gore. I think I could have gone much gorier, but then I decided to just leave it alone.

As always, leave me some love at the end!

Ren

Hell Cat

I don't know why I set deadlines. I always break them.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo. We'll see what happens. It's my first time. If you'd like to add me as a "Writing Buddy" on there, my screen name is RenGoe.

A couple months ago, Mel Coolly set a challenge- Write a story about a cat from Hell who eats children. The idea was inspired by my cat, Henry.

So, as a late Halloween treat, here is Hell Cat.
(It should be noted that I know next to nothing about exorcisms except what I could find online, and what you read here is purely for creative purposes.)

________________________________________________________

The boy ran, breathless, through the dark, empty streets as fast as he could. His legs protested and his lungs burned, but he didn’t dare slow down.

It didn’t matter.

The creature was faster.

Lightning quick, and light on its feet, the creature gained on the boy. There was no one around on the quiet suburban street. It was the middle of the night, and the residents were all inside their safe, secure homes, fast asleep, oblivious to the horror that was taking place right outside their front doors.

The boy, feeling a presence close behind him, mustered up one last burst of speed. The creature nipped at his ankles. The boy stumbled, but regained his balance and ran on. He tried to yell out for help, in a vain attempt at catching someone at the end of a REM cycle or up for a midnight snack. But he was so winded and his breathing so ragged that nothing more than exaggerated, stuttered gasps left his mouth.

The creature was playing now, toying with its prey. It always made the kill better. Tastier. All around more satisfying.

It allowed the boy to gain a few feet, and then leapt onto his back, clawing at the boy’s scalp, and then quickly jumped off again as the boy swatted at his head. The creature had to give the boy credit; he hadn’t stopped running.

Enough play time, the creature thought to itself. I’m hungry.

With a hiss, the creature leapt one more time, this time over the boy’s head and landing in front of him. The boy, in his haste to stop quickly, fell backward onto the asphalt of the street.

The creature snarled once, its only warning, before jumping onto the boy and clawing fiercely at his torso. The boy finally managed to take a breath deep enough to utter a cry, but with a swipe of a claw and a splash of blood, silence again fell upon the unsuspecting neighborhood.

Silence, except for the ripping of flesh and the slurping of the hungry creature.

*******************************************************************************************

“Mommy! Mommy!”

Little Joshua Montoya jumped up from his seat by the front living room window and went running through the house looking for his mother. He just had to show her all the pretty lights in front of their home!

“Mommy!” he screamed again, running at top speed and turning down the hallway. “Mo- Oof!”

He ran into a solid object and fell backward onto his butt.

“Joshua!” his mother scolded. “You know there’s no running in the house!”

Joshua looked up sheepishly at his mom and muttered an apology he only half meant before jumping to his feet and grabbing her hand.

“Come look, Mommy!” 

Melanie Montoya sighed and reluctantly let her five year old son lead her to the living room to see what he had to show her. After all, the quicker she got it over with, the quicker she could go back to doing the laundry.

“All right, Josh, what’s the big ... deal?”

Her voice trailed off as her jaw dropped when she looked out to the street and saw the plethora of police cars with their turret lights spinning, alternating blue and red, and the ambulance, and the ... coroner's van? 

Melanie let go of her son’s hand and walked to the front door, telling Joshua to stay exactly where he was.

She opened the door and looked out. She immediately got a response without having to say a word as one of the cops, a pale, tall, gangly fellow, rapidly moved in her direction holding a hand up.

“Ma’am, please stay in your house,” he ordered, with not much authority.

“But, officer, wha- what’s going on?” Melanie was flabbergasted. There was almost zero police presence in this neighborhood. They just didn’t need it. People still left their doors unlocked at night.

“All I can tell you is it’s an ongoing investigation, ma’am,” the officer said, as a stretcher with a large black bag buckled onto it was raised up behind him and pushed toward the coroner’s van. “Right now we need for everyone to stay inside.”

Melanie was listening, but staring at the stretcher in the background. The black body bag took up the entire length of the stretcher, but the shape inside only took about half that.

A child.

A child had died right in front of her house.

Melanie gasped and covered her mouth, stepped back into the house and slammed the door, turning the deadbolt.

“Mommy?” Joshua timidly asked from her left.

Melanie forced a smile for him and stepped away from the door.

“You’re going to play inside today,” she said. “Where’s your brother?”

“Playing with Bey Blades in his room.”

“Okay. Go play with him.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

The rest of the day went by slowly. Melanie did get back to the laundry, and took her time with it but the day just seemed to drag and there weren’t enough chores to fill the time. When five o’clock finally rolled around, Melanie went into the kitchen to start dinner. Isaac was finally coming back from his business trip tonight, and she wanted to welcome him with a nice home-cooked meal. As she started the meal prep, she flipped on the little TV on the kitchen counter for background noise.

She was just bringing the pasta to a boil when the newscaster, whom had previously been rattling on about something trivial that nobody cared about, spoke up loud and firm, catching Melanie’s attention.

“Breaking news from the small township of Clarkson tonight,” he announced. “Police have just wrapped up a crime scene on Pond Street where the body of a young boy was found early this morning. We now go live to Maury Stevens who is on the scene. Maury?”

The screen flashed from the brightly lit studio to the dim twilight of the street. Melanie could see her own driveway in the background.

“Thanks, Don. A grisly scene this morning, as the residents of this small, quiet community awoke to the horrific discovery of nine year old Henry Wright, lying dead in the middle of the street, brutally killed in what authorities are billing as a vicious animal attack. The type of animal is unknown right now. They do say that it looks to have been a large carnivore, possibly a bear or a mountain lion. The problem with that theory is that no animals fitting those descriptions have been seen in the area in recorded history. Another strange factor about this case is that Henry Wright was found blocks from his home, as though he were running away from something. His mother says she checked on him at about midnight and he was fast asleep in his bed, so right now there is a question of why he went outside at all. However, for now the investigation is being conducted as a wild animal attack and no human foul play is suspected, and police are strongly advising residents nearby to stay inside after dark, if at all possible. If you must leave your home, do so with the utmost caution. Don’t approach any wild or suspicious animals you may come across. Instead seek shelter and call 911 immediately. We’ll be sure to update you with more information on this tragic story as it becomes available. Back to you, Don.” 

Melanie quickly reached forward and clicked the TV off. Henry. Poor little Henry. Andrew was in the same class as Henry last year. They rode together on the bus. And Annie! Oh, his mother must be devastated. Melanie made a mental note to go over to the house in the morning and check on her. Andrew was going to be upset. How was she going to break this to him?

HISSSSSSSSSSSSS

Melanie jumped forward and screamed, startled by the loud, feral noise from right behind her. When she turned, she uttered a curse and grabbed a towel while quickly turning off the gas burner. The pot had boiled over.

*****************************************************************************************

The next morning Melanie stood on Annie Wright’s front stoop, holding a casserole and waiting for the door to be answered. A casserole. So typical. But she didn’t know what else to do. How do you comfort someone who’s only child was fatally mauled right down the street?

You can’t.

Melanie was yanked from her thoughts as the door finally opened.

“Annie?” Melanie looked around her into the house. “Are you alone?”

Annie brought a well-used tissue up to her face and nodded as a high pitched whine escaped her lips.

Melanie put the casserole in the fridge and pulled Annie to the kitchen table and pushed her into a chair. She went through the cupboards as Annie sobbed into the same tissue until she found some tea bags. She put the kettle on to boil and pulled down a couple of mugs, careful to avoid the mugs obviously belonging to the boy, featuring Lighting McQueen and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

When the tea was done, Melanie brought both mugs to the table and sat in the chair next to Annie, setting one mug in front of her.

“Annie,” Melanie said softly. “Where’s Mark? Where are your parents?”

Annie sniffed loudly and hiccuped. “Mark won’t answer my calls,” she sobbed out. “And whatever our situation, I don’t want to leave it on his voicemail.” She paused to wipe her nose again. “My parents can’t get a flight until tomorrow.”

Melanie didn’t know what to say. So she didn’t say anything. She wrapped an arm around the woman and just held her as she sobbed.

“I just don’t understand what he was doing outside,” she ranted. “I checked on him before I went to bed, he was sound asleep! With the stupid cat curled up right next to him! I woke up this morning and his bedroom window was wide open, and then I saw the lights down the street. Why would he go outside, Melanie? Why?”

*********************************************************************************************

The creature watched from the hedges, completely unnoticed by anyone, as the female visitor entered the house. It listened to the conversation from outside, hearing every word clearly. The mother was distraught and didn’t suspect a thing. And then the visitor mentioned two small boys she lived with.

Two!

The creature smiled to itself, and then winced. It was in pain. It bent its head to lick at the injured paw. It had been too zealous last night. It would have to be careful next time. And now it had two targets. Excitement overcame the pain and it smiled again. It would wait patiently right where it was, until the visitor left. And then, it would feast again.

***********************************************************************************************

An hour later, Melanie walked through her front door to find her husband sitting on the couch watching TV, the volume turned low. At her entrance, he stood from his seat and rushed to his wife to wrap her in a tight hug.

“How is she doing?” he asked.

Melanie shook her head and pulled away to sit down. “Not good,” she said. “She can’t get a hold of Mark and her parents are looking for a flight.”

“She’s alone?”

“I tried to convince her to come here but she won’t leave the house.” Melanie looked around, for the first time noticing just how quiet it was. “Where are the boys?”

“Outside, playing,” Isaac automatically answered.

Melanie’s face filled with horror. “No!”

She rushed to the back door and ran out onto the back porch, relieved when she saw Andrew and Joshua sitting on the grass playing, with their backs to the house.

“Boys!” she called out. “Come inside!”

Joshua giggled, but neither boy moved. From her angle, she couldn’t tell what they were so entranced with. She walked down the steps and crossed the yard to her sons.

“Andrew! Joshua!” she called as she walked. “Didn’t you hear me? Inside. Now!”

“Look, mom!” Andrew stood and turned to face her, a big happy grin on his face, holding a big gray ball of fur.

Melanie stopped short, her breath caught in her throat, and then realized it was just a cat. A very unhappy cat, by the look of it. Andrew was holding it by the armpits, facing Melanie.

“Can we keep it?” Joshua asked. “He’s really cool!”

Melanie sighed. “No, absolutely not! Andrew, put him down, he could have rabies!”

“I don’t think so, mom,” Andrew said. “He’s really friendly!”

“We’re not keeping the cat,” Melanie insisted. “Now, let’s go, put him down and come inside.”

“But Mommy,” Joshua pleaded. He put his arms around her leg and hugged, while looking up at her with big, sad eyes. “Please, Mommy?”

Melanie sighed and looked toward the house, only to see Isaac standing on the porch silently laughing.

“It’s fine with me!” he called out.

“Ugh. Big help you are,” she muttered under her breath. She looked back to both her children’s pleading faces and sighed. “Fine,” she relented. Both boys cheered happily and ran to the house, Andrew still carrying the cat by its armpits. Melanie followed them, mustering up an evil glare for her husband as she passed him.

“Oh, relax, Mel,” he said, turning to go into the house as well. “It’ll be fine. Teach them some responsibility. And maybe distract them from the reality that their friend died fifty feet from where they sleep.”

*************************************************************************************************

The creature purred with contentment. Following the adult human home had been a splendid idea and proving to be worthwhile. One of its meals was a little on the small side, maybe more of a snack than an actual meal, but it would eventually grow. If the creature could be patient a little while longer and allow the injury to heal, the payoff would be considerable.

Of course, the creature would have to work for his prize. The adult humans in the house seemed insistent that it rid its waste into a plastic box filled with sand, and eat dry, hard food bits out of a bowl on the floor. They obviously had no idea who they were dealing with. The young humans of the house, however, were perfectly happy to allow it to do its business where it pleased and bring it fresh scraps of bacon and steak and fish from the table after the humans’ mealtimes. These always resulted in screaming fits from the female adult when she found out, but it was already done and her screaming would not undo the deeds.

The creature smiled to itself as it perched on the sofa between the human children. Yes, this would work out wonderfully in the end.

****************************************************************************************************

Ding dong...

Melanie hurried to the door and flung it open, immediately grinning widely at the sight.

“Amelia!” she exclaimed.

“Hey!” Amelia answered, grinning just as widely and waving a large paper bag in front of Melanie’s face. “I brought burgers!”

Melanie stepped aside to let her friend in and closed the door behind her. As Amelia entered the house, she immediately shivered.

“Damn, Mel, you get your heat shut off?”

Melanie groaned and went to the thermostat. “I keep turning it up, but it seems like it keeps getting colder in here. Isaac said he’ll take a look at the boiler when he gets home.

“Huh,” was Amelia’s brilliant answer. “That’s weird. Well where do you want to set up the grub- ACK! Oh, holy hell! What is that?”

The gray cat crouched on the sofa, staring intently at Amelia, ears flattened, and growling. He did not like this new visitor.

“Oh. That’s Tom. The kids found him out in the yard and wanted to keep him.”

Amelia slowly turned to face Melanie. “And you let them?”

Melanie sighed. “No. I didn’t. Isaac did. And with that boy getting killed right out front last week, I couldn’t really tell them no, you know?”

“I guess,” Amelia said. “So. Tom?” She looked at Melanie and raised her eyebrows.

Melanie laughed. “Yeah. You know, like Tom and Jerry?”

“Oh, because he’s a gray cat. I get it. Okay, so let’s eat!”

The women set up their meals at the kitchen table and dug in, Amelia into her greasy double bacon cheeseburger and Melanie into her spicy chicken burger. As they chatted about their week and Melanie’s boys and the inane, Melanie noticed Amelia repeatedly looking passed her and into the living room.

“What’s wrong?” Melanie asked, turning around to try to pinpoint what Amelia was seeing.

“Your cat keeps... giving me evil looks.”

Melanie turned back to Amelia and rolled her eyes. “Really, Meely? It’s a cat. Come on.”

“No, I’m serious! And his eyes just- I don’t know, they just did something weird!”

“Stop it Amelia, you’re not going to scare me this time. We’re not kids anymore.”

Amelia dropped her burger to her plate and stared wide-eyed at Tom. Tom the Cat sat up on the sofa, staring right back at Amelia. His eyes flashed a devilish red and... he smiled. The cat smiled!

“Okay, I’m not joking Mel, I swear, look at it! It’s smiling at me! Like- smirking!”

Melanie sighed, knowing that Amelia wouldn’t give up her antics until she obeyed and looked at the cat. So she turned around once again, only to see that this time Amelia wasn’t pulling her leg.

Almost as soon as she saw it, it was gone, and Tom went back to staring straight-faced with his green eyes. Which was no less creepy.

Slowly, Melanie turned back to Amelia, who was white faced and shaking.

“What the hell was that?” Melanie whispered. 

An unnatural chill over took the room and both women shivered.

“Oh my God!” Amelia shrieked. “Mel, I can see your breath!”

Melanie looked up and was startled to see she could see Amelia’s breath, too.

A sudden yowl from the living room had both women shrieking and on their feet in an instant. Tom was, for lack of a better word, floating several inches above the sofa cushion. Pinning them with a pointed glare, he bared his teeth and hissed before leaping to the floor and fleeing down the hallway to one of the bedrooms.

There was a beat of silence, and then-

“Your cat’s possessed.”

“Amelia-”

“No, listen to me,” she insisted. “This guy wrote about cat possession, I read an article online.”

Amelia beelined it straight to the computer and went to Google. Melanie reluctantly followed.

“See, look.” Amelia clicked a link and brought up a web page. “Paul Koudounaris. He gives lectures about this stuff.”

“Oh good,” Melanie said sardonically. “Will he come and lecture the cat?”

Amelia rolled her eyes and clicked back to the Google search, and then clicked another link.

“Oh, look,” she said. “Apparently the government buildings in D.C. have been haunted by a demonic cat since the Civil War. It’s viewed as an omen and has been seen before presidential assassinations, elections, even 9/11. It appears as a normal cat, but can grow to the size of a large tiger. One guy even died right after seeing it.” She turned in her chair to face her friend. “Has he grown to the size of a large tiger and shrunk back down?”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Come on, Meely. No, he hasn’t. And no one has died, either.”

“Except that kid right in front of your house,” Amelia muttered under her breath.

“What did you just say?” It was rhetorical; Melanie had heard her just fine. She was outraged that Amelia would bring that horrific tragedy up.

Amelia turned back to the computer and continued the search. “I’m just saying. Kid gets killed in front of your house and the next day this possessed cat shows up and shoots laser beams out of its eyes, how much is a coincidence? Maybe he had something to do with it.”

“Meely, get real. There were no laser beams. It’s a cat. Even if there is some evil force at work, it’s still a little cat. I don’t see how that little thing could do what was done to that boy.”

“I noticed while he was trying to roast me with laser beams that he’s missing a claw. Did you hear what the M.E. dug out of that kid’s chest?”

Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, a panther claw. Not a house cat claw.”

“Okay, so maybe he grows into a panther instead of a tiger.”

Melanie said nothing, but continued to stare at her friend. It was Amelia’s turn to sigh.

“All right,” Amelia said, “I’ll drop it, if you just let me try one thing.”

Melanie’s Spidey-Senses were immediately on high alert.

“What would this ‘one thing’ be, exactly?”

“An exorcism,” Amelia said, and when Melanie began to object quickly shouted “Hear me out!”

Melanie took a defensive stance, but waved a hand indicating Amelia should continue.

“If there’s nothing here, then you just go about your life with your creepy little cat and maybe he stops smiling evilly and floating in the air. If there is something here, we most likely save your kids’ lives.”

“I don’t know, Meely. Can’t that sometimes make it worse?”

Amelia shrugged. “If you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve sat in on a few, I got the basics down.”

Melanie gaped. “The… basics?”

Amelia shot up out of her chair and headed for the door. “I’m gonna run to the store. Throw my burger in the oven to keep it warm, would ya? What time are the boys home from school?”

“Not for another three hours, but Meely, I don’t know about-“

“It’ll be fine, Mel. I promise. I’m just going to pick a few things and I’ll be back.” Amelia turned to the door and then turned back, looking her friend in the eye and taking one of her hands. “Stay away from the cat until I get back,” she whispered. “He’s been watching us from the hallway. Lock yourself in your room.”

Melanie’s head snapped to look at the hallway and, sure enough, there sat Tom, watching intently.

“Okay!” Amelia pulled away from Melanie and finally started toward the door, back to her normal, cheery self. “I’ll be back in a few!”

**********************************************************************************************************

Just under an hour later, the front door was thrown open and then slammed shut with a bang.

“Melanie?”

Melanie sighed with relief and cracked open the bedroom door, to see her friend peeking around the corner. Amelia grinned widely and held up a paper bag, much like she had with lunch.

“Come on out, it’s safe. He’s hiding somewhere.”

Melanie slowly stepped out of the room, looking both ways as though crossing the street, before hastily closing the door behind her and rushing to Amelia’s side.

“Whoa, that’s a change in attitude,” Amelia noticed. “Something happen while I was gone?”

Melanie clung to Amelia’s side and continuously looked around the living room, eyes wide and hands shaking.

“The cat, he, I don’t know, he tried to knock down the door?”

Amelia nodded and emptied the contents of the paper bag onto the coffee table and knelt down between the table and the couch to arrange the items.

“Yeah, he probably heard us talking, that’s why I told you to stay in your room,” Amelia said, completely nonchalant.

Melanie gaped at her friend in disbelief. “He growled, Amelia! I mean like, growled! Like a… like a bear or something! It didn’t sound like a cat! And he kept clawing at the door and running into it like he was trying to break in!”

Amelia just nodded again as she stood several candles upright and pulled a lighter out of her jacket pocket to light them.

“How can you be so… so…”

“Calm?”

“Yes!”

Amelia stuck the incense in its stand and looked up at Melanie.

“I told you,” she said simply. “I’ve seen this before.” Amelia turned back to the coffee table to light the incense, and set the lighter down while pulling a gold chain out from under her shirt, which held a small gold cross.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” she called softly.

Melanie slapped her arm in chastisement. “Don’t antagonize it,” she whispered.

Amelia rolled her eyes and grabbed Melanie’s hand and pulled her down to the floor.

“Sit here, and hold my hand,” Amelia ordered. “Don’t let go.”

A low rumbling reached their ears, and both women looked toward the living room doorway. Peering around the corner was Tom, his eyes glowing a brilliant red, fangs slightly protruding from his mouth, the corner of which was turned up just slightly.

“There you are, you little devil!” Amelia sounded as though she were playing hide and seek with Joshua.

“Amelia!” Melanie hissed.

“Oh, Mel, relax,” Amelia hissed back. “You want to join us, Tom?”

The growling continued as Tom licked his nose with a long, pink tongue, and slowly slunk into the room, approaching the coffee table.

Amelia quickly crossed herself and began.

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle-“

Tom froze halfway between the doorway and the table, smirk slipping off his face.

“-Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil,” Amelia continued, eyes never leaving Tom’s. “May God rebuke him, we humbly pray-“

Tom hissed loudly, foam spraying from his mouth and swatted the air with a paw.

“-And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host-“

Tom stopped hissing long enough to release a mighty roar, fierce and loud enough to force Melanie to drop Amelia’s hand and cover both her ears. The coffee table began to shake, toppling the candles. Amelia caught two and handed one to Melanie, then grabbing her other hand back.

“Hold the candle upright and do not let go of my hand!” Amelia shouted above the roar.

Now the house was shaking, and Melanie was shrieking, struggling to hold Amelia’s hand and not run out the front door.

“By the power of God,” Amelia continued to shout above the constant roar of Tom, who was now, Melanie noticed, the size of a pit bull. “Thrust into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits-“

The flatscreen fell off the wall and shattered on the floor. Fragile knick knacks placed around the room toppled and broke.

“-Who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls-“

Tom, gathering all of his remaining strength, growled again, then snarled. He had been steadily growing while Amelia had been reciting the prayer to Saint Michael, and was now the size of a tiger, just like the mysterious omen in DC. In one last effort to win this battle, Tom lunged directly at Amelia’s head. Amelia saw the streak of gray and instinctively raised her hand with the candle in defense, and screamed out the last word-

“AMEN!”

The shaking stopped. The growling stopped. Melanie’s shrieking stopped soon after. Amelia was frozen, left hand gripping Melanie’s right, and right hand gripping the lit candle, held above her head which was ducked between her knees.

After five solid minutes of silent stillness, Melanie whispered timidly, “Is it over?”

Amelia slowly raised her head and lowered her hand to carefully look around.

“I think so- GAH!”

Amelia had looked behind her to find, inches from her face on the couch, Tom. Melanie gasped and threw herself backward, away from the cat.

Tom looked curiously between the two of them and said,

“Mew.”

Both women sighed.

“Yeah,” Amelia said. “I’m pretty sure it’s over.” She looked around the room again and shook her head. “Aw, Mel, I’m sorry I trashed your place.”

Melanie slowly stood, still eyeing Tom. “It’s ok. The TV can be replaced. My boys can’t.” Melanie glanced at the time displayed on the cable box, which had survived the ruckus. “And speaking of the boys, they’ll be home in a few minutes. You want to get them off the bus with me?”

Amelia stood as she blew out the candles and stifled the incense. Melanie was already opening the door.

“Sure,” Amelia said. She spared the cat sitting innocently on the couch one last glance before she followed her friend out.

Amelia smirked to herself, one side of her mouth rising up in a half grin as her eyes glowed red.

“I’m right behind you.”

___________________________________________________________________________

Coming Soon...

Cute, isn't he?

Oh, yeah. Adorable.

So cute, when he's stealing eyeglasses off the kitchen table and hiding them under the bed.

And when he jumps up and claws your face for no reason? Precious.

Sick of your kids? Just put them in the same room as Henry, here. He'll try to eat them. Seriously. I've seen it happen.

And thus, inspiration is born. My very good friend Mel Coolly and I were having a conversation about this handsome, evil cat, and she came up with a challenge, of sorts. We'll both write about a cat from Hell who is running rampant trying to eat all the world's children (her kids were the ones Henry tried to eat). When we're done, we'll post them for your reading pleasure. Expect a new post soon!

In the meantime, I found this interesting article while researching.

http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2013/02/07/your-cat-devil-learn-its-historical-precedence-demonic-kitty-lecture

Ren

Bingo

Just so that you all are forewarned, I really haven't written anything in about a year or so. This is just me getting warmed up, back into the swing of things. I hate the ending. I wanted to do more with it, maybe make a whole spy-fight scene, but it was just getting too drawn out. Please be kind. Rewind. If you still use videotapes (coughUncleLukecough). If not, leave me a nice little note so I can see you read this and what you thought. Please be gentle.

Ren

Please Stay Tuned...

Hello Reader!

First and foremost, this is not a new story. This is simply a note from me to you, to tell you that, even though I have not posted anything in a little over a year, I have been working intermittently on a few shorts and one should be up (hopefully) soon. I could give excuses as to why I haven't posted anything, but honestly I've just been unmotivated. At least, that's the largest contributor to my absence.

I did have spine surgery recently, so I have found myself with a whole lot of free time. Over the past year, I did manage to dabble in a few things here and there, mostly just vague ideas I was too lazy to turn into actual plots or do anything else with. So for now, I've gone back to those trusty old Writer's Digest starters and I think one is almost ready to go up. So if you happen to stumble across this blog between now and then, keep in mind it's coming and check back soon.

I warn you in advance, it won't be my best work. Although, none of these really are. Some are just better than others.

Until next time, keep reading!

Ren

Here Be Monsters

Part 3 of the Murky Depths Saga, dedicated to my buddy Michelle. Enjoy, kiddo! Everyone else, feel free to leave some feedback. I know it's not the best. Just dabbling in a little sumpin sumpin.

FYI, while I was writing this, I was totally envisioning Seamus from Family Guy as the informant. If you don't know it, you need to Google it. Trust me.

******
The quote:
"Tread carefully, my friend. Here be monsters."
***

Michaels returned to his desk moments later. The meeting with Benton had gone better than expected. He and Benton had come out of Quantico together and had become fast friends. However, once Benton started moving up the ranks, he became, for lack of a better word, a douche. Michaels had fully expected to be ripped apart, sewn back together and ripped apart again merely for asking for this case. Maybe Benton had really meant it when he called Michaels one of his best agents.

Michaels dropped into his desk chair and was about to drop the folder he still held when he noticed a scrap of paper, set neatly on the blotter, square in the center on his desk. Carefully, as though he expected it to shrivel up and disappear the moment he touched it, Michaels picked up the paper by the corner and held it to his face. The handwriting was somewhat sloppy and jagged, but after a few moments of squinting of differing degrees, he deciphered,

"The Peg Leg, NOON."

Michaels looked at his watch. It was 11:33. If he left now, he might make it.

**

At 11:55 Michaels was throwing the car into a parking spot and at 11:57 he was stumbling through the front door of the pub by the docks, notorious watering hole of local sailors and ship hands. The door swung shut behind him and he looked around, suddenly realizing he had no idea who or what he was supposed to look for.

A flash of light from the darkened corner in the back of the room caught his eye, and he looked to see a toughened, older gentleman seated in a small booth, nursing a glass half-full of a dark liquid. His skin almost looked like wrinkled leather from a life-long tan. He couldn't have been more stereotypical, sitting there with a bandana wrapped around his head and patch over his left eye. The flash he had seen was the glint of light reflecting off of the hook that sat in place of a right hand as he beckoned for Michaels' attention.

Was this the guy who left the note? If he wrote it with the hook, that sure would explain the messy handwriting.

Curiosity perked, Michaels approached the weathered old man and paused in front of the table.

"Agent Michaels," was his cantankerous greeting just before raising the glass to his chapped lips with his good hand and taking a large swig. He dropped the empty glass to the table and gestured to the empty chair opposite him.

Michaels sat. "Who are you?"

"Not important," he answered gruffly, not dropping his gaze from Michaels' eyes. "What's important is that ye have no idea what yer about to get involved in, young man."

"Do you know something about these missing people?"

The man shook his head. "Not the missing people."

"Or the reason they're missing?"

The man leaned back in his chair and scratched his ear with his hook before pointing it at Michaels. "Do ye have any idea what lives in those waters?"

"I have a feeling you're about to enlighten me."

"A creature, of sorts. Got a mouth the size of a skiff. Teeth as long as your arm and sharp as razors. Tentacles that reach out from the deepest waters and capsize the largest of ships."

"Sounds like the myths and legends I've been hearing since I was a kid," Michaels said.

"Nay," the man grunted. "She's as real as sure as the tides rise with the moon."

"So you're telling me there's a giant quid swimming around Lake Ontario and eating the local townsfolk?"

"No one knows what she is." The man's voice had dropped to nearly a whisper and Michaels leaned across the table to hear him.

"Have you seen it?"

"Seen it?" The old man barked out a laugh and leaned back in his chair. "How do ye think I got like this?" he reached down and tapped his wooden leg with his hook-hand. "Mind you now, there'll be lots o' folk gettin' their britches in a twist if this became public knowledge."

"Why is it suddenly eating the locals?"

The old man shrugged. "Whatever she was eating probably ain't as available as it were. So, she's coming closer to shore and mistaking people fer fish."

"The shoreline needs to be closed, we need to-"

"Ain't no 'we,' Agent Michaels. My nose is keeping clear o' this mess."

Michaels nodded grimly. He should have expected as much. He rose from the table and turned to leave when his acquaintance stopped him with a warning.

"Tread carefully, my friend," the old man said. "Here be monsters."



********
If anyone cares, this quote was taken from a conversation I was having with my friend Lori, who was about to diss my beloved X-Files. Ha! Sure showed her. 


Hope you're enjoying!
Leave some love!
Ren

A Challenge Lies Ahead

Part Two of the Murky Depths Saga.


"Two bodies, and two still outstanding," Michaels said, tossing a file onto the desk.

The man sitting on the other side, late forties, balding with glasses, opened the file and began perusing the papers inside. The plaque on the forward edge of his desk identified him as Special Agent in Charge Jack Benton.

"Boating accidents?" Benton suggested after a moment.

Michaels immediately shook his head in the negative. "One of the victims disappeared from the shoreline. And the injuries on the two recovered bodies aren't consistent with propeller blades. They've been completely mangled. They show signs of what might possibly be bite marks-"

"So you're going with an animal attack." Michaels just looked back at his superior, who sighed. "It's a local matter."

"The local authorities won't properly investigate this," Michaels insisted. "Word of an out of control, hungry beast lurking within the depths of Lake Ontario would kill tourism. In a community that relies on tourism for it's economical welfare. Come on, Jack. Give me this."

Benton nodded and closed the file, sliding the folder back across the desk.

"Look, Wolf, you're a good agent, one of my best," Benton said. He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you sure about this?"

Michaels nodded. "Absolutely."

Jack nodded again. "Okay." He dropped his hand and met Michaels' eyes. "Quite the challenge lies ahead of you."

Michaels picked up the folder and placed it under his arm. "I'm ready for it."
***************************

Short and sweet. Not too much going on here, just setting up some characters. The next part will have some mystery and may actually be interesting! As always, please leave a comment, even if you hated it and especially if you liked it!

Ren