Fictional Story: Cats are watching
- How long can you be alone before you start losing your mind?
- How does it feel when you are the center of attention?
I looked through my window and saw a cat running down the road. The clouds had an ominous appeal and the dusk was starting to set in. I looked down on the road again and saw another cat and then another. Soon I counted more than ten. That was highly unusual considering the fact I don’t have any. I opened the front door and stepped out on the porch. I live on a ranch in the middle of Kansas, 30 miles north of Topeka and my cat died a year ago. My closest neighbor lives 2 miles away and they only have a dog.
One swished under my feet, too fast for me to follow. I went after it in the same direction as to where the brown cat ran. Cats continued to run past me. They were disappearing into the cornfield, which as a true Kansas resident I had. I walked to the edge of it, trying to decide if I should go in.
It was dusk already and I don’t see very well without my glasses. “They probably aren’t very far. I’ll go have a quick look.” I moved the corn’s leaf away from my face and stepped in. I walked in a straight line, listening carefully to the sounds of the cat’s feet. I heard one, it was going northeast. I saw a cat’s tail and I went after it. It was getting dark. I couldn’t even hear the birds anymore. I only heard my breathing and the sound of my shoes stepping on the soil. I looked up and the red clouds were getting darker.
“Where are all the cats?”
“Perhaps they went into that direction.”
“No, they didn’t.”
I crouched down to see any movement. I saw a shadow moving on my far-right visual field. It had to be a cat. I moved carefully, choosing my steps wisely to avoid making too much noise. Now, where are they? They had to be close because I could hear them. I suddenly didn’t have to protect my face from the leaves anymore, because the corn was gone.
A cat was there. Just sitting and staring towards an opening in the field. I came closer and touched it, but it didn’t react. “Is this fellow even alive?” He looked as if he was stunned or just simply waiting for someone. I picked it up and yet the cat remained motionless and silent. When I put the cat down, he immediately sat up straight and got into the same position as before. “Wow.”
I walked into a large opening full of cats. There were dozens of them, all facing the center of the crop circle with their gazes lowered. They were sitting in a circular formation and had their tails tucked under their bodies as if they were frightened. “Are you ready for this?” “Yes, I’m ready.” I strolled towards the center. When I got there every single pair of yellow eyes looked directly into me. I’m not scared — right?