This is something I was inspired to write after listening to some creepy music and reading Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Black Cat". I will be posting the second chapter soon. I'll see if this one gets any reviews first.
The night was as dark as the Plutonian shores with clouds made ghostly by the pale-faced moon swirling in the sky, threatening to release all of the rain contained within their innermost parts. A breeze made the shrubs around the apartment building Timothy McGee lived in shudder and shake. No light, save for a lone hall light, burned in the building that night, for it was nearly midnight and the young agent was coming home from the Navy Shipyard after a hard case.
The door slammed shut by the unseen hand of the wind, making Tim jump. His nerves were already on end, frayed from chasing a serial killer through a warehouse and getting himself nearly killed. The door to his apartment was locked and stood without a mark, keeping intruders out. Quickly and quietly he unlocked it, shutting it deftly behind him.
A small desk lamp shed a circumference of light on his living room and writing corner. Nothing stirred, not even his computer hummed. Tim let his backpack fall to the floor while he started to head towards his bedroom, ready to let sleep take him.
Dark shadows spread across every corner, their dark claws fleeing from the meager light of the lamp. These shadows were a normal sight to Tim when he returned late from work, but one shadow was new. One shadow was not supposed to be there. Curiously he approached the window sill, his heart thumping as he only dreamed of what it could be. Still the shadow sat, not moving or even twitching to react to the howling and moaning of the wind rapping on the window. Stretching out his hand with the slowness of some reptile of old, Tim caressed the shadowy figure.
To his surprise it rose up to greet him, a purr rumbling in its throat. It had been nothing more than a cat reposing on his window sill. A cat was not of any harm, but how did it get into his apartment? His windows were all locked and secured as was his only door.
"Hey, kitty, kitty," Tim said soothingly as he stroked the rather large creature. Its short fur was the color of a raven's feather, with no other color to mark its glorious pelt. Golden eyes closed shut in happiness as he rubbed his thumb along its cheek. "How did you get in here? There's no way you came through the vents, you're way too big."
As if answering the questioning, the black cat meowed and leapt from its perch. With practiced grace it landed on the floor and continued to rub itself along Tim's legs. The purr resounding in it throat grew louder as Tim stooped down and hefted the creature up into his arms.
"I haven't seen anyone with a black cat in the building," Tim started to walk to his bedroom again, caressing the feline with his free hand. "I don't think pets are even allowed in this place."
The cat shimmied itself free of his arms and landed on his bed. It neatly sat, with its long, thin tail wrapping over its paws. Tim shrugged, deciding that it'd be no harm to allow the creature to stay with him.
"You can stay with me tonight, but tomorrow we're finding your owner," he pointed his finger at the cat. In response the feline tipped its head to the side, as if questioning his motives. "I'm going to change clothes and brush my teeth, don't do anything."
Tim turned his back to the creature, feeling its piercing gaze burning between his shoulder blades. Why was he talking to this cat as if it could actually fathom what he was telling it? How come it acted almost as if it could perceive his words? The first inquiry he wanted answered first, however, was how had the cat gotten into his apartment?
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me how you got in here, are you?" Tim asked, replacing his work shirt with an old MIT shirt that he used as a nightshirt.
In rebuttal the feline settled down, folding its paws under its frame. Lazily, it rasped its tongue over its black breast. The whiskers that mounted its face glittered silver as it moved its head to and fro, its sensitive hairs swaying back and forth as if blown by some unforeseen breeze.
"Didn't think so," Tim muttered as he pulled on a pair of blue checkered pajama pants. He glanced back at the feline, his gaze snagging on how silver and almost liquid like its whiskers looked. "You got a name?"
The black cat looked up, its golden eyes half shut. It seemed so quiescent and tranquil, yet the tip of its tail twitched. Pulling its lips back in a gaping yawn, the creature laid its head down. From where he stood, Tim thought that the feline looked like a black hole that had cut into his bed.
"Good night to you then," Tim flicked on the light in his bathroom, keeping a wary eye on the cat sleeping upon his bed.
Please tell me what you think and if I should continue. Remember, I like to hear your thoughts in your reviews. Thanks for taking time to read! :)