CAT-A-TAT-TAT
It came for me in the night with a quick leap and a light landing on the hood of my car. Its gaze fixed, intent on its prey, it made its way up the windshield glass headed for the open sunroof.
*swiftly turns knob to close roof window*
Playing on old fears that once ran rampant, my pulse quickened as it padded back and forth along the sunroof, beginning to mew repetitively, poking at the glass with a front paw and butting a nose quizzically against the pane. All that could be seen were glowing eyes the color of honey against inky black fur all but blocking out any light from the carport ceiling above. Minutes passed and the thing made its way back down the windshield, only to turn and sit, staring at me intently. I moved to open the door and it leapt down to greet me, trying to jump inside. I closed the door and waited, wondering why this unknown creature of night so intently needed to be near me and I fought thoughts of Stephen King’s The Cat From Hell knowing full well just how near that particular one wished to be.
Feeling fairly trapped, I threw open the door to get on with it, standing up to find this feline sitting near the adjacent car’s back tire still mewing continually and, frankly, looking adorable. As I began walking, carrying a billion zillion (exact count) items for my dad’s approaching party, it circled my feet multiple times, splaying out across the walk with a come hither pet me invite, belly exposed and legs bent laxly in the air. Silly thing, though I don’t know its name, gender or residence, it now regularly escorts me to and from my car as with the Bo-Bo kitties from times past.
Mew.
Painting by Aaron Bolton