Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-24651624-20150504004551

'''I edited this thing and basically rewrote it though I kept some bits of the older version. This is te last time I'm going to attempt work on this thing but it certain bits ONLY need further grammer and punctuation fixes I can get a beta reader to fix anything I missed. I apologize for being so annoying with this thing. AND IF THE FORMAT IS MESSED UP I AM VERY SORRY!'''

I have a cat.

Now you're probably thinking; So what? Everyone has a cat, you're not special.

On any other day I would believe you. But bear with me. I will get to the point in a moment but give me a second to explain some things about the feline who came into my life. I also apologize if this gets a little lengthy, I want to make sure you understand things and, if I don't give all the details, it won't seem as if I'm making my case. My cat is a black and white, goldened eyed feline who sleeps most of the day and is afraid of the vacuum cleaner. She lays on my chest at night and wants nothing to do with me during the day unless she is hungry and needs food. The only out of thing place about her is her little, shorter than normal tail, which was broken at some point during her development in her mother's womb. Her name is Kitt because the markings on her back look like a mask and cape. I named her Kitt after Eartha Kitt who played Catwoman in the old Adam West Batman TV show. There is one other thing about her. When she was a kitten she used to spend a lot of her time at night sitting on the back of the easy chair in the living-room and stare at the ceiling or other places. I would always kid with my mother about it, joking that my kitten was seeing "angels". Of course she wasn't actually seeing angels, my mother would often tell me. She was merely staring at the sparkles on the ceiling. After what happened I don't believe her anymore.

Also I must say a little bit about my house since the majority of this story takes place there. It's a boring house in the middle of an ultra boring town. It's got fading gray siding and a basement, first floor, second floor and attic. No the inside of the house isn't gray, just the outside. You know a normal every day house. You'd think that nothing could ever happen in such an average place but, as most horror stories have proven, average places are magnets for unaverage events as I'm about to prove. Now I think I've gone on enough about my average home and my average cat so I'll begin my story now. I just needed to get the boring stuff out of the way so it doesn't take away from the actual event. I'll try not to ramble and get to the point. That's why you're here after all, right?

It was a quiet, peaceful night in late April. Crickets chirped outside the window and new leaves brushed against each other in the gentle breeze. I, alone, sat on the sofa in the living-room playing Pyramids on the Neopets website, and  listened to music on my laptop around nine o'clock. My cat, Kitt, was curled up on the sofa beside me, purring loudly. Like I said peaceful. Just an average night. I would absently reach out my hand and pet her once in awhile, enjoying the feel of her soft Oreo colored fur against my hand.

Things probably would have stayed that way for the rest of the night and that was fine with me. But my cat seemed to have other plans as, at around nine thirty, she suddenly came fully awake and took off out of the room. I, at first, paid little attention to this as cats are well known for this kind of behavior. You know, they tear through the house as if

they're high on caffeine. I was disappointed that she'd left but I didn't let it bother me. I knew she'd come back once she used up all that pent up energy. Not too long after she'd taken off I heard loud thumps from upstairs though I ignored that as well. That was also a normal thing in my house, as I said she has those moments where she acts insane and tears around the house, upstairs and downstairs. It sometimes sounds like she's knocking everything off the shelves in my room.

I rolled my eyes and continued browsing the Internet, ignoring the sounds to the best of my ability. I knew she'd eventually come tearing down the stairs again and run around the living-room before she curled up on the sofa beside me and acted like nothing happened. But when the noises stopped and she didn't come down, I started paying attention even if it was for a selfish reason. I wanted her to come back.

"Kitt?" I called, getting off of the sofa and heading toward the stairs. "Kitt! Come here puss!"

I shouldn't have expected that to work, as she always ignored me when I called her name anyway. Unless of course she sat on the top of the stairs and looked down at me. Then we both sort of "talked" to each other. Like I'd talk and she'd mew down at me. I crossed the kitchen and headed into the hall toward the staircase, still calling out for her but getting no answer. This meant I'd have to go upstairs to get her which I didn't mind too much either. I climbed the stairs two at a time, still calling out for her.

I'd nearly reached the top of the stairs when I spotted her and stopped just before the landing. She was in the hall, back to me, staring off into space. I noticed her tail lashing back and forth and her hair standing on end as if she were confronting something that frightened her. This gave me an uneasy feeling and I called out to her, my voice lowering as if afraid of what might hear me. "Kitt?"

She growled and I took a step back. What was wrong with her? I looked down the hall where she seemed to be focusing her attention but saw nothing. Just an empty hall but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there. Maybe a rat had gotten into the house and that was what was making her act so strangely. Before I could think about this further she hissed and took off down the hall as if the Devil were after her.

"Kitt!" I called out, covering the last two steps and rushing after her. "Come back here!" If it was a rat I didn't want her chasing it because it might bite her or worse. I wasn't worried about rabies or anything since she'd gotten her shots but I didn't want any harm to come to her either.

Ahead I saw her disappear around a corner then I heard her yowl and the sounds of her going after something. I froze for a  moment, just listening to the sound. Whatever she was after let out a screeching sound that nearly made me jump out of my skin. Just as I debated whether to go on or let her take care of whatever it was herself I heard Kitt let out a pained yowl and then... Silence.

Kitt" I shouted, no longer caring about whatever might be down the hall. I rushed forward and the instant I turned the corner I spotted my cat. She was laying on the floor on her side, paws splayed out and her mouth open. She didn't look like she was breathing. I screamed her name, rushing forward as I felt tears brimming in my ears but before I could take more than a few steps something stopped me. "Kitt! Oh my god!"

There was a loud THUMP behind me and I froze. I stood stock still, fear beginning to overwhelm me. I could barely make out the sound of heavy breathing and a foul stench in the air. A cold clammy feeling went through my entire body, as if all the heat in the house had been removed. I heard what sounded like a heavy footsteps behind me and I turned, very slowly to see what it was. For a moment there was nothing, just an empty hall but then I noticed something off about the way the walls and furniture looked. It wavered as if being hit by some kind of heat wave. I blinked, not sure of what I was seeing. What in the world...?

I suddenly the overwhelming urge to duck and I did so. The air above me whooshed and I heard the floor where I'd be standing only moments ago splinter with a loud CRACK! Gasping, I turned, seeing nothing but that odd heat wave affect. It last for only a moment when suddenly it changed, I saw the colors blink before my eyes in an odd display and then... the camouflage dropped completely and I found myself staring into the glowing yellow eyes of the thing my cat had attacked. It was about  six feet tall with an odd human like bone structure though that was the only thing human about it. It's body was covered from head to two in scales and it's face looked like a mixture between a lizard, a lion, and a nightmare. It stared at me for a moment then it's lips pulled back, revealing sharp, shark like teeth before it loud out a roar that shook the entire house. I screamed in utter horror and took off down the all. I heard it roar again and give chase. I didn't look back as I rushed toward the stairs and down them like a shot, heart pounding, legs pumping. I could see the back door in front of me and dashed for it. Behind me I could hear loud footfalls as it continue to pursue me. My mind reeled, wondering how I hadn't heard this thing before before realizing it had needed a reason to be quiet then. Now that I knew it was there it felt no desire to hide itself.

I reached the door and jerked it open, dashing outside just in time to avoid being impaled by long, sharp claws. I tore across the yard, huffing and puffing as I made a mad dash to the garage. It felt like hours before i reached it and ducked inside. I hid behind a large stack of boxes near the far right wall, panting heavily as I tried to figure out what to do. I had to get rid of it somehow, I knew this. But how? It was larger than me and much stronger plus it could turn invisible. It could see me better than I could see it, I was sure and I knew it wouldn't give up on chasing me until it killed me. But maybe it hadn't seen where I went. I sure hoped so.

I heard the garage door open moments later and  my heart sank. It had must have spotted me fleeing inside. I heard the lizard moving about the garage as if searched for me. I quickly forced myself to control my breathing and listen carefully as it made it's way around the darkened building. I curled up in my hiding place, praying that it would not find me and give up but something told me that was not going to  happen. I flinched when it knocked over a stack of boxes dangerously close to where I was hiding. I had to put my hands over my mouth to prevent myself from screaming.

As I hid there, hoping against hope it wouldn't find me, my mind began racing a mile a minute. Where had this thing come from? How long had it been in my house? What even brought it here? I didn't know and I could only make guesses. Maybe it had always been there but was just very well hidden. No, it couldn't have been there long. We would have seen aware of it sooner, even with it's camouflage abilities. That meant it had come here recently. Yes, that had to be it. It would explain why my cat had been acting so odd tonight.

Kitt. I suddenly felt a wave of despair was over me. She'd been trying to protect me from this thing and lost her life for it. I curled up tighter, trying not to cry. My poor cat. I was so focused on my own grief I'd completely forgotten about the beast pursuing me until I heard a loud roar above me and turned my head up. The being stood over me, it's eyes glowing in the faint light. It had found me! I let out a scream and backed into the wall. I raised my hand as if that was going to protect me. It hissed through those teeth and it seemed to grin down at me in triumph. It knew it had me trapped and I had no way of escaping. I was going to die. I closed my eyes in terror, expecting pain and a slow death. But it didn't come. I waited for a moment and when nothing happened I took a chance and opened my eyes. There, standing on the box between me and the monster, stood a small fuzzy black and white creature. It was my cat! She was alive! I stared at her in utter disbelief. This thing had killed her! I'd seen herbody! There was no way she could have survived a blow from this monster! The how? Before I could question this something very strange happened. The monster glowered down at her with fangs bared, breath hissing. My cat was crouched on the boxes, her hair on end and lips curled back to reveal her own little teeth a tiny obstacle between me and the monster. Just as I was sure the big thing would make mincemeat out of me cat, a car passed by outside the garage. For a brief moment the headlights lit up the garage and hit my cat right in the eyes, making her large pupils shine a bright green. There was a sudden flash of light and a loud scream. For a brief instant before I closed my eyes, I thought I saw the form of a odd shaped cross appear in that dazzling brightness. The next moment, I was laying on the garage floor with my cat rubbing her head against my face, purring loudly. I lifted my head and looked around for the monster. It was gone! I blinked in confusion.

What had happened?

My cat rubbed her head against my chest and I looked down at her. Relief filled me and I forgot about the creature, picking her up and cuddling her to myself, happy that she was alive. I nuzzled my face into her soft fur and cried. We were like that when my parents came home about fifteen minutes later. I tried explaining what had happened when they asked me what I was doing there, but they didn't believe me. I can't blame them for that.

All that night the faint image I'd seen had been with me and the next morning I went online looked it up. What I found was interesting to say the least. There were pictures of the cat goddess Bastet of Egyptian mythology holding something that looked exactly like what I'd seen. It was called the cross of life or the Ankh. Why in the world would a cat goddess be holding this symbol? Not much information was given for that though Bastet does have interesting folklore. She's the goddess of protection against evil spirits and cats of course. Now that was interesting. This made me curious about other things involving cats and Egyptian mythology. Further research showed the Egyptians believed cats held rays of sunlight in their eyes for safe keeping. The Egyptians also believed our feline friends are the destroyers of demons and other creatures from the underworld, just like the feline goddess. It all made sense now. At least to me. My cat had protected me from an evil spirit who'd come into my house that night and used whatever gifts the cat goddess and given her to remove it from this world. That had to be it, right?

Now whether you believe all of this or not is up to you. I'm not forcing you to. But just remember this, the next time you complain about "that stupid cat" that feline just be the only thing keeping you safe from a being that looks like it walked out of your worst nightmares.  