Claws and teeth

Our story takes place at a personal friend’s house while a neighbor goes away to visit friends in New York. Now follow me as we travel through troubled yet haunted memories. A voice cackled while your start to nervously sweat.

In a large Victorian house with appealing white walls and glittering chandeliers shimmer and glisten and light gently touches them. They slowly swing back in forth in an attempt to hypnotize. One cat lived there, she was pampered and she bestowed a stunning diamond collar.

“Here kitty,” a woman’s voice called. The black cat stifled a mrow of amusement. A tag hung from her collar, it read “Velvet.” The cat’s ghostly appearance spooked most folk. Her stare could pierce you to the bone and stone cold kill you. The cat trotted to her owner with her kitten Spider at her heels. Her owner Shannon cracked open a can of “Fancy Feast” cat food. She told the cat she was leaving her to be cared for by Lily Fargo and Trace Lee. Shannon packed her bags and sped away in her car. The cat was left alone until her caretakers arrived.

Trace woke up early, he stretched, called Lily and rode his worn Raleigh bike to Ms.Everett’s house.He stepped up ringing the loud doorbell. No answer. He rang it again. Then he suddenly reached in a torn pocket and retrieved a key. He heard a ear-splitting hiss. He shuddered as chills ran down his spine.Trace swung open the door to face a cat. Her fur was black as night. Its eyes were green and blaring with a powerful sense of anger.  He swore he saw her lash out a razor-edged claw. He quickly shut his eyes. When he opened them he saw a friendly black cat with gorgeous green eyes that could steal a heart. He sighed and cautiously walked over to feed her. He opened a can and set the food down in the dish.The rest of the day was average. Lily and Trace met up at Ms.Everett’s house. Trace used his metal key to access the home’s interior.

“Cmon lets get this over with,” Lily mumbled.They swung open the door and strode inside.Velvet sat and waited beside her bowl. Trace cracked a window letting the cool air drift inside. Velvet let out an ear-splitting screech and flung herself out the window. She landed squarely on the deck.

“Velvet come back!” Lily shouted. Velvet squeezed her plump body through the rungs and sprung off the deck, she plummeted downward and landed with a nauseating crunch.

No, no , no!This isn’t happening,i’m not cat-sitting i'm just dreaming, Trace thought.

“Trace,” Velvet is d-dead, she stammered.”We need a replacement,” she added water-eyed.

“Ok, ok, there is a place called Cat Haven.” Trace mumbled.Lily squealed with joy.”It closes at 6:30 so we need to take the bus.”They traveled downtown and took a shiny, new traveling bus.

“Cat Haven,” Lily said to to bus driver.Trace couldn’t help but feels tingles of fear making his arm hair rise and goosebumps form. A nauseating knot formed in his stomach as uneasiness flooded through him.The large bus with neat advertisements plastered on the side came to a halt in front of a building.The building was old and probably should've been  condemned years ago.Litter scattered the sidewalks and weeds sprouted from cracks.A puff of cigarette smoke took them by surprise as they entered.

“This place is disgusting,” Lily whispered.A man with a mustard stain on his neat white shirt towered over them obviously ignoring the comment about the store.

”Hey kids, what cat are you lookin’ for?”

“A black cat with green eyes,” Trace piped in.

“Dark green eyes,” Lily chimed in.

“Follow me, i’m Larry by the way!”Larry led them through aisled that smelt of cat odors.Steel black cages lined the cedar shelves.

“Larry we need you on aisle eight, I repeat Larry Donaldson aisle eight! A voice sounded over the loudspeaker. Trace and Lily emerged from the black cages spotting a back room. A sign over the door read “ Keep out!”

“Let's go inside!” Lily whispered.They silently strode inside, wide-eyed as they noticed shadows of cages clustered together.Trace let out a shriek but Lily quickly covered his mouth.Trace felt paralyzed with fear so strong and overwhelming Lily had to practically drag him to scan the cages.

“This one looks like Velvet!” Lily whisper-shouted.

“What are you kids doing in here!” Larry bellowed.

“Get the cat!” Lily yelled to Trace.Trace quickly unlocked the cage and with swiftness he darted toward the “Exit” sign with Lily literally at his heels. They quickly got on the next bus aware of Larry “hunting them down.”Trace breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced back seeing he was gone.Velvet seemed unusually calm.Trace got off the bus but Lily stayed on and went home. Trace jogged to Ms.Everett’s house.Velvet then seemed...timid.Trace unlocked the door thinking nothing of it.He set her down and she whipped around to face him.With an ear-piercing yowl she lunged at him raking her long, talon like claws down Trace’s shins. A piercing screech eroded his ear drums and gnawed his stomach.Trace kicked and screamed.Trace felt so helpless, like vole being swooped down on by an owl.Trace let out a loud wail.He felt her sharp bite dig into his pale skin.He let a fearsome scream escaped his lips. Trace felt blood well from his lesions. Trace looked down to see gruesome chunks of flesh and deep wounds.Sticky crimson colored liquid oozed from his lacerations.It bled profusely.

Suddenly.

Everything.

Went.

Black.