Chapter 1: The Cat Like Creature

It was another peaceful walk I had with my parents that night. A walk that we have been taking since I was two years old and I remember most of them as if it had been just yesterday. The calm breeze blowing through my hair in sync with the rustling leaves. The starry night being the only source of illumination for the pitch-black park. Inhaling the sweet smell of flowers and exhaling in delight. Not a single soul in sight making this walk like our very own private one. These walks had been what I have been looking forward to at the end of the week, spending time with my Mother and Father and just enjoying the beautiful wonderland. I hold onto both of my parent’s protective hands as we descend down the wooden bridge. I hear rustling of branches as squirrels scurry up the tall trees and as they return home for the night to their families. I smile at the thought and let out a small happy sigh causing my beloved parents to look down at me and have a smile of their own. I happily giggle and my parents lift me up by my hands and swing me back and forth the way the happy families in the movies do. We are the happy family. I squeal with delight as the scenery before me starts to blend together. My father chuckles and picks me up into his arms so that I wouldn’t get dizzy and we continue the walk. I look at my surroundings from this higher height. I notice more details of the park, from the birds sleeping in their nests to the beautiful flowers on the trees. I smile and lay my head on my Father’s shoulder and look at part of the park that we left behind and I begin to frown, but that expression doesn’t stay long as I remember that we will return to the wonderland next week and my smile returns. I lift my head and notice a light. Not the light from the stars, not a light from the streetlamps as they are not on right now, but a different light. This light is hidden in between the trees, at first being a small orb then pulsating into a larger form then decreasing back into it’s original shape and so on.

“Dad what’s that?” I say and point over to the direction of the orb to the left corner. It seems as I am the first one to take notice of the strange light as my parents have a confused look on their face as they look at the direction I’m pointing to.

“I… don’t know…,” my Father says as he strains his eyes trying to make sense of what he is looking at.

“That’s strange, the park dosen't have lamps,” my Mother says to my Father with furrowed brows.

We stop in our spot and take a few minutes watching the shape shifting orb, trying to make sense of what it could be. Then as quickly as it was changing shape the orb defuses like that of a candles flame. We stand still in our positions and watch the now dark corner where the orb had been. Our eyes still fixated as we stare at nothing. My trance is broken when I hear the rustling movement of branches, but it’s not the squirrels. A dark figure slowly emerges from it’s hiding spot in the branches.

“Dad…what’s that?” I whisper and hold onto my Father for protection. My Father and Mother, who are also watching the figure, stand frozen in their place.
My Father says nothing as he watches the figure. I could see fear in his eyes. Suddenly the figure starts to make it way towards us.

“Daddy…”, my voice comes out shaky. My Father puts me down and places me behind him and my Mother. I cling to their side and peek through the small opening between their arms and watch as the figure begins to enclose the distance between us. We begin moving backwards, but it is no use. The figure is now right in front of us. I try to hold in my scream as I watch it just standing their in front of my parents. The creature is wearing a black shredded up veil over it’s head hiding whatever may be underneath it. My parents begin to cough from the awful stench of rotten fish coming from the creature. I pinch my nose and try not to inhale the vile smell. After a while of the figure just standing their eyeing us, my Father musters up his courage and speaks up.

“W-what… do… y-you w-want?!” My Father stammers as his fear overcomes his courage. The figure hears my Father and decides to speak up only a few minutes after.

“Your trespassing”, the figure hisses out with a raspy voice causing all three of us to jump back.

“What do you mean we are trespassing?! This is a public park!” My Father’s sudden courage comes back as he shots back at the hissing figure.

“That may be, but at night this park belongs to me”, the figure let’s out a low growl and sways back and forth.

“Who are you?” My Mother asks wearily and holds onto my Father.

“It doesn’t matter who I am, what matters is that you must be punished”, the figure snarls and laughs a menacing laugh. My parents let out a cry of fear.

“What should I do with you?” The figure contemplates our fate.

I muster up my own courage like that of my Father and Mother and look at our capturer. It is still looking down at the ground hissing as it thinks. From my small height I could see under that black veil and what I saw was horrific. A twisted snarled up face with scars and scratches. A smirk on it’s face revealed it’s sharp yellow teeth. The thing had whiskers and it’s eyes…it’s eyes were like that of a… cat. I let out a whimper full of fear. An action that I shouldn’t have let out an action that changed everything. The figure let’s out a small laugh full of delight. I could see his smirk turn into an evil smile. I look away with disgust.

“Oh, it’s looks like you have a child, how sweet”, the figure says and stares right at me. I scream out. 

“Don’t you touch her!” My Mother and Father yell at the figure while protecting me.

“As I said you must be punished," the figure snarls and reaches for me.

“NO!” I scream out at the top of my lungs. The figure steps back and cover it’s ears as it hisses. 

“Stop yelling!” It growls as it says. 

The figure hunches over as it covers his ears with his hands. My Father takes his chance and picks me up into his arms. After recovering the creature grabs my hand and holds onto it with a very firm grip and I yelp out in pain. My parents try to unclench his hand, fighting with him. My parents struggle to set me free when I hear both of  them scream out in pain. The figure had bitten them on their arms. My parents try to continue fighting but the pain gets the best of them. The figure takes his chance and grabs me. I try to fight back, but I don’t have the strength. I try to pull out of it’s reach one last time and I do get away from it’s reach. I cry out in pain. The figure’s claws scraped against my skin causing three deep cuts. 

“Mom! Dad!”, I yell out for my parents and a tears begin to fall.  

“Don’t hurt her! Please!” Me parents cry out with tears falling down their face. The figure laughs evily.

“You must be punished”, it says and raises his hand.

“NO! STOP! TAKE ME!”  Both of my parents say. The figure smirks.

“NO!” I yell.

“This is better”, it says and laughs. It raises it’s hand as it did before and a light begins to form. I close my eyes awaiting my fate. 

“I love you," I tell my parents and begin to cry.

“We love you too”, they both say while crying.

The last thing I see is my Mother and Father holding onto each other as the three of us cry and say goodbye, then everything around me goes white from the light. I felt like I was getting smaller. My hands were turning into paws and my fingernails were turning into claws. Brown fur started to appear on my hands and I soon realized what was happening. I’m turning into a cat. The transformation stopped and I looked around my surroundings. I’m in the same dark starry night park. Everything is still and not a soul in sight. My Mother, Father and the figure are gone. The only movement are of that of the birds and squirrels in their homes with their families. I open my mouth and try to speak.

"Mom? Dad?” I try to say, but what actually comes out is a meow.

I look at the left corner where the figure came out from, but see only darkness. I look down at my feet and realize this is real. I actually turned into a cat. I walk down the pavement occasionally stopping when I hear rustling and move towards the sound only to find squirrels. My parents are gone and I am alone. I feel like crying, but my tears won’t come out. Cats don’t cry. I walk down the pavement some more jumping at sudden sounds and hanging my head low when it turns out it isn’t my parents. I reach the end of the park and see a neighborhood down the corner. I make my way over to the lit up streets of the neighborhood and find a spot to stay in for the night. I lay down in a hole next to bushes and try to stay calm. I dare not to sleep as I am still afraid of my surroundings. After a few minutes I hear voices. I try to hide deeper in the bushes but I am spotted. I see a man and a woman with a boy about my age walking down the street towards my direction. I eye them.

“Uhmma look it’s a kitten!” The little boy exclaims and points at me.

“Aww, poor thing all alone”, the woman who is the boy’s Mother says.

“Does she have an owner?” The man who I assume is the Father asks the Mother.

“I’ll see”, the Mother says and moves closer to me. I move back in fear

.
“Don’t worry sweetie, we won’t hurt you”, the Mother says with a calm soothing voice. I try to believe her, but who can I believe? Who can I trust?

The Mother looks at me. “No she doesn’t have an owner, she doesn’t have a collar. Poor thing, she’s wounded," she says and looks at the three deep cuts on my arm.

“We should take her home with us”, the Father says.

“Mommy can we?! Please?!” The boy says excitedly and jumps up and down.

“Of course!” The Mother says and looks back at me. “Don’t worry sweetie, we won’t hurt you,” She says and extends her arms. I am weary at first and jump back deeper into the bushes. I see the loving look on their faces and slowly step out of my place in the bushes and step onto the pavement.

“Good girl,” the Mother and Father say. The Mother picks me up into her arms and soothes me trying to calm me down.

“Mommy, can I hold her?” The boy asks. 

“Of course!” The Mother says and hands me over to the boy. The boy holds me in his arms as we start walking to their home. 

“You’re my new best friend. I’ll take care of you," the boy whispers into my ear and holds me close to him. I feel comforted and lay my head on the boy’s shoulder.