The Cat

Category B: Highly Commended (2024) Monash Short Story Writing Competition
Author: Avery Tan

You wandered into the deep end of the forest. The next creature on your list should be around here somewhere. Any minute now.

As a faraway church bell tolled, you heaved a heavy sigh.

It was late. Again.

You stepped into a nearby clearing and took a seat on a nearby log. As you stretched your legs outwards, you decided to pass the time by checking if the nearby birds were on your list too. After flipping through the notepad, you came to the conclusion that it was not their time.

“Hey.” A gray tomcat pounced out of the shadows and slowed to a stop in front of your feet. “Sorry for being late again”.

You shot it a scornful glare, “you know very well tardiness is not tolerated”.

The cat sighed and sat down. “After all this time, I thought we were friends?” It cocked its head and smiled.

“I’ve only met you eight times before. Nine, counting today. I barely think that’s long enough to be… friends”. Your mouth went sour at the word. “Last time, you said that you’d tell me how it went.”

The cat stretched and yawned, “yeah, I know. Come on, Let’s take a walk.”

“I don’t think – “

“Hush, just grant me this. For old time’s sake.”

“Fine. But only for a short amount of time. We cannot be later than we already are.”

*************

Suddenly, the cat erupted into balls of glowing light, and everything around you disappeared.  All around you, you could hear the cat’s voice telling you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, as your surroundings came into view.

**************

The Cat was once a simple being. Born into a human household, all it knew were its walls. For the Cat, there was no world beyond the wallpaper of the kitchen and bedrooms. A life where it only knew comfort and warmth. But something in its mind itched, and one day, when the front door was opened, it bolted out, feeling on its whiskers and the sun on its fur.

Over many days, and many adventures, the Cat found the wind had become too strong. Then the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the Cat went to sleep. When it awoke, the world was different. Food was plentiful and the world was safe once more.  A time where everything was perfect, and it could run through the streets without worries or regrets.

It felt magical.

In this time, it attracted many lovers and lived out its life to the fullest, fulfilling every desire it had from long ago. When it went to sleep again, the Cat was satisfied. To be honest, the Cat did not want to awake again. But life did not listen to the pleas of a young insignificant being. Instead, it awoke into a dark time. Conflicts made food scarce and the Cat had to do many things that would haunt its mind for many nights. The Cat wished to sleep again but sleep did not take him until it was utterly exhausted and fell.

There was nothing there when the Cat awakened. The world was in shades of monochrome and at every corner, shadows lurked to remind him of the things he had done. Its mind felt chained, unable to move on, stuck in an endless loop of darkness and despair.

The next few times, things did not get better.

Until one day, the Cat woke up next to another. A cat who did not know of shadows and darkness. A cat who was a bright light, a splotch of colour in his monochrome world. With its help, the Cat learnt how the world could be beautiful again.

***************

You slowly came back to reality and the cat, looking tired and depleted, had collapsed on the ground.

“That’s not how it ends”, you said.

“I know.” The cat said softly. “I just wanted a happy ending, for once”.

You paused momentarily. “It is time to go.”

“For the last time?” the cat asked quietly, with its tail raised in question.

“For the last time.” You looked at the aged cat on the ground kindly, for the first time, and gently scooped it up in your arms. With it nested purring onto your chest, you walked purposefully towards a nearby river.

“Are you ready?”

The cat turned its head towards the river and started squirming. “You know, no matter how many times I do this, it never gets better.”

“I know. But this will be the LAST.” Your gentle reassuring voice echoed through the deep recesses of the cat’s mind.

Both you and the cat stood still for a moment, by the sounds of endless rushing water. The cat stopped squirming and resumed its steady vibrating purr.

“Let’s go then.”