Evil Nibbling at Toes in the Dark

Forever Friend lived just down the street with only one neighbor between our houses. Our lives couldn't have been more different. I had one grumpy quite brother, she had a rowdy brother and sister who were full of life to say the least. My mom worked and hers stayed home. My dad had moved on while hers was home each night bellowing with poorly masked love at his rowdy kids.

I had a dog and she had a cat. Granted, my dog was pretty mean to just about everyone, but at least he was honest about it and warned you to stay away. Forever Friend's cat Abby on the other hand was the catalyst that opened my eyes to real evil.

I remember when Abby arrived at Forever Friend's home. The quite and beautiful black kitten with orange and white flecks that almost looked like reverse tiger stripes was breath taking. I remember instantly loving the cute little fur ball... all part of its evil plan that was brewing since the time of it's conception.

After my first encounter with the purring motor boat sound of contentment as I gently pet the snugly fur ball in my lap I was in love. Then in the blink of an eye I'd somehow been lightly scratched and lightly bitten and the cat was no where to be seen. I stared in shock at my hand hardly believing the little ball of warmth could have done such a thing. Then from across the room I saw the yellow eyes gleaming from beside the TV. It was an awakening in me that this animal was not at all what it seemed.

Life went on, and as Forever Friend's mom was my babysitter all summer I could hardly avoid this creepy sweetness that followed Forever Friend and I around. I tried to share my thoughts on the scheming of Abby but the entire family seemed to think it is just what cats did. This broadened my distrust of these animals to include any cat I ran into... not just the sly Abby.

After so many bone chilling looks of malice, intent and general disdain I tried to steer clear of Abby. At least Forever Friend had a pool... and cats didn't like water. I'll admit, to my shame, I often dreamed of throwing that miserable cat into the pool... but to my credit I never actually did it. So what brought on these base desires to play dirty tricks on a mere house cat? I thought you'd never ask.

One of Abby's favorite past-times was, what I have dubbed the walking tree. You see, Forever Friend's house had a long narrow hallway leading to the bedrooms. Half way down this hallway was the guest bathroom which one must pass to have access to any of the bedrooms. Because the hallway was long and narrow there was no way to circumvent this bathroom. So to the delight of Abby, everyone had to walk past it at some time during the day. She would crouch right inside the door of the dark bathroom, her dark fur making it impossible to spot her and she would wait. Wait for me, or anyone else, to walk by. Once in view she would leap up onto your legs and proceed to climb you, much like normal cat would climb a tree, and when she reached your shoulders or head she would leap off and scamper away. I've mentioned that I spend the summers with Forever Friend right? Summers in Georgia where it was not uncommon to hit 97 degrees with 95% humidity.... but I began wearing jeans to her house.

Abby would also hide other places around the house and reach out and give you a good scratch just when you'd relaxed. I think it was her way of reminding you that no where in the house is safe. She even jumped out from behind the shower curtain one day while I was using the bathroom. I managed to bat her away as she sailed toward me and I instantly jumped up and opened the door a crack so she could run away. In truth, while in the house there was no escape from her.

As young girls love to do Forever Friend and I wanted to have a sleep over. Her mom agreed to make us some of her wonderful pancakes for breakfast and we'd swim in the pool at night! The evening was great, swimming at night was such a treat. Then we settled down in the living room with our sleeping bags and New Kid's on the Block pillows to watch a VHS of one of the their concerts. After the concert we decided to tell ghost stories till we fell asleep. I read from the book of scary stories I'd check out at the library and we soon had goose bumps and were clutching our pillows and flashlights.

Forever Friend fell quickly asleep and I began to wonder where Abby slept.. if she slept at all. I began to worry as I'd not seen her all afternoon. I hoped she'd gotten herself stuck somewhere and wouldn't be able to get out. I finally clicked off my flashlight, telling myself it was only a cat and slowly fell asleep.

I dreamed of hundreds of cats. All sizes and colors of cats swarmed like roaches around the floors, counter tops and table of my dream kitchen. I was perched on the counter trying to open a window and get out... of course the window was stuck and it was dark outside. Suddenly a light came on outside and the temperature in my dream hit zero. I peered out the window I was attempting to open and the yard outside the window was teeming with cats as well. Then to my horror they all turned their unearthly yellow eyes on me. I could see my breath on the pane of glass when I heard a sound... a large thudding sound. I turned slowly back to the kitchen, sure I was going to be attacked by the cats in the house. They were all looking at me too when a large entirely black cat spoke, "I think I'll start with the toe."

Frozen in place I didn't know what to do... there were cats everywhere... all eyes intent on me. The larger black cat moved closer and licked my bare toe. I wanted to scream... knew if I screamed they'd disappear. I could feel the scream caught in my throat and tried to dislodge it. The black cat licked a few more times then bit down hard on my big toe. Finally the scream ripped from my throat and I woke, sweating with my sleeping bag in disarray around me.

I breathed a sigh of relief that it was a dream then felt a painful throbbing on my big toe. I sat up and clicked on a flashlight. Shining that flashlight on my toe chilled me to the bone. There was blood and a bite mark. I quickly scanned the room with the flashlight searching for the big black cat from my dream. The flashlight caught the green glow of eyes as it rounded the room. I quickly flew back to the spot to see Abby dashing down the hallway.

To this day I'll swear that the evil cat named Abby bit me in my sleep. The next morning I told Forever Friend about the bite, not the dream, and said her cat was the devil. Abby slipped into the room during my accusations and began cleaning herself with her back to us. I decided to prove to Forever Friend that it was indeed the devil and called out, "Abby, here Abby, kitty kitty." and of course nothing happened, the cat continued to ignore us. A few moments later I said, "Lucifer, oh Lucifer." and at that moment Abby turned and glared at both of us. Forever Friend's jaw dropped and we both ran into the kitchen to the safety of mom and pancakes.

From then on I called that cat Lucifer and it never failed to turn in my direction..... and I never slept anywhere but behind a closed door at her house again....

Early Morning Humiliation

The mystery began on a cool fall Thursday morning. Because I'm a little vain and touched with the family curse of being wide awake by 5:00 am every morning (without an alarm), I work out. I was pulling into the drive around 6:30 am after working out at the gym when I noticed my garbage, only hours before in nice clean white plastic bags, is now littering the driveway and street.

First I curse the mischievous little animal that has obviously just had a meal worthy of a holiday and friends from my garbage. Then I curse the garbage pickup that often comes at 6:30 am. You see, I must put the bags out by the road before I leave to work out or I might miss them before I roll back home at 6:30. Who wants to carry out the garbage when they are achy and longing for a shower anyway?

I glance at the clock wondering if I can possibly clean up and re-bag the mess before the sanitation workers roll through my neighborhood at an ungodly hour when most people are just getting up. Ok well I can't harp too much about the ungodly hour considering I've already finished a workout by 6:30.

I decide to go for it. I dash into the house and grab a pair of disposable plastic doggy poo gloves and a new white garbage bag. I'm 1/4 of the way through clearing up the bits of left over dinners that I denied my dog when I hear the rumble of the truck one street over. I quicken my pace which naturally makes me a little more sloppy; which could be to blame for the shameless begging that happened next.

The truck rumbles up the street as I'm still picking up bits of nastiness that had been fermenting in the hot afternoons for the past 5 days. The combination of sweat, garbage and my hurried frenzy must have been something to behold and smell - even for a garbage man. The guy hopped off the truck and picked up my neighbors garbage eyeing me with an amused smirk. He then proceeds to walk past my drive. I shout "Hey wait just a second!" He shakes his head and picks up the remnants of one bag with a questioning look. "Just give me two more seconds." I shout over the roar of the truck while picking up an oozing mess that could not have come from my house.

He continues on without a word. "Ok, Ok just take this bag!" I shout realizing I'd have to pick the rest up later and wait until next week. He takes the bag from me without a word and continues on down the street.

I was fuming! It is now close to 7:00 and I have to be at work by 7:30 (I teach school kids so it isn't as if being a little late won't hurt anything; my classroom would be a mess and in total chaos!). I leave the rest of the mess and storm into the house to shower and get ready for work. When I get home I'm still mad about the mess and about the french knot I had to wear in my hair because there was no time to fix it and be on time to work.

The breeze was nice and it was a beautiful fall afternoon so I opened the glass window on my front storm door. It had a screen at one time but Daisy my happy yellow lab had long ago jumped through it in pursuit of a cat. Now the glass was open just enough for her to stick her head out and let in a breeze. From her vantage point Daisy alternately watched me clean up the rest of the trash and a pretty black and white cat sitting on the curb across the street. The pretty cat seemed to be watching me as well.

After dinner I settled down on the couch with Daisy snuggling next to me to watch my favorite Thursday night line up of TV shows. Just when I'd relaxed I hear a loud "bang" that sounded like a large bird hitting a glass window. Daisy was alert instantly searching for the source of the sound. We looked at each other hoping for some hint of what the sound was when we heard it again. Then I heard small "mew" and claws on hard plastic. Daisy knew an instant before I did that a cat was messing around with the front door.

Barking and growling Daisy jumps off the couch going around it toward the front door. I jumped over the back of the couch hoping to beat Daisy to the door and save this unfortunate cat's life. I didn't quite make it but the cat heard the commotion and was on its way out the open window before Daisy caught it. I sighed in relief as I saw a flash of black and white tear out across the lawn, glad the cat wasn't hurt. I'd soon change my mind about that cat.

The following Thursday morning was like a bad re-run. The garbage all over the driveway, the silent amusement of the sanitation worker and my anger building and the stupid french knot. Only difference was that this time the pretty black and white cat sat cleaning itself across the street as I picked up the garbage. I began to have my suspicions.

Several days later I arrived home from work on a rainy day to discover Daisy barking in the dinning room as she stared onto the back closed-in porch. I look out the dinning room window expecting to find a bird that got stuck in the room (its happened before). Instead I see the flash of a white hind paw and black tail exiting through the crack in the door that wouldn't quite close all the way. I wondered how long the cat had been there tormenting my dog, suddenly not liking this cat very much.

Another garbage day came around and I decided to experiment. Instead of going to work out I simply placed the garbage bags out at the road at the usual time and returned to the house. From the dark living room window I sat and watched the garbage bags bathed in the glow of the street light. Within 10 minutes I was rewarded as that stupid black and white cat began to slink its way over to my bright white bags. It looked around as if expecting some surprise then took the bait.

I came running out of the house with a broom swatting at the cat; which of course I never came close to hitting. The cat disappeared down the sewer drain and I went back into the house to wait. After 20 more minutes I decided it was time to shower and get dressed.

Yes, you know that the bags were ripped to shreds by the time I was finished with my shower. The following week I put red pepper and Tabasco all over the bag. Of course that bag wasn't touched but my neighbor's can next door had been tipped and desecrated.

It is now my mission to find this cat and drop it off at the humane society. I've seen it a few times since but it won't come to me when I call it. Oh well... I can wait and I have a long memory. Victory will be mine!