Flash Fiction February 008: Howl At The Moon

by Terence A. Anthony

The bright full moon illuminates Master’s compound, only to be obstructed by the silhouette of our new neighbour’s black cat. She was high up on our garden’s divider looking down at me with her bright yellow eyes. The only thing I could do was howl in fear. Let the whole neighbourhood know, there’s something wrong with this cat.

The following night I saw her again. This time she dared to jump into the compound, stretching on the grass, rolling around. Never had a stranger challenge my domain. Any further, I won’t feel comfortable Master finding out. So quickly ran towards her with my teeth all out on display, hoping this feline intruder start to back off.

But she stayed and rolled.

So I barked and howl into the moon. The Alsatian several houses away echoed my sentiments. The strays howled back and the alley reverberated. I kept my distance before I pranced.

But that was when I saw the shadow of my new enemy elongated and started to consume the moon’s light. Out of the shadow came a thin hunchbacked figure in a hooded robe, only with the cat’s devilish eyes marking the face in the abyss. A high screech came out from what I could assume was a mouth.

This was no ordinary cat so I had to act. I jumped on the robed being and scratched on a material like no texture I’ve ever felt. It felt like a cross between leather and dry dirt. When tearing parts of the robe, it did not feel like garment but closer to digging cold sand. I bit into what one could assume was the eye, it tasted like cold meat, from soggy canned food but rotten.

More high pitch screeching came out of the abomination but the shroud drove itself into the ground and back into the shadows. The moon shined on the garden again. Our scuffle led me to break several pots to which I assumed woke Master up.

The shadow and dark matter coagulated once more to form the feline trespasser once more. This time, she had injuries in her left eye. I barked and howled away and she climbed up the fence. She looked at me with the most evil grin I’ve seen in a cat.

Master walked out of the house with torchlight and a leash. She looked disappointed but only if she knew that the devil was here and walked away. Master uttered angry words at me in a sleepy tone. Of course, I felt bad for waking her up but that’s the consequence of being a guard.

For one last time before Master and I rested our eyes, I howled into the night. “Warning, there’s a devil in our midst. Howl at the moon to warn others around you.”

Flash Fiction February is a daily short story challenge (within the 150-200 word range) for the month of February.