Black Cat

“Ophelia, you know we can’t keep her.” A man tells a young woman. The young woman has hair as black as night and eyes as blue as the ocean. And those eyes never leave the crying baby in her arms. “Fenrir will find and kill her. We can’t let that happen. She’s doesn’t deserve to be punished for our sins.”

“She’s going to be so alone; so lost.” Ophelia states, eyes still on the little girl. “Jakob, our daughter isn’t going to know what she is; she’s going to be so confused and scared. This box of trinkets aren’t going to be enough for her. I have to write to her; explain to her what she is and why we had to do this.”

Jakob took her daughter from his wife, “start writing, because tonight we must leave. Fenrir is close; I can feel it…



I wake up with something tickling my face. Opening my left eye, I see my calico cat Yessy rubbing up against my face. She probably needs food or else she wouldn’t be in my face this early in the room. I gently push her away as I swing my legs off my bed. Grabbing my phone, I get out of bed and head into the living room where my roommate, Orion, is sitting in his Batman boxers, eating cereal and watching the Band Geek episode of Spongebob.

“Yessy, you couldn’t bother him, he’s doing nothing.” I whine as I get a cupful of food and place it in her nearly empty bowl.

“She bothered me too, I just ignored her.” Orion states with his mouth full of Fruity Pebbles. “You should do the same. Maybe you’ll actually get to sleep in for once on your days off.”

“Yea, yea. Whatever.” I chuckle before heading to the stove to grab the tea kettle. This morning is definitely an Earl Grey kind of morning. “Speaking of work; are you bartending at Admiral Arms tonight?”

“Unfortunately.” Orion mutters. “This is the first time since the breakup with Cassie.”

Cassie is Orion’s extremely annoying on and off girlfriend. All of us hate her, Orion is blinded by love when it comes to her. He doesn’t see her flaws like the rest of us.

“Dammit!” I curse. “I was hoping you’d accompany me to the meatpacking district tonight.”

“Why the hell do you want to do there?” He questions me. “Another rave?”

“Nothing like that.” I assure him. “Malc told me about this new street artist that’s been working in that area. He has these amazing murals down there. I figured they’d be the perfect subjects for my Urban Decay collection.”

“I wish I could but I need to do this job,” he frowns. “Please promise me that you won’t go down there alone. You’re too pretty of a girl to be in the meatpacking district alone at night.”

“Ri, I’m fine.” I assure him. “Nighttime is the only time I can take pictures without being bothered by people. I’ll be in and out.”

“You’re never “in and out” when it comes to photography.” He counters. “Cherry, I love you. I don’t want you to go out there by yourself. I’m off tomorrow, we can go then.”

“I’m working at double at the store tomorrow.” I remind him. “I’ll be exhausted after working all day.”

“The murals aren’t going anywhere.” He tells me. “Look me in my eyes and promise me you’ll stay home and not go down there tonight.”

I sit on the coffee table and look Orion deep in his mismatched blue and brown eyes, “I promise to not go out there on my own.” But both us know, deep down, that is a big fat lie...