I'm Trapped as a Cat?

He was there more than a weekend.

He was there more than a week.

He was there more than a month.

And now he's living with us.

Summer vacation was almost over, and all that had come of Arthurs relationship with my mom was misery.

Well, misery on my part.

They were never apart now. Wherever he went, she followed. She reminded me of a lost puppy and it made me sick. Marie and I had tried everything we could think of to discourage their relationship without my mom knowing. I misplaced his keys. And by misplaced I mean flushed them down the toilet. 4 times in a row. I didn't want that creepy man to have a key to my house, even if he did live there.

I let my dog Sampson eat his Gucci italian loafers. Anything that could not be directly traced to me, was me, he just couldn't prove it. And it drove him insane. It seemed that the only thing Arthur Wiles' wiles could not do was turn my mom against me. She swore up and down that I would never do such a thing, and one day she finally told him about the bargain we had made.

"So she can't have fed your loafers to the dog darling, she's sworn she wouldn't meddle in her mothers affairs." Then she would shower him with compliments and tell him about her absolutely riveting day at the office, and he would pass into a sullen silence.

By this time I was certain that he had my mother under some kind of enchantment.

Oh sure... she absolutely loved him. It was obsessive really. My mom always encouraged me to have a love life, but she never just jumped into a relationship herself. In Arthur's case, she had leapt, dove, practically flew into a relationship.

And I knew he was somehow responsible.

After dinner one night, I overheard something interesting. I was doing the dishes, and I had to struggle to overhear what was said above the running water.

"But I love you Arthur! Can't you stay home just for a night? I miss you when I'm laying in bed all alone."

Another fun little aspect of Arthur moving in was that he was ALWAYS there to greet me when I woke up in the morning. I tried to avoid him as much as possible, but he insisted on giving me a ride everywhere. Mom worked during the day, but Arthur worked at night, and he never told either of us anything about it. Last week as I got out of his jet black Mercedes he spoke to me, low and menacing.

"I know you are trying to separate me from your mother. It will not work. She is mine and there is nothing the likes of you can do about it. I'm just warning you to say out of my business."

"What are you?!" I demanded.

"That is none of your concern. Stay out of my business."

But back to the thrill of eavesdropping.

"No my love. I am sorry. We just received an important shipment at the office, and I need to be there more than ever so I can process it."

This is the usual extent of his explanation about his job. Never any details, just a vague description that any business man might be in charge of. What kind of shipment? What type of products? What could he be marketing that would allow for a Mercedes Benz?

"I deal mainly with the Occult." Arthurs vague description from the very first day floated back to me. The Occult. Maybe whatever he deals in has to do with the way my mom has been acting lately.

I decided that tonight was the night. I was going to follow him and find out what he's up to.

It was almost 11pm when he set out. I had snuck out onto the roof from my bedroom window so I would know the instant he left the house. He locked the door behind him and walked deliberately towards his car in the driveway. This was my moment. While he was distracted with his car, I crawled back in the window. I heard the engine ignite and I shuffled quickly down the stairs, out the back door and around the side of the house to my car parked on the side of the road. I waited until he pulled carefully out of the driveway before I turned the engine on and followed.

It was pretty late, so there was no traffic. I had to keep my distance in case he recognized my car. But because he insisted on driving me to school, I rarely used my car anymore and I doubted he would know it from a quick glance. I couldn't believe I was actually thankful for something like that. We drove on for about 20 minutes through the suburbs and ended up downtown in the industrial district.

Great detective work Faylinn. He's a business owner who works in the industrial district. That's suspicious. Note the sarcasm.

He pulled up in front of a very ordinary looking warehouse in a lot full of other warehouses. This particular building was building J. Instead of pulling into the lot, I kept going around the block, not wanting to arouse suspicion. I stopped on the other side of building J, and cautiously stepped out. I was very aware of the fact that I was in a deserted industrial park in dowtown Shelby at almost 11:30 at night. There could very well be an ax murderer on the other side of the building. More likely it was just that jerk Arthur.

I listened for the sound of a metal door clanging shut before I snuck around the side of the building. There was his car, and there was the door. The door that held all the answers, at least that's what I thought at the time. As I approached the door I could see a sign that read, "Arthur's Oddities". Clever name. Before I could lose my nerve and convince myself to turn right around and go home, I pulled the door open, and held it carefully until it closed with barely a peep. I was in a dimly lit entrance hall that reminded me of a waiting room at the doctors office. There was an empty receptionists desk at the far end, suggesting that "Arthur's Oddities" was indeed open during the day. So why not work in the daytime?

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could make out several doors. One was proped slightly ajar, and I could see the sign from here. "Arthur Wiles- Owner". A faint light was cast on the floor outside the doorway, and I was willing to bet that that was where Arthur was hanging out. I didn't want to run into him right now. I observed the other doors. One looked like it went into the warehouse itself, and another was labeled "Supplies". There was one other door that had a sign, "Payroll and Scheduling". I didn't know which door to try first, or which one held the answers I so desperately needed. I should have brought Marie, she'd know what to do.

After a few more minutes of silent debate I heard Arthurs voice come out of the office, "Will you hold on a moment Mister Callaway? I left my cellphone in the car."

My heart went into my throat and I looked hastily around for a hiding place. As his footsteps approached the door I dove under the reception desk and pulled the office chair in front of me. I had just enough time to draw in a quick breath before I saw his Gucci loafers go waltzing by. Close call. I suddenly realized this golden opportunity. With Arthur outside I could explore his office for just a moment. He's just getting his cell phone, so it won't be long, but long enough.

When I heard the door shut I jumped from beneath the table and dashed into his office, counting the seconds in my head.

"1...2...3..." I saw his desk, littered with papers, and a phone lay off the hook on top of them. I scanned the room quickly for anything out of the norm.

"4...5...6...7" It looked just like a normal office. How dissappointing.

"8...9...10...11...12..." Well at least I knew where his office was, I could have a look around maybe if I came by during the day.

"13...14...15....." I heard the door open suddenly and for the second time in 5 minutes my heart was in my throat. Too late to leave the office, I needed to hide! Scanning quickly, I spied a cabinet in the back corner and threw myself inside. I had just closed the door again when I heard Arthur barge back into the office. I held my breath.

There was a squeaky noise I assumed came from the chair and suddenly he was speaking to the client again.

"Thanks for holding Mister Callaway." Wait a second, Callaway?

Callaway was my fathers name. After the divorce me and mom just went back to being Ventures. Could he have some kind of grudge against mom?

"Yes of course I have it. Not yet, but I'm still working on it for you. That daughter of yours is a real piece of work. She's flushed my keys down the toilet 4 times now."

I stifled a laugh.

"Of course Mister Callaway. I've never let you down before. I'll make sure that Marylinn's soul is trapped forever. I just need her to put on the necklace. I haven't had the right opportunity with your nosy brat poking about."

Did he just say he was going to trap my mothers soul?!

"Of course. You can come by to pick up the necklace as soon as she is inside it. What you do with it then is your own business."

Oh my God! He's going to steal my mom's soul?! Impossible.

But the more I thought about Arthurs unexplainable affect on people, the more it seemed a likely explanation. Marie is going to flip right out. Suddenly he was yelling.

"Do you think I'm a fool?! I'm being as careful as I can be! I even have the necklace in my office cabinet right now!"

The unmistakable thud of footsteps paralyzed me to the core. I whispered a prayer and then the door was flung open.

"And I'll tell YOU something else! I-" he stopped midsentence when he realized I was in the cabinet. I was still paralyzed with fear.

"What is it? You've stopped ranting." I could hear my dads voice on the other line.

If looks could kill I would be dead. The glare Arthur was sending me was simply murderous.

"Nothing. Just a bug that needs to be squashed. Can I call you back?"

He didn't wait for a response. He just hung up.

I had never been more frightened in all my life, but I still managed a cocky response to his threatening statement.

"What? Are you going to trap my soul too now?" Obviously I had overheard the conversation. I couldn't deny that, and it would be stupid to try. For the first time since I'd known him, Arthur smiled. It was not a nice smile.

"Oh no. I've thought of a much better fate for you."

He grabbed me roughly and I started to scream, but it was useless. He dragged me effortlessly out of the cabinet and out into the lobby. He continued into the warehouse. He flicked the lights on and slammed me into a chair just inside the door and I was quickly fastened to it. As the warehouse lights blinked on at there own pace, Arthur wasted no time and walked deliberately down one of the aisles. My mind was racing. What would he do to me? If he can trap souls in objects then what else is he capable of? Would he dare to kill me while he was working on this assignment for my dad? I thought back to his response to my dads inquiery.

"Nothing. Just a bug that needs to be squashed."

I shuddered. He wouldn't turn me into a bug would he? Some part of me was still clinging on to the stubborn belief that he was not magical at all, and a swindler instead, tricking people into buying his wares. How wrong I was.

He returned quicker than I expected, holding a necklace. I started to scream again. I knew it. He was going to trap my soul just like he had planned to do with my mom. He thrust the necklace over my head despite my frantic shrieking and stood there, waiting, a triumphant smile on his face.

Nothing happened.

I stopped screaming in my confusion. I had expected something dramatic to happen, like a flash of light or a big boom. I looked down at the necklace. It looked very old. And simple. It was made of a simple brown leather cord with a white, diamond shaped pendant. To my dismay, the pendant was beginning to glow brighter with each passing moment.

"What did you do?!" I demanded, though I was in no position to demand anything.

"I put a charmed necklace on you. It hasn't been able to sell and I wanted to see what it would do."

I was outraged.

"You mean you don't even know what it will do?! I could blow up or something!"

He laughed, cold and sinister.

"I didn't say that. I said I wanted to see what it would do. It changes the wearer into a form more befitting their personality. From what I've experienced from you, I'd say you're probably about to turn into a cow, or a toad. Or maybe a bitch."

He laughed at his own joke.

"Now all we have to do is wait."

I wanted it desperately to be some kind of joke, and I almost had myself convinced that it was. Until I started to tingle. It started as a tingle in my fingers and toes, and then the tingle quickly spread across my whole body. Suddenly Arthur looked even bigger and I had this peculiar feeling that I was falling. My face started to itch, but I couldn't scratch it because I was bound. Or was I?

The rope he had tied me with felt much looser and when I looked down I almost threw up. My formerly bare arms were quickly sprouting thick brown hair, and the itchiness that I had felt on my face spread as quickly as the tingle that had preceded it. I was turning into a monster!!! I realized that the falling sensation I was experiencing was actually shrinking.

Well, at least I'm not turning into a cow, cows are bigger than humans.

I reached up to scratch the itch on my face to see that my fingers were shriveling away, growing long claws and sprouting fur like my arms. I tried to scream but it came out weak and shrill. I closed my eyes and willed it to be over. When the sensations finally ceased, I opened my eyes and looked up at Arthur who towered over me. His face seemed huge and distorted, and I could see the clogged pores in his face, eeeeew.

His expression was one of dissapointment. I found that I could see in color, but it was like, who cares?! Movement was much more interesting to me now. He spoke suddenly, causing my fur to rise in surprise.

"I had hoped you would turn out an ugly excuse of a creature. Now you're even more beautiful than before! At least you can't screw up my plans any more."

His words were confusing and garbled, I only understood bits and pieces. I found I wasn't very interested in what he had to say anyway. There were multitudes of smells just dying to be explored in this room wherever we were. Where was I again?

Woah Faylinn, focus here! These new instincts are overwhelming. Why am I here again? Oh right! To help mom! And then... uh oh. Arthur turned me into some kind of animal.

When I finally snapped back into reality I realized that Arthur was talking to me. I tried to understand, but his words were confusing to my foreign ears.

"I need to get you outta here. Have fun in your new life Faylinn. There is a way to reverse the transformation, but I'm not gonna tell you what it is."

He picked me up and carried me out of the warehouse at a dizzying speed. I was annoyed with him for holding me, it made me nervous somehow. I tried to squirm out of his hands.

"Damn you Faylinn! Get out and never bother me again. And if I see you anywhere near our house, I WILL kill you. I don't have sympathy for animals."

He tossed me out into the balmy summer night, and as the door closed I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the door window.

I was a cat.