Long Night DE2020

Looking to the left he took in the sleek, athletic predatory form which stared back at him from the cool glass of the window. One lip lifting slightly to expose the razor point of one canine as he smiled at his reflection, taking a second to flex the bunched muscles of his shoulders and raise his head a little higher.
He moved through the dark, rain cleansed streets of the centre of town, blending into the shadows, slinking from one patch of darkness to another, footfalls silent as he padded onward through the all but deserted streets. The sharp tang of a discarded take away box giving him pause before he turned up his nose in disgust and slunk towards the corner of the Dick Whittington pub. A place that always made him feel a little special, for what did anyone really know about Dick Whittington, really? He had a cat, a cat that helped him become Mayor of London. They may as well have just called the place the black cat, since, however you cut it, the story was about the cat really. This suited him just fine and pausing once more to preen a little, Arthur (As his human liked to address him), was sat with one paw reaching up over an ear, smoothing the fur down his head when he heard a hiss come from the small alley. He knew that sound, had heard it hundred, thousands of times before and, his grooming forgotten he padded down the alley that adjoined the pub, ears pricked, eyes wide, every sinew straining with the excitement that came with the knowledge the hunt was on.

He rounded the corner at the end into the small beer garden to see the small, side on shape of a young cat, barely out of kitten hood, ginger fur puffed up as he skittered back and forth on stiff legs, claws extended as he spat and hissed at another form.

THAT form was wholly different. It was huge, looming over the small, terrified cat, Dark and menacing, shadow like. An acrid, sulphurous stink seemed to pour from it. Toxicity and malevolence emanating from the huge, taloned...monster. Yes, it was truly a monster, a thing of nightmares and as it glared down at the small cat, it grinned maliciously, the grin of the victor, the grin of the devourer staring at that which it was about to consume.

Arthur's heart skipped a beat as he took in the scene and he could barely contain his excitement as he stepped from the gloom into the half light so as to be visible by them. “Well well, what do we have here?” He crooned. He gave a brief glance towards the other cat “Cousin.” He said, smoothly, Then her looked up at the demon (for that was what it was) “Prey” He said, dismissively. Then he looked back to the smaller feline and said “I say, young one, you don't mind if I take this one do you? I haven't had a bit of fun all night.” He didn't wait for the expected nonsensical reply as he correctly judged the other cat to be a first generation, a true kitten in every sense. In an instant he was upon the demon, his own form seeming to separate into two, the one, more ethereal, smoke like almost, seemed to swell in every dimension, his claws growing to match those of the demon's in length, his teeth elongating until he resembled the sort of big cat crudely painted on a cave wall by primitive humans and he tore into the demon, bearing it down to the hard concrete of the ground. “Who?” gasped the demon incompletely, panic raising the pitch of it's voice as the wicked, curved daggers of the feline's claws sunk into it's shoulder, opening four large gashes from which acrid, inky black smoke spilled.
“Your kind know me as Anhur.” He hissed, then he rolled to the side, laughing as demonic talons raked the air a mere inch from one of his ears. “Oh how sweet, you think you can fight me do you? Your fate was sealed, prey, from the moment you were stupid enough to manifest in my world. Now you can at least die knowing you died for my entertainment.”

The demon struck out again, it's panic crackling in the air but the cat was far too quick, far too skilled in this dance and he merely toyed with it, skipping aside from each lightning fast blow as if he saw things in slow motion. Soon he grew bored with the game and eviscerated the terrified, enraged demon with a single slash before leaping to tear out it's throat and silence it's screams for ever. A bright, red tinged light bloomed then faded and the cat's form shrunk back down until it rejoined it's physical twin which had finally ceased chasing around after invisible butterflies or whatever it is that cat's bodies chase while their hunter forms are loose. The demon had utterly vanished, no trace of it's existence left at all and Anhur as he was really known, turned to the awestruck and still terrified ginger kitten to say “Well that was a bit less fun than I imagined, he certainly looked as though he could have put up more of a fight than he managed, didn't he?” He gave a wink and one of those superbly satisfied little smiles and asked “What's your name, youngster? And why are you out luring demons so late? You should be tucked up at home with your humans, shouldn't you?”

The smaller cat just gaped until he blurted “What are you? What was that?”

Smiling still, Anhur said “I am a cat, just like you...well, not quite like you, I am a fair bit older, see? And you look like you haven't figured it all out, yet, so why don't we walk and talk, eh?” He strolled slowly back towards the entrance of the alley, the younger cat scrambling to keep up with him and spitting out questions in the manner of corn popping in a hot pan.

“But, you..you split in two and grew big, bigger than that thing...and..and you weren't even scared. I was terrified, how...why...what was it...I don't understand anything...I'm Ozzy, by the way, least that's what they call me.”

“Ozzy? Hmm, great name, I knew a cat once called Ozzy, he lived his 9 lives to the full, that one.” He paused then and looked back while a low chuckle rumbled deep in his chest “Ginger too, maybe it's past time he came back?” Anhur stepped closer, staring into Ozzy's eyes until he seemed satisfied with what he saw there and he nodded. “Ozymandias! That's it, that's your real name, and if anyone challenges you over it, tell them Anhur gave it to you, ok?”

They passed out into the still deserted street, where Anhur paused to look both ways, staring longer than usual before stepping off to the left “Usually, where you see one, there are often two more close by, for some reason prey always arrives in threes. What you saw back there was what humans call a demon, but to us, they are just prey, to be hunted, toyed with, killed and consumed, you see?”

“N..not really.” said Ozzy as he scrambled to keep up.
Sighing, Anhur turned to look back at him and he said “Right, looks like we have to educate you a little bit, doesn't it?” He looked across the street and the blinking strip lights in a small kebab shop that looked about to close and said “Not here though, let's go and see Mehit, she loves youngsters.”

They walked until the pads on Ozzy's paws felt as though they were burning and he relished the momentary relief of each puddle, purposefully adjusting his gait to maximise the number he could step in.
He was concentrating so hard on this that he walked right into Anhur and ended up falling back onto his haunches in surprise.

They walked until the pads on Ozzy's paws felt as though they were burning and he relished the momentary relief of each puddle, purposefully adjusting his gait to maximise the number he could step in.
He was concentrating so hard on this that he walked right into Anhur and ended up falling back onto his haunches in surprise.

“Looking where you are going is one of those things, just one of the things you will have to get the hang of it seems.” Anhur seemed to be grinning again. “We are here, anyway, so you may as well stay like that for the time being, I'll be right back.” With that, Anhur leapt high onto the top of a gate post and sashayed his way elegantly along the fence, disappearing around the side of the old, Regency town house While Ozy sat there, looking up, mouth half open in wonder.

After what seemed an age to the little, ginger cat, Anhur dropped soundlessly back onto the pavement, followed moments later by the sleek, white form of what must have been Mehit who stretched then advanced on Ozzy, her lip drawn back in what might be a smile or possibly a snarl, She had that sort of face, it was savage. Yes, that's exactly what it was, wild and savage, though her voice, when she spoke to him was lilting, soothing almost, like his mother's when she told him it was safe to sleep.

She stopped just before him and dipped her head as she said “Ozymandias, huh?” Then she looked searchingly, deep into his eyes before giving a perfunctory nod and circling him, occasionally reaching out to pat down a stray tuft of hair until she was back in front of him again. She turned to Anhur and purred a question to which the other cat seemed to nod and then they both turned back to Ozzy and she continued “So, it seems my husband is correct and this is your first life, little one. You must be destined for great things to have been born in the presence of Anhur. I cannot think of a better teacher...” she paused then, a small purr of amusement rumbling in her throat “Pair of teachers, rather.”

Before she could continue, Ozzy spoke up “Are you going to show me how to kill those things, like Anhur? I'm not sure , that last one was huge, and that thing Anhur did.”

“Shh, one thing at a time little one” she mewed. “We can teach you all that you need, and then some, but first why don't you tell me what you saw?”

Ozzy recounted the scene as best he could, though it was the barest representation of what had happened and when he was done Mehit smiled again and started to wash herself as she collected her thoughts. When she was ready, she began to speak and Ozzy just sat there, his eyes widening at the tale she spun.
“That thing was a Daemon, they are a race of beings not wholly of this earth and they feed on soul energy. Usually the soul energy of humans, because they seem to have the most of it. They also taste utterly glorious, which is where we come in.” Her eyes tilted up slightly as she thought about the taste of Daemon and a truly feral look crossed her face before she collected herself and continued. “Our ancestors managed to figure out that if we stay close to humans then they will act as bait for the Daemons and we will be able to hunt far more of them. You see, little Ozzy, we are hunters, apex predators in fact. While our physical bodies may not be the most robust, our spirit bodies are formidable and the Daemons, while powerful, are scared to death of us for to them, we are death.” She seemed to smirk then and added “At least we are once we understand our strengths and how to make use of them.”

“Do humans know?” Asked Ozzy as she paused to take a breath and Anhur smiled and shook his head.
“They are utterly clueless” Anhur replied, shaking his head. “Humans can get caught up in all sorts of things so that they fail to listen to their inner voices, It's a rare and wonderful thing when you find a human who can truly see you and what you are.”

Ozzy was about to ask something when Mehit batted at his head gently with her paw. “No more questions little one, you learn by listening, not by talking.” She started to walk then, and as Anhur followed, he beckoned the kitten follow with a flick of his tail. Ozzy scampered to catch up to Mehit and as he drew level she started to explain about the soul-form and how to release it. As they reached a small patch of waste ground, she looked all around and satisfied that there were no watchers, she split. In an instant her physical body was rolling around on the floor and pawing at imaginary things on the ground, while her soul-form grew just as Anhur's had, though sleeker somehow and the spirit form turned to him and seemed to stare right through him.

Ozzy felt a kind of pulling deep inside. The sensation grew as he saw Anhur had once again split and he felt the words in his mind, the instructions Mehit had imparted, that's when he felt the snap, and looked down on his kitten form paying in the dirt. Then he turned and saw the approving smiles on the other cats faces before catching just a glimpse of himself in the shiny glass of a broken bottle,

“Wow” he thought, taking in the image of himself as a tiger, only one much larger than the sort you might see in a zoo. Fully half as big again and so thickly muscled he wore his strength like a sort of armour.

“Hmm” said Mehit, looking sideways to Anhur. “He's big for a first timer.”
“I told you didn't I?” replied Anhur, grinning around his huge canines. “Imagine what the prey will think when he starts to hunt?”

Mehit looked a little troubled and muttered “We may have to find something else to hunt when they leave.” Her eyes betrayed her humour though and she stepped closer to Ozzy “”Usually we wait until fully grown before our first hunt, but I think you might manage very well already....with some teaching.” and then she lashed out, claws retracted, right at Ozzy's face and seemed to look pleased with the speed at which he dodged her first strike.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Ozzy asked, back pedalling away as she continued to approach.

“Teaching you to fight, little one” she replied in her sultry way as she lashed out again a vicious one two that just missed first his nose, then his right ear as he ducked. At that point Ozzy ducked lower and propelled himself forward, front paws reaching for her neck. The leap was so blindingly fast that Anhur barely saw the bunching of the muscles in his hind quarters but Ozzy ended up sprawling across the dirt while Mehit smirked at him from where she had leapt to. “Oh well done, that was seriously quick and you have good instincts too” She crooned.

The play fight seemed to last for hours as Mehit and Anhur took turns attacking Ozzy. The sun was just coming up when Anhur called a halt. “Enough” he said and his two bodies recombined, Mehit was next and after a few more moments Ozzy followed. He noticed the other two were breathing hard while he felt as though he could have gone on forever.

“This is much better than being in the small body” he said, swiping a paw behind an ear.
“Yes, your soul-form seems to have an immense store of power and stamina” Anhur panted “Something like fighting ten higher daemons, one after the other and you aren't even blowing!”

Mehit nodded and said “I think perhaps you may be well named, Ozzy” she said and began the tale of Egypt's greatest Pharaoh

a reply to: SprocketUK

They strolled along the back streets, towards where Ozzy's human family lived. Just as Ozzy started recognising the smells again he was held back by a paw on his shoulders and all but forced down to the ground. He was about to complain loudly when Anhur nodded his head to an alley across the street and as Ozzy focussed, he became aware of the large, misshapen shadow slinking up the wall of a house, seeking whatever prey was inside. Of Mehit there was suddenly no sign.

“Watch and learn kid” Anhur said with a note of pride as the sleek white shape of Mehit stalked out from behind a green plastic wheelie bin. The creature on the wall dropped immediately to the ground and spread it's claws wide. It seemed even bigger than the one that had attacked him and his heart raced as he watched it approach Mehit, every fibre of Ozzy's being wanting him to scream a warning to her.

Just as he felt he couldn't bear it any longer, she split. Her spirit form not even pausing as it leapt for the Daemon's throat, claws extended and raking huge ragged holes down the Daemon's flanks. She used this purchase to swing around the creature so that she was on it's back and her mouth, wide open, descended onto the back of the Daemon's neck ad with a sickening crunch, she bit down. The Daemon had just enough time to scream before it dissolved into smoke and the tiny, flickering soul flared briefly before being consumed by Mehit's form.

As she walked back to the other cats, Mehit savoured the aftertaste of her prey and paused to consider the kitten. It's spirit body standing half out of the physical one. “How utterly strange” she thought as she resumed padding over to them, also noticing that Ozzy seemed to gain some sort of control once more as his soul-form shrank back away.

The three of them had gone the length of another two streets by the time Ozzy had run out of questions and statements about how awesome Mehit was and he had just turned round to tell them to hurry up when the wind was knocked clean out of him and the world whirred the sky changing with the earth too fast to understand.

The Daemon that had swiped at him slunk out from the shadow of the wall and grinned down at the unconscious form of the black cat. It took a step closer, opening it's maw as some sort of toxic saliva dripped from it's fangs.

Mehit was mid change when the huge tiger form of Ozzy smashed into the daemon bowling it over to the ground. Where she had been slick and swift in her battle, Ozzy was an exercise in strength and fury. Claw tipped paws smashing into it, rending tears in the flesh, smashing the bones beneath. The daemon stood no chance and it seemed to Mehit to be almost merciful when those huge jaws closed around the entire head of the Daemon with a wet crunching sound and the creature's soul was released.
Ozzy was stunned at the taste, like nothing else and he felt every cell of his bodies sing as he devoured the...the prey.

It took a gentle cough from Mehit to bring him back and as he slunk down back into his physical body he was aware of Anhur grinning at him. “They taste good, don't they?” He said as he turned away from the inevitable questions about his health and how he had let the prey get the first hit.

Ozzy couldn't see the smug, playful look he gave Mehit as they walked him the rest of the way to his home.

“Go eat, sleep and play.” Mehit said to Ozzy at the gate. “We will call by once it is dark and teach you some more. You did well though, really well.” Then she turned and trotted away.

“Did I really do well?” he asked Anhur, who smiled broadly at him.
“You smashed it kiddo, and that's no exaggeration. Do what she says though, you need some rest.”

As soon as Ozzy climbed through the cat flap he was swept up into the air he was halfway to splitting before he was smushed into the chest of the human female who gushed “Oh Ozzy, I was so worried, thank god you are ok, you've been gone all night. Come on, let mummy get you some tuna, cos you luvs tuna donchoo?”

He closed his eyes and purred happily as he was carried around the room by his human.

THE END

Great story and well written as usual. Salute

a reply to: SprocketUK

A great story and unique as well!

Loved the perspective!

a reply to: DBCowboy
Thanks
Cheers, was part of a story I thought of years back

a reply to: 727Sky
Thanks

a reply to: SprocketUK

I had a lot of fun reading this one.

Good job!

a reply to: SprocketUK

I like it. The ending is purrrfect.

a reply to: Onlyyouknow

Haha, thanks.

a reply to: Lumenari

Thank you.

Perfect says all cats everywhere ! Nicely done and inspiring and somehow closer to the truth than not.

a reply to: bluemooone2

Sort of explains what they are doing when they go mental over something you can't see, huh?

a reply to: SprocketUK

This was a really great read. Very fun.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Don't you know what short story means? HAHA, just kidding man. As always you have a killer story here.

a reply to: FauxMulder
Well it was shorter than it wanted to be, honestly.

a reply to: zosimov
Thank you

Finally had the chance to read through a great part of the stories within this contest.
But eh I'm really glad my cat didn't bring home a piece of demon as a thankyou, birds are fine too

a reply to: 0bserver1

Maybe demon tastes too good to share?

a reply to: SprocketUK

Nice story and writing. I love your use of language. "Wet crunching sound" was just perfect! By the end of the story I was really visualizing the spirit-forms of the cats as tigers, lions, etc. Do you remember what inspired this cool idea? S+F.

a reply to: DictionaryOfExcuses

Thanks very much

I've had cats for decades and always wondered what it was they were freaking out over. You know how sometimes a (usually younger) cat will puff up, hop about and run around and you can't see anything there? It's that idea, plus some Egyptian mythology, hence the names I chose, because they worshipped their cats and I thought it would be neat.