Not moving a muscle or whisker, George the tortoiseshell held his breath as if he’d been caught in the act of something shameful. After all, technically speaking he was trespassing. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve been on the prowl after catching the scent of some freshly cooked chicken, or perhaps looking for someplace new to rest his tired head. At one time or other he’d been inside nearly every apartment in the block, but never had he been in this one, and never had he found himself in quite the same situation. Sprawled out before him was the nude and motionless body of X. She was as still as a stone, and in her hand was the bottle. He didn’t know as such what the bottle contained, but even though he was a mere cat, he knew for sure something wasn’t right. Inching towards her, he pushed his face against hers and felt a faint blow of warm air coming from her nose that danced upon the fur surrounding his mouth. She wasn’t dead it seemed, but she sure wasn’t what you would call living either. Licking her eyebrows and then her chin, he did his best to rouse her, but she was gone to the world. It was something to do with the scattered pills. When he gave them a sniff, they didn’t smell funny, but he knew it was them that had done this to her. Meowing as loud as he could, the others soon joined him. His brothers and sisters on either side and the other cats opposite with the magpies hopping in front while the rats and squirrels squeezed between the lot until they were close enough to touch the skin of the poorly one before them. Looking among themselves as if to understand what was to be done, George nuzzled his nose against her cheek but got no response. He was about to say something when there came the sudden crackling sound of electricity, and from out of her body, there appeared a fine white mist that rose like steam. It hovered before their widened eyes; changing from one shapeless form to the next.

A Journal for Damned Lovers UK

A Journal for Damned Lovers US

Anthology UK / Anthology US