The night was still and muggy. The silence seemed to choke everything around, and not even the crickets dared to disturb it. Every creature was avoiding the heat through sleep. Except for me.
I had been fighting insomnia on and off for years, and this was one of the nights it chose to strike. I couldn’t bear tossing and turning in a sweat-soaked bed any longer, so I decided to take a walk.
The dull orange glow of the street lamps only illuminated so much. That’s why I didn’t see them at first. One large grey cat and one calico were sitting on the grass by the sidewalk, just out of reach of the light.
I didn’t like how they were staring at me, so I tried shooing them away. Neither of them even blinked. I was too hot and tired to waste more time on them. I kept walking.
Once they were a few blocks behind me, my mind wandered to other things. Like when the god awful heat would end. I was torn out of my misery by the sound of a long, drawn out meow.
A black cat sat across the street from me. Its posture was relaxed, but something just seemed off about it. It was so still it almost looked like a statue. Then I heard a shuffle behind me.
When I turned my head, the grey and calico cats were standing there. Close enough to touch. I almost yelled out, but caught myself before the words could tumble out.
I told myself that they were just cats. That it was ridiculous to be so startled by them. Despite my reassurances, my pace was closer to a jog than a walk. I kept looking behind my shoulder every few minutes for good measure.
I decided that I had enough, and was heading home. I was about half way there, when I noticed a large lump on the street ahead. As I got closer, I realized it was a man.
He was sprawled on the ground. I noticed large dark stains all over his clothes. I got even closer, before I realized that he was completely surrounded by cats. There were at least 10 of them, and I noticed the grey, black, and calico cats among them.
I knew the last thing he needed was to be surrounded by cats. I decided to try scaring them away with the flashlight on my phone. When the light hit their eyes, there was no reflection in any of them. All of them were staring in my direction.
I’m ashamed to say that I broke. I ran as fast as I could, leaving that poor man to whatever his fate was. I can’t forgive myself for abandoning someone’s son, someone’s husband, or someone’s father like that. But I know in my heart of hearts, that I would still do the same if met with so many dead eyes again.
I don’t know what happened that night. I don’t know what was wrong with those cats. I decided long ago that the details don’t matter.
I’ve adopted two very protective Great Danes since, and you can bet your ass that I never go on a night walk without them.