Tangled Tales: Lost Cat

Being stalked wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to Bryant, but now his cat was missing. The last time he’d seen his black cat Purrcy was when he left to go for a run two days ago. He’d been gone for less than an hour. The six year old cat was sleeping on the back porch on a deck chair, which was the cat’s favorite place to nap, so Bryant didn’t even think about bringing Purrcy in.

Now he was putting signs up all over the neighborhood. He’d call the local county shelter and put in a missing pet report. Luckily Purrcy was chipped. The cat was also friendly so he wouldn’t be running away from anyone.

“Bryant!”

He turned around. There she stood looking great, but with a crazy look in her eyes.

“Why won’t you talk to me?”

“Kendra, please stop.”

“What? Stop what? You stole my heart. You promised me a lifetime of love and happiness. Now I’m going to make you hurt as much as I do.”

He had a drunken one night stand with someone he’d known for years. She was always annoying, but she was also beautiful. Now he knew that she was also bat shit crazy.

“I never promised you anything. Did you take my cat?”

“I hate cats. Why would I take your cat?”

Bryant turned his back on the woman and walked to the next stop sign to put up another poster. Kendra followed.

“Why the fuck would I take your stupid cat?”

“Just leave me alone. I love cats. You hate cats. Jesus Christ, anyone who hates cats has something wrong with them. If I’d know you hated cats I would have never fucked you.”

“You’re bad in bed and you have a small penis.”

He ignored her. Maybe she’d leave him alone now.

“You’ll die alone Bryant in a house full of cats who will eat your face.”

Bryant kept walking and putting up posters.

“Who the hell names their cat Purrcy?”

He turned the corner and saw a sign on a mailbox post.

Found Cat
Friendly. Purrs a lot. Likes corn chips.

A large man who looked like the cross between a Grizzley bear and the Cowboy in the Village People answered the door.

“Do you have a black cat? I think you might have my cat.”

“Come on in. Yeah, I found a black cat.”

Purrcy ran up to Bryant and immediately tried to climb up his leg.

“Looks like you found your cat. Yeah, day before yesterday I came home and this little purr monster was in the back of my truck. I guess he was just curious. Where do you live?”

“Stanton Lane,” said Bryant.

“Yep, I was delivering a chair to Janet Crawley. I make furniture.”

“Oh wow. I saw the chair. It is beautiful.”

The two men talked for a while. He big furniture maker was named Winslow, but everyone called him Win.

Bryant walked home with Purrcy in his arms nuzzling his neck and purring.

Kendra had vanished, at least for now.

The other cats, Juno and Sweetie, greeted him at the door. They licked Purrcy on the head, and all ran off together for their usual cat games. As Bryant fed his cats that night he wondered if they’d actually eat his face if he died. He put the thought out of his head, until a few minutes later when there was a knock on the door.

He imagined Kendra, standing on his porch with a flame thrower. No one was at the door. That was odd. Well at least the cats wouldn’t be eating his face, at least not tonight.

~ end