Heathcliff

       S**t began to get weird the night, the cat (he'll kill me for calling him that) began to talk, and it snowballed from there. That night was about six Earth months ago, maybe longer, maybe shorter, I haven't been counting. I was up late at night (technically morning, I suppose), unable to sleep, thinking about Marianne. Our recent break up stressed me into sleeplessness. I tossed, turned and attempted to close my eyes but, found I couldn't keep them shut. Every time I tried, they jerked back open. It was raining, like a b*****d, too and that sure as hell didn't help the situation. When you truly can't sleep, the rain outside begins to sound like machine gun fire and each burst of thunder is like a howitzer. I may of slept like a baby if I knew then that, maybe two months later, I'd be sleeping soundlessly through nights with a real war going on outside my window. No, that's not true, losing Marianne really tore me up. I wouldn't of slept regardless. She was my everything, my sole excuse for not slicing my wrists open and call it quits. I believe that's what I was thinking about when I first heard the cat's voice, suicide. I'm glad I didn't do it. 

      My cat, Heathcliff was perched on the window sill beside my bed. His feline tail bounced back and forth mechanically, as he watched me writhe. 

      "Hey, Cyrus. It's time.", he said. His voice was singsong and lispy. I was uncontrollably scared shitless. I sprang instantaneously up and out of the bed, catapulting my covers across the room. My heart was beating out of its chest. 

       "What the f**k was that?" I yelled. And I stood, in the center of the room, silent for a moment, paralyzed by confusion and fear. The moment broke when I heard his voice again, "Over here on the windowsill, Cyrus. It's me, Heathcliff. It's time."

      I slowly, in disbelief, turned around and locked eyes with him for what seemed like an eternity before he burst into laughter, "Are you going to stare at me like I have ten heads all night, Cyrus? Don't you know it's time?" 

      I'll admit it, at this point, I screamed like a girl being murdered, a real Wilhelm Scream. I stumbled backward and tumbled over onto the floor. Heathcliff dismounted from the windowsill with feline grace. Still laughing at me, twice as hard now, he sauntered his way over to me on the floor, and hopped in my shaking lap. Looking up at me, he said "Well aren't you going to say anything, Cyrus? It's time, you know." 

       I panted, pushed him off me, lifted myself from the floor and backed myself up against the bedroom door. Beads of eerie sweat ran down my face,and I took a few deep breaths. I quickly attempted attempted to dismiss what I had just witnessed, "No. There's no way you can f*****g talk. I need to sleep more. It's beginning to f**k with me. I'm beginning to hallucinate." 

       Heathcliff began to grow impatient with me, "I most certainly am not a hallucination, Cyrus. I know I startled you just now but, you'll have to get over it. It's time Cyrus." he snapped.

       I still refused to believe, "No. There's no f*****g way. There is no f*****g way that my cat, my f*****g cat, is talking to me right now." 

        He sighed heavily, "You should get used to it, Cyrus. The strangest, and the most disturbing things have yet to come. It's time. They'll be here any moment, Cyrus."

       "Who will be here any moment? What the f**k are you talking about?" I spat, then proceeded to smack myself in the face before adding, "No, no one is coming. This isn't f*****g happening. This isn't f*****g happening."

       "Suit yourself, Cyrus. Its time, I told you. They're here," Heathcliff smirked wider than the Cheshire Cat. There was sudden boom, that could of been mistaken for god orgasming, and all four white walls of my room flew off into space. A bright light consumed the sky, and don't forget this when s**t only just started to get weird.

Reviews

[Cody Baldwin]

I dig it. I know it's probably a far cry from the visual you were going for but I imagined this as some absurdist claymation type deal while I read it. The response to the talking cat is genuine, and genuinely well-written. The only part I don't quite like is the ending. It seems to be influencing all of what was read by ending so abruptly, instead of the beginning, middle and end working as separate pieces.

[Jack E Khthon]

sweet read...so what happens next...where's the rest? I thought it was a good read..love the first person point of view...had a great cliff hanger...interested in more...so what's next...what happens next?