PERCEPTIONS

                              The Prey

  I had awoken in ink black darkness to what I thought was a low growl, yes there it is again and the sound of scraping as though something was being sharpened slowly on a stone to a keen edge then that growl again. each time more sinister. 
 Not knowing where I was and unable to force my mind to think of anything but what had entered into this nightmarish dream state I found myself in. Had it been minutes or hours, had I left a door or window ajar to cool the heavy stagnate air?

 As I lay cowering in the darkness, I'm torn between attempting to glimpse this vicious creature and acting as though I'm dead. I feel as though the slightest quiver of my tensed body may signal the beast to my wakefulness and invite an instantaneous and bloody attack. Is not knowing what is out there in the dark worse? I ever so slowly crack open one eye and I am greeted by a pair vicious looking yellow eyes just feet away, then they are gone. I sense movement and the growl more distinct and lower pitch as in anticipation. Oh  I shouldn't have looked! I tremble at the thought of what awaits. I can feel it's hunger for the attack and it's keen need to  force me into flight as true prey before the kill! I tremble, it moves!

 My perception of time is distorted by my fear of not knowing from where the attack will come. I can now almost see a difference in the shades of blackness, which scares me even more as I feel the attack will come in the early dawn half light in which it can see and I will still be blind. I'm afraid !

 Every fibber of my soul has tensed to the point snapping, I want to run! 
 It happens instantly, I can sense the rush of air over it's fur as it charges at me with the sound of those hideously sharp instruments of death ripping at the carpet. It's so fast! 
 In a feeble attempt to defend myself I feel a surge of adrenalin blast through me as though my blood was on fire. I seize the thin blanket with my trembling fingers and rip it over my head and hold it down tight to the mattress with all I have in me. My God it's all over me, every where at once ripping and tearing. Slowing only to attack again and again. This insidious creature is not in search of food but to satisfy it's blood lust . It hungers only for the kill.

 What has seamed like hours has only been minutes. I dare to think that this thin blanket has staved off the worst of the attacks. I may have been saved along with possibly a small part of my sanity. The creature seams to have spent all of it's  energy and now only prods at the blanket around my head. I slowly and fearfully lower the blanket and the creature slips under the cover and up onto my chest, it seams to purr as it nudges my chin with it's soft nose and falls fast asleep, as I stroke it's soft fur so do I.

 Oh how wonderful, I just love kittens and flights of fantasy don't you. It helps me to survive the unfortunate realities of life in the real world!

                                                                                     Luke

                                                                                                                   In honor of Rocket

                              Mr C's lost furry friend