cat in the window

3

Dream heard the familiar meow at his window.

It had been a few days and once again, the cat with the slender body and blue-tinted fur was outside his window. It was just past 10 pm.

Dream looked over at the cat through the window, willing himself to ignore it. But the cat kept meowing, pawing at the glass. It was determined to see Dream again.

Dream sighed, cursing himself for giving in, as if the cat were a kid asking for more sweets. He hesitated before opening the window a crack, looking directly at it. He knew its secret.

"What do you want." Dream said stoically. The cat pawed at the space between the window sill and the frame. Dream leaned back and took his headphones off, taking a moment to gather his composure before opening the window enough for the cat to get in. It hopped onto Dream's bed and sat down, licking its paws silently.

"You have some explaining to do." Dream said, sitting across from the cat in his chair. He crossed his arms, and when the cat didn't immediately do anything he wondered if it could be the wrong cat.

But it couldn't be; the eyes were a giveaway. And after a few moments, the cat morphed into a man, right in front of Dream's eyes.

Up close, Dream could see what poor shape he was in. His clothes seemed musty and his body tired; his limbs were thin and face pale. The only thing that remained the same from his cat form were his eyes and the collar, which was now missing its tag.

The man cleared his throat, pulling his legs up to his chest.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked. His voice was soft and low, and had a distinctive English accent.

Dream scoffed, leaning forwards to sit on the edge of his chair.

"Really?" Dream asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Even though he sounded angry, he wasn't really. Looking at the man's form, he felt bad. "What are you?"

"A cat." He said. "A... person." Dream looked up at the ceiling, waiting for more. "My name is George. Not... G."

"George?" Dream asked, looking back at him. "Who names their cat George?"

"Who names their kid Dream?" George asked, matching the tone Dream's voice held. "I was born a human, anyways."

"So how do you change into a cat?" Dream got to the point, though also wondered how the cat-man knew his name.

George shrugged. "Genetics. Or something. I don't know."

Dream scoffed. "How do you not know."

"Because, I don't." George said sternly. "I've always been able to do it."

"What, did your dad fuck a cat or something?" Dream recieved a dirty look from George.

"That's kind of rude." He mumbled, his discoloured eyes flickering to his lap. Dream's face fell and he sunk back into his chair.

"Why do you," Dream thought carefully, he didn't want to upset George. "Live as a cat instead of a human?"

"It's easier." George said. He looked back up at Dream, and his eyes were dropping and glazed over. "People see a homeless man on the street, they think he's lazy and uneducated. People see a stray cat, and they might give it food, or bring it home, or put it in a shelter."

Dream listened, thinking about the first time George had come to his window. Maybe he saw Dream and hoped for one of those moments.

"Do you have food? I might faint." George said weakly, interrupting Dream's thoughts. "And something that isn't cat food."

Dream cracked a small smile. "You don't like cat food now?"

"It's not enough for me when I'm human." George said bluntly. Dream could see how tightly George was gripping onto his bedsheets, seeming to try to stabilize himself. He figured now was not a good time to joke around.

Dream nodded and went to his kitchen, retrieving his leftovers from that night. George better like cheap chinese food.

Nothing had changed when he left his room; George was still sitting on the bed with his knees up, staring at the floor absentmindedly.

"Do you want clean clothes?" Dream asked, setting the food next to George on the bed, who picked up the fork and stuck it into a piece of chicken. He nodded silently, his hands shaking as he lifted the food to his mouth.

Dream rummaged through his drawers, setting a long sleeved black sweatshirt and some cozy pants next to George. He noticed George shaking but sat in his chair, scooting closer.

He didn't say anything as George ate. As a cat, he seemed much more sure of himself, but as a human, George was scared. He put up walls, afraid to knock them down. And his movements were stiff and unusual, almost like he hadn't been human for a while.

"Do you have parents you can go to?" Dream asked when George finished, letting his legs hang over the edge of the mattress.

"My dad's in England." He said, passing Dream the empty plate. "My mom is dead."

"Oh." Was all Dream could say, taking the plate from George and holding it in his lap. George pulled off his shirt and unfolded the sweater Dream gave him, Dream taking the opportunity to give George some privacy.

After a few minutes, George shuffled out of Dream's room. He wandered over to the couch and sat down, running his fingers over the material, Dream sitting next to him.

"It was always seen as a myth." George said.

"What?" Dream asked, unsure what George was mentioning.

"Humans being able to turn into animals. Specifically cats." George started. "My dad always told me it was a myth. That it wasn't possible. But then I found out I could, and he thought there was something wrong with me." George turned his head away from Dream, looking out the window.

"When did you last see him?" Dream immediately regret the question, watching as George snapped his head around to look at him, a sullen look on his face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." George mumbled, leaning back against the cushions. He looked up to the ceiling, trying to recall his memory. "8 years? We moved when I was 16, and I'm 24."

Dream nodded in silent response, mirroring George's position and leaning back against the couch. They sat in silence for a few minutes, George starting to fall asleep on the couch.

"You can stay here, by the way." Dream whispered, George looking up at him sleepily. He smiled softly, mumbling a thank you to Dream.

Dream got up and let George lay down properly, covering him with a light blanket as he dozed off. Dream looked at him for a minute, still having a difficult time wrapping his head around the situation.

He could think about it more tomorrow.