The Seamstress

Copy-Cat

"She knows," the woman says to the cat. "That idiot of a ghost told her."

"And what would you have me do?" asks the cat.

"Watch her," the woman instructs. Her gaze shifts to the girl in the rocking chair. "I cannot deal with her now. I have an assistant to train."

*

When I wake up I'm tangled in several blankets, my back pressing against something big and warm. Confused, I blink against the light painting warm spots on my face.

There's someone in bed with me.

It can't be Zinnia, it can't be. Slowly I turn around and come face-to-face with bright yellow eyes.

"Sylvester," I whisper. I sit up, struggling to disentangle my legs from the blankets without taking my eyes off the black cat.

Why is Sylvester in my bed?

Maybe Absinthe is here.

Oh God. Sylvester is in my bed.

I shiver and slide off the side of the bed, letting the blankets pile around my ankles as I watch Sylvester stand and jump to the floor, eyeing me the entire time.

This just keeps getting better.

I bend down and pick up one of the blankets, clutching it to my chest as I back away into a corner.

Great. You just cornered yourself. Well done.

"Why are you here?" I say as he walks towards me. "Go away o-or I'll kick you!"

Sylvester stops. He sits down, curling his tail neatly around his legs and says, "I'm not here to hurt you. If I was, I could have done it while you were sleeping."

Yep. He can still talk.

"T-then why are you here?" I say, relaxing slightly, my mind still groggy from sleep. Sylvester doesn't look so scary in broad daylight; in fact, he looks almost pretty. His black fur is sleek and shiny, yellow eyes a pleasant contrast, and his expression is peaceful, unlike the hard cruel stares he's given me before.

But I can still feel the scratches from his knife-like claws on my back, and I hold the blanket tighter.

"You can ignore me," Sylvester says after a few moments of silence.

I let out a snort. "Ignore you? How can I ignore you when you might kill me any second?"

"Killing you isn't my job."

"Then what is?"

"Watching you," Sylvester says simply. "I won't touch you, I promise. Just go about your day as you normally would."

"Where's Zinnia?" I ask angrily. "I know you and Absinthe are friends, so you must know where she is."

Sylvester sighs and reaches up his hind leg to scratch behind his knees."Wouldn't you have figured that out already? She's in the cabin."

"I mean, what's happening to her?"

"Enough with the questions. Just pretend I'm not here and do whatever you do in the morning."

I dig my nails into the blanket. Why does he need to watch me? Absinthe must have sent him, but why? Why not finish me off now?

Maybe she wants to do that herself.

But Absinthe's not here now. I gaze around my room, seeing no girl crouching behind the furniture, waiting to pounce.

As long as Absinthe isn't here, I'm safe. And Sylvester promised not to hurt me...