Felinemenomonon

March 1975

The neon lights pulsed like a heartbeat as Julia meandered home after a late-night rehearsal. She lived nearly four blocks from the heart of the Las Vegas strip and was quite fond of her surroundings, having walked home countless times. The city's fading light casted a prismatic hue over her blond hair as she turned onto an eerily quiet street, where the vibrant music of Sin City soon faded into an ominous hum. Grasping her purse tightly, she anchored herself against the chill creeping up her spine when she was startled by a glossy black cat. Its piercing eyes glimmered like lanterns, peering into her very soul shortly before slinking away. Compelled by the strange encounter, Julia quietly trailed behind. After following for a few minutes, the cat came to an abrupt halt. It's dark silhouette casting an eerie shadow on the damp cobblestones before glancing back one last time and darting down a mysterious alleyway.

"Wait!" Julia called out, her voice echoing in panic as she sprinted towards it; before stopping at the mouth of the ally's abyss. Her eyebrows furrowed, and a knot of uncertainty tightened in her stomach. Did the cat know she was following? But just as doubt began to creep in, the creature transformed; its sleek black fur melted into the skin of a glamorous young woman, and then like smoke, she vanished. Julia stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat as her heart raced. But the darkness beckoned her with a seductive warmth rising from the shadows that contrasted the bitter wind howling around her. Fighting every instinct to turn back, she felt captivated by the path's magnetic allure. The atmosphere thickened and in the unsettling quiet, she began to hear whispers. Julia carefully took a step forward, pausing for one last look at her original path before stepping into the shadows of another realm.

The air continued to whisper to her and the shadows twisted, beckoning her closer until she stumbled upon an old nightclub, with a facade that dripped with a haunting appeal. The lights flickered like dying stars, and a ring of thick fog coiled around its tattered exterior. In the distance, echoes of laughter and music seemed to emanate from its very walls. Julia's heart continued to race as her surroundings blurred into an ethereal haze. The alleyway had suddenly vanished and been replaced by a surreal landscape and the air smelled of damp earth and something sweetly decayed. As Julia stepped through the creaking doorway, she was greeted with a wave of warmth from the burning candlelight and a haze of cigar smoke that lingered in the air. Across the bar, perched on a velvet stool, sat a slender woman bathed in the soft glow of a single spotlight. Her hair cascaded like dark water over her ears, and her eyes shimmered with an uncanny invitation.

"Welcome, mademoiselle" the woman purred, as the smoke from her cigarette curled around her like a serpent.

"Where am I?" Julia trembled,

"Unfamiliar,?" the woman's lips curled into a sinister smile, one that hinted at the darker intentions that hid beneath her playful mirth,

"Welcome to Chat Noir. "

"This is a nightclub?" Julia muttered, her voice trembling as the showgirls' feathery silhouettes glided across the walls.

"It's not just a nightclub, ma cherie," the woman replied, with a languid seduction as she twisted the olive in her dirty martini,

"Have you traveled too far?"

"I--I didn't mean to come here" Julia stuttered,

"Sometimes our paths choose us," with a predatory glare she reached out her cold and bony hand,

"Daphné Baudelaire" She purred

"I really should get going," Julia said, instinctively stepping away. Yet, Daphné pulled her back.

"And miss the performance?"

"Well, it is getting late," Julia answered doubtfully, "and I have rehearsal tomorrow" Daphné beamed at her response.

"You... perform?" Julia felt Daphné's energy wrap around her like a silken shawl, comforting yet suffocating.

"Yes, ma'am" Julia hesitated,

"But the night has just begun, mademoiselle," Daphné entwined her fingers through Julia's hair as she pulled her aside to walk, "surely you don't want to miss the main act" her eyes bulged as she nervously clung to Daphne. The audience was completely degenerate. Some had missing limbs and the neon lights illuminated their decaying skin and open wounds. Julia's stomach twisted as Daphne guided her behind the curtains. The air was heavy with the scent of expensive perfume and something primal. Murmurs from the other showgirls drifted around them. Hushed tones that spoke of a "special performance" that awaited them.

"What performance?" Julia reluctantly asked,

"My darling, you should already know," Daphne laughed, "you're starring in it!" Then, without warning Daphne shoved her through the velvet drapes,

"What!?" Julia cried out, yet her protest was swallowed by the cacophony of the crowd's laughter and raucous cheers.

As she stumbled forward, she became lightheaded and the stage around her felt disoriented. Frozen, she gazed at herself in a nearby mirror. Instead of her baggy rehearsal clothes, a glamorous show dress clung to her figure like a glove. The garment was adorned with blinding rhinestones and atop her head sat the most magnificent headdress. The music finally began and Julia found herself entranced. From afar she could see Daphne with a wretched smile and her eyes sparkled with an intensity that promised danger. Julia started noticing subtle changes to her appearance-- her skin looked smoother, her posture more poised, and she radiated more feline grace. The other showgirls seemed to radiate an almost unnatural beauty of their own as they slowly joined her on stage. Their movements were fluid and mesmerizing and their bodies shimmered underneath the soft light. As the performance reached its climax, Julia felt a surge of energy coursing through her. The dancers' movements became more feral, more intoxicating, and Julia found herself more and more bewitched and teetering on the edge of surrender.

"You're one of us now, Julia!" Daphne wickedly cackled, "welcome to eternity!"

At that moment, a chilling realization washed over her: this wasn't just a "performance". This was a ritual, and Julia was in terrible danger. Her instincts finally fought against Daphne's spell as she pulled away from the thrall of the performance. The club soon erupted in mass chaos as the dazzling showgirls transformed into their monstrous catlike forms. Screeching a piercing hiss that was as loud as a banshee. Fueled by adrenaline, with her eyes closed and her ears plugged, Julia propelled herself towards the double doors. And with one final surge of desperation, she burst from the nightclub, leaving the echoes fading behind with one last screech. Fighting her way through the thick smoke she felt the weight of the other realm collapsing on her.

"Help!" she shrieked in desperation, "Please!" but her voice was swallowed, as she fell through the realm's invisible gateway. As she spun around, frantic, her heart sank at the sight of Daphné standing at the end of the alleyway with a wretched smile.

"You can't escape, Julia," she laughed, the sound dripping with malice, "for you are mine for all eternity!" Her voice slithered through the air, thick with threat, "Your spotlight is waiting" and in a cloud of smog, she dissipated leaving the cold empty path that Julia regretfully followed. Before she could escape, she saw herself in a grimy puddle's reflection. However, what stared back was no longer a woman; for she had transformed into a sleek black cat. Panic twisted in her chest as she realized the truth: her soul was ensnared, forever bound to that wicked place, while her body roamed the earth as a mere shadow. A horrified shriek escaped her lungs, but, instead of a scream, a low guttural hiss erupted. The remnants of her humanity slipped away, leaving only the primal instincts of a creature of the night.

Though Julia swore she would never return to that wretched place her spirit remained tethered to its furry prison. While, some say she still prowls the quiet streets of Nevada, guarding the path from unwitting travelers. Others heed a warning: If you ever come across a sleek black cat, never look directly into its eyes. For Daphne still prowls, ready to claim yet another young woman who decides to wander too close to the darkness.