Two weeks.
That's how long Catnap had been gone.
Dogday never left his side. He stayed by the hospital bed, his tail no longer wagging, his once-bright eyes dull with exhaustion.
The doctors said Catnap was in a coma.
They said his brain was active, that he was dreaming.
But when Dogday held his paw—
Catnap twitched.
Like he was fighting something.
Like he was trapped.
Dogday clenched his jaw. "Come back to me, okay?" he whispered. "Whatever's happening in there... fight it."*
He didn't know that inside Catnap's mind...
He already was.
Catnap ran.
For what felt like years.
The nightmare never ended.
Every time he thought he found Dogday, the Prototype ripped him away. Every time he thought he was waking up, he just landed right back in the nightmare.
But then, one day—
Everything went black.
And suddenly—
He was awake.
Catnap shot up, gasping.
He was in his bed. At home.
Dogday lay beside him, asleep, his ears twitching slightly.
It was peaceful.
Normal.
Like nothing ever happened.
Like the past two weeks were just...
A dream.
But Catnap knew better.
Because when he looked at the mirror across the room—
For a split second, he saw himself still lying in the hospital bed.
Still unconscious.
And when he blinked—
The reflection smiled.
Not a normal smile.
A Prototype smile.
Catnap's blood ran cold.
Maybe he never woke up.
Maybe he was still there.
Or worse...
Maybe something else woke up instead of him.
YOU ARE READING
The Silent Paw and The Gentle Bark
RomanceIn the quiet corners of the whimsical Playtime Co. factory, Catnap, a sleek and mysterious cat, and Dogday, an energetic and loyal dog, share an unbreakable bond. Best friends for as long as they can remember, the two are inseparable-exploring, play...
