When a young aspiring writer faces a prompt he has no idea how to fill, he gets a little help from an unexpected place. Actually unexpected is not the word to describe it when an immortal cat from another world steals your journal and forces you to...
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"What's happening"! He yelled as my forest morphed, that's right it was my forest now, not Blaise, not mother goose, it was mine now. Being the only one who still possessed a cursery object. Honesty I didn't mean to get it back, I just couldn't help it, I wanted to be me again. To feel the freedom I had as a half breed and not just a cat.
That didn't matter now, what mattered was the young human in front of me who was practically shaking in terror. Jumping from my perch on the broken cat statuette that once held my bell I walked down the left path. He , as I predicted started to run after me again. Picking up speed I raced out of view, time to play with my new friend.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾Alexander pov🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
'What's going on, where am I, and where's that blasted cat'. My thoughts raced as the scenery changed around me. This was not supposed to happen to normal people, so why was it happening to me?
Racing after the rapidly disappearing cat I felt like Alice chasing the rabbit only in this case I'm sure the rabbit could have been easily caught compared to this cat. " give me my book back you damn cat"! I yelled but it didn't slow. Instead the blasted creature ducked under a patch or bushes vanishing from my sight.
Suddenly a wave of fear washed over me, greater than anything I'd felt since coming here. "Little cat"? I called and received no answer. Oh god no, I was alone, alone in a strange forest with no way oft knowing what direction went where I was lost.
Backing from the direction I had been running in I was suddenly stopped by something cool and hard. Turning my head ever so slightly I got a eye full of a sight that sent my heart into a standing halt. I had backed into a tree, but not just any tree, no, this one had gnarled branches with thorns standing to attention. Hollowed holes were twisted into a face that forever looked angry.
Quickly stumbling away from it I realized it was not one of a kind but one of a set! Every where I looked similar trees stood flanking me on all sides waiting to grab me if I strayed to close. "This has to be a nightmare". I said collapsing to the ground shutting my eyes as tight as I could to some how block out the terror around me.
"This is no dream my friend".
My eyes snapped open to gaze at a figure who was just as strange and terrifying as this place. He had dark hair and crooked sharp fangs. His aura radiated darkness so strong I had to back away a bit.
The darkness he stood in was very concealing but even in its dark depths it could not hide the sharp feline ears atop his head or the waving crooked tail playfully swaying behind him. Of course none of these oddities could compare to the glowing mismatch eyes the creature sported.
"Just like the cat" I whispered.
A twitch of his ear and a low chuckle confirmed that he heard my statement no matter how low the tone was. "Your..... the cat aren't you"? I paused my sentence mid way, never In my life had I ever thought I would say such a thing. He let out a startling laugh, " yes I am and you are a very slow human to just now figure it out"
Glaring at his insult an ounce of courage ran through my blood. " well sorry, it's not every day I'm dragged into a magic crazy land by a talking shape shifting cat who stole my journal" he smiled at my anger, he was toying with me. "Well honestly I think your life would be more fun if you had been".
His smile disappeared for a moment " what's your name, human"? He asked in such a serious tone I was sure he wasn't the same creature I was talking to a minute ago.
"Al-Alexander" I squeaked out, fear returning out of the thought I just angered the thing before me.
"Alexander, odd name you have, I think I'll just call you Zander" he said with a smirk. I was about to open my mouth to protest but he stopped me "well Zander let me be the first to welcome you to the crooked woods, my name is parn the cursed cat". He said taking a bow like a theatrical performer.
gathering another spark of courage I spoke up once more. "Why did you bring me here"? I wanted answers and this 'cat' was going tho give them to me.
" I'm glad you final asked, you see I'm here to help you".
"Help me"?
He rolled his eyes " yes you twit , your needing inspiration, I need a playmate. So here's how things are going to go, magic prevents the gates to your realm from being opened till sunrise which here is in 36 hours. Till then if you want your book back you'll have to play my game of puzzles and perils, should you solve and survive all of them you'll walk out of these woods with the greatest story you'll ever write but should you fail you'll remain here till you have solved them."
Blinking at his proposal I answered " and if I refuse"?
"You'll become a lifeless puppet like all those who defied my old masters and my magic".
This cat-thing made my blood run cold, but if this was truly my fate I might as well try to survive the madness parn was sure to instill.
" I suppose I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain then"
" yes, yes you do"
"I'll do it",
"Wonderful, let's get to work my friend"..........
