But, as the weeks passed, i began to dislike the animal more and more. I do not know why, but i hated the way he loved me. Soon, i began to hate him- but i was never unkind to him. Yes, i was very careful about that. I kept away from him because i remembered what i did to my poor Pluto. I also hated the animal because he only had one eye. I noticed this the morning after he came home with me. Of course, this only made my dear wife love him more!
But the more i hated the cat, the more he seemed to love me. He followed me everywhere, getting under my feet all the time. When i sat down, he always sat under my feet all the time. When i sat down, he always sat under my chair. Often he tried to jump on my knees. I wanted to murder him when he did this, but i did not. I stopped myself because i remembered Pluto, but also because i was afraid of the animal.
How can i explain this fear? It was not really a fear of something evil... But then how else can i possibly describe it? Slowly, this strange fear grew into horror. Yes, horror. If i tell you why, you will not believe me. You will think i am mad.
Several times, my wife took the cat and showed me the white shape on his chest. She said the shape was slowly changing. For a long time i did not believe her, but slowly, after many weeks, i began to see that she was right. The shape was changing. Its sides were becoming straighter and straighter. It was begginig to look more and more like an object... After a few more weeks, i saw what the shape was. It was impossible not to see! There, on his frond, was the shape of an object i am almost too afraid to name... It was that terrible machine of pain and death- yes, the GALLOWS*
I no longer knew the meaning of happiness, or test. During the day, the animal never left me. At night he woke me up nearly every hour. I remember waking from terrible dreams and feeling him sitting next to my face, his heavy body pressing down on my heart!
I was now a very different man. There was not the smallest piece of good left in me. I now had only evil thoughts- the darkest and the most evil thoughts. I hated everyone and everything, my dear wife too.
*the gallows. The place where criminals are hanged.
YOU ARE READING
The Black Cat
HorrorFrom the day he is born, he is mild and kind. He loves animals and has lots of them. As he gets older up these qualities grow stronger. Taking care of his pets and hanging out with them is his favorite thing to do. But what happens when the man star...
