Cat Tails and Crow Feathers

Chapter 1- Past

"Kitty, time to come inside!" My mom beckoned me to the door, calling to me in her soft voice. 

Cats were gathered at my feet, mewling at me and pawing at my black boots, begging for food.

Our town's always been strict about animals, never allowing pets. Attachment wasn't allowed, because anyone's time could come at any moment. No one likes to make friends here, but us students always needed someone to fall back on.

Only one animal was allowed, and any other animal was shot on sight; cooked and roasted over a fire to become the nightly sacrificial meal per routine- no matter how cute it was or whatever it was doing. This was always risky, as the slightest sound could summon.. it.

They called "it" the Collector, and it would sweep the city every night. We would offer it the most valuable of trinkets- silver, gold, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, jewels- in exchange for the gift of life. 

Anyone who was foolish enough to deny the Collector, would be robbed of their most valuable item, which was their soul. If the Collector retrieved someone's soul, then it would have no use for anyone else's offerings, because it had all it needed at that time.

You'd expect life to be as simple as that, but truly, it's not. The Collector doesn't have an agenda like us, and no one knows when it's gonna come- today, tomorrow, tonight- because it never truly has a real schedule, it's only whenever its mania kicks in.

The only thing that can keep you safe from the Collector is the Strays. Strays aren't any fancy scary monster, they're merely cats that everyone grows attached to. No one can keep them as pets so no one's sad when they die, but we still have names for them that we come up with on our own.

Except, really, the only problem in our village is that there can be no problems. Anyone who gets into an argument will either be sacrificed to the Collector or booted from our society to fend for themselves- but it really only matters on the extremeness of their discussion, how loud they get, and how long it lasts.

Because of this, no one really talks about the names for the cats, so we all just call them "The Strays". They're rather fond of me, and sometimes when no one's looking, I'll share my sacrificial meal with them or take them into the house and shelter them from the cold.

"Kitty, the Collector could come at any minute!" My mom frantically whispered to me in a paranoid tone, "hurry now!"

She laid a silvery necklace and two rubies upon the offering stone, looking around cautiously then closing the door, leaving me among the cats.

When I was sure no one was around me, I pulled a heart locket out from the collar of my top and let it hang loosely from my neck. Everyone in my home was so quick to give up prized possessions, but not me. I cherished this locket more than anything, and I would never part with it.

It had a gold chain and matching heart, with rose quartz within the center of the outside. Inside it was a picture of my family to block what was behind it- a diamond. 

I don't actually know where this necklace came from, all I know is that the Strays had brought it to me one day when I was young, and I had never gotten rid of it or taken it off since. I don't know why, but I have such an attachment to it, and with how valuable this could be...

How could you blame me? I know what's at risk, and I could die, but there's no risk when you have friends like mine.