Someone Hiding in the Shadows...

114 - The Cat's Whiskers

My body shook and refused to stop! Tears crept behind my eyelids wanting to fall down my face. I blinked my eyes refusing to cry.

With the resolution to be strong, I breathed in taking slow and long breaths to calm me, exhaling following the instructions from my pre-natal classes, in effort to calm and gain control of my emotions.

I searched the apartment, room by room, checking behind the floor length curtains, inside cupboards or behind furniture that I considered could conceal anyone. Each time, I held my breath, half expecting someone to jump out at me and the soundtrack of Pyscho filled my ears which wasn't exactly helping matters! Get a hold of yourself woman. Either the fear was giving me crazy thoughts or I was sliding into madness!

At last I reached the last door of the apartment, Sophia's room. The fear factor went up a notch. It could go one of two ways. Either there was nothing to fear, or they were hiding in this room!

I hesitated. Maybe I should flip a coin, tails I leave the apartment and heads? I had come this far; now I had to go through with it.

Someone had left that knife on the work top counter and it wasn't me. Was Jarod trying to frighten me? Or was someone else? Who else could get in?

As my hand clasped the handle and pushed it forward, I heard a crashing noise. The door opened further.

"Clonk...bang!"

I jumped almost up in the air in fear. An iciness shot down my back and a line of cold slid down the exterior of my arms. The urge to wet myself was strong. I stood there transfixed staring unable to move as a cold tingling went down my back and legs.

My eyes followed the source of the continued banging; whereupon Sophia's wardrobe door, squeaked open.

First a head appeared. Then followed the rest of a body that was familiar.

"Meow!"

Out strolled the neighbour's cat, Bella. A mischievous, little vixen who loved to play. A cute little tabby cat. Not a person. I let out a long sigh, as overwhelming relief filled me.

How on earth had she got in here?

I felt warmth return to my limbs and I felt able to breathe again.

"Oh Bella. Are you trying to kill me? I nearly died of shock! Shall we take you home, little miss?" I said, approaching the cat and stroking her.

"Rat a tat tat!"

"I think that might be your owner looking for you little miss!"

I said to Bella, as I scooped her up in my arms. The cat grooming her head on my hands, rubbing her ears on my knuckles, purring loudly as she licked my fingers.

"Oh you are the loving one aren't you?"

I said to the cat, as I stroked the back of her ears. The feline's eyes closed, pushing her head deep into my fingers, followed by a deep and rhythmic purr.

I approached the front door and checked the caller from the spy hole; sure enough, there was Mrs Pattison.

With one hand under the cat and the other pulling open the door, Mrs Pattison smiled as I revealed my bundle of fur.

"Bella had vanished, I heard a scream and a clonk and I put two and two together," Mrs Pattison, said in a rush.

"I guessed she might have crept into yours again and snuck into a wardrobe. She seems to like hiding in wardrobes and it has scared the hell out of me a few times. So I wondered if she had done the same to you," Mrs Pattison continued.

I handed Bella over to her owner.

"She certainly scared me all right, I can tell you," I said, "in fact, almost made me die of fright!"

"Oh, I am so very sorry. Not a good idea when you are so close," said Mrs Pattison, with a frown forming on her face.

"These things can't be helped. At least it was only the cat. I was thankful for that!"

I said it in such a way that Mrs Pattison looked at me rather oddly, "who did you think it was then dear?"

"A burglar you know how it is. Anyway, well, all's well that ends well, we found Bella that's a positive. Baby, is still safely inside, despite Bella's shanigans, so I better get on and get dinner going before I pick Sophia up. She will be sorry for not having Bella over to play though."

"I'm really sorry, I'm not sure this will be the last time either. You must regret the time you cat sat."

I shook my head in the negative whilst I was still smiling. She knew I didn't mind. Sophia adored her cat. Even if it sometimes meant we found the cat dressed up or in Sophia's pram! We knew Bella would find her way back at some point.

"It's funny I don't usually like cats but Bella just turned up and I ended up taking her in. She sort of wove her way into my affections," said Mrs Pattison.

"Cats have a way of doing that and I understand why you like Bella so much. She is a real sweetie. Hard not to love," I said to her.

Mrs Pattison nodded her head, as she took the cat with her. Maybe I was imagining it but I swore I saw tears in her eyes, as Mrs Pattison retreated back to her flat and shut the door.  

Edit 2.5 August 2017 PAL

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