Dinner Disaster [CoR II]

Chapter 14 - Forage

1.00AM

[Hours passed as Nicole got into deep slumber and didn't even get aware of the upwelling thunderstorm outside as heavy rain can be heard while lighting flashes. But then she suddenly wakes up by a deep meow and shakes her head as she thought it was only thunder. She tries to close her eyes again, but immediately reopens them when she hears the meow another time. She looks around, trying to find where it came from, but only stumbles upon her damaged pillow that lays beside her and Richard's casual clothing, indicating he's sleeping on the couch. The shock in her body returns when she analyses the sound. It wasn't a normal meow... Not the brief call of the neighbour's cat that got itself stuck somewhere again, but a low pitched, rough meow that Nicole hasn't heard in a long time...

The same meow as when she ended the life of her previous nemesis...

The Upper Limit!, she screams in thoughts. She then gasps out loud when she hears another voice responding... A voice inside her head...

"The Upper Limit indeed... Missed me?"

"What?! Who are you?"

"You don't remember? Silly, you just said it yourself..."

"Gosh... You're back to manipulate my thoughts, aren't you?"

"Oh well, feisty today I see..."

"I am fed up with you. I don't even care if I'm you, but you're making me sick... Literally as well!"

"I did not spawn in your thoughts to hear you complaining."

"Then what the heck do you want from me?!"

"Just making sure we're alive..."

"Ugh, barely in this way!"

"Yeah, I noticed."

Nicole looks at her paws and then stares at how parts of her ribcage are visible through her shirt.

"We appear to be hungry, darling..."

"Ugh... Stop it! Y-you're the cause of this... Why can't I get some rest?!"

"REST?! REST?! ARE YOU KIDDING? Rest will only let you collapse by yourself!"

"W-what?"

"You weakling... No wonder why I need to take control of you more often... Look at the state of you. Look how starved you are... THERE ARE NEEDS TO BE FULFILLED TO STAY ALIVE, CAT!"

"You know how sick eating made me! And what do you mean with 'needs'?!"

"SURVIVAL! Have you really forgotten what you are...?"

"I am a cat. I am a mother of three kids... I am the other half for my loving husband and-"

"NO! NO! NO! You don't get it! GRRR... You were already disgusted with yourself before your worst strike... I knew you couldn't handle it on your own..."

"What do you mean?! What do you expect from me?! H-handle what?!"

"YOUR PREY GOSHDARNIT! IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"WHAT?! My son... IS NOT PREY!"

Nicole quickly rises up and holds her head tightly as a heavy headache starts acting up.
"Raaargh!"

The blue feline feels that she is in need of calming down and decides to grab a glass of water. Like she attempted many times before, she silently walks into the kitchen and lets water run from the faucet. Her eyes inspect everything around her that gets brightened up at times by the lightning outside. It seems like the thunderstorm is getting worse, but she thinks her kids and husband are sound asleep. After downing a glass and putting it back on the countertop, her stomach suddenly cramps heavily again. She didn't expect this and falls onto her knees while her claws scratch the wood of the kitchen cabinets. She bends over and holds her head while panting quickly. What a coincidence when Darwin just made his way downstairs to grab a glass of water as well. He woke up by the thunderstorm that wasn't fortunate for him as he was sleeping lightly.

He gasps when he encounters his mother on the kitchen floor and slowly approaches her. He doesn't know whether to run back upstairs or help as he is too worried about her. Nicole still holds her head tightly and starts groaning heavily. Her agony is becoming uncontainable and she bends her back a bit. This causes most of her spine to get exposed a bit though her shirt and Darwin almost shrieks in shock. He stands next to her and forces himself to speak up after a lightning strike illuminated the room.]

Darwin: Mrs. Mom? A-are you alright?

[No answer comes from the blue feline as she suffers too much. Her fangs start elongating and to Darwin's horror, the back of her shirt rips as the cat's appearance changes. Darwin starts panicking by the fact there isn't any medicine around, but suddenly stays standing still when he realizes Nicole hasn't moved much yet. She, now having taken the form of her Upper Limit stage, is still curled up in the same position and suddenly starts sobbing. Darwin's sensitivity immediately gets triggered and his fear decreases a bit when he hears her crying. So he hops closer and hugs her, wrapping his fins around her until she seems like calming down. But he gasps when she suddenly snarls and realizes these aren't tears of grief... but insanity.

He quickly releases her as she rises up and gasps when he hears the cat's stomach hungrily growling, indicating he is doomed. He jumps backwards when the blue feline gets on all fours and still towers above him. More terrified than he was ever before, he sprints into the living room and tries to escape from the vicious blue monster, that has taken the place of his adoptive mother. She snarls every time she pounces, but Darwin manages to dodge her attacks. He, being extremely lucky at this moment with his well-developed legs, manages to outrun his demise, but fears he won't keep up forever. He jumps behind the couch, where his adoptive father was sleeping earlier, but went upstairs. Darwin tries to hide behind it and can hear where the paws of the blue feline touch the floor as she continues looking for him. He almost wanted to sigh in relief when he heard her being near the stairs, but his hope is destroyed when she starts sniffing her nose...]