Diabolic or Angelic Meow?

The iron-gate creaked as my great aunt pushed it open and no sooner had I stepped into the front yard than a feral animal came straight at me and knocked me to the ground, scratching at my face. "Cheenu!" my great aunt's soft voice was heard. "Come here." The thing jumped off me and into my great aunt's hands.

It was a cat. Completely black all over with glowing green eyes. In other words this was probably what a witch's cat would look like.

"That cat is yours?" I half shrieked in anger.

"Yes," she replied looking rather hurt. "I hope Cheenu didn't startle you."
'Startle me?' I wanted to scream. It scared the life out of me! However, not wanting to start off in a bad way I just shook my head and walked in, keeping a good distance between myself and the cat.

The cat was a menace. It always seemed to follow me around with those eyes glinting dangerously at me as if analysing my weaknesses, getting ready to attack. If I felt that someone was watching me, it was the cat.

One day after getting a bit of morning sunshine I walked back in. As I opened the door, a ball of black fur hurtled towards me as I took the first step. I crashed to the floor. A flare of pain shot through my leg as I cried out. Stupid diabolic cat!

 My great aunt rushed me to the hospital. I had broken my leg. A hairline fracture on the fibula of my right leg. When the doctor asked if I had jumped down from a tree I replied that my great aunt's demonic cat had tripped me. My leg was wrapped up in a bulky cast and I was sent home. While going back I suggested to my great aunt that we should kill the cat, but she looked at me like I'd suggested we murder a human being.

I had made up my mind. The cat would die that evening. At night I stayed awake till all were asleep. Hobbling on crutches I made my way to the hall, armed with a rolling pin. In the darkness I saw another figure. I stopped. The figure was too broad to be my great aunt. Without thinking I switched on the light and stood to face a man with a bag slung across his shoulders that no doubt contained my great aunt's most valued items. We stared at each other in shock.

As he moved towards me, a black ball of fur hurtled towards him. He fell to the floor, with his leg bent at an unnatural position. The noise awoke my great aunt who called the police.

Of course the next day all were in wonder of the cat. My great aunt was particularly smug.

"Maybe Cheenu just practised on you," she said. Maybe, I thought. Or maybe it just liked injuring people, diabolic as it was.

Ankita Victor;  Std. IX;
Sacred Heart
Girls' High School