Upon a winter night particularly silent, all seemed to be at rest. Endless forests lay unmoving, streets remained untraveled, and all around seemed to wander ghosts of the usual animated, loud activity. The serenity was beautiful in a way, yet also chillingly idyllic.
On this night, a toddler in a thin gray coat walked alone through a field.
The toddler glanced around the landscape surrounding them. An expansive field, topped with layers upon layers of snow, stretched out seemingly forever from their perspective. Crystalline flakes fell from above, floating gently and collecting in glimmering white piles on the ground. Home was lost, directions became obfuscated, and the only option left was to wander aimlessly in hopes they would be found. Their footprints led in circles, and would soon be masked by more snow to cover them.
They were cold.
So, so cold.
But the cold wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was that they knew no one would look for them. No one was concerned with their location, and their parents were busy quarreling over who-knows-what. It must’ve been important enough to scream about, though, because that definitely happened. It filled the house with loud, booming threats of violence, sounds that couldn’t be drowned out by any means.
The child wondered why. Was this a normal occurrence? Did everyone have to sit in a corner, covering their ears with their knees pulled up to their chest, just trying oh-so-desperately to not hear the words clearly laced with venom, formed to hurt? Did everyone have to mask how exhausted they were, spacing out randomly from lack of sleep?
The toddler sank to the ground, pushing away powdery snow to form a small hole. If they couldn’t find home, what better to do than sleep among the snowflakes? Lamenting over their numb legs, they lied in the hole, buried their face in their arms, and closed their eyes in hopes to not freeze.
The world went dark.
—————
The child awoke to a small nudge at their shoulder.
Y̴͎̚o̶͇̊û̵̠n̵̯̔g̶̛̗ ̵̫͋o̸̩͑n̸̛̗ȇ̶̜?̸̮͂
Startled, they looked up, only to be greeted with a sea of black. They staggered back instinctively, but rather than move effectively, the snow became an obstacle, too thick to move quickly through. Their limbs slipped, and they struggled to free themself, only panicking more in the process.
C̴͇͋â̴̯l̸̳̈m̶̯̄ ̴͙̐ḑ̵̾o̷̬̊w̶͕̓n̴̘͐.̵̗̿
They looked up at the entity a few feet in front of them, and were faced with. . .
A cat.
They relaxed, recognizing a familiar silhouette. Cats were nice. Friendly. A cat lived with their grandmother, even. They might scratch, but they’re still loving creatures.
But cats weren’t supposed to be this big. Cats weren’t supposed to be as tall as them. Cats were small.
Was this really a cat?
It lacked many of the defining characteristics of a cat, actually. Rather than fur, its whole form seemed to be made of a gleaming, blue-black substance, not too dissimilar in appearance from ink. It stood too tall to be a cat, and its eyes were blank, hollow white holes. And then, the fact that it talked. Its voice warped, flickered, and buzzed, so low the child could barely understand it, but it talked.
The child didn’t know what to say, instead continuing to admire the silhouetted form.
“Hi,” they said eventually.
H̵͇͌̉͝e̵̗̓l̶͉͇̇͂͗l̸̺̀o̵͈͇̽̿.̴̬̾ The entity sat down in the snow.
The child said nothing.
W̷̳̭̋͂̿ͅh̵͕̐̕͘a̴͚̓̂̂ţ̸̘́ͅ ̴̳̜̻̄a̵̫͆̾̐ŕ̵̞̺͚ĕ̸̯̲̜ ̴̱͔̳́̈ỷ̴͉͙̀o̴͉̽͛ư̸̳̙͈͗̅ ̴̹̏d̵͈̕ó̴͔͊̈́ï̸̗̟̥n̸͚͆̒ġ̷̩ ̸͈̩̟̉ọ̵̡̥̆ṳ̵͙̀ť̷̞̙ ̵̯̭̀͑h̶̙̚͘ẻ̶͚͠r̴̝̀e̷̞̺̣͑̆?̵̫̿̒̕ ̴̝̏Í̶͉́ͅt̵̰̂͠'̶̜̫̘̽ş̸̋ ̷̡̯̿c̵̲̿o̶̺͂̋ļ̸̹͇̽d̶͉͉̿͋.̸̫̀͛͠ It pawed at the air absentmindedly.
“I’m lost,” the child answered.
The cat-entity rubbed up against them. Though it appeared cold and wet, its coat felt surprisingly warm and soft to the touch, much like a plush blanket.
Ỳ̷̫̦̗̘̱̯͝o̷̩̼̬͛̍͗͛̃̚u̸͍̦̳̻̩̺̓͛͛̐̎'̶̱̍r̷̜̫̹̊̕͝e̷͇̐̄̔ ̷̨̤͍͇͍̩͐̅͑c̴̱͖̯̒̓̋͠͝o̸̧̱̘͒͝l̴̖̃͌̋͒̚d̶̛̪̈́͑̄̌͛.̶̢̬̭̆́͌̕͝ͅ
“Yeah.”
The entity paused. The child heard only their own ragged breaths. If anything, the lack of sound from the entity made the situation all the more uncomfortable— it felt unsettling. Unnatural.
D̸͉͕̓ö̶̫͖̜ ̵͍̟͖͌ỳ̵̛͈̺ö̸͔̝̟́̉͂͆u̵̠̻̓ ̴̥̞̤͕͂͛h̸̡͇̼̾a̵̡̪̟̽̑͆̂v̴̡̀͝ȩ̴̛͓̓ ̷̡̩̲͛͑ạ̵͈͈͊ ̵̧̿̽̉̏n̵͇͂a̷̙̯̣͎͝ṃ̶̺́͐̔ě̷̫́̈́͜?̴̗̆ It said finally.
“Yeah. I’m Berry. Do you have a name?”
The entity stood up and paced in the snow, shaking its head.
I̵͈̖͍͆̈́͊ ̸̲͙́l̶̺̞̘̆o̵̤̟̥͗s̵̏̂̈́͜ṯ̵̢̮̈́ ̴̡̝̤̾̑m̷̡̙̐͝y̷͇̫̆̀̓ ̶̪͚͐ń̵̹͛a̸̬̽̚m̵͚͆̋͂ë̵̢́̓̄ ̶̫̖̉͂͝y̴͙̔͊̄e̷̮̟͊̃a̴̹͌r̵͈͍̊s̴̺̙̀̽͑ͅ ̷̠͙̑̚ȁ̶͍̝͌̈́ǵ̷͖̥̫o̵̖̚.̵̹̀͆
“Oh. Well, I’m calling you Kitty.”
The entity shook its head again, visibly agitated.
P̷̞͇̗̀̾͆̈̄̽l̷͉͙̱̲͕̖̉̏ȩ̶͈͕̾̽̊̕ā̶̢̫̫̜̤̰̌̕s̶͓̠̍̾̓̈́ȇ̷̯̜̏̚ ̷͓̒̋̏d̵̨͉̬́͋͊̈́̏̓ỏ̸̻͙͒̋̚͠ ̷͖̜̣̹̊n̸̜͈̩̓̌͐̾͆o̴̮͎̟̜̒͌͗̿͑ͅt̷̥̞́̈́͒̕͝.̵̧̥̐̿̎̏̀
“Toast.”
N̸̨̻͚͒̂͋͌ǒ̸̝̘̥̣̀͝,̴̢̹͖̲̻͝
“Yes. Toast. I like that name.”
F̸̹̣͚̠̼͙̀̋į̷̨͈̪̬̲̈́̔͠n̶̩̪̟͙̓̓ͅe̵̯͒̑́̋̃̄.̵̡͐
The child looked up at the entity with wonder. “Are you a boy kitty or a girl kitty?”
Ą̸͕̇͋͂̉n̷̳̻̭͕̠̈́̏̓̔̓cȋ̸͓̣̎ȩ̵̨̡͇̟͑n̸͚̥͖̓͊̆̒̿t̷̨̹̜̞̓͋̎̇͘͜ ̷̡̥̠̳͎̑sp̶̨̜̱̯͒̎ĭ̸̩̄͆̎̆ͅr̴͙̬̔ͅi̴̳͍̿͊̈́t̸͙͇̺̪̜̎͌̿̃͝s̵̡͈̟͐̈́̅͝ ̴̨̩̫͎̀̕d̷̝̩̯͋͂̈́̍̐o̵̤̜͐̈́̏ ̷̼͚̒̾̑͗n̷͖͎͔̼̍͛͑̀o̵̥̎ṫ̴̨̾̅͋̌ ̷̨̏́̈́̿̓h̵̛̖͕͑̾̈́͜͝a̷̩̗̯͊͊v̸̰̬̥̼͋̌ë̵̲͍̳͉́̓͒̒ͅ ̴̗̪͂͆̔t̴̟̽i̵̬̞̺͋͆͝m̴̢̱͋̏̅͝ë̸̛̻́ ̷̭̭̖͑͑̔f̸̬̟̮̑̉o̸͚̼̫͕͛̀̇͋̅ŗ̵͎̬̤̃ͅ ̶̩̒̑͐̉͘h̷̡̠̤̻͛ǘ̸̢m̶͉͓̅͐̚͜ả̸̠̼͠n̴͈͉̝͍̐͠ ̵̛̗̙̲̓̈́̔̎g̶͖̲̱̟͋̔̂̌e̸͔̻̻̒̄͝n̵̛̜̹̄ḏ̵̩̐̉̈͋e̸̡̲̗͚̼̋r̷̖͐̔͆̇͠ ̶͙͖̑́̄͌r̵̹͌̒̀ŏ̴̝̬̺͖́͗͊l̸̪̬̰̟̗͐͌̈́͝͝e̸̞͋s̸̬̹̭̞͗̑͊͘͝.̶̪̤̈̕ ̶̈́̓͜
“Huh?”
N̵̯̅́̄̆ë̶̪̹́i̴̳̱̙͂͝ẗ̴̠́ḧ̶̛͎͉̲̯͔́̃̊͘e̶̯̊ṙ̶̨͉̹̀.̵͚͉͇̒̀̓̾ͅ
“Okay.”
Immediately after followed a long, awkward silence. The child sat in awe of the magical being before them, and the entity wondered how a human toddler got lost in a field in the first place and why it was so concerned with its lack of a name. Apparently, it was called Toast now. Secretly, it didn’t mind that name. It was rather cute, in fact, that the child decided to name an ancient wilderness spirit Toast, of all things.
B̸̛̠̯͒e̶͖̊r̸͚̭͊͒̌͠r̷̟̮̬͊͜y̶̯̤͑͂̄.̴̞̥̮́͆͘
“Huh?”
W̸̻͖̓̎̊͠h̴̦͔͝y̷̰̮̣̓̉ ̵̢̛̫̫̔͠a̵̻͖̝͗ͅṟ̶̜̔̊̿e̵͍̣͔̮̓̅̓͘ ̸̠̐͛̍y̸̗̞̜̐̌͛ô̶̖̘̍u̷̦̅̃̋ ̶̟̲̠͐̀h̸̰̜̹̦̋̔͘͝ë̸̻̞̱́̀̃̂ŕ̸̤̱͖e̴͎͈̓͝?̸̨̝̮̓ ̵̭̽̇̊
“I’m lost. I can’t find my house. My parents are fighting. They wouldn’t look for me.”
Oh.
Y̷̖͆͗ͅõ̴̳̺̐u̵̖͠ ̸̼̤̀d̸͎͔̀͂õ̶̻̥n̵̝͂'̶̞̏̈́t̵͍̊ ̵̛͚̞̎ḧ̵̳́å̵̦͋v̴͇͋̿e̸̢̫̋̀ ̷̝͐t̵͈̫̎o̶̗͝ ̸̖̂͊b̴̙͇̕ë̷͍́ ̴͙͖̽B̶̻̈́̓ḗ̴ͅr̴̦̄r̴͚̈́̇ȳ̵̬.̶͉̚͝
The child stared at the entity for a bit. “What?” They exhaled softly.
Y̴͉͕̿ő̴̘́u̴͍̤̓̌ ̷̹̀d̴͖̯͋̒ơ̴̮n̸̹̾̇'̶̭̏͌ͅt̶͇͓͊̊ ̸̼̒̓h̴̩̟͒a̶̩͐̎v̸̲̚e̶̘̹͊ ̴̪͛͝t̸͇̓ȯ̷̺ ̷̥̒̕b̶͔͊ë̵͇̕ ̶̺̩̎̐Ḅ̸̥̍e̷̩͗̌r̴̠̀ṛ̷̘̓y̸̳͂̇ ̷̺̀a̴̮̥͝n̸̹̞̉y̵̝̝͛̕m̷͖̦͝õ̴̦̾r̷͔̉ͅe̵̼̳̔.̶͙̀ ̶̼̾Y̷̳̅o̵͓͎͆̾u̷̞͙͊͒ ̵̼̱̿c̵̠̹̆̑à̷̤ṋ̴̤͒ ̷̣̕c̸͓̎̅ȏ̸̢̠̎m̷͍̍̒è̷̫̐ ̷̻̽ẁ̶̦̓i̸̡̩̍t̴̟̽̌h̵̠̺͗ ̴͚͋̽m̷͇̏̕e̵̻͚͆.̶̖̗̃
The child looked up with a warm smile.
F̴͕̀̚ỏ̷̄͜l̷͉͌l̴͓̓ó̷͍̥w̴̢̓.̷͙͑̓
With that, the entity began to walk, the child trailing not too far behind.
Author Notes: this is one of the more supernatural-based things i've written. i think the idea is pretty cool, so i'm actually pretty proud of this :) thoughts? (sorry if the cat dialogue is too hard to read, but i kinda wanted it to not read as smoothly there to give the impression of warped-ness idk :P)
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United States • 16 years old