What if I ain't no violinist?

174. Twoset Veterinarian XII (Liszt's curse 2)

"...What..? The pianist?"

"No.. my pet cat that died when I was 8 years old."

"Oh. Lemme guess, I bet Belle named him."

Eddy nodded.

"Okay, so.. why did you think this cat's haunting you?"

Eddy told the story about how he felt responsible for letting Liszt die on his own by neglecting him when he needed medical help.

"Oh, but Eddy, you were at home alone at the time and didn't realise how serious it was, right ?"

"Well.. even I think what I've just told you sounds like a copout.. an excuse."

"Oh Eddy, c'mon don't be so hard on yourself."

"...Thanks Brett."

"So.. going back, why did you think Liszt was haunting you?"

"Well.. in addition to my house keys, there's been a few other things that have gone missing recently. And all the stuff that has gone missing.. they're all cat related.. more specifically, Liszt related. Like my favourite keyring with the fluffy attachment that looked like a cat's tail.. its pattern matched Liszt's tail, which was why I got it in the first place. This rosin case with a spherical lid reminded me of a ball that Liszt liked to play with... And my cat ears headband with the same coloured fur as.."

Brett raised his eyebrow further.

"You had a cat ears headband?"

Eddy blushed.

"I got it when I travelled to Japan last year. Just as a bit of a joke."

Brett grinned.

"Yeah, yeah of course you did. Just as a joke, hey."

Eddy blushed and stammered.

"I, it was...!!"

Brett giggled.

"Of course. What a shame you lost it. I bet you would've looked cute with it."

Eddy cringed.

"OMG Brett..Please stop..!"

Brett chuckled.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

"There's more Brett.. I feel like someone's looking at me all the time.."

"W, what..??"

Brett thought he was caught out.

"Brett, I don't want to sound like I'm flattering myself saying this.. it's not a look of admiration.. it feels like something more sinister..."

"Oh.. like..? "

"Really dominating.. or like a grudge or resentment... like Liszt may have felt towards me.."

Brett's eyes shot open.

"Oh c'mon Eddy.. surely it can't be that..."

"And that's just not it either."

"What..? What else?"

"I..I've been hearing this noise when I'm trying to sleep at night.. the sound of a cat munching on dried cat food..."

Brett recoiled in horror.

"OMFG now that's messed up."

"It.. doesn't really scare me.. Actually it kinda does..a little.. maybe Liszt is trying to curse me to death? Like this is some kind of retaliation of what I've done to him?"

"Oh my god Eddy, weren't you like 8 when Liszt died? Why has it taken 10 years for Liszt to come back to haunt you?"

"I.. I don't know. I suppose I enrolled into uni to study vet science this year..? Maybe that pissed him off.. maybe he wants to know that doing this isn't gonna make amends ?"

"I don't understand. Would Liszt be that pissed with you?"

"I.. I ignored him when he needed me. Don't they say being ignored is more painful than being hated or ill treated..?"

It was then when Brett noticed Eddy was crying.

"Eddy..!!"

Back to current time

"Oh yeah.. Eddy I remember that time in your flat.. I.. I mean.. how could I forget.."

"I asked you to stay the night."

Brett smiled.

"Yeah. Well, it's not like it was my first time to sleep over at your place, y'know."

"Well, yeah but all previous sleepovers were at my parents' house.. and so that was the first time in my unit, just the two of us...."

To be continued...