The Black Cat

Chapter 10 In Central Fo

Rayne sat down in one of the most durable chairs in the house. She waited for me and Gunther to get comfertable in front of her. By her awaiting, I knew her tale was going to be a long one.

"Ready when you are," Gunther noted in his relaxed, but gruff voice.

"Well, it started off as a typical morning. I woke up feeling normal and then Erin, that morning I had no powers of hearing animal's voices as understandable. My mother was the only one in my life, ever really. It wasn't unusual though, my being alone.  She'd leave for a time and come back whenev-."

"Rayne," I whispered trying to push the child back on track.

"Oh, sorry. My mother, Rose, cooked breakfast like normal. Only, that day she seemed extreamly uneasy about it. Normaly she made food for the both of us, but today it was just me eating at the kitchen island. She went and sat on the couch and watch T.V.

"I ignored her strange actions, but once I finished she finally said something to me. She sounded terrifying about it as well. It was strange, but well...that entire day was the meaning of strange. She turned to me, 'He gave me the key'. Tears covered her face like never before. Her eyes were a bloodshot red as well. 'I can't keep you,' she said.

"I didn't say anything. All I did was stare at her. What could she mean? Why was she crying? What was this key?"

"I can't keep you?" I shifted and swished my tail as I thought. "She knew the man was going to take you? She knew someone was going to take you."

Rayne nodded. "I didn't know what she ment, but now I do. She waited all day for night. She didn't tell me anything else after that, but it's when it became night that everything happened. Remember that boy that was found in the square? Well, my mother knew something about that.

"She knew that that little boy would be there. I have now idea of how, but she did. She knew about the boy and the police setting up in the square. In the crowd she dragged me into, we were hidden in the crowd from who ever or what ever was going to take me away.

"Every question I tried to ask, she just rolled it off like water. So with that we were both quiet. We both listened to the crowd mentality and when it reached its highest, she bent down and whispered one last word to me, 'Run.'"

I nodded. "This all checks out. I was there. I saw your mother. I saw her."

Rayne shed a small tear, but continued with the story. "She pushed me forward and with the serious look on her face, she was not kidding. I ran and while I did she threw something above the crowd.

"I didn't pay any more attention as to what was behined me. I didn't stop until this voice convinced me to stop. The shadow man was a living man then. He was tall with all black eyes and spiked hair. When I was near him...it was like death being shed down at me from the sky. It got colder and he said these things I can't remember.

"I stayed with him for hours untill I realised he wasn't as kind and nice as he stared out as. His words...his words became sour. He spoke of a key. Something, something to do with a room. A key and me. Only after did I realise he was one of the good guys, he was not my ally.

"We walked and walked, so it was my luck when we came up on a building with lanturns in front of it. I threw one at him and he instantly sulked back into the building's shadow. I ran agian, but this time faster.

"I kept running untill I found an abandoned house and...you, Erin, know the rest."

All three of us where silent. None of us spoke.

In my head, all these new ideas and pieces where coming together. I needed to know more. I needed to go back Oliver. Oliver knows about the key as well...why?