Truthful- Book One: Work Hard

-Cat-

Penelope laid there for a moment before realizing the scratching wasn't her imagination. She shot upright in her bed and turned her head to the window, a sudden coldness rushing towards her uncovered skin. She squinted at the pale moonlight shining into the room, putting her arm in front of her face to block it. Just outside her bedroom window, she could make out the silhouette of something.

A cat..?

She fumbled with her sheets as she tried to get up, they tangled around her legs as she struggled to get to the window. The old wooden floor was cold on her bare feet. She continued to squint as she approached the window, trying to determine what the cat looked like. She cautiously placed her hand on the glass, being sure not to scare the animal away.

Staring at the cat's face, she could make out that it was mainly black. Then, the feline looked up, in which the moonlight quickly took advantage of, covering its face in its blue light. Penelope fell back, startled. She would have fell onto the floor if she hadn't grabbed the stool next to the window. She looked at it again, with wide eyes.

The dead cat...that I just buried...

She could tell now that it was a tomcat. For some reason Penelope could never tell the difference between a male cat and a female cat just by their facial structure, like most people would. She could only tell by their eyes, open ones. The cat's eyes were closed when she first found it.

"How are you...alive..?" she whispered, slowly returning to the window.

The tom stared.

Penelope placed her hand on the glass again. The cat rubbed it's face against the glass, trying to get close to her hand.

...Did I somehow accidentally become a necromancer..? That cat was dead. More than dead. There's not even a bite in his back anymore. Necromancing is a form of witchcraft, I'll be burned at the stake if I did this..!  Penelope's mind raced with possible answers for the situation she was in. She came to a conclusion after standing frozen with fear for a few minutes.

"You're...Evil..." she said to the seemingly affectionate tom, while withdrawing her hand from the window. Of course she wouldn't be tricked by a normal animal.

Except it wasn't normal.

She felt a sudden urge in her chest, like multiple strings yanking at her heart. With no warning, her body lunged  forward and unhooked the latch that opened her window. The cat didn't even flinch a little at her sudden movements, like he knew it was going to happen.

What am I doing?! She thought, panicking as she tried in vain to pull her hands away. She opened her mouth to call for her father, but her voice was gone. She tried again. Nothing.

She unlatched the window, and slowly pulled the handles toward her to open it. The room was still and silent, aside from the sound of Penelope and the mysterious cat's unified heartbeats.

Even though Penelope had opened the windows to welcome the animal in, (not by her own will, of course), it remained on the windowsill. Penelope stood in the position of holding the windows open, still unable to move.

The cat's big green eyes stared back at hers, before they suddenly started flashing through a vast array of colors. They settled on a light, calming blue.

Don't be afraid, I mean no harm, they seemed to say.

Penelope's hands suddenly released from the windows, and she gasped as though her breath had been shortened. The cat was trusting her to believe him.

The cat finally stood up, and jumped onto the floor, making as much noise as a mouse would. Penelope slowly bent down and sat on her knees to look at it, this time her actions her own.

The cat's eyes started rolling through colors again, this time a golden yellow. It's eyes glowed.

I have what you want, is what Penelope got from it.

But what was it she wanted? Was it power? She didn't want that, unless it was for a good purpose. Magic? An evil heart? Or maybe just a simple pet, which she would enjoy. Then it hit her.

Mother.

Penelope paused. "How could you have my mother?" she asked, her voice a whisper.

The cats eyes flipped to a red.

I don't.

"Then what? I want nothing else."

It's eyes went to a yellowish-green color.

I can help you find her.

Penelope's heart dropped. This cat is magic, she thought, It probably can help me find her. But, there will be major consequences if I'm found with a magical creature.

She patted her lap, welcoming the cat to sit. It perked up and immediately sat there, barely giving her time to move her hands. Its body heat felt soothing on her bare legs. She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.  

"Show me what you can do," she said, looking into its original green eyes.

The cat stood up elegantly, and walked in front of her. It's eyes flashed purple.

What is it you want? Something small.

Penelope was unsure how she was able to get such vivid answers from simple colors. Nonetheless she replied, "The attic. Get me into the attic." 

The cat purred with amusement, as its eyes turned an orangish-yellow.

Wait until morning.

Penelope opened her mouth to object, but her voice was gone again.

I don't want to wait until morning! she thought, biting her lip. Even if she couldn't speak, her stubbornness stuck out like a sore thumb.

The cat had already begun to retreat to the window, it's back turned to Penelope.

Why not now?  She thought, getting up from her knees to close the windows before the cat could escape. As the cat jumped up onto the windowsill, it turned its head to face Penelope, and she froze in place. It's eyes glowed a soft red.

You must wait until morning.

Its eyes switched to a soothing grey.

Get some rest.

With that, the mysterious tom jumped out onto the side roof, and to the ground. Penelope jolted forward a bit, no longer frozen. She leaned over the windowsill to try and spot the cat, but it  was nowhere to be seen. A cool autumn breeze brushed across her face, biting at her eyes. She closed her eyes, and closed the windows as well. She clasped her hands together, hoping they would get some warmth from each other. Slowly, she returned to her bed.

Now that she was in bed again, her mind was bombarded with thoughts. Why did I just let something as simple as a cat slip through my fingers? I had a way to get into the attic, she thought. He said he would come back in the morning, but I have school. Should I pretend to be sick? Her eyelids were getting heavier, and her muscles were starting to relax again. She drifted off to sleep.