The Strange Man

Cats: Magical Creatures

  The two new friends got a cab and went to a 24-hour diner that Charlie seemed very familiar with. "This place is the best!", he said with a glowing smile. "It looks nice," Dahlia responded.
  The diner was simple and old-fashioned. In reality, it was like any other diner in the world, but Dahlia loved diners and was excited to dine with her new friend.
  They sat in a booth and scanned the menus. "I like that they have pictures," Charlie stated. "It makes things clearer." Dahlia nodded. "Indeed," she said as she took in the bright photos on her menu. She then noticed an image of a cartoon cat on the menu and giggled a bit. "What?", Charlie asked. She responded, "It's stupid... it's just a little cartoon cat. Ignore me and continue on." Charlie perked up and peaked at her menu. "A cat?", he asked excitedly. Dahlia noticed his excitement and turned the image towards him, pointing at the cat to make it more clear. She smiled and said, "I think it's kind of cute. I love cats. They're such fascinating creatures." Her comment filled Charlie with happiness. "I love cats!", he responded passionately. "I own like 80 cats!... Well, they live right outside of my apartment." Dahlia was hit by a realization. "Oh," she said, "that's why I hear cats at night! I thought I was going crazy or something!"
  They spent most of the night sipping coffee, eating donuts, and passionately talking about cats (after all, they are magical creatures). Neither of them had had so much fun in a very long time. They were perfectly content and comfortable with each other. In fact, Dahlia's anxiety seemed to have disappeared. At that moment, that was where they belonged.