day, and it was time to say a final goodbye to her dear friend and go home. She gave a hug to Jane's parents and left a single rose on the grave. She would miss her dear friend terribly.
When she got home, she thought of her mysterious intruder and decided not to go inside—not yet. She sat on the top step, surrounded by colorful pots of flowers, and rested her head up against a column. Her tears fell softly until something brushed against her and caused her to shriek and jump up with her arms thrashing wildly. It was the black cat, and it kept pressing against her in spite of her reaction. She pushed it away telling it, "Shoo, get out of here." Between all of the flowers at the funeral and the cat dander, her eyes started to itch, and she began to sneeze. The cat stopped rubbing, looked at her with sad eyes, and trotted off—but just to the corner of her porch.
Trying to knock the fur off herself, Salena rose to go inside and seek some allergy medicine. As she got up though, a breeze came through and carried with it that familiar and alluring, but scary, musky scent. She stared at her front door ominously. Should she go in? Would she be safe in her own home? She didn't really have a choice—she had nowhere else to go—she had no family nearby, and her best friend was gone now. Feeling abandoned, a floodgate of tears opened up, and she heard the soft mew of the cat watching her come undone. She looked at the cat curiously, "Well, what do you think, boy? Is it safe?" The cat once again approached her, and against her better judgment, she bent down and scratched it between the ears. This certainly was an odd animal; always showing up the way it did. Being a humanitarian, and despite her allergies, Salena went inside and got some chicken from the fridge to feed the cat. The stray was quite grateful. "So, am I stuck with you? You can't come inside, and I've never really had a pet before, so don't expect much." The exceedingly loud purr and forceful rub against her leg told her he didn't mind. "Boy?" she thought and picked the animal up to check. "Yep, you're a boy," she confirmed to the cat.
Chapter 41
After checking the house for an intruder, not that she knew what to do if she found one, Salena changed her clothes and put the ones she had been wearing into the wash. She thought about the stray cat. It was strange to have it around because she had not seen any in the neighborhood before. She was sure she would be seeing it now. Like it or not, she had a new pet. Going back to the refrigerator, she wrote "cat food" on her shopping list.
Her stomach reminded her that she'd not eaten yet today, so she rummaged in the fridge for some leftover pasta. She had no idea she was being watched through the kitchen window; a black crow sat on the windowsill watching her every move.
Lost in thought, while grabbing salad ingredients from the crisper, she jumped when the phone rang and hit her head on the inside of the icebox. She was sure her heart had stopped beating for a second. "Hello?" she answered while rubbing the bump that was already forming on the top of her head.
A male voice she didn't recognize greeted her, "Salena, hi, it's Rob."
Surprised, she answered, "Rob, hi. How are you? Are you okay? I was worried about you after—" she trailed off, not wanting to embarrass him further.
"Yeah," he replied sheepishly, "That was strange, wasn't it? Crazy damn bird."
After an awkward silence, she asked him, "So, um, how'd you get my number?"
"Um," he began cautiously, "I got it from Jane be—," he paused, and Salena heard a sob,"—before she died. I was hoping you'd agree to have dinner with me still." He laughed nervously. "I hope the incident with that insane bird didn't ruin my chances."
"Well," she began, "I don't know." She stared at the floor, trying to think of an excuse, when she was startled by a noise outside her window. She looked over, saw black wings flapping wildly against the window, and dropped her
When she got home, she thought of her mysterious intruder and decided not to go inside—not yet. She sat on the top step, surrounded by colorful pots of flowers, and rested her head up against a column. Her tears fell softly until something brushed against her and caused her to shriek and jump up with her arms thrashing wildly. It was the black cat, and it kept pressing against her in spite of her reaction. She pushed it away telling it, "Shoo, get out of here." Between all of the flowers at the funeral and the cat dander, her eyes started to itch, and she began to sneeze. The cat stopped rubbing, looked at her with sad eyes, and trotted off—but just to the corner of her porch.
Trying to knock the fur off herself, Salena rose to go inside and seek some allergy medicine. As she got up though, a breeze came through and carried with it that familiar and alluring, but scary, musky scent. She stared at her front door ominously. Should she go in? Would she be safe in her own home? She didn't really have a choice—she had nowhere else to go—she had no family nearby, and her best friend was gone now. Feeling abandoned, a floodgate of tears opened up, and she heard the soft mew of the cat watching her come undone. She looked at the cat curiously, "Well, what do you think, boy? Is it safe?" The cat once again approached her, and against her better judgment, she bent down and scratched it between the ears. This certainly was an odd animal; always showing up the way it did. Being a humanitarian, and despite her allergies, Salena went inside and got some chicken from the fridge to feed the cat. The stray was quite grateful. "So, am I stuck with you? You can't come inside, and I've never really had a pet before, so don't expect much." The exceedingly loud purr and forceful rub against her leg told her he didn't mind. "Boy?" she thought and picked the animal up to check. "Yep, you're a boy," she confirmed to the cat.
Chapter 41
After checking the house for an intruder, not that she knew what to do if she found one, Salena changed her clothes and put the ones she had been wearing into the wash. She thought about the stray cat. It was strange to have it around because she had not seen any in the neighborhood before. She was sure she would be seeing it now. Like it or not, she had a new pet. Going back to the refrigerator, she wrote "cat food" on her shopping list.
Her stomach reminded her that she'd not eaten yet today, so she rummaged in the fridge for some leftover pasta. She had no idea she was being watched through the kitchen window; a black crow sat on the windowsill watching her every move.
Lost in thought, while grabbing salad ingredients from the crisper, she jumped when the phone rang and hit her head on the inside of the icebox. She was sure her heart had stopped beating for a second. "Hello?" she answered while rubbing the bump that was already forming on the top of her head.
A male voice she didn't recognize greeted her, "Salena, hi, it's Rob."
Surprised, she answered, "Rob, hi. How are you? Are you okay? I was worried about you after—" she trailed off, not wanting to embarrass him further.
"Yeah," he replied sheepishly, "That was strange, wasn't it? Crazy damn bird."
After an awkward silence, she asked him, "So, um, how'd you get my number?"
"Um," he began cautiously, "I got it from Jane be—," he paused, and Salena heard a sob,"—before she died. I was hoping you'd agree to have dinner with me still." He laughed nervously. "I hope the incident with that insane bird didn't ruin my chances."
"Well," she began, "I don't know." She stared at the floor, trying to think of an excuse, when she was startled by a noise outside her window. She looked over, saw black wings flapping wildly against the window, and dropped her
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