The Night Tracker

As soon as my Master Octavius let me outside, I felt the breeze of the wind touch my whiskers. I cared for him, and the rest of his family as if they were my blood mother who I unfortunately never met, or at least I don’t remember her face. She was of no doubt, however, a black cat like me. My master’s had cared for me for about eight years. Making me a little bit older than your average feline. But when I paid attention to the environment once again. Its coolness gave me a warm sensation in my heart. For the wilderness was my true love, and it was my home. Where I could be amongst friends without very much fear.

While walking through squirrel territory I smelled a welcoming scent, a chipmunk was certainly near me, and I was determined to find him. For I don’t like my master’s food, it tastes like nutrition that was frozen and warmed up again. Not fresh at all, the taste of fresh flesh was much superior.

Crouching down on the leave-filled ground, where a lone beetle quickly passed me, I centered my green eyes on my prey. For this would be a hunt to remember, as always. This chipmunk could be my next prey. To be frank, I’ve lost count of how many of them I have hunted. Immediately following the creature’s movement south, I disembarked straight after him, while the winds began racing past my face, faster than a cardinal flying away from the winter. It was a rush few people really felt.

The chase after my food continued for quite a long time. Until he went inside a little log, I then felt angry and hit the log countless times with my paw, hoping it would be enough. After about four hits the creature began to thrash away again. He probably was trying to get his breath back, something I don’t really do a lot. Like my lioness cousin’s I can run for miles and not feel fatigued.

When the prey turned to the right to a series of bushes, I knew it was my time to strike and I pounced directly on top of him. Reaching his upper body, and biting on his neck, cracking it like a nut. The spasms the creature made instilled a slight sadness in me. For I didn’t enjoy taking this chipmunk’s life, it was just in my nature. A sort of appeasement to my ancestors, and a way to get in touch with my wild side. Before eating its organs, I promised him that nothing would go to waste as I sank my fangs into his body.

While finishing up I got to his chest area and smelled a strange scent several meters away from me. It smelled of fear and freshness. I was dumbstruck as the trees around simply became devoid of life, while the birds flew away. I could no longer hear all the chirping surrounding me. So, in an act of curiosity, I decided to investigate.

As I ran closer to the scent I saw the source of the stench, and my, was it petrifying. The corpse was drenched in crimson blood, and when I spotted a few areas of cleanliness the details were obviously pointing to a feline. The white paws with claws still out, a few brown spots on her stomach, and whiskers sticking out her face. I could tell it was female for obvious reasons. She had been murdered recently, not hunted because the cut marks resembled a knife, which measured up from the poor creature’s leg to her neck area. A murderer was near, and I was determined to find them.

After putting my paw on my fellow cat, I licked her so that she could feel a feline’s embrace to the afterlife. I inhaled and picked up the scent which highlighted throughout the forest, which was vast, but luckily a cat’s sense of scent was uncanny. Only matched by those ferocious dogs.

Traversing through the scent patterns led me to an area I was less familiar with. It was a lot louder than the rest of the environment, and it appeared that lights were moving at very high speeds, and the stench that emitted from them made my nostrils flare up. It was natural yet tampered with. Just like the food my masters feed me. Whatever it was, it was altered by humans.

Upon exiting the vicinity of this strange place. The scent unfortunately disappeared. Luckily, A friend of mine appeared, he was a raccoon, I had come to call him, Scavenger because well…that’s what he was. There wasn’t a fly that could escape him. But his appearance this early was surprising. Usually, his species doesn’t appear until the evening.

He turned to me with a piece of something that smelled very, very sweet. His face was as you expect from a raccoon, but he was slightly thinner than your average specimen. Also, worth remembering was the chain mark on his leg, I never asked where he got it, and he never told me much. So, I tried to keep it to myself.

“Hey, Happy Halloween!” He said excitedly with his whiskers moving after finishing his meal.

“Good afternoon my friend.” I stared at him silently for a while before I enlarged my pupils and greeted him. Thanks for reminding me it’s the day of costumes amongst the humans. That’s why one of my family members at home was so excited, he wouldn’t stop talking about it. Well except for when he coughed.”

“Yeah, well said Midnight. He exposed his fangs as he spoke, “That means free candy for us. Hope your friend gets better.”

“Likewise. He’s a pure soul.”

Scavenger then toppled the ground and pulled another chocolate wrapped in green plastic. He offered me some too which I politely declined. I desired to see if he knew more of what happened to my poor brethren.

“Happen to smell anything strange here recently? Something pungent, and sour?”

“Yes…for a while actually it started all the way back in September.” He spoke confidently as he was scratching his gray head.

“WHAT? Since September?” I stopped his speech immediately, “This can’t be possible? How’d you not tell me about this?”

“I knew you’d act like this, but I suppose you’re right. There’s probably been about six or seven murders now. Poor things ya know?”

“This doesn’t make any sense. Why wasn’t I able to pick up the scent earlier then? Can you take me to the latest victim?” I replied blinking rapidly. “I must apprehend this monster.”

“Sure, but that’s it. This kind of stuff creeps me out, c’mon.” He was eating another piece of chocolate as he turned, his head to me.

We both walked to where the scent might be, and he left his nest of chocolates behind, the smell was really irritating me.

For thirty minutes we traversed the forest and greeted all the somber-looking birds. Our friend the blue Jay greeted us and told us about the latest murder. How he was startled and came home an hour later due to its occurrence. He also told us to be wary of any humans that might come, because today they would be much more excited, and wild. We concurred, wished him well, and departed.

Scavenger stopped and touched his furry neck, looking at me as he pointed to the way, before he softly spoke, “Be careful Midnight, this is a most gruesome sight.” He rapidly ran away back to the “Safe side.”

I thanked him and walked into a sight surrounded by bushes without leaves, and an old worn hammock attached to an old oak tree. Parallel to it was the sight Scavenger warned be about, a fellow black cat, like me, was slaughtered, and his internals were splattered throughout the scene. There was more that I don’t wish to tell you. My brother looked youthful as his teeth weren’t fully developed. I then bravely came closer to the corpse, licked him on the head, and put my paw on him. Meowing loudly for this ruthless killer was not getting away from me this time, I have picked up his smelly scent, and that’s all I need now. I told my brother that I would avenge him, and all my other fellow felines.

While walking away, I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to remember my human brother, Octavius. How he’d feed me every day and pet me so softly. His heart felt pure, like Ben’s, and his love for me was unconditional. Upon attempting to contrast them to this murderer, I was unable to do it. How one race could be so vastly different made me realize exactly why we animals fear them so much. This monster just amplifies that behavior.

Chasing after the scent for about an hour lead me to another neighborhood completely foreign to me. I could spot trick-or-treaters trying to get candy, after that, I thought about where Octavius was and wished him well. I ran quickly to the back of one of these houses, to the point where I spotted a large wooden fence that was easy to pounce over.

Upon landing on the leave-filled ground. The scent smelled stronger than ever, I felt a determination to locate the area and find this monster so he could answer for his crimes. Until I reached a peculiar-looking shack with a garage smelling of that same sour scent. I knew I discovered my prey, but I honestly felt afraid, for this wasn’t going to be an average chipmunk. It was going to a human, and not just any normal one, but a ferocious one with the heart of a demon. I put myself together and quietly headed for the garage.

When I looked into the garage, I spotted a large tool shed, and an old blue car with rust surrounding it. That was all normal until I saw a bloody chainsaw, and knives lined up next to the killer himself. I could only see his back but that was sufficient to make my tail stand up. His spine was very boney, and his complexion was quite pale. The workstation he was working at was the true source of the scent, I saw the corpse of one of my brothers, and I knew if I let my emotions get to me, I’d be torn to shreds.

Vigilantly moving alongside the piles of leaves in front of the shack. I heard the killer laugh, and the sound that came from his voice belonged to a man who had smoked far too much. I could also make out his hands which were covered in blood. I knew it’d be best if I sneaked up on him. So, without much thought, or hesitation I moved up and pounced on him.

Unfortunately, he had a sharp ear, and turned around, attempting to slice my head off. In his right hand lay a nine-inch knife with blood on it.

“Ah! Hello kittie-kittie!” He stated in his clown-like voice, “Welcome to my humble abode!”

Filled with anguish, I spotted his dark apron and an old rigid white t-shirt. His eyes were brown, and his hair had a greasy, oily tint to it. His age was probably of a forty-year-old man, but honestly, I didn’t care. I just wish he could understand my speech, so I could tell him exactly how much I’d come to hate him. For his actions were irredeemable, and couldn’t be forgotten. Regardless, I just decided to hiss with all my lung power.

He laughed, hissed back at me, and screeched like a harpy.

“I didn’t expect to have another toy to play with so early on.” He laughed, hissed back at me, and screeched like a harpy before he spoke.
I told myself not to fear, and to be strong. For I knew what my duty was today, I thought about all those poor felines he murdered and dilated my pupils attempting to strike at him.

After landing on his face, I scratched his chin, and jaw area. I almost got him in the eyes until he threw me off with his filthy hands. I could smell the stench from him, and it wasn’t just blood, it was pure evil.

“Well…got some fight there.” The man smiled, exposing his yellow teeth as he spoke. He sounded like a man from those cowboy movies Octavius would watch sometimes. I hissed again at him, until he exclaimed, “You wanna know why I choose animals instead of people now?”

“Cause it’s easier to cover my tracks when I slay you furballs compared to people. Not to mention I never have to worry about getting sent to prison even if it’s illegal. Never heard of someone getting the death penalty for murdering animals.” Hell, they hurt me in defense more than any human I’ve hunted in a long while, I swear it. Ain’t that somethin’?” He laughed like crazy after he spoke.

As he told me this, I refused to imagine that he murdered people too. How he would subject them to the same mindless slaughter he did to my brothers and sisters. But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; this is a lunatic I’m dealing with after all. They do say they start with animals then go to people, but this time he decided to twist the deal.

The maniac took his knife and tried to stab me with it, and I jumped out the way, biting his hand, causing him to scream in agony. I enjoyed that as he suffered like his victims did. I pounced on his chest area and scratched him immensely. He was trying to reach for his chainsaw, but I bit his wrist, at that point, he was just grinning, causing me to get terrified for a bit.

While on his body I kept clawing at him over, and over again. Mauling his face up as I did so. He was just lying there on that muddy ground.

“Mercy, Mercy, please! You got me.” The serial killer begged cowering in intense fear.

In that instant, I was fueled with rage and a sensation of such animosity I almost wanted to kill him. To end his reign of terror on this Earth for eternity, but that’s when I remembered my family and friends. How they would feel if they were in this position, how would they react? I couldn’t take that chance; I didn’t want to become a monster like this man. So, I did what I thought was right, and simply got off his chest. Walking away, I could still hear his laughs on the floor, while he lay bleeding on the ground.

When I got back inside the forest, I felt a rejuvenation in the land. That an evil force had been eradicated from this place for good. I could even hear birds wildly chirping despite the evening coming upon us. I marked the territory as my own. I also hoped to myself that the Monster would stop slaughtering my fellow felines. I really did. But if he started killing humans again, I prayed that the authorities would stop him for good. For that’s not my job, not my destiny. The forests and my family is all I care for.
Upon entering the area of lights, I spotted Scavenger again. He came to me, and we hugged one another.

“The forest it feels better…is it done?”

“He’ll never hurt us again. I promise.” I replied while licking myself.

“Thank you, Midnight.” The raccoon said as he put his claws on me. “We can all sleep better because of you. Have a good night. Best regards to your family.”

“Thanks, you, too my friend.” I’d do it again if I had to.

We parted ways. I had missed my family a great deal. I had risked my life today but had survived. But instead of going home immediately. I wanted to check out my territory for a while. It was a new moon after all. I’ll be home in a couple hours, that sounds perfect to me.

Credit: Itai Schewartz

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