Screeching Cat

“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

The tip of Sunata’s pencil broke off as he shouted that. It rolled across the paper and onto the floor. He looked at his bleeding fingers and sighed.

That annoying shrill screeching had been going on for hours now. Some stray cat had to be out there getting into the garbage again.

Could the thing at least starve quietly?

There it was again. That obnoxious sound. He groaned, rubbing his fingers over his forehead. Usually, he would be able to tolerate this. It was nothing new.

But today was Halloween. Meaning along with that dang cat, there was also a bunch of kids running around screaming their heads off.

Sunata grimaced at his homework in front of him. “I’m never going to get it done at this rate.”

He bent over to pick up his broken pencil nip and threw it in the trash with its family. “Might as well take a shower to try and clear my head.”

At the very least, it was still evening, so still had some time to knuckle down and finish his essay. He’d stay up late if he had to as well.

Sunata grabbed a towel from his closet and headed for the bathroom. Unfortunately, the shower did little good for clearing his head. Even in the bathroom, he could still hear that cat going at it.

He ended his shower early and dried off, now with a pounding head.

“Are you not going to go check it out?” A voice called out to him from behind.

He sighed. “Not now, Mom.”

A woman with long black hair that matched Sunata’s stood behind him with an ethereal glow. Her hair seemed to take on a life of her own as she smiled with her two glowing crystal blue eyes.

“Besides,” Sunata said, wiping the fog from the mirror. He stared at his face for a few seconds, his black eye and his crystal blue one. “Wouldn’t you want me to focus on my homework? You always said school was important.”

His mother smiled warmly at him. “I did say that. I’m just surprised is all. Usually, you would burst right out of your room, yelling at it to shut its trap.”

Leaning against the sink, Sunata kept staring at that one eye of his. The one that matched his mother’s. “I’m not a kid anymore, Mom. I’ll deal with it.” He combed his fingers through his spiky black hair and touched it up a bit.

“Okay, just remember. I’m always here if you need me.”

“I can barely see you, Mom.”

Sunata’s heart jumped as he felt her wrap her arms around him. That gentle soothing warmth…He hadn’t felt that in such a long time.

His arms twitched at his sides, but they didn’t move. He couldn’t take his eyes off his own reflection. That single blue eye of his mocked him.

“I’m always here,” his mom repeated before vanishing into the air.

And just like that, the warmth was gone. Shaking his head, Sunata reached for the eye patch lying on the sink and put it over his face. “Guess I haven’t changed much after all.”

It was time to shut that cat up.

As he left the bathroom, he was greeted by an elderly man with neatly cut gray hair and stone cold crystal blue eyes. The man always had an unfriendly expression plastered on his face. Despite his age, he had a well-toned muscular physique.

“Grandpa.” Sunata didn’t realize he had already returned home. He thought he was still out on another one of his missions. “You’re back, already?”

He nodded. “Indeed, I am. I’m heading out again for another mission though. And where might you be going?”

“Just going outside to scare off some cat,” Sunata said.

Kotei fixed his collar, staring at Sunata with an inquisitive look. He took a step forward and Sunata flinched backward. “Why don’t you come with me this time?”

“And get myself killed? Yeah, no thanks.”

“It won’t be that tough of a job.” Kotei walked past Sunata and picked up his gun off the table. “You could use the training.”

“Grandpa, I’ve told you, I can’t be a part of the Vampire Control business. I only have half power, remember?”

“And I’ve told you that is enough.”

Sunata watched as his grandfather fiddled with the gun in his hands. “I’ve haven’t finished that weapon by the way.”

“This will do for this mission,” Kotei said assuredly. “Anyway, think it over. It won’t be long before you have to make your decision.”

Sunata sighed. “I’ve already made my decision. Later, Grandpa.”

Kotei put on a black headband over his eyes and walked out the back door while Sunata left through the front door.

Immediately, he heard that high-pitched squeal again. He threw his head back and groaned. “All right. Let’s get this over with.”

A bunch of kids were playing around in the decorated neighborhood. Jumping over pumpkins. Messing around with the cobwebs on some of the houses. Or playing tag around the unfortunate houses that ended up getting covered in toilet paper.

He shook his head and made his way around the side of his plain undecorated house. Sunata never really cared much for Halloween and while his grandfather used to, he had grown to busy to decorate over the past couple of years.

Sunata followed the sound of the voice until he came to a tall bush…with two cat ears peeking out of it.

“Got ya now.” With a smirk, Sunata leaped around the bush and grabbed the cat ears. As he pulled his arm back—

“EEEEEEK! Don’t hurt me!”

A petite girl with long purple hair cowered before him, clutching the cat ears on her head.

Sunata blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just occurred. “A girl…?”

And she was wearing cat ears on her head. He looked down a bit and noticed she was also wearing a black and orange cape over her dark red shirt.

That must’ve been her costume. She even had fangs to complete the look. Though, he had no idea why she decided to add cat ears to the set.

“Say, what were you doing out here making all that noise anyway?”

The girl, still crouched down, started to chuckle. “…Do you really want to know? You can’t turn back once you do.”

“What…?”