Possessed? Or Just a Typical Cat?

“Hey Claire, you awake?”

“It’s 2 a.m., Kayla. What do you think?”

“I need your help. Something’s wrong with Gizmo.”

“Your cat? What’s wrong? Is he sick?”

“No… worse. He’s acting weird.”

Claire groaned. “Define weird.”

“He’s just… staring at me. And purring, but it sounds more like growling. And—ugh, I don’t even know how to explain it! Just come over!”

~~~~

By 2:30 a.m., Claire was standing in Kayla’s living room, sleep-deprived and annoyed.

“Where’s Gizmo?”

Kayla pointed toward the dark corner of the room. Claire followed her gaze and saw the cat sitting unnervingly still, his blue eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.

“He looks fine to me,” Claire said.

“Fine? He hasn’t blinked in hours!”

Claire crouched down to inspect the cat. Gizmo stared back, unblinking.

“Okay, that’s a little creepy,” she admitted.

“Right? And earlier, I swear, he was standing on his hind legs.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. “What, like a circus act?”

“I’m serious! He was just standing there, staring out the window.”

“You’re imagining things.”

As if on cue, Gizmo let out a deep, guttural sound, halfway between a growl and a purr.

Claire flinched. “Okay, that’s not normal.”

The two sat on the couch, nervously watching Gizmo. He hadn’t moved an inch.

“What if he’s… possessed?” Kayla whispered.

“Possessed? By what? He’s a cat!”

“Then explain why he’s acting like a demon!”

Claire sighed. “Maybe he’s just stressed. Or hungry. Have you fed him?”

“Yes! I even gave him extra treats, but he didn’t touch them.”

“Alright. Let’s test this.”

Claire got up and grabbed Gizmo’s favorite toy—a little feather on a stick. She dangled it in front of him.

Nothing.

She wiggled it. Still nothing.

“Okay, that’s weird,” she muttered.

Gizmo’s head suddenly snapped toward her, his eyes narrowing. Claire froze.

“Did he just—?” Kayla started.

“Yep.”

Gizmo stood up on his hind legs, his body unnaturally rigid.

“Oh my God,” Kayla whispered.

“Relax,” Claire said, though her voice trembled. “It’s just a trick. Cats do weird things sometimes.”

Gizmo took a step forward.

“Claire…”

“Stay calm.”

Another step.

“Claire, he’s coming closer!”

The cat’s growl grew louder, reverberating through the room.

“Okay, new plan—RUN!” Claire shouted.

The two bolted for the door, but it slammed shut before they could reach it.

Kayla screamed. “What the hell is happening?!”

The lights flickered. Gizmo was suddenly on the coffee table, glaring at them.

Claire grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it at the cat. He didn’t flinch.

“Great. What now?” Kayla asked, her voice shaking.

“Uh… do you have holy water?”

“Why would I have holy water?”

“Fair point.”

Gizmo leapt onto the back of the couch, his growl turning into something that sounded almost like laughter.

“I think he’s possessed!” Kayla cried.

“No kidding!”

The cat lunged.

~~~~

The next morning, Kayla woke up on the floor. Claire was beside her, groaning.

“What… happened?” Kayla muttered.

“No idea. One minute, we were about to be murdered by your cat, and the next… blackout.”

They sat up and looked around.

Gizmo was curled up on the couch, purring softly, his eyes closed.

“Seriously?” Claire said, glaring at the sleeping cat.

“Maybe it was just a bad dream,” Kayla suggested weakly.

Claire stood and stretched. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.”

As they headed toward the kitchen, Gizmo opened one eye, his glowing blue gaze following them.