We where all sitting next to the fireplace, we where all stuffed after dinner. Grandma was making hot chocolate, and Grandpa sat down in his favourite chair.

“Why don’t you tell us a story, Grandpa?”

“Yeah, Grandpa!”

“Sure, I’ll tell you a story. You know I’m not superstitious, but I’ve never been able to find an explanation to something strange that happened to me back in 1943, when I was a young man. It all started this cold October morning...

 

The sun was slowly climbing over the mountain tops, and the grass was covered with frost like a big white carped. The lake was all misty, and I couldn’t even see the other side. When I thought about it, I don’t think I`d ever seen from one side to the other. Walking to school was the most boring part of the day. The weather was getting colder every day, and the walk was getting longer. I lived just outside the town, and it took about 5 min to get there. Then it was 10 min left to school. Just a couple of blocks. I was going down, coursing the damn English weather, while suddenly standing with water up to my ankles. My shoes were clearly more suited for walks on the beach, then attempting to walk on water, like some historical person.

“Why are you standing there in a middle of a water puddle, when you are suppose to walk me to school?”

That was Lisa. She lived almost right next to the school. We usually hang out at here place after school. Watching TV and just relaxing.

“I don’t know actually. I was just walking toward school, an here I am.”

“Well, we better keep on walking then, Tony. If you are finished with washing your feet?”

“Sounds good. Don’t think they can get cleaner, anyway.

 

School was just like it used to be. The only thing I really remember was Mrs Ford shouting: “You are 16 years old, for heavens sake! You should bee listening, not sleeping!” Then I felt asleep again. So it don’t think it had much affect.

 

Lisa and I went to her place after school. We had to look for her cat walking there. It had been gone for a while, so Lisa was starting to get worried.

“Where the hell can that stupid cat be? Its been gone for weeks now!”

“It’s probably going to come home tomorrow, or something like that. Cats go away for a couple of days now and then, don’t they?”

“Well, its been gone for three weeks now. It usually comes home after one week. The old lady across the street has probably taken it. She must have like a hundred cats! And it looks like it’s getting more every day!”

“Well, let’s go and take a look at here house then. MacGyver re-runs are getting a little old.”

“I need something to eat first. I’m starving!”

 

“Do you really think that the old lady has taken your cat?” I said with my mouth full of food.

“Well, yes! It wouldn’t just run away!

“Well, we should go over soon then. It’s getting dark. If she sees us in her garden at night, she probably get a heart attack!”

“Well, as long as I get my cat back, it really doesn’t matter.”

“Okay... But what’s that sound?”

“Damn, it’s the hot chocolate! It’s boiling over! I always do that!”

“Well, if the chocolate is ruined, why don’t we go over to the old lady now? I would like to get home before the sun gets up again!”

 

That old lady’s yard was spookier than I thought. The grass was wet and slippery, so when we got close enough to the window my pants where soaking wet.

“Can you see anything?”

“Yes. She’s sitting in an old chair with all of those cats!  Its probably thousand cats there!

Lisa kept looking into the window, while I kept watching. While I was looking at the street, I felt something rubbing against my leg. I didn’t understand anything. Did Lisa like me that way? I waited a couple of seconds, but eventually started to move my hand toward here. But when I touched here it felt like...A cat? I looked down and Lisa’s cat was standing right beside me, rubbing against my leg!

“Lisa. I think you should look at this.”

“Not now! I’m trying to see my cat in there, somewhere.”

“Well, I have your cat right beside me...”

“What?! “

We didn’t really know how the cat had got here, but before we had time to think about it, the cat started biting and scratching me. Trying to run away.

“What is wrong now? Why are you trying to bite Tony?”

The cat didn’t even look at Lisa, but were starring at the window. As we turned around, the old lady’s living room had turned black and we where met by a shadow with big yellow eyes like a cat, starring at us!

“AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!”

 

I grabbed the cat, took Lisa’s hand and started to run as fast as I could. As soon as we got outside the old lady’s garden, there where shady characters lurked in the dark spots between the streetlights, starring at us with those scary yellow eyes. And for every time I looked one of them in the eyes, it seemed more and more like them following us! They didn’t have legs, but they just floated after us, gaining for every step we took!

“They’re gaining at us Tony! We have to split up!”

 

As soon as we got to the next crossroad, Lisa ran off towards the forest, while I headed home. I ran as fast as I could with the cat under my arm, but the shadows  kept gaining at me. I was going to look over my shoulder one more time, when I hit a hole in the road and fell. I tried to get up, but suddenly the shadows was standing right in front of me and I couldn’t move a muscle. The shadows looked with their yellow big eyes at the cat and started making funny noises. Suddenly Lisa’s cat jumped out of my arms, and into the woods! The shadows were after it under a split second, and went right trough me! I got cold. It was like they had sucked all energy out of me. I raised my head and saw the lake. It was a big light coming out of it. And then I passed out.

 

The next morning I woke up by birds singing in the three I had slept under. The lake wasn’t misty now. I think it was the first time I could remember it wasn’t misty. I ran down to Lisa’s place to see if she had got home yesterday. If she was okay. When I got to here house she was waiting out on the street for me.

“Hello, Tony! Hurry up, so we don’t get late!”

“I don’t care about that now! How are you? What happened yesterday?”

“I’m just fine! I tell you about it after school. McGyver re-runs are getting a little old anyway!”

 

“...and that’s the end of that story.”

“But what happened to Lisa?”

“I will tell you that another time.”

“No! We want to hear it now!”

“Well, if you really want to know it, you should ask here.”

“Ask here?”

“Yes. She’s sitting right over there”

“Grandma?”

“Yes.”

“GRANDMA?”

“Just a second, dear. I have to get the hot chocolate. It is boiling over!”