Meeting Abigail Benson Part 10

To say her legs hurt was an understatement. It had been one week since her ice skating adventure. Abigail was certain that her stubbornness had nearly killed her this time.

Muscles she forgot she had were sore from being used after such a long period of neglect. Abigail felt as though they were never going to recover, and she was doomed to suffer for the rest of eternity.

On top of her muscular aches and pains, her head pounded with the punishment of over-exertion.

Just once she would like to have a day in a normal body. A body that doesn’t lash out and attack her for an entire week after activity. The thought swirled in Abigail’s head as mourned for her old life. She often found herself craving the body she had before this horrible disease.

Abigail Benson was not one to cry. But today she cried.

“It’s not fair” She wept into her pillow, her head throbbing more with every sob. “Why am I even alive?” she cried, feeling defeated by life once again.

Smoke reached out with a paw. Spreading the toes of her abnormally large feet, she carefully patted Abigail on the head. Abigail was sure this was Smoke simply wanting some attention. She didn’t care. The potentially compassionate act of the silver tabby cat made her feel wanted and loved.
Smoke snuggled into the nook of Abigail’s neck. Her soft fur brought her more comfort than she could describe.

Smoke’s purr soothed Abigail, and soon her thoughts of leaving this world melted away. After all, her animals needed her. There was no way she could re-home them. Abigail knew she could care for them better. She also knew that they were well looked after by most people’s standards. That going to have to be good enough for now, besides no one really knew them like she did.

Abigail often found strength in her animals when times were dark. And today was a dark day.

Smoke stretched out as Abigail petted her, expanding to the full length of her feline body. She rolled onto her back and continued to purr while kneading the air with her front paws.

Upside down and blissfully in the moment, something caught Smoke’s eye. An odd-looking tail. She caught the end of it as it rounded the corner and slipped into the shadows.
The silver tabby cat flipped over in one smooth motion. Then, as if she was flying, she darted across the house in hot pursuit of the tail, but it had disappeared.

Smoke could smell something out of place. She had smelled that smell before. It wasn’t from this world and it wasn’t her little green friend either.
This creature carried the scent of something Smoke had smelled before. Alarms went off as her instincts told her this creature was there to harm them. She pursued the malevolent scent. Nothing, not a trace. Where could it have gone?
The hunt was on for the mysterious tail. For several minutes, the eager cat searched every nook and cranny. Every hidden space in the shadows was explored in great depth, but it had disappeared. Lost in that place in the shadows, scent and all.