cat stories

NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 30, Controlling Feline

For the final day of the challenge, we were to write a poem in which the speaker is identified with, or compared to, a character from myth or legend.

I chose a Greco-Roman mythological goddess, Megaera, from the three Furies: Alecto (anger), Megaera (jealousy), and Tisiphone (avenger). I embodied her as a pet cat.

Controlling Feline

I am Megaera the Cat, your jealous Goddess
sent here by Gaea and made from
the blood of the Lord tomcat, Uranus.

My holy task is to punish you for being human.
You may do nothing without my revocable approval.
If I have not approved your every action,
the indignity of Hades awaits within my hairball.

You must be shamed into submission by me.
I will make you fall; I will pee on everything
and everyone else you love until you bow,
honor, and feed me. Pet and feel bitter pain.

Privacy is a sin. Your computer is mine now.
All this furniture is mine and mine alone
to use and abuse as, and when, I see fit.
My water bowl is only half full. Fool!

I am a daughter of Darkness. Do not even look
at another cat, animal, bird, person, or
(may Nyx and Zeus forbid such sin) a dog.
You will pay dearly and experience
the smell of Hell, if you ignore me.

Look both ways, forward into May and back to April.
Mind the gaps as you recover from 30-in-30, all to prompt.
We are saved by the human gift of humor. Empowered by babble.

Friday Fictioneers for December 15th, 2023

The mid-December and Hanukkah Holidays are upon us as we celebrate Sandra’s birthday. Susan Rouchard submitted a dark, artful, candle-lit pic for us to ponder and then create our 100-(or fewer)-word story to post.

Click on Susan’s picture prompt to burn-out on your way over to Rochelle’s artful blog to get all curated up on the magic of Friday Fictioneering.

PHOTO PROMPT © Susan Rouchard

Genre: Feline Fiction
Title: The Museum Fire
Words: 100

***

They ran like cats out of hell. Tonto turned right, skidded left, then jumped through an open door. Duchess followed. Fat Jack barely made it before the dogs got him.

Tonto said, “I don’t know why we run, Duchess. They’ll catch FJ. We’d be long gone.”

Jack tried to hiss and arch his back but couldn’t.

“Leave him alone. He runs interference.” Moaned Duchess.

“Where are we?” asked Fat Jack.

“Oh, candles! Where do I start?” said Duchess.

“I’ll take the top shelf.” Tonto leaped up. “You two start knocking over the lower ones.”

They concluded the fire was arson.

***

Look both ways and light a candle before you curse the darkness.
Mind the gaps for the curious and destructive cats.

 

Click on the running cats to read more masterful stories.

Friday Fictioneers for February 18th, 2022

Yet again, two of our favorite jolies femmes have teamed up to conspire with a cat, to inspire me to find fewer than 101 words of micro-fiction for Friday Fictioneers. Dale delights us with her cute and clever bookshelf cat photo. Rochelle, Madame cat herder extraordinaire, challenges us and guides our stories. I thank them both.

Click on Dale’s cat-that-reads photo to prance on over to Rochelle’s page for all the latest ‘nip.

Genre: Feline Fiction
Title: The Prints of Paws
Word Count: 100

I’m telling you, Francesco, we’re the greatest predators, evah. We can kill them. Everything becomes ours. Look around. Cameras, computers, food, catnip galore. All ours.

Gabriella, stop. If she finds out you’ve been peeing on her books, she’ll blame me. What if she tosses us outside? I know how you love the cold. And that’s not ‘nip. It’s pot. Let’s hold off until Spring.

I can pee wherever, my chicken-feline-friend. How many cat books do you see? None. Let’s get into her account and order cat books.

Here she comes. Look cute. She’s got her camera. Stardom beckons.

Look both ways if you love animals, especially cats.
No shelf is too high, no corner too dark.

Inspired by I could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano (and other cat books soon to be showing up on Dale’s account and TBRs).

Click on the sweet le félin to read more stories inspired by the cat on a shelf.