Watching from the shadows

I followed her carefully, all in black it was easier to merge into the shadows. The tree-lined street my perfect disguise. Occasionally the earth would shift beneath my weight, it would send a noise out into the night, but her own heavy footsteps and sharp breathing covered any sounds I would make. Creeping closer and closer I could smell her scent drifting towards me, the sweet perfume was mixed by another scent one she didn’t even realise she was exuding, fear. She should feel me near her, but I wonder if that just made her rush even more.
                    She reached the corner and took the opportunity to glance back to the shadows. I knew she would do it and I stood silently waiting. Her eyes caught mine. The bright green of them startled her for a second and then she smiled at me. She hurried away again but I could move quicker than she could and easily caught up. She didn’t know it yet but she needed me to follow her. As she neared the underpass that headed back to her tired estate my hair began to stand on end. This was it, this was the place.
           The first shape stepped out of the shadow forcing her to slow. She moved to the other side of the road and continued forward when a second shape appeared. She froze. The two shapes turned towards each other and then simultaneously began to advance towards her. She took a step or two back, her mind confused. As she came back out of the underpass the two shapes emerged from directly behind her, stretching out to grasp her. I took the moment to surprise them and drop out of the tree I was on, clawing at one of the shapes as I fell. As soon as I reached the ground I hissed and stepped towards  the other, but it vanished back into the darkness of the underpass and away. The other stumbled backwards moving into the recess it had appeared from. I turned my head and looked at the girl, my green eyes held strong. She came towards me and placed her hand gently on my head.
                    “Aren’t you a clever cat to save me?” she cooed at me, and although normally I would hate it, I allowed her to. I already felt the connection with her, even though her change hadn’t yet begun. Yes, I definitely was meant to be her familiar.


Originally written for Mystery – this week’s Writers Quote Wednesday Edgar Allan Poe - Mysterious Cat WritingWriting Challenge #WQWWC with this amazing Edgar Allan Poe quote, but unfortunately I didn’t quite get it finished on time. So hopefully Ronovan won’t mind the slight adjustment so I could add it to his Friday Fiction Challenge using the surprise them.

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Know Your History – 29th January – Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven was Published

know your history - writing

On this day…

29 January 1845 – Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” was published for the first time in the “New York Evening Mirror.”

Born January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) Poe was an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulraventing in a financially difficult life and career

“The Raven” is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven’s mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man’s slow fall into madness. The lover, often identified as being a student, is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to further instigate his distress with its constant repetition of the word “Nevermore”.

Sources

http://www.on-this-day.com/ & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe