Being confined within these cells is truly unbearable. Catnap and I are unable to do anything of substance. Our existence revolves around slumber, and as such, we both possess the red gas, an integral part of our systems, something we’ve both utilized. Yet, this shared trait has led to our imprisonment. It’s been determined that Catnap’s gas induces violent nightmares. Whether mine does the same remains unknown to both the workers and myself.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding my gas, containment is deemed necessary. My similarity to Catnap, particularly my avoidance of children, has fueled their apprehension regarding me and the gas we produce.
Even in our separate cells, communication persists. Not through spoken words, but telepathically, one might say. We intertwine our tails, a silent language passing between us. Our tails, thankfully long, bridge the physical gap with ease.
Catnap is formulating a plan, a grim strategy to eliminate the inhabitants of this place. He speaks of aligning himself with Experiment 1006, viewing it as a deity, a savior who will liberate us. Considering Catnap is, at his core, still just a kid, one might dismiss this as childish fantasy. However, knowing Catnap’s nature, his intensity, it’s clear this is no jest. He punctuates the day with hushed pronouncements, “THE PROTOTYPE WILL SAVE US,” or similar dark prophecies.
I find myself wavering on the edge of belief in this Prototype…
“Hey guys…”
Dogday’s cheerful voice cuts through the heavy atmosphere, interrupting my train of thought and Catnap’s silent brooding.
“Uhm. A kid drew pictures of you both, they were wondering if you were coming back…” He extends a paw, offering us the child’s drawings. Sloppy, yes, but undeniably heartfelt, a gesture we both appreciate in the sterile confines of our cells.
“Do you… know, when you two are coming back…?” He asks, his hopeful tone contrasting sharply with our grim reality. I shake my head in silent negation, while Catnap offers no response, lost in his own dark world.
“Oh…” Dogday’s usual sunny demeanor dims slightly.
Reaching a paw through the bars of my cell, I gently touch Dogday’s head, my fingers moving to stroke behind his ears.
“We’ll come back, Dogday. Eventually,” I reassure him, a promise tinged with uncertainty even to my own ears. My touch moves to the soft fur under his chin, offering gentle scratches.
“Mm.. Okay!” His tail, a barometer of his emotions, wags with renewed vigor, a canine beacon of optimism.
A playful poke to his nose, “Now you go on and make the kids happy, okay?” I instruct gently.
“Mhm! Bye you two!” He waves a paw in farewell, his bright spirit momentarily lightening the gloom.
Normally, such open affection directed towards another would ignite jealousy in Catnap. But this is Dogday. There’s a deep-seated trust Catnap holds for Dogday, a knowing that Dogday would never betray that bond.
Yet, a flicker of jealousy still crosses Catnap’s features, a silent, spooky communication questioning my actions.
“It was because I knew he needed comfort, Catnap,” I telepathically soothe his unspoken concern. “We’ll stay together, always.” (Not in a romantic, adult sense, but in the innocent, steadfast way of childhood friendships, the kind seen in children’s shows, rare but real. I have no intention of imbuing our bond with anything beyond that pure connection).
His jealous tension visibly recedes.
Then, the day arrives. The day Catnap chooses to act. He’s already escaped his cell, having somehow pilfered a worker’s keys. Now, he releases me.
“Do you… Want to kill with me…?” His question hangs in the air, heavy with implication.
Hesitation flickers within me. Not the Critters, not the innocent toys. Not any of them. Only those adults responsible for the darkness here.
“Only the bad adults…” I concede, unsure if this compromise will satisfy his darker urges. Thankfully, it seems to. He turns and disappears into the facility.
Leaving me alone.
‘I need to warn the others,’ the thought flashes urgently.
I find them gathered in a common room, bursting in with a desperate plea.
“YOU ALL NEED TO RUN. GET THE KIDS TO A SAFE PLACE. SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN—”
Screams erupt, piercing the air. Men and women, children, their cries filled with terror, not joy. Confusion clouds the Critters’ faces. What am I talking about? Why the screams of horror?
“GET THE KIDS. NOW.” Questions are thrown my way, but Dogday, ever the leader, acts, multitasking, trying to shepherd Critters and children to safety, a desperate effort that proves tragically insufficient.
I must run too. Run to fulfill my grim pact, to kill the ‘bad adults’. As promised.
Moments later, I find myself amidst chaos, desperately guiding children towards any semblance of safety, while simultaneously hunting my targets. Then, I see him. The man who inflicted torment, who cruelly teased Catnap and me.
No turning back now.
I seize him with a paw, a brutal scruff of fur and flesh, and hesitantly, I eat him. A visceral act. My pupils dilate, senses heightened. The taste is… intoxicating. The children fade from my mind, collateral damage. I lash out, throwing them against walls, stomping, a grotesque mercy to end their lives before… consuming them?
A flicker of something akin to conscience remains, even amidst the carnage, even after murdering innocents.
Ugh. The wave of adrenaline crashes. The reality of the slaughter unfolds before me. Blood, lifeless bodies. My doing. But Catnap… Catnap will be proud.
And he is. He appears, surveying the scene, surprised, perhaps even impressed by my capacity for violence. I, who always tried to temper his darker impulses, am now steeped in blood.
He approaches, a rare expression of… something… on his face.
“Good… Job,” he praises, his voice a low murmur.
My pupils flare anew at his words. He rubs his head against mine, a brief, almost tender cuddle. Purrs, deep and resonant, rumble from his chest.
I nuzzle back, purring in response. Just us, two cats, amidst the… aftermath. Blood soaking into the very fabric of this place.
Just a cat ^_^.
After the adrenaline-fueled hour, Catnap and I methodically search the facility, ensuring no life remains. Then, Catnap abruptly vanishes, disappearing in pursuit of some unseen purpose.
I can only hope Dogday is safe.
Ten years pass. Now, I ‘worship’ Catnap. My devotion to him mirrors his to the Prototype.
Dogday, tragically, never embraced the Prototype. His fate is… chains. I offer him comfort when I can, though Catnap’s watchful gaze limits my interactions. He trusts me, but he trusts more when he is watching.
Aside from that shadow, Catnap and I are the cuddliest kittens imaginable. A disturbingly cute cat duo, if not for the… murder.
