(c) all rights reserved · COVID-19 · dverse · fauna · fiction · poetry · prosery

dVerse — prosery — Night Feeders

msjadeli

A Cat Watching the Moon in a Dark Street' Photographic Print - Luis Beltran | Art.com

In their dreams they sleep with the moon.
–From Mary Oliver, “Death at Wind River”

Once pampered, now refugees, at dawn they slink in grimy, forgotten shadows of Oldtown to their den until dusk falls. Their fortress is woven with plastic, glass, and metal discarded by the giver-of-treats who will never again pet their once-luxurious fur. Mlady and Dotty, who before competed fiercely for their mistress’ favor, now curl together for warmth and comfort. In their dreams they sleep with the moon.

A whiskey bottle shatters like an alarm clock.

Mid-September’s chilled evening lessens the stench, but food is still easy to find. The real danger lies in becoming prey for the other night hunters: winged, clawed, two-legged. Hugging darkness, pupils black holes, Mlady spies food and gives a chirp for Dotty to follow.

The arm of a Covid-19 casualty has been tossed aside by bigger predators. Still fresh, they drag it behind a dumpster and begin to eat.

[144 words]

Merril is today’s host for dVerse.  Merril says:
Write a piece of flash fiction or other prose of up to or exactly 144 words, including the [quote at the top.]

 Image: “A Cat Watching the Moon in a Dark Street” by Luis Beltran

 

Published by msjadeli

mother, gardener, retired government worker, observer, reader, learner, bicyclist, woman who runs with the wolves, lover of music!

59 thoughts on “dVerse — prosery — Night Feeders”

    1. Thank you, Bjorn. I worked at the cat shelter yesterday. Combined with my younger son telling me that MI is back up to April levels of Covid-19 cases, my mind mashed them together. I can see that also.

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  3. Your story brought a tear to my eye, Lisa; it made me wonder what would happen to my girls if anything should happen to me. I pamper my cats, not too much, just enough. I suppose they would survive in a similar way to the ‘once pampered, now refugees’ you describe, and would ‘curl together for warmth and comfort’. When I read the final lines, my jaw dropped!

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    1. Thank you, Lillian. The scenario is what would happen to my cats (Mlady and Dotty) if something happened to me and Covid-19 has its way. I pray that day never comes, but there is a lurking shadow that hovers on the edge of possibility in my mind.

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  12. I had a cat once. DELICIOUS! (Ya gotta be sure they’re properly barbecued, though.)

    I’m not saying anything about your outstandingly wonderful story, though, because, um… I dunno; next year it might not be fiction, eh?

    Seriously, Lisa, way to go.

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  19. When pampered pets are left behind or set out to fend for themselves… my goodness. I can’t imagine what mine would do. Mind you, she does bring us the bodies of her kills so methinks she might survive… Dark, you went, young lady!

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  20. A peek of the dystopian underbelly of your imagination. If a cat’s owner dies, it will dine on the corpse, whereas a dog would lie by the side until death or someone comes for it.

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