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All Hallows' Eve, and the Curse of the Black Cat by @ACaparella

Winner of WattpadESL's Trick or Riddles Contest - All Hallow's Eve, and the Curse of the Black Cat by ACaparella

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Black cats have been disputed as both the symbols of Egyptian Goddesses and also the most unlucky creatures to have lived since the beginning of time. The Puritans saw them as evil and called them demons, but they were best known as witches familiar. Witches have often used their familiars to shape-shift in order to flee the violence placed upon them by the Puritans. Over time, humans became less and less concerned over the black cats and they have been coined as a symbol of bad luck. Deeming black cats everywhere as unlucky. Humans lived on believing that they ruled the world as they knew it. Little did they know the sacrifices black cats endured and the suffering cats made everywhere. But they were none the less, thought of as the lesser creature of the two. But what if humans were just naive, and unknowing of the world that lies beneath their feet coming into their world every Halloween? What if they knew, the story of the Black Cat, and how they changed the world in one night? Would their self-absorbed minds see the world they live in differently? Maybe. Here is that story, the story of one brave kitten named Tux.

The sun sets on the city, and the night settles in. The street lights come on, one by one. The shops close and the bars open ready for the nighttime bar crawlers. Alleyways become the homes of the rats and the homeless. On this night the moon hung big and bright, giving the city an eerie yellow glow. The tin trash cans sprung about as the rodents and the cats scrumage them for food. A typical night it seems for the alley cats of this city. The humans rule the land, the strays seem to just occupy space. The cars honk at one another trying to get home, the taxis start rolling in taking drunks off the streets of Park Hill and Main Street. The humans are yelling at one another. "I'm walking here!" or "Get outta the road!" The smell of fish bones settles in the backways of the neighborhood which brings the only joy the cats get in this place. Ahh the lows of feeling beneath someone, the struggle of being a cat.

Tux was the newest addition to the Alley cat strays of the city. Born in a cardboard box, his siblings were all taken to live with the humans. One by one children picked them out and he would never see them again. Before long Tux was alone in the box. The master didn't want to keep him, so he drove to a nearby alley, took the box out with Tux inside, and sat him there in the deep end of this alley. And drove away. The alley cats heard a small meow coming from inside "Meow, meow!" cried Tux. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? " said Chester. Chester was a Tabby cat, he had a scar on his left eye. " Looks like a newbie is in town!" said Poe licking his paw as he stared in the cardboard box at the little kitten. Poe was a skinny Calico cat, with long claws that he was never afraid to show off. As Chester and Poe laughed at the little guy, Tux curled up in the corner of the box, afraid and scared of the older cats sitting above. He hears a voice coming from the outside, "Knock it off you bird brains!" Jasper was the leader of this crew. He was a black cat, he walked smoothly, calmly, and collectively. Never shows fear. Jasper looks in, "He looks like you boss!" says Chester grinning from ear to ear. "Quiet!" screeched Jasper. "What's your name kid?" "Me? My name is Tux "You shouldn't be in this part of town." says Jasper. "My- my owner must have forgotten me, no-no worries, I-I- I sure he will return soon, and I'll be on my way, I promise! Please don't hurt me!" pleads Tux. " Bahahaha! Hurt you? Why would I hurt you? Look kid, I hate to break it to you but your owner isn't coming back for you. This is your new home, welcome to the Alley!" Chester and Poe giggle in the background. "Home?" says Tux, "where are all the humans?" Jasper laughs again, "Humans! Humans don't care about us! They feast all day, make noise, and carry on like imbeciles, they care for only themselves, and leave us to struggle in holes, and alleyways like these, with the rats! Humans take care of nobody and are the epitome of disgust." Tux began to look around at all the cats nearby, seeing their glowing eyes and long claws in the dark. Tux didn't want to believe him.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitties! Come and get 'em!" Alberto the head chef of the restaurant Bellatino's threw a bucket of day-old fish, fish heads, and bones out to the cats in the alleyway. "Dinner is served my little friend, come eat!" says Jasper. As the cats all rush to grab the fish from the pile, Tux climbs out of the box and scurries over. Jasper claws a little fish from the pile and gives it to Tux. " In these parts, you have to be a little savage to get your dinner." Tux was starving so he dived into his fish meal. " As Jasper cleans his black paw, he leans over to Tux and says. "See that man over there, the one who gave us this fish? That's Alberto, he cooks the food here. Every night he throws the fish out to us, it's the scraps of food that humans waste! They act like they are doing us a favor by being kind enough to feed us what's left! What an insult to cats!" Tux was puzzled, to him it seemed like a pretty nice offer to receive a meal like this every day, grant it, it's not what he is used to, but it certainly is better than chasing rodents for dinner. " They spend, thousands upon millions of dollars on fancy food all to waste it and toss it away! And our cats are left with the chewed-up fish and bones!" says Jasper. " Dollars?" says Tux. "Never mind!" says Jasper. " Just finish your meal and Chester and Poe will show you where you can sleep. I will see you tomorrow night!" Jasper walks away. "Tomorrow night?" thought Tux. Chester and Poe scoop Tux up close to their side. "Don't worry kid, you'll be safe with us, " Chester says with a clever smile across his whiskers. "Yea we got you little man!" says Poe. "Why did he say tomorrow night? Will I not see him in the morning?" asks Tux. " Oh the boss always goes into his chambers. " says Chester. Chambers is the small box high up on the metal staircase by the dumpster, that has several old clothes and blankets draped over its sides. "Chambers?" says Tux curiously. " Yes." says Poe, " He goes in early at dawn, is in his chambers all during the day, and only comes out at night," Poe explained. "Legend has it that Jasper has magic," Poe says. "Magic?" says Tux. " The black cat curse?" says Poe. Tux tried to process the story Poe was telling him. Chester claws at Poe and tells him to quiet down. "Let's just get you off to bed Tux, morning is coming and you had a long day."

Tux crawls into his bed made out of the cardboard that he was brought there in, along with some cloth that his fellow alley cats brought to him. As Tux drifts away to dreamland, he begins to wonder. What is the black cat curse? Why does Jasper not leave his chamber during the day? Is he really magic? The questions begin to settle in little Tux's mind as he begins to drift away in a deep slumber. For now, he thinks of himself as just an ordinary cat, but soon life for Tux will become dark as he learns the secrets of his new leader and the secrets of where he came from.

Morning came, the sun began to rise and the cats began scavenging. Tux stretches his little body out and extends his back legs as he arches his back and releases a big yawn. Tux hears a new voice coming from outside. He tilts his head and his ear turns to listen. "It's gonna happen tonight Chester! And Jasper needs to transform before it's too late!" Says the new feline. "Cleo, what are we supposed to do? We don't have a new leader. The kid is too young!" says Chester. "It doesn't matter! It has to be tonight or else tonight will be the last Halloween we will see!"

Tux stumbles out of his box, Chester sees him and runs over. " Hey little buddy, how was your night?" he says nervously, unsure of what Tux may have heard. "So this is Tux? Hi, my name is Cleo." Tux smiles up at her. She looked like an angel compared to the other cats. Clean, and well groomed. She had a black and white coat and stunning bright blue eyes that glowed like sapphires. Tux was surprised at how well she kept herself. "Yes, hi, nice to meet you. " Tux says. "So Tux, tell me about yourself," says Cleo. Tux gazed up at her not really knowing how to reply. He only lived a short period of time, and so far the memories he has made were not so good. But in short, he told her how he was born in a box. His mother had given birth to 9 kittens and they lived on a farm about 2 hours away from the city. One day the farmer took all the kittens, put them in the box, and took them away from their mother. He barely remembered her, but he remembers the cries as his mother cat lost her babies. He talked about how the farmer sold his siblings as human children picked them out. But that nobody wanted him. So he was left there alone in the street. "I'm so sorry for all that you lost Tux, so many cats here went through this as well." Cleo tried to comfort little Tux as he sat there with flashbacks of the times he lived on the farm. "Come with me Tux, there are some things you need to see," Cleo says. Chester looks at Cleo, "he is just a kid Cleo!" Chester says. " We do not have time Chester! He needs to understand, now before it is too late!" Tux feels his heart pounding in his little chest. " Too late for what?" He thought. Tux followed Cleo out into the city streets. Tux walked down the sidewalks of the city and Cleo showed him around. " Tux, look around you what do you see?" Tux looks around he sees a boy eating an ice cream cone, a couple of friends sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee, and the baker baking a new fresh batch of scones. It was like the city transformed during the day. "Humans!" he says as he smiles. "They seem friendly and Happy," said Tux. "Tux, you are correct, they are Humans. But look at them close what do you see?" "Tux looks again. A fire truck rolls down the street, the homeless man begs for change while everyone ignores him, and the smart kid is being picked on for wearing glasses. Cleo places her paw around Tux. "Tux, humans are complex creatures, they have the capacity to love sure, but are too stubborn, arrogant, proud, ungrateful, and selfish to care. They spend hours doing meaningless things, waste so much, and never take the time to help, even their own species. And somehow, they are superior to us." Tux takes a moment to ponder the information that Cleo is giving. Tux felt sad for the Humans and began to think about what any of this had to do with him. " Cleo, what is Halloween?"

Cleo looks at Tux and smiles. "All Hallows' Eve, or as today they call it Halloween. It's the night before All Hallows Day when all of the souls stuck in purgatory are celebrated to commemorate All Saints, the feast is known as All Hallows Tide it goes on for 3 days beginning on Halloween. In today's world humans, celebrate Halloween by dressing up in ridiculous costumes and parading their children around for treats, not knowing the evil that surrounds them. On Halloween night, the souls of the departed saints will roam in the presence of Humans. But when the veil is lifted, darkness fills the earth for one night and the undead also return, they cannot touch or harm humans, or creatures of the land, unless...."Cleo pauses. " Unless what Cleo?" " Unless the permanent transformation of the black cat does not happen on the Halloween of his ninth life," Cleo explained. Tux grappled at his thoughts, trying to comprehend what she was saying. Undead walking the streets? "So who is the black cat that needs to transform? What does he transform to?" asked Tux. "Black cats are known as the Witches Familiars. They are shape shifters and can transform into their human-like state during the day. One black cat is the chosen one, who is burdened with the responsibility of transforming into a human-like state permanently on the Halloween of their ninth life. Tux, when the veil lifts, it's not just the undead and all saints that return... all evil roams. Evil Witches and Warlocks, Goblins, and Demons. If the Black cat fails to transform and mark the change of season, there will be hell on earth. Humans will suffer, be tortured, and eventually will die. And as self-absorbed as they may seem at times if they die and evil runs the earth. Cats everywhere will also die." Cleo expressed as the worry on her face showed through. " So who, Cleo, who needs to transform?" Cleo takes one look at Tux and says "Jasper". Tux now understands. " Tux he needs to transform, and you will have to take his place as leader. " Cleo exclaimed. Tux paced back and forth.."Chester is right! I'm not ready to be a leader! I can't transform during the day!" Tux exclaimed. " You will grow into your Warlock powers over time, but you have to take your place as the leader of cats, it was no accident that you were brought here. You are destined to be a shapeshifter and will also take your place one day just as Jasper must do tonight." "Tonight?" Tux shouts in fear. " Yes, Tux tonight is All Hallows Eve, Halloween." As frightened as Tux was, he looked around and knew that there was still good in humans, that they still deserved to be alive. " Well, Why are we not talking to Jasper?" Tux asked. "Because Jasper has changed, he became too cynical. He wants to stay the Black Cat. He wants to destroy humans. Tux, if we don't get him to transform, all of humankind and cats will perish." Tux knew he needed a plan.

Cleo and Tux run back to the alleyway to meet the other cats before sundown. Tux sees Chester and Poe in a panic as they begin to run towards them. "Thank God you have returned Cleo! You need to do something, the rest of the alley cats are talking about siding with Jasper, Jasper is planning on allowing the undead to be unleashed to destroy all humans!" Poe exclaimed in fear. The sun begins to set and the darkness begins to set in, Cleo springs on top of the metal staircase and sees the alley cats banning together. Cleo begins to yell "Listen to me! Jasper does not want to save you, he is out for revenge on the humans!" "They deserve everything they get!" screams an alley cat in the background. "No, stop please we need him to transform to keep the evil from being released when the veil is lifted!" " I say let the evil kill them all!" chanted the cat. Tux jumped beside Cleo and screamed as loud as his little voice could, " the undead and evil creatures will kill you too!" shouts Tux. The cats settle a little and begin looking at each other. The sun is now completely gone. Tux continues " They will kill all cats so that way evil can rule the earth! Jasper is not thinking straight and is going to kill us all!" screeches Tux. The cats laughed, and Jasper walked out. " Oh silly little Kitten, they don't want all Cats, just the Black Cats. And as it turns out, I have made a great deal with the lord of the underworld that if I don't transform, I can live on forever!" says Jasper, " So as you see, the only one that needs to die, is you!" Jasper leaps in front of Tux and Cleo stands in front of him. " Bahahaa, Cleo you haven't even told him have you?" Jasper snickers. "He needs to focus on being the next leader!" Cleo shouts. " Tell me what?" asks Tux, " Look closely Kid, who is Cleo? Don't you remember?" says Jasper. Cleo looks at Jasper and says "Stop it, Jasper, Tux don't you listen to him!" she exclaimed. " She is your mother, she knew you would be taken, and she did nothing to stop it. It's prophesized that you would be the next leader! She gave you away!" Jasper laughed. "Cleo, is this true?" asked Tux. " Yes, I am your mother." I knew this was where you were going and I knew that you were the next in line," says Cleo. " So why should you trust, anything she says? Jasper says pacing around Tux. "She could have made this whole thing up. " "No!" screams Tux. " My mother would never lie!"

Just then the ground begins to shake, "You're too late, Cleo! The dead will arrive soon!" Jasper says running off and his band of followers run after him. " Where are they going? what do we do now!" says Tux panicking as the clouds begin to thicken around them. " He is going to the center of the veil, the only safe place he can go and not have to transform. Quick we have to round up all the Black cats to help fight off the evil. " Cleo exclaimed as she ran towards the streets of the city. "Follow me!"

Chester, Poe, Tux, and a few other alley cats follow Cleo to the veil. The saints began to roam, and shortly after the undead came through the veil. "It has begun we have to get him to transform before it is too late!" Lightning begins to strike all over the city, the humans begin to run as creatures begin to unleash and Jasper is nowhere to be found. "He should have turned by now! He must be at the center or otherwise, the humans wouldn't be able to see the creatures. " Cleo says "What do we do now?" Poe says, clinging to Chester. Suddenly, The black cats come out from everywhere and begin to use their power to weaken the veil. "What are they doing? Aren't they supposed to stop the creatures from coming out? All of a sudden a loud grunt echos throughout the city. " Tux, they need you! You are the next leader, you have to stop them!" Cleo tells Tux. " I don't know how!" Just look deep within and you will find your strength. Hurry now before the under lord is released!" Cleo shouts. "But they are making it worse, they are making it easier for them to get through!" says Tux. "They have to weaken the veil to release its power that way Jasper will have no choice but to leave the center and accept his fate. "

Tux joins the other black cats and stands in front of the veil where Jasper stands and all of the creatures, demons, monsters, and goblins are coming out. Tux closes his eyes and whispers to himself, "You can do this." Tux digs down inside his thoughts searches deep inside his heart and finds the part of him that has the courage and strength to stop Jasper. He releases his power and the veil begins to light up. The black cats surrounded him and passed more energy to him to exalt more power to the veil. Jasper was forced from the center and the veil began to swirl and the creatures, demons, and undead were forced back to the underworld. Jasper began the transformation and was soon shape-shifted into his human state. The black cats closed the veil and sealed it.

" No!" screams Jasper. "You imbeciles! what have you done!" Cleo looked up at the human form of Jasper and said "The human race needs to go on. They are meant for greater things and will be the reason this world goes on. Without them, we all perish" Cleo says. Jasper grabs Cleo by the back of her neck "We could have built it better!" He squeezed her neck and tossed her aside. "No! Mom!" screams Tux. He runs over to what seems to be her lifeless feline body. As Tux curls up beside her, Cleo begins to awaken, "Well that's life number 5... 4 more left!" "Mom!" Cleo stood to her feet. The cats begin to cheer. The night began to end and the day began to break. The alley cats ran back to the alleyways. "It's time now Tux for you to lead the cats and help the humans, bring peace to their minds and hearts. " Tux began to shapeshift and turned into his human form. "It's over Jasper, it's time for you to go," Tux says, Jasper began to whimper, as he had no power and could no longer shapeshift into a cat.

Jasper was doomed to live the rest of his life as a human, the one thing he despised the most. He would go on and retire his life as the leader of the cats. For now, there is a new leader the Black Cat Tux. Who will go on to help humans with struggles and everyday life. And as for the Alleycats, some would come to Tux asking for help to get a new home, they wanted to be loved. So Tux would help them find a home. The other Alleycats would follow him, and help the humans overcome the many sorrows in their lives. The sorrows that had made humans become very bitter. Cats learned how to soften human hearts and showed them how to live again.

Halloween became what it was meant to be for humans and black cats alike and they found ways to overcome their indifference. As for Cleo, well, she finds ways during the day to occupy her time.....Legend has it that you may find her in the strangest of places and if you look closely she may be sitting in front of you in plain sight.

Wink.

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