Rowan swallowed. Heart rate duly increasing, he twisted his head around the umpteenth time to check if the final spot on his back was well groomed. A puddle. He paused mid-stride over it and looked down briefly — he'd never felt as self-conscious about his appearance as he did then. A wave of surprise took over him, and he stood gaping.

Since when had he looked so... different?

Fresh?

Colourful?

Young?

The gaunt quality about him he'd observed every morning for season upon season had disappeared. Each day he'd seemed older and more tired, the mountain of failure weighing upon his shoulders accumulating as his will diminished.

It was gone now.

Rowan was startled, to say the least; the person he'd seen and slowly came to accept as himself was transformed into something entirely unfamiliar. A fragment out of a distant memory; a cat he'd perhaps lay eyes on in a worn photo album from before it all started. A whole another world.

Love had always been a blurred, indistinct concept to Rowan. Fate had presented to him a bottomless fire pit and he'd been the one to leap head first in there, oblivious to the burns that would follow. Now it felt like the flames had been destroyed by a torrent of water, and if he could just extend his paw...

"Rowan?"

Ah. So he'd already reached his office.

"E-Ebony."

"That's my name. I can barely hear you, you know."

Rowan could barely hear himself. "Would you like to that restaurant down the street with me?"

"Sure —," Ebony, who had obviously thought it was a normal dinner, stopped herself.

Rowan felt his fur heat up as she scrutinised him with unreadable eyes.

"You seem different today. Are you asking — is this a..."

She didn't need to finish the question. Rowan nodded. And waited.

Slowly, she returned with a nod of her own.

A surge of relief rushed through him and he restrained himself from letting out the mother of all sighs. Looking up again, and, not spotting Ebony, he turned to the door.

The beautiful black she-cat was already outside. What are you waiting for? she mouthed as she tapped the glass.

Rowan was too busy leaking happiness to make any conversation on the way there.

X X X

"Have you been here before?"

"No, but I love it."

Rowan nibbled on a shred of tuna contentedly, peering through one of the miniature triangular windows spread throughout the restaurant. Sitting in his favourite restaurant with his favourite cat, eating his favourite food — he hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. He raised his head from his meal to look at his — girlfriend? Were they already mates? Frankly, he didn't care at that moment. That moment was too perfect to be true. Absolutely perfect.

"Ebony —"

Rowan broke off. The she-cat next to him had suddenly become very still, and he saw the completely different side to her; tail raised, dilated eyes, fur bristling, and a look of stark horror on her face. Silence shrieked at him.

"Look over there."

Rowan followed her gaze, dreading whatever awaited him. A tom was spasming on the floor, a look of death in his eyes. Rowan knew straight away that there was no hope for him and could only watch in horror as his movements gradually lessened and the shroud of death lay upon him.

"The Viper," Ebony whispered.

The restaurant exploded into chaos, everyone scrambling to get out.

The door didn't open. 

No doors opened. 

There was no escape.

Too perfect to be true, Rowan recalled, blood curdling.

Written by Saph! 🍩✨

'leaking with happiness' 

I need help. I was not in a writey mood today. Sorry.