I open my eyes with a start.

“Good kitty!”

A smiling woman giggles as she pets me with long strokes.

I involuntarily scrunch my face and curve my small quadrupedal body. It’s embarrassing, but there’s something about being a cat that makes pets irresistible. It’s strange; back when I was a human, I never liked bodily contact.

That’s right. I used to be human.

It had been just another fall morning when a strange man burst out from my closet and stabbed me in the waist. Shocked, I struck back and tore the perpetrator’s mask, getting a fleeting glance at his face. But that was all - I then fell to the floor and bled out. My sight fading, I could only glare out toward the invader’s shadow and curse. Revenge. I need revenge!

When I awoke, I was held up by two slender hands, staring into the smiling face of a cute blonde woman.

“Soooo cute!!!” She made an expression as if she had seen the most precious thing in the world. Slightly turning her head - “Did you see, Molly? Did you see his little eyes flutter open?” And then to me - “Little one, your name is Rudy. Got it, Rudy? I’m your mama, Jessica!”

I was completely befuddled. Did I cross over? Was this woman named Jessica the gatekeeper?

But over time, I discovered that somehow, I didn’t fully pass on, but was reborn as one of three mackerel tabby kittens in Molly’s cat Tamara’s litter. At first sight, Jessica had (apparently) fallen in love with me, so she took me home.

At Jessica’s home, I spent the first few days in a daze. What was this? I was now a cat?

However, as Jessica showered me with more and more affection, I started to enjoy it. She would feed and brush me three times a day, and best of all - pet and cuddle me constantly! Soon enough, I looked forward to every time Jessica came back home.

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“Murr…”

I purr softly, squirming my body in pleasure. Jessica’s skilled hand strokes behind my ears and down my neck.

But it’s over too soon. Jessica takes her hand away and laughs. “You love it, don’t you Rudy?”

“Murr… Murr…” I beg with my paws for her to continue, but she shakes her head.

“I’m busy today, Rudy,” she gives a slight sigh, lightly patting my head and smiling warmly. “But I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know why, but something’s been giving me the creeps lately… feels like someone’s watching me. Please protect me, huh Rudy?”

I stare back with worry. It seems like Jessica is distressed.

—————

At night, I’m awakened by a light tapping sound.

“Hm?”

I open my eyes, my feline eyes granting me clear vision throughout the dark house. Within moments, I’m sure something’s wrong. Someone’s there, and it’s not Jessica. The steps are too heavy, too purposeful.

Silently getting up off my sleeping cushion and treading toward the sound, I get a bad feeling. The sound is coming from Jessica’s room!

Tap… tap… the footsteps get louder.

I speed up and rush into Jessica’s room, and then see it - the silhouette of an invader. Spotting his face, I freeze.

It’s that guy, the person who murdered me that day! He’s now trying to murder Jessica?

“RAWR!!!” I leap toward the invader’s leg and get a clean bite on his leg.

“AHHHH!!!” The man screams loudly. He flails his leg, trying to get me off. “Damned cat!”

“Huh?!” Jessica wakes up and looks around frantically. “Who’s there?!”

“GET OFF!!!” The man screams repeatedly, battering me with his bare knuckles. But I take the hits and hold on. I must protect Jessica, and get my revenge!

“Rudy…!” Jessica instantly realizes what’s happening. Letting her vision adjust, she grabs her metal-framed lamp and throws it toward the flailing figure.

BASH!

It hits the invader in the head, knocking him out. He crumples to the floor.

“Murr...”

I finally let go of my bite, utterly exhausted. The man had beaten me black and blue. However, I felt a sense of victory. I had protected Jessica!

“Oh Rudy!!!” Jessica rushes over and holds me tenderly. “Rudy, you protected me! What a good boy!”

————-

A week later. The perpetrator is arrested and thrown in jail.

Jessica scratches me behind my ears and giggles. “Oh Rudy, what a good kitty! I knew you would protect me.”

I purr contently. Maybe, just maybe, the life of a cat isn’t so bad.