Nightmare

When I was a kid, I read a comic book about a murderous cat. By day, the cat was as nice as could be, but by night it would slowly creep to its sleeping victim, cast a paralyzing spell, and then suck the breath out of him. The reasoning adult in me now sees this as a silly story, but, it’s funny, I’ve never forgotten it.

Last week I was dog-sitting again with Buddy, the silky terrier, and Sky, the sheltie, but this time I was also keeping the cat of the mother of the dogs' owner. Rose Lilly was a nice enough cat. She stayed by herself, and, I think, was a little intimidated by the dogs and maybe even by me. And she had a strange purr.

On the first night, the dogs and I headed for bed. Rose Lilly was off on her on. I fell into a restless sleep with Buddy curled up at the small of my back and Sky at the foot of the bed. Then I fell into a deep sleep, the kind that seems to take you far, far away.

And then the dream. A furtive figure creeping. Dark shadows and a shade of terror. Suddenly I am wet with sweat and gasping for breath, …then screaming myself awake. A slippery tongue licks across my face. OHMYGOD… OHMYGOD! My eyes see a face in the darkness looking down at me….it is the face of a slobbering Buddy the dog.

Et tu, Buddy!!!???

No...time to get up.