I turned my head. My hair brushed against a black creature on the half wall behind me, standing on its haunches, its back hunched, ears perked forward. It slinked behind my head, pupils focused, staring back at the little girl. I felt its tail flick my hair.
“Ah, this is my cat Abbey.” I reached my arm over the shoulder to stroke her. “I’ve had her since she was a kitten.” The cat ducked its head under my hand, rubbing it affectionately. Through slit eyes, she continued to gaze forward. I gently pushed down on her head as I comforted her. After a few strokes, I convinced the cat to lower herself onto her paws and sit. As she did, she sank further behind me, straining my shoulder.
When I peeked back at the girl, I saw her ducked behind her chair, peeking up above the top rail. She had done so without a sound, still wearing her ghostly stare. Her eyes were wide open, still fixated on the cat. Was she afraid of it?
I turned my body to sit sideways in my chair, towards Abbey, resting my arm over the chair’s grooved rail. “Abbey, dear.” I scratched her scruff. “It’s okay. She’s a guest.” The cat always did this whenever there is a new visitor; stare them down. If she made a fuss, comforting her this way generally settled her down, even if she continued to watch the guests. Most didn’t mind her presence. However, this particular guest did not ease. The girl stared back, terrified. It seemed she needed more comforting than the cat did.
“She’s about five years old now,” I continued, attempting to lighten up. My hand made its way to the cat’s head, flattening her ears and giving her a good rub. I finally got Abbey to close her eyes as I massaged her cheeks. I could feel the rumble of her purrs. “She’s the only other resident here. So, no more surprise visits.” I tried to laugh. “Though she looks intimidating, Abbey’s quite gentle and affectionate. She would follow me around the house; provides me a great deal of company out here.”
The girl did not come out from behind her chair. Her expression remained the same.
“… Are you afraid of cats?”
She shrank further down, shaking her head vividly. I looked at Abbey, then back.
“… Black cats?”
She shook her head again, staying behind the chair. After a while, I got up from my chair and reached for Abbey with both hands. The cat broke her purring and raised her head, eyeing me curiously. “Pardon me, Abbey.” I gently picked her up into my arms, cradling the black furball. Carrying her into the kitchen, I stopped below a high shelf, reaching out a leg to nudge a nearby footstool. The shelf was too high up for me to fetch things too often. Instead, I left it vacant for the cat, since she had found a liking for the space. Standing on a footstool, I lifted Abbey off my chest and raised her up to the shelf. She pawed the air, grasping for the shelf, before I lowered her down and let go. The cat settled down in a curl, watching me with a content but lonely look. “It’ll only be a moment,” I promised as I got down and returned to the dining table. The girl peeped up, her face no longer hidden behind the chair.
“Come, let’s find you a place to sleep.”
She peered towards the kitchen doorway, then hopped around the chair, around me, to get a better look.
“Don’t worry, I set her down to sleep.”
With one final peek, the girl looked up at me and nodded twice. It was a tepid nod, her face composed but still wary; her lips drawn tightly together. I motioned for her to follow as I crossed the couch, into the drawing room and made my way up the mezzanine stairs.