Ch. 4 To Survive As A Cat (2)

I felt a cold breeze brush against my fur, and I gently opened my eyes. First the right eye, and then the left one.

There were countless lights dotted below my feet. I seemed to be floating above a city. And I was…in a cat’s body.

“Kkyaang! Nyaaang Nyaaaang!” (Kkyaag! Kkyaaag! Kkyaaaag!)

[Hmm? What’s wrong?! Hold still! Or else I’ll—! …drop you.]

I panicked and thrashed with all my strength, and then I felt myself drop as the bird that was holding me lost its grip. I plummeted to the ground at terrible speed. My legs floundered wildly in the air. For yet another time today, I begged to live.

“Kkyaaaang! Nyanyanyanyanyanya!” (Kkyaaaag! Save meeeeee!”)

Just before I was made into a bloody pancake on the roof of a building, the thin leg of the bird snatched me midair just inches from the ground. I barely survived by the skin of my teeth. My eyes were wide as dinner plates, and I had screamed so much that I had no energy left.

“Muaa…” (Hyaa…)

[That what close! What were you thinking?]

What? I did not have the energy to refute the angel of death for the next decade. Then a cry escaped my mouth.

“Nyaaang…! Nya…nya…” (Haaa…! Mom…haaa…)

I almost died again. My body wracked with sobs, but it was the cry of a cat.

[No matter how strong the vessel is, falling from that height will destroy it! And if that happens, then your soul will be ejected and you’ll be prey to demons.]

“Nyang, nyaaa.” (Haaa, yes.)

[Oh, it’s nice here. It’s a rooftop garden of the humans.]

I looked around with my new eyes. Manicured bushes and flower beds filled the area, and benches sat under large trees. It was a perfectly laid out garden. Perhaps we were on the top of an apartment building.

I nodded at the angel of death’s comment. My nose pricked at the smell of civilization.

[This is where we can meet.]

“…Nya.” (…Okay.)

[Very good. Then I’ll leave for now…oh, if you have any urgent messages, write it down on a piece of paper and place it on top of that tree over there. I’ll stop by when I have the time.]

“Nya.” (I see.)

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated, but I was forced to be content with my situation. The angel of death had a lot of work to do, and it was a heavy task to recreate my own body. I didn’t want to say it, but like it or not, this angel of death was my only hope.

After my reply, the bird nodded and then took flight. I thought it would disappear, but then it turned around to give me one last warning.

[Remember, the existence of angels of death are taboo! If you speak, you will receive a punishment equivalent to revealing the secrets of nature.]

“Nyaa?” (Why would I say anything?)

[…Still. Be careful.]

It was already covering up my mistake with a lie, but what could I do? I wanted the both of us to live. The bird flapped its wings and turned away again, and I yelled at it before it could leave.

“Nya Nyayaaang!” (Don’t forget me!)

I waved my paw at the bird, who dipped its head in nod before finally flying away. My eyes remained fixed on it until it finally disappeared.

A shiver of anxiety ran through me, as in a matter of an hour I had been thrown into the world of a cat. I still had to learn to navigate this body, while avoiding death and danger as much as possible.

A cat. It was a creature that I had no ties to in my former human life. I had seen them on the road several times, and maybe a photo of a pet cat when a friend bragged about becoming a butler. But now…I was a cat.

As I waved my paw in the air, my gaze flicked to that furry limb. It was a dark shade of blue in the moonlight. I titled my paw back and forth, and the colors changed from black to blue and even to purple, depending on the angle of the light. Eventually I turned my paw over to study the pink soles of my feet, and was suddenly overcome by the urge to lick it. It was a ridiculous notion for my human self, but my cat self wanted to place my tongue between those plump, furry toes—

Chalkag.

“Nyeh!” (Kkyak!)

I was startled by a sudden burst of light and the click of a shutter. My fur stood on end and my tail swelled up as large as a raccoon’s. I twisted around, and saw a dark figure emerging from the bushes.

“Oh, I’m sorry! You must be very surprised.”

I had never seen such a cheery-looking man, and his voice was low but pleasantly rich and textured. My improved sense of smell easily caught the scent of his skin.

A handsome stranger in the middle of the night. I had to be on guard, of course, but I jumped down onto a bench and padded softly towards him. This was an unusual encounter for me, as I had a natural aversion to talking to strangers. I wouldn’t return to my original body for a year though, and I desperately wanted to hold on to any form of contact.

“Nyaa.” (Nice to meet you.)

I meowed and my tail swished in interest. I didn’t even realize I was doing it at first.

“Oh, you’re quite sociable, aren’t you?”

When the man stepped into the moonlight, I unknowingly shrank back in surprise. Here I could more clearly see that he was the handsome, rugged type.

He placed his fingers under my chin and scratched it. I flinched at first, but then the attention felt so good that I stretched my neck towards him to receive more.

It was like I had never been touched before. So warm…and soft and gentle too. That hand was absolutely sublime.