The Watchers

Ch 1.

I sat on the corner lot watching passing cars, their headlights reflecting off my bright green eyes startling hapless nighttime wanderers. I was on patrol. Rumors of a dangerous predator had moved into our neighborhood, which had supposedly been confirmed when the annoying pup down the street had mysteriously disappeared. Though no one is that concerned or distressed about his disappearance as he is by far the most annoying and obtrusive of all dogs, or any animal for that matter, that I have ever met. So the rumors that this new mysterious creature of the night did him in was plausible, but it was more likely that one of the neighbors, tired of that pups annoying antics of running in the middle of the street, chasing their small ones down the sidewalk and just generally making a big mess of things had finally done something about it. Things had gotten a little more serious in the past few days when many of my cohorts and friends had been trapped in their houses by their pets.

Humans, though smart enough to open doors and to put their appendages to good use, were too engrossed in their own lives to realize that it was, of course us, that had ownership on them. But the fact that these humans had the capacity and ability to open doors faster and more efficient than we could, many of us were trapped indoors most nights now leaving me to patrol the nights, like tonight.

So far it had been a quite night as I went on my patrol cruising my way through the arborvitaes of Mr. Brooks, the single older man living on his own next door to my house. It was theorized by our group that he was allergic to us, which was why he had never found a suitable caretaker, for that is what many of us became, in our own sense. You see my cohorts and I, from around the neighborhood, had decided to create our own group of watchers, keeping peace on our turf, watching out for each other and those in our area. And that’s what we became, The Watchers.

Like I said, it was quite in the neighborhood, however in the stillness I could feel eyes watching me. I sat still, holding my breathe, not one part of me moving, waiting for the stalker to show him self. The wind whispered over the late summer grass and tickled my nose. I couldn’t smell the intruder quite yet, but I could sense him sitting not far from me. I decided that I might try luring him out for at least a glimpse; I had no desire for a confrontation at this time, only quite and careful observation. I meandered across the lawn to the surrounding fence, lightly hopping to the middle support beam and then to the top for a better view. I heard a rustling behind me. I jerked my head in the direction it came from, my ears perked forward, listening intently. Waiting. A hiss from below me made my tail hairs bristle. The whole fence shook as something ran into it. I dug my claws into the weather worn wood and let out a short hiss. The fence shook again, this time I bolted. I wasn’t ready to take on whatever creature that could shake a whole fence. As I ran out of the yard and down the sidewalk I heard the scrapings of claws coming after me. Oh No! This nameless unknown force was after me. I darted across Ms. Walkers yard but the clawing only turned to thudding on the dead grass, and it got louder! It was gaining on me! I took a chance on the open street, hoping that this creature had more sense than to follow me out there where the human’s large movers ran wildly, and sometimes without hesitation, down our streets. But the clicking of nails on concrete only got louder and continued as it continued it’s pursuit. I buckled down and ran at my fullest. Trying desperately to escape. None of my evasions were working as I darted to a fro. What was I going to do? Stand and fight?