“Ahhh! What the fuck!” I yell louder than I should at a cat…but then again…it is a talking cat.

“Meow,” the cat states, watching me with large eyes. We both remain motionless, for so long that I begin to question my sanity.

“No, there’s no way I misheard that,” I muse aloud. I think for a few moments, before an idea strikes me. “Oh, is it a prank?” I ask, raising my voice and glancing out into the trees. I wait for a minute or two, and when nothing is forthcoming, I lean down and examine the cat who has yet to move a muscle. I sway slightly to the left and right, and only the cat’s eyes trace me. Nothing is attached to the cat; no collar and more importantly no device that would explain the voice.

“You have a good enough look, human?” The man’s voice asks me from the cat’s mouth. I stand up straight and take an instinctive step backwards.

“Ahh!” I call out, although quieter than the first time. The cat sighs.

“How many times do you need to go through this?” The man-cat asks, his head slightly cocked to the side.

“What is going on?” I ask no one in particular, glancing to the sky, almost hoping that god would come down and explain all of this to me.

“I have come simply to give you a tip,” the man-cat says, “if you care to help Emi, that is,” he finishes. I tear my eyes away from the obsidian sky to look critically at the man-cat. He raises an eyebrow at my staring, the motion strange on a cat’s face.

“What do you mean, help Emi? Is she in danger?” I ask tightly, my breath quickening. If she is, then I’ll do something, anything that I can…but what can I do? The thought makes my shoulders droop ever so slightly, bowed by the weight of my uselessness in the situation.

“She’ll surely be in danger in the future, though I know little of the present.” The man-cat says.

“If she is in danger, then what can I do about it?” I ask the man-cat, my eyes focused over his shoulder. “She is clearly not human, from what I saw, and even as far as humans go, I have little skill and little ability.” I say dejectedly. It’s true. Of all the humans Emi could have met, she met with me even though I’m not a particularly great person. If only she had met someone else, someone more capable.

“That may be true, human. Yet, the facts of the matter are that you know about her not being human, which makes you the only person who can help her right now.” The man-cat says, his words drawing my eyes back to him. If that’s true, then I guess I have to try. I owe her an attempt, and besides, what else would I do instead? Go back to work again tomorrow? And the day after? And the day after that? No, this is better, on the grounds of morality and for my own peace of mind.

“What can I do to help?” I ask again, looking the man-cat in the eyes. There is a few moments of silence, before the man-cat responds.

“You must go to the Gustol Forest, just outside of this city. Living deep in there is a human sorcerer who may be of help.” The man-cat says grandly.

“Where in the woods? And what do you mean by ‘may’ help me?” I ask, my eyes narrowing.

“This is all the help I’m allowed to give. Any more and I’ll be putting my own life at risk.” The man-cat says stiffly.

“Aren’t you trying to help Emi too? Then why not risk yourself to give me more information?” I ask. The man-cat smiles, showing off feline canines. The expression makes me uncomfortable.

“I never said I was trying to help Emi. I merely said you could if you wished to.” The man-cat says, drawing out his words in his smooth baritone voice. He isn’t trying to help Emi?

“How can I trust anything you’ve said then?” I ask, my tone darkening. Now the man-cat laughs.

“Well, that’s a question you should have been asking yourself earlier. Especially, considering you were talking to a cat. The answer is you can’t know whether I lie or not, but are you really wanting to take that risk, when Emi’s life could be on the line?” The man-cat asks, watching me closely with the eyes of a predator. Sometimes I forget that cat’s are still predators, although small and usually docile. The man-cat has me in a corner, like any cat would with a mouse. I have to go, because if Emi is in danger and I did nothing, then it would haunt me for the rest of my life. I turn around and begin walking towards the trees, not bothering to look back.

“Thanks or fuck you, depending on how this goes.” I say flippantly as I leave. I hear the man-cat laughing wildly behind me as I make my way through the trees. It follows me into the night, far longer than it should, until eventually the sounds of the city drown it out. I sigh, then smile grimly to myself. My life may be in danger, Emi’s life may be in danger…but at least I don’t have to go into work tomorrow. I frown. I’m really not a good person am I? Although, I suppose most people aren’t. I think in silence for a few moments, then shrug and head off, aiming for my apartment. These are things for smarter people to figure out. I’m just a grocery store worker…or at least, I used to be just a grocery store worker. Now, I don’t know what I am, nor what I’m even doing.