Chapter 10
Fluffy was found a few days later. It was reported in the local paper that one of the town folk’s cat had been killed and was found in a ditch. No mention was made as to the beating the cat had received, merely that it was dead and its owner had offered a reward to anyone knowing how the cat had died.
Jake heard the story, but he didn’t seem to know anything more than anyone else. This sounds like a tall tale, but the point is that Jake didn’t remember this or the bird incident either because he would block it from his memory. He started to cry when he heard that the cat had died, and his mother leaned to him and kissed his cheek.
“Jakie” She said. “I think it is time that we got you a pet of your own. Would you like a cat maybe?”
Jake hesitated for a moment and said that he would rather have a dog if that was okay.
“Jakie” his mom said. “Dogs are a lot more trouble than a cat. Wouldn’t you like a cat instead?”
“No mommy, I could never become friends with a cat. Cats always hiss and bite when you are trying to be nice to them.”
Jake’s mother wanted to ask Jake why he would say that, but she thought it must be that he was upset to hear about Mrs. Keller’s poor Fluffy and so didn’t pursue it further.
“We’ll see, honey.” Jake’s mom said, but she didn’t really want to own a dog because she knew that it would be her instead of Jake who tended to a dog.
She didn’t mention a pet again to Jake, and the incident was forgotten, or so Mrs. Caulder thought. She didn’t realize how wrong she could have been or how angry Jake had become with her for not getting him a pet. Jake never forgot about the dog, and he never forgave his mom for that.
As the summer wore on, more cats died and were found to be beaten the same way that Fluffy had been. The locals began to fear for their pets, not letting any of them wander outside any more. They thought that some crazed person must be living in the area and for some reason, viciously beat cats and threw them away like discarded trash.
No one suspected that it could possibly be a loner child of ten. Noone, except Jake himself, knew who was doing these foul deeds. He would lay in wait for the poor unsuspecting animals and when they were close, he would pounce like a mad animal and tear and rip and pulverize their faces until they were not recognizable as cats any longer.
After the last slaying, Jake tossed the carcass aside with a look of disdain. “It’s all your fault, mommy” he hissed through clenched teeth. “You lied to me about my dog and you are mean and deceitful, just like everyone else in this shit hole of a town. It’s time for you to pay.”
And with that, as he wiped the gore from his hands from the last slaughter he had just committed, he picked up a stick and walked toward the house with nothing but evil in his heart and an almost noticeable cloud of darkness hanging over him.
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