It's Almost time

It’s almost time

As Jessup's head throbbed as her life faded out, she lay on the floor staring at the little calico bastard licking its front paws.

Earlier in the week, Jessup was standing on her front porch when she heard the meowing.

Having looked around for a moment, Jessup lowered to her knees and peered through the small opening of wood.

She quickly got to her feet and rushed down the side of the steps pulling away from a panel of lattice.

She waited in silence for some time as she searched in the darkness. As the blackness seemed to deepen, a whisper rang out: "It's almost time."

“Hello?” Jessup spoke while backing away.

"Is there someone in there?" She reached for the lattice to replace. The quiet was broken by rustling followed by the sound of something rushing straight for where Jessup knelt.

She screamed quickly standing up. A flash of fluff began to scramble up her nightgown pants, clawing through to her skin. She unintentionally found herself grasping the thing tightly with both hands as she held it away from her, fighting the urge to throw it across the yard.

It was only after she realized what she had and the two locked eyes were she able to somewhat calm herself.

The little calico kitten let out a meow, and Jessup let out a nervous giggle before instinctively pulling it to her chest and cradling it in her arms.

“Oh my goodness!” She exclaimed. You frightened me!” Jessup cooed at the kitten as she pet it.

“Jessup, is everything okay?" A voice sounded behind her. Jessup turned to see her neighbor Bethany peering over her white picket fence.

“I'm fine, yes,” she replied.

“Did you find something?” Bethany tried to carry on the conversation.

“Yeah, I found this little guy,” Jessup said as she quickly made her way back up the stairs, closing the door behind her.

If given the chance Bethany would eat up all of Jessups time with idle gossip about people. She would just have to replace the lattice later.

Jessup had begun to take up residence in the living room soon after moving in. Roommates never stayed long enough to pay the second month's rent and Jessup had the same problem when it came to relationships.

Even though she was strong and independent, could keep a job, and did not depend on mommy and daddy's money. She always seemed to find herself alone in the three-bedroom house.

The last roommate was fun and sweet but went through five jobs in one month. Jessup needed and wanted stability. She was not about to take care of anyone but herself and now her new roommate.

No matter how strong in public she was, Jessup was uncomfortable in the big house all alone.

Besides, if she needed to make a quick getaway, she had a faster shot to either the back or front door if she stayed there on the couch, and the kitchen was so much closer.

"First things first, you probably need some milk. Oh, I believe I have some cream!" Jessup was gitty with her find.

She had never been a loud pet as a child and any person she had ever roommate with or been with seemed to despise the thought of taking care of anything but themselves.

"I will love you forever. You are going to be the only thing I need in my life," She said pouring a small bowl of cream and stroking the kitten as it drank for a moment, then Jessup quickly got to work continuing her day as normal.

She sat at her desk, put on her headphones, and began taking calls from her computer correcting medical issues with insurance claims while the kitten screamed and cried when it lost sight of her as it roamed around the house.

The kitten found its way over the desk that was set behind the couch to where Jessup sat and it began climbing half up her leg in the middle of a call.

She tried desperately not to cry out in pain as its little claws pierced past the layer of pants into her skin.

Jessup quickly muted the call ignoring the insurance person on the line complaining in her ear, "Oh you little Banshee," she spoke setting the kitten in her lap where it curled up and went to sleep.

Jessup smirked stroking the small kitten's fluffy fur as she finished up the call.

"That's a good name, isn't it? You are my little Banshee." She spoke looking down at the dark mix-colored ball in her lap, the headphone bleeped with another call.

After a long day of work, Jessup took a quick shower and was quickly on the couch with Banshee.

After staring at a computer for most of the day Jessup did not want to melt her brain anymore with electronics.

She checked that the alarm was on and accurate on her phone before plugging it in, placing it on the metal and glass coffee table in front of the couch, with banshee tuck under the blanket beside her, she quickly fell asleep.

The first night with Banshee was not too bad. The kitten was cuddled close under a thin blanket with her on the couch.

Once after Jessup attempted to move, Banshee let out an irritated mew while digging her claws into Jessup's side. It was the second night when the nightmares began.

Jessup dreamt she was being chased through the house by a dark shadow.

She found the windows, front and back doors were locked and she could not get out.

It whispered, “It’s almost time” as it followed her from room to room the shadow almost on top of her.

Jessup opened her eyes, finding herself back on the couch. The black shadow now hovering over her Jessup let out a scream, forcing herself to wake up yet again.

She opened and closed her eyes quickly this time, rubbing away the last of her grogginess to ensure that she was fully awake.

She could see nothing in the room with her. Jessup released the lamplight beside the couch was on, but she remembered turning it off?

A painful pinch on her chest made Jessup reach for the blanket to comfort Banshee.

Tossing and turning through her nightmare, she assumed that she must have disturbed, possibly even hurt Banshee.

She lifted the blanket to find a slimy, midnight green, hairless monster staring up at her with handfuls of flesh from her chest.

Jessups' nightgown was lacerated by its claws and ripped deeply, causing blood to leak out as it tried to seemingly burrow inside of her.

She screamed, hurling the blanket and the monster over the couch's arm at her feet.

After a moment she once again heard the whisper, "It’s almost time."

She rolled off the couch hitting her knee on the coffee table.

Once she realized the lamplight was not on, she struggled to her feet, finally grabbing hold of the cord to the lamp on the side table that illuminated the room.

Jessup made her way around the couch watching the blanket twitch and move. She reached down grabbing a corner of the blanket and popped it up into the air.

Banshee spilled out, rolling against the wall. She got up and began meowing walking in a drunken sideways motion.

Jessup stared at the kitten confused.

When Jessup realized Banshee was a kitten, not a grotesque little monster she rushed over scooping her up. She sat down on the couch again.

“I am so sorry little guy. I had a nightmare. I guess I was still dreaming." Jessup looked down at her nightgown, there was no damage. She lay down on the couch picking up the blanket and wrapping herself up again.

She put Banshee back on her chest but on top of the blanket this time. Jessup also thought it might be a good idea to leave the lamplight on.

The next night, Jessup dreamed she was standing in her bedroom watching herself take a shower.

The little gremlin monster from her dream the night before scuttled past where she stood in the room over to where the other her showered.

After disappearing into the tub, Jessup watched in horror as it began clawing its way up her body and ripping at her flesh.

She watched herself yell and scream, wildly throwing herself around, losing her footing, and slipping outside of the tub, hitting her head on the toilet before ending up crumpled and lifeless on the bath floor. Her eyes and mouth agape in horrific anguish.

From behind the shower curtain, the eerily little monster was now a tall cloaked shadowy black figure stepping out walking toward her.

Jessup remained motionless. The large figure extended its blackened hand out touching her cheek.

“Is this a dream?" She asked.

The large hand left away from her cheek rising high into the air, its long nails slashing across her chest. Suddenly, Jessup felt herself falling backward.

She awoke sitting up from the couch in a cold sweat. She took in a breath and realized the Banshee was nowhere around.

Had she thrown the poor little thing again?

She stood up, stepping down on Banshee who let out a yowl. Jessup quickly pulled her foot away, losing her balance, and began tumbling backward hitting her head on the corner of the metal and glass coffee table.

As she lay bleeding on the floor the black shadow from her dreams seemed to appear sitting in the center of the couch staring down at her.

He gently stroked the little calico that was licking its paw.

Jessup took in a breath as she watched the kitten morph into the green little gremlin monster. It crawled to the shadow's shoulder where it then turned back to the kitten looking down at her with its little head tilted to the side as if it were waiting.

Waiting and watching. The shadow whispered, “It’s time.”