combination lock. I started to turn the combination—then stopped.
I knew what I’d find inside the locker. A cat.
I started to tremble. I just stood there with both hands on the combination lock. Afraid to turn it. Afraid to open the little gym locker.
I took a deep, shuddering breath. I forced my hands to stop shaking. And I spun the dial to the three combination numbers.
Another deep breath. Then I tugged off the lock and swung the locker door open.
“Noooooo!”
I screamed as it came tumbling out.
It jumped out—bounced off my chest—and onto my knee.
25
No. Not a cat.
Not a cat. One of my black-and-white gym sneakers.
It bounced off my knee and thudded to the floor.
“Oh, wow.” I shook my head. I balled my hands into fists. I felt so angry at myself for being in a total panic.
Even a gym sneaker
terrified
me.
I dropped onto the nearest bench and waited for my heartbeat to slow down to normal. I picked up the sneaker and rolled it around in my hands.
Weird. Something was tucked inside of the shoe.
Oh, nooo.
Something feathery and gray.
I pulled it out. And with a loud cry, tossed it across the locker room.
A dead bird. A sparrow with its head dangling by a thread.
Another gift from a cat?
I jumped to my feet, tossed the sneaker into the locker, and slammed the door shut. The sound echoed through the empty room.
Then I heard a cat’s yowl. A long, shrill
yeeeooow
that sent a chill down my back.
“No! Shut up!” I screamed.
“Shut up!
Go away! Leave me alone!”
“Yeeeeoowwwwww.”
Right behind me.
I spun around. No cat there.
“Leave me alone!” I cried. I clapped my hands over my ears.
But even with my ears covered, I could hear the yowls and cries of the cats. Not just one. Several cats now. All meowing and yowling at once.
The terrifying cries rang from all around me.
I pressed my hands tighter against the sides of my face, as if trying to force them away. But it seemed to only make their cries louder and more frightening.
“Where
are
you?” I screamed. “Why are you following me?”
I had to get out of there. I had to find help.
I lurched toward the locker room door. But I tripped over something.
A cat? A cat I couldn’t see?
I landed hard on my knees on the concrete floor. Pain shot up my legs.
Meeeeeyowwwww!
And then the yowling turned to hisses. Angry hisses all around me.
So close. So close.
The hisses came at me in a steady rhythm. As if all the invisible cats were breathing together.
I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t breathe. Or move.
Invisible cats. I was surrounded by angry, invisible cats.
I shut my eyes. I wanted to be far away.
When I opened them, the cats were standing in front of me. I could SEE them!
How many were there? Eight? No. Ten? More! Scrawny. Their fur matted and tangled, with patches of skin showing through holes in the fur.
Their eyes glowed bright yellow. Like monsters in a horror movie. Their open mouths revealed pointed yellow fangs.
They formed a circle around me. Their backs arched. Their fur stood on end.
I raised my arms to shield myself. But what could I do against so many hissing, angry cats?
They all pounced at once.
Flung their claws in the air and leaped at me from every side.
“HELP me!” I managed to scream before I went down. Before I sank to the floor beneath the hissing, snapping, clawing attackers.
“HELP me! Can anyone HEAR me? I need HELP!”
26
On my back now, I wrestled with them. Struggled to push them off me.
Their fur was dry and bristly. And their bodies felt COLD.
“Help me!” I tried to choke out a scream. But a cat leaped onto my face and pressed its cold belly over my mouth and nose.
I shoved it away. Sucked in a deep breath.
And heard a pounding sound. Someone pounding on the locker room door.
“Who’s in there?” a man called. “Who locked this door?”
I recognized his voice. Mr. Weston, the gym teacher. Mr. Weston is a big guy with a huge stomach, shaggy long hair, and a bushy
I knew what I’d find inside the locker. A cat.
I started to tremble. I just stood there with both hands on the combination lock. Afraid to turn it. Afraid to open the little gym locker.
I took a deep, shuddering breath. I forced my hands to stop shaking. And I spun the dial to the three combination numbers.
Another deep breath. Then I tugged off the lock and swung the locker door open.
“Noooooo!”
I screamed as it came tumbling out.
It jumped out—bounced off my chest—and onto my knee.
25
No. Not a cat.
Not a cat. One of my black-and-white gym sneakers.
It bounced off my knee and thudded to the floor.
“Oh, wow.” I shook my head. I balled my hands into fists. I felt so angry at myself for being in a total panic.
Even a gym sneaker
terrified
me.
I dropped onto the nearest bench and waited for my heartbeat to slow down to normal. I picked up the sneaker and rolled it around in my hands.
Weird. Something was tucked inside of the shoe.
Oh, nooo.
Something feathery and gray.
I pulled it out. And with a loud cry, tossed it across the locker room.
A dead bird. A sparrow with its head dangling by a thread.
Another gift from a cat?
I jumped to my feet, tossed the sneaker into the locker, and slammed the door shut. The sound echoed through the empty room.
Then I heard a cat’s yowl. A long, shrill
yeeeooow
that sent a chill down my back.
“No! Shut up!” I screamed.
“Shut up!
Go away! Leave me alone!”
“Yeeeeoowwwwww.”
Right behind me.
I spun around. No cat there.
“Leave me alone!” I cried. I clapped my hands over my ears.
But even with my ears covered, I could hear the yowls and cries of the cats. Not just one. Several cats now. All meowing and yowling at once.
The terrifying cries rang from all around me.
I pressed my hands tighter against the sides of my face, as if trying to force them away. But it seemed to only make their cries louder and more frightening.
“Where
are
you?” I screamed. “Why are you following me?”
I had to get out of there. I had to find help.
I lurched toward the locker room door. But I tripped over something.
A cat? A cat I couldn’t see?
I landed hard on my knees on the concrete floor. Pain shot up my legs.
Meeeeeyowwwww!
And then the yowling turned to hisses. Angry hisses all around me.
So close. So close.
The hisses came at me in a steady rhythm. As if all the invisible cats were breathing together.
I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t breathe. Or move.
Invisible cats. I was surrounded by angry, invisible cats.
I shut my eyes. I wanted to be far away.
When I opened them, the cats were standing in front of me. I could SEE them!
How many were there? Eight? No. Ten? More! Scrawny. Their fur matted and tangled, with patches of skin showing through holes in the fur.
Their eyes glowed bright yellow. Like monsters in a horror movie. Their open mouths revealed pointed yellow fangs.
They formed a circle around me. Their backs arched. Their fur stood on end.
I raised my arms to shield myself. But what could I do against so many hissing, angry cats?
They all pounced at once.
Flung their claws in the air and leaped at me from every side.
“HELP me!” I managed to scream before I went down. Before I sank to the floor beneath the hissing, snapping, clawing attackers.
“HELP me! Can anyone HEAR me? I need HELP!”
26
On my back now, I wrestled with them. Struggled to push them off me.
Their fur was dry and bristly. And their bodies felt COLD.
“Help me!” I tried to choke out a scream. But a cat leaped onto my face and pressed its cold belly over my mouth and nose.
I shoved it away. Sucked in a deep breath.
And heard a pounding sound. Someone pounding on the locker room door.
“Who’s in there?” a man called. “Who locked this door?”
I recognized his voice. Mr. Weston, the gym teacher. Mr. Weston is a big guy with a huge stomach, shaggy long hair, and a bushy
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