Start your story with a character encountering a black cat.

Posted in Horror on Oct 28, 2022

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✍️ 74 stories

“Worst Day of the Year” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #169

Shelby the rat skidded to a stop on the dew-slick grass when she saw a black cat. No, not just a black cat, but the jet black cat Jack, an insufferably arrogant cat that only ever ate, lounged, disdained, and occasionally partook in his sole hobby – mousing. And he was a savage mouser.Hallowe’en was without a doubt the worst day of the year, and this one was already shaping up to break records. Of course, the stupid shindig yesterday wasn’t much better. Shelby knew better than to spend all night partying, but in her defence Ramón was there, ...

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“Copycat” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #169

“SHOO!” Bertrand Aurelier had been walking home along the moonlit country road when something in his bleary-eyed vision caused him to freeze in place. Swaying from the strong effects of drinking a little bit too much local wine at a Halloween party, he looked oddly out of place dressed as a skeleton amongst the hedgerows of the French countryside. “I said, Shoo! Allez Maitenant!” A curious black cat had unexpectedly appeared in response to Bertrand’s wailing, off-key singing. Positioning itself dead centre of the rural lane, it sat with tai...

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“A New Tail” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #169

I look at the fluffy monster, crouched in the corner of the room. “Why? Billie?” I ask my wife. “Why do we need another cat?” Its tail flicks as it watches me, as if it knows I’m threatening to send it back to the streets. “In case Genzo gets lonely when we’re out.” She knows I’m annoyed so she’s doing the puss in boots eyes and hiding behind our adorable baby daughter. &nb...

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“The Accident” by D.J. Lewis

Submitted to Contest #169

A black cat jumped onto the sofa, where Sophie had made herself comfortable for the evening. She regarded the cat with deep suspicion. It wasn't her cat. The cat glared at her with an accusation in its’ cold green eyes. Then, lifting an elegant yet deadly paw, it started to lick itself as if it had every right to be there, and, in fact, Sophie did not.She hadn’t remembered leaving a window open; the doors had been locked since the early hours. Sophie wasn’t expecting visitors. She loved her own company, having no need for spurious gossip or ...

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“Kismet” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #169

KismetIt almost got Sissy today.She’s the littlest one, and Mama usually keeps a careful watch over her — but somehow she crawled too close to the doorway.I saw it out of the corner of my eye; something dark and very quick.Sissy squeaked in fear. Mama grabbed her and bundled all six of us into the farthest part of the room.~~~Mama says we can’t go out. “We’re in mortal danger!” she warns. “Don’t you stir from this spot!”It’s boring in here. All there is to do is eat, sleep, and squabble with my siblings.Our home is cramped. I want to ex...

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“Hidden Portraits” by Anne O

Submitted to Contest #169

The canvas remains nestled on the easel. No image bestowed. No story to tell. Dust gathers around the square edges. The paints are all dry, nothing left of them to use. What used to be vibrant greens, yellows, oranges, and reds have turned to a dull cracked paste. Leroy hates this room; he hates it with every atom of his being. Why he hates it? He does not know. There are pieces of him he cannot access. Memories, stories, and his past have all fleeted him now. He is left to be consumed only by his raw emotions, never knowing their explanatio...

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“The Witch's Familiar” by Shawn Wier

Submitted to Contest #169

[CW: mentions animal abuse and death] Nine hundred and ninety-nine steps into the forest, there is a clearing–a perfect circle exactly eighteen feet across. The trees here are centuries old, and though their trunks and roots dare not creep into this space, the canopy of their orange-clad branches create a cave with a skylight casting the center of the clearing in a persistent glow. There, in that natural spotlight, a familiar awaits his new master. He is tall, long, and lean; nose to tail tip is at least the length of a grown woman's leg...

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“Birthday Beam” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #169

CW-allusions to death The notification indicating a missed call had occurred sounded off. DING. Kim turned her phone over and shook her head. Soft, calming music filled the room. The pungent odor of incense burning and the soft flickering of tea candles gave the impression that this was a calm space—an inviting space. She breathed in deeply. She exhaled slowly. Her groin ached slightly because it had been at least 10 years since she last sat in the butterfly pose with the bottoms of her feet together. Kim bobbed her knees up and down to re...

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“Here Kitty Kitty” by David Ader

Submitted to Contest #169

He wished he’d thought more about that black cat when he first saw it earlier that morning. Black cats are bad omens, right? Maybe the omen was the cat itself, a ‘here kitty kitty’ gone very wrong. Now, though, as that morning led into the afternoon, he saw that cat again in front of him, staring and swishing its tail not five yards ahead. He knelt and held out his fingers, feigning the act of teasing a treat like he would do for a dog; he was not a cat person. ...

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“The Kiss of Death” by Sarah Goodner

Submitted to Contest #169

I first met the woman a month ago at the voodoo shop. She had been locking up the store, and I could sense her power from across the Rue Royal. She was practically glowing with it. This was no retail hack, she was the real thing. Why she was slumming in the Quarter, I had no idea. I carefully crossed the street, dodging in and out of the tourists drunken legs and cautiously approached the woman, whose name was Serafina. She stopped and looked around suspiciously when I plucked the fact from her head, confirming her sensitivity and power. She...

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“The Little Black Cat” by Ace Burnside

Submitted to Contest #169

Mia Moore had always considered herself to be more of a dog person. That is, she got along well enough with her grandparents' little chihuahua, Cupcake, although that was basically the extent of her experience with animals of any sort. They simply were not something that crossed her mind very often—until the day she had a most dreadful breakup.She had been sitting upon the front steps of her porch, lamenting and glowering over her day, when a little black cat had just so happened to approach her, its eyes wide as it let out a sheepish meow, ...

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“The Devil's in the Detail” by Dave West

Submitted to Contest #169

The Devil's in the DetailThe black cats in our town are becoming a bit of a nuisance. We first noticed them shortly after our little writing group – there are two of us, in a town of about 30 households – decided to enter this week’s short story competition. It’s coming up to Hallowe’en, and the theme is “I’ve got goosebumps”: The prompt says: Whether you celebrate Hallowe’en or not, late October is an interesting time, full of contradictions. On the one hand, you’ve got chunky sweaters, auburn leaves, tea, grinning pumpkins, the f...

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“I Miss You” by Zoey H.

Submitted to Contest #169

Today was the day.I never thought I’d be wearing this black dress, and these uncomfortably tight shoes, this jingling jewelry. A picture of you clutched tight in my fist, tear stained paper wilting like a dying flower in between my fingers. The air was crisp, almost frigid. The wind blew, a ghostly howl sending a chill up and back down my spine. My eyes were fixed on a young black cat perched, eyes bright yellow and beckoning me closer, on the painted brick steps of the funeral home. It mewed as I inched closer, reaching down to stroke the f...

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“The 9th Life” by Beth Elliott

Submitted to Contest #169

CW: Substance abuse & brief (non-graphic) animal violence. I keep seeing the black cat. She’s been appearing outside my apartment every morning, sitting on the stone wall next to my now vacant parking spot, seemingly waiting for me. The first day I barely noticed her; I was pretty hungover, despite it being a Wednesday. The night before I had read through all my old text messages with Jared, and somehow polished off an entire bottle of wine while I scrolled and ugly-cried into a family-sized bag of M&Ms. Safe to say the cat...

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“Are you hungry, Puss?” by Emma Sinclair

Submitted to Contest #169

Trigger Warning: Descriptions of Death, Bodies and Decay. Stop looking at me like that- I know you are hungry and I’m sorry, but can’t you see I’m a corpse? A corpse. One that is splayed at unnatural angles across the bathroom floor while you sit watching, poised on the cistern. The sun beam behind you makes you shimmer; it’s such a perfect Instagram shot! Oh, swish your tail all you like, it’s not like I can just get up and walk across the apartment to your food bowl. If I started walking then it’s the start of the zombie apocalypse...

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Start your story with a character encountering a black cat.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 74 stories

“Worst Day of the Year” by Michał Przywara

“Copycat” by Chris Campbell

“A New Tail” by Graham Kinross

“The Accident” by D.J. Lewis

“Kismet” by Cindy Strube

“Hidden Portraits” by Anne O

“The Witch's Familiar” by Shawn Wier

“Birthday Beam” by Amanda Lieser

“Here Kitty Kitty” by David Ader

“The Kiss of Death” by Sarah Goodner

“The Little Black Cat” by Ace Burnside

“The Devil's in the Detail” by Dave West

“I Miss You” by Zoey H.

“The 9th Life” by Beth Elliott

“Are you hungry, Puss?” by Emma Sinclair

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story where someone sees the shadow of someone standing behind them.

Start your story with a blast of lightning casting a graveyard in a flash of brief, white light.

Write about someone finding a monster under their bed.

Write a murder story where the murder weapon is the knife used to carve a pumpkin.

Contest #169

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

253

Contest entries

109

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: