Sabastian

I remember the day that changed my life forever. It was the day my cat led me to the truth. One I never expected to find in a million years. Sabastian was a black cat with green eyes and a no-nonsense attitude. He was what folks called an ally cat and most of them believed -BLACK CATS- were bad luck. But not me after all Sabastian was my furry baby boy.

My husband found him in a discarded box near our trash can when he was 6-week-old. Sabastian was a helpless little thing that could barely open his eyes. He was so small that he fit in the palm of my hand. I fed him watered down soy milk from a tiny bottle until he could eat on his own. Sabastian is 8 years old now and we loved him from the start. From time to time, he was a little mischievous but overall, we wouldn't have changed a thing about him... well... I wouldn't.

Sabastian always liked to roam the streets at night, always going out after my husband left for work. I thought it was his way of exerting his independence; boy was I ever wrong. If I had known -now- what was going to happen, I never would have followed him that night. That night something was different. Something was off with Sabastian it all started... when the clock chimed 1 am, waking me from a dream I would not remember. The familiar sound of Sabastian meowing at the back door returning home from God knows where.

When Sabastian returned that night, he let out what could only be described as a child's scream. I hurried out of bed to the back door. Unlocking the locks took forever, when I finally got the door open Sabastian staggered in covered in blood. I looked out the backdoor into the night and saw no one. Looking down at Sabastian, he seemed to be fine, and I ask, "What have you gotten into this time?" I reach down, picking him up to check him making sure he wasn't injured. I cleaned him up as I had done almost every night now for a month. Sabastian claws at me until it is over, letting me know how much he hates the soapy water on his fur. But once I'm drying him with a towel he calms down and begins purring.

I'm determined to find out where he goes at night, getting into that much blood. The plan was to let him lead me to its source. Most of the morning I watch but he shows no interest in going out. He also showed no signs of distress as he begs my husband for a bit of his bacon. Later in the day I was lounging on the sofa watching TV when my husband entered and leans in for a kiss before leaving for work.

Sabastian is in the kitchen nibbling at his kibble as usual when my husband heads out. after a few minutes his whole demeanor changes. Sabastian stands by the backdoor meowing wanting to be let out. I opened the door; he went out stopping on the porch flicking his tail a few times before he caught the scent of something in the air and darted down the stairs. I waited until he was out the back gate before following after him. Sabastian went around the corner and across a field disappearing into the alley at the end of the block. It took a minute, but I caught up in time to see him disappearing through a broken window of an abandoned building a few blocks away.

The lock and chains used to secure the rear door was laying on the ground in a heap, stepping over them I entered the building. What else could I do? I had to find out where the blood was coming from... didn't I? Well, the air inside was thick and dank with a pungent smell. Once my eyes adjusted to the Quazi dark I could tell it had been left there to rot for years. They won't win any good housekeeping awards for this place. My attention jumped back to where Sabastian had gone. Taking careful steps, I followed where he led. But the sound of dripping water breaks the silence.

Then the tinkling of a bell in the darkened corner of the room catches my attention. It's the bell on his collar tinkling as Sabastian moves, leading me down a flight of stairs into a darker version of the upper floor. Once in the basement I caught a glimpse of frightful glowing yellow eyes that sent a chill up my spine as I gasped. Only to realize it was Sabastian's eyes reflecting off a beam of light. I giggle at myself for being so gullible in the moment. Then the sound of a shuffle somewhere in the dark frightens me. Someone else was there watching me, coming up behind me. I hold my breath while my eyes dart about the room looking for who it was. "Who's there?" I nervously ask, turning towards the shuffling sound. hearing nothing more I exhale and whisper, "Come on girl... get a grip,"

There is a tiny tinkling bell sound moving towards me in the darkness. Turning to run I trip over something and fall down hitting my knees on the wet cement floor in the dark. Reaching out I feel a cold hard hand as terror takes hold of me. I jump up, stumble up the stairs and out the building. Running all the way home before I stop to catch my breath. Why is there blood on me. I run inside my home locking the door and calling the police. While waiting for them to arrive I hoped that whatever I tripped over wasn't human. It all happened so fast that I hadn't gotten a good look, and I wasn't really sure of what it was. On top of that I had forgotten about Sabastian in my haste and left him there alone.

The police arrive shortly to escort me back to the building. I told the officer I didn't want to go back there. Explaining everything that had happened up to that point was because I followed my cat in the first place. But he insisted, so reluctantly I went.

Sitting in the back of a police car made me feel like I had done something bad. Isn't that silly, I hadn't done anything wrong. Had I? Then why do I feel so guilty? Why is that officer staring at me in the rear-view mirror? Does he know?

Once back on the scene I was shocked to find out that there was in fact dead bodies in the basement. The detective said the latest victim was shot 4 times and that it looked like the handy work of the serial killer they were hunting. He said how lucky I was not to have been a victim. After they had removed the bodies and collected all the evidence the owner of the building showed up with a few men. The detective took them inside to question them. My mind darted back to all that blood on Sabastian. Maybe the owner is the serial killer. Especially with all the bodies down there.

After an hour of questioning, they let the owner, and his men go. As they finish boarding up the building I remember and yell, "SABASTIAN... my cat is still in there, "Sorry... nothing I can do now," I beg the owner to let me get him and he said it was too dangerous. The detective agreed saying, "It's only a cat,"

Soon after I was taken back home. As I stood there watching the police car disappear around the corner, I noticed certain neighbors' curtains began to close. Someone inside one of those houses knew something and I knew it. But what were they hiding and how could I find out? Would the killer come after me next? Why did I follow Sabastian?

"Oh, what's the use," I said, heading inside. "SABASTIAN," I call out, but there's no cat waiting for me. My heart was breaking as I sat in his favorite place and wept. Knowing my cat was trapped and would probably die of starvation in that dark basement. Sabastian would be the next victim, all because I followed him there. I couldn't get him out, not without breaking the law and I couldn't break the law. After all I am the wife of a government official.

I cried myself to sleep. Waking as the clock chimed 1 am and heard a familiar sound at the backdoor. I ran throwing it open and there stood my husband with his keys jingling like the bell on Sabastian's collar. He was about to unlock the door when I snatched it open, startling him.

He had come home from work and was now hiding something under the sink in a paper bag just before he disappeared into the bathroom. I waited until I heard him in the shower before retrieving the bag. Upon opening it there was a gun inside. I sat down on the floor confused still upset about Sabastian. I dropped the gun on the floor when I heard meowing at the backdoor. Sabastian had gotten out of the building somehow and he was back home. Opening the door, Sabastian once again is covered in blood.

But how... unless- it all started to make sense- all the late nights, the hidden gun, the blood and the late-night showers. My husband leaves, Sabastian leaves. He comes home and Sabastian comes home. Could it be that while I had followed my cat, my cat had been all this time following a serial killer. the one the police were searching for all this time lived in my own house. The bathroom door opens. Oh No... my husband.