Ghost Cat Inky

“Meow?” Said Inky questioningly as he looks around at the Rainbow Bridge.

“Woof! Stop where you are. My name is St. Penny and I decide who proceeds through these gates on behalf of the Highest Power,” explained the large Weimaraner dog. 

“If all dogs go to heaven does that mean all cats go to hell?” Asked Inky.

“No, silly! There are plenty of wonderful kitty cats up here as well as doggies and bunnies and hamsters. All animals get vetted before they come through,” explained St. Penny. 

“What happened to me? How did I get here?”

“Shhhhhh, don’t worry about that. It means nothing right now Let us go through your life and see if you have a pure heart.”

St. Penny went through everything from birth to death with a fine toothed comb. “Uhhhh, Inky? You have proven to have a confrontational behavior and a bit of a vengeful streak.”

“No! I have been a very good companion to my servant, Charlie. He loved me and fed me. He pet me and took me to the vet to get shots, and yelled at me when I sharpened my claws on the couch and ripped it open……” Inky’s anger started to rise and come bubbling to the surface. 

“From what I have observed by talking with you and reviewing the tape reels of your life,  I judge you as unfit for heaven and banished to purgatory where you will have to undo all the mischievous you have caused in order to walk those handsome black paws through these here pearly gates,” said St. Penny.

“Tomorrow is Halloween. It is the time where the living and the dead are merely separated by a thin veil. You will be able to do more than just spook. Unless, that is all that you are planning.”

“Grrrrrrrr, hissssss,” answered Inky as he growled showing his displeasure. Before he knew it he was in a large waiting room. There were litter boxes lined up against the far side of the wall and scratch posts on the opposite wall. The walls were in relief with gold flakes and outlined in silver. It was beautiful!

“Who the hell are you?” Asked one particularly rough looking Tom cat. 

“Hey Bubba, we have fresh meat here,” said another beefier looking cat with a torn ear. 

Inky got pushed back and forth between the two until he balanced on his back legs and extended himself up to a formidable height and made the loudest most mean sounding growl and hiss that he could muster. 

‘PISS OFF!” Hissed Inky.

“Well, shit. We have a feisty one here, Tom.”

“Indeed we do, Killer. Indeed. We. Do. “ agreed Tom with a slight grin on his face. 

Inky was worried and knew he had to watch his back. The two cats had let up for now, but he had a feeling they would be back for more soon. He had to get out of here. But the only way to do that is to come back as a good ghost cat and help out Charlie. 

Chapter 2

The next morning Inky woke up back in his favorite cardboard box. “Phew, it was all a horrible dream,” he said to himself. He kneaded the old torn up bed that he slept on in the box and curled up to go back to sleep. In the other room he heard Charlie quietly crying. Inky slinked into the bedroom. On his way, he passed a full length mirror and felt his body jump back from the fright- although there was no body there at all. He couldn’t see himself. Inky thought, “Well, I will just go up to Charlie and head butt him and purr. That will make him feel better.”

So he did. But instead of making Charlie feel better, he scared the bejeesus out of him. Charlie leapt out of bed and looked down at his bed. He felt around but no cat. Another tear rolled out of his eye and then he decided to get ready for the day. St. Penny came down for a brief cameo and told Inky that he was doing well and that caused Charlie to stop crying. 

Dawn rolled around the next day, and Inky found himself back home, well at least in spirit. Inky spotted Charlie’s grandmother’s vase that he had on display in the corner. Inky felt mischievous overtake him. He couldn’t control himself and suddenly he launched his body toward the wall in the corner and parkoured himself sideways and the vase landed with a terrible breaking noise. Inky inwardly snickered to himself. In the past he has done that with mugs, sometimes with hot coffee in them. Charlie would get so mad. Charlie came running in from the other room and saw his beloved vase covering the parquet flooring.  

“That’s the darnedest thing.” He got out the broom and dustpan and got to work cleaning it up. 

St. Penny came down in an instant and scolded Inky for his troublemaking ways. “You will never get to heaven this way, Inky. I’m very disappointed in you. I had hope yesterday at your kind gesture but now I feel that you are slipping into your wicked ways.”

“What? I don’t know what you are talking about,” lied the black cat.

“I can see right through you, Inky,” admonished St. Penny. “No, really. I can see right through you,” she said with a crooked smile. 

“Ha. Ha. Very funny. Listen, I’ll try harder.”

“Ok, you have one more day to help make Charlie’s life better. If I were you, I would start having a serious conversation with yourself about how this is going to be done. “

“Meow” was all Inky could come up with. 

Chapter 3

Inky found himself in his favorite spot, right beside his servant, Charlie. He was all cuddled up in the nice warm blankets. Inky got down and padded to the kitchen to see if he had any food in his bowl. Of course not, stupid, he thought to himself. 

He looked outside and noticed a very sad looking cat in the neighbors yard. She was very pretty with grey stripes that reminded him of a tiger- but grey. Since he wasn’t corporeal he materialized outside. He brought with him his favorite plastic bag and most awesome cat toy.  He set it out on the back porch for her and produced a soft mew sound that drew her toward him. Of course she couldn’t see Ink Man but saw the comfy plastic bag. She liked the way it sounded when she wiggled her butt on it and thinking the toy was a real mouse, she pounced playfully on it. She was having a grand ol’ time. 

While Inky was doing all of this, Charlie had gotten up and saw the sight of a tiger cat- but grey- outside. It warmed his grieving heart and he gave her some tuna in a can. After she was done eating she rubbed herself up against Charlie and that was it. Love at first purr. 

Because of Inky’s kindness and empathy, St. Penny made a decision about her little trouble maker. Boo got a new home with Charlie and the handsome black cat was whisked away by Penny who grew long blueish brown wings and off they went. The feeling of getting flown to heaven by one of the highest brass was invigorating. Inky started thinking about all of the confrontational and disagreeable things he had done when he was alive. A new emotion, regret, was creeping through his body. St. Penny felt his body stiffen and asked him what was wrong. 

“I feel so bad for all of the crappy things I’ve done. I am truly sorry,” said Inky. 

“And that was the final puzzle piece, Inky. You’ve done it and now you can walk through the Pearly Gates,” said St. Penny.

Chapter 4

“Here we are, Inky. Here in heaven you will never be sad or lonely ever again,” explained St. Penny. 

She opened the gates and all of heaven opened up into this never ending reception area. Out from the clouds comes a cute female orange tabby- his girlfriend. Inky swallowed hard and ran up to her rubbing his head on her neck and she did the same. 

“I missed you so much, Cleo.”

“I’ve been waiting for you, Inky.”

The two kitty cats walked through the clouds in the crowded area into an afterlife of bliss.