Almost A Cat

“Hey, Gene, before you go in there-” Aria froze, her hand set on the worn doorknob of her little apartment.

“Yeah?” He listened, and for that, Aria was grateful. The last man to come to her house had fled, screaming bloody murder to all who would listen. He’d never called back. Gene would be different.

“Just a few words of warning about Ellie.”

“That’s your cat?” He flashed her a smile. “See? I pay attention.”

“Yeah, well, close the door behind you. And don’t look in Ellie’s eyes. Or don’t look at her. At all. She, well, she takes it as a challenge.” And instilled madness, insanity, and a myriad of hallucinations that had harassed her Aria for months. The visions ceasing once she learned that indulging eldritch beasts was a bad idea, and she could only hope that Gene would be able to do the same.

“What is she, feral?”

“Feral- in a sense, yeah. And if you do make contact, try to keep your emotions under control. The cat preys on them.”

“The cat preys on emotion?”

She lowered her hand and pressed her back against the door. She needed to get this right. “She’s not exactly a cat. Something much worse. But if you follow my lead, she can’t get to you.”

His ever-present mask of contentment was gone. A worried expression crossed his face, and he tilted his head in a way that Aria couldn’t help but adore. “You gonna invite me in now, or what?”

“Her full name is Elizibacht. If she tries to get into your head, just say ‘Elizibacht, down.’ But don’t use that name unless she’s getting aggressive. It just brings her closer.”

“What?”

Aria set a hand on his shoulder as if to emphasize her point. She stared into his eyes, unyielding and firm. He wouldn’t lose himself to Ellie.

“I- uh, are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Humor me.”

“Elizibacht.” He almost said it perfectly, though his voice was less guttural than the ancient ones had commanded of her. It would do in a pinch, if only to let Aria take care of the beast. “Can I come in now?”

Aria sighed. She could take care of Ellie, but only if she watched Gene like a hawk. That shouldn’t be a problem- it was wishful thinking to imagine he’d stay the night. “Fine. I can handle the cat. Just don’t look at her, alright?” She fumbled at the doorknob, found it to be locked, and spun to face it.

She worked at her keys for a moment, silently cursing herself. Three keys- it shouldn’t take this long to find the one that fits. She unlocked the door, her palms slick, and pushed it open.

Aria stepped inside and took a deep breath, forcing her wild nerves to calm. Ellie wasn’t anything worth worrying about. For there was only cause for concern when there was cause for concern. The ancient ones were counterintuitive like that.

She turned. “Come on.”

He smiled, any sign of wariness gone. “You sure there’s nothing more? No demons under your bed?”

“It- it’s a little messy in there.” She attempted a smile, and Gene laughed.

His laugh was soothing, playing on her ears almost melodically. She let it calm her, embracing the moment. Every ounce of inner peace beat back against the incredible power that jockeyed for her sanity.

“Just don’t worry about it, alright?” It was probably too late for that. She should have just let the ancient ones take Ellie back for the day. Then there would have been no need for her to whip him into a panic. “There’s nothing to be afraid about. Ellie’s just a bit wild.”

“Not Elizibacht, destroyer of worlds?”

“No,” she spoke a beat too quickly. It was a joke. Gene was just trying to lighten her mood. She attempted a laugh.

He stalked inside, any trepidation forgotten. Aria shut the door behind him, locked it, and drew the deadbolt. Just to be safe.

“This is quaint,” he said, his eyes scanning the room. Where was Ellie? Aria needed to find the beast before Gene did.

“Don’t like it?” She peeked into the kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief as she spotted the vague shape in the corner. She drew her eyes away as the insane chattering began to echo in her mind, and brushed past Gene.

“Quaint? You know, cozy? Peaceful?”

“Right. Sorry. I guess. My benefactor picked it out for me.” Adopting an ancient one took quite a toll on one’s mental stability, but it ensured a few benefits. This house was hers. Until she returned Ellie, and the deal was ended.

“Your benefactor?”

“My father. I meant to say my father. He lived in the area for a few years. Helped me save up for the down payment.”

“You own this place?”

She picked a blanket off the back of her couch and stalked into the kitchen. “One moment,” she said and draped it over the formless horror. Ellie spouted a thousand curses, promising an endless cycle of death and destruction. Aria leaned in, carefully setting a hand on the quivering blanket. “Yeah, I know.” She leaned in, whispering to the ancient one. “You be nice, now. Don’t go driving the nice man mad. There’s a treat in it for you.”

Ellie froze at the word treat. Aria couldn’t tell how much she understood, but there were a few words that she recognized. Treat. Despair. Walk. Slaughter. The promises of boundless destruction ceased.

“Aria?”

She straightened and left Ellie to her corner. “Sorry. You were saying?”

“You own this place? I would have thought- you know, you working part-time at the diner and all- that you’d rent. Or something. You know, I don’t expect someone our age to own a house like this.” He leaned against the arm of her couch, planting his hands in his pockets. Every bit at ease, despite the horror that lurked a room away.

“Oh. Yeah. It wasn’t that bad. Just a few drops of blood- sorry, just a few years of penny-pinching and I eventually saved up enough for it.”

He laughed. “You’re a little strange, you know.”

Prolonged exposure to an ancient one did wonders to isolate a woman. She laughed, for once at ease. “Where do you live? I can’t remember if you said something.”

“I didn’t.” He leaned forward. “I rent a place downtown with an old college friend. Not much, to be honest. I’m glad we decided to come to your place.”

“Yeah,” Aria spared a glance into the kitchen. The blanket was where she’d left it, the bulge beneath it still calm and relaxed. It was always a mystery. Ellie might be bolting through the house in a matter of minutes, or she might stay there for the next three months. She hoped it would be the latter, this time. “So am I,” she said, lying through her teeth.

Again, this evoked a laugh. Was there anything that wouldn’t make this man so… jovial? Or was that just how the untainted humans acted in their everyday lives? It had been a long time since she’d been so free with someone. It felt nice.

“Well, I rented Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, if you wanted to watch something. Or we could order something to eat.”

“Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”

“It was on a list. On the internet.” She strode over to him.

“What kind of list?”

“Oh, you know. Just a list.”

“Right. I just wanted to know what I’m getting into, that’s all. I’d love to watch a movie with you.”

“Yeah…” she trailed off, her eyes flicking back to the kitchen. The blanket lay flat on the ground, and Ellie was gone. She ran a hand along her brow, pulling it away slick with sweat. “Here. Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to go clean up- I’ll just be a minute.” She couldn’t stop her voice from shaking. Gene noticed.

“Is something wrong, Aria?”

“No. No, nothing at all. I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.” And that much was the truth. She gave him a weak smile.

“You’re beautiful when you’re nervous.”

“I-” she was caught off guard. This was how dates were supposed to go, wasn’t it? Was she that unprepared? Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you?”

“You’re welcome?” he asked, his voice thickly layered with sarcasm. “Look, Aria, don’t worry about it.”

“No, I really- I just need to clean up. It’ll just take a minute.” She spun on her heels. She wasn’t going to let Ellie take this from her. Not again.

“Aria, please. I’ve dealt with the ancient ones before.”

She froze, the blood draining from her face. She spun to face him. “What do you know?” She looked into his eyes, scanning for any sign of corruption. Ellie couldn’t have possessed him. Not that quickly.

“I know that working part-time at a small-town diner doesn’t pay enough to afford a place like this.” His eyes were clean. There wasn’t a hint of malevolence in his spirited brown eyes, no sign of the ancient one. She swallowed, forcing her mind to calm down. “And, to be honest, you’re not very subtle. Anyone with an iota of experience in the ancient ones would know what Ellie is.”

“You knew… everything.”

“My mom was in a contract- same as you, I believe. I grew up with interdimensional horrors stopping by for a cup of tea and a chat. I can handle a little one like Ellie.”

“Then… what do you want? What do you want from me?” She clenched a hand, nervous no matter how much she tried to look at ease.

“How about we watch a movie? Then we can order some food, see where the night takes us?” He smiled at her, charming as ever, and Aria relented.

She smiled, and for once, the expression hid no pain. “I’d like that.”