The black cat

The Book Fair was buzzing with life. The mystery writer and animal lover was patiently signing her readers' books.

The line moved forward without haste, until a black cat appeared at the end, motionless, its amber eyes fixed on her.

At first, she thought it was a fluke, but when the crowd dispersed, the cat was still there. It advanced towards her and rubbed itself against her leg.

That night, in her hotel room, the noises began: rustling on the floor, whispering, fuzzy voices. The air was heavy, heavy.

When she turned to the mirror, she noticed that her reflection was odd, out of focus, as if she was breathing a second later than she was.

Suddenly, the figure in the mirror twisted and reached out a hand beyond the glass, trying to get out. That's when the black cat leapt onto the bed, snorting and baring its fangs.

The cat attacked the mirror with ferocity, clawing at the surface as if tearing at reality itself. The creature in the mirror vanished, consumed by darkness.

With a final crack, the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. From that night on, she never slept without the cat again, realising that there are things in the darkness that she could not see, but he could.