THE POWER WITHIN

Justin walked into the fortune teller’s parlor with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes.

“Syble, what you told me yesterday has been driving me crazy, I need you to meet me somewhere more private, I was thinking the old mine. Can you be there in an hour? I need to know what I should do.” Syble looked up at Justin with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

“Damn boy, you look like you haven’t slept in days, what’s wrong with you now?” “I don’t have time for stupid questions, can you meet me or not?”

“I’ll meet you, but you’d be wise to watch your tone with me young man, I won’t hesitate to teach you a lesson.” She said stroking her black cat’s head.

“OK, Ok, just be there in an hour.” Justin walked away, making his way down the busy street heading towards the mine.

“Crazy old bat better know what she’s talking about, he said out loud. “What does that even mean, how can black cats hold the power to knowing the truth about my parent’s deaths?” Justin arrived at the mouth of the mine and paced back in fourth for what seemed like twenty minutes.

“She better show up, I need her for this to work,” Justin thought. “Where is she, I told her one hour, she’s late.” Syble walks around the corner into the mine.

“Your late.”

“I’m a busy women Justin, what can I do for you?” Justin staired at Syble for what seemed like a few minutes.

“I need you to tell me what you know, and don’t play with me women.”

“It’s simple Justin, get the black cats, all of them, once you have them, you’ll have all the secrets.

“And how am I supposed to collect all the black cats in town, and where will I keep them?”

“That’s for you to figure out young man, and you best watch your tone, the cats aren’t the only ones with secrets you know.”

“Fine, you best get out of here, I’ve got work to do.”

“Alright boy, but heave my warning, treat the cats right, or you’ll regret it.” Justin made his way back home and filled his truck up with wood and tools to build a fence and headed up to the old mine.

“Ok, there are sixty- seven black cats in this town, I must build the fence big enough for all of them pulse the ones people from out of town bring for the celebration, but wait, can I keep them all together? Or is it just the cats from this town that hold the secrets?” Justin thought. “I better build two cages.”

“Better hurry up with that boy, the celebration starts in three hours.” “What are you doing here Syble? I thought you left.”

“Just wanted to see how you’re going to make all this happen, you’re not too bright boy.”

“Unless you’re going to help me, get out of here Syble.”

“Ta ta for now Justin.” Justin continued to build the gates for the cats.

“Crazy old bat, she better be right about this, or she’ll pay,” he said. A couple hours later Justin finished the gates for the cats.

“Ok, I have an hour left until the celebration starts, I need to get over there to scope out my plan of attack, he thought. He stood by the big, big tree where the celebration was being held.

“I need to find the perfect spot to grab the cats without being seen,” he said. A man in a black cat costume walked by.

“That’s it,” thought Justin. “The handlers, they have access to the whole celebration, and better yet, no one will know it’s me inside the costume,” Justin thought with a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“Hey you.” He yelled. “Where did you get that costume? I have to start working soon and can’t find one.”

“There over in the trailer behind the big tent, just write your name on the form before you take one,” said the man. Justin headed towards the trailer. Inside he found the costumes and found one close to his size and tossed the sine up sheet aside.

“Yeah, I won’t be sighing that.” Justin said. hearing the announcement to start the show.

“Come one come all, you cats and kittens we want to see them all,” said the voice.

Justin stepped out of the trailer, and headed to the big tent where all the black cats are signed in.

“This is my only chance to grab the cats, I have to make this work,” Justin thought.

He took the first cat and looks around.

“Oh no, what am I going to use to transfer the cats to the mine? How could I forget this step,” he thought. He turned around and unzipped his costume.

“Desperate times,” he thought. Justin started hiding the cats in his costume, one after the other.

“Ouch,” He yelled as the cats started scratching him. Everyone in line stopped and watched him.

“Ouch, umm, cramps.” He said. Justin suddenly took of running towards his truck.

Shoved the cats in the cages he had waiting and ran back to the big tent.

“Dang,” he thought, “how many did I miss while I was gone?” Justin kept grabbing cats one after the other, turning and shoving them in his suit.

“Oh no, this is bad.” He thought. “I’m not treating them with care, this is bad, this is bad.”

Justin feared the cats would show their true powers for being treated poorly.

“Ow,” he yelled. Justin could feel the trickle of blood running down his chest.

“Their getting angry,” he thought. He grabbed the last twelve cats and ran back to his truck.

“Don’t worry cats, I’ll make it up to you, I can fix this, when we get to the mine, I’ll give you a big bowl of food,” “No, no I forgot to get the food,” he thought,” as he shoved the cats into the cage.

“There he is,” Yelled a man. He’s got the cats, get him.” Justin got in his truck and drove of with an angry crowed on his tail.

“Stupid boy,” said Syble from behind a tree. Justin drove down the road losing the crowed, and drove up the hill to the mine, he took the cat’s out of the cage in the back of his truck and set them in the cages he built in the mine.

“Oh know,” he said. “How do I tell what cat’s are from in town and witch ones aren’t?” Justin contemplated on what to do, setting them in the cage, one of the cats got past him.

“Damn,” he yelled. Justin ran after the cat deeper in the mine, the farther her went the darker it got. Justin gasped seeing two human skulls laying on the ground.

“I wonder what happed to them,” he thought. Justin grabbed the cat that stood on top of the skulls and walked back setting him the cage.

“There you go little buddy, stay with your friends,” he said. Justin grabbed the last few cats and put them in the cage.

“Now what? I don’t feel any different, he said. If I did all this for nothing Syble will pay. Syble walked around the corner.

“Don’t worry Justin, you’ll have all the answers soon enough,” she said petting her black cat.

“You forgot one dummy,” she said and placed her cat with the others.

“You see Justin, like any animal, if they’re not treated right, they aren’t loyal,” she said and threw a powder at Justin.

“What the hell Syble,” he yelled. Justin stared to stumble. “What did you do to me?”

“The same thing I did to your parents long ago,” she said opening the gate. The cats all ran jumping and scratching Justin all over his body making him fall to the ground.

“You see boy, that powder has a subscience in it that paralyzes you, the cats love the taste. You will feel everything, but you can’t stop it,” she said. “Now I just let the cats do the hard work for me. But don’t worry Justin, when its time, I’ll lay your skull next to your parents,” she laughed. Thank you for getting my cats for me boy, they will be paralyzed to so I can get them to my little farm, but unlike you, they will survive.” Justin laid on the ground unable to move as the cat’s scratched and bit him.

“Just let go Justin, soon enough you be with your parents again, just like you always wanted boy,” she said smoking a cigarette. staring up at the sky his breath stared to fade. Taking his last breath an eagle flew above him sending him home.

Jill Harris is from Cadillac Mi. She is the legal guardian of three beautiful children, and has a passion for writing, with hopes that one day she will have a book published.