It was afternoon.
I opened the door, looking for my cat.
My eyes moved around the room.
She wasn’t there.
Then I noticed the window.
Her toy was kept there.
A small white cat sculpture. Sunlight was falling on it, giving it a soft golden glow.
Outside, the day looked warm. A light wind came in through the window. The curtain moved a little, and the light inside the room felt softer.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Watching it.
Then I remembered.
My cat.
I started looking again.
Under the bed. In the corners. Behind the chair.
Nowhere.
I turned to leave.
“Biscuit khaalo” (come have your biscuit)
The voice was soft.
Sweet.
I stopped.
I looked around the room again.
No one.
Everything looked the same.
I moved toward the door.
“Biscuit khaalo.”
This time it sounded even sweeter.
But something felt off.
I stayed near the door.
My eyes moved across the room first.
Bed. Corners. Window.
Then the toy.
It moved.
Just a little.
Not enough to be sure.
Enough to notice.
I told myself it was the wind.
I thought of picking it up and placing it on the bed.
Before I could move, it shifted.
Slowly.
Inch by inch.
It was facing the window before.
Now it was facing me.
I couldn’t move.
Its black eyes slowly turned red.
“Biscuit khaalo.”
I tried to step back.
Nothing.
My legs felt stuck.
Like they weren’t mine anymore.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
Then I heard it again.
From behind me.
“Biscuit khaalo.”
This time the voice was not sweet.
It felt heavy.
Cold.
Something was behind me.
Close.
Too close.
I forced my eyes to move.
Slowly.
I looked.
It was there.
A bigger version of the same toy.
Standing right behind me.
Just watching.
I tried to scream.
No sound came out.
I forced myself to look back at the window.
The small toy was still there.
But its face had changed.
It was smiling.
A wide, unnatural smile.
A black curve stretched too far across its face.
Its eyes were glowing red.
Both of them were watching me.
“Biscuit khaalo.”
Something cold touched my shoulder.
I woke up.
My breathing was heavy.
For a second, I didn’t move.
Then I slowly looked down.
My cat was on the bed.
Quiet.
Playing with the same small toy.
She pushed it lightly with her paw.
It rolled a little and stopped.
Facing me.
