The Second Reality

Chapter II

There was a blur of movement near the bed, then suddenly, a shrill growl echoed into the room. The dark shadow jumped paws ahead, and landed on the fluffy pillow, clawing it fiercely.

"Very good!" shouted Calissa in contentment. "Again! Midnight, attack!" commanded the girl.

The black hairy ball repeated the action, doubling the effort this time, accompanied by a guttural throat sound, that was similar to a puma devouring its pray.

"Good job!" she continued in amusement, while petting the soft ebony fur of the animal. Midnight purred with pleasure at the touch of his master, knowing that the hard work will be rewarded with delicious treats.

"Calissa! Stop acting like he's a dog, and keep the noise down, unless you want the whole neighborhood to hear you!" rumbled a voice from the kitchen.

"But..mom! I'm teaching him how to attack on my signal. Isn't this cool? I think he was actually a dog in a past life!" murmured the teenager with a joker smile on her face.

Midnight responded as well with a loud meow, using his communication skills to approve what the girl just said, then yawned and curled on the bed near a stuffed bear. Calissa sighed, tied her long black hair up in a bun, and threw herself on the soft mattress, making the sleepy feline wince. She closed her eyes, while listening to the gentle rain tapping on the bedroom window, feeling the whiskers of her only friend tickling the back of her hand. Thoughts were running wildly through the weary mind, spinning in circles and kneading her brains: "What happened yesterday? Was it a dream? A hallucination? No! It was real! It must have been, otherwise, I'm slowly going insane!"

She tried to remember the scene from the park again, this time in detail, analyzing the facts, and hoping to find a logical explanation to what had happened:

"I'm Sezim, by the way"

"I...I'm Calissa"

"Calissa! What a beautiful name! May I sit with you? If you don't mind, of course." said the handsome stranger while revealing perfect white teeth in a wide smile.

"His beautiful looks would make him the ideal candidate for a Colgate commercial!" she thought while, as under a spell, moved to the right, in order to let him sit on the bench.

"I know that sometimes life seems difficult, and you think that everyone is against you... Trust me, I understand how you're feeling, but also try to look at the positive side of things. In a universe where everything is about energy, frequency and vibration, what you put out, is what you get back. In other words, your thoughts and emotions create reality. Have faith that everything will work out for you, and it will. Don't give up on hope and on your dreams....especially on your dreams!" continued Sezim in a deep fascinating voice.

Calissa felt the truth of his words as shivers throughout her entire body, like an information that suddenly surfaced from a lost memory in the corner of the subconscious mind. She nodded her head in agreement, and looked up at the deep blue sky, where the sun was caressing cotton clouds. It was like he knew the struggle inside her soul, he understood what she was going through, without her having to explain anything. Who was this stranger? Where did he come from?

"I think you're right" answered the girl, as she continued looking at the sky. "Listen...have we met before?"

As she turned to face him, no one was there to answer. It was like he vanished into thin air, leaving behind a subtle sweet musk scent that had been lingering in her nostrils since then. "What happened? How can anyone disappear like that? Am I going crazy?"

"Calissa! Calissa! yelled a voice close to her ear.

The startled teenager opened her eyes to see an angry mom standing near the bed.

"Get dressed! You'll miss the vet appointment, and Midnight needs to be vaccinated! You really have to learn what responsibility means!" said the mother, pointing at the clock

Calissa jumped out of the bed mumbling, and headed towards the closet.

The evening wind was blowing gently through the branches of the trees, and the symphony of the traffic made her feel alive. She squeezed the cat close to her chest, as she hastened the pace, then turned left to an alley behind a long row of tall buildings. Midnight was silently watching the new world around him, with curious big eyes, fascinated by the noises and beautiful lights. The girl looked down at him and smiled, but soon after, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a voice that struck the back of her head like thunder:

" Oh, look! It's the creep again!"

Calissa froze for a few seconds, then acknowledged in terror the presence of the bully she had met yesterday on her way to school. "Damn you, universe!"

"What is your problem?" she turned around and shouted

The boy was now facing her, boiling in rage, looking like a rhinoceros on two legs.

"Right now, you and your cat are my freaking problem!" replied in disgust the bully.

He took a few steps forward, breathing heavily, then, when he was close enough, pushed the girl with such force that she staggered on her feet, moving backward. She desperately tried to find a balance, clenching on the animal in her arms, until she eventually felt a cold brick wall in the back. The fear started to surround her like a slimy veil, digging its way into the heart. She wanted to scream, but her throat was strangled by panic, as she gazed in different directions, in the attempt to escape the imminent danger. While she was struggling, a thought hit her brain like lightning. The anxiety tentacles released the vocal cords, allowing her to open the mouth and say the trigger words:

"Midnight, attack!"

The cat strained his muscles, then, with a gurgling roar, he jumped right on the shoulders of their attacker, digging his claws into the flesh. In the next second, the dark alley was shaken by a loud countertenor scream:

"Fuck! Fuuuuck!"