Chapter 1: The Ninth Chime
At 8:59, muddy pawprints appear on the clean kitchen ceiling. You put down the cat food. The owner's note has only two lines: Feed Morrow at nine. If you hear your own voice, don't answer. The grandfather clock begins to chime. Something brushes your ankle, warm and ordinary. A black cat stares at the empty bowl. Then your phone rings. The owner's number. That's not my cat. Get outside, Lila. From the locked front porch, your own voice says the same words a heartbeat later. The cat bites the note from your hand. On its reverse, damp ink reveals a third line: Morrow has one white paw. The clock strikes eight.
What happens next? Check the cat's paws before filling the bowl · Ask the caller a question only the owner knows · Lock the kitchen door and follow the ceiling tracks