Horror · 2 chapters · by Royendgel Silberie · in english
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…
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
Chapter 2: White Paw Confirmation
You crouch by the cat, your eyes locking onto its paws in the dim light. One white paw stands out sharply against the black fur — exactly as the hidden note said. This means the cat before you is truly Morrow, the real guardian, not some echo mimicking him. The realization steadies your nerves. You fill the bowl carefully, hearing the grandfather clock tick closer to nine. This act—feeding Morrow before the ninth chime—could strengthen the boundary between the house and whatever that echo is. Suddenly, the phone rings again, the owner’s call repeating, their voice cautious and layered with unspoken warnings.
What happens next? Answer the owner’s call cautiously · Call out to Morrow, using his name · Close the door and prepare the cat’s food inside
