King of Cats
Disclaimer: Coraline and Co. belong to Neil Gaiman and to LAIKA studios. Note that the plot isn't exactly mine either, but I fictionized it first, so dibs!
"Hey, Jonesy, how's your life, and well-being, and parents?" Wybie Lovat, a boy between 11 and 12 years of age, asked his new neighbour, Coraline Jones, a girl of the same age bracket.
"Everything is fine, Wybie, just fine," the aforementioned Coraline rolled her eyes, even as she continued to stalk Cat, the big black cat who had helped her and Wybie to defeat the beldam for good. "Why are you asking?"
"There haven't been any deaths in your family recently, now have there?" Wybie continued, cringing more than usual due to respectful fear of Coraline's temper.
"What?!" Coraline shouted so loudly that even Cat, who until then was pretending not to notice Coraline stalking him, turned around in surprise. "What are you talking about, Why-were-you-borne?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I had a dream," Wybie desperately back-pedalled, determined to avoid violence.
"So had Martin Luther King, and his was much better!"
Wybie blinked and stopped, as curiosity got the best of him despite his better judgement. "You know Martin Luther King's dream?"
"No, my mother does – or someone else's dream anyways. What are you talking about?"
"Well," Wybie shifted, uncomfortable once again, "last night I had a weird dream. I was walking through the park, when I saw a funeral procession – of black cats!"
"Black cats?" Coraline replied, as she turned to their feline friend. "Did you hear that, Cat? Friends of yours!"
Cat didn't reply, but instead scratched behind his ear with his hind legs, as cats tend to do, even black ones.
"Oh, I don't think that our cat was their friend," Wybie said quickly. "These cats were as big as your dad, and they were carrying a coffin!"
"A coffin! Did you hear that, Cat? Giant cats with a coffin! Lovat, couldn't you have dreamed of something actually scary or exciting, like, um... giant squid that want to steal you from your bed?"
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! I dreamed of cats, not squids!.. Anyways, those man-sized black cats were carrying a coffin and one of them turned and looked me straight in the eye and said:
'Lovat, next morning go and tell your friend that the King of Cats is dead,' and then they marched on. Jonesy, not counting Cat you're my only friend, and-"
"Wybie, look!"
Wybie looked and immediately regretted doing so: their feline friend had puffed-up his fur, appearing to be considerably bigger than usual, and his eyes were glowing brightly – too bright for an afternoon, even a late one. And then Cat spoke:
"King of Cats is dead? But then I am the one to inherit the throne!!" He whirled around and ran at an impossible speed through the trees, quickly disappearing from sight.
...Neither Wybie nor Coraline saw their feline friend for a long, long time. But that is a different story.
End.