Sweat drips down the side of my face as I complete unpacking the last box. I wipe it off and go to the kitchen for a drink. This apartment is an improvement from the trashy apartment my brother and I shared for a while. He told me a few months ago that he was going to move in with his fiance, so I needed to find a new place. It was a small studio pad in an apartment complex. I'm not the type to go door-to-door with a plate of cookies and gossip with the neighbors. My plan was just to finish up unpacking and head out to find a local bar. I've found out through my twenty-six years of life that all small towns have a bar.
After a well-needed drink from the tap, I head to my closet for a change of clothes. As I switch into a clean shirt, the sounds of scratching and tapping come from the door. What the hell? I pull the door open and see a small grey cat strut in. I just stare in disbelief while the cat makes itself comfortable on my Craigslist couch. I walk over to it and it stares back at me. It has a collar, so it must be one of the neighbor's pets. There wasn't any cars parked out front, and I didn't hear anybody walk into the other rooms.
"Well, I guess you're sticking around until someone comes back." One of them has to know who he belongs to. I slowly bring my hand to his face and let him smell me. He lets me reach for his tag. The apartment address is engraved on the front, but there is no name of the owner or the cat for that matter. Well that doesn't help. It rubs his head against my hand.
I should probably set out some water and maybe some food. While I might not have had a pet cat, I grew up around dogs. I take a small bowl from the kitchen and fill it with water. I set that on the floor with some leftover chicken. It came back over as soon as I was done, and I let it wander around while I watched T.V. with a beer. Guess, I'm staying in tonight.
I wake up to the sounds of knocking. I try to move, but the cat seems to like taking a nap on my chest. Nudging it onto the couch, I head to the door. I open the door to reveal a small man. He's disheveled and tired. Wrapped in a blue-plaid jacket and plain jeans, he seemed to have come back from a hard day.
"I hate to bother you so late, but my cat wandered out again. Have you seen him?" He asks deadpan. It doesn't even look like he is looking at me. He is staring into the inside of the apartment.
"Yeah, he made his way in a while ago. I don't believe-"
"You aren't Gabe." Finally he locks eyes with me. I give a confused look before responding.
"I just moved in. Name's Dean." The cat walks brushes past my leg and claws at the man's pant legs. He leans over and scratches the cat's head. He gives me another strange, crazed look.
"I was waiting for him to leave. The guy was obnoxious whenever he dropped by for a talk." I can't tell if that is supposed to be a compliment, but this guy was off. He seemed so stiff, and his blue eyes kept piercing mine. He tilts head and manages to somehow widen his eyes.
"My name is Castiel. Welcome to the seventh circle of hell." He reaches out for a handshake and I meet him with my own hand.