Hi! Welcome to Across the Street, yet another horror story from me. (I haven't done another good one in months.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this miniseries. This is about an abandoned house across the street which was accidentally trespassed by one of the neighbours named Arthur Kirkland. His misfortune will start as he chose to make a certain odd cat go home- or what he thought was the real start of it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any character that has copyright. All I own are the plot and the dialogues. Some references are used, but they are not any stories published in .
Warnings: I will keep this one Rated T so maybe just strong language.
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Across the Street
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Summary: I woke up to a weird 'thing' in my flat, and no one guessed it was the start of a very strange encounter- or lifetime, if I could say. This is a story about me and another unlucky person who were trapped in a curse- a curse of eternal cycles- that we were bound to break. Or so we thought.
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Across the Street
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It was supposed to be a normal day for me. A very normal day this dull winter break. I would normally wake up like never refreshed and just continue to making breakfast for Camelot and myself. I would take him out for a walk, and run into people from all walks of life. I would go to the grocer to get some goods, burn food, buy more goods, and burn some more food. And then the day would end with me gaining nothing, really.
But today was different. Something very strange was in front of me- as I went to see Camelot and wake him up if ever. It looked like a big fur ball to me, and a big bed for Camelot. I found my cat lying on a big soft-looking fur ball that magically entered my flat. I kept doors and windows locked at night. I don't have any cat doors for Camelot so it couldn't have gone through there either. And the funny thing was Camelot didn't seem to mind its presence. Is it some sort of stuffed animal?
I walked towards the corner and crouched to touch my cat's head. Camelot rose and looked at me with his expressionless eyes- soon getting up to stretch. I then took a hold of the fur ball and lifted it up with two hands- only to see that it has a long tail, flabby body, four limbs and a face. It also had a certain fur pattern that puts a pair of glasses on its face. Apparently, it was a cat: a very furry and fat cat that was as soft as pillow, yet as heavy as a big block of rock.
"Hello there." I spoke to it to wake it up. Its eyes opened and started to panic, making ugly meowing sounds as it struggled. I then put it down, "There, there, I won't hurt you." I turned to my cat before picking him up while he was washing his face, "Isn't it early to take home a mate, Camelot? It's not yet mating season. And a tabby cat at that. Have some kind of preference, Camelot; she's like twice your size. What are you, a spider? Show me the extra four legs then!"
Somehow, I felt eyes were fixed on me as I decided to tickle Camelot and give him some belly scratch. I gazed down to where the other cat was, and I found it staring back at me as if getting real jealous. I then stopped and looked at Camelot for a while before putting him down to pick the other cat. But then, Camelot ran off to his milk dish at the kitchen- the strange cat chasing him.
Walking closely to follow them, I strayed to get a spare dish for the visitor and the milk Camelot was waiting. I filled the two dishes and laid them next to the cats. Camelot started drinking his milk, but the strange cat went to drink on my cat's dish. Of course, Camelot would scratch his face in response. Instead of retaliating more, the strange cat just whimpered a meow and sat as if waiting for Camelot.
That already picked my curiosity so I went near and picked the heavy cat up again. It started to panic but soon calmed down as I petted its head. Carrying it like a baby in one arm, I inspected its furry body and found out that it's a male, too, and it had a worn-out cat collar. I tried to rub off the grime that hardened on its plate... saying the that cat was called Hero.
"Okay, Hero. Why are you here?" I held him again with two hands and raised him to stare at its funny-looking face. However, it just slumped and enjoyed hanging from my hold. I then made him rest against my shoulder, and I walked to get to the nearest window. From there, I saw the abandoned house across the street. Its cat door seemed to be moved from inside, but the hinges got stuck because of rust. I then looked back at the furry back.
"Alright, I have to take you home now, Hero."
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Across the Street
Rei Haruno- Sakura no Imooto
Part 1: The Stranger
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The house was abandoned longer than my residency in that flat across the street. The residential area was too wide so houses were scattered; unlike the position of this flat and that old house. The house was thrice the size of the almost empty flat house, and it seemed to belong to a rich family. However, it aged well- perhaps leaving this cat alone inside.
I was standing outside the old house, both Camelot and Hero in my arms. We decided to go and take Hero back inside- but the fact that it was abandoned made me reconsider. But then again, I couldn't afford to have a cat that eats thrice than Camelot does, neither shoo the cat away since Camelot seemed to have taken a liking of Hero's company.
Just when I was about to head back, I heard a shrill squeak from somewhere inside the house. Camelot's ears folded, and Hero's face grew tensed. I stared at the door for quite a while before deciding to go and see what was making the sound. It was so loud that it was impossible for it to be my imagination. Plus, the cats reacted to it.
I brought the cats down, noticing that Camelot was stepping back unlike Hero which was just standing there. I walked to the gates in attempt to open it. However, rust had eaten the latch and made it impossible to move anymore. Looking around first, I just went with my instincts to climb the gates to get inside. As I reached the top, I saw Camelot walk closer and looked up at me. He then ran to a certain direction to be chased by Hero. He might be looking for another way to get inside- and so I decided to continue climbing down.
I fixed my clothing and straightened the tie that I was wearing. Dusting my vest free from the moss and dirt that collected on the gates, I walked towards the door and tried knocking. The doorbell didn't seem operational after all. I started calling out, "Hello? Hello!?" I knew it was abandoned, but the squeaking didn't seem to be done by something else other than a person.
Soon, I heard scratching from afar. I stepped back and tried to find another way inside the house. I walked through the dried garden, stepping on the rotten leaves and making them smell more than my nose could take. Arriving at the garden at the backyard, I saw Camelot and Hero already sat before the backdoor. My cat earned some discoloration on its fur, perhaps dirt from wherever they got through. But Hero was considerably clean- perhaps from a mishap.
I would snap a photo of them if I have my phone with me to be honest. Camelot was trying to clean himself, and Hero was licking some dirt off his fur as well. Hero seemed to be very affectionate towards Camelot; I wonder what my cat did to him.
"Camelot! Hero!" I then decided to call them, and then Camelot walked to me. I tried rubbing his fur, but the sticky dirt wouldn't rub off. I then looked at Hero which had his ears folded. Dropping the idea, I walked to the backdoor and tried to pry it open. Soon, the door budged, and we were able to get in.
"Excuse me! Pardon my intrusion, but I just wanted to give the cat back-"
Strong wind pulsed through the doorway, making me fall down to the ground. I guess Camelot and Hero flew off as well. That kind of wind shouldn't come out of a house, and its non-stagnant smell told me it wasn't kept inside the house for long. I sat up at the doorway and looked around. Seeing Camelot unconscious at the ground made me run to him, and hearing Hero's cry as he got stuck in the twiggy bushes made me pick him up from there. The two cats were wounded from the gust, and I had no other choice but to run towards the vet which was a mile away.
I would love to explore more since I felt that the house felt emptier now. What was that wind anyway?
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Across the Street
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"You don't have to worry, Camelot will be fine." Dr. Hedervary smiled at me as she caressed the head of my sleeping cat. She said he'll be fine, just knocked unconscious- no trauma, concussions or anything. However, I had to keep a bandage on Hero's left foreleg because of a long cut made by the twigs. Even though he was hurt, the strange cat still looked as energetic as it was- though he never moved away from Camelot's side.
"Anyway, I didn't know you owned this cat, Arthur. I thought he was a stray." She then caressed the big cat's head, Hero purring happily at her touch. I then hummed as I began scratching under his neck, "Ah, no. I just found him inside my flat. Seems like Camelot brought him home. Have you seen Hero before?"
"Hero? His name is Hero?" She laughed a bit but then got sad soon enough, "He's been walking around like a stray for five days. I did give him food back then, and it seemed that he did ask for food from other houses, too. Did something happen to his master? Or did he get lost? There was no missing cat that fits his description either. But it's good that he found a new master-"
"Please, no. I can barely keep up with Hero's appetite. He eat like three cats, and he sheds more fur than I could handle." I sighed and heard her chuckle. I then looked out the clinic to see passing cars and people, "I really hope Hero could go back to his master. They must be so worried about him being lost and all."
"I'll check up on more missing animal posters that I can find. I'm pretty sure they would put some posters to find him. He seemed to be a cat that was so loved."
That concluded my talk with the attending vet, and I had to walk another mile to bring Camelot and Hero home. I had my cat in my arms while Hero was walking next to me. The sky seemed to grow darker than usual, but the clouds didn't look like it will rain soon.
I stopped walking at the bridge connecting the residential district to the commercial one, only to look up at the clouds above. Hero could have stopped walking as well since he began pulling at the edge of my trousers. I then smiled as him as we continued walking- only to hear loud rustling behind us. I flung my head to the bushes behind me, Hero pulling me stronger. I then continued walking, swearing that something was lurking behind us. I just couldn't tell what it was.
Getting back to my flat, I laid Camelot down his bed to rest. Hero then balled up next to him and tried to watch over the unconscious cat. I left Hero with a petting before heading to the lounge to watch anything in my telly. The sofa had only been the most comfortable, but today, I couldn't find the right place to sit. Like there was something that made me very irritable. Soon, I just gave up on watching the telly and resorted to walking towards the kitchen. I picked up some bowls and goods that I bought yesterday to make cookies today. I knew I was just going to burn them again, but it's better than doing nothing.
Evening came, and I found myself slumped on the dining table, sleeping after some shots I couldn't even managed. I always resort to sleeping when drinking with just myself- no matter the time of the day. I just burned another day without gaining anything- if not having a second cat even though my stock says three more cats. I stretched and straightened, going to check up on Camelot and Hero.
I peeked through the door to avoid waking them up if ever; however, the sight was very precious. Camelot was licking Hero's nose because he was sleeping next to him- as if he didn't move the entire time they were there. I sighed and scratched my head, finding it hard to give Hero away now.
Walking back to the kitchen to fix myself some dinner, I decided to just reheat lunchtime's leftovers. As I bend to take the container from my fridge, I felt the same lurking feeling earlier by the bushes. Someone was watching me, and someone was out there. Chills crawl through my bones; my body suddenly suffering from goose bumps. I hugged myself and walked to look out my window. My flat was on the third floor with no trees covering my view of the empty bushy backyard.
However, before I could close the window, I saw this strange dog staring at me from the street passed the low fence of the backyard. It has dark fur and eyes that reflect the lights of the night posts. In unexplained discomfort, I grabbed the drapes after closing the window and closed it to stop seeing the dog. I proceeded to making dinner, only to see the two cats walk in the kitchen.
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Across the Street
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it was yet another day, and I decided to take Camelot and Hero out for a walk again. We were headed to the pet store to see if Hero's prescription ointment had already arrived. Hero could be limping a bit, but he seemed to be happily walking next to Camelot with my cat brushing his fur against the fat cat. It was so strange that Camelot seemed to be so affectionate to Hero all of a sudden.
We reached the commercial district, and the place never changed a bit even from all the other vacations that I had been there. Always the busy people and the busy streets. Also, I walked by the bulletin board to look at the missing cat posts- there could be something that Dr. Hedervary could have missed. However, there was nothing that could match Hero.
I continued walking some more, and somehow, I spotted a guy standing at a distance. He was holding some pile of papers, wearing clothes that don't seem to be from around here, and sporting a bulky backpack. His eyes were gleaming underneath his glasses, and his mouth was left agape. He then ran towards my direction, "ARTHUR!"
"H-Huh? Who-?" I was interrupted and was forced to struggle as he gave me a bear hug, "What the bloody fuck are you doing!? Let me go, you bloody bastard!" He let me go after a few spins, making me dizzy for quite a while. He then stood proudly before me, "I totally found you, dude! I'm totes amazing!"
He then dropped it and chuckled like an excited child, "Anyway, my name is Alfred Jones, and I- I need my cat back!" Alfred, or what he introduced to be, grabbed my hands and grinned, "You have my Hero, right?"
So that was this was all about. Later, I found myself sitting at an outside table in a nearby cafe after dropping by the pet store. Apparently, Alfred here was from the next city. An old lady by the road told him that his cat ran off to get to this city, and he was led to Dr. Hedervary because she was seen feeding Hero once. And she told him to find me if he wanted to see Hero again.
"Hahah, my cat is a total black hole; you didn't force him to starve, did you?" He chuckled as he started playing with the cat. Camelot was quietly on my lap, curled up and trying to get a good sleep. Hero seemed to be happy, too, playing with his real master. After giving quick glances at the cats, I managed to answer his question, "Don't worry about it. Your cat just managed to eat up what Camelot eats in three days and depleted a good amount of my stock. It's nothing big, really."
"Aw, man. Alright, I'll buy you what my cat ate. And yeah, by any chance, do you have a car? Hero munches on car keys; I hope he didn't eat up yours. He gets sent to the clinic regularly for eating my mom's car keys every time. And there is this one time that he ate a patty from the frying pan." Alfred started to narrate stories to keep a conversation going. Though it was a bit horrendous, I enjoyed listening to his cat's misadventures. And somehow, it didn't show for the day that he was with me.
"Anyway, let's hit the grocer to get cat food. After that, you should head home. Bus rides to get back to your place are hard to catch lately." I stirred my tea, and he smiled at me, "Nah, I'm actually ready to stay over for a while. Bus rides won't be available until the next Monday. Staying here for another two days is fine, I think." He gave a bitter grin before raising Hero up with both hands and then squealing, "Everything's good now since Hero's back!"
"I guess accepting you in my place wouldn't hurt. Besides, Hero and Camelot started to become inseparable. We should give them more time together before you go away with Hero."
"Yeah. We should totes do that."
And that's how I wholeheartedly accepted a stranger in my flat. Though I did not do it because of him, I just felt like I could be treating him a tad special- more than I would even treat a relative. And for the first time in a long while, I had someone else cook lunch and dinner for me. Not that he volunteered, but he actually witnessed my kitchen accidents and said that he would just do the cooking.
The flat never went quiet as well. He was telling a lot of things, normal and strange experiences of his. I don't know how I got him to tell me about most of his life, but I did enjoy hearing another voice booming in my flat. Though I only stayed here during long breaks, it had always been the most silent.
He was about to talk more when we heard a crashing sound nearby. We flung our heads to the sink, only to see some plates were broken on the floor- since Camelot and Hero were standing on the sink and trying to fit themselves in the window sill.
I frowned and got up, walking to the closet to get the broom and dust pan, "I can't believe you two. Get down from there! Camelot! Hero!" I grabbed the things I need before watching Alfred pick Hero up from there. However, he stopped and carried the big cat as if watching what they were staring at from the window. I put down the cleaning tools and joined them, only to see the same dog last night. However, this time, he was inside the backyard!
"That dog- looked very familiar." Alfred whispered, and then I answered, "It was there yesterday, too. But it was outside the fence. What is it doing in there?" He then turned to me, "One way to find out. Arthur, let's go!"
And with that, he brought Hero down, and he walked out of the flat. I followed him with an air of suspicion directed at the dog in question. We then reached the backyard, the dog gone. He frowned as well and looked around, "Where did it go? Hey, Arthur. Do you know whose dog that is? It's very creepy."
"I have no idea. Let's just go back." I beckoned him to go back upstairs. Alfred just stared at the blackened horizon, trying to still look for the black dog that had invaded the flat house. Seeing it as 'you go on ahead,' I just shrugged and went upstairs. However, as I ascended the stairs, I saw the two cats from the distance.
They were looking at each other, and the funny-faced cat seemed to be acting serious. Camelot then looked away and walked off. Hero also followed him- to the sill of the hallway. They both hopped to see and look around. Soon, Camelot sat down, and Hero walked nearer before sitting down in front of him. He gave him an Eskimo kiss-
And it felt like a sensation of comfort from an upcoming storm reined the hall.
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End of Part 1
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