Leigh looked up from her meditations to see it was dark again. She sighed and pulled the earbuds out of her ears. This was getting tiresome to her. Either present her with the choice or leave her alone, she didn't care. But coming back to her every time she closed her eyes and dropping her into a void of nothingness was just downright annoying.
Nicodemus meowed at her and climbed into her lap. He stretched up and touched noses with his human and then proceeded to rub his head under her chin. "At least you haven't abandoned me, Nico."
"How could I? This is your damned fantasy sequence!"
"It is, isn't it? Shouldn't I have control over my dream then?"
"Not really. You know, it's funny you should wind up in Egypt in your dream. Did you know that the Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as gods? We cats have never forgotten this. Yep, I think I could have lived the high life back then."
"Right. Did you also know that when the cat's owner died, most often the cat was mummified along side the human whether or not the cat was dead?"
Nicodemus turned and looked at Leigh. "You're joking."
"Hey, this is my dream remember? I wouldn't joke about that if I wanted to. Which reminds me, why are you in my dream?"
"Because it's not a dream, remember? This is an alternate reality for you Leigh. Sort of a 'what if'. I got sucked into this hell when the lightening zapped you. Remember, I dug my claws into your backside when you accidentally put your knee on my tail in your haste to get to the electrical plug."
"Oh... right. Sorry about that Nico. So, if this isn't a dream... and I'm here to make a choice... why are you here?"
"To help guide you, I guess. I mean, you're in the desert with a hunk of a man by human standards - who's spanked you of all things. Has any man you've ever known tried to spank you like that? And don't bother to deny it, the attraction is mutual. I might be a cat, but damn I know animal attraction when I see it!"
"The voice said I had to make a choice."
"Oh yes, that part. Which reality is the one you want to live with for the rest of your life? You're in a place called The Crossroads. Very few people ever get to see this you know. Most of the time it's people who have that 'out of body' experience or who see that white light at the gates of heaven. All a bunch of hooey, if you ask me. When the choice comes to you, your heart and soul will make the choice they are meant to make. You don't get an active choice in the matter."
"So I could wind up here for the rest of my life?"
"You got it sister."
Leigh scratched Nicodemus' ears a bit as she thought. The big black cat purred and curled up in her lap. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, to live in Egypt for the rest of her life. Sure as hell would beat driving for 45 minutes to get to work every morning in rush hour traffic. She'd rather suffer Ardeth Bay and his overbearing arrogance than have to suffer another shouting tirade by her idiot boss.
"Whatever choice is made, what happens to you?"
"Hmm? Oh, I win either way. I get to go wherever I want. I made niiiiiiiiiiice friends with the voice's kitty. She's a hot little tomato I gotta tell you. Siamese, dainty little thing who loves big brutish black cats like me. Oh yeah, she wants me." Nico's voice held such an air of smugness that Leigh had an instant image of the cat Salem from the Sabrina the Teenage Witch television show.
"OOPS!! Gotta go sister!!" Nicodemus jumped out of her lap and took off into the darkness.
"Huh? What...?"
"Here comes trouble!!" was all Nico said as he vanished.
Leigh's eyes snapped open to see someone entering the tent.
****
Nicodemus meowed at her and climbed into her lap. He stretched up and touched noses with his human and then proceeded to rub his head under her chin. "At least you haven't abandoned me, Nico."
"How could I? This is your damned fantasy sequence!"
"It is, isn't it? Shouldn't I have control over my dream then?"
"Not really. You know, it's funny you should wind up in Egypt in your dream. Did you know that the Ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as gods? We cats have never forgotten this. Yep, I think I could have lived the high life back then."
"Right. Did you also know that when the cat's owner died, most often the cat was mummified along side the human whether or not the cat was dead?"
Nicodemus turned and looked at Leigh. "You're joking."
"Hey, this is my dream remember? I wouldn't joke about that if I wanted to. Which reminds me, why are you in my dream?"
"Because it's not a dream, remember? This is an alternate reality for you Leigh. Sort of a 'what if'. I got sucked into this hell when the lightening zapped you. Remember, I dug my claws into your backside when you accidentally put your knee on my tail in your haste to get to the electrical plug."
"Oh... right. Sorry about that Nico. So, if this isn't a dream... and I'm here to make a choice... why are you here?"
"To help guide you, I guess. I mean, you're in the desert with a hunk of a man by human standards - who's spanked you of all things. Has any man you've ever known tried to spank you like that? And don't bother to deny it, the attraction is mutual. I might be a cat, but damn I know animal attraction when I see it!"
"The voice said I had to make a choice."
"Oh yes, that part. Which reality is the one you want to live with for the rest of your life? You're in a place called The Crossroads. Very few people ever get to see this you know. Most of the time it's people who have that 'out of body' experience or who see that white light at the gates of heaven. All a bunch of hooey, if you ask me. When the choice comes to you, your heart and soul will make the choice they are meant to make. You don't get an active choice in the matter."
"So I could wind up here for the rest of my life?"
"You got it sister."
Leigh scratched Nicodemus' ears a bit as she thought. The big black cat purred and curled up in her lap. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, to live in Egypt for the rest of her life. Sure as hell would beat driving for 45 minutes to get to work every morning in rush hour traffic. She'd rather suffer Ardeth Bay and his overbearing arrogance than have to suffer another shouting tirade by her idiot boss.
"Whatever choice is made, what happens to you?"
"Hmm? Oh, I win either way. I get to go wherever I want. I made niiiiiiiiiiice friends with the voice's kitty. She's a hot little tomato I gotta tell you. Siamese, dainty little thing who loves big brutish black cats like me. Oh yeah, she wants me." Nico's voice held such an air of smugness that Leigh had an instant image of the cat Salem from the Sabrina the Teenage Witch television show.
"OOPS!! Gotta go sister!!" Nicodemus jumped out of her lap and took off into the darkness.
"Huh? What...?"
"Here comes trouble!!" was all Nico said as he vanished.
Leigh's eyes snapped open to see someone entering the tent.
****