A/N: So . . . Jani's a cat. Well that's some interesting news. Let's continue with the story here, shall we . . .

Dream or Reality?

"I'm a cat!"

Even though I was saying the words, I could still hardly believe it. But with every look in the mirror reminded me it was the truth. I was a cat. Four-legged, triangle-eared, twitching whiskers, paw padding cat! That was it. There was nothing else to it. My face might've looked like an animal, but my heart was human. I felt like the beast from Beauty and the Beast: An animal on the outside, but still human on the inside.

Meanwhile, the Witch was standing in front of me, smiling proudly, like she had just done something to win a Nobel Prize. I launched to her feet, scratching them like they were vermin.

She just laughed some more. I looked up at her. Was she crazy? Laughing as though I was tickling her instead of scratching her.

As though reading my mind she look down to me and said, "You're claws aren't unsheathed. All you're doing right now are leaving simple scratches on my feet."

I looked down at her bare feet with my cat night vision. She was right. All I had left was some white scratches.

Just as I was about to unsheathe my claws, the Witch picked me up with her old bony hands, holding me out in front of her and facing her to me.

I tried to bat her face with my paws, but she held me away farther. A shame too, I just missed her nose.

"Put me down you hagging skin and bones!" I screeched, trying to wiggle out of her grasped.

She watched me as I struggled, until finally I gave up.

"Aw, you're such a cute little kitty," she said looking at me. I just narrowed my eyes at her.

"I told you, you would be punished." She let go of me. I braced myself to fall flat on my feet, but I didn't. I was floating in the air as if there was no gravity. I kicked my legs, but I just remained floating.

The Witch crossed her arms over her chest as I floated there. She was probably why I was just randomly floating there. How could she-you know what, I'm done asking questions.

"Alright so I got it," I hissed (Hissed?). "As punishment for trespassing you turned me into a cat. Can you gravitate me so I can start living me lonely life?"

The Witch continued standing there with a slim smile on her face. I gulped a little, not sure whether her smile was good or bad.

She reached out a finger to me and I flinched, preparing for the worst. But instead of having the feeling of being blasted, I felt a soft touch running down my cat head. I opened my eyes. The Witch. She was petting me, like I was her own cat.

Oh no! What if she was going to keep me for a pet? I would be living in that old wooden shack forever. Forever! I couldn't do that! I'd purposely run into a dog pound in my new cat form.

The Witch just continued to stare at me. Then with a sigh she spoke. "I suppose you want some sort of explanation?" she asked in her old creaky voice.

I nodded. Duh!

"Don't you 'Duh!' me!" she snapped.

My eyes widened. Holy crap, she could read minds?

"Yes I can read minds. Let me say that some of you humans have really filthy thoughts."

For some reason I thought of Rachel. When she wasn't hooking up with guys, she was thinking about hooking up with them.

"Perhaps I should explain this whole transformation to you," the Witch said. "Because I pitied you for one being a human, and two because your first intrusion here wasn't entirely your fault. In a way, I went easy on you."

I raised a cat brow. "You call this going easy? Look at me! I got fur, and paws, and a tail! In what world is this going easy? And why do you keep calling me human? You're a human too."

She laughed when I said the last part, as if I just told her she looked like young model. "Oh silly human," she snickered.

I really just wanted to punch-er-claw this woman!

"Anyway, so I pitied you," she continued on. "However my spells only take effect in the time they were given." She pointed up to the glowing half moon. Oh crap! Was it really getting that late? I should be getting home . . . . Oh that's right, I'm a frickin cat!

"I placed the spell on you at night," she explained. "Thus, you will only be a cat at night, during the day you will walk as a human."

I let a broad, wide smile spread across my face. So I only had to walk around on four paws at night, then during the day I would be my beautiful human self! There is a God (Maybe. I'm a little fuzzy after this whole thing).

The Witch held up a finger before I can do my happy dance in the air. "However, your punishment is not that."

Crap a catch! There was always a catch.

"Because you are a human, nevertheless, you are inconsiderate of lesser organisms."

I looked to her in confusion. "Lesser organisms?"

"Animals!" the Witch hollered. "You humans take animals for granted! Killing them from prey, clothes, or prize! Humans are ignorant of animals' feelings and thoughts as you take away their loved ones for your own selfish purposes. You humans silence them all the minute you point that gun at them. Well little human, now you will listen to them! Yes, you won't be an animal during the day, however you will be able to hear them."

"What?" I was both thinking and saying it.

The Witch nodded. "And talk to them. During the day, will in your human form, you will be able to talk with the animals. You will be able to hear them and speak to them, as they will to you."

Wow. What a curse. What a nightmare! . . . .

Wait! That was it! This had to be a dream! No way this could all be real. Alright so it was dream. All I had to do was pinch myself awake. I began to wiggle all around, trying to somehow to wake myself up. I was curving and bending in all directions, but it all proved pointless.

Again, the Witch just laughed at me. "Oh, young humans are sure the most entertaining to watch. You're not dreaming little one. This is all real. I'm real. You're real. My powers are real. And your punishment is real. I can't take back a curse. This is your life now Jani." She then lowered me to ground.

How did . . . Forget, forget! I'm done with the questions! But, soon her word sunk in and they felt like blows to the face with each letter. So this was my life now? How wonderful. I was a furry little beast for the rest of my nights. Now I would never be able to go to Friday night parties, or Ladies' Night at local pubs, or just hang out with my friends. And my parents . . . How on earth would they take this? To find out their only child was cursed to listen to animals during the day and becoming one at night?

Something wet dripped down my right furry cheek. Then something wet dripped my other furry cheek. Soon both cheeks were wet and drops were falling to my shoulders. They were tears. I was crying. I didn't even known cats could cry. I felt miserable. How could I handle this? I was only fourteen and my life was already over.

As I sat there sobbing my cat sobs, the Witch just looked down at me. She knelt down on her knees beside me. Her long jet black hair with gray streaks dragged on the ground as she lowered herself to me. She looked at me for a while, then sighed.

"There is hope for you," she said in a suddenly smooth, but low voice.

I looked at her, wiping me tears with my tail. "Huh? What hope?"

She straightened up, placing her hands on her knees with a serious face on. "There are others like you Jani. Go to the place that mirrors the stars."

And then she disappeared.

A/N: Like it so far? If you don't that's okay, but if you do, a review would be nice. I promise I'll be posting more chapters soon!