“…it he’s covered in blood! Dad!”

  “Matt! Matt! Wake up!”

  “Let’s get him up and back to ours, Carry can take a look at those cuts when we’re safe.”

  Shut-down senses starting back up, Matt opened blood-crusted eyes with difficulty, the indistinct forms clearing into his wife, daughter and neighbour Alan. The tall man hurried forward, stick in one hand and slung the other arm under Matt’s arm, hauling his body off the floor. Matt groaned as his many wounds stretched, and fresh blood started trickling down his body and limbs.

  “Oh my god, Matt, darling, I……” Arlee’s voice trembled on the edge of breaking, as she reached toward him. Kira clung to her Mother’s side, tear’s streaming down her face. Both were still clad in pyjamas and holding candles.

  “No time girls, there’s weird shit everywhere and we’re not safe here. That pile of crap won’t keep out anything for long, but they’re staying away from ours for now. We can get cleaned up and do the reunions when we’re safe.”

  Matt listened, still in shock and bemused at Alan’s certainty that they would be safe over the road. As was usual in late 20th century builds, there was almost no difference in house layout along the whole road, and their friends’ house wasn’t fortified in any way. As Alan took much of his weight, Matt struggled to get his leg’s working, shuffling his feet forward to aid their progress as much as possible. They made their way through the house to the front door, Arlee and Kira close behind.

  “Arlee, check out the window and let me know if you see anything moving. Kira, run upstairs, check the road and get straight back down here.” Alan’s voice was tight, controlled, but Matt could hear the undercurrent of fear that was so out of place for his friend. The girls hurried off to check from the windows.

  “How did you get here? Where’s Carry?” Matt slurred, wobbling unsteadily, waking up more and trying to focus on the absurdity of the night so far. “It’s not safe alone!”

  “No shit mate, I’ve seen some stuff out there that’s straight out of a movie. Carry’s fine though, she’s got a guard. More to the point, why are your boxers glowing?”

  Matt looked down, as the flickering glow from the cloth patch. Whatever had caused the light was starting to fade.

  “Who is….”

  “Not now, wait till we get back. It’s weird, but so is everything else right now.”

  Arlee came back from the living room. “I can’t see anything moving, but with the lights out, who knows.”

  “Kira, get down here!” Alan said in a loud whisper.

  Matt looked up as his daughter came stumbling down the stairs, a large book under one arm. In her other hand she held a bulging bag.

  “I grabbed everything from the medicine cabinet, in case Dad needs it.” She said from the bottom stair. “I looked outside but couldn’t see anything on the street either way.”

  “Nice work.” Alan replied. “We’re going out now and running across straight to our door. Carry’s watching for us and will get it open, but no sightseeing along the way – straight over, ok?”

  The family nodded, Matt standing more steadily, though Alan still supported him with an arm. Alan nodded at the door and Arlee reached forward and pulled it open, the group quickly filing out into the fenced front yard, closing the door behind them.

  A metallic sound made Alan turn, taking Matt with him. Arlee was fumbling with her keys, trying to lock the door.

  “Arlee, no time! Kira, get her moving.” Alan barked quietly as he turned back toward the road and started moving, eyes scanning up and down the road. The moon cast the scene in a beautiful light, but it was tarnished by the sounds from the surrounding streets and homes. Echoes of screams, sounds of struggle were everywhere, like the set of a zombie apocalypse movie. The group hurried between the ever-present parked cars and over the road.

  As they reached the other side, a flash of movement made Matt start, and the girls let out shrieks of fright. He struggled against Alan’s arm, but the taller man held him tight.

  “Easy Matt, it’s friendly. Get moving!”

  Matt let himself be half-carried, half towed toward their neighbours’ house, his eyes not leaving the dark shadow moving languidly in their wake. It flowed from one shadow to the next, never quite giving a clear sight, but it was big. Not bulky like the rat had been, but graceful, sleek, feline.

  “Caz, open up, it’s us. I’ve got them.” Alan whispered urgently.

  The door immediately swung open to reveal Carry’s face, pale in the moonlight and from a mix of fear and worry. She stepped back to let the group through, and they hurried in, the door closing behind them.

  Candles fluttered in the hallway and adjacent rooms, giving enough light to see by, and causing shadows to rise and fall around them. Carry relaxed slightly, but raised her hand to her mouth as she saw the state Matt was in for the first time. Her professional face slammed into place.

  “Oh Gods, what happened to Matt? Alan, take him through to the kitchen and lie him on the table, we need to treat those cuts now before he loses any more blood.”

  As Alan started helping Matt through to the makeshift treatment room, Carry turned to Arlee and Kira. Reaching out to take a hand from each of them, she leaned close into a hug.

  “I don’t know what is going on outside, but you’re safe in here. The strangest thing has happened with the kittens, and they’re enormous now, but they scared off some things from the back and front of the house. Everything out there seems to be giving us a wide berth now.”

  “I don’t know how they got out, and I don’t know how they got back in after they saved us from whatever it was, but the cats are the same, just bigger, ok? No screaming, but I want you two upstairs in our bedroom for now.”

  Arlee nodded mutely, the shock of the night’s events starting to kick in. She seemed in a daze, looking around as if seeing the place for the first time.

  “Can’t we stay with Dad, please Aunty Carry?” Kira protested tiredly.

  “Not right now love.” Carry replied, hustling them gently toward the stairs. “I don’t have room for all of us, and I’ll need Alan to help me check your Dad over. Right now, the best thing you can do is stay with your Mum and take care of her. Two of the kittens are up there and haven’t taken their eyes off your house since this started, so they should be happy to see you.”

  “Only two?” Kira asked. “Where are the others?”

  “I don’t know, they followed Alan outside. They seem very…. protective… now, which I think we’ll all be very thankful for if whatever is going on outside isn’t a one-off. Upstairs now, I’ll take good care of your Dad and then you can see him.”

  Kira nodded unhappily, took her still-stunned mother by the arm and gently climbed the stairs. The layout was the same as their home and they made their way slowly to the master bedroom. Nervously opening the door and peeking inside, Kira gasped.

  She remembered trips to various zoos and safari parks, and had always loved the chance to see big cats up close. Uncurling themselves from the large bed were two feline forms which rivalled the largest she had ever seen. Black, shiny fur rippled over graceful forms as the pair of oversized kittens approached.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Arlee collapsed into a chair, eyes wide at the massively grown kittens. Kira ran hesitant hands over their silky pelts. Kneeling down put her face level with theirs, she recognised Lion’s white forepaws, and Oli’s spotted chin. The purring she so loved now echoed around the room, as the pair twined themselves around her, their movements so familiar, but now threatening to knock her over with their affectionate nuzzling.

  In spite of the shock of the night so far, Kira giggled as she laid the encyclopaedia to one side and returned the feline attention. The simple reassurance of this contact, and the affirmation that the kittens’ feelings had not changed with the physical forms, lifted much of the weight of fear from her and she revelled in the simple comfort of their closeness.

  Kira released a deep breath and grudgingly disentangled herself. Turning back, she stood, gently raised her mother from the chair and guided her to lay down on the bed, laying down in a spooning position and putting an arm protectively over Arlee. After some cleansing breaths, she considered all that had happened.

  She had been startled awake by her mother barging into her room and slamming the door. As she came to, the questions forming on her lips were silenced by the sounds, initially the crashes and screams coming through her open window, then from downstairs, as her mother struggled in a panic to explain what her Dad had said to do.

  Almost believing this to be a dream, Kira had gone to the window, and seen for herself as the moon-lit street seethed in chaos. Large forms could be seen smashing through windows and doors, and horrific sounds of struggle and pain seemed to erupt from all around. Her instinctual scream only served to add to the chorus of fear, but had been answered.

  “Kira! Are you ok?” Alan’s voice had carried over the bedlam from the house over the road.

  “Dad’s in trouble, he’s fighting something!”

  “Get the front door open? I’m coming over.” His voice had stilled Kira’s immediate response about the danger, and holding a chair in front of her, a weakly protesting Arlee behind her, they made their way carefully down the dark stairs. From their kitchen, the sound of Matt’s cries, inhuman chittering and crashes of furniture being overturned had ceased, but she focused on finding the keys, and making sure the right one was inserted and opened the door.

  Outside, Alan faced outward, his staff held defensively as he scanned around the immediate area. One end glistened wetly in the moonlight, and against the low yard fence, wisps of steam rose from a large, furry mass, lying still as blood pooled around it.

  He had turned and without a word moved inside, closing the door behind him. Feeling his way past the trembling pair, he had dashed through into the kitchen, guided by a weak light emanating from something in the room. A few seconds later he called them through, and supporting Matt, they had made their way back over the road, in search of safety.

  Kira took a deep, shuddering breath, as the reality of the situation crashed down on her. Until now, having heard the terrible sounds echoing around the street and surrounding neighbourhood, hearing the struggle of her Dad through the floor, it had all seemed very remote. But now, thoughts of catastrophe, loss and terror crushed her, and tears flowed down her face unchecked.

  Arlee roused and turned to face her weeping daughter, clasping her tight, before placing a warm hand on her cheek and wiping away the tears.

  “Hush now Kira, everything will be alright. We’re together, and nothing will hurt us.”

  Kira buried her face in her mother’s neck and took more shuddering breaths, eventually getting her sobs under control. She felt a gentle hand stroke hair back from her face, soothing and calming, and this continued until she fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

  Arlee held her daughter to herself, shaken from her stupor and shock by motherly instinct. She started as an indistinct black form lay down on the other side of Kira, a gentle purring silencing the building scream. The familiar sound reverberated around her, Kira’s sleeping sobs quieted, and she followed her daughter into slumber, away from the horrors of the night.

  After guiding Arlee and Kira upstairs to their rest, Carry hurried back into the kitchen, where Alan had manoeuvred Matt’s barely conscious body onto the table. He held towels against his friend’s torso and arm, but in the guttering light of a couple of candles, Carry could see that he had many other gashes and gouges all over him, some of them serious.

  “What happened to him? He looks like he went through a window. A bunch of windows.” She asked as she hurriedly lit more candles and positioned them to reveal the full picture of Matt’s injuries. “And why are his shorts glowing?”

  “I didn’t see whatever he was fighting. Something came at me when I went to theirs, but I managed to get it before it got close. Bloody glad I took my stick with me. Whatever it was, he fought it off with a breadknife. Balls of steel man. No idea on the shorts though, not seen that before.”

  Carry gave a small smile, even as she shuddered at the thought of her man facing the cause of the awful sounds still echoing around the streets. Turning back to Matt, she started pulling various alcohol wipes, bandages and needles from her ever-present first aid bag.

  “Matt, Matt, can you hear me?” She spoke softly, but firmly, close to his ear, as she took his pulse. There was no response, but the heartbeat was still strong, if elevated. To be expected after the recent experience.

  With the professionalism bred of years in the local hospital’s Accident and Emergency department, Carry examined each of the wounds, making a mental note of the ones requiring more intense treatment. Under the swiftly reddening towels, a nasty gouge down the side of his leg, a shard of glass stuck in the heel of one foot, and a bite over his collar bone were the deepest and would definitely need stitches. Others would be best cleaned and left to heal or bandaged to keep a shallower cut clean after treatment.

  Going back to the worst wounds, she cleaned them and prepared a needle and thread. As the first stitch went in, Matt moaned and shifted slightly, but Alan leaned over and held him in place, keeping his weak struggles easily contained while Carry worked.

  Rolling him onto his side once the worst cuts had been treated, they found his back largely free of any damage. By the time all his wounds were treated, Matt looked like a budget movie mummy, wrapped in bandages over half his body and limbs, plasters dotted around, and the smell of alcohol wipes was strong in the air.

  Alan pulled Carry down into his lap, the couple letting out relieved breaths. For him, the sight of a friend in such as state was shocking, but the worst had been dealt with now. She was more acclimatised to such sights through her work, where the all-to-frequent societal mix of alcohol and stupidity produced a regular stream of similar patients, although not under anything like the same circumstances.

  They sat there, holding each other close, treasuring the moment of peace, before Carry started bustling around, wiping up blood and collecting the leftover medical supplies, reorganising her bag. She paused in confusion at one point, regarding the full packs of wipes and rolls of bandages.

  “I thought we would be close to cleaning out my kit, but I must have overpacked it last time I was in work. Hopefully we won’t be needing any more sessions like this though, before I can resupply.”

  Behind her, Alan jumped back in surprise with a wordless cry, grabbing his stick from its leaning position against the wall. He relaxed quickly, recognising the two large feline shapes emerging from the shadows.

  “Dragon, Nala, how did you get in here? I swear they weren’t in here before, it’s like they came through the bloody walls.” He said, shaking his head at the continued impossibilities. “Did you see them come in Caz?”

  “I was rather focused elsewhere.” She replied, absent-mindedly reaching down and caressing Nala’s ear as the kitten, now standing up to her waist, nuzzled her affectionately.

  In the light of several candles, the couple could see a wet glistening around the mouths and claws of the felines, which had left a trail of red marks o the floor as they walked. Both cats sat back on their haunches, blinked languidly and started cleaning themselves.

  “Looks like they’ve been taking care of stuff for us.” Alan remarked, warily watching their previously adorable pets as they continued grooming. “From what I saw of the other houses when I was outside, I don’t know how many others will get off as lightly as we have.” He shuddered at the memory of what he had seen and heard in the brief excursion across the road.

  Carry reached over and interlaced her fingers with his, squeezing, trying to lend him strength and remind him of her love. He gathered her to him once again.

  “What the hell’s going on Caz?” He asked, rhetorically. There could be no meaningful answer, so she gave none, simply holding him close, comforting and warm. After a few seconds, he shook himself, wiped his eyes and cleared his throat.

  “Right, let’s get this lot taken care of and lock this place down for the night.”

  Working together, they eased a blanket around Matt’s body. The table was sturdy and against the wall, so it would hold him securely until he woke. Pausing to gulp down some water, Alan went around checking windows and doors, propping chairs under handles for additional reinforcement.

  Carry moved quietly upstairs, pausing in the door of their bedroom. On the bed, Arlee and Kira slept soundly, holding each other close. Either side of the pair, large feline forms turned their heads, clear golden eyes regarding Carry as she stood, motionless in the doorway. After a few seconds, they blinked and turned their eyes back to the window, seemingly on watch over their sleeping charges.

  Carry smiled and gathered a spare blanket, going back downstairs to the den, where Alan was settling into a comfortable chair. In the hallway she passed Dragon, sat still as a statue, eyes unblinking as he looked out of the window by the front door. In the kitchen, Nala copied this pose, only moving to regard Carry lazily, before turning watchful eyes back to the outside.

  Carry settled herself next to Alan, throwing the blanket over them both. As she nestled into him, he sleepily started to sit up.

  “I need to stay awake Caz. No telling if those things will be back – we have to watch out for them.”

  “Hush lover. We are in good hands, or should I say ‘paws’.” She gently pushed him back down, before settling herself into the crook of his body. “Lion and Oli are watching over the girls, Dragon is at the front and Nala is with Matt. I don’t know how, but I know that they will protect us.”

  Alan tried to argue, but the adrenaline that had coursed through his veins was spent, and he had nothing left with which to argue, about the ridiculousness of trusting their safety to a bunch of overgrown house pets. His head settled next to hers, their breathing slowed, and sleep took them.