WereCAT

Prologue: A Cat's Tale

Under the dark sky, her black umbrella blended well with her surroundings. Heaving a sigh, she muttered a few incoherent curses and trudged along the water-logged street. The rain continued to pitter-platter against the road, echoing her footsteps in obedience.

A sigh escaped her lips. She had woken up that day, with a nagging intuition. She knew the day wasn't going to turn out well. After some accidental mishaps at school due to her clumsiness and distraction, all she had wanted was to go back home and hide in the darkest corner of her room. But her wretched luck made her miss the bus; leaving her stranded all alone on this rainy evening.

She kicked her heels against the water, splashing it in fury. Home was still a couple of blocks away. Though sunlight crept through the tiny gaps among the black clouds, their darkening cover promised no relief to her. She threw her semi-wet backpack over her shoulder and continued to slog through the lane.

Just as the last rays of the sun made a final attempt to grasp hold of the land, she passed two dark beings that sat hidden under a crumpled newspaper. A pair of emerald green eyes watched the girl in silence while his furry counterpart sniffed due to the cold breeze.

The raven haired girl remained oblivious to their presence as she passed them. Then again, she never noticed the small clues. She had a gift but due to her less observant nature, wasn't even aware of it. She passed the two cats without even a single glimpse sideways. Her mind was more set on reaching her haven.

Despite her ignorance, the green eyed cat noticed the aura around her. She was anything but ordinary and he found himself drawn to her. He watched her as she disappeared among the shadows of the street.

The light of the pastry shop's signboard flickered on, in the faint drizzle of water droplets across the pavement. The smell of wet earth , the small ripples in the puddles and the sound of rain knocking on the roof only added to the evening's charm. Night had finally fallen. He turned to his brother who was cowering against the tiles of the brick wall. The Burmese cat wasn't used to the cold of the outside world. His brother had been fortunate enough to find a home.

"Dario. It's time to change," the emerald eyed feline motioned with a soft paw.

Dario's ears perked up upon hearing his words. With a relieved purr, the two brothers exchanged glances. A green glow engulfed them and transformed them into their true forms slowly.

A homeless destitute who sat in a far corner watched them with wide eyes. A few minutes ago, he had felt pity for the two drenched cats. Then suddenly, after a flash of green light, two boys had appeared out of thin air. He covered himself with his tattered blanket and sighed. Perhaps, people were right. Maybe he was losing his mind.

The two boys wiped away the wet shreds of paper on their clothes. The one dressed in a light faded jacket, stretched his limbs as if he had woken from a long sleep.

"Ah, finally. I was waiting for the search to begin. Too bad, it's raining," Dario yawned while observing his older brother with a mischievous glint in his eyes. But his black suited sibling seemed distracted. He was staring at the horizon in concentration.

Without uttering a single word, the green eyed boy walked towards the pavement and sat down on the ledge. With an amused look, Dario followed and sat down next to him for providing company. The rain continued to splatter against the cemented pavement, drowning the noises of the passing cars. It didn't matter to them whether their clothes got wet. They sat in silence, quietly enjoying the water that rose halfway to their knees. Dario doubled over to take off his motorcycle boots. Rolling up the sleeves of his pants, he leant back and gazed at the night sky.

After a long moment, Dario turned his head to look at his brother, who still remained as motionless as a statue.

"What's bothering you?" he asked in a light tone.

The green eyes met his. These eyes were one of the few qualities that set them apart. Intaking a deep breath, the tuxedo clad boy ran a hand through his wet jet-black hair.

"Is there a pet shop nearby?" he asked grimly.

For a few minutes, Dario remained stumped by his brother's question. But realization dawned upon him soon enough. With a quirky smile, he nodded enthusiastically.

Behind them, the old geezer had drifted off to sleep. Hence, he never saw the two figures transform into cats again.

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