First appeared in In a Cat’s Eye anthology.
I would describe the cat for you, but she is hidden within the dumpster’s shadow. She wants us to think that she is gone. The rat feels her hunting him. He can see her tail twitching.
Are you the rat? I know you are here in this story with me, but I don’t know where you are. You aren’t the cat, I know that much. This leaves the rat. If I’m correct, you are cowering behind the battered trash can beneath the yellow streetlamp. You want the cat to get bored and move on. You are hungry but terrified. You want to find something delectable or at least passable. Let’s be honest: even a dirty diaper would do. Your stomach feels like a pit. It hurts.
But you know the cat will catch you if you reveal yourself. She will try and snap your neck.