Diablo’s Trek

Diablo purred and ran his slim, black body over Cynthia’s sleeping form. Cynthia pulled the covers over her head and tried to roll away from him, but Diablo took his paw and began to pat at the lump under the covers that was her face.

“Not today, Diablo,” Cynthia moaned. “I’m not in the mood.”

Diablo meowed and pawed at Cynthia’s face again.

Cynthia sighed and flung off the covers.

“Fine.”

She slid out of bed, Diablo following close behind her. She retrieved a cat collar with a small camera attached to it from her bedside table and stooped down to put it around Diablo’s neck.

“Come on, let’s get you outside.”

Cynthia slipped on a robe and slid into her slippers before trotting out of her bedroom and down the stairs. It was quiet in the house, eerily quiet, as though the silence echoed throughout the three bedrooms and followed Cynthia and Diablo into the living room. Dusty outlines where framed pictures once went haunted every inch of each wall. Cynthia did not look up as she led Diablo through the living room, into the dining room, and to the back door.

“Here you go, baby,” she said as she opened the back door for him to slip outside.

Diablo meowed his appreciation as he disappeared out the door.

Once the cat was gone, Cynthia took out her phone and pulled up the app WatchUrCat.

“Now, let’s see where you keep going,” she muttered as she sat down at the dining room table and clicked on the live feed from Diablo’s collar.

According to the camera, Diablo made a beeline for the fence and jumped over it with ease. He crossed the street just as a car came to a full stop beside him, causing Cynthia to gasp and almost run outside after him—but her curiosity stopped her. She watched as Diablo took a left turn and made his way up the road with the ease of practice. Even as he passed other pedestrians, no one got in his way beyond the occasional pet or scratch behind the ear.

After what felt like forever—but could have only been a couple of blocks—Diablo turned right and climbed over an iron fence with pointed, spear-like tops. Cynthia thought that she recognized that fence, but the bushes at its base obscured her view of the surroundings. As soon as Diablo emerged from the bushes, though, she knew exactly where he was: Oakbend Cemetery.

“What are you doing there?” she muttered to herself, leaning closer to her phone.

The cat continued along his predetermined path, not getting distracted by any of the thousands of sights and smells that would normally interest him. Cynthia counted the rows as Diablo passed them, and her heart sank into her stomach when she realized which row he had finally stopped at.

“Don’t go back three, don’t go back three…”

Diablo walked back three headstones, until the camera was pointed directly at the inscription:

Lilith Evelyn Jacques

February 14, 1990 - October 25, 2021

Loving Partner, Friend, Cat Mother

Diablo pawed at the dirt in front of the tombstone, then curled up tightly on the mound that he had made, purring loudly.

Cynthia set the phone on her lap and put her hands over her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Oh, Diablo.”

* * *

Author’s Note: This story is for Archibald Thorne’s unofficial Black Cat Challenge, the link for which you can find below.