The Myth of Bidalah

 

The leaves crushed under my feet as I stepped down. Two steps. Even though it was a moonlit night, the clouds did not allow any light to shine through. I walked further on; the leaves crushing under my feet, the only sound in the wee hours, save for my panting breath. I had barely taken another step when something rustled ahead of me in the shadows. I paused; my ears pricked as I listened. My heart skipped a beat at the realization that something was there.

Cautiously, I took a step forward. A hiss. I paused. My heart beating faster than it ever had. Suddenly the clouds parted, and the moon shone through. Something purred; a cat. I breathe a sigh of relief. I walked towards it.

‘Hey…puss…puss…come here…’ I called it.

The cat was sitting with its back to me, but at the sound of my voice, it turned its head to look at me. I took another step, and it glared at me baring its teeth. I stopped. A blink.

When I looked again, the cat had grown twice—no trice in its size. Its tail swinging back and forth on the steps below it seemed to be twice its usual length. And towards the end, the tail had small spikes erupting from it. Her ginger fur seemed now to be made of metal; for it glistened in the moonlight. Its eyes gleamed red. And when once more its bared its teeth at me, there seemed to be rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth, ready to tire me apart if I took another step further. Its sharp claws scraped the cobblestones as it walked towards me.

I shrieked. A blink. And just like that, the monster of a cat was gone. The myth of ancient temple ground protected by a cat-like creature called Bidalah was true.