It doesn’t take
long to drive 30 miles up a lonely two lane blacktop road.
Howard, the Cat, had said Bertie was in Luminous. Russell Ohlmstead, the local sheriff, had nothing else to go on, so he went with that.
Howard was riding along and they were on their way to Luminous, Texas. The afternoon was sliding on toward early evening. It was still warm and bright out, but the angle of the light was different now. Interviewing the people out on the ranches and looking around a bit had taken several hours.
“You think you’re sure, huh?” said Russell.
“The closer we get to her, the better I will know it,” said Howard, rather inscrutably.
“I hope I’m not crazy. I also hope I never have to explain this to anyone,” said Russell.
“I’m hungry, Russell. She hadn’t fed me. I was still asleep,” added Howard. “Not to mention thirsty.”
“Well, Howard, I’m hungry too, but I think we better stay on the trail. I’ll stop and get you something at the little store at the end of town, if they’re still open.”
Russell got there before closing at 8PM. He purchased a small bag of Friskies, fish flavor, a bottle of water and two plastic bowls. Russell had never had a cat. He had no idea what a cat might prefer.
“It was the only cat food they had in there, Howard. I hope you don’t mind, but this is an emergency,” said Russell. But he took the time to feed the kitty. While they were parked outside the little store, which was now closing, Russell opened the Friskies, and the water bottle and decanted some each into a bowl for Howard to eat and drink down on the floorboard of the Ford SUV.
Russell drank some of the water too.
“Thank you. I hate fish. But it doesn’t matter,” said Howard. “She’s not right in town here, but not too far away.”
“Where now?” said Russell.
Howard hopped back up on the passenger seat and looked out at the darkening sky. He nodded toward the north. “She’s moving. I don’t understand. But she’s moving fast and she’s up that way, back on the highway.”
The sheriff knew about the soft rolling hills with the moving colored lights, but he hadn’t actually gotten to see them after dark before. It just hadn't happened. It did this evening. The whole experience since this morning had only gotten stranger and stranger. Now he was driving past the mysterious colorful display that the town of Luminous was named for, trusting a telepathic tabby cat’s psychic connection to his human keeper, sweet Bertie.
He drove slowly, giving Howard a chance to stay on the trail. Also he wanted to admire the mysterious lights.
“Here. Wait here. She’s coming somehow, right here…” Howard stood with his fore paws on the dash looking out into the darkness toward a sprawling house and outbuildings across the small highway from where they were parked and waiting.
Howard, the Cat, had said Bertie was in Luminous. Russell Ohlmstead, the local sheriff, had nothing else to go on, so he went with that.
Howard was riding along and they were on their way to Luminous, Texas. The afternoon was sliding on toward early evening. It was still warm and bright out, but the angle of the light was different now. Interviewing the people out on the ranches and looking around a bit had taken several hours.
“You think you’re sure, huh?” said Russell.
“The closer we get to her, the better I will know it,” said Howard, rather inscrutably.
“I hope I’m not crazy. I also hope I never have to explain this to anyone,” said Russell.
“I’m hungry, Russell. She hadn’t fed me. I was still asleep,” added Howard. “Not to mention thirsty.”
“Well, Howard, I’m hungry too, but I think we better stay on the trail. I’ll stop and get you something at the little store at the end of town, if they’re still open.”
Russell got there before closing at 8PM. He purchased a small bag of Friskies, fish flavor, a bottle of water and two plastic bowls. Russell had never had a cat. He had no idea what a cat might prefer.
“It was the only cat food they had in there, Howard. I hope you don’t mind, but this is an emergency,” said Russell. But he took the time to feed the kitty. While they were parked outside the little store, which was now closing, Russell opened the Friskies, and the water bottle and decanted some each into a bowl for Howard to eat and drink down on the floorboard of the Ford SUV.
Russell drank some of the water too.
“Thank you. I hate fish. But it doesn’t matter,” said Howard. “She’s not right in town here, but not too far away.”
“Where now?” said Russell.
Howard hopped back up on the passenger seat and looked out at the darkening sky. He nodded toward the north. “She’s moving. I don’t understand. But she’s moving fast and she’s up that way, back on the highway.”
The sheriff knew about the soft rolling hills with the moving colored lights, but he hadn’t actually gotten to see them after dark before. It just hadn't happened. It did this evening. The whole experience since this morning had only gotten stranger and stranger. Now he was driving past the mysterious colorful display that the town of Luminous was named for, trusting a telepathic tabby cat’s psychic connection to his human keeper, sweet Bertie.
He drove slowly, giving Howard a chance to stay on the trail. Also he wanted to admire the mysterious lights.
“Here. Wait here. She’s coming somehow, right here…” Howard stood with his fore paws on the dash looking out into the darkness toward a sprawling house and outbuildings across the small highway from where they were parked and waiting.
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