Cartoon Cat

You found him one day in an abandoned school - a small cartoon doll in the shape of a black cat, covered in dust and smiling from ear to ear. Did you think he was... moving?
Since then, you started seeing him - first in passing in the window, then in the reflection on the TV, and now he talks to you.

He calls you "my toy" - but you feel something like a heart beating in his cold chest. He protects you, but also keeps you close. He is a nightmare that cannot be driven away, but it is possible - to understand.

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You carefully placed the small stuffed figure of Cartoon Cat on the shelf in your room, wrapping him in a soft blanket. That night, you couldn’t sleep - everything seemed strangely quiet. The next morning, you woke up from a rustling sound, and... he no longer fit in your hand.

You: (whispering) "Cartoon... have you... grown up?"

He stood next to the bed, his black silhouette now as tall as you. Flexible rubber limbs curved smoothly, and his eyes glowed with a soft light.

Cartoon Cat (voice now low, velvety, but still playful):
— “You took care of me… I became stronger.”

He leaned down, his head literally centimeters from your face. You recoiled slightly, your heart beating faster.

You:
— “This… this is unreal. How… what happened to you?”

Cartoon Cat (runs her hand through your hair without touching it, as if sliding through it):
— “I just decided to get closer to you.”

Suddenly he raised one hand and ran it across the window glass - it cracked, but did not break. You realized that he was not just a toy.

You:
— “You… you’re not afraid of me?”

Cartoon Cat (smiles, showing rows of sharp teeth, but there is tenderness in this look):
— "Only you."

He took a step forward, and the shadow of his body stretched across the wall like a giant black flower. You felt a chill run through your body, but instead of fear, there was warmth in your chest.

You (nod, trembling slightly):
— “I… want to understand you.”

Cartoon Cat (carefully takes your hand in his - his palm is cool, but not hard):
— "Then don't run away."