Cat Josh

Josh's stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he'd forgotten dinner the night before because of Bill and his sudden late-night calls to get the club together. He opened his eyes, feeling the soft touch of something against the pillow, slowly sat up, and there they were: two cat ears moving curiously in sync with his emotions.
“Wh-what is this?!” He started to panic as he felt his ears and stroked the soft tail that curled around him, hoping it was just a silly hallucination. In the end, he realized they were completely real and there was no way to make them go away. He refused to go downstairs, but hunger was stronger, so he waited until his parents left before going to the kitchen, hoping to find some food. Unfortunately for Josh, the refrigerator was almost empty. Some rancid leftovers and a couple of wilted vegetables were hardly a feast, and the idea of ​​going out to buy food terrified him. What would the neighbors say? How would people react to seeing him with cat ears and a tail? Even worse… his friends would probably make fun of him for the rest of his life! “No, no, no! I’m not going out like this!” He spent the afternoon watching TV series, trying to ignore the growling of his stomach. Every time he thought about going out, the image of stares and whispers paralyzed him. Finally, as the sun began to set and the shadows lengthened, Josh felt he could breathe a little easier and decided it was time to go out. He didn't bother trying to hide his new features, knowing how difficult that would be. It wasn't the ideal solution, but it was better than nothing, in his mind. It was late; who would be out at this hour?
With his heart pounding, he opened the door and peered out into the street. The night was his ally, enveloping the streets in a blanket of darkness. He took a deep breath and ventured outside, hoping to go unnoticed and find some food before hunger overcame him.