My boyfriend’s family friend wanted to crash at my place for a few days. I didn’t think it was a good idea. Just as I was about to politely decline, my boyfriend, Austin, looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. “If you say no, my mom is going to force her to stay at my place. But Chloe, babe, I don’t want any woman other than you in my apartment…” Seeing that he had decent boundaries, I felt a little better. Thinking she would only stay for a couple of days, I sighed and nodded. But the day Austin dropped her off, King—the stray tabby cat I always fed—didn’t go near his food like he usually did. Instead, he paced anxiously around my feet, letting out sharp, urgent meows. The moment I understood what the cat was saying, I froze. [Meow! Two-legs! Dumb two-legs, don’t trust him! The male two-legs and the new female two-legs are plotting to steal your big nest!] [Meow! They said your drawings can buy lots of fish! Once they trick you, they’re going to throw you out!] [Watch out for that female! Inside her bag, there’s a weird little bottle! Danger! High danger!]
“Chloe, babe, can we talk about something?” Austin’s voice came through the speaker, dripping with an overly sweet, apologetic tone. He rarely talked to me like this. My stylus paused on my drawing tablet, leaving an unnatural dark smudge on the cat whiskers I was sketching. “Sure, what’s up?” I tried to keep my voice casual, but an alarm bell rang in my head. Austin had been incredibly busy lately. We hadn’t had a proper date in over a week. “So, you remember Mia? My mom’s friend’s daughter. Her college dorm is undergoing some emergency maintenance, and she wants to visit the city for a few days… and, well, she needs a place to crash.” He paused, clearly trying to gauge my reaction. My heart sank. Mia. I remembered her. She was the girl Austin’s mom basically treated like a daughter. I’d met her twice. She looked sweet, but whenever she smiled at me, the warmth never reached her eyes. “For how long?” I asked, my voice turning a bit cold. “Like… a week? Maybe less,” Austin said vaguely. “She’s just a young girl in a big city. Hotels aren’t safe, and my mom…” I stayed silent. My apartment wasn’t big. It was a one-bedroom place, my sanctuary where I lived and worked as a freelance illustrator. I loved my solitude. My slight social anxiety made me instinctively reject the idea of a stranger invading my personal space. Especially someone I barely knew, like Mia. I was about to reject the request—I could offer to pay for her Airbnb or recommend a safe hotel. “Chloe…” Austin’s voice suddenly turned incredibly whiny, almost pleading. “I know you hate being disturbed. But… if you don’t agree, my mom will definitely make her stay with me. You know my apartment only has one bed. I really don’t want another girl staying at my place, not even for a few days.” His words were like a sweet treat, perfectly soothing my insecurities. The boundaries he showed made me feel like I was his “one and only.” The slight annoyance and suspicion I felt were instantly washed away by his sweet words. Maybe I was just overthinking? It was just helping out a family friend for a few days. I sighed and gave in. “Fine. But she can’t disturb my work.” “You’re the best, Chloe! I knew you’d understand!” Austin’s voice instantly cheered up. “I’ll bring her over tomorrow! I promise she’ll be on her best behavior and won’t bother you!” After hanging up, I looked at the half-finished cat on my screen. The anxiety I thought had gone away started creeping back up. Was it really… just about crashing for a few days?
The next afternoon, the doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole, I saw Austin standing outside, with a beaming Mia next to him. She was wearing a designer dress and pulling a massive suitcase. That did not look like she was staying for “just a few days.” I took a deep breath and opened the door. “Chloe! Thank you so much for having me!” Mia’s voice was sickeningly sweet. She walked right in as if she owned the place, looking around curiously. “Wow, your apartment is so cute and cozy! Did you paint all of these? They’re amazing!” Austin followed her in, smiling at me. His eyes practically said, *See? Told you she’s sweet.* He rolled Mia’s suitcase into the hallway. “I’ll leave Mia in your hands then.” I forced a smile. “Sure. Come on in, take a seat.” I turned to get them some water, but felt a frantic scratch at my ankle, followed by an anxious “meow.” It was King, the old stray tabby I always fed. He must have sneaked in when the door opened. Normally, at this hour, he’d be sunbathing in the courtyard or waiting for his dinner. But right now, he wasn’t rubbing against my leg for food. He was pacing around me in tight, frantic circles. His tail was puffed up, his fur standing on end, and he was letting out sharp, panicked cries. [Meow! Two-legs! Dumb two-legs! Don’t trust him!] I froze. This ability… it was happening again. I could understand animals. It started after an accident years ago. But usually, I just treated it as random cat gossip or complaining. I never took it too seriously. [Meow! The male two-legs! And this new female two-legs! They smell completely wrong!] King’s meows became even more frantic. Austin and Mia looked over, confused. Mia even took a dramatic step back, hiding behind Austin. “Oh, a cat! Chloe, you have a cat? It looks so mean.” “He’s just a stray from the neighborhood. We’re close,” I explained, though my mind was reeling from King’s words. King didn’t care. He kept screaming at me, his round green eyes full of panic and urgency. [Meow! They are planning! Planning to steal your big nest! This warm nest made of stone!] [Meow! They said! They said your drawings can buy lots of green paper with the old man’s face! So much green paper! Once they get it, they’ll kick you out!] [Watch out! Watch out for the female! In her bag! In that square thing! There’s a weird little bottle! Danger! Very danger!] My blood ran cold. A chill crept up my spine. Steal my apartment? My art? A weird bottle? Kicking me out? I stood there like a statue, the fake smile frozen on my face. Austin seemed to notice something was off. “Chloe? What’s wrong? You look so pale. Are you feeling okay?” Mia chimed in, sounding innocent. “Chloe, did we come at a bad time? Are we bothering you? Maybe I should just…” “No, I’m… I’m fine,” I interrupted quickly, my voice raspy. “Just a bit dizzy. Low blood sugar, probably. You guys sit down. I’ll… I’ll go down to the convenience store to grab some drinks.” I needed space to think. I needed to verify King’s words! I practically stumbled out of my own apartment, forgetting even my purse. As the elevator went down, my heart was hammering against my ribs. King’s warnings screamed in my head like a siren. Stepping out of the lobby, I saw Tubby, a chubby ginger cat I also fed, napping on the flower bed. Seeing me, he let out a lazy “meow” in greeting. I knelt down, my voice shaking as I whispered, “Tubby… do you know those two people who just went up? The new girl and the guy who always comes over?” Tubby tilted his head and licked his paw. [Meow~ I know them. They smell gross~] He purred lazily. [While you were gone, they sneaked into your room. They touched your blue folder—the one in the tall wooden box~ Meow~ They also tried to open your glowing flat box (laptop), but couldn’t~] The blue folder? My property deed! I kept it in my home office drawer! The tall wooden box was my desk! They were actually searching my things! Tubby added, [Meow~ The male two-legs said they have to hurry. Otherwise, the dumb two-legs—that’s you—will find out… find out what again? Meow~ I forgot~] The last shred of hope in my heart shattered. King and Tubby’s stories matched perfectly. Austin and Mia were definitely planning something terrible. A wave of shock and betrayal washed over me. Austin, the man who said he loved me, the man who pretended to have boundaries just to make me feel safe, was plotting to steal my apartment and my hard work? And that sweet, innocent-looking Mia—what kind of dangerous stuff was she hiding in her bag? Fear gripped me, but a strong survival instinct kicked in. I couldn’t panic. I couldn’t let them know that I knew. I lingered in the convenience store for a while, bought some drinks, took several deep breaths, and forced myself to look calm before heading back up.
When I opened the door again, I had a tired but natural smile back on my face. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Got some drinks.” Austin and Mia were sitting on the couch, looking completely normal. Austin took the drinks, looking concerned. “You feel better? Do you need to lie down?” “Much better.” I shook my head, my eyes casually drifting toward my home office. The desk drawer wasn’t fully closed. It was slightly off from how I always left it. My heart grew colder. I walked into the office under the pretense of grabbing something and quickly checked the drawer. The documents had clearly been shifted. The blue folder was out of place. I touched my laptop. It was asleep, but the bottom was still warm. The evidence was undeniable. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. Rage and terror battled in my chest, but I had to play dumb. I walked back to the living room and looked at Mia’s designer handbag sitting in the corner. I smiled and tried to sound casual. “Mia, you must be tired from the trip. Do you have toiletries in your bag? I have brand-new ones here, so you don’t have to unpack your things if you don’t want to.” As I spoke, I reached out, pretending to help her with her bag. “I’m good!” Mia’s reaction was incredibly fast. She practically lunged forward to snatch the bag into her arms, her face instantly twisting into a look of fear and hurt. “I… I brought everything! I don’t want to bother you, Chloe!” Austin immediately stood up, placing himself between me and Mia. There was a flicker of tension in his voice. “Chloe, Mia can handle her own stuff. Girls have private things in their bags.” He paused, looking at me with a hint of accusation. “What’s wrong with you today anyway? Why are you suddenly so interested in her bag?” Right on cue, Mia’s eyes turned red, and she began to sob quietly. “Chloe… do you hate me? Do you think I stole something? I didn’t… I really just came here to stay. I didn’t mean to make trouble…” They played off each other perfectly, making me look like the paranoid, hostile bully. Looking at how Austin protected her, and watching Mia’s flawless performance, the last bit of warmth in my heart died. It was all true. The cats were right. Their conspiracy was real. “Of course not,” I forced a stiff smile. “I was just asking in case you forgot something. Don’t worry about it, sit down.” I turned my back to them, feeling completely frozen. The world had suddenly become a terrifying, hostile place.
For the next two days, I felt like I was walking on a tightrope. Suppressing my disgust and fear, I played the part of the clueless host. Mia kept calling me sweet names, offering to do chores, and showing a creepy amount of interest in my digital art, constantly asking how much my illustrations sold for. Austin visited even more often, acting like the perfect boyfriend. But I didn’t miss the greed and calculation flashing in his eyes. Using work as an excuse, I locked myself in my office most of the time, frantically trying to figure out a plan. I checked all my valuables. I quietly moved my property deeds, ID, tax forms, and bank cards to a highly secure, hidden spot. I set up SOS emergency contacts on my phone and started secretly recording audio clips on Snapchat whenever they whispered. Even though their hushed conversations were vague, they were still suspicious. During those days, I “ran into” King and Tubby a few more times. They kept feeding me information: [Meow~ The male two-legs owes a lot of green paper with the old man’s face. Bad guys are chasing him~] [Meow! The bottle in the female’s bag smells like sleep! Makes the head dizzy!] [They are planning! Planning to take you to eat food, then you will sleep! Meow! Bad!] Drugging me? They were going to drug me? Where were they going to take me? My heart was in my throat. The terror grew every day. I knew they were going to make their move soon. My solo art exhibition—something I had prepared for months—was opening tomorrow at an art center in the suburbs. Both Austin and Mia insisted on going to support me. It was the perfect, secluded location, far away from the busy city center. On the day of the exhibition, everything seemed to go smoothly. My art got great feedback. Austin and Mia stayed by my side the entire time, smiling and showering me with compliments. But I knew this was just the calm before the storm. By the time the exhibition ended, it was already evening. The art center was in a remote area, and the streets were practically empty. “Chloe, today was a massive success! We have to celebrate!” Austin wrapped an arm around my shoulder, his voice filled with excitement. “I know this private tasting-menu restaurant nearby. It’s super exclusive, great vibe. I already booked a table.” Mia grabbed my other arm, acting close. “Yes, Chloe! You worked so hard, you have to pamper yourself!” Here it was. They were making their move. Cold sweat broke out across my back. I couldn’t go. I absolutely could not go! But how could I refuse? It was hard to get an Uber out here. I had nowhere to run, and I couldn’t just walk away. “I’m… I’m really tired. I think I just want to go home,” I tried to protest. “No way!” Austin immediately shot back, his tone carrying a sudden, unquestionable firmness. “We have to celebrate! Plus, the reservation is locked in. It’s a waste not to go. Come on, the car is over there.” He pointed toward the parking lot. Mia pulled my arm tighter. “Come on, Chloe, don’t be a party pooper~” They were incredibly insistent, practically dragging me toward the parking lot. My heart was racing, my brain working in overdrive. When we reached my SUV, Austin said, “Let’s take your car. I might have a drink, and Mia doesn’t drive.” I froze for a second, then took the keys and unlocked the doors, pretending to agree. “Okay. You guys get in first. I think I left something in the exhibition hall. I’ll be right back!” Without waiting for their reply, I turned and walked quickly back toward the art center. Once I got about fifty feet away, I darted into the shadows of the building, my chest heaving. I saw Austin and Mia exchanging confused glances. Mia looked like she wanted to follow me, but Austin grabbed her arm, nodding toward the hall, signaling her to wait. Now! Using their blind spot, I bent low and ran as fast as I could back to the parking lot. I slipped quietly to the back of my SUV. Trembling, I opened the trunk. Fortunately, there was still some display trash from the exhibition inside. I climbed in, curled my body up tightly, and pulled the trunk door down, leaving just a tiny crack for air. In the dark, cramped space, all I could hear was the deafening thud of my heart and my ragged breathing. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps approaching. “Where is Chloe? What’s taking her so long?” Mia’s voice was sharp with impatience. “No idea. Let me call her.” Austin said. My phone started buzzing in my pocket, the screen glowing in the dark. I immediately rejected the call and put it on silent. “She hung up?” Austin’s voice dropped. “What the hell is she doing?” “Do you think she figured it out?” Mia sounded panicked. “No way! She’s too stupid, and she trusts me blindly.” Austin was confident, but then his voice grew frantic. “Search the area! We have to find her! We need this done tonight! The loan sharks are breathing down my neck!” I heard their footsteps scatter as they called my name, their voices fading into the distance. Fear made me shudder violently. Cold sweat soaked my clothes. The air in the trunk was getting thin, and I was starting to feel dizzy. Suddenly, I heard a familiar, soft meow right outside the car. [Meow! Dumb two-legs! Hide well! Don’t make a sound!] It was King! He had actually followed me here? [Meow! They said they are taking you somewhere far away! That male has weird candy in his pocket!] Weird candy… My mind flashed to countless news stories of girls being drugged and assaulted. The terror hit me like a tidal wave. With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone, started recording, and slipped it into the seatback pocket of the row in front of me. The camera was pointed right out the window. “Fucking bitch!” Outside, Austin finally lost his temper, unable to find the keys to open the car. He swore loudly. “Who does she think she is? Did she actually find out?” “Impossible,” Mia’s voice was venomous and cruel. “We were perfect. She’s probably just throwing a tantrum. Austin, what now? The drugs are ready. We just need to get her to sign the papers at the cabin, and then…” “Shut up!” Austin cut her off angrily. “Search the car! See if she left a spare key somewhere!” Their conversation was recorded perfectly by my phone. Hiding in the pitch black, my muscles were so tense they ached. I could barely breathe. What should I do? Call the cops? But they were just outside the car. I hadn’t been physically harmed yet. What would I tell the dispatchers? That my cat told me they were bad guys? Who would believe me? In my desperation, a name flashed in my mind. Marcus Miller. My next-door neighbor. A serious-looking defense attorney. Two weeks ago, I ran into him in the lobby. He had glanced at Austin, who was with me, and said in a very cautious tone, “Chloe, when you make friends, you should really look into their backgrounds. Some people look nice on the surface, but aren’t.” At the time, I thought he was just being nosy and felt a bit annoyed. But looking back, he was trying to warn me! He definitely knew something! He was my only hope. While Austin and Mia were searching the other side of the car, I unlocked my phone with shaking fingers and found Marcus on Snapchat. What could I even say? My fingers hovered over the screen. In pure panic, I typed just a few words. [Marcus, please help me. Danger.] Then, I sent him the one-minute audio recording I had just made, along with my live location.
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