Thank you Chris for giving me the opening line so I could turn it into a story.
The Quantam Chaos Expansion Guide, Fourth Edition, had warned Conrad the black holes, rapid time fissures, cranial teleportation singularities, sonic bone disintegrating waves, but never about the kittens.
“NOW!” Conrad shouted. I pulled the lever. There was a flash of ice blue light and the gateway opened.
I ran across the laboratory and joined Conrad on the threshold. With bated breath we peered down the tunnel of cruel light into the abyss beyond our universe.
“We have failed,” I groaned. “There is nothing out there.”
I turned to push the lever and close the door when Conrad grabbed my hand. “There is something out there!”
A figure slunk through the darkness beyond our world.
“Hello?” Conrad shouted. “Who’s there? Pray tell, what are you?”
Into the tunnel of light stepped a tiny orange kitten. It’s mouth opened but the voice issued from the void beyond. “I have existed since before what you perceive as reality came to pass. I am a being that exists beyond the walls of your fragile sanity. To me you and maggots are one and the same. Bow down and pray to me for a quick death for I am Kitty.”
“It’s so cute!” Conrad squealed and stepped forward.
The kitten rolled over onto its back, exposing its belly. Conrad knelt to give it a tummy rub, and I will forever curse myself for not stopping him.
The second Conrad’s fingers brushed the white, feathery fur he released a scream of pain and horror like all the gates of hell had been open wide. He was hauled up as if by some invisible force and thrown back into our laboratory.
The kitten rose and stepped toward me. I pushed all of my weight upon the lever, closing that doorway to damnation. I pray it will stay closed forever.
I ran to my colleague’s side. His skin was the color of the dead. The poor man’s mouth was open as if producing a scream too horrible for ears. He finally managed to look at me and gasp, “It’s eyes! I saw its eyes! There are only kittens! There is nothing but kittens.”
Those were the last words my poor colleague ever muttered. For the past seven years he has been confined to Stonegate Asylumn in northern Main where he silently haunts a lonely cell.
I have since then moved on to other studies but have read of others following in Conrad’s footsteps. It is to these individuals that I implore, no beg. Those footsteps you are following are the footsteps of the damned. Do not seek the places beyond our universe. Remain content with your ignorance. The places beyond our fragile reality only contain darkness. And In the darkness the kitten waits.
