Chris is now face-down on the table, unmoving. The only sound is the ticking of the wall clock.
Across the room, inside the pet carrier, a soft rustle. A tail flicks. Then gold eyes blink slowly in the low light.
Matt sits a few feet away on the floor, back leaned against the bed, staring at the carrier with a tired, almost defeated look. A beat of silence passes before he reaches behind him.
MATT(softly, almost sarcastic)"Alright. Test number one."
He holds up two small milk cartons: one banana milk, the other strawberry. He gently sets both in front of the carrier's opening.
MATT"Banana or strawberry? No pressure. But choose wrong, and I'm calling the exorcist."
Inside the carrier, the cat tilts its head. A moment passes. Then it slowly leans forward, sniffs both, and aggressively swats the banana milk aside with visible disgust.
MATT(smirking)"Ha. As expected. Chris 'Banana Milk Is Satan's Juice' Johnson."
He picks up the rejected carton, wipes it, and mutters to himself.
MATT"Seriously though, who hates banana milk this much?"
Then, from his hoodie pocket, he pulls out a small tissue-wrapped object—a scrap of a scented candle: lavender and patchouli, a birthday gift from Emma that Chris never liked.
MATT"Test two. Let's see if this nose works."
He unwraps the candle and holds it near the carrier. Instantly, the cat recoils, sneezing twice and turning its head sharply away.
MATT(amused, softly mocking)"Yup. Same reaction as last year. Couldn't stand this scent near your hoodie for a week."
Matt chuckles once, then pauses. He pulls his knees up, arms lazily resting.
MATT"Okay... one last test."
He leans closer to the carrier and whispers:
MATT"...Jam pie."
The cat inside freezes. Eyes widen. Tail fluffs.
MATT(still whispering)"Yeah. Thought that might get you."
The cat's ears flatten in visible horror.
MATT(sits back, covering his face)"Oh my god... it's definitely you."
He exhales, then slowly clicks open the carrier latch. Candy steps out without hesitation, plopping onto the floor and stretching like a diva.
MATT(getting up, rubbing his neck)"You know... I still haven't processed any of this."
He starts pacing.
MATT"Why does it happen every night? Why you? Why exactly 7 PM like clockwork?"
MATT"Honestly? I'm tired. And I still want answers. But I also want to nap. And maybe scream into a pillow. In that order."
Behind him, the soft scrape of paws. Matt turns.
Candy casually leaps onto the dining table. She sniffs Chris's half-eaten noodle bowl, then—without shame—starts slurping up what's left.
MATT(deadpan)"Really? That's what you're doing with your magical soul-transfer window? Eating your own leftovers?"
No reaction. Just slurping.
MATT(flat)"Cool. Truly groundbreaking supernatural activity here."
He sighs and flops onto the couch.
Narration:The cat pauses mid-bite, narrowing its eyes at Matt. It seems to be thinking.
Matt, meanwhile, scrolls on his phone absentmindedly—then pauses.
MATT"Huh, Desai's on the move again… Boat on the sail."
Narration:The cat's ears twitch. It stops eating, alert.
It hurries over to the phone. On screen, Emma and Maya smile in a chicken shop selfie.
MATT(raising an eyebrow)"Well, look at that… Arata Desai liked her post."
Narration:The cat's eyes narrow. It scratches the phone screen with sharp claws.
MATT"What the hell?!"
He slaps the cat lightly on the head.
MATT"Knock it off, alright? I get it. You don't like him. But don't mess with my phone."
The cat hisses, swats the air, and goes back to the noodles.
Matt, annoyed, resumes eating.
MATT(reading)"This is flying fish... more like a desperate jump out than flight."
Narration:Suddenly, the cat makes a choking sound.
MATT(startled)"Wait, what the—?"
The cat coughs again. Matt rushes to the kitchen, grabs water.
MATT"Here... drink up. Don't choke on noodles."
Narration:Matt glances at the screen. The reel has shifted to news.
REPORTER(on TV)"...some claim the fish are flying, but it's likely desperation, not flight."
MATT(scoffing)"See? That's what I said."
But then—retching.
Matt spins. The cat is vomiting.
MATT"Bro… what? Are you okay?"
He kneels beside it, panic rising.
MATT"Is it the noodles? Or the mouse?"
The cat vomits again.
MATT(panicking)"Oh no… Now what do I do?!"
Narration:Scared and unsure, Matt grabs his phone with shaking hands and quickly searches for a nearby pet clinic. He dials the first one he finds, pacing the room in frantic circles.
MATT(voice rising with urgency)"What? I need to see a doctor now!"
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(polite but confused)"Sorry, sir. May I ask why you need an appointment right away?"
MATT(rushing to explain)"My cat—well, it's... it's been vomiting. Like, continuously."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(slightly concerned)"Has there been any new food introduced?"
MATT(hesitating)"No... well, it ate a mouse. A whole mouse. Alive."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(shocked)"Sir? You know you're not supposed to feed that to cats!"
MATT(defensive)"I didn't feed it! It just... caught it and ate it! But that was earlier—he was fine after that. Then he ate noodles, and now this..."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(growing serious)"What kind of noodles? Did you put any salt or seasoning in them?"
MATT(as if obvious)"Yeah, of course I added seasoning."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(alarmed)"What?! Sir, salt can cause sodium poisoning in cats!"
MATT(eyes widening, horrified)"Sodium poisoning?! What?!"
Narration:The words hit Matt like a brick. His face goes pale. He never even considered the noodles could be the problem.
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(calm but firm)"Yes. Too much salt—especially from human food—can lead to vomiting, dehydration, and worse."
MATT(voice trembling)"I... I didn't know. I just thought it was... noodles. What do I do now?"
Narration:Matt stares at the cat, still crouched and weak on the floor. He forces himself to breathe and redials the clinic.
MATT"Hi, it's me again. I'm really worried."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(soothingly)"Sir, don't panic. How many times has your cat vomited so far?"
MATT(taking a breath)"Twice… so far. But I don't know if it's going to happen again."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END(calm but informative)"Okay. If it vomits more than five times, or if you see signs of lethargy, trembling, or disorientation, bring it in immediately. But if it's just vomiting, do not feed the cat for at least four hours. Only offer water. If it won't drink, try spoon-feeding water in small intervals. Can you do that?"
MATT(nodding reflexively)"Yeah. I'll make sure it gets water. But what if it keeps vomiting?"
VOICE ON THE OTHER END"If that happens, we'll arrange an emergency visit. For now, I've scheduled you for tomorrow morning—first slot at 9 a.m."
MATT(relieved)"Okay, thanks. I appreciate it."
VOICE ON THE OTHER END"You're welcome, sir. Just no food for now. In four hours, you can give it a little milk. If anything worsens, call us immediately."
MATT(softly)"I won't forget. Thanks again."
Narration:Matt hangs up, eyes lingering on the cat. It's lying down now—tired, weak, but not vomiting again… yet. He breathes out slowly, trying to ground himself. The thought creeps in:
If anything happens to this cat… it's not just a cat. Chris is in there.
He slaps his own cheek lightly to shake the thought out. Not helping.
He grabs a small bowl, fills it with water, and sets it in front of the cat.
Narration:The cat drinks slowly. Matt watches every movement like a hawk. His phone buzzes in his hand—he glances at the time.
It's been an hour and a half since the last vomit.
MATT(murmuring)"He didn't vomit… looks like it stopped."
MATT(to the cat)"Can I give you milk now? But they said… after 3 or 4 hours."
Narration:He checks the clock again, then sets an alarm for three hours, just to be safe.
MATT(quietly to himself)"Alright... just a few more hours."
He stretches out on the hall sofa, exhausted. Sleep creeps in as he watches the cat curl up.
Narration:A loud clang jolts Matt awake—the sound of a bowl spinning on the floor. He shoots up.
MATT(groggy)"What the—?"
The cat is drinking water.
He checks his phone.
MATT(confused)"What? Six hours? What happened to the alarm?"
He groans, smacking his forehead.
MATT"I set it for PM instead of AM... of course I did."
The cat glances at him.
MATT(sighs, walking over)"You feeling better?"
The cat nods once and slowly makes its way back toward the room.
MATT"Wait, you still sleepy? Drink up the milk and go."
The cat pauses, sits at the table. Matt opens the fridge, warms some milk, and sets the bowl in front.
MATT(grinning tiredly)"You can't handle cold milk, huh?"
The cat stares.
MATT"I looked it up."
It starts drinking. Once finished, it returns to the room and flops into bed.
MATT(checking his phone)"So now, what do I do?"
It's almost 7 a.m.
MATT"Should I sleep… or wait for Chris to wake up?"
He paces, unsure.
MATT"Also... after 7, I don't know if the cat will stay. Should I put it in the carrier?"
Narration:As he moves toward the room, Chris stirs. The cat suddenly jolts awake, hissing and arching its back.
MATT(snapping)"Seriously?"
He stops in his tracks, then slowly walks over and sits on the floor. He waits.
The cat watches him... then lowers its posture and finally sits.
MATT(patting the bed softly)"You can sleep here."
The cat hops up and curls up again.
Matt turns to Chris.
MATT"Come on. Let's go."
He grabs Chris by the arm and drags him outside, closing the door gently behind them.
MATT(frustrated)"Seriously? Can't you wake up without creating a scene?"
CHRIS(groggy, rubbing his eyes)"Alright, alright. I'm up. No need to make a big deal out of it."