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The two male cats, Grisha and Mickey, sat on the windowsill overlooking the busy Manhattan avenue below. They were sat right up against each another and their tails were curling leisurely behind them. Grisha was light grey with darker grey stripes and bright white paws. Mickey’s coat of fur was of a polished jet black all over.

The apartment was on the third floor, it was a big place with a large, open-plan living room and kitchen; Adjacent was a long hallway with a couple of bedrooms and bathrooms attached. There was more than enough space for the two cats to run and play here, and they did so often. But tonight, they sat on the windowsill, their big-eyes wide open and carefully scanning every movement down on the street below. They were meowing to each other in small little chirps that provided great amusement to the mother and father of the house, who were in the living room about to get ready for bed.​

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   “Mickey? Grisha? Come to bed.” Said a soft, sweet voice. It was Masha, their daughter.

 

   Masha had big blue eyes, strawberry-blonde hair and a small button nose. She was three years-old and couldn’t find the courage to sleep without Grisha and Mickey purring alongside her. Masha had collected her favourite toys and met with the cats over at the windowsill to see what it was they were meowing at and to hustle them to bed. Both cats willingly obliged, they would sleep at the end of Masha’s bed every night. Dad, as a joke, even set a timer to when they would scuttle off to the next room, and more than often, his timing was accurate.

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   The walls of Masha’s bedroom were adorned with giant stickers of her favourite Disney characters, the floors were covered with Barbie dolls, toy salons and everything that went with them. Mum and Dad tucked Masha into her princess-themed bed while Mickey and Grisha curled up into little baskets on the floor at the far end. Mum and Dad settled into the evening routine of reading Masha her favourite storybook. As she listened to the story, Masha’s eyes grew heavier and heavier, and before the book had even reached its half-way point, she was off dreaming in no time. Seeing that Masha was asleep, Mum and Dad gave her a kiss goodnight and put the book away in the bookshelf. The pair took a few minutes to clear up Masha’s toys, whispering and giggling amongst themselves before finally flicking off the light switch and quietly leaving, never forgetting to always leave the door slightly ajar, to allow the warm, orange glow of the hallway into the room.

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   Mickey and Grisha lay in their baskets furiously purring like little engines, a rhythmic hum that comforted Masha while she dreamt in tranquillity. Both cats rested for about an hour, but they were careful not to fall asleep entirely, for they had work to do tonight and couldn’t be caught leaving the premises, they had to patiently wait for the right opportunity to execute their plan.

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   Mum and Dad watched television in the living room, catching the end of the latest thing that month before inevitably, going to bed themselves. In Masha’s bedroom, the two cats snapped out of their slumber the moment all the lights were switched off and not a sound came from any of the other rooms. Only then did they simultaneously raise their heads and share an ordered meow of confirmation that, all was clear. Without making a noise, they leapt out of their baskets and hurried out the room, the orange glow casting their shadows as large as lions as they made their exit. They bent round a corner and trot into the kitchen, their night vision and ultra-sensitive sense of smell guiding every move, senses that would laugh at a mere humans if able.

 

   Taking a moment to see that everything was clear, both cats magically morphed into humans. Grisha was tall, with white skin and silvery strokes of flowing hair. Mickey was of the same height, black- skinned with short black hair. Both were handsome and well-built, and they both wore suits resembling that of your modern-day superhero outfit. Mickey’s suit was black and blue, Grisha’s was grey and white.

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   Mickey and Grisha both came into this world as regular cats but were gifted the ability to transform into human superheroes. They spent their days in their native feline forms; Lounging, eating and scratching the furniture to shreds, but at night they morphed into their human avatars and went out and fought crime with great effect! The city was a far safer place with Grisha and Mickey’s presence. The NYPD had long suspected that vigilantes had been responsible for the city’s reduced crime-rate, but to this day had never been able to catch or point to anyone. New York’s underbelly was eager to catch the vigilantes as well, large bounties were placed on them, and some gangs had resorted to only operating in the day. No-one knew about Grisha and Mickey’s secret identities, least of all Mum and Dad, so they had to be careful when morphing into their human forms in the apartment, only doing so briefly to open the window and let themselves out...

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The full story is available as part of the novella A Tree-mendous Scandal In Central Park & Other Stories, released October 2024 on Amazon.