Clowders

by Vanessa Morgan

  “Respecting and honoring the cats of Clervaux kind of makes the Tengu harmless,” Jasper said after having swallowed a bit of hamburger. “She confronts us with her presence, like a warning. But as long as we don't touch her cats, we're okay. It's when we challenge her that she attacks.”

  “Of course, we don't have any control over what people outside of the town do to them,” Theo continued. “Luckily, only cat lovers come to Clervaux. They come here with cat toys and food and treats. They're here to pamper the cats, so they don't risk anything.”

  “Funny that you mention that,” Aidan said. “Jess ran over a cat here. We're still alive, though.”

  Theo and Jasper instantly turned pale.

  “Did the cat die?” Jasper asked.

  “I'm afraid so,” Jess said.

  “So you've seen her then?” Jasper asked.

  “Who? The Tengu? No, of course not.” Jess' eyes were wide. The concern in them betrayed her dishonesty. She looked like a kid that believed in ghosts.

  “That's not possible. The Tengu always shows herself before she strikes, to let us know she's onto us,” Theo said. “You know the cat has to be replaced now?”

  “Do I have to buy another cat?” Jess muttered.

  “I think we'd better leave,” Theo told his son. “I don't want to risk anything.”

  Jasper nodded in agreement.

  Both men got up right away and went to the counter to settle their bill. Most of their food remained untouched on their plates. Theo turned to look at them with pity. Then they left the restaurant without saying anything else.

  CHAPTER 21

  After lunch, while the cat fair was still in full swing, Jess brought her daughter to baking class. Because the town was celebrating the cats, they'd be making cat cupcakes today. Saying that Eleonore was looking forward to making these cupcakes was an understatement. In fact, she'd been talking about it non-stop since Wednesday. Eleonore also constantly repeated the French words she had learned during baking class, reciting them as if they were a mantra – gâteau au chocolat, biscuit au beurre en forme de chat, pâtisserie. Incredible how many French words her girl had picked up by attending a few classes.

  “We can't let you in,” Madame Theis said when Jess and Eleonore arrived.

  “I know I'm a little late. Can you please make an exception? Eleonore was really looking forward to this class.”

  Jess was already making her way through the door, assuming it would be okay, when the teacher blocked her entry.

  “It doesn't have anything to do with being late,” Madame Theis said. “We heard about the accident. The pet food representatives warned everyone about you.”

  “No one got hurt,” Jess said.

  “Someone did get hurt.” The woman cast a judgmental gaze at Jess. “The cat. The cat got hurt.”

  “Oh, that.”

  “Do you have any idea what you brought upon us?”

  Jess' patience was wearing off. “Look, I'm sorry about what happened, but I--”

  Madame Theis interrupted her. “When you install yourself in a town, you have to learn about its customs. You have to obey its rules.”

  “I heard about that and I will from now on,” Jess said. “Can we get through, please? My daughter would like to attend class.”

  “She's not welcome here anymore,” the teacher said.

  She must be kidding, right?

  “Eleonore loves it here. You can't take that away from her for something so stupid.”

  “If you don't leave immediately, I'll be obliged to call the police.”

  Eleonore started crying. Leaving her home country, losing her cat, and now being evicted from her favorite class. How much more was her daughter expected to handle? Jess found this town more unpleasant by the day.

  Right now, though, Jess felt that there wasn't anything they could do but leave.

  ***

  Night was falling. People were walking in and out of Restaurant du Château Clervaux. The place was full to the brim. A waitress went from table to table with her hands full of plates with wild boar filet with foie gras sauce.

  Claire and Simon were sitting at the table near the window. From there they had a magnificent view over the castle, which was illuminated for the night by in ground, pale blue spotlights. It looked as if it came right out of a fairy tale.

  While Claire and Simon were sipping their wine and enjoying their meals, the sun was slowly slipping away behind the hills. The sky was changing color, augmenting its palette with tawny oranges and soft purples.

  Even though Claire had lived in Clervaux for over 20 years, she never tired of this view and the food this restaurant had to offer. The blue lobster with black summer truffle, braised fennel, shellfish foam, and raspberry vinaigrette they both had was delicious, and she couldn't wait to dive into her main course of giant shrimps with peanut butter pumpkin that was being prepared in the kitchen.

  She wished Simon could enjoy the view and food as much as she did. Sometimes she wondered why he wanted to eat out in the first place because he was always so annoyed with the imperfections of the food and venue. Ever since he finished his lobster, he was looking at his phone. She knew from experience that it was of no use trying to ignite a conversation. He would mumble something, if that much, and then look back at his screen.

  Claire's mind drifted off toward the castle. Hundreds of cats had gathered around the restaurant and circled the building as if making a fairy circle. She was used to seeing many cats in Clervaux, but never as many in one spot and never as “organized.” She wondered what they were up to, and a slight panic arose.

  “Simon? Can you look outside for a second?”

  Simon looked up and threw a glance outside. As soon as he saw the unusually large number of cats, he got up. “We have to get out of here right now!”

  “But our main course--” Claire couldn't finish her phrase. Simon took her by the arm and pulled her toward the exit.

  Simon's sudden movement knocked down the candles so that first the tablecloth and then the table caught fire. Simon tried to extinguish the flames by covering them with his jacket, but once the curtains went up in flames, his efforts were in vain.

  The noisy restaurant diners fell silent.

  Then the screaming started.

  The fire extended and black smoke spread through the room, making it impossible to find the exit. In only a few seconds, the heat had become unbearable. Hell had broken loose. Some customers stood there motionless, unable to scream or move, while others stumbled frantically through the restaurant, trying to find a way out.

  Claire felt herself getting faint from the carbon monoxide. It was then that she spotted the intruder amid the black smoke.

  The Tengu was squatting on one of the tables. Its appearance had something devilish. The creature smiled at Claire.

  It was time for revenge.

  Claire found her way through the crowd and toward the back of the restaurant. In her path, a woman fell dead on the ground. Several people screamed for help. She looked around for Simon, but couldn't find him.

  She found the door that led toward the kitchen but burned her hand on the doorknob as she attempted to open it. The crowd screamed and moaned in the background. But there was another sound: shuffling. And it came from behind her.

  When Claire turned around, the only thing she saw was black smoke. Only when she looked up at the ceiling, did she see the Tengu crawling rapidly toward her.

  Then she fainted.

  It only took a minute for the flames to devour Claire's body.

  ***

  Though it was already after nine, Clervaux was crowded with tourists. Most of the families with young kids had left and had made way for teenagers and young couples. The first group had fun on the fairground attractions, while the couples were mainly in- and outside the restaurants.

  Lorenza was still at her booth, explaining to several tourists how important donations were for the shelter. She explained that while the locals took
care of many cats, the shelter still had to feed the strays in the woods, capture them for spaying and neutering, and offer medical assistance whenever one appeared to be ill.

  “We know where most clowders hang out, so we regularly check up on them,” she clarified. “The inhabitants are helpful in that regard and inform us when they've seen a cat that needs assistance. Without our interventions, these cats would probably die.”

  When that wasn't enough to convince them to donate, she added, “Without these donations, Clervaux would probably cease being a cat town.” It wasn't the truth, but it gave tourists a selfish reason to donate, and it was usually the remark that made them run to the pet store to buy the shelter a gift card.

  Today alone, she had collected over two thousand euros in gift cards with which she could buy the cats food. The day had been long but useful.

  She liked that she was able to make a difference in this town, yet it was time for a change. Lorenza had been living in Clervaux for almost three years now and only recently had she started to wonder about other places – how they would be better, hipper. She felt most at ease in cities with a bustling nightlife. This was the lifestyle she knew best and that she had learned to adapt to. Apart from waitressing and dancing in bars, she didn't know what else she could do. But would she still fit in once her looks had faded? She doubted it. Hopefully, one day, she'd find a home where people would accept her for who she was, where she didn't feel the need to be on top of her game at all time.

  At first glance, Clervaux, as well as her work there, seemed like a perfect fit. Who didn't want to be paid to take care of cats all day long and get free rent on top? Pet charity organizations never paid for jobs like this. But, yeah, this was how people in Clervaux rolled. She had kept a side gig where she danced in a nightclub during most weekends, so she had plenty of money for clothes and drinks. She'd be crazy to let go of an opportunity like this.

  But did she want to stay in a town where she risked her life each day?

  At first, she hadn't been sure if the rumors were true. But ever since arriving here, she'd seen things no one could possibly explain. It had always been vague enough to make her doubt her own sanity, yet noticeable enough to believe in the potential dangers of Clervaux.

  The sudden arrival of fire trucks in the proximity of the castle interrupted her thoughts. She had already heard a commotion but hadn't paid too much attention. But when she saw the fire trucks arriving and then noticed the black smoke rising from the Restaurant du Château Clervaux, she instantly guessed the cause of what had happened.

  Now she was sure. It didn't matter if she had a comfortable life here or not. She needed to get away from this town. The sooner, the better.

  ***

  Aidan couldn't understand why Jess was unapproachable again. She had been affectionate with him the entire day - in fact, she had behaved as if their troubles had vanished - but as soon as they got home, she distanced herself from him, avoiding his company at all cost.

  She was in the kitchen now, going through the photos she'd taken at the fair earlier that day and uploading them onto her laptop, while Aidan was the one to tuck Eleonore into bed. After Eleonore was asleep, he made sure her bedroom window was closed. He didn't want his daughter to be attacked by an animal again. Though he didn't think it would come inside, after Eleonore's accounts of seeing and hearing animals in her room at night, it was better to be sure.

  When he was about to draw back the curtains, there was a flash of shadow. A shape bolted away from the town and ducked into the bushes and into the forest - a figure lumbering on all fours. Except this thing wasn't hairy. It looked almost pale in the moonlight. And then, just as quickly as Aidan had spotted it, it was gone. It all happened within a span of two, maybe three, seconds.

  Aidan's mind wheeled around the possibility that what he'd seen had been the Tengu. But, no - It couldn't be. He'd just imagined it, right? He had to admit he had a hard time getting the word pictures from the ghost tour out of his head, so he was probably being influenced by what he'd heard this afternoon. It was like, don't think of a pink elephant, and then all you think about is a pink elephant.

  However, one question burned brightly in the forefront of his mind: if this wasn't the Tengu, then what was this creature he had just seen?

  ***

  Jess narrowed her eyes at one of the pictures from the cat carnival. Eleonore stood on the main square, holding a cat lollypop in one hand and a cat book in the other. Eleonore's pretty smile had distracted her the first time around, but what caught her attention now was something hiding behind the merry-go-round in the background – a figure much like the one she'd seen on some of the town's merchandising.

  Jess gazed at the photograph, ready to dismiss it as a trick of the light until she scrolled to the next one. There, she saw the same thing.

  It was more difficult to detect in the third photo. Aidan and Eleonore posed in front of the castle, right next to the exhibition space. Jess enlarged the picture on her laptop, searching for what she hoped she wouldn't find.

  But she found it, hidden behind a boy in a Tengu sweater.

  It was impossible to deny. The proof was there.

  She'd just scrolled to the next photo when sirens sounded through the streets of Clervaux.

  Jess and Aidan stopped their separate activities and ran toward the window. People came running from all different directions with the urgency that is so typical when an accident had happened.

  “Let's go outside,” Aidan said.

  “What about E?”

  “We'll only be gone a minute. She's fast asleep anyway.”

  They quickly put their jackets on top of their pajamas, put on some shoes, and ran outside.

  They could hardly see anything through the crowds. But as soon as they managed to get closer, it was unmistakable what had happened.

  Dark clouds of smoke were billowing up near the castle. The police and fire trucks were already on site. An ambulance arrived only a few minutes later and drove up toward the restaurant to help the wounded. A police officer ordered Aidan to stay at a distance. He obeyed.

  Jess could see the ambulance people towing away several corpses from the restaurant and putting them onto stretchers. Before the paramedic zipped up the body bags, she caught a glimpse of what might have been the charred remains of Simon and Claire.

  “What happened?” Jess asked one of the bystanders.

  “It's the cats,” the man said as if it was evidence.

  Jess and Aidan looked at each other. What did that mean? She tried to tie it in with what she'd heard about the cats of the ghost story.

  She had to admit that the number of cats that had gathered around the restaurant tonight was surprising. There were a lot more of them around the castle than at other places in town. They didn't care much about the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

  The wife of the man who'd just spoken to her looked at them menacingly. “C'est eux. Il ne faut pas leur parler,” she told her husband.

  “What are they saying?” Jess asked.

  “That he shouldn't talk to us.”

  “Why not?”

  The man looked at them again and then whispered something in his friend's ear. Soon, the whispers became resentful shouts.

  “It's them!” one of them shouted, pointing at Aidan and Jess. “They're the ones who caused this.”

  What was going on? They didn’t do anything wrong.

  “People, please!” Aidan said. “We're not responsible for this.”

  “The harm has already been done,” a woman shouted. She wasn't angry, she was crying, which made Jess realize that something deeper was going on here.

  Everyone agreed with the woman. Then followed a series of questions:

  “Who will be the next victim?”

  “What will she do to us?”

  “What's going to happen now?”

  “Who is the most at risk?”

  Soon, it was impossible to distinguish different voices in thi
s mass of sound. The square in front the Restaurant du Château Clervaux was too small for so many heated souls and the entire crowd began to push as if everyone wanted to be on their neighbor's spot. Once there, they backed away again to where they'd come from. Some fainted. Some started fights.

  This is madness, Jess thought. Only a few days ago, these people were gentle.

  “Let's get out of here,” she told Aidan. In response, he took her hand and led her away from the group.

  “Only one thing can save us now,” one of the townspeople screeched. “Let's kill the ones who did this to us!”

  Cheers swelled.

  “Yes! Kill them! Kill them before she kills us.”

  Jess started to panic. They were powerless when faced with this pack.

  “We need to go, Jess. Now!” Aidan said, and he pulled at Jess' arm to get her out of the crowd faster. They ran as fast as they could back home.

  Anger and madness held the town in its grip. The only thing that mattered now was to get her family to safety, away from this undulating, frenzied crowd.

  The townspeople pushed themselves forward with clenched fists. The last of their inhibitions fell away and they threw themselves at Jess and Aidan, pulling at their clothes and hair. They became like tigers chasing their prey.

  All hope and resistance gone, Jess fell to her knees on the concrete stairs and surrendered to the crowd, but Aidan was quick to pull her back up.

  She felt disgusted by these people: she wanted to have nothing to do with them or this town anymore.

  When they arrived at their front door, a gunshot sounded, echoing against the walls of the castle. Jess cowered together with the rest of the crowd.

  Before she could tell where the shot came from, Aidan had already unlocked the door and they found refuge inside.