“Mom! Mom!” A young tom with charcoal and white fur bounded up to a dark gray and white she-cat with dark gray soles. “Guess what I saw!”

  It was nighttime. The half-moon was very much visible, though its light was obscured by a forest of bushes so thick of leaves, they looked like mini trees. The grass was a meadow green, though the shadows made each bde much darker than it should be.

  The she-cat had a worried expression on her face as she switched her attention to the graying forest in the distance.

  “Mom! Mom! Mom!” The tom yowled. “Mom!”

  “Dusk, sweetie, don’t run off into that forest like that again, okay?” The she-cat said sternly but gently. “You know there are unknown dangers there.”

  Dusk bounced in excitement. “Yeah, like a cool-looking long-furred cat with a stone bandanna on! It was so cool! Oh- and a ginger and light brown or something cat!” He was speaking at a speed where his voice sounded incredibly strained at the end.

  His mother’s brow furrowed. “Dusk, let me tell you something. You must listen closely.”

  Dusk leaned in, eyes sparkling.

  “Beware The Petrifier, the cat who can turn things to stone. Beware him, as the moment you meet him, he will never leave you alone. He can hear you, and you can hear him. No one can harm each other until you meet him in person.” She said eerily, as if telling a long, long fortune.

  “The Petrifier!” Dusk echoed, bewildered. “Was that who I saw?”

  His mother was silent for a moment. “...well, if you saw a ginger tom with brown ears and ginger and light sandstone fur, then yes.”

  “Wow!”

  She nodded slowly. “His name is Sandstone. He and the other cats he lived with have special abilities. But one day he became overconfident in his powers, and petrified the whole forest there, giving it its name- The Stone Forest.”

  Dusk spun around. “I can’t believe I met him! Er, I saw him…but I still met him! I can’t believe it! It was so cool seeing how everything and the vibrant colors just turned to stone like that!”

  Another cat emerged from the bushes and sat next to Dusk. This one was a charcoal gray and very light orange-colored tom. His ears were bck. “She’s right,” he commented.

  The she-cat gave him a nod of acknowledgement, looking deep into his sunset orange eyes before continuing. “I know….because I was there.”

  To say it a third time, Dusk couldn't believe it. His mother of all cats, being lucky enough to not only meet The Petrifier, but get to know him. His fur wouldn’t stop tingling. “What was he like?”

  “Very…interesting…personality.” Her barley-colored eyes looked distant. “He was cheerful, sarcastic…and although irritating at times, he was the best friend I could ever have.” Her smile slowly faded. “I just wish he knew how to use his power responsibly.”

  Dusk’s father agreed silently.

  “Anyway, I don’t want you or your sister to fall to the same fate, so this Autumn I have a surprise for you!” She got up, tail lifting and smile returning.

  Dusk colpsed with excitement. “Really?!” He squeaked. I wonder what it is!

  “Head to sleep now, Dusk. And don’t go back into that forest!” Dusk’s mom called as she walked away.

  Once she vanished, Dusk’s father smiled down at his son. “You showed a great move of bravery. Not many kittens like you are so brave.”

  Dusk’s chest swelled with pride. “Thanks, dad!”

  A sneer appeared on his face as he lowered his head to his ear. “I dare you to go back out there and bring back a souvenir.”

  Dusk couldn't contain his little squeaks of excitement.

  “But be sure to stay quiet, like when you first went there earlier. Hurry though! Mom’s letting me watch you for the rest of the night.” He gently butted his head against Dusk’s shoulder, and he scrambled towards the forest with the looming trees.

  Dusk put on a serious face as he skidded to a halt in the forest clearing, which was difficult to do against the stone. His cws scrambled for bance, tail whipping around, until he finally managed to gather himself.

  Whew! He looked around, but the forest was empty. “Hmm…” He murmured to himself, “if I was The Petrifier, where would I be…” The moment you meet him, he will never leave you alone. He can hear you, and you can hear him. He repeated his mother’s words.

  He was about to step further until a sudden, strong gut feeling held him back. He picked up two scents- one of rock, and the other, which smelled of salt water and dirt and woods. The tom pulled forward, following the two scents.

  It didn’t take him very long, easily navigating the darkness, to catch a glimpse of a distant stone path across a river. Oh, I remember Dad talking to me about this river! He felt a bit rexed, looking at the way the moonlight reflected and moved off the water surface, but created the static image of lines on the smoother, unmoving surface.

  Moving on, Dusk crossed the bridge, purposefully pretending to slip and fall in, giggling to himself as he did so. His pyful squeals echoed throughout the grassy pin, and traveled with him and he fake stumbled onto pure dirt.

  In front of him was nothing but ft dirt. Wow! It’s just like a grassnd but with dirt! A dirtnd? Oooh, I should call it that! Dusk travels The Dirtnds, in search of The cat who Turns things to Stone.

  He began humming to himself as he trailed along the scents. Eventually they intermingled with a third, stronger scent, and he followed it eagerly, unaware that it was starting to lead him away from the other trails.

  The scent was a mix of dirt, pinecones, and a potent smell of salt water, mixed with something that made his mouth water.

  He wasn't sure how long he was trotting along the trail until he suddenly felt his head bump against someone’s leg.

  The cat, a rge, muscur dark ginger tom, screeched in arm before twisting around. His turquoise eyes were wide, but then softened upon seeing the kitten.

  Dusk stared at the weird thing the cat had dropped from its mouth.

  The tom bent down slowly to meet the kitten’s height. “Hello, little one,” he purred. “What are you doing all the way out here/”

  “I’m looking for The Petrifier!” Dusk squealed, bouncing up and down energetically before doing multiple spins.

  His eyes narrowed. “You shouldn't be looking for him. I saw him traveling with another cat who was definitely under his control.”

  Under his control? That only made Dusk even more curious. But the tom shut him down.

  “He will force you to do his bidding, and get rid of you and everything you love if you don’t.” A small fme seemed to spark somewhere, as if showing hatred. But it went out before Dusk could really make sure.

  He stopped moving. “Oh…well that’s okay! Is there at least a souvenir I can get?”

  The tom thought for a moment. “...perhaps. Wait here.” He picked up the foul-smelling yet mouth-watering object, set it in front of Dusk. He then turned around and broke into a trot first, then a sprint. He was quickly gone within seconds, dark tail-tip staying steady before also getting engulfed in the shadows.

  Dusk sniffed aggressively at the strange thing, then immediately recognized what it was. A fish! His parents always brought him fish to eat. His sister, however, never really was as fond as he was about the aquatic animals.

  He licked his jaws as he sniffed it more. It just smelled so good. The kitten attempted to nibble on the skin, but it was too tough for his weak teeth…for now. He just id down with it, staring disappointingly.

  Most of Dusk’s energy was dissipated by the time the dark ginger tom returned, dragging a huge object that was wrapped tightly with vines.

  Looking at it instantly recharged him, and he scrambled over to smell it, but the tom quickly stopped him with a paw. “I’ll come with you to help you drag it, but that’s about it. The rest will be you and your parents’ problem.”

  “Thanks! I’ll show you where I live!” Dusk turned and dashed for the stone bridge.

  The tom followed, the only sound coming from him being his paws touching the ground.

  Dusk looked back and stared wide-eyed at the vines in amazement. They were lifting the object off the ground, and the other vines were wrapped around the tom’s torso.

  “Wow!” He excimed as he slowed to a trot.

  He smiled. “Cool, right?”

  Dusk wasn't aware yet of whether or not he had special abilities of his own; his parents definitely don’t. But this cat, whatever his name is, clearly does. It was really fascinating to see someone having already used their abilities.

  The two toms trekked across the empty grass, which quickly became less and less empty. They went straight through the forest, which Dusk called The Looming Forest, before stopping at the edge, where the forest of trees opened to a forest of bushes.

  “Alright,” the vines around the dark ginger tom unwrapped themselves before lowering to the ground and slithering up a tree, dragging the object towards Dusk. “Here you go.”

  Dusk excitedly scratched at the vines until they tore off. The darkness wasn't helping, but he did feel something rock solid. Woah! He removed the rest of the vines, panting heavily.

  “Wow, you’re really excited about what's there, aren’t you?” The tom purred.

  Dusk nodded quickly. “What’s your name, by the way? Mine’s Dusk!”

  “Slip,” the tom replied, “my name is Slip. I’d better go now…I can smell someone coming.”

  “Bye, Slip!” Dusk mewed as the dark ginger tom smiled before turning and reentering the woods.

  After several moments of silence, Dusk tore his gaze from the forest, and onto the dark object. He ran his paws across the slightly rugged stone surface, taking note of how it felt curved at some parts, a bit pointy at the top, long in the front, very pointy underneath the smooth surface, a smooth, and rounded edge with two holes. He traced his paws all the way back to the back of the object as his excitement slowly transformed into a dreadful feeling of horror.

  This object…felt like a head.

  ~

  THE END