The Cat’s Twins

 

The Cat’s Twins

Callum pressed his cheek against the wrinkled face of his granny Mary. “Hi Nan. How are you today?”

“Oh, where did you get this?” Morgan, his wife interrupted.

“You’re a good boy,” Mary murmured patting Callum’s hand and looked over to where his new wife was admiring the tall elegant china teapot she had bought in Irish Mick auction rooms.

. Mary eyed her new daughter-in-law her from the safety of her armchair. Somehow, she had never taken to Morgan She’d make a bad enemy, she thought as she watched her fawning over the pot. “Just a wee thing I took a fancy to” she said.

“It’s beautiful…and old I’d say. Look at that unusual design. This could be very valuable;” Morgan said glancing at Callum. “Give me your phone,” she demanded. “No signal,” she said, an agitated edge to her voice.

“That new job you’ve got at that museum has got your nerves jangling. You see antiques everywhere,” Callum teased.

“I’ve seen that pot somewhere before,” Morgan insisted.

“On the Antique Road Show,” Callum quipped.

Mary picked up her knitting. The needles clicked as she thought about her twin grandsons, Callum and Cameron. She had taken them on after their mother abandoned them. “The spit of each other in looks but as different as day and night,” she murmured.

“Talking to yourself Nan? Sure sign you have money you haven’t told me about,” Cameron, Callum’s twin said coming into the kitchen.

“Or a sign I’m losing my marbles,” she whispered fear knotting her stomach. Turning her head she looked up into Cameron’s brooding eyes. Something about the small smile that played about his lips made her fearful.

“Where are the newlyweds,” Carmon sneered.

“Out the back,” she managed to say before heaving herself out of the chair and hurrying from the room.

“Why didn’t Morgan marry Cameron instead of Callum? They deserve each other.” she murmured.

“Got a signal,” Callum called to Morgan who was sitting stiff backed, on the small picnic bench her arms folded across her chest.

“What will I Google? Ancient teapots, unusual design teapots? “

“Give it to me.”

“Oh, wait, lost the signal again!”

Morgan’s eyes flashed in fury.” I suppose you’d rather that Del Boy twin of yours finds out its value.” Morgan’s designer shoes clattered on the tiles in the back hall as she stomped back into the house.

“Where did the china teapot go?” she demanded her eyes going straight to where it had been sitting in the centre of the table.

“Is this what you’re looking for,” Cameron’s silky voice said behind her said. . “Think it’s worth money?”

Morgan tossed back her thick curtain of red hair. “Internet is full of them. No wonder I thought I had seen it somewhere before. ” She shrieked as a sleek black cat streaked across her feet” Ugh I hate cats,” she gasped. “When did you get a cat?”

“Where did Nan go?” Callum asked noticing her empty chair and her knitting lying in disarray on the floor.

“I’m here,” Mary said. Edging in she took the old china teapot in her hands to admire it. “The cat just seemed to appear from nowhere,” she said as the cat jumped up behind her. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear it was the one Irish Mick was chasing out of his place with a broom the day I bought the pot.”

Cameron looked across at his twin and nodded him out of the room.

“See what I mean! I keep telling you she going soft in the head. She never leaves that auction place; rummaging through other people’s rubbish and spending money. Dr Conlon thinks we should start thinking…”

“No! Over my dead body! You’re not letting him put her in with all the crazies. No Way!”

“It’s only short term…for assessment…”

Stuffing his balled fists in his jean’s pockets Callum turned on his twin. “You’re obsessed with her money; money, money that’s all you thinks about.”

Guilt stabbed at him. For the first time he noticed how frail Mary had become. “You still taking the tablets Dr Conlon gave you, Nan,” he asked settling himself on the arm of her chair.

“Quacks, the lot of them,” Mary snorted. “I’d be better off going down and seeing that wee Chinese lass. They say she can work wonders with them wee needle she uses.”

“It’s called acupuncture therapy,” Morgan said in a disagreeable tone. “Waste of money on a woman of your age,” she said imperviously.

“I’m not senile yet, you know.” Mary’s voice had a quiver in it. “Anyway no point talking about it, I can’t afford it,” she said

“What did you  spend your husband’s savings, on” Morgan asked rudely.

“What did happen to your bit of saving,” Callum asked gently rubbing her tense shoulders.

His twin rose hurriedly and reached out to take the pot from Mary. His granny thrust it at him. “Here, take it. You’ll not be satisfied until you have it all. “

Morgan’s shocked intake of breath was audible as the china teapot slipped from her mother-in-law’s grasp.

“Did you see that,” Mary said in an excited voice. “The cat saved the china pot from falling on the floor!”

“Don’t talk so daft, Nan! The cat jumped down when you moved and knocked the cushion to the ground. That’s what broke the pot’s fall.” Cameron’s angry face swung round to Callum as if to say, See what I mean! She imagines things.

“You saw it, didn’t you, Morgan,” Madge pleaded plucking at her sleeve.

“I think it’s time I went back to work I’ll take the pot with me – check it out?” Morgan stated just as Cameron reached for it too. Behind them the cat drew back its lips and opened it claws.

Mary had the urge to jump up and hurl the pot at the greedy pair of them. “Take it,” she said pushing it into Morgan’s grasping hands “if it’ll make you happy…for a while.”

She could feel Cameron angry gaze searing her face.

“Take that bloody cat with you too.” Cameron snarled at Morgan. “I’ve enough mouths to feed around here without having to feed something, I don’t want.”

Mary saw Morgan’s back stiffen. Without looking at Cameron she followed his twin out to the car.

 

Later that day Callum arrived home to find Morgan glaring at the china pot. “It’s worthless,” she snorted in disgust “Somebody’s glued the lid on.”

Callum swallowed on his meagre dinner. He sighed remembering his Nan’s tasty cooking. “Give it here,” he coaxed. Strange thing to do, he mused But whoever did it intend it to stay sealed, he thought. “Wonder what made these marks,” he asked examining the minute scratches that circled the rim of the pot.

“No dealer will want to buy it now,” Morgan fumed. She tossed it aside. “You can take it back to your feeble minded granny,” she huffed

Callum slid the china pot to the back of a cupboard. “Out of sight out of mind, isn’t that what Nan always says,” he said under his breath, tickling the cat’s ears as he passed. He was halfway up the stairs when he whirled around. “Hey, how did you get here?” Must have sneaked into the boot when we were at Nan’s yesterday, he mused, as he quickly opened the back door and ushered the cat out.

Next morning there was the usual snarl up of traffic into Glasgow. Callum looked at the ‘For Sale’ signs as he waited for the traffic to move. We have to find a house and get out of that shoebox we’re renting, he thought. Maybe then I could persuade Morgan to have a baby or even keep the cat, he thought.”

His finger drummed on the steering wheel as the traffic moved tortoise style. It would be great to live in the country and work from home, he thought? He was jarred back to reality by the blaring of angry horns behind him. On impulse, he pulled into a lay-by.

Returning his mobile phone to the dash he knew they’d be raised eyebrows. In the thirteen years since he’d been with Stubs & Stubbs’s debt collection firm he had never missed a day.

Sitting there, he thought back to the defeated look on his granny’s face. “Cameron will not be happy until he gets her to sign everything over to him and then without a qualm, he’ll put her away,” he said aloud. He ground his teeth. “Morgan and I need to buy a house big enough to convert a granny flat.” he said.

The lights were on in the attic flat when he arrived home that evening. The letting agency brochure had described the apartment as, “The Penthouse”. “More like a dog kennel,” he’d muttered to Morgan the day the agent had shown them around. Morgan had kissed him. “It’s “sweet, and such a good post code,” she coaxed, as they tried to pass each other in the tiny kitchen.

“I’m home, “he yelled his voice loud in the small space. “And I’ve found us a house,” he chortled, sliding open the partition that separated the living room from the bedroom.

Morgan lay propped up on a mountain of pillows and cushions.

She made no effort to make room for him on the bed. “Where is it? I hope you’re not made any firm commitment until I’ve seen it.”

Callum closed the small space between them. It always amazed him that someone as beautiful and clued in as Morgan, loved him. He could see the curve of her cleavage and her discarded business suit on the floor on top of her ridiculously high heeled shoes

“I need to get up,” Morgan said extracting herself from Callum’s hand caressing her breast.

“No cooking tonight; we’re going out to celebrate,” Callum murmured his head bending to kiss her. Morgan’s eyes rounded and she ran for the bathroom.

 

Surprisingly, Morgan loved the old abandoned house.

“Old lady – recluse,” the smooth talking estate agent intoned, “wants a quick sale…will reduce the asking price to sell quickly ….”

“I bet her being a recluse it had something to do with her lover leaving her when she was young.” Morgan sighed romantically.

The agent gave her a well-practiced smile. “Something like that,” he said vaguely putting the key in the lock. His eyes lingering on Morgan’s long shapely legs as she stood at the top of a ladder peering into the dark recesses of the attic. “Oh, by the way, keep the attic door tightly shut. You might get the odd bat up there.” he remarked.

“We could always keep Nan’s cat,” Callum suggested.

“Can’t kill them anymore,” the agent said starting for the front door anxious to be away.

 

“Nan, come and see our new house. It even has its own bats in the attic.” Callum enthused.

“Not until we get it fixed up and furnished,” Morgan interrupted tapping her phone with long red painted talons.

Mary’s heart lifted. At least one of the twins was happy. Cameron seemed to be getting more and more moods swings with every passing day, she, thought. Take yesterday, happy as a lamb with two mothers – until Morgan arrived.

“Did you lose something,” Callum’s words broke into Mary’s thoughts. Mary felt the hair rise up and prick the back of her neck. He couldn’t know about the Prize Bonds? She’d only missed them herself last night after his twin had left. She suspected Cameron took them because she had given the fancy teapot to Morgan.

“Don’t look so frightened, Nan,” Callum said, draping his arm around her thin shoulders. “It’s only the cat. I don’t know how it got out to our place. I’ll bring it back the next time I come. Morgan won’t let it in the car when she’s there.”

“It must have jumped into Morgan’s car when she was here yesterday meeting Cameron,” Madge said. She wished she could bite the words back when she saw the hateful look Morgan threw her. She shivered involuntary. She could never get used to Morgan’s strange eyes. One day they seemed to be green; the next day dark pools black as night.

“You didn’t mention …”

“Must I tell you every little thing,” I had a late appointment. I called to check on your granny.”

“What do you need for the new house?” Mary asked, sensing a row brewing.

“New oak dining room table and chairs – maybe you could ask Irish Mick to keep a look out for a really nice antique set,” Morgan snapped.

Madge bit back a sharp retort. What I’d give to tell that jumped up street trash where to go, she thought. Surreptitiously, she took in Morgan’s tight jeans and the short figure hugging top that revealed too much cleavage.

Whatever she had been here for last night it hadn’t been to see me, she mused.

 

The following evening Callum came home to a candle lit kitchen and a smiling Morgan. “What did I forget,” he asked slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Wait! Don’t tell me. It’s the three month anniversary of our wedding,” he said, gazing at the beautifully laid table with the cut crystal and gleaming silver cutlery wedding presents..

“It’s looks stunning. What are we celebrating,” he asked winding his arms around his wife’s slim body and nuzzling her soft neck. “Will there be dessert,” he murmured feeling the heat starting in his groin. For once, Morgan didn’t squirm out of his embraces but turned and gave him a long, slow passionate kiss. Coming up for air, Callum cradled her face in his hands.

“Out with it. What did you spend the money we’re supposed to be saving on this time?”

Morgan’s eyes darkened into black pools. “You know I haven’t been feeling well lately….”

Callum’s breath stilled. He could feel the sweat starting to gather under his shirt. I knew it was too good to last, he thought. I don’t deserve such a beautiful woman as Morgan. How she can possibly love someone like me.

She’s going to tell me she has breast cancer or some other terrible disease, he thought. An image flashed into his mind of Morgan’s breasts, round and firm. Oh God, How will she cope with the treatment and the scarring…? Feeling physically sick he clutched her to him. “Oh, Morgan, “he sobbed sinking to his knees.

“Why are you crying? I haven’t told you yet?”

“Oh Morgan… You know I’ll always love you. No matter how you look. Even If you have to lose your…”he gestured wildly, “and your hair…which I love,” he sobbed.

“That’s hardly going to happen. I’m going to have a baby,” Morgan said wryly.

“Bab… You’re having a baby?”

Morgan nodded

“You mean…you’re only pregnant?” Elated, he scrambled to his feet.

“What do you mean only pregnant!” Morgan screeched her rage bouncing around the small room. Suddenly, inexplicable, the candles blew out plunging the kitchen into darkness.

Morgan clutched at Callum as a rasping, snarling sound deep and ominous came out of the shadows. The cat, its claws grasping at the tablecloth leaped onto the table. Almost in a hypnotic state, Callum and Morgan watched terrified as cutlery clattered to the floor and crystal fell over; the sound of the tinkling breaking glass sounding unnaturally loud to Callum’s ears.

The cat, stood on the edge of the table, its back arched, its lips drawn back like a panther ready to spring. Its eyes riveted on Morgan. Slowly, it advanced across the table. Its whiskers quivered, its teeth gleamed menacingly as it advances. When it reached the tall teapot which Morgan had placed as a centrepiece it expanded its claws and grasping the pot began to lick the sealed rim.

 

Later, lying in bed Morgan tittered hysterically. “Imagine thinking I might die,” she quaked.

Callum stiffened. “Don’t go telling Cameron – about tonight. He’ll never let me live it down.” He was silent for a while. “I should get rid of that teapot…and the cat. “He moved closer to her. “What date is the baby due?”

“October 31”

Silence fell between them. “That means…”

“It was a honeymoon baby,” Morgan whispered as her hand crept around his belly. “Your dessert is here, how you would like it?” she whispered, stroking him.

 

“Morgan’s keeping well, then? “Mary asked changing the calendar from September to October.

Glumly, Callum roused himself from his place in the armchair. “Feeling tired – sleeps a lot and doesn’t go out much,” he said with a yawn.

Madge snorted. Not too tired to go to go cavorting around the best hotel in town, she thought.

” Is that so. I saw her yesterday, out of the bus window, coming out of that new hotel on Front Street. She was looking a million dollars,” she said tartly.

Callum smiled and stroked his granny’s hand. “You couldn’t have you weren’t out yesterday or neither was Morgan.” He cast a long look at her. Maybe Cameron was right, after all. Maybe Nan was beginning to imagine things.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I was out at the seniors’ club yesterday and I know what I saw.”

“Was she alone?” Callum asked watching his granny’s face.

Madge thought for a minute. “Didn’t see anybody I didn’t know with her,” she said carefully.

“Did that lazy lot down at the Cooperation do anything about the bats in the roof space yet,” she asked quickly changing the subject.

“Attic,” Nan,” Callum said rising and stretching himself. “No. They’re supposed to send some “bat specialist” But if they don’t hurry up they’ll have no need. The cat’s hoping to beat them to it,” he laughed.

Nan gave him a puzzled look. “The cat is still there. I thought Morgan hated cats.”

 

“Callum, Callum, wake up

“What! “Is the baby coming,” he mumbled irritably groping for the bedside lamp.

“Listen,” Morgan hissed. Callum listened. He could hear nothing.

Morgan gripped his arm. ““There! Did you hear that?” Bat wings… flapping!”

Callum could now hear the distinct sound of the cry of young bats and the feverish swish of their wings followed by a strangled scream. He felt his skin prickle. Abruptly the scream was cut off and then, nothing but an eerie silence.

“A fox, hunting for his breakfast,” he lied. “Go back to sleep.”

Morgan’ soft snuffling told him she was asleep. Slipping out of bed he pulled on his clothes in the dark. Downstairs, the kitchen felt icy cold. There was still a red glow in the embers of the fire. He blew it into life. Some of these days we’ll be able to afford a new oil fired system, he mused.

A movement nearby made him stiffen. Cautiously he moved around the table. Sighing irritably he saw it was the cat. “How did you get back in again? You scared the be- jesses out of me once tonight, that enough. Get down off that table,” he said making a sweeping movement with his arm.

Its body deathly still, the cat’s, eyes stared glassily back at him. From beneath its black body Callum could see baby bats. Shocked, he moved back. The cat was suffocating the new born bats! He could see their small bodies struggling feebly.

Without taking its eyes off him the cat pressed down on the bats. Callum felt his blood turn to ice.

After a while, the new-born bats stopped struggling. Callum watched the cat inspect them. Satisfied they were dead; it jumped down from the table and disappeared.

Quickly, Callum found one of Morgan’s old shoe boxes and dumped the dead bats inside. Gazing down at them lying side by side he was struck by how alike they were. “Never knew bats had identical twins,” he mused as he hid them in the boot of his car. When he called into Nan’s he’d dump hem in the bin.

Returning to the kitchen he wrapped the strange teapot in an old coat. He’d take that back too.

 

“Solid oak,” They don’t make quality like that anymore. “Irish Mick said caressing the table. “Tomorrow OK for delivery? Mary has the money end of it sorted. “

Morgan nodded as she went off to inspect something. Reaching behind him Mick drew out a book. “Found this… it’s about your house.” His eyes focused on the very pregnant mound of Morgan’s stomach. “Don’t let the wife read it,” he advised

He backed away from the elegant china teapot Cameron was drawing out of a brown paper bag. “Mary insisted on buying it. I didn’t know anything about it ‘tll I read about it in that book,” he said “When it was here that bloody black cat never left – gave me the creeps. If I was you I’d turf that down the deepest well you can find.”

The house was in darkness and silent when Callum arrived home the next night “Not even a welcome home from Cat,” he grumbled as he wearily climbed the stairs. If Morgan was going out she might at least have phoned me and I’d have got something to eat at Nans, he thought. It was then he remembered the dead bats were still in the shoe box in his car.

Pushing open the bedroom door Morgan’s terrified eyes stared back at him from the bed. The icy coldness that had been in the kitchen the night before pervaded the room. The cat’s green eyes now pools of black stared back at him as its tongue made circular movements on Morgan’ pregnant belly.

“The baby’s coming,” Morgan screamed.”

“Move Cat,” Callum bellowed.

“It’s waiting …for my baby.” Morgan screamed as another pain seized her.

““Move Cat,” Callum bellowed lounging at it. With a snarl the cat dug it claws deep into Morgan’s belly. Morgan screamed in terror as  Callum knotted his hands around the cat’s throat and squeezed hard. . It seemed like an eternity before he felt the cat begin to weaken. With a vicious swipe of its claws it let go its grip on Morgan but not before it had drawn blood, rich and red.

Morgan screamed.

Callum’s blood froze in his veins as he remembered Irish Mick’s warning which he had not heeded.

 

“Irish Mick is a stupid superstitious Irish fool,” Cameron muttered Just as well that stupid brother of mine had the good sense to bring the teapot back to its rightful owner, Nan. And what’s hers is mine,” he smirked. Turning the teapot around and around his malevolent thoughts focused to Morgan.

Once she has the kid she can palm it off on Callum, he thought. He started to laugh. “It’ll look exactly like him even if it is mine, “he chortled. His thought darkened. But in the meantime I’ll have to wait, he thought.

Furiously he pushed the china pot around on the kitchen table. “Get out of here,” he yelled as the cat leaped on to the table. Picking up a brush he made a swipe at the cat. Suddenly, there was a crashing sound as the teapot crashed to the ground and the lid separated from the pot.

Cameron stared at the kitchen floor. A cloudy liquid substance was seeping from the gaping mouth of the pot. Mesmerised he watched as it rapidly took form and crawled crab like up over his feet and legs. Within seconds it was clamouring all over his upper body, immobilising him; squeezing the air out of his lungs. He opened his mouth to breathe and felt its cloying vapers slide over his mouth and nose smothering him. He sunk to his knees and clawed at his throat. “Nan,” he croaked. His last conscious sensation was the heavy weight of the cat’s body as it lay like a dead weight on his face suffocating him.

 

“Nan, Nan, we have twins,” Callum shouted excitedly rushing into the kitchen. “One was hiding behind the other… “What the bloody hell happened here,” he exclaimed. He turned, hearing his Nan’s slow step behind him. “You Ok Nan,” he asked

Mary nodded. “I am now. Twins, that’s wonderful, Callum.”

“Identical twins – just like me and Cameron.”

His granny’s face paled. I hope not, she prayed silently. “I’m sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news…with the babies and all…” She stopped talking.

“What has Cameron done now…?”

“He’s gone mad.”

Callum listened in disbelief as Mary told him Cameron had been admitted to hospital in a strait jacket.

“The place he intended to put you,” Callum said under his breath.

“He kept saying my beautiful china teapot –was evil, “Mary sighed, gesturing to the mess in the middle of the kitchen floor. – told the paramedics the cat tried to smother him.” She shook her head sadly. “I signed the papers. He’ll not get out again – for his own safety,” she said hastily.

 

“Three month old today,” Don’t you think we should name them,” Callum said nursing a baby in the cook of each arm.

Morgan glared at him. “I told you their names. Callum felt a frizzle of fear crawl down his back.

“Don’t you think we could call them something else?”

“I’ve had enough of babies, besotted fathers and madmen,” Morgan shouted as she banged the door behind her.

Callum knew she wasn’t coming back. Strange she was running away on their first wedding anniversary with the man who came about the bats, he mused. He pulled the book Irish Mick had given him about the old house from its hiding place

It was odd that Morgan should pick the same names for the babies as the twins that a cat had smothered in the old house all those years ago, he mused.

He glanced at their wedding photo. Just for a split second it crossed his mind that Morgan’s eyes were exactly like the cat’s.

 

The estate agent didn’t seem surprised to see him.

“Moving …with the twins,” he asked.

Callum nodded

“Read the book Irish Mick gave you, then?”

Callum nodded.

“I wouldn’t set too much by it. The Irish are a superstitious lot,” the estate agent said smoothly pinning up the details of the old house in the window.

The bell tinkled.

.Callum was about to step into the street when a young couple rushed in past him a black cat at their heels.

“The old house for sale in the window – perfect for a renovation project,” they breathed…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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