It was the cat that started it all – a dead cat. A scraggly, mean, and practically feral orange tabby he backed over in the driveway. But the crime didn’t deserve the punishment.
“What do you think you were doing?” Thomas screamed at him.
Larry didn’t have any rebuttal. There was no excuse for his actions. He messed up, big time, and there was no way to fix this. Unless…
“What if we got another cat?” He suggested.
“Got another cat?!!” Thomas’s face turned bright red, and spittle flew from his mouth as he screeched. Larry coward, clearly this was the wrong suggestion.
“I was only trying to…”
Thomas suddenly lashed out and hit Larry in the head. He cried out, throwing his hands over his head and falling onto the living room chair.
“Trying to what?” Yelled Thomas, towering over him. “Make things worse by ignoring my feelings?”
“No!” Larry squealed from behind his arms. “I was just making a suggestion! We can do whatever you want!”
Thomas looked down with disgust at the sniveling sycophant before him. It was time to make some changes around here.
He stood up straight and cleared his throat.
“Larry, it’s time you moved out.”
Slowly, Larry brought his arms down, eyes wide.
“You don’t really mean it.” He said in a breathless whisper, the wind knocked out of him.
“I’m afraid I do.” Thomas was stone-faced.
Larry scoured his brain, trying to think of anything that might change Thomas’s mind.
“Thomas, we don’t have to do anything that drastic right away.” He tried to keep his voice steady. “You’re really upset right now, a good night’s sleep is what you need so you can think straight.”
Larry climbed out of the chair to stand in front of Thomas.
“Let’s just give it a couple a days, ok?” Desperation started creeping in his voice, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. “You know I am so sorry about the cat…you know that, don’t you? I’ll do whatever you say to make it up to you! Whatever you say!” He reached out and grabbed Thomas by the shoulders.
Thomas eyed him carefully.
“Whatever I say?”
Larry let go of him as if he were on fire. He looked into Thomas’s eyes, and his stomach dropped. He had to turn away because he knew what Thomas wanted from him, what he wanted ever since Larry moved in.
“Please, Thomas, don’t!” Larry begged.
“Then, get out!” Thomas bellowed, pointing to the door.
A tear rolled down the side of Larry’s panic-stricken face. He didn’t mean for it to fall, it just ran over the corner of his eye. He closed his eyes and waited for the repercussions that came with showing this kind of weakness. A moment passed, and then another; Larry opened his eyes and saw Thomas just staring at him. He realized no punishment was coming and felt relieved.
“Ok Thomas,” Larry said quietly.
“What?” Said Thomas, almost gleeful. “I didn’t hear you.”
“I said, yes.” Larry’s voice was firmer.
The house was silent with anticipation.
Suddenly, Thomas burst into a maniacal grin. He ran to the bedroom and returned with a black rectangular object clutched in his hand. He opened a special compartment under the entertainment center, one Larry hadn’t noticed before. Inside, a dusty VHS player waited hungrily for the object, a tape. After a few minutes behind the television switching the cords, Thomas grabbed the remote and selected the proper feed.
Larry walked over to the couch and leaned up against it. He didn’t know much about this movie, only that it was one of the most horrific films ever created, and only a few tapes remained. The rest being destroyed by regular moral people as soon as they were discovered.
“Sit down!” Thomas commanded, grinning with a wild look in his eye.
“Please, Thomas,” Larry begged again. “We don’t have to do this!”
“Sit!!” He bellowed.
Larry was startled and scuttled over to sit on the far edge of the couch. Thomas stood there like a kid at Christmas and pointed the aged remote at the TV. He pushed a button, and the device started to whir and click. Larry glanced down and finally read the name of the cursed film.
“1978 Star Wars Holiday Special”
Skinny Grey Dog 