cat

the one that grew

.As he left the tattoo shop Mick wanted to run down the street showing off the majestic cheetah on his back.

“Look at me! Look what I am!”

But of course it was covered with a dressing and was far from majestic. Right now his back was red, speckled with dots of ink that had yet to settle and melt into the power of the big cat that would soon race across his back. So he walked slowly and carefully as if a sudden movement might startle the cat he carried.

Gradually the skin healed and the cat grew in stature. It became more lithe and supple with every step he took.

Mick knew that the tattoo was permanent, that it was part of his body until his body was no more. But what he had not anticipated was how it would grow inside him. Not just a mark on his skin but a mark on his soul. It moved around his body with each beat of his heart. The thud of giant paws on hard ground were mirrored in his chest. After a while he could no longer distinguish one from the other. His blood spread the cat through his veins with every beat. He itched to chase his prey.

His posture began to change, he became both taller and closer to the ground at the same time. His gait became looser and he swayed slightly as he moved. And then he began to run