My Two Cents: FERAL by John Ashley

Anyone who has ever owned a cat knows their potential for pure evil. That being said, you will also likely understand and appreciate the underlying noble dignity possessed by every domesticated feline, the aloof but unmistakable, patient tolerance with which they regard us, their hopeless, hapless human roommates. For every nose boop and nuzzle they award us, there is just as likely a claw swipe, hiss, or side-eye. And God forbid you try to sleep past their (usually self-appointed) time to be fed, because if you do, prepare yourself for a relentless, insistent serenade.

Author John Ashley understands the fragile love-hate pas a deux between cats and those of us conscripted to their service, and it's obvious in every page of his wonderfully wicked story, "Feral." In "Feral," a purr-fectly ordinary housecat named Purcell is possessed by a bloodthirsty demon named Ammit. While Purcell's spirit is bounced into the feline equivalent of paradise, Ammit decides the cushy life of a pampered, beloved pet isn't exactly the kind he desires. Granted, the food isn't half bad, and he occasionally doesn't mind pets or scratches, but what Ammit really wants are his glory days, back when he inhabited the bodies of ferocious crocodiles, grizzly bears, tigers, and other terrifying predators. The only problem is, Ammit is pretty much stuck in Purcell's body unless he kills a human, thus allowing his spirit to find another host. Purcell's owner--an elderly widow named Cooper--seems like pretty easy pickings to a creature with Ammit's murderous pedigree. And thus, our story unfolds.

Without giving too much away, this is a delightfully written story that, while billed as a horror comedy, leans more toward the former than the latter. The humor mostly comes for anyone who's ever owned a cat, but then again, the horror does, too, as we have all secretly suspected at one point or another that our cats want to kill us.

"Feral" is available here.