It was dark outside. That inky, velvety dark that just had to be explored. He needed to be free, to escape the confines of the stuffy room. He moved away from the window, a backward glance towards the bed confirmed she was still sleeping. The duvet gently rose and fell with each rhythmic breath. He knew he would be safe to leave for just an hour or two before he was missed. Now was the moment. Carefully he padded down the stairs and out through the front door, mindful not to make any noise.
He’d done it, he was out!
The gentle breeze caressed his body and he shook every part of himself from the tips of his ears to his feet. Every hair on his body tingled with excitement. He scrambled over the wall at the bottom of the garden, hardly noticing the crumbling slate falling in his wake as he climbed. At the top he balanced for a moment and looked up at the immense ark of blackness, punctuated by a tiny sliver of white light - the moon teasing the night with a glimpse of her future radiance. He jumped down, took a second to check he was ready and, with all the stealth he could muster, headed deep into the woods beyond. Tonight he was determined to succeed. He was the hunter, in his prime, and he had been watching her for days now.
Tonight he was determined she would be his.
An owl hooted in the distance and, for a moment, he stopped, shuddering a little at the sound. Not altogether spooked by the noise, but curious. He mused to himself about the silent white ghostlike apparition that floated through the night sky. He’d seen it overhead the last few nights he’d ventured into the wood, its scythe-like talons coming too near for comfort on one occasion.
He stopped by a pool gazing at his hazy reflection. He drank a little to refresh himself for what lay ahead. He was getting close now; he could feel it. He wondered how others would feel about him out here, stalking his prey. He knew they would judge him on the outcome of this night’s work. But he wasn’t phased, he had planned this night meticulously. He had practiced every moment, every movement in his head as he had sat curled up on the chair, next to her, the woman he had lived with for so many years now. Tonight he would show her his true feelings, all those things he had never been able to tell her. Tonight she would know.
Careful to have the breeze in his favour so his scent would not give him away, he circled round the base of the old yew tree. Crouching down on his haunches, he settled his breathing and waited, listening intently. Just as he was beginning to think he should return home, he heard a rustle of leaves nearby. There she was, petite and golden, her dark eyes gazing into the night, large as orbs.He watched her finish her meal and begin to wash herself. He was transfixed by her beauty, but he had to act quickly or she’d be gone again - she was such a flighty creature. It was now or never. He raised himself up, arched his back, and pounced. She wriggled and squirmed and tried to get away from him, fear coursing through her body. Gradually she began to tremble. Gently, he moved his lips to her body and tasted her. He had succeeded in his quest.
He no longer needed to be quiet. He was triumphant and, as the first radiant hues of dawn streaked throughout the sky, he raced back through the woods. Leaping back onto the wall he was careful not to drop her. He entered through the front door and raced up the stairs hoping he was still in time. Full of excitement he leapt onto the bed. Gemma stretched out her hand, it felt warm on his body. Now she would understand. As Gemma yawned and opened her eyes, he dropped his gift onto her. Gemma recoiled further up her bed as the tiny, tawny mouse dashed round her arm, and scooted off the bed. Licking his lips he curled up and, with a swish of his tail, he was already dreaming, reliving his purrfect adventure.