With Mazy around, our cats don’t come out anymore, except when we’re asleep.

Magnus used to sit on my lap every night. Cassie was over all day long, begging me to pet her.

I miss it.

Isis curled up briefly in what I call the Maggie spot, the empty space between my wife and I in bed, with her face in my face and my arm around her. That was nice, but it only lasted a few minutes.

Ares lets me pet him randomly throughout the day. I’m lucky to see Raiden at all.

Mazy’s grown on me, but still, it’s never been more abundantly clear that I’m primarily a cat guy, even if I love dogs as well.

I miss the tender moments, the fun moments. The purrs. The hand licks and the head butts.

I miss Cass. I miss Magnus.

I miss having kittens around all the time.

Man, life eats shit sometimes. When I need my cats most of all, they’ve been cowed by this moose we’ve brought in, and I get nothing.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 2040 words, novella: The Mungk