She was alone at last.

She made herself dinner, not realising her every move was surveilled. She took her plate to the lounge room and the figure darted from the darkness, snatching scraps left on the kitchen floor.

She went to the bedroom and removed clothes that felt heavy with the day’s spent energy. Walking nude to the bathroom, she didn’t hear the figure slink behind her into the bedroom, smelling the discarded items of clothing. Burying itself within them.

She slid the bathroom’s pocket door shut and turned on the shower. Stepping in, she didn’t hear the claws on the other side of the door.

They found purchase after a desperate flurry, pulling the door to the side. The creature was so keen for entry that it didn’t wait until the gap was wide enough.

The nose was through first, twitching at the steam. Then the mouth, all bared teeth as the edges of the door pulled its lips back. Then the eyes, immediately seeking the woman. It sat, unobserved on the bath mat, waiting to be acknowledged.

It waited until the shower stopped and the door finally opened.

“Oh! for fu-… hello, you little weirdo”

The cat purred.