Eyes

Eyes

Gabriel stared at Azrael, his Himalayan kitten. He shivered. How it stared at him. Gabriel could swear it seemed like it was quenching for his flesh. "Nice little kitty," Gabriel said, reaching out to Azrael with his right hand.

Azrael reared up on its hind legs, and swung its paws playfully at Gabriel's hand.

He laughed as it's furry paws brushed against his palm. With his other hand he stroked Azrael's head. How could I have ever begun to believe that you were evil? You're just a sweet little thing. I'm glad I took you in.

Azrael purred, staring at him with glassy eyes.

Gabriel smiled as he looked at himself reflected in their black pupils. Suddenly, a throaty growl rumbled from his kitchen.

Azrael pounced against Gabriel's leg, desperate to climb to safety.

Gabriel trembled. He had been hearing animal growls in his house for over seventeen days. They had begun on February. He had found Azrael that day, stray and picking at a piece of roadkill.

He had not told his parents about those noises. What would they think? That he was crazy?

Gabriel bent down to pick up Azrael, but stopped when he saw that murderous glint in its eyes again. "Please," Gabriel whispered, "don't look at me that way."

Azrael's eyes continued to blaze with their mystical ambiance of sinister blood thirst.

Suddenly a bark echoed, and Gabriel took four swift steps back, and nearly tripped over a liter-box.

"Don't be afraid!" a powerful feminine voice said from below.

Gabriel looked down. His jaw dropped. Azrael was looking at him with a look of ferocity unlike anything that he had ever seen.

"Gabriel, do not run, it will continue to hunt you no matter how far you go," Azrael said, her small jaws moving up an down, her whiskers twirling.

"What are you-how are-you-talking," Gabriel sputtered.

"Stay close behind me, and..." Azrael said as she stalked toward Gabriel's kitchen, "I wasn't trying to climb on you, I was hoping to get your attention without... speaking."

Gabriel said nothing as Azrael led him to his kitchen. With every growl he flinched. His only desire was to flee from his house.

"Are you ready for this?" Azrael said.

Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, but it clamped shut when he saw blood red eyes staring at him from a monstrous hulk of a dog's sockets.

"I have been on your scent ever sense you dared violate our treaty Gabriel!" it rasped.

Gabriel felt his legs wobble, and his vision was beginning to go hazy. He had experienced paranoia many times, but never had it felt like his skin were about to peel from from violent spasms of fear.

"Silence Adrian!" Azrael commanded, her authority was like that of a Queen.

Adrian bared his teeth and snapped at Azrael. His teeth were like razor blades carved out of bone. Where there should have been a tongue was only darkness.

"I could chomp you into three before your next breath, you bloody fur ball!" Adrain barked.

Gabriel recoiled as Adrian unhinged his jaws and raised his head. Adrian's bark had him trembling from his very bones.

Azrael hissed, and Adrian amazingly quieted. "Gabriel, never fear Adrian, no matter how powerful he is he cannot feed on friendship. All he can devour is fear and despair. And... only those who have broken our treaty."

Gabriel looked from Azrael to Adrian, unable to make any sense of what was going on. He ran a twitching hand down his hair. Adrian curled his lips. There was no question about it, Adrian was smiling at him!

"Adrian, do you see?" Azrael said in a soothing voice.

"What!?" Adrian barked.

"You desire to do good."

Adrian gritted his teeth together. His gnashing sounds resembled cracking bones. "You won't be thinking that after I devour your human."

“You won't,” Azrael said, stepping forward. "I see light within you. We all have it, we just need to choose to act on it."

Gabriel squinted as Adrian's eyes shimmered with a sudden glint of wetness.