Sliced from foot to femur, howling from the pain, Eli the Gargoyle began to cry. He had but one desire when he started the day -- protect his mother at all costs. Little did he know the extent of that price, as it was his mother who master-minded the rouse and left him to be cut upon by the sure-footed stranger. Now, left here alone and shivering, Eli had to make a choice. He thought back to the time he had conned the neighborhood cat. He stopped moaning, stopped crying, stopped bleeding, as a soft, sly smile rose upon his lips. "Yes. The cat!"
-- Beverly Van Pelt, Sept 22, 2016