Part 189 – Donadill And Hildreth’s Tale

Hildreth was the first to speak. “Who are you?”

“Me? Oh, I don’t like to give out my real name. It’s ill luck, you know. If I reveal my real name, you’d have complete control over me and I would lose my freedom to go wherever I wish.”

He licked the side of his hand and rubbed his face. “I wouldn’t like that one bit. I’d spend the whole day hissing and scratching everything in sight and you wouldn’t like that either.” He lowered his hand. “I will give you my second name, the name I am free to share because it has no meaning. My second name is Donadill. No last name. It creates an aura of intrigue and mystique I highly approve of.”

“Are you a fairy cat?”

“Fairy cat? Psh. I suppose that’s what you green folk call us.”

“Green folk? What does that even mean?”

He ignored Hildreth’s question and kept talking. “We prefer to call ourselves caiths. It is our own special name. One that you are forbidden to use.” He licked his other hand. “Mm. Mm. I probably shouldn’t have told you.” He vigorously rubbed his face until he was satisfied.

He lowered his hand. “Since I told you that bit of information, give me your flashlight.”

“Hold on one second.” said Hildreth. “You don’t look like a cat to me.”

“So?”

“So, I don’t think you’re a real caith.”

“Oh, really? Well, you say too many stupid things. So I don’t think you’re a real human.”

“Okay. That’s just a lame argument.”

Donadill marched over to them. As he walked, his body transformed. Clothes changed into deep black fur with a vivid white star on his chest. Two legs and two arms turned into four legs. Ears widened and rose to the top of his head.

His eyes changed into the amber glow of a cat.

He sat before Hildreth. His head was even with Hildreth’s waist. “And you said I’m not a real caith.” He swung his long tail around his paws. “Psh. Give me that flashlight.”

“I don’t see why I should.”

“Because I can’t draw any power from it. I want to take it apart and find out how it works.”

“You want to break it? Uhhh, no. Just no.”

“Please?”

“No! This is mine. It’s—”

Donadill’s fur bristled. “I said please.”

“It’s a memento.” said Elsie.

The caith looked at her.

“Someone important to him gave it to him. It’s all he has left of that person.”

His fur rose a little higher. “You’re just making that up.”

“She isn’t.”

The caith’s fur flattened.

“I was at an emotional low point in my life. My parents were dead.” He swallowed hard. “Killed by a vampire while I was at my master’s dojo. If I had been there with them…I should have been there with them.”

Elsie laid her hand on his arm.

“I kept thinking that over and over. I couldn’t break out of that cycle of thoughts. It was my fault. I believed that and I couldn’t break free. Those thoughts led me to the edge of a cliff overlooking an abandoned quarry.”

Donadill flattened his ears against his head.

“My master found me. He told me…” He cleared his throat, but the lump in there stayed put. “He told me many things. He made me see that it wasn’t my fault. That I wasn’t alone. He gave me this Gobstop 3500 so, if I ever got down like that again, I’d think of him and remember.”