RANDOM! Cats are from outer space ...

I had an interesting conversation the other day. Someone told me that in a certain neighborhood in a certain town at a certain time ... all the cats disappeared. Where I live, you would assume that either a mountain lion or a coyote was to blame. But this particular cat exodus just happened to coincide with the most recent Hale Boppe passing. So the theory was that all the cats hopped on the comet and flew away to another planet. 

Of course we all prefer that explanation. Your cat was killed and eaten by a hungry mountain lion! vs. Your cat took off with E.T.! The choice is obvious. We can choose what we want to believe, and that choice may or may not be based on logic. I imagine we do it often without even realizing it. Its amazing how you can train your brain to live in denial.

Anyway, I liked that theory because 1) picture in your mind 15 cats riding on a comet ... awesome, right? Kind of like Nyan Nyan Cat only exponentially greater and 2) it reminded me of a story by H.P. Lovecraft where cats are able to travel to the dark side of the moon on a nightly basis, can converse with a human who is dreaming and will fight against disgusting white moon beasts.The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is one of Lovecraft's longest stories and is considered one of his most influential, even though it was published posthumously. The amazing cats of Ultear and Randolph Carter's relationship with them was a literary treat. I was totally thrown by this particular arc of the story, in fact, I went around telling my friends and family about the cats and their secret language and their travels to the moon. 

As is typical of Lovecraft, you are given no background and no explanation; you as a reader are forced to believe and just go with whatever nonsense plot he has created. Reading something like that can be frustrating but can also be freeing if you let go and enjoy the ride. Ever since I started writing for myself, its difficult to read something without judging each and every sentence, which takes away from the experience, let me tell you. I didn't used to think about this crap. Who cares if the POV says something stupid and completely out of character? I used to just keep reading without questioning it, but now it causes a complete disconnect from the story. And I get mad. And I get inspired to write something better, which I guess is a good thing (no promises people; these are simply my aspirations at this point). 

Anyway, Lovecraft has no apologies for his cryptic, hard-to-follow and completely brilliant writing. And that is what makes his stories so unique. 

I'm hearing the Nyan Nyan cat song in my head right now ...

Jess

"Then through that star-specked darkness there did come a normal sound. It rolled from the higher hills, and from all the jagged peaks around it was caught up and echoed in a swelling pandaemoniac chorus. It was the midnight yell of the cat, and Carter knew at last that the old village folk were right when they made low guesses about the cryptical realms which are known only to cats, and to which the elders among cats repair by stealth nocturnally, springing from high housetops. Verily, it is to the moon's dark side that they go to leap and gambol on the hills and converse with ancient shadows, and here amidst that column of foetid things Carter heard their homely, friendly cry, and thought of the steep roofs and warm hearths and little lighted windows of home." - H.P. Lovecraft, The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath