CAT'S DREAM THAT NIGHT began innocently, even joyfully. She was running, feeling free and alive on a path through a beautiful but unfamiliar park. She could feel a gentle breeze lifting the strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail, the sun on her face bringing freckles to the surface.
The landscape suddenly changed, becoming rocky and hilly. She continued along the path, but it was now bounded by scrubby trees instead of the tall oaks she'd passed just a few moments earlier and she began to feel a sense of unease. As she continued up the path, she heard the sound of waves crashing below. She found herself enter a clearing at the top of the path and stopped in shock. Ahead of her was a twisted tree, dark and gnarled with crooked branches bare of leaves. She stood still and listened.
