Devotion After Dark

CHAPTER FIVE

Sometimes, the quietest doors are the ones hiding the most interesting stories.

The afternoon had settled into the kind of stillness Solenne was beginning to love. Beyond her grandmother’s house, the province moved at its own gentle pace. A tricycle passed somewhere along the road, its engine fading between the trees. A sari-sari store owner called out to a passing neighbor, and from farther away came the faint sound of children laughing as they played beneath the afternoon sun.

Nothing demanded her attention.

For once, Solenne did not mind.

She sat beneath the old mango tree in the backyard, her back resting against the rough trunk while a book lay open across her lap. The branches above her spread wide enough to soften the sunlight, leaving small patches of gold scattered across the grass. Sometimes, a breeze stirred the leaves overhead and carried the sweet smell of sampaguita from the garden.

It was exactly the sort of afternoon she had hoped for after the conversation they had with her grandmother the last two days.

She turned another page. As she was enjoying the calm and peaceful environment, a small movement caught her attention. Solenne lowered the book resting in her lap. Something had brushed against her ankle. She looked down. A cat sat beside her foot.

She blinked.

The animal stared back at her as if it had been waiting for her to notice. It was a small thing, with soft cream-colored fur and darker markings around its ears and tail. It stared at her with bright, watchful eyes as though it had been there for hours instead of appearing out of nowhere.

“Well,” Solenne murmured, tilting her head. “Hello.”

The cat gave a quiet meow.

A smile slowly appeared on her face. “You came all the way here just to say hello?”

Another meow.

She glanced around the garden, half expecting someone to call for it. The backyard was quiet except for the rustling leaves above her and the faint sound of dishes being washed somewhere inside the house. Warm afternoon sunlight slipped between the branches of the mango tree, leaving patches of gold across the grass.

“Where did you come from?”

The cat answered with a quiet meow.

Solenne closed her book over one finger to keep her place. The cat just only watched her closely. She held out one hand, keeping her movements slow.

“Come here.”

For a moment, the animal only stared. Then it stepped forward, much to Solenne’s surprise. No animals who ever dare to be near her. Is it because of her seriousness and strict aura that radiates out of her while she’s in school? She thinks. She was so focused on her school work that she didn’t notice that it was suffocating everything around her.

Its small paws moved across the grass before it stopped just within reach. Solenne lowered her hand until her fingers were close enough for the cat to sniff. The tiny nose twitched. Then, apparently satisfied, the cat rubbed its cheek against her fingers.

Solenne's expression softened. “Oh.”

She gently scratched beneath its chin. The cat leaned into her hand.

“You're friendly.”

It answered with a soft purr. Solenne laughed under her breath.

She had spent the past few days becoming familiar with the quiet rhythm of the house. Morning coffee on the veranda. Her grandmother moved around the kitchen before breakfast. The distant voices of neighbors passing along the road. The sound of tricycles fading into the afternoon. The occasional rain that arrived without much warning and left the air cool afterward.

She had expected the silence to feel strange.

Instead, she liked it.

There was something comforting about having nowhere she needed to rush to.

She could read until she lost track of time. She could sit beneath the mango tree and watch the leaves move with the wind. She could help her grandmother prepare lunch, listen to stories she had already heard several times, and still find herself smiling when the same stories came around again.

For once, the days did not seem to be asking anything from her. And she was content with that.

The cat suddenly turned its head, making Solenne’s hand feel empty. Its attention shifted toward the far side of the garden. Solenne followed its gaze.

Beyond the old stone wall stood a line of trees. Their branches moved gently in the wind, revealing pieces of the road beyond them.

Nothing seemed unusual.

She had no idea where the animal had come from, but there was something oddly comforting about having company. She returned her attention to her book, expecting the cat to just be her companion for the rest of the day when it suddenly stood.

“Where are you going?”

It walked a few steps before stopping. Then it looked back, Solenne just stared at it. The cat meowed.

The twenty-two just let out a small sigh. “Are you seriously asking me to follow you?”

Another meow.

“You know, that's exactly how people get into trouble in stories.”

The cat blinked.

Solenne narrowed her eyes playfully. “You're not very convincing.”

The animal turned away. Then it started walking.

Solenne glanced at her abandoned book. She had already read the same paragraph three times without remembering what it said. Perhaps a little walk would not hurt.

She picked up the book and placed it on the ground before standing. “Fine.”

The cat continued across the garden as Solenne followed just behind it. It slipped through a small opening near the side gate, forcing her to lift the edge of her skirt slightly as she stepped over the uneven ground. The afternoon sun was beginning to soften, casting longer shadows beneath the trees.

The cat moved with confidence, while Solenne didn’t appear to have that one at the moment.

She had no idea where it was taking her.

“Don't make me regret this,” she warned.

The cat ignored her. Solenne smiled at herself and hurried after it. She passed the edge of her grandmother's garden without thinking much about it. Then she crossed the narrow strip of grass beyond the familiar boundary. A few more steps brought them toward the side of the property. That was when Solenne noticed something she had not paid much attention to before and made her steps halt.

The smile that was painted on her face faded slowly. She had wandered farther than she realized. She turned halfway around.

“Oh.”

The cat was several feet ahead. It sat near a stone path, washing one paw as though nothing unusual had happened.

Solenne stared at it. "You led me out."

The cat continued cleaning itself.

"You actually led me out." She glanced over her shoulder again.

The distance was not great, but suddenly it felt strange being away from the house. Her grandmother had not told her she could not wander around the area, but there was something about stepping beyond the property that made her feel as though she had crossed an invisible line.

She should go back. That was the sensible thing to do. Solenne took one step backward. The cat stood and it walked farther along the path.

She stared at it. "Don't."

The cat looked over its shoulder as Solenne folded her arms.

"I'm serious."

The animal just flicked its tail.

"You're a terrible influence."

It walked on. She let out a quiet breath. She was still contemplating about following this mysterious cat on its wondrous journey, or she could go back and read her almost-a-week book. Then, against her better judgment, she followed.

The path curved between the trees, growing quieter with every step. The sounds from her grandmother's home became distant until she could barely hear them.

Solenne slowed.

Something about the silence made her more aware of every little sound around her—the rustle of leaves, the occasional bird calling from somewhere above, the soft crunch of her sandals against the ground.

The cat stopped near a low stone wall. Solenne approached carefully.

"Okay," she whispered. "Where are we going?"

The cat slipped through an opening. Solenne stopped in front of it. She stared at the narrow gap.

Then at the cat. Then back toward the way she had come.

"This is definitely where I should turn around."

A soft meow came from the other side.

She closed her eyes briefly. "You're lucky, you're cute."

She carefully stepped through. The cat waited for her on the other side. For a moment, nothing happened. Then it walked toward a set of old stone steps partially hidden beneath the trees.

Solenne stared at the cat. Her curiosity from these past few days returned to herself.

The animal turned away and began walking again, its tail swaying lazily behind it. After a brief hesitation, Solenne followed. She stepped carefully along the narrow path, brushing past leaves that reached toward her arms. The farther they went, the quieter the garden became.

The warm afternoon sunlight no longer reached this part of the property as easily. Tall trees crowded together overhead, their branches spreading across the sky and leaving only thin patches of light on the ground. The air felt cooler beneath their shade. Even the familiar sounds from her grandmother’s house seemed distant now.

The cat continued ahead and after a few walks, at the top of the path, it finally stopped.

Solenne took one more step. Then she realized where she was. Her stomach dropped. She had completely left her grandmother’s property.

Solenne slowly looked around. The path behind her suddenly seemed much longer than it had a moment ago. The trees appeared thicker from this side, their shadows stretching across the ground. She knew she should turn around.

Immediately.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself, taking a small breath. “We are going back.”

The cat sat down. It looked at her.

Solenne pointed toward the path. “Back.”

The cat blinked.

“Now.”

The animal remained where it was.

She let out a quiet sigh and folded her arms. “You are unbelievably stubborn.”

The cat only stared at her when a faint sound came from somewhere nearby that made her freeze from her spot.

That had not come from the animal.

She slowly turned her head.

The afternoon seemed quieter than before. Even the leaves barely moved. The silence beneath the trees felt strangely heavy, making her suddenly wish she had stayed beneath the mango tree with her book.

The cat stood. Its ears lifted. Solenne followed its gaze toward the trees.

“What is it?” she asked softly.

The animal gave a small, uneasy sound.

Solenne's fingers tightened around her skirt. Then she heard it again.

A faint movement somewhere beyond the trees with eaves shifting and a footstep that could be heard even its faint. Someone is walking.

Her heart suddenly slammed against her ribs. She held her breath, afraid that even the smallest sound from her might draw whoever was there closer. Her chest felt tight, each beat coming harder and faster, as if her ribcage could barely contain it.

“Hello?”

No answer came.

The cat moved closer to her legs, its body brushing against them. Solenne swallowed as she took a careful step backward.

“We should go.”

This time, the cat did not argue. It suddenly darted away.

“Wait—”

Solenne stared after it, startled by how quickly it disappeared between the shadows. The word had barely left her mouth when another sound reached her.

A man's voice.

Calm.

Low.

Close enough to make her stop breathing for a second.

“You're not supposed to be here.”

Solenne turned.

A stranger stood several steps away from her. He had been so quiet that she had not even noticed him approach.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Solenne's heart continued to beat uneasily as she looked at him. The dim afternoon light barely reached where he stood, leaving part of his figure beneath the shade of the trees.

And suddenly, she understood exactly why her grandmother had always been so particular about boundaries.