A Curved Night

David drew the sleek curved sword from its display case. He didn’t like taking it out, but he knew he wouldn’t use it.
The phone call from Scott was irritating, as he was immersed in a detective story and had a compulsive need to solve the mystery before the protagonist.
         “Meet me at the St Ives caves, and bring that funky sword. There’s something roaming around.” Click. As unwelcome as this interruption was, David had to admire the inquisitive spirit.
         At the entranceway, Scott was already past the fencing and holding a flashlight. On seeing David, he entered the largest cave. It took David some time to catch up.
         “Hold your horses” came the loudest whisper David was capable of.
         “I saw it moving. Down here.” There was indeed something lurking in the darkness ahead. Scott’s flashlight hit the cat and he stopped dead. On first glance, it appeared to be a tiger, but with a far larger frame and stubbier legs. David was not keen to discover what it truly was, for it also looked quite disgruntled. Without a word, the two would-be explorers turned back, only to find three more of these. One came forward, opened its mouth, and revealed its identity. Two long, curved teeth met David’s eye, and he almost fainted.
         “This is impossible. They’ve been extinct for centuries” he murmured.
         “The cats that don’t exist are going to eat us”. said Scott, who had frozen from fear. Instinctively, David drew his sword, pointing it upwards. As saber met saber in the eyes of all, the cat gave a low growl, and they were suddenly at ease. They interrogated the intruders, and allowed them to stay. David guessed that the growl was a sign of respect. What was not so clear was who had tamed whom.

Word count: 300