The Captain: part 1 transformation

On Sunday night, I was off duty but heard something suspicious. Three men in black were whispering in a dark alley, I hid behind one of the buildings and heard them say something. Their words weren’t clear enough.

“Cats as humans.” One of them said laughing

“The perfect drug!” Another one said examining something in the bag.

They replaced what was in the bag, and tossed the bag behind them. I was able to reach to the bag, but instead kept staring at it. What could it be? I thought. Picked up the bag and examined it, the remains of something was inside. I rubbed my fingers together to find that there was black powder inside the bag. I licked my forefinger trying to figure out what was inside, but it tasted like ashes. I put it near my nose to smell it but it smelled like nothing I knew. Maybe new kind of drugs! I thought.



I took the bag with me hoping to send it to the lab, the following day. As a police captain this shouldn’t be an issue. I gazed at the three men, to make sure that no one of them, realized what I was doing, but instead I found three black cats, staring at me with their scary green eyes. Weird! How could they disappear without noticing them? Could it be a trap? Better leave now. 



What is that black powder? What about the three men? And why were they laughing when they talked about the powder? Could they be addicts and not just drug dealers? And how did they disappear? These were my thoughts on the way home. At home I put the bag on the desk, touched the powder and finally decided to call Inspector Randy in the morning since it was late at night. He was my superior to help me out with this mystery; we were old friends. Sure he will help me out with this .



In the morning, I woke up feeling uncomfortable with my body, couldn’t stop scratching as if I am having an itch, I realized white hair all over me like fur. I could hear lots of voices that I never heard before; I was able to smell the morning breeze.



I jumped off the bed, to see what was going on, set my eyes on the mirror to see that I transformed into a cat with a human brain, am I dreaming. I thought while rubbing my eyes. I stared in the mirror and slapped my face, but I was already awake.



Went to the bathroom, washed my face, thinking maybe water will clear my vision. I gazed at the mirror but no change I actually had two legs, two hands, fur, claws and fleas. My body shape has changed, but I was able to walk on two legs, my body size didn’t change. My eyes went wide, my mouth was open staring at the mirror freaked out, not knowing what to think.





I decided not go to work that day couldn’t go out looking like a human cat. At eleven o’clock the telephone rang, I picked up and a meow came out. I am meowing great, my new ability. A cat with a meowing ability and a human brain, I have to find those men and get a cure for this. The man on the phone was Randy.

In a surprised voice he said,” Wow! Never expected a cat to answer the phone!” then his voice turned serious, “Anyway, Captain Joseph, you have to come now, it is an emergency.”

“Whatever the emergency is, I can’t come. Very ill, but you can send it by fax or e mail.” I answered with a trembling voice.

Inspector Randy changed his tone, “Fine, Joseph I will be right there in a minute.” he hung up.



Coming where? I thought scratching my head. After fifteen minutes, the door bell rang. Ops the inspector, what am I going to do now? I thought while I tried to open the door. It was hard with these new hands with claws in them; I could only hear the scratch



From behind the door, Randy said with sarcastic voice said, “You got a new cat… I thought you hate animals.”

I tried to open the door, not thinking of what Randy was saying. I opened the door, Randy’s face changed, his eyes widened, eyes brows raised and mouth opened wide, asked with a shocked voice, “Who are you?” he raised his gun and pointed it directly to my chest. 

I stared at him; “Randy, it’s me Joseph.” gave him a serious look, “Now you know why I can’t come to the station today.”

Randy lowered his gun, whispered, “Same voice.” narrowed eyes, “Oh, My God! Randy, are you okay? What happened to you?”

I scratched my head and gazed at him, “Don’t know…Long story.”

Randy tried to manage his fear; I could feel his struggle to keep himself calm in front of me, “It isn’t that bad Captain.” He added a slight smile to cheer me up.

My face turned red, anger fired through my eyes,” I am a human cat Randy, could it be any worse?”

He tried to hide his fear but his adrenaline was all way through my nostrils, “How did this happen?”

I showed him the way to the salon and sat on the sofa and pointed to the bag on the desk,” it contains the substance that turned me into this.” 

Randy’s eyes narrowed, wrinkles appeared in his forehead and said with a serious voice, “you used the black powder!”

“Yes, do you know anything about it?”

He directed his eyes on the floor, trying to avoid eye contact and said, “Well, the bad news is there is no cure for your condition”

I jumped off the sofa and cried, “What? No cure!”

He stared directly at me with wide eyes and narrowed lips,” unfortunately so.”

I looked at him with anger and tears in my eyes “I want to know everything you know about the black powder.”

He answered quietly pondering my condition, “it is a new kind of drug smuggled to our country by three men. Nobody ever saw them. They are considered to be the most dangerous criminals of all.”

I gave him a sharp gaze, widened eyes, “You have to help me find them.”

His eyes widened, fear filled his body, “of-course” he swallowed his fear and gained some confidence, “this was the emergency I wanted to talk to you about. Those men are hard to find, we will work on it together in secret, in the station. It’s safer there.”

I put my face in my hands, “How can I go to work like this?”

Randy put his hands on my shoulder “its okay, I will inform the department that you were affected by the new drug while investigating a case. After what happened to you it will be better is we don’t mention the three men. We don’t want the rest to get worried.” Randy directed himself through the door, his legs were shaking. He said with a fake smile “don’t worry, it will be fine.”



Randy left and I kept of thinking how can I adapt to this situation? Turned to this form forever! No cure for this now! I have to find these men; I have to go to work, it is my only chance to find them.



The following morning I put my pants on, and had trouble putting my shoes due to big feet with claws. I decided to go bare foot. put my shirt on but it made me want to scratch so took it off and went to the station without it. Lucky, I am not a woman couldn’t stand scratching my chest for long.I thought.



On my way to the station I smelled all the odors, anyone could think of grass, soil, garbage, humans every smell went through my nostrils. The loud voices were intolerable, couldn’t stand them, people shouting, birds singing, wind sound, cars, people fighting, shouts and noises everywhere, I felt my eardrum was going to explode. There was a dog in the street, once I saw him, I started meowing and running as if I saw a ghost.



I kept running till I reached the station, there all my colleagues stared at me; no one was able to stop.

“STOP STARING” I yelled

“Well, it is hard not to Captain, you got pink nose.” One of the officers said laughing.

“They will adapt Joseph, just give it time.” Randy said, with a slight smile on his face.



“To be continued in the second short story of The Captain series”