This short story is part of the 50 Micro Short Stories call for submissions.

Прочетете разказа на български.

Sofiya Popova

Catnip

micro science fiction

The cat landed on the windowsill, nudging the plant pot with a flick of its paw. A dull thud on the carpet, followed by a soft “Aww!” The furry snout peered curiously down.

“Why did you do that?” the plant snapped, twisting its blooming head at the cat. Using its leaves, it pulled itself out of the half-spilled soil and took to setting the pot upright.

“Darling,” the cat’s voice was low and purring, “she doesn’t need you. I’m only doing her a favor.”

The furry snout hid from the plant’s gaze.

“Amazing. Tell me, what do you do all day? Lying in the sun, licking yourself in places no one wants to think about…”

The cat didn’t reply. The plant, fuming, tore off one of its broken leaves and tossed it aside. Shaking dirt from its roots, it shuffled towards the cat’s water bowl. Dipping in, it let out a blissful sigh.

“Next you’ll be asking for a cocktail,” the predator purred into its ear.

“Now that you mention it…”

The cat’s paw swiped, overturning the bowl. Water splashed everywhere, soaking its precious fur, and the cat hissed in fury. The plant, as fast as its tangled roots allowed, darted for cover under the sofa. It would be safe from the furry menace there. It listened as the monstrous cat prowled, knocking things over, breaking stuff. Just a little farther: the plant squeezed under the coffee table when—

The sound of keys jingling. Heavy footsteps. The woman who lived in the house was home.

“Phew,” the plant exhaled. It crouched among a group of toy mice buried and forgotten in the dust, and took a cautious glance around the living room.

“You got lucky today,” the cat purred, leaping off the sofa. It trotted to the door, tail sticking up, and rubbed affectionately against the woman’s legs as she stepped inside.

The plant headed for the pot. All it had to do was to dig its roots into the soil, and the woman would move it somewhere far from those furry paws. It even began to hum a joyful tune. It didn’t feel the jaws snapping around it.

* * *

The cat issued the sweetest or purrs, dropping the plant into its owner’s lap.

“Again?!”

“It’s for your tea,” the cat said, making a point in turning its back at the woman. “Now, how about you bring me some catnip?”

Translated from the Bulgarian
by Vladimir Poleganov

Sofia “Sulphur” Popova was born in Sofia but eventually chose to leave behind the city for a life in the countryside. A painter and a graphic designer, she has been interested in art since early childhood. After starting just as a hobby, writing has now become a more ambitious and serious pursuit in her life. One of her short stories, “Utopia”, received an honorable mention from the 2015 Agop Melkonyan Short Story Contest. 52 Words (52dumi), a collection of short stories, each precisely 52 words long, is her latest project. Readers can read these stories on Sofia’s social media accounts.

Catnip by Sofiya Popova will appear in 50 Bulgarian Fantastical Micro Stories. Help The Gathering of Troubadours Magazine to achieve this by supporting us on Patreon. Thank you for loving fantastika as much as we do!