Read Tethered 01 - Catalyst for Free Online

in and pulled it out, realizing quickly that it was a cat dish. Flipping it on its side in my hands, I examined it—the name Binks was painted on it in large white letters.
    “Binks,” I whispered as my heart began pounding hard in my chest.
    This was too crazy of a coincidence. The tiny hairs at the back of my neck stood on end as I had the eerie sensation of someone watching me crawl across my skin. I glanced over my shoulder, and there sat Binks near the threshold, staring at me fixedly. What the hell? Maybe Vera was right, cats were sort of creepy.
    “Your name was Binks after all, huh?” I asked him. My response was a soft meow just before he lost interest in me and began licking his front paw.
    “Okay, so how about I dust down here while you head upstairs and remove all the dust-catching cloths from the furniture, because I just can’t do that again. I’ve seen too many scary movies with scenes like that in them,” Vera said as she bounded around the corner.
    I held the bowl in my hand out to her. “Did you see this in there yesterday?”
    “No, what is it?”
    “A cat dish with the name Binks painted on it.”
    She crossed the room, her sandals slapping against the linoleum floor, and took it from my hands. “Seriously?”
    I nodded. “Yeah.”
    “Creepy,” she said as a visible shiver ran along her spine, like the whole scenario gave her the heebie-jeebies. I could relate.
    “I know.” I took the bowl back from her hands and sat it on the floor beside the pantry door. “Are you sure you aren’t just messing with me?”
    Vera had been known to pull a prank or two in the past. One time, after watching the first Paranormal Activity movie, she had me honestly believing my house was haunted, because she kept moving stuff when I wasn’t looking and then freaking out just like me about it. She even went so far as to tie dental floss to the doorknob of my bedroom door and slam it closed when we were both sitting on my bed talking. Turns out, she’s a really good actress too, because I had no idea it had been her until later.
    “I’m not, I swear,” she said. “When would I have had time to do anything like that?”
    I glared at her suspiciously. She had a point. “Fine, you’re right. It’s just weird, don’t you think? I mean, you heard what Kace said, old lady Avery died when he was little. How is this cat not ancient? There was food still in the pantry, so I know she had a cat.”
    “Stop it. You’re freaking me out,” she said, her eyes dropping to Binks. He still sat in the threshold, giving himself a bath. “Maybe it isn’t the same cat. Maybe hers had kittens and this is one that, for whatever reason, decided to hang around.”
    I put my hand on my hips and stared at him. “Yeah, you could be right. He doesn’t look all that old, maybe two or three years.”
    “Tops,” Vera said, but it sounded strangled. She really was freaked out.
    “All right, I’ll do the unveiling of the furniture, if you start a load of laundry. We need some towels washed because I am in desperate need of a shower,” I said, stepping over Binks on my way out of the kitchen.
    I heard Vera sigh before she replied, “Fine…”
    I smiled, knowing laundry was her archenemy.
    Upstairs, I went to my room first and tossed all the drop cloths that had been crumpled up against the wall since I’d first come with my parents into the hall. I did the same with every room after. Once I was finished, there was a dusty mountain resting in the hall at the top of the stairs, and I was sneezing like crazy. Crumpling some of them up in my arms to carry downstairs and wash, I caught sight of the door that led to the attic stairs. Curiosity piqued my interest. I wanted to see what was up there when I came with my parents, but it seemed like any digging around I did was disrespectful to my mother. Or at least she made it feel that way by her unease at being here.
    Leaving all the dusty sheets behind, I headed to the door. The