He knew he was going to die. So Clifford lived alone in a one-room cabin in the woods. He was a simple man; he liked simple things. He enjoyed his morning coffee with one cream and two spoonfuls of sugar. The only thing Clifford loved more than his coffee were his cats, Edger, Alan, and Poe. 

Clifford prepared his favorite meal, a nice steak tarred on the outside with a cold center, a pile of mushrooms topped with melted blue cheese, and a big piece of pecan pie for dessert. Dinner and dessert were washed down with many hot cups of strong black coffee. His last meal on Earth had to be his favorite.

The old man sat down in his favorite leather chair. His three faithful felines were by his side. The fuzzy white ball called Edger curled up on the hardwood floor, warming his feet. The blood flow to Cliff’s feet had been gone for some time, and the fur babies warmed their human lovingly every night. While Edger warmed his master’s feet, Alan the Maine Coon, with only one ear, curled up in his master’s lap, warming his internal organs. The hot beverages helped just a little to evade the cold. And just like clockwork with dad in his favorite chair with his most beloved cat, a gray cat with little white feet named Poe decided to curl up on his dad’s shoulder, purring into his ear.

Clifford could feel himself fading away. The old man’s Vision began to blur, and there was a loud ringing in his ears.

As Cliff ascended into the next world, he watched with pride as the only family he ever had stayed by his side. He wondered if they could hear him or sense his presence in the tiny cabin with them.

A couple of days passed, the old man’s corpse began to rot, and the space heater sped up the decomposition process.

Clifford watched in horror as he realized he had forgotten the most essential thing, cat food for his babies.

As their tummies began to rumble and they realized the truth that their father had died. They did what comes naturally to wild animals.

The Maine Coon cat was the first one to give in to hunger. The animal began ripping away at the blanket on his father’s lap, tearing apart his flannel pajama bottoms, and then ripping apart the meat of his upper thigh. Then, Edgar, the ever-faithful foot warmer, started to eat the toes and bones, one at a time.

His beloved tuxedo cat was the last one to give in to temptation. Clifford watched with so much pride as his favorite son tore apart his cheeks and licked the blood from his face and paws.

Featured photo created by the author in Canva