There was only so much news that Arthur could handle on ever given day, but working early or late, there was no avoiding it. It also was noted that he used to watch the news with Eleanor in the morning and so the practice in and of itself was comforting to him. The content, not as much. Overall, the news painted senshi as terrorists and gang members with nothing better to do, bad parenting, and negatively influenced by video games and the internet running a muck and attacking upstanding taxpayers. Whenever there was a sow news day, that would be the story. On other days, he liked when they interviewed placed. The latest cafe. A doggy day care. A art show where everything was made out of paper plates. Along with that was world news, which wasn't particularly exciting to him but did make noises in the house which he found comforting. Being alone again, he needed noise to even fall asleep at times and he would leave the tv on low as he drifted here and there between work.
Recently the TV was full of Sabrina the Teenage which reruns which he liked for Salem Saberhagen, the black short-hair with the witty and fun personality. Despite being a clear animatronic, he spoke elegantly and Arthur liked to think, if he was real and here in his apartment, that he would greatly enjoy his company - among other things. It was a nice celebrity crush to have.
Among these shows were kid Halloween specials like Hocus Pocus and the Great Pumpkin Patch with Charlie Brown. Halloween town was also on some channel along with a sprinkle of The Nightmare before Christmas. Horror Movie Marathons were on usually later at night. The news was also having its fun with food specials and showing off pumpkin carving contests in Destiny City. Along with the craze was one piece of news in particular that had been going on for the stretch of a week. A serial killer who escaped from the state prison. At first, it came off as a fun joke, but they pulled up Destiny City's sheriff who had to make it very clear and serious that this was not a joke, this wasn't for the holiday, this was happening, and that the trick-or-treating would be one that needed extreme supervision. Everyone should be monitored and parents were advised to issue stricter curfews in this time. If you did not need to be out at night then it was advised you stayed home.
To most, saying to stay home at night in a city that was always awake seemed ridiculous and laughable. At least the third of the city worked and lived at night. However, the weather report did a better job of keeping everyone indoors. Fall meant cold storms and wind, and they had a bad weather system coming in quick. A confused mix from Summer to Fall of two competing temperatures that caused a lot of rain and cold win to start pouring earlier in the morning and escalated into a downpour well into the night.
Arthur never liked storms. A storm was one of his easiest memories and he was nearly drowned and dead when Eleanor found him. The weather took out his hearing in his one ear, and ever since he found them frightening and terrible. The upside was that he had a place to live, with walls and a roof, a heat-pad and a blanket on a couch, and Netflix. Netflix was great. He could watch animal planet all day or How it's made while eating anything he wanted (which was mainly the groceries he had ordered or food from amazon.) Curled up and comfortable, the storm raged outside and he almost felt giddy that he was spiting it by being indoors with not a care in the world.
That was until all the lights went out making everything go quiet and the lights all turn off. Power was out. Something must have taken out a breaker. "Great." He grumbled as he sat in the dark. The dark wasn't too much of a big deal. As a cat, he saw fairly well in the dark, but now all he could hear was the howling wind and rain.
Now things were boring.
Now the storm had spited him back.
"Touche."
There was a long scratching at the door and he tensed up, looking over in the dark to where the door was. Again, a long scratching. Head down, he eased off the couch, somewhat sad that the heating pad would start getting cold now without him on it and with the power out. As he moved, he looked at the mail slow that was dripping water from the pounding rain outside. "Meow?" He called, wondering if some animal wanted shelter. If it was a cat then sure. Moving closer, he jumped up to the side table and looked out the window. Outside the streets were flooding with rain that spilled into drains. Leaves and litter flew down the sidewalk. Looking down, he saw nothing. No animal. No person. No fallen branch that got stuck in the doorway.
"Hmm."
He moved slowly back to his couch and curled up, deciding he should probably sleep, and so he closed his eyes and drifted to bed.
With no clock and the computer off, he wasn't sure how much time passed before he heard the scratching again. This time by the window. He jerked away, ears up and tail puffed as he heard the scratching. What the hell was that?
Again, he moved to the window. He was a cat after all. What ever attacked animals unless it was another wild animal and this was the city. At worse it would be a wild dog.
He nudged his head under the curtain. Again, nothing. Again it was the middle of the night, the rain was still pouring without any sign of weakening, and again there was nothing against the window.
Stepping away, he moved back to the couch, but this time be bit the blanket and dragged it under the couch with him. He stayed there, curled in the back with the blanket, and told himself that he was a grown cat. A grown cat.
A grown cat that wasn't trying to think of homicidal maniacs who might want to make a purse out of his skin.
