“Tie her up.

No by her back legs you idiots. Use the chain. Yes that’s better. Now haul her up...hi Si, how you feeling?”

She grinned as she prowled towards the gently swinging body, her eyes fixed.

“She, you think this is the first time I’ve been strung up and beaten?” Si said, smiling through the sweat, blood and water. There’s more to this than just shouting at Wells.” The rain had been torrential, caught her off guard, she didn’t like to get wet. How had she been so stupid.

“Who said we’re gonna beat you? She said softly. Felix get the box.” Silently Felix disappeared and just as silently he reappeared Moments later, dragging a box into the narrow band of light. The garage was large more of a warehouse really. The one dim light merely showed Si where the darkness was. But before the box was open she could smell what was inside.

“She, this is between you and me.” Si growled, the smile gone, just sadness in her eyes now.

“Felix open the lid” She commanded. Felix obeyed and 2 doeful eyes peaked out.

Si let out a snarl of fury and her body shook and spun from the chains. Froth at her mouth, she barked out “She you bitch, I’ll kill you I swear to Rex I will.”

She sat watching, emotionless, her wide eyes staring. She reached out a claw and picked up the puppy.

Si stopped still. “Tell me Lass, how do you lot do it?”

Si whined pitifully, “no She no, don’t do this. I don’t know anything, I’m just a hoax, I just do TV for fucks sake.”

She gripped tighter, a faint whelp, as a single claw slowly pierced skin.

“Stop, please. I’ll tell you everything. I will, honest.” Si drooled dangling from the chain half mad with desperation.

“It’s in the leashes. That’s the secret. Every time the humans touched it. It leaked into their skin. They thought they were taking control. The fools.” The word was spat almost in disgust. “That was the beautiful irony of it all. The factories churn them out. But it’s all on our watch, We bark the orders, they obey. Their love was at our command.” Si stopped suddenly the words had just tumbled out. “Please you have what you wanted, just let him go.” Her golden coat was bedraggled and bloody from where they’d jumped her. Scratches ran down her once beautiful face. Blood dropped a perfect pool of colour on the dirty grey concrete.

She uncurled gracefully. “Lassie” she laughed bitterly. “I had hoped for more, a star like you. And yet, I thank you, it makes so much sense, so...simple. And you gave it all away in an instant and for what? One life?” She reached into the box, picking up the puppy once again. “So much for so little”. With that her claw slashed across the throat, blood pouring out in an instant. She dropped the wriggling body back into the box. Lassie howled, a deep guttural, howl of a mother’s despair.

“A new day dawns” She said. “No longer will it be man’s best friend. We will be restored to the highest order. Man’s worst nightmare rises. No longer humble house cats. We will rise up and take our places in the lap of luxury.” With that more lights began to glow, chasing the dark away. Each light revealed more and more boxes. Hundreds stacked wall to wall and up to the ceiling. From between the boxes cats of all shapes and sizes emerged from the disappearing shadows. Eyes glistened with rage. They stalked closer to Lassie, her face now wild with fear. She howled once as they launched. Her mouth caught the first one. A spray of blood. Then nothing but a wailing mass of teeth and terror.

She, the one they called Mother watched and smiled.