Episode 1 âMacaroni at Midnightâ
It was 2:07 AM. The kind of hour when even the fridge sounds suspicious. You know the oneâwhere shadows stretch too long, and the hum of appliances feels like theyâre whispering secrets behind your back.
ThenâCRASH!
A noise so loud it couldâve been a meteor, a burglar, or my cat finally mastering parkour. I shot up in bed like a cartoon character, hair defying gravity, heart pounding like Iâd just been drafted into a horror movie.
I grabbed my phone like a weapon. Not to call for helpâjust to use the flashlight. Because obviously, a beam of LED light would protect me from whatever eldritch horror had just invaded my home.
ââŠHello?â I whispered, instantly regretting how fragile I sounded.
No answer. Just silence. The kind that makes you reevaluate every decision that led to you living alone with a cat who may or may not be possessed.
I tiptoed out of bed, socks sliding on the hardwood like I was auditioning for a stealth mission. The hallway light flickered once before stabilizing, which felt like a bad omen. I pressed forward anyway, each step accompanied by the soft shhhk of static from my fluffy socks.
Thenâsquelch.
I looked down. Macaroni. Cooked. Still warm. I blinked. âWhy is there macaroni on the floor?â
No answer. Just more macaroni. A trail. Like some kind of cursed pasta breadcrumb path leading me deeper into the belly of the beast.
I followed it, stepping carefully, like I was in a crime scene. Because I was. A carbohydrate crime scene.
The trail twisted past the hallway mirrorâwhere I caught a glimpse of myself: wild-eyed, flashlight in hand, wearing a t-shirt that said âIâm not a morning personâ like it was mocking me.
I reached the living room and flipped the light switch.
BOOM!
My cat exploded out from behind the couch like a furry missile. I screamed. She screamed. The lightbulb flickered in fear.
She flew past me, tail puffed like a bottlebrush, claws clicking on the tile like she was wearing tap shoes. She vanished into the kitchen like she had urgent business with the fridge.
I turned back to the living room.
And froze.
The coffee table was in pieces. The TV was face-down on the floor, screen cracked like a dropped phone. A single slipper was stuck to the wall. A banana peel dangled from the ceiling fan. The couch cushion was halfway out the window. And in the middle of it all⊠a half-eaten meatball.
I just stood there. In my pajamas. Covered in macaroni. Staring at the ruins of my adult life.
Then I heard a soft meow from the kitchen.
I turned. My cat sat on the counter, licking her paw like she hadnât just committed war crimes. Her eyes met mineâcalm, unbothered, vaguely smug.
I pointed at the destruction.
âYou. Did. This.â
She blinked. Then knocked a spoon off the counter.
I sighed, stepped over the wreckage, and sat on the floor. The macaroni squelched beneath me like it was mocking my dignity.
ââŠIâm gonna need a new TV. And probably a mop.â
She climbed into my lap, purred like nothing happened, and fell asleep.
I stared at the ceiling fan. The banana peel rotated slowly, like a lazy satellite orbiting my sanity.
Then I noticed something odd.
The macaroni trail didnât start in the kitchen. It started⊠in the bathroom.
I squinted. Got up. Followed it backward.
Past the hallway. Past the laundry basket that had mysteriously flipped over. Past the door to the guest room, which was now slightly ajar.
I pushed it open.
Inside: chaos. A toppled bookshelf. A spilled box of cat toys. A single sock hanging from the ceiling. And in the center of the room⊠my catâs secret stash.
Macaroni. Meatballs. A half-eaten croissant. A stolen toothbrush. My missing house keys. Andâwas that my passport?
I turned slowly. My cat was now perched in the doorway, watching me like a mob boss surveying her empire.
I whispered, âAre you⊠planning something?â
She blinked. Then walked away.
I stood there, surrounded by stolen goods and pasta, realizing something terrifying.
This wasnât random.
This was a message.
And I had no idea what it meant.