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The cat running through the walls(a Halloween short story about a strange friendship)

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Antnio Subida, 31st October, 2012 .With special appointment to WSI teachers: Paula, Gabriel and Ricardo

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Schrodinger My cat is completely extraordinary. First, it was not born like other cats. It simply appeared inside

my room when all doors and windows were closed. I know that cats can do strange things, but for along time I could not explain how he came inside.When it showed up, and started staring at me, I felt a little scared because I was still a boy. But as itdidn't meow, nor snorted, nor moved, I started relax and admire the beautiful animal specimen.Secondly, I noticed that he wore a leash with a written name: Schrodinger. When I saw it, I thoughtwho would be crazy enough to give such a name to a cat. Then I thought it was a name that suitedwell that noble, flashy and elegant animal.I always wished to have a cat and I thought God felt my wish and sent me the cutest cat in theworld. It was big and had a shiny well kept fur. It had long whiskers and its eyes were like smart

people's eyes. I felt immediately in love with that cat. I ran to catch it and strangely it did not runaway and let me grab it as if it knew me for a long time. I showed him the room and talked to him

while I showed my stuff: my toys, my pets, my books and my console. It listened to what I said as ifit understood everything. When I felt my mother in the hall to hug her and I said: "What a beautifulcat you gave me!" My mother told me in astonishment: "What cat?" I pointed to the room whereSchrodinger was majestically sitting on my bed, and I said: "Come and see! That one! ". My mothersaid: " It must be some stray cat that came into the house without anyone noticing it"I replied: "That can't be a stray cat. It has its name written on a leash, it is Schrodinger ". Mymother poured an ice bucket over my enthusiasm: "Then it must have an owner! It is surely aneighbor's cat that came in through some open window. We have to give it back. Shoosh him out ofthe house!, "I whimpered: " But it likes me it even let me hold it in my arms. Let it stay here athome. I'll ask the neighbors if anyone knows the owner of this cat Schrodinger. " My motheragreed and I called the cat that strangely followed me like a dog and together we went out to thestreet. For hours we roomed all the streets together in the neighborhood where I asked all the housesif that cat belonged to them.Tired, but happy, I returned home with the cat always by my side and triumphantly I told mymother: "Nobody knows it. So it's mine! It was lost and I was the one who found it. " My motheragain cooled my enthusiasm when she said that, to keep him, I would have to ask permission to myfather. My dad watched the critter, commented on the fact that it is well kept and on the leash withthe strange name. He said at the time "This collar looks like yellow gold and white gold!" But theyallowed me to keep him at home until I found the owner . We decided to put an add in thenewspaper with the photo, the cat's name and the phrase: "We will give it back to whoever provedto be the owner. " We publish the add every weekends for a month but no one claimed to the cat tomy delight. So it was staying with me at home. Well staying is a expression because Schrodingerused to disappear without a trace and return into my room without anyone noticing it.My strange cat has always been a pit of strange surprises. If I say my cat speaks, no one will believeme and will think that I'm crazy. But the truth is that it speaks to me. Well, talking is a way ofsaying. In fact I feel its words as if they were my thoughts. The first time it happened I thought Iwas going mad. The cat was talking to me but its mouth released no sound, not even its whiskersmoved. This happened first when I was in my room trying to solve a difficult puzzle and could not.So I "heard" someone telling me: - "The piece that fits is the green and brown one." Startled, Ilooked around and I only saw Schrodinger staring at me, which, as usual, had appeared fromnowhere. I had closed the door and windows and these remained still closed. The cat was still quiet

but the voice kept hammering my ears "So don't you see that the piece that fits is green and


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brown?". I put the piece and it fitted. I found myself amazed to ask the cat: "Schrodinger, you canspeak and solve puzzles?". "Yes," replied the same voice and the cat jumped on the table and to my

astonishment began to put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place.From that day onward I started talking to my cat. But it happened only when it wanted. The mostoften it ignore my requests and behave as if it were more stupid than normal cats. Once my momcaught me on my room talking out loud to it , as I used to do, and when she opened the door, sheasked: "Who were you talking to? I answered without thinking "With Schrodinger.""What Scrodinger? I see no cat here! ", she said. Only then I realized that there was no cat in theroom and I said, "It must have gone out when you opened the door. Cats are very fast. ". That catalways entered in and walked through the door when my family was around. He behaved like akitten always well-behaved. What is certain, is that after a few days, my parents led me to a veryannoying doctor, that asked me many stupid questions about whether I heard voices without seeing

people and seeing things that were not there. I told him that I was already quite grown up to know

that there are no ghosts, but I confirmed that I was talking with my cat because it was talking to me.I told him that Scrodinger loved solve puzzles and has smarter conversations than most adults. Ialso told him that my cat never asked me questions as silly as his. Well, the man must have beenvery angry with my irreverence and must have told this to my parents because I was groundedwithout watching TV or playing on my console for many months. And also I was forbidden to playwith the cat. The animal must have realized that it was not welcome at home because it went severalmonths without showing up. I hat not talked about it to my friends.I've always had many friends aside from the cat, of course. In my group we were nine friends whoall knew my cat when they went to my house because they met him often in my room. They listenedto my stories with skepticism because the cat was never more than cat when they were present.Sometimes when I could not get away from me at some game console they joked with me, "Whynot ask Schrodinger for help ? I'm sure he is capable! " I always became sulk with these jokes. As ifit understood, my cat jumped onto my lap to comfort me. It would conveyed to me a sense ofunderstanding and comfort without talking and, then, after a short time, it passed and I continued to

play.When I was ten years old, on the eve of the Halloween party, a great misfortune took place. Myfriend Hugo Caldeira suddenly fell ill and went to the hospital. I heard my parents saying that hewas going to die. Just that day we had agreed to go together door to door asking: "Trick or treat!" Iwent to my room and cried. Schrodinger, as always, appeared suddenly. Since I felt sad it jumpedinto my lap and asked, "What is up?" I said, "Hugo is in the hospital and will die! You are amagical cat, you could cure him. "Schrodinger said:" If you give me ten years of your life, I'll givethem to Hugo and he will live up to twenty. " I said "But he's going to die soon anyway? The catsaid: "If every boy in your group offers ten years of their lives to Hugo you'll live together all up toninety. Do you think the others will agree?. I replied: I think so, I'll call them! " I called myfriends and in less than half an hour we were all in my room where I exposed the cat's plan. Theythought it was another one of my crazy things. The cat seemed to confirm they were right. It was

placidly watching us. Suddenly Schrodinger's voice screamed in my head, "Hugo's heart stopped!" Iscreamed "Hugo is dying!" Right now the bedroom walls were transparent and we could see Hugoin the hospital bed connected to many strange beeping machines and the doctors and nurses runningto him. I told Schrodinger, "I give half of my life. Do something! The others still stunned by whatthey saw all said in unison "Us too! Schrodinger save Hugo!. " The cat told all of us "I'll take tenyears of each one's life and I will give them to Hugo! You are all good boys and you'll live up to


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ninety! "Walls became opaque again and we started to skip and scream: "We saved Hugo! We savedHugo "! Alarmed with that noise my mother knocked on the door and said "What's up? Open the

door? "Schrodinger told us:" Go visit Hugo! ", and at everybody's sight it jumped through the walland disappeared.When my mother came in, I told her Schrodinger saved Hugo and for my mother's astonishment weall ran to the bus stop to get one, passing by the Hospital. When we arrived there we asked to visitHugo Caldeira, but at the reception, they didn't allow us to go until a doctor came and said, "Areyou friends of Hugo? He is waiting for you! "Put the mask, wear the robe and put on the ballerinas,to enter in intensive care. We did this at a glance, climbed the elevator and entered the room wherethere were many astonished doctors. One who accompanied us from the reception told the others:"These are the boys that Hugo says that each lent him ten years of their lives. It seems unbelievable

but after the crisis, he is miraculously cured. I think that at the end of the day we can send himhome. You can all go begging for Halloween cookies "

We were not sure how Hugo knew what had happened, but we suspected. Nobody mentioned thecat that crossed the walls. It's our secret.

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Schrodinger 1 En