DIANA

TWO DAYS AFTER I DIED...

I carried Midnight in my arms up Elm Street. The culdesac revealed well-built red brick family homes—sturdy yet classy. Midnight meowed at me as I carried her up the steps.

I rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer. A woman who resembled Viola Davis answered the door, "Yes?"

I held up Midnight, "Is this your cat?"

She smiled showing her pearly white teeth, "Mightnight."

I put the cat down watching her run inside the house. Ophelia turned to me with warm radiance, "Come in!"

"I can't. I have to go to work!" I shouted as she sauntered back into the house.

"Come in! I insist."

I sighed pulling down the sleeves of my trench coat. With hesitation, I stepped into the house. I closed the door and followed the mystery woman.

Books lined the walls of her home, and a chandelier sparkled above us. I sat on the couch while she sipped her coffee. She smiled when she saw her cats surround us.

"The cats seem to take a liking to you, " she said, placing her mug on the table next to her.

I smiled noticing the kitties run over to me. They purred jumping onto the couch to stare at me. I counted a total of fifteen cats. They were all types of breeds. Calico, Black, Mainecoon. I didn't even know how I knew this. I just got them.

"It's Diana, right?"

I nodded, "How'd you know that?"

She ignored my question watching one of the cars jump onto the table and sip on her old coffee, "Socrates, no caffeine!"

"We've been waiting for you." Ophelia smiled taking big fluffy Socrates and placing him on the carpeted floor.

"Okay...I'm gonna go ahead and dip." My voice dropped an octave noticing how strange she was.

She frowned, "I didn't mean to scare you."

I raised an eyebrow in silence. I held my purse closer to my body. I watched how affectionate she was with her cats. She wasn't a danger to me. I could read her and smell her emotions. I knew she was here to help me.

"Come." She once again waved her hand for me to follow.

I rolled my eyes beginning to get irritated, "Is that all you're going to say to me?"

The woman laughed and made her way up her staircase to show me her books. "I know you're looking for answers," she said.

My eyes scanned the spines of her books, new and old. "You teach or something?"

"I used to be a professor at the university, but they denied me tenure, so I left, " she smiled.

Was she always this smiley? She opened a book that stood on her podium. It was ancient. Its yellow pages were etched with art and italic writing. I could see pictures, some were drawn and others were photographed.

My eyes widened when I saw women with cats, particularly the familiar cat following me around. "Mightnight?"

"That girl has been around for a long time." Ophelia chuckled flipping the pages.

"You're crazy." I backed away as she moved closer to me.

My back hit the edge of the round wooden banister. My ears rang. There was something she wasn't telling me.

"Do you know what happened to you the other day?" She questioned as her voice dropped an octave.

I shook my head gripping the banister behind me with sweaty hands.

"You died."

I chuckled, not believing her. "Lady, you're crazy. What the hell are you talking about?"

Without a second thought, she pushed me off the staircase. The banister doors opened behind me and sent me straight to the bottom floor.

I landed on my feet.

"You're not the first person Midnight has saved, child. There were many before you." She let newspaper clippings fall down the stairs.

I scanned them briefly as different types of women were drawn before me.

Catwoman Strikes Again in the UK (1903)

Catwoman Praised in Egypt (1765)

Brutal Slain of CEO Done By Catwoman (Tokyo)

Civil Uprising Brought on by Catwoman (US Louisiana 1965)

I scoffed at her insensitivity, "Is that all?"

Ophelia smiled warmly, "She gave you a gift. It's up to you to figure out how to use it. Some say it's a curse, but I like to think it's a blessing for the chosen one."

"Why me? I never asked for this."

She descended the staircase standing in front of me, "Midnight tested you and you passed."

I unzipped my coat as I entered the hallway of my apartment building. Damien stood outside my door. I could smell the cheap perfume radiating from his body that he tried to erase with soap and water.

I stayed silent as he addressed me.

"Hey."

My jaw ticked. He seemed nervous, "You nervous about something?"

His face turned red, "What? No! I just wanted to see you."

"Goodbye, Damien. What kind of boyfriend leaves his girlfriend for days on end? I haven't even heard from you."

He stood in front of my door blocking my path. My eyes flashed in anger. I could feel the tunnel vision begin as I saw red, "Move."

He planted his stocky body towards me and gripped my shoulders, "Wrong answer."

With a stoic face, I slammed him against my front door. His head hit the wood behind him, "Shit."

"You wanna say that again?" I questioned watching the blood trickle down the back of his head.

I could hear the crack of my neighbor's door. Oakley appeared behind me. "Ease up."

My nostrils flared as I let Damien go. He wiped his palms on his coat. With a stank face, he shoulder-checked me before walking away.

"You were never worth it anyway."

His last words should've just rolled off my shoulders but they hit my heart harder than I expected.

Oakley placed his hand on my chin, "Chin up. Don't worry about him, darling."

I blinked the tears away and turned to face him, "I need to talk to you."

He nodded, "What is it."

I relaxed my shoulders avoiding how close he was to me, "I know this might sound crazy but I died a few days ago."

Oakley kept his face neutral as I explained my newfound 'life', "And you believe you died?"

"It's not the crazies thing that's happened to me," I said crossing my arms over my chest.

His gaze flickered across my face, "Okay."

"I need help finding out who killed me."

Authors Note,

Not proofread! Excuse errors.

Yall may not understand what's happening😭

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