Michael and Shadow

Chapter 1: The black cat
It was 1992 Shadow was now 6, It has been 3 years since her owner, Maria met her bloody demise.

Michael was the only one who chose to stay in Florida after the 1989 murder, It was now 1992, 3 years after Maria’s murder at the hands of his sister and help from his own father. His sister Abby was now living with his father's kind and good-natured cousin in Massachusetts. He received a letter from Abby two days ago, telling him how things were going with her in Massachusetts.

Maria’s parents, Satsuki and Martin died before they ever saw Derek face jail, Ichiro and Matsuko moved out and he didn’t hear a thing since. And as for Derek's wife Denise, after enduring years of his horrid abuse, she finally got the courage to divorce that dreaded man. However, despite being physically free, she was still emotionally trapped as she could not sleep well at night — she had nightmares of being brutally beaten, kicked, struck with blunt objects and slammed to the walls by her now ex-husband which led her to waking up in tears. Denise had been seeing a therapist and having counseling for her emotional breakdowns due to years of being abused by Derek. Denise was even admitted to the hospital and treated for her injuries.

He walked towards the tranquil woodlands where Maria was buried and saw a midnight black cat standing next to her grave.

Instead of being buried in the ancestral family plot, she had her own shrine and grave.

”You’re Shadow, Maria’s cat, aren’t you?” He said.

The cat responded with a meow and walked towards him, then gently nuzzled him, then went back to the shrine.

Joseph gave the cat her meals as she refused to leave the gravesite where her owner was left and provided her shelter whenever it was rainy and even provided hygienic supplies.

“You miss Maria, don’t you?” He said. Shadow meowed as if to answer him. She loved Maria dearly.

He saw toys and things beside her grave, letters including “I’m sorry we couldn’t save you, RIP Maria Tachimi”, “Mommy and Daddy are with you now”.

Maria often went into the woodlands with her parents after finding a secret passageway in the backyard, it was very peaceful.

Unbeknownst to him, a spirit of a certain coal-black haired Japanese girl with brown eyes stood hovering over Michael and Shadow, watching them in silence.

”Shadow....” She spoke.

She looked at all the things people put on her shrine over the years.