Kate Burke flew high into the air, riding the momentum of her tire-swing and her adrenaline. Angelic glee radiated from her, giving a certain vitality and invigoration to everything around her. At the peak of her back-swing, she noticed a shiny object behind her shed, and it reflected an entrancing, brilliant light directly into her curious eyes.
    Rather than slowing down and gracefully dismounting the tire-swing as a most ten-year-olds have been taught, she fearlessly sprung off at full-speed, at the apex of her swing. She crashed onto the ground with a giggle, didn’t bother to brush herself off, and made for the shed. Once near, she saw the shiny object retreat further behind the shed- so she crept up on it. Trying hard not to make a sound, she inched towards the other side of the shed, eager to discover what magical being was to greet her on the other side. She takes one more silent step, and-
    She is grabbed by massive arms and dragged behind the shed! One hairy hand prevents her from screaming while the other holds her in place and spins her around. She looks up.
    “What have I told you?”
    The large man’s hand is removed from her mouth, and she is let loose from the mighty grip.
    “But dad, we’re in our own yard.”
    “You think no one can get in here? You disobeyed me!”
    “Dad-"
    “Dad…”
    “I told you curiosity killed the cat, didn’t I?”
    “Well, I’m not a cat. I’m a human.”
    Pause. Kate’s father stands, not smiling, but not comforting. Just looking at her. Looking at Kate.
    “Exactly…” he whispers.
    Around the other side of the shed is a cage, and in it is Spooky, her new pet kitten. Her dad opens the cage and takes the cat out, then pulls a cleaver out from his pocket.
    “Dad?”
    He holds the cat against the side of the shed, then winds up with the cleaver.
    “Daddy no!”
    The red cleaver barely slowed at all as it neatly slid through Spooky and sunk itself deep into the side of the shed.

THE END