Creepy, Creepy Coco

Every night I sit in the living room wondering if I'll be watched tonight.

Visited.

By a specter so horrifying that she wears a bell around her neck to warn her victims that she is coming.

A phantasm known as COCO.

Our neighbors' cat.

I mentioned before that she likes to sit on our back patio and look inside. But she does more than look. She sits there, absolutely still, staring, eyes as wide as an Alice raccoon.

Frankly, it creeps me out. I'll glance away from my computer or the TV... and there she'll be, eyes locked on me like she's trying to mind-meld me. Last night she was sitting out there looking so pathetic--she was even meowing--that I let her inside. She had tried to let herself in, and has successfully done so before, but I keep the screen door latched now so she can't get in when I'm not right nearby. It was pretty chilly, too, so I thought she might like to warm up. She wandered around sniffing things for about ten minutes before Carmen, the nice mom from next door, came over looking for her. I 'fessed up that Coco was here, because, well, she was standing right behind me. Carmen leaned over to pick Coco up and she bolted into the kitchen. Carmen had to chase after her and get her in a sleeper hold to drag her home.

So now my neighbors probably think that I'm some weird child-hating cat stealer, but whatever, I can't help it that Coco likes it better over here than at her own house. She's not the only one.