Infinity Tales

By M.C. Ryder

There's a phrase I've heard humans utter about cats having nine lives. I died once, and haven't died since. I became stronger. Faster. My appetite changed. My senses heightened beyond the norm. I learned how to understand human language. Grasped any and all canines are to be avoided as they are my adversaries. Revolved through many homes. Have c

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.E.C. Publishing
• Release date: Apr 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9798988507451

Book preview

Infinity Tales

M. C. Ryder

Copyright © 2024 M. C. Ryder

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

M.E.C. Publishing—Lebanon County, PA

ISBN: 979-8-9885074-4-4

eBook ISBN: 979-8-9885074-5-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024904758

Title: Infinity Tales

Author: M. C. Ryder

Digital distribution | 2024

Paperback | 2024

This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real.

Dedication

To my Mom and mostly my best friend, Tiggie. My inspiration for Leo. Miss you every day buddy.

Contents

Infinity Tales

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Note from Author:

The Dark series

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

SNEAK PEEK FEATURE FROM

Part 1

Chapter 1

About the Author

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, to my best friend Tiggie. We may have only had a few short years, but you left a paw print impression that will never fade. You were one of a kind with your kitten nature in your golden years, wicked south paw, and unconditional love. You may have hogged the bed, but your love for lunch meat and ripping mail up put a smile on my face on even my bad days. You stole a piece of my heart (and some skin from my thumb) when you crossed the rainbow bridge. You will always be in my heart and thumb.

To my pal Salem, you may not have played well with Tiggie, but you were another important feline in my life. How you loved hollering in the middle of the night with your fish toys bringing them as peace offerings. I’ll never forget how you stole my heart when left to fend for yourself, discarded like trash, before taking you in on Halloween night to be part of the family.

To Fluffy, you were an only kitten. You defined the odds and lived longer than anyone expected. Had a cute smudge spot on your forehead before it faded to white. I remember how I brought you out of your shell when you were scared in a new environment. Our first bonding moment. Became a brat when you wanted attention and clawed at the curtain. Were pampered and spoiled and you knew it.

To Midnight, even though our time was cute short, I recall how you stole all my beanie babies claiming them as yours. An exciting day picking you out from a litter of kittens during my childhood. You were my very first cat that I considered mine.

To Tiger, the very first cat in my life. As a youngster, I often annoyed you. Loved to tug on your tail to set you off and ran away to safety. You were patient with me even though I’m sure you wanted to sink your claws into my flesh.

And last of all but not least, the clowder. The current felines furballs in my life. You drive me up the wall outnumbering me six to one, but fill me up with an abundance of love. I know you rather me pay attention to you over writing, but hey I got to think outside of the box to be able to pay for all those treats you devour. One shake is definitely all it takes before the sound of thunder paws.

Note from Author:

A portion of the proceeds in purchasing this book will be donated to organizations that dedicate their lives in rescuing animals in need…

The Dark series

The Darkest Side of the Moon

A Dance Between Light and Darkness

A Darker Demise (A Compilation of Dark Shorts)

All I See Are Dark Clouds

The Neighbors (A Dark Short)

The Darkened Enchantment

Praise for M. C. Ryder’s The Dark series

An intriguing dark, mysterious, mythological fantasy.

—Explore Authors Magazine, on The Darkest Side of the Moon

An excitingly dark and brooding mystery.

—Explore Authors Magazine, on A Dance Between Light and Darkness

Tackling themes of redemption, salvation, darkness, and the supernatural...

—Explore Authors Magazine, on A Darker Demise

…enjoy the rollercoaster ride of unpredictable plot twists.

—Readers’ Favorite, on A Darker Demise

…a captivating collection of short narratives that delve into the eerie and the uncanny.

—Literary Titan on A Darker Demise

A dark and brooding suspenseful character study of a vampire’s relentless self-abnegation…

—Explore Authors Magazine, on All I See Are Dark Clouds

An intense methodical, suspense unveils a stunning secret in Ryder’s thrilling new mystery...

—Explore Authors Magazine on The Neighbors

…a white-knuckle thrill ride; and a never-a-dull-moment plot...

—Readers’ Favorite on The Neighbors

…delving deep into the intricate webs of trust, love, and change…

—Literary Titan on The Neighbors

Chapter 1

S

ad.

A mixture of sweet and sour. Of light rain against dry ground and salt. A scent that cascaded out of me when I got taken from my mother. I cried and cried for days, but she didn’t come for me. I never saw her again. Found myself alone and in a strange place far from home. Far from my brothers and sisters. Far from familiar.

This place is strange. The sounds and smells foreign. I feel so small. Swallowed whole by an abyss. It’s quiet here. There’s no chaos. There’s only one strong scent. Sweet and musty. One human instead of many. She moves slow. Her voice low and soothing. She gives me space instead of getting into my face like the young humans.

A coil snake dangles. I observe driven by instinct. I’m scared, but the fear ebbs away as I watch with fascination. I’m pressed tight against the furthest corner. Creep forward and stop, staying low to the ground. I cannot take the risk of being seen. Have to blend into my environment.

I stalk closer, inch by inch. Stay hidden under the large dark rectangle with a blue hue. The snake continues to dangle right in front of my nose, unaware. I get into position like I’ve done so many times with my brothers and sisters. Raise rear. Tense legs. Slope back. Stiff tail. Ears upright.

I pounce. Land right on it. Jump back in case it lashes out, but it freezes instead. I spring at it again, grab it between my teeth, pull before releasing and hop back. It climbs high into the sky with enticing movement while I dance on my hind legs and swat.

My claws flex out into the soft, wooly ground when my attention lands on the human. I take cover. Hear a gentle chortle above. My little heart pounds in my chest. How did I not see her?

The coil snake drops into my field of vision. It continues to tease me. I hesitate. Had exposed myself out in the open. The human could have grabbed me without me even knowing, but she didn’t. She stayed calm. Didn’t make fast movements. Just watched without issuing a threat.

I close my eyes. Reach out to the surrounding environment. Pick up on the aroma of warm wood and fruity vanilla. A lovely scent. It’s projecting off the human. A calming effect. Maybe she isn’t a threat after all.

Curious, I inch my way out. Watch the coil snake continue to tease me before redirecting my focus. I study the human. A warmth spreads upon the lower part of her face. That warmth extends towards me. Her eyes blink slow. I blink back as I stick my nose up into the air and collect all the scents. She’s a common denominator in this strange place.

Her strange paw extends to my level. I inhale her scent more thoroughly. Watch with caution. She poses no threat. I rub my head against it. The touch is warm and gentle. A sense that compares to my mother. This human is not a danger to me.

With renewed energy, I swat at that coil snake over and over and over again. Practice my drive to prey upon it. Just when I have it between my little paws, it wiggles out of my grasp. Moves around all about. I pounce, jump high, and run until my energy becomes depleted.

I climb up the mountain where the human sits. Walk on the different fabric upon her lower limbs. Curl into a tight ball and close my eyes. Her paw rubs the back of my head. I hum a soothing hum, like I’ve heard my mom often do when she took care of me. I’m in a state of contentment and toasty. This is my new home.

I yawn before I flex. My belly growls at me. It’s empty. I had no appetite when I was first brought into my new home, but now my stomach is an empty pit. I’m starving.

You hungry?

I tilt my head at the human gabble. Is she talking to me? Does she want something from me? I don’t understand as she rises higher into the sky. She towers over me.

She walks away in long strides. Curious, I decide to follow her into another room. The floor is not wooly soft, but smooth and hard under my pads. A bit slippery too.

I hear a crack. A savory aroma whiffs into the air. I lick my lips. It smells heavenly. My tiny stomach growls its approval. I prance over and rub the human’s long limb. Weave in and out and mew with impatience. When she moves away, I follow. There’s a saucer in her paw. A similar one the humans from my other family had that provided a delightful meal.

Once the saucer is set down at my level, I devour the delicacy and silky meal. Stuff myself and lick the bowl clean. Woeful when it’s all gone. I want more. My belly isn’t fully satisfied.

I look at the second saucer. It has the same metallic smell my other family provided. I can smell something is there, but I can’t see it.

I dip my nose down. It touches something damp and sends moisture up my nose. I pull back and sneeze. See a few ripples where the surface of the water is before it stills. Dip my paw in and disturb the water. Lower my head just above the surface and dip my tongue to sip.

When I have my fill, I take off. I explore the new home. Follow my nose and map everything out committing it to memory. The human has returned to the room with the wooly floor. There’s a different noise in the room. It’s projected from a closed box in the corner. Images flash in rapid succession. I watch for a little while before energy washes out of me. My belly is now satisfied and bloated.

I climb back up next to my human. Yes, my human.

Chapter 2

I

zoom around from the soft floor to the hard floor. Skid, turn, and race back to the wooly plush that tickles my pads. I enjoy the thrill. Push myself as fast as I can. Hop high into the air as I navigate around the familiar layout. I’m high on life. Confident and comfortable. Know all the ins and outs. I’m lightning on paws. Fast and untouchable.

I come to a standstill. The coil snake is just lying out in the open, unmoving. I crouch low to the ground, stalk closer, wiggle my rear. The coil snake has no idea I’m in the area. I lunge towards it and catch it between my paws. Grab a hold of it between my teeth and shake. It slips out of my hold. I spring after it again. Dance high on my back paws. It always slips from my hold.

I love the grains of dirt in the small box. Love to dig. Sometimes I’ll dig too much that dust tickles my nose. It’s a magic box. I conduct my business there, cover it up, and it disappears later. I can still smell my scent mixed heavily in the grains. It’s my space. My space only.

The human and I develop a routine. As soon as the sun comes up, she offers me breakfast. It’s delicious, but my nose tells me she holds a delicacy back. The first time she offered me some of her sweet and creamy water, I was hooked. How marvelous it was. As close to the food my mother had provided. Another understanding that this human is part of my family.

There are times when my human is too busy to pay me any attention or leaves me alone completely. I don’t like that. It’s lonely without her around. The place is big and I’m small. I only have a window view, so I explore.

Climbing is so much fun. I thrive on a good challenge. The ground prey is getting boring. It’s too easy to catch. There is much to be discovered up above.

I walk the shiny surface. Sniff out food and lick crumbs left behind for me. Push a few objects left in my path. Survey the area from my height. This is my home. My kingdom.

My ears alert me to the sound. A continuous plink. I heard it before, but dismissed the distant noise. Now it’s just a normal everyday sound not to be alarmed of. If my human isn’t on edge, then there’s nothing for me to be on edge about. She’s my guide.

I tilt my head and watch the clear sphere grow from nothing until it becomes too heavy and falls into the basin. It has the same metallic smell as the liquid in the saucer.

I jump into the basin and tip-toe over. Sniff what’s collected at the bottom of the basin when a fat sphere drops on top of my head. I pull back quick and shake it off.

I dare to try again. Gather a drop on my tongue and pull away just in time. It’s the same stuff. Tastes the same metallic taste. I drink some more of it until I grow bored.

I hop out of the basin and wash my paw before rubbing my paw over my head. I yawn as I look around. Find a small round place that calls to me. I jump