I saw another cat today, out near a section of wall I’m building by the troublesome pond, and it was almost the death of me.

Work on the wall has been proceeding apace, and it’s high enough in most places to keep most creatures out, but it’s still a sieve with less than half of the gates hung and several places where an intruder could enter by way of a nearby tree or hillock. I was in the process of trying to get a gate hung when I saw another cat lurking outside the wall. A feral cat colony might not be the best idea at the moment, but I’ve been lonely and the other cat–whom I still need to name–has been a welcome companion. So I ran back to get some of the fish I had dried out, which has been serving as ersatz catfood.

They attacked me as I was descending the wooden steps I’d laid on the reverse slope of a hill to get down to the water quickly. I barely had a glimpse as the assault took place, as the attackers were completely silent. They were desiccated beings, clearly as dead as the other horrors I have seen shambling about nearby, but they acted with purpose. They were armed, too, and armored, though whether it was something bespoke or repurposed I could not see. Even though I had taken to carrying a heavy club for self-defense, they were upon me before I could get in more than a swing or two, which landed dully against their cadaver skin and seemed to do little.

I was pounded into unconsciousness, and while out, they stole several things from me. I cannot say why they did so, as the items ranged from salvaged nails to flowers, as well as the dried fish I had planned to try and tame the new cat with. The cat, for its part, disappeared and I have not seen it since.

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