Telling the Truth is the Last Step

He flicked his eyes to his left to look at the cat that had hopped onto the windowsill. His head was turned away from the window, but he could almost swear that-

“Excuse me? Theo are you still there? What are you looking at?”

Theo whipped his head back around to face the Doctor. She only ever seemed to ask questions. Theo thought that maybe he should go and try to find another one. Skip town and forget this altogether.

“I-I uh, I-It was just- uhm. I was looking at the birds outside. That’s all.” He had spoken in lies ever since.

She nodded her head in understanding. The bird perched on it ruffled its feathers as it bobbed up and down.

He was a terrible liar.

“Why?”

Again with these questions.

“A cat.”

“A cat?”

“Nevermind.”

She sighed, “Telling the truth is the first step, Theo. Can you tell me the truth?”

He stuttered again, “I do- I don’t know what you mean? That’s the truth.”

Another man sat behind her in the room, staring.

Theo took in a shaky breath with the Doctor’s second sigh.

When he turned his head again, the cat was waiting. They blinked with one eye and stared at him.

Theo turned back to look at the empty chair in front of him.

The cat was never there, anyway.