Excerpted from “The Art of Stalking Parallel Perception”

When I was a child of seven I used to sleep walk. These times were strange and magical for me. I was vacantly moving yet assimilating information from the world around me within that vacancy. I would go and let the dogs off their leashes so they could chase the cat.

That cat was not amused with me and never appreciated my actions. She was absorbed in the night itself and did not like to be disturbed. She was kind of dangerous, that cat; she would hide herself within the shadows. She is like a lot of people I know today in my adult life.

In the shadowy hours of the night she expected her agendas not to be interfered with because we are supposed to be sleeping and not awake to her activity. In the daytime that cat meowed and beckoned everyone for attention knowing that her presence would command compliance because she was soft, feminine and feline.

She demanded that we must appreciate the fact that we could pick her up and caress her – but as we all know, when pussycats have had enough they simply jump off your lap to do what they want and what pussycats usually do is hunt wildlife even when they have a full belly, killing for sport that which is beautiful and sings without expectation. I guess that’s why I enjoyed letting the dogs off their leashes – I figured that cat was too comfortable; her true nature was hidden behind the shadows of the night.