Vivid colors shifted around, blurry and vague shapes that resembled objects going in and out of focus. Fleeting characters danced across the landscape. Amidst the somewhat peaceful chaos, a low, scraping sound penetrated through, sweeping the fantasy away. Drowsily blinking out of sleep induced stupor, the scratching noise that came back through short, irregular intervals kept pushing through my senses, bringing me to full awareness. Disoriented and blind from the dark, a few heartbeats passed before I recognized the sound. It’s the cat, he must want to go inside my mother’s room but the door is closed. Complaining internally, I shuffled my comforter with a sigh and turned my body away from my door, where the sounds were leaking through. I closed my eyes with relief when the sounds stopped for a long time, only to come back with more persistence. I could hear him alternating between one paw and two as he tried to maintain his balance. The floor let out almost imperceptible creaks as he paused and shifted his weight. Sometimes he sounded as if he was brushing the door with the fur on his paws softly. Other times, he sounded as if his claws were pieces of chalk screeching across a chalkboard. It’ll be a long night. I debated over staying in the comfort and warmth of my bed or walking out into the cold to shush the cat. I probably won’t sleep well and there’ll be consequences in the morning. But the bed is nice. And it’ll take me forever to fall asleep once I stand up. Throwing a blanket over my head, I tried my hardest to ignore what seemed like a ruckus in an otherwise perfectly silent house.