The day was coming to an end. Catherine was beginning to wake up. As always, the first thing she noticed upon opening her eyes was the smell of dampness in the basement. It didn't bother her much; she had grown used to it over the decades, but she always noticed it upon waking. She lived in a small room in the basement of an abandoned house. A homeless person had once lived here, so there was some furniture in the room, and the walls were partially covered with old, worn wallpaper, behind which she could sometimes hear the rustling of insects. Fully awake now, Catherine stretched like a cat and sat up on the mattress. She wasn't sure what she would do today. Her thirst for blood, which she occasionally experienced, was not particularly bothersome at the moment. She had gone hunting the night before, so she could live peacefully for the next few days. Turning slightly to the left, she noticed she was not alone in the room; a cat was sitting next to her, intently watching her. Catherine loved cats more than anyone else in this world; she trusted them. There had been many in her life, which had already spanned nearly five hundred years. Catherine had long since stopped naming them because naming a cat made it harder to lose them later. The cat stood up and stretched, just as Catherine had, then walked over to her. "You and I are alike," Catherine said, getting to her feet as well. "Another day lies ahead of us. Let's go, it's already dark. It's time to go outside." The two of them headed for the exit...