Leon's Pet Sphinx

Issue #39 Keith’s SciFi Musings October 8, 2023

“Why does your cat have a people face on it, Leon?”

“That’s because he’s not a cat, he’s a sphinx.”

“A what?”

“Sphinx. You know anything about Egypt?”

“Not really, no.”

“Right. well if you did, then you’d know this wasn’t no damned cat.”

Billy took a long drag on his cigarette as he looked down at the strange-looking creature seated on its hind legs staring up at him with bronze eyes that seemed to glow. The eyes had no pupils, and they were embedded into…well..into what looked exactly like a person’s face. Except that Billy knew that wasn’t possible because there was no such thing as what he was looking at…

…and that was staring back at him. As if it somehow knew he was questioning its right to exist.

“So where’d you get this thing, man?”

“Like I said. Egypt.”

“You didn’t say you got this thing from Egypt; you asked me if I knew anything about Egypt. And I don’t.”

“OK. You right. That’s what I said. But I did get him from Egypt.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s kinda cool.”

“I’ve seen a lotta cool things, Leon. That triangle-head cat ain’t one of ‘em. That cat is fuckin’ strange.”

Leon laughed as he looked down affectionately at his pet.

“You should probably be glad I have him on a leash, Billy.”

Billy took two steps back, then dropped his cigarette on the ground in front of the filling station where they were having this conversation. For some strange reason, no one else passing by seemed to notice anything unusual about the pet sphinx on a leash.

“Why you say that?” Billy asked.

“Because I don’t appreciate being called strange.”