The dimly lit room felt cozy as I stretched my body in the comfortable bed. The soft blanket caressed my body as I wrapped myself around in it. The smell of herbs calmed my mind and I had almost started drifting away in my sleep when a loud shrill rang from the entrance.

"Hello darling, mom's here."

Slightly irritated at the lack of an undisturbed nap, I opened my eyes slowly and glared at her. The woman, in turn, insensitive to my sleeping habits, came closer and started patting my head while uttering incoherent sentences. I have to give it to her, she gave good pats that can put anyone to sleep despite having an annoying vocal. My body relaxed once again, melting into the warm beige blanket. As another wave of sleep was about to wash over me, she suddenly stopped and began pulling my ears. I let out a quiet scream and jumped, tearing the blanket into pieces. Shocked, she looked at me with a horrific look on her face while I glared at her.

'What are you looking at? You are the reason my favorite blanky is now in tatters.'

"Calm down Joe, don't be so testy." she said and started laughing out loud, "C'mon, that is a good joke. You know, because you are a male."

I scoffed at her and swatted her hands that were about to pat me again, 'I won't fall for it again, woman.'

I moved away from her and ran towards a place the strange lady calls a kitchen, where there was usually a ton of milk left on my royal utensil. The bowl, which was usually filled to the brim with milk, was now empty. The light from the windows reflected from the bowl as I peered into it, unable to make sense of the situation. Only my black shiny coat and bright green eyes stared right back at me.

"Awe, Are you hungry little Joe? I'm sorry, we're out of milk. There was a farmer's strike." said the woman, who was now standing right behind me.

How she managed to catch me this fast, I do not know. I was known as the fastest runner in the family, a skill that I was very proud to have. But ever since I started living with this human, all she does is feed me, complain to me, or try to amuse me with frivolous activities.

"Wait, let me make you a tuna sandwich. Maybe you will feel better after that." She said and disappeared into the kitchen.

The fresh smell of fish and bread wafted through the room. The brown-haired lady started humming and dancing around the kitchen while preparing the sandwich. At that moment, a sharp sound resonated through the house and the smell of gunpowder filled the room.

I turned around to look at the source of the noise and to my surprise, there stood a man, around three jumps tall with a black mask covering his entire face with a revolver in one hand and a plastic cover in another.

"How convenient," the man laughed, his voice as rich and smooth as honey, "This took a lot less time than I thought."

He took a few steps back and placed the gun on a wooden table. He then proceeded to pick up my blankie and tore it in half. Shocked, I let out a slight scream and started glaring at him.

'How dare he manhandle my blankie!'

"Oh, looks like she wasn't alone after all," said the strange man and started walking towards me. Frightened, I took a few steps behind and tried to dash out the door when he picked me up by the collar, "Hey kitty, who are you and where did you come from? I was not aware that she had a pet."

I held my head up high and scrunched my nose, 'I am Catrick Furnando Whiskerton the ninth, the third-in-line to the throne of Meowton. I am about to be your worst nightmare if you don't let me down this minute.'

The black-masked man tilted his head as if to imply that he was confused and carried me into the kitchen, "I don't know what you are yapping about now but look at this."

I stared in horror at the sight before me. There, on the kitchen floor, on the pool of her blood lay the strange woman, her mouth open in a smile and her sparkling blue eyes, now lifeless, literally. The counter on which she was working had a piece of bread and the tuna can was half open.

"This is the most difficult part of my job, you know. Checking to see if they're alive or..." He trailed off and started pressing a couple of fingers on her throat, "Seems like another job well done."

He nodded and took a small notepad to inscribe something in it. He then took the bread and the tuna from the counter and started making something similar to a tuna sandwich. 'Yes, this is how that lady used to make it but...why does something feel off about it?'

"What are you looking at? Dumb cat, you do not simply know the greatness of what you are witnessing now," he said and shoved a piece of bread toward me, "Eat it, that is how a world-class tuna sandwich tastes like."

At his intriguing remark, I stepped near the bread and started sniffing it. 'Hmm, it doesn't smell...awful? Isn't that... a good start?'

I slowly started nibbling on the food and a fresh taste of the ocean, salt, and wheat exploded in my mouth in an array of pure delight. I chewed the food enthusiastically and when I was done, I looked up to him in hopes of getting more. Alas, maybe I was being greedy but by the time I looked up, the man had vanished without a trace.

The lady was still lying in her pool of blood while the packet of bread now lay empty on the countertop. My instincts were fighting against what my heart wanted to do at that very moment and maybe, I should've stopped when I still had the chance. Maybe that was the Universe's way of asking me to quit. But being the stubborn and curious cat that I have always been, I made my decision, ready to face all the obstacles the journey would throw at me.

No matter how many mountains I have to cross, no matter how many dogs I have to fight, and no matter how many catnips try to put me to sleep, my willpower to go on that voyage was strong. I need to find the man behind the murderer of the woman, and somehow scratch the man's brains out, if I have to, for the best tuna recipe in the world.