Hello again, Story Club members. I'm Ivy, your ghostly host with the most and keeper of the

strangest, spurious tales on earth. Today is another Ivy's chilling tale. This mechanized

tale story club members might make you reconsider adopting that stray cyborg.

It's one I call the runaway robot cat.

Michelle Nevins always wanted a cat, but she couldn't have one because she had a deathly allergic

reaction to them. So she spent much of her time watching cat videos online, which always made her happy,

but at the same time, deeply sad as she couldn't enjoy a furry feline of her own. Then, one day,

everything changed. Michelle was riding her bike home from school, and a cat, an orange streak,

bolted across the road, nearly causing her to crash. The animal seemed scared, like something

had been chasing it, but she didn't see any critters hanging back. Michelle climbed off her bike

and ran into the nearby woods to locate the cat, which she knew was probably terrified. Searching

around the maze of greenery, she discovered the cat hiding in a hollow, a fallen tree. She didn't get too

close to it because of her dangerous allergies, which could cause her throat to swell up and

stop her breathing. Hey, little one, Michelle said, bending down. The cat made some purting sounds

that almost sounded like bird chirps. The cat was wearing a black collar that had a silver tag.

Apparently, it belonged to someone.

Without getting too close to the scared animal, she read it.

Property of the Dawkins National Laboratory.

Call, if found.

There was a number.

She pulled out her phone and was about to call, but then stopped.

You're a laboratory cat.

...