Ghost Cat

 Her friends off to the campground store
Leaving Emily with a fire to be made
Short on beans they went for some more
Leaving Emily alone in this shadowy glade

Silently descending the dark wooded hill
Silently through the mist shrouded trees
Coming down at dusk to eat his fill
The scent of prey riding upon a breeze

Never before had she been to this place
A cool breeze stirring her soft brown hair
Cool mountain air blushing her fair face
Not too far below the ghost cat’s lair

Tawny and pale grey with rosettes of black
Throat crushing jaws, slashing claws, amber eyes
Savagely snarling, sniffing a familiar track
An ancient man-eater stalks under darkening skies

No neighborly campers this early in the Spring
She smiled as her kindling leaped into flame
Pile on a log, an ice cold beer and a song to sing
High in the Appalachians, dark and untamed

Yellow glowing eyes in the shadows deep
So near above yet far beyond her good sight
So near enough for a swift deadly leap
Sure death stalking with the coming of night

No sign of young  Emily when they returned
Her name they were frantically calling
The log didn’t catch, but the kindling burned
Of Emily they knew not what had terribly befallen