Chapter 3 - Deadly Showdown

"NOO!!! BUTTONS I'M SORRY!!! HAVE MERCY ON MY FACEEE!!!!" Natalie screamed in pain and agony. The more she tried to pull the deadly fluff-ball off her face the deeper his claws dug into her face. Meanwhile, Natalie's mother is watching television while eating grapes. She can hear the chaos from downstairs and knows exactly what's going on. So... she turns the TV louder and continues watching her favorite show.

"I'M SORRYYY!!! I'LL BUY YOU EXTRA TUNA, PLEASE HAVE MERCYYY!!!" Natalie screamed yet again, this time with tears in her eyes. Satisfied with her offer, Buttons decided to finally let go of his death grip on Natalie's face. Buttons fell back onto the kitchen counter as Natalie ran back to the kitchen sink to wash the scratch marks.

Around 45 minutes later, Natalie was laying on her bed with bandages all over her face. She was busy packing up her suitcase when she decided to take a short little break. And of course, Buttons was there to harass the poor 20-year-old girl. He stood up from his cat bed and immediately pounded on the poor girl's stomach. From there he walked over to her face and suffocated her.

A muffled, "Get off of me you outrageously thick- I mean gorgeous cat! I can't breathe!", could be heard from underneath the thick cat as he sat there comfortably. Eventually, Natalie was freed and tossed the thick fluff-ball to the other side of her bed.

"I'll get back to packing Sheesh," Natalie said as she took her clothes off of a few hangers and neatly folded them. After folding all her clothes she stuffed them into her suitcase.

It was 8:00 pm and Natalie was grabbing a snack from the fridge. She usually went to sleep around ten so she was planning on watching a horror movie for the time being. She never really watched horror movies since they'd make her paranoid, but this time was different. She was going back home tomorrow where that awful cockroach would be waiting for her. Natalie figured that if she watched a horror movie it'd prepare her for anything, including facing off the cockroach in her apartment.

At 9:15 Natalie started to hear strange noises coming from downstairs. She knew it most likely wasn't her mother since she goes to bed around this time. Natalie decided to pause the movie, grab her phone, and head downstairs. She used her phone's flashlight to find the light switch for the stairs. After turning on the lights she slowly headed down the stairs, trying not to make any noise. The stairs would make a faint creaking noise every time she would take a step. Needless to say, it put her on edge.

Natalie finally made it downstairs and turned on the lights. The noise was coming from her cat Buttons. He was at the dining room table and messing around with some of Natalie's gifts.

"Buttons!!! What do you think you're doing?! Stop messing with the gifts!" Natalie said as she snatched her gifts away from the feline. She decided to grab the gifts and quickly put them in her car so Buttons wouldn't touch them. Soon after, she finished the horror movie and tried to fall asleep. Natalie ended up staying up until 11:45 pm until she finally fell asleep.

"Okay, Buttons, are you ready to face that awful creature?" Natalie said while grabbing her suitcase and the box filled with all of her gifts. She lived on the third floor of a five-story apartment building so she took an elevator. Once she made it to the third floor she walked to her apartment, 304, with Buttons following behind her. She sets the box of gifts down in front of her door so she can dig out her keys from her pocket.

She eventually felt the cold surface of her keychain and pulled it out of her pocket. Shivering in fear she slowly put the key to her apartment into the keyhole. Natalie slowly turned the key and slightly opened the door. The door was cracked open enough for Buttons to fit through so he went in first while Natalie was gaining strength. She hated cockroaches with a deep, deep, hatred.

Natalie grabbed her keys out of the keyhole and put them into one of her pockets. She soon grabbed the box that was currently on the floor along with her suitcase. As she opened the door and walked into her apartment she turned on her kitchen light. Closing and locking the door soon after, Natalie walked into the living looking to see where Buttons went.

"Buttons? Buttons?! Where are you, buddy? Did you find the cockroach?" Natalie said as she looked in every room. She had checked everywhere but couldn't find the mischievous feline. Natalie looked towards the glass sliding door that led to her balcony.

'Buttons wouldn't be on the balcony, or would he? No, impossible! The doors locked and he's a stubby cat! I should check everywhere again. Maybe he's under the sofa-' Natalie's thoughts were cut off as she turned around to see the most horrible scene on Earth.

Buttons, her thick, fur-ball of a cat, was holding a cockroach in his mouth. Her evil, thick, cat... was holding... a cockroach... in his mouth... this had to be the worst situation Natalie was ever faced with.

"BUTTONS!!! NOOOO!!!! PLEASE THROW IT IN THE TRASH!!! PLEASEEE!!!" Natalie screamed as she backed up into the glass sliding door that led out to the balcony. Every step she would take back, Buttons would take a step closer to her.

Now they were frozen, staring into each other's eyes. Buttons took two steps forward and looked Natalie dead in the eye. What happened next shocked her. Buttons swallowed the cockroach whole and walked up to Natalie, sitting down in front of her feet. Natalie felt so disgusted she started to gag, but after a while, she stopped. At least now she doesn't have to worry about a little creature running around her house, oh wait she still lives with Buttons... oh well!