Cat Call

A Tale of Ghosts and Darker Things

By: Steve Vernon

Narrated by: Tom Zainea

Length: 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Nobody really knew how long the old Funnel mansion had stood empty, waiting up there high on Carpenter's Hill like a child's forgotten lunch box, any more than anybody knew just how long that old cat had squatted in behind the screen of the front porch window. Three young boys are about to find out just exactly what the dark and horrifying secret is behind that cat. Only two of them will survive.

©2015 Steve Vernon (P)2017 Steve Vernon

Awesome Scary Short! Beware Kitty Kitty!

I've read several of Steve Vernon's stories recently, and man I'm impressed! Love this one!
I always wondered if my cat was evil, behind those golden eyes... I know he's plotting something, and I know it isn't good.

So, teenage boys, a creep-tastic house, spooky cat.. hmmm you know it's gonna get hairy. Or... .furry. And scary!
Great story, great narration, absolutely loved it!

Still creeped.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Spooky cat story!

Nice short scary story involving three curious boys and a cat. Did curiosity kill the cat? Read this and find out!

Stay there, kitty, kitty . . . stay there!

What do a you get when you mix a couple of kids, a creepy house, and a harmless cat together? Why, bloodshed, death, and heartbreak of course.

It amazes me that Vernon can write a story like A Kelpie's Tale, and then crank out a monster like this. Diametrically opposed themes, light and dark, Yin and Yang, and yet he does each in a masterful way. This dark story starts off innocently enough, and then veers right into the twilight zone in seconds. Just the thought of the screen door. . .ugh. I can't say more or I'll spoil it for you, but this is worth your time.

Zainea does a good job handling the chores of narrating. He really manages to convey the emotions the main character goes through, and brings a chill to the words he speaks. I would say it was fun, but creepy is more like it. He sort of puts out all the lights except for one sputtering candle off in the corner of your room with his voice. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.

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For creepy cat lovers

Another good Steve Vernon short. Very Stephen King-ish. Not my favorite of his, but a worthwhile addition to my SV library and yours too. I plan to listen to all of this author's work. It's that good!

Creepy and haunting.

If you think your cat might really be a demon in disguise you need to read this.

This story had my name all over it. There’s a cat, a creepy house and the promise of a haunting good time and it delivered on all points plus a few more!

I seriously loved this little story and have no idea why I haven’t read this author before now but I’ll be changing that soon because I’ve just purchased two more.

A group of kids decide to investigate the local creepy mansion and dare each other to spit on the porch. Why do boys do such dumb things?! No need to answer that. Anyhow, they see an old gray cat behind the screen nibbling on what looks to them like a piece of raw meant. The dumbest bravest young man faces down the cat and it doesn’t end in a way any of them could ever have imagined!

This story is told from Jeremy’s POV and Jeremy knows true darkness having already experienced it twice in his young life. I am absolutely not going to tell you any more of what happened because you should all read this story for your own selves. Just know that it was heart-tugging and you will feel all kinds of emotions for this young boy within the first few minutes of the story that will continue until the end. Unless you’re totally dead inside, that is. If that’s the case, there’s no helping you. This is some fabulous characterization and I loved every moment of it. Very highly recommend!

If you pick this up on audio you won’t be disappointed by the narration. Tom Zainea has a down to earth voice that fits perfectly with this haunted little tale.

Unique Story with a great Tone

If you could sum up Cat Call in three words, what would they be?

Creepy Cat throughout!

Have you listened to any of Tom Zainea’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first Tom Zainea performance that I have listened to! His narration style is a little fast paced, but it's not a bad thing. It's just a bit more speedy than some of the stories I have listened to lately, so it took some minor adjustment for me. I think his narration is enjoyable and I look forward to other stories he has in mind!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. This book was about 30 minutes long and a very easy listen. I think the story was very easy to listen to and not hard to finish in one sitting at all. Sometimes listening to short horror stories is a fun way to past time.