GET OUT NOW

That was what the sign said, anyway. It was attached to the one behind it with plastic ties, in such a way that it could be flipped over to read the other notice.

The one behind it read:

WARNING: The old woman has bulletproof metal legs and the cat is unkillable. Self-reloading guns are recommended, as is RUNNING AWAY VERY FAST. Talking to the old woman will almost certainly result in a nasty death. Please do not try to kill or feed the cat.

“Thanks, Signwriter.”

I flipped the sign back over and ignored its bright red advice. There was a raised circle about five metres away – rather, I thought there was. The lack of lighting kept visibility low and typical ‘oh no, everything’s gonna kill me’ factor high.

Something made a noise that sounded like a cat being trodden on and a black and white thing landed in the middle of the circle. I automatically aimed my gun and shot at it. There was a satisfying wet thud as the bullets hit.

The lightweight rifle clicked softly as it reloaded itself.