1,358 words (6–8 minutes)
Genre(s): Dark Fantasy, Mythic Horror
Originally published in The Tryout, November 1920.

⸻

In the strange and ancient village of Ulthar, there is a law—no man may kill a cat. This decree, whispered by travelers and debated by merchants in distant lands, has its origins in a tale of cruelty, dark revenge, and eerie justice. When a caravan of mysterious wanderers passes through the village, their orphaned boy and his beloved kitten set in motion a chain of events that forever changes Ulthar’s fate. A darkly poetic tale blending folklore and cosmic justice, The Cats of Ulthar explores the primal powers lurking just beyond human understanding—and the price of harming those who walk between worlds.