“Heh, psst. Leetle buee,” a whispering voice gurgled. Tommy looked around as he sat on the bank of his grandpa’s pond. He swatted at another mosquito in the muggy Alabama evening air. The tip of his rod jolted slightly as he got a nibble from the depths.

He just wanted to catch a few bream today. He’d finally given up on that big bass he’d hooked last year. The one that broke his line just as he’d pulled it to the bank.

“Psst. Leetle buuuueeee, hehehe.” That gurgling voice, followed by a splash. Tommy saw the ripples and his eyes widened. He dropped his rod and reel and scurried backward up the bank crab-style.

The biggest no- whiskered blue- catfish he’d ever seen had his head partly out of the water and was looking straight at him. “Nononono. Dunt bee efred. Leetle buee,” BlueCat said in a weird almost French accent.

Tommy rolled over on all fours and crawled back down to the waters edge, but still out of reach of the cat. “A- are you talking to me?”

“Oui! Ew, leetle feesheeng buee!”