Cat Killer

I think I ran over a cat last Thursday.

It could have been some other small four-legged mammal. But I'm pretty sure I ran it over.

It wasn't my fault, honest.

I was driving a section of Herndon Parkway that's a well-lit canyon of sound-barrier walls with a pretty rigid 35 mile per hour speed limit.

I'm not a cop, but catching speeders on Herndon Parkway seems just like shooting fish in a barrel, so I was taking it very easy.

Out of the left side of my eye, I saw a black, cat-like shape on the left side of the road.

As I laid off the gas, it darted across the road. I hit the brake to let it pass in front of me and I thought I was in the clear, when I swear it cut back towards my rear wheels.

I lost sight of it as it approached the side of my car. Then I felt a bump.

Actually, it was more like a bump and crunch.

It's the first time I can recall running a previously-unsquished animal over. It wasn't pleasant.

I checked my mirrors and didn't see anything, so as far as I know, there's a decomposing mammal wedged up in my undercarriage.

I do have to get my car inspected and tuned up this month, so I guess I will find out.