This work is supported by the generous backers who adore my cat stories at Patreon.com/amberunmasked and they also get first access to what’s happening with my books and projects.
Where We Left Off:
Many large defecation piles were found on the paths cleared of snow. Oliver and Gus researched to determine what kind of creature left behind such big poops.
The Big Sleep:
The first week of February 2026, the cats and most of the humans were out of patience with the cold temperatures and icy/snow ground. I was the only one who seemed fine with winter being winter. I admit it was terribly cold, but I no longer have to walk to a train stop and freeze while waiting or fight commuters in harsh conditions on the most crowded highways. I do miss having a remote ignition starter for the car though. That was convenient. Ollie surprised me be showing his frustrations with the winter. He demanded to join Gus on a patrol to gather evidence and talk to critters when this case file presented itself.
After Staten Island Chuck predicted six more weeks of winter, all the creatures had their own responses. Some were totally fine. Others, like the white-tailed deer and the Jersey devil-deer hybrids, were ready for fresh berries and leaves. They showed signs of snow fatigue.
One morning, The Cook and The Grumpy Old Man paced around from their suite to the living room where the fireplace continually churned out some warmth. They said they were worried about one of the animals. I went to different windows to get better views. Gus and Oliver went out on the balcony to observe her. In Gnome Grove under one of the trees, a Jersey devil-deer curled up on the ground. She tried to sleep, but opened her eyes and lifted her head anytime she sensed she was being watched. Every morning for several days in a row, she was there curled up and resting.
“I just hope she’s not sick,” The Cook repeated every day. “She’s eating, walking, and pooping so she must be okay, but I can’t stop worrying about her.”
“She’s fine.” The brevity of The Grumpy Old Man in his booming voice always followed The Cook’s vocal distress. He even went out and bought some deer corn to make sure that our visitor was getting nourishment.
The Cook’s shoulders tensed up towards her ears. She wore layers of clothes including a knit hat and a plush bathrobe. “But, she isn’t with her herd. She’s alone. I’m worried that she needs her kind.”
Oliver tried to assuage his favorite person’s fears. “Like you said, she’s able to move around and otherwise seems to be acting normally.”
“Maybe she’s pregnant and tired.” I entered the living room with my hot coffee after feeding Gus his second breakfast.
“She’s thin,” The Grumpy Old Man said.
Our case subject, this beautiful devil-deer was not thin in the sense of “too thin.” She was normal, but appeared to be younger. She was shorter and thinner than others from the herd, but she didn’t look sick. Her eyes were shiny obsidian. Her coat was appropriately colored for the season. She didn’t have any mobility issues like we’ve seen with other large creatures. Truthfully, there was nothing wrong with a big creature sleeping when it got tired. The proximity to the residence was what seemed to be a concern.
When we had time, I got Oliver and Gus prepared for a snowy adventure. Ollie’s buggy still does not have skis attached which meant he would have to stay on the cleared paths. Gus wasn’t eager to be in the snow, but he was willing to walk over it or through footprints if he was determined to be somewhere. This year, he started to ask me to pick him up (a new thing). It was already exhausting stomping through knee-high snow with a bag of supplies and cans of birdseed. Having Gus in my arms or trying his best to balance on my shoulders was a new level of Ninja Warrior tests. We prevailed.
At The Black Gate of Doom, I had to stop Gus from continuing into forbidden territory despite the gate being opened. My companion still tried to reach the top like we used to do nearly every day before Lord and Lady Theodore moved in. Every time I had to stop at the border and hold his leash back, I felt depressed. I’ve written about that frequently throughout these cases. On this particular afternoon, we were stopped and I was able to look down the Bunny Hollow trail. The doe was at the opposite end having just left her little spot under the tree. She showed no signs of taking flight to get over the farm. We lost sight her pretty quickly though.
It was time for us to look for evidence that might give us answers about this creature’s week-long routine of sleeping in Gnome Grove. Oliver talked to some birds. Gus smelled a whole lot of pheromones. I walked around mounds of poop to look for evidence that I could collect and analyze. Everyone had their assignments. We met back at the side of Oliver’s patio then walked to the hobbit door to go home.
Gus took time to eat again. Then the three of us met upstairs in the detective agency offices. Treats had to be consumed before the cats were willing to begin our meeting.
“Ollie,” I said, “what did you learn from the birds?”
He groomed his exceptionally soft orange and white fur before getting into the mystery of the sleeping doe.
Anthony “Whitey” Stango is dark-eyed junco who flies all around the hot spots for the best food. He and Oliver developed a friendship in the fall, but haven’t had many opportunities to socialize lately.
“Whitey has been perching on the branches above the devil-deer because it’s one of the best spots to find seeds. He corrected some of our initial information for the file.” Oliver ran through the demographics we figured out before revealing anything new from Whitey.
Subject:
Name: Ochekka, son of Mąera
Species: Jersey devil-deer
Sex: male/buck not a female
Approximate age: young adult; born 2024
Description for the winter season: thin white ring around his snout; thin white eyeliner; no ear notches; white chin to neck; white belly underneath; medium brown mostly with black tips on the ears
Why Was He Sleeping Here?
Ochekka is not fully grown, far from an 8-point buck. He’s not deemed a threat to anyone as long as he’s not rutting. He may have tried to mate in the fall, but was likely unsuccessful due to much larger males in the area.
Oliver got the most clear information from Whitey. As for the analysis Gus and I did, things were a bit more hazy. In three consecutive days, I collected three hair samples. These were patches of fur found in the open on top of the soggy grass where the snow had been cleared and started to melt. This collection took place a week after Ochekka began sleeping in Gnome Grove and, from our observations, after he stopped doing it.
The analysis showed that the samples came from three different individuals, but ones who are part of the same herd. They have the same hybrid makeup as Ochekka. This genetic composition presents as a creature who can appear to look like a mundane white-tailed deer to human eyes when the animal feels the need to disguise its true form. They’re intelligent cryptids who understand that humans would hunt them for vivisection or try to domesticate them as dangerous exotic pets. When we take photos, we can run them through proprietary software to enhance the supernatural characteristics like wings and fangs. Ochekka has the wings, but not the fangs.
Besides the abundance of poop piles (see the previous case), there was a lot of urine marking the snow making it easy to see. Gus didn’t need to get close to it to smell the potent bouquet. He also detected the spraying of bobcats on the wind. His Super Smeller served as another confirmation that herd of eleven beasts included some of the cryptid hybrids.
“Did Whitey explain specifically why Ochekka was away from his herd to sleep here?” I posed to Ollie.
Oliver jumped up onto a chair to rest on the Psych blanket (one of our favorite shows and where Gus got his name). “The animal started to sleep here on the night of the Full Moon. It was time for him to have a rite of passage a spend time alone to test his survival instincts.”
The animal knew about our snacking stations for the birds and other critters. He was smart enough to linger nearby and wait for feeding time. He had to eat away from his family which meant, he had to get to the food before they did. It made more sense for him to stay in Gnome Grove after clearing a circular patch out of the snow and finding some warmth in the bed of evergreen needles and dirt.
Gus continued to spin his treat-dispensing game even though he had emptied it quickly at the beginning of our meeting. Thwump-ump-ump-ump. Thwump-ump-ump-ump. Thwump-ump-ump-ump.
In between spins, he spoke up. “Does this rite of passage have a name?”
“It probably does, partner,” Ollie said, “but Whitey isn’t completely fluent in devil-deer. He knows mundane deer and it’s nearly identical, but has some distinctions in dialect.”
Case Findings:
February began with a Full Moon. With its timing, the Winchester-Nabu estate had regular visits from one particular Jersey devil-deer named Ochekka. This two-year old (in human years) buck needed to complete a rite of passage proving his can survive a harsh winter. He was cunning enough to choose a location where food is easy to find, Gnome Grove. He wasn’t hurt or sick in any way. After his trial was completed, he returned to his herd.
Case Status: Closed