"The Black Cat"
It is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It revolves around the narrator, who begins by explaining his love for animals and his marriage to a woman who shares his affection for pets. They have several animals, including a large and beautiful black cat named Pluto, whom the narrator is particularly fond of.
As time passes, the narrator's personality changes due to alcoholism, leading to violent outbursts and cruelty towards his pets. One night, in a fit of rage, he attacks Pluto, gouging out one of its eyes. Despite regretting his actions, the narrator's behavior continues to deteriorate.
Eventually, the situation escalates when the narrator, consumed by guilt and paranoia, hangs Pluto from a tree, resulting in its death. Shortly after, the narrator's house mysteriously catches fire, destroying everything except a strange marking on the wall resembling the outline of a cat with a rope around its neck.
The narrator later adopts another black cat resembling Pluto, but the supernatural events persist. The cat's white patch of fur, shaped like a gallows, becomes more prominent, and the narrator becomes increasingly terrified. In a moment of desperation and madness, he attempts to kill the cat but accidentally murders his wife instead.
The story concludes with the narrator confessing his crimes, recounting how the authorities discovered the body of his wife behind the wall where he had hidden her. He attributes the revelation of his crime to the supernatural influence of the black cat, which he believes exposed him as punishment for his sins.