Shadow Play Legend Entombed

Rumors spread like a flood seeping through the streets That an adult black panther, kept as a pet, had escaped, And was now prowling around the back alleys in town, according to the tweets. Big cat far too black to see in the dark, lights and shadow play the beast undraped To show slinking sly shadows of a panther silently prowling for kills and meats. Kids and wags made things worse by feigning panther roars. Soon all sorts of sounds prompted fear and flight, Cats sounds, dog howls, owls, yells and screams all caused uproars. The rumor mill was rampant, the streets declared unsafe at night People were forced to stay at home after dark, and hide away indoors. People started reporting that their cats and dogs had disappeared. Bones and dropping scattered about, surely signs of panther. Police patrols were joined by hunters who volunteered To rid the town of this menace, as jokes and laughs grew to anger The torrent of false sightings triggered near-miss shots as sheer panic in the streets leered. The town Mayor became desperate as the situation got worse. Sightings grew, shots rang out, every shadow had a panther in its tail, But clearly there was no panther, no sightings, no true signs to ever confirm the curse. Secretly the Mayor began a search for a panther skin to fake a shooting and so curtail This urban legend myth with a fake dead panther, fake news, and a fat reward in purse. A panther skin was found, a trophy hung with lion and tiger in local hunter's room. The skin was stuffed, dabbed with blood, and snuck into dark alley in secret. Two blank shots were fired and photos taken as crowd gathered in the gloom. Reporters primed to fake the news: "Panther found, killed and taken away in casket" It was all done and dusted, urban legend lingered on, but fear was gone, a lie lying in tomb.