Black cats crossing your path bring bad luck

Setting:
Two friends, Jessie (the superstitious one) and Marcus (the rational thinker), are sitting on the porch of their shared apartment in Austin, Texas, sipping iced coffee and watching the neighborhood cats roam by.

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Jessie:
(gasps and clutches her coffee)
Marcus! Did you see that? A black cat just crossed the sidewalk in front of us. We are doomed today. I’m canceling my haircut appointment.

Marcus:
(laughs)
Seriously? Jessie, it’s 2025. We have AI doctors, flying taxis in trials, and you’re still worried about a black cat just… walking?

Jessie:
(dead serious)
Yes! It crossed my path. That’s direct. That’s a cosmic sign of bad luck. I’m not about to test fate.

Marcus:
Okay, okay. But think about it—what exactly do you think is going to happen? Your stylist accidentally turns your bob into a mullet?

Jessie:
(muttering)
Don’t joke. Last time a black cat crossed my path, I tripped on the stairs, missed my bus, and then my phone died right before a Zoom interview. Coincidence? I think not.

Marcus:
(smirking)
Jess, correlation isn’t causation. By that logic, every time I wear my NASA hoodie, I should win the lottery. And yet… (gestures to his empty wallet)

Jessie:
You don’t understand. My grandma always said black cats were witches in disguise. They bring omens.

Marcus:
Witches? Like broomsticks and spellbooks?

Jessie:
Don’t mock Nana. She was very spiritual. She once buried a potato in the backyard to keep evil spirits away.

Marcus:
Well, she probably just wanted a garden. Look—black cats got their bad rep in medieval Europe when people thought they were familiars of witches. Total superstition, no evidence. In ancient Egypt, they were sacred. You’d be lucky to have one cross your path.

Jessie:
So now you’re citing Egypt?

Marcus:
I’m just saying beliefs change. You’re scared because society taught you to be. But that cat? It was just trying to get to the shady side of the street.

Jessie:
(pauses)
Fine, but it still freaks me out. It’s not just the cat—it’s the feeling. Like something’s off. Goosebumps, tension. You can’t explain that away with science.

Marcus:
That’s true. Feelings are real. But your brain is a pattern-recognition machine—it wants to find meaning in randomness. Like seeing faces in clouds or feeling “off” when something unexpected happens.

Jessie:
(sips coffee)
Okay Mr. Science, so what should I do when a black cat crosses my path?

Marcus:
Say “hello, beautiful cat,” take a deep breath, and keep walking. Or adopt it and name it Lucky. Rebrand the narrative!

Jessie:
Adopt it? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?

Marcus:
I’m just saying—if you flipped the belief, you could see that black cats might protect you. Heck, mine used to nap on my laptop and kept me from rage-emailing my boss once.

Jessie:
(laughs)
That’s oddly specific and kind of compelling.

Marcus:
See? Science with a side of practicality.

Jessie:
Alright. I’ll still carry my lucky coin today… but maybe I won’t cancel the haircut.

Marcus:
Progress! Next time, we tackle your fear of broken mirrors.

Jessie:
Don’t push your luck, Marcus.