"Wildcat" is an early short story by the American author Flannery O'Connor.
In this story, the main character "Old Gabriel," a blind, elderly African American man, is afraid of a wildcat, which he can supposedly smell.
He remembers a story from his childhood of a wildcat killing someone he knew, and does not want to be left alone for fear that it will attack him.
The story portrays Gabriel's struggles with his impending death.
[1] Stephen Stam calls it a "terse piece, one rich with authentic dialect that rings true to a time when the educational gap between rich and poor, black and white, created a linguistic gulf.