Most folks grow out of imaginary friendships long before adulthood sets in, but sometimes that need for fictitious allies is still necessary well into adolescence. Such is the case for Wendy Baker (Bethany Richards), the subject of Precious. The cult TV show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction asked its viewers to determine the authenticity of five self-contained stories; some were supposedly based on real-life accounts, and others were 100% fabricated. The series dabbled in horror more often than not, and this tale of otherworldly companionship is a glowing example of subtle creepiness.
At first, Precious doesn’t even seem like a horror story. The segment initially comes across as a sad portrait of a bereaved teenager. The narrator, child psychologist Dana White (Nike Doukas), recounts the incident that she, much like the audience, was unprepared for: Wendy Baker still thinks her cat, Precious, is alive despite obviously no longer being in the picture. Ah, but that is where this story takes its eerie turn.
Rather than outright dismantling Wendy’s delusion, Doctor White indulges her patient. Even when Wendy’s parents are understandably concerned after the cat food gets eaten somehow, or when the couch is found covered in what looks to be feline claw marks (Wendy claims Precious was “upset.”) It’s not out of the question to think that, maybe, Wendy is doing all this to actualize her state of mind. A writer seeking straightforward and logic-based chills could have taken this route. Yet, that wouldn’t have been nearly as memorable as the real outcome of this story.
Once Doctor White decides to use a camera to warm up to Wendy, it’s rather clear where the story is heading. The mention of the family camera having already been loaded with a partially used roll of film leaves room for skepticism, although viewers will naturally gloss over that tidbit in favor of the uncanny explanation. Doctor White photographs Wendy with her cat, and to the naked eye, the photoshoot is nothing more than a teen awkwardly posing with her invisible BFF. Whatever the intention was here — perhaps show Wendy the pictures to prove Precious is gone — blows up in the adult characters’ faces, much to the audience’s amusement.
Toward the end of each Beyond Belief episode, the host (originally James Brolin in Season One, and Jonathan Frakes for the remainder of the series) reveals which stories were “fact” and which were “fiction.” By now, even fans have doubts that any of the BOATS (based on a true story) tales have more than an iota of truth to them, but Frakes claims Precious was indeed inspired by an actual event in 1950s Paris. Sure, why not? Beyond Believers take this reveal with a grain of salt, but many of them (including myself) still can’t help but wonder…
The notion of an invisible cat haunting its former home and family is a bit unsettling. However, there is also some comfort in knowing that not even death can break the unique bond between humans and animals.
Watch Precious:
So the Story Goes spotlights notable anthology tales from both television and film, with an emphasis on the horror genre.
Tales from the Paulside 
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