If Not For The Cat - RATS
Challenge: Pumpkin Pie (witchcraft/supernatural), Strawberry 16 (candle), Pistachio 22 (caught off guard)
Word count: 922
Story: The Agency: Case Files and Minutia
Title: If Not For The Cat
I gave the kitten one last pet, enjoying the feel of his soft, slick fur under my hand before I gently set him on the floor and gave him a gentle push with my foot to encourage him toward the door, then stood up, dusting off my hands. “Ok, we ready?” I asked, a note of resignation in my voice.
Stella barely glanced up and nodded. “Mmm hmm,” she said vaguely, still engrossed in whatever she was reading.
I rolled my eyes at Ker and smiled. “What I wouldn't give for a snowball right now.”
He looked startled for a moment before comprehension dawned and he nodded toward Stella. “Her? Yeah, but then you'd spoil whatever she's writing.” I glanced over and noticed that she /was/ writing something, though I had no idea what. Shrugging one shoulder, I padded out the door, my bare feet quiet as I headed for the magic room, Ker on my heels.
I rummaged in the cabinets and took out a pottery candleholder, placing it in the middle of the floor before heading to a small chest near the wall. Ker had the chalk; normally we didn't bother, but this wasn't quite what we normally did, so it required more than the usual precautions. Stella came in as I found an unused white taper candle, and she laid the salt while I fitted the candle into its holder and grabbed the matches. A few more moments and we were ready. I looked at Stella, who had the last ingredient, and we all stepped inside the circle.
We cast the circle by singing, as we always did, to keep out anything but what we invited in, and I lit the candle. Stella steadied herself and said loudly, “We call to you, whose spirit we seek, in order to find you and bring you safe home, in this world or the next!” As she said this, she dropped two strands of hair into the flame and breathed deeply, somehow able to withstand the reek of burning hair. Eyes closed, she sat in silence, body in that curious state of tension and relaxation necessary for most magical workings. Ker and I also sat silently, watching her and waiting for any response.
It seemed to take hours, and I'd switched to watching the candle flame and meditating a bit to keep awake, but when the spirit arrived, it was something of a shock. I heard a masculine voice and eyed Stella, but she looked as confused as I did. We both turned slowly and looked at Ker to see if it was him - nope, not him either. Without crossing the circle, all three of us looked around to see where the noise was coming from, but when we found it, we could hardly believe it.
The kitten I'd been petting earlier was sitting outside the circle, the nictitating membrane drawn over his eyes as if he was asleep. He was making a very strange noise, something between a cough and a low yowl.
I glanced at Stella and shrugged, then at Ker before hissing, “Do something!” to the circle in general.
Stella blushed and pulled the hank of hair out of its small plastic bag, selecting another two hairs. She held them firmly and quickly muttered, “I banish you, spirit of cat; return to your body... with my apologies.” Within a matter of seconds, the kitten's eyes cleared, membrane retracted, and he bounded out of the room, seeming none the worse for his experience. I smirked a little but hid it behind my hand as a yawn.
Stella took a deep breath, double-checked that the hairs in her hand were human, and started the call again. “We call to you, whose spirit we seek, in order to find you and bring you safe home, in this world or the next!”
This time it was Ker who channeled the spirit; his eyes rolled back in his head and he grunted before answering in a voice that was not his own, “I am here.”
We interviewed the spirit, discovering that his body was still alive, if much battered; stressed out from the loss of his job and having to emotionally support his wife, he'd driven south, to the small cabin he had for hunting. He wasn't sure if he meant to live there permanently, went to say goodbye, or went just to get away from the stress for a while, but it didn't really matter, because he'd fallen asleep at the wheel and driven his car into a ditch. The car was still drivable, just a bit banged up, but once he'd gotten it out of the ditch, with the help of some passersby, all he could think of was getting to the cabin and sleeping. He seemed bemused and startled at the thought that his wife was worried about him, but once he remembered that the cabin didn't have a phone and he'd left his cell phone in the car, it made sense; nobody had heard from him, and he'd forgotten to tell her where he was going.
After the somewhat chastened man's spirit was dismissed and we broke the circle, we sat for a moment, absorbing everything that had happened. The black kitten came back and climbed me, insistent on getting loved on. As he rubbed his head against my cheek, though, I clearly heard him whisper, “Thanks.” Then he jumped off, intent on chasing his sister down the hallway.
This entry was originally posted at http://kitrona.dreamwidth.org/371911.html. Comment here or there, whichever you like. :)
Word count: 922
Story: The Agency: Case Files and Minutia
Title: If Not For The Cat
I gave the kitten one last pet, enjoying the feel of his soft, slick fur under my hand before I gently set him on the floor and gave him a gentle push with my foot to encourage him toward the door, then stood up, dusting off my hands. “Ok, we ready?” I asked, a note of resignation in my voice.
Stella barely glanced up and nodded. “Mmm hmm,” she said vaguely, still engrossed in whatever she was reading.
I rolled my eyes at Ker and smiled. “What I wouldn't give for a snowball right now.”
He looked startled for a moment before comprehension dawned and he nodded toward Stella. “Her? Yeah, but then you'd spoil whatever she's writing.” I glanced over and noticed that she /was/ writing something, though I had no idea what. Shrugging one shoulder, I padded out the door, my bare feet quiet as I headed for the magic room, Ker on my heels.
I rummaged in the cabinets and took out a pottery candleholder, placing it in the middle of the floor before heading to a small chest near the wall. Ker had the chalk; normally we didn't bother, but this wasn't quite what we normally did, so it required more than the usual precautions. Stella came in as I found an unused white taper candle, and she laid the salt while I fitted the candle into its holder and grabbed the matches. A few more moments and we were ready. I looked at Stella, who had the last ingredient, and we all stepped inside the circle.
We cast the circle by singing, as we always did, to keep out anything but what we invited in, and I lit the candle. Stella steadied herself and said loudly, “We call to you, whose spirit we seek, in order to find you and bring you safe home, in this world or the next!” As she said this, she dropped two strands of hair into the flame and breathed deeply, somehow able to withstand the reek of burning hair. Eyes closed, she sat in silence, body in that curious state of tension and relaxation necessary for most magical workings. Ker and I also sat silently, watching her and waiting for any response.
It seemed to take hours, and I'd switched to watching the candle flame and meditating a bit to keep awake, but when the spirit arrived, it was something of a shock. I heard a masculine voice and eyed Stella, but she looked as confused as I did. We both turned slowly and looked at Ker to see if it was him - nope, not him either. Without crossing the circle, all three of us looked around to see where the noise was coming from, but when we found it, we could hardly believe it.
The kitten I'd been petting earlier was sitting outside the circle, the nictitating membrane drawn over his eyes as if he was asleep. He was making a very strange noise, something between a cough and a low yowl.
I glanced at Stella and shrugged, then at Ker before hissing, “Do something!” to the circle in general.
Stella blushed and pulled the hank of hair out of its small plastic bag, selecting another two hairs. She held them firmly and quickly muttered, “I banish you, spirit of cat; return to your body... with my apologies.” Within a matter of seconds, the kitten's eyes cleared, membrane retracted, and he bounded out of the room, seeming none the worse for his experience. I smirked a little but hid it behind my hand as a yawn.
Stella took a deep breath, double-checked that the hairs in her hand were human, and started the call again. “We call to you, whose spirit we seek, in order to find you and bring you safe home, in this world or the next!”
This time it was Ker who channeled the spirit; his eyes rolled back in his head and he grunted before answering in a voice that was not his own, “I am here.”
We interviewed the spirit, discovering that his body was still alive, if much battered; stressed out from the loss of his job and having to emotionally support his wife, he'd driven south, to the small cabin he had for hunting. He wasn't sure if he meant to live there permanently, went to say goodbye, or went just to get away from the stress for a while, but it didn't really matter, because he'd fallen asleep at the wheel and driven his car into a ditch. The car was still drivable, just a bit banged up, but once he'd gotten it out of the ditch, with the help of some passersby, all he could think of was getting to the cabin and sleeping. He seemed bemused and startled at the thought that his wife was worried about him, but once he remembered that the cabin didn't have a phone and he'd left his cell phone in the car, it made sense; nobody had heard from him, and he'd forgotten to tell her where he was going.
After the somewhat chastened man's spirit was dismissed and we broke the circle, we sat for a moment, absorbing everything that had happened. The black kitten came back and climbed me, insistent on getting loved on. As he rubbed his head against my cheek, though, I clearly heard him whisper, “Thanks.” Then he jumped off, intent on chasing his sister down the hallway.
This entry was originally posted at http://kitrona.dreamwidth.org/371911.html. Comment here or there, whichever you like. :)