The Little Witch's Cat

He was a cat. But he wasn’t just any old cat. He was a witch’s cat. All young witches after all were given some type of magical creature as their companions at a young age be it a black cat, a frog, a raven, a mouse, or a snake. In his case, he was a bit of a special kind of cat. His fur was not black like the others. Instead it was gray as if his coat hadn’t been fully colored.

It wasn’t a bad thing. At least people wouldn’t automatically associate him with bad luck. And while the other animals did sometimes tease him about it, it couldn’t be as bad as the cat with all white fur. 

She stood out among the others somehow seeming more graceful looking as if she belonged more to a wizard than a witch. Not like this little kitty cared about any of that. 

He stood up from the window sill shaking his small body and getting a big stretch in before looking back at the sleeping form on the bed. Should he bug his master for some snacks or walk around on her to get her attention?

He sat down tail swaying as his eyes seemed to cast off a small yellow glow. Maybe instead he’d head out on the town and try for some delicacies. Even some good on fashion cat nip sounded like a good time. His mouth salivated at the thought.

He stood up again wiggling his butt in the air before he jumped off the windowsill to the ground below. With one courtesy glance back at the window, his nose wiggled causing the window to shut in silence preventing the cold air from flowing into the room. It was a bit on the cool side tonight, the sky giving off the feeling that it might even snow. It didn’t faze him. He was a cat, one with magic. He’d stay warm one way or another.

He started walking casually before going into a slow trot jumping up on the nearby brick fence as he walked along it. His destination wasn’t too far off from where he lived as he moved jumping down from the fence. His journey's end was a simple house that lay abandoned for as long as he’d seen it. The rooftop was half toppled over as the building itself looked as though it’d gave in on itself at any moment. Still, it was a good place to have a bit of fun…for a cat anyway.

As he jostled closer to the steps, he jumped up two steps at a time glancing around before heading towards the small opening in the wall by the door. It didn’t take long for the dark entry to open up to a small lit room. He could hear the bustle and conversation of others talking around the room as he looked about seeing several types of magical beasts sitting around chatting together and laughing away into the night.

“Hey Bungee! You made it out tonight!”

Bungee looked up towards the bar hearing his name before he seemed to grin and stand on two legs like a human walking up and sliding into a chair as if it were the most normal thing to do. The magic of the pub could alter the size of the creatures within so as not to have them be too big or too small. It made it a heck of a lot easier when it came to communicating with each other. It may have seemed unnatural to the humans, but for the magical creatures here…it was just a Tuesday night.

“Pegasus! I told you’d I’d make it, didn’t I?” Bungee said laughing lightly as he looked over at the chunky Persian cat talking to him.

“I’m just surprised you left your human behind. She’s got a big day tomorrow, right?”

“It’s the witch trials. Not really a big deal. They just want to see how much she’s grown these last few years.” Bungee looked up at the frog barkeeper ordering a glass of milk before he turned in his chair to give the Persian his attention.

“And what about you? Your human still working the gypsy gig?”

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” Pegasus said licking at the back of his paw. “It’s been wanders.  All I do is sit around while she does all the work. Purrrfect living, if you ask me.”

“Oh geez, don’t get cheesy on me!”

“Did someone say cheese?” A mouse poked his head between them sniffing at the air in excitement. “I don’t smell any cheese though…”

“Quiet, Geronimo, no one has any cheese for you.” Bungee reached up pushing the mouse back by the face. “Now scam, before I eat you.”

“Don’t try to act so tough, Bungee,” the mouse said stepping back at his rubbed his snout. “You know as well as everyone that you won’t eat me.” It was true. Magical beasts had a bit of a code where they were not allowed to eat or harm one another. It was a way to keep the peace among the animals and to provide them all with a safe bonding space away from the humans.

This was why this pub was such an important place. It could be accessed from anywhere in the city with a link to it teleporting them into its own mini pocket world leaving them free to act in their natural way. What happened outside the pub with animals that couldn’t use magic was fair game. They all still had instincts they had to follow.

“Tough is my middle name, you know.” Bungee looked down at the glass of milk placed down on the counter and reached out grabbing it with two paws before bringing up to his lips guzzling it down, whiskers wiggling.

“Whoa, slow it down slugger.” The Persian’s tail swayed in amusement. “Hard day at the house?”

“Oh everything’s going well…maybe a little too well.” Bungee sighed dropping his head down on the table. “I get the feeling my human doesn’t need me anymore. She is growing up after all.”

“Well you know how humans can be,” Pegasus said grabbing the drink placed in front of him. “Sometimes they stay with you for life and sometimes…it’s just time for something new. A change if you will.” He drank from the glass before sitting it down with a sigh, the fur around his mouth wet from the contents missing the unimpressed look on Bungee’s face.

“Yeah…I mean I could understand that considering your face.”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

Bungee ignored him and reached up pushing his own cheeks up with his paws. “But look at me. Who would want to throw away something so cute?”

Geronimo squinted his eyes leaning closer and wiggling his nose before he shook his head. “I don’t see it.”

“Bah, who asked you!” Bungee yelled pushing him again by the face before he turned back to the bar grumbling. 

“I mean you kind of did…” Geronimo grumbled under his breath rubbing at his nose before squeezing between them again leaning on the bar. 

A lot of good these guys were. They wouldn’t know good looks if it hit them in the eye.

“Why don’t you maybe…I don’t know…try talking to her?” Geronimo asked glancing at him, his arm already half way up as if expecting to be pushed again.

“You know we don’t talk to humans,” Pegasus said resting his furry elbows on the bar top. “Otherwise things could be a lot easier.”

“It’s not as though they could understand us anyway,” Bungee said picking up his glass and swirling the leftover milk around. “The only reason we even hang around the humans is because their essence helps with our magical flow. Especially the ones that can actually use their magic.”

“True…” the mouse said looking over at Bungee with a wiggly nose. “But you sound like you’re really attached to this human.”

“…That’s my problem.” Bungee sighed and rested his forehead against the bar with a loud thump. “I think I am. This is my human. I don’t want anyone else to have her.”

“Then if you can’t say it…show her.”

“Huh?” Bungee looked at the mouse with a confused expression.

“Show her how much you really care about her. I’m sure she’d definitely want to keep you around then.”

“Huh….” A thoughtful look came across his face as he stared off, his tongue lightly rubbing against his one of his top fangs. “So…if I just be disgustingly cute….”

“…That’s not exactly what I m-”

“Good idea! Geronimo! You’re a genius!” Bungee jumped up hugging the surprised mouse before he grinned at the two of them. “I’m going to try it! I knew coming to talk to you two idiots was a good idea!”

“Idiots?” Pegasus said frowning. But he didn’t get a response as Bungee ran off moving to all fours as he escaped out the exit of the abandoned building. He barely noticed the snow falling or the small footprints his paws were leaving in the snow as he sped down the sidewalk towards the house. As he neared he saw the light on in the child’s bedroom and jumped up onto the window sill peering inside.

The young witch was looking around the room checking under the bed then in the closet obviously looking for something that was lost. Bungee hesitated for a moment before he reached up scratching his claw against the glass. The sound was enough to grab the girl’s attention as she looked up, the worry on her face melting away like ice.

Bungee felt warm inside from the look of relief as he gave out a soft meow scratching again. It didn’t take the young girl long to stumble to the window and slide it up. As the window opened he felt the warmth of the heated room inside and jump down from the sill landing on the ground and shaking the snow off. He didn’t even realize how cold it’d gotten outside.

“Oh Bungee! I was looking everywhere for you!” Despite his slightly dampened fur, the little girl squatted down pulling the kitty to her chest in a hug. “You know I’d be lost without you. You can’t leave me like that again, okay?”

“Mew…” Bungee glanced up at her before he purred nuzzling himself into the warm embrace. Glad to see that at least for now, she wasn’t sick of him. He didn’t even complain when she picked him up carrying him over to the bed. 

“We should rest up,” she said sitting down letting Bungee jump down onto the bed. “We still have a big event later. We’ll show them we’re the best duo that’s ever lived.” Bungee gave another meow sitting with his tail swaying behind him as he watched his young master lay down. He turned and was about to jump down from the bed before the witch wrapped her arms around him pulling him close.

It startled him for a moment but feeling the warm embrace, he slowly relaxed lying down next to her and purring as her fingers gently rubbed his ears. He stretched out before purring content with the administration. As he was dozing, the words “good night” slipped from his lips in a casual sense.

Of course he didn’t expect to hear a response to his words. His ears barely caught the next words from his human’s mouth as the sleeping world claimed him.

“Good Night to you too, Bungee.”