by Dana Corby<\/h3>\nIllustrated by Jack Ruttan<\/h3>\n
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Late October. It had rained all day but stopped sometime after dark. To the black-clad figure soaring improbably above the City on her birch broom, it never looked lovelier or more haunting than now, with the occasional street lamp and a few lights from the empty office buildings reflecting on the wet streets and sidewalks, and all else just great dark bulks against the night sky. Though to be honest, what one saw through midnight office windows was rarely exciting. Little changed from decade to decade, except that the rows of typewriters had vanished, to gradually be replaced by glowing computer screens on every desk.<\/p>\n
A patch of brighter light attracted her attention. Some shop window, she thought. It might be interesting to have a closer look. She began to descend.<\/p>\n
And then she felt that tug. There was something magical around.<\/p>\n
She swooped down and came to a stop, right in the patch of light. It was a reckless thing to do, because from the tip of her pointed black hat to her ancient button-up shoes, a chance passer-by would know her for what she was. A Witch. Just like in The Wizard of Oz<\/i>, except that her wrinkled face was a soft pink, not green, and her faded blue eyes were bright and kind. But she couldn\u2019t help herself; the tug of something magical was so strong!<\/p>\n
She had stopped in front of a pet shop, one of the ones with the big display window full of little animals for sale. Though the rest of the shop was dark, the window glowed with soft lights illuminating a litter of sleeping kittens. Gray tabbies, all of them. Except one. A black one.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, little one,\u201d the Witch whispered. \u201cIs it you who calls me?\u201d<\/p>\n
The kitten stirred, opened its eyes, and came to the window. It stood up on its hind legs, with its front paws on the glass, and gazed up at the Witch with an expression of wide-eyed wonder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is<\/i> you,\u201d the Witch whispered lovingly. \u201cYou have come back to help me once more, as you have done so many times. My dear familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * * *<\/p>\n
The next morning, the Witch, dressed now in what she calls her \u201ccivvies,\u201d is at the shop door as soon as it opens. There\u2019s a young woman behind the counter, who looks up and smiles at her. Nice girl<\/i>, she thinks.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, Ma’am,\u201d the clerk says. \u201cHow can I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Witch crosses to the counter. This close, she can see the shopgirl\u2019s name tag. \u201cGood morning! Linda, is it? You have a kitten in the window that I think I want.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl\u2019s smile broadens. \u201cOh, lovely! Which one?\u201d<\/p>\n
With an internal chuckle, the Witch replies, \u201cThe black one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk\u2019s smile vanishes. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d she asks. \u201cWe were thinking of returning him to the breeder because he hisses and spits at everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, surely not!\u201d says the Witch in alarm. \u201cCan I see it, please? Him, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dubiously, the clerk answers, \u201cWell, if you insist…\u201d She crosses to the window and opens the enclosure, brushing aside several friendly tabbies, and reaches for the black one. He backs into a corner, stiff and wide-pupiled, but makes no sound. Scooping him up, she turns to the Witch, noting that she’s awfully old and fragile looking, and asks worriedly, “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to get scratched, or worse, bitten.”<\/p>\n
\u201cHe won’t hurt me,\u201d insists the Witch. \u201cWill you, baby?\u201d Extending a long-fingered hand, she deftly removes the kitten from the clerk’s grasp and brings him into a hug. Immediately, the kitten goes limp, closes his eyes and starts purring far too loudly for his tiny body. The Witch smiles, toothlessly but sweetly, eyes sparkling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell! If that isn’t just the oddest thing! He seems to like you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCats know who they belong with,\u201d the Witch says firmly. \u201cWhat do I owe you, please?\u201d<\/p>\n
The young woman looks at the Witch again, taking in her outfit, a rose boucl\u00e9 suit that was stylish in about 1960. Not just old, she thinks, but poor. \u201cTell you what,\u201d she says. \u201cLike I said, we were going to send him back to the breeder anyway. And you’re the first person he’s ever taken to. So, he’s yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Witch is genuinely touched. \u201cThat’s certainly kind of you,\u201d she says, \u201cbut not necessary. I can<\/i> pay.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk shakes her head. \u201cI insist you take him. We don’t want him.\u201d She breaks into a grin. \u201cYou two were made for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Witch can\u2019t help grinning back. \u201cWell, in that case…\u201d She gives the kitten a little squeeze. \u201cThank you. And -\u201d shifting her grip on the kitten, she takes the clerk’s hand for a moment, sending a small jolt of something that could be called magic: \u201cBlessed be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Witch and kitten leave the store, trailing purrs, and are never seen again in the City. But the shop prospers after that. Its animals are never sick and always go to loving homes, its employees are smart and caring, staying on for years and years\u2014possibly because the shop makes so much money everyone gets regular raises. People say there\u2019s something almost magical about it.<\/p>\n
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Probably best known in the Pagan community for her performance on Gwydion Penderwen’s 1975 LP, “Songs for the Old Religion,” Dana considers her writing and Community outreach to be her most important work. Author and publisher of “The Witches Runes,” \u201cRoyal Roads: Pilgrimages Through the Four Elements and Beyond,\u201d and \u201cSimple Robes For Crafty Witches,\u201d she chose to self-publish on Amazon so her work would appear exactly as she envisioned and not like some marketing department thought it ought to look. A fourth title, \u201cA Handbook of Magical Self-Defense,\u201d is in the works. She has also contributed to many anthologies and Pagan history books, and last year was interviewed for the Pagan History Project. She still sings.<\/p>\n
Dana is also a maker-of-tchatchkes, all designed for a target market she calls the Peripatetic Pagan.<\/p>\n
Currently, Dana, her husband\/HP and their cat reside on Anderson Island in South Puget Sound, trying desperately to keep the deer out of the garden.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Links:<\/p>\n