Tortellini. She practically spat the name out in her mind. How was a cat supposed to strike fear into the hearts of men with a name like that? It was pasta for cripes sake!
Sitting on the old stone wall at the back of the property she quietly stewed over the name that had been chosen for the family’s new pet, by a five year old child no less. It practically brought her blood to a boil. A creature that had been by a witch’s side for centuries deserved a more dignified name. Years of practicing magic had taught her that.
She thought back over the many lifetimes she had spent learning the dark secrets of what mortals liked to refer to as ‘the craft.” It amused her.
She’d started with simple charms, but eventually, with great devotion and much time, she had mastered some of the most difficult and dangerous spells ever written. Then she had written her own, which brought her infamy even among the most feared witches.
She had taken on many a foe over the years, and they had all fallen at her feet, begging for mercy. Foolish, especially for someone who knew they were gazing directly into the eyes of death.
Witches often got too confident for their own good. It had resulted in more than a few of their deaths, though never at the hands of mortals. They could only manage to hang the innocent.
She had never thought much of mortals, once she no longer was one. Now she found herself surrounded by them, forced to live with them to stay in hiding, after a spell gone very, very wrong.
She remembered the night that everything had gone wrong. She’d been conjuring demons for days on end, sending them on all sorts of errands, and was exhausted by the time she was ready to try her latest spell. It was not only complicated, but dangerous. Turning people into toads was child play. She wanted to do much more than that.
She mixed her potion base, and started adding the more powerful ingredients without incident. Her slip up occurred when she had to chant while continuing to add ingredients. Put the catnip in before the dragon’s blood…and boy, did you have problems.
She was at her weakest now. Even a confrontation with a mediocre witch might leave her powerless, or worse, lifeless. She had to be careful. She had to stay hidden. A family was a good cover. They were her safest bet. She just wished they weren’t so stupid.
Breathing deeply, she wondered if maybe she was judging too harshly.
Maybe I can take time to regain my focus, she thought to herself. I might be able to find a way to reverse my mistake and get things back to the way they’re supposed to be. The thought practically made her giddy.
She decided to give the mortals a chance, for as long as they suited her needs. As she lifted one of her delicate paws to meet her sandpaper tongue, she began to purr.
___
© 2009 Shannon Kentis
Shannon writes for fun, whenever she gets the chance. Tortellini has given up the quest for ultimate power, in favor of a warm bed and a catnip mouse.
Tags: Shannon Kentis
May 8th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Crafty and charming….
May 8th, 2009 at 12:34 am
That’s why I’m a dog person… hidden witches is the last thing you got to worry about with dogs.
Very nice Shannon.
May 8th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Nice twist in the tail there Shannon
May 8th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Nice story! This might explain the way a couple of the cats I’ve known over the years behaved.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Great voice and flow–and good twist, too!
–dj
May 9th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Fun read! I will never look at Torte the same way again!