Matias

It's been two days, and Eve has not returned yet.

A pitter-patter echoes all throughout the cottage as rain pours down outside. My tail flicks behind me as I stare out the window. My chin resting on my paws. Day's like these are Eve's favorite. Anytime she'd wake up and find it raining outside, she'd brew a pot of hot chocolate, grab a book from her shelves, and curl up on the couch. I'd sit at her feet, and purr when she'd reach over to pet me just behind the ear.

Will we ever have moments like that again? Or will I be stuck alone on the couch, no warm feet to lie on, and no fingers scratching just in the right spot.

I can't sit here anymore. Can't listen to the stupid rain. With a humph, I jump off the window sill. 

"Where are you going?" The crow watches me as I make my way out of the living room.

"None of your business."

The crow doesn't respond. Maybe he's finally learnt how to shut up. 

I don't go far. Just across the hall into Eve's spell room. Unsurprisingly it's the same as it has been for the past few days.

What was Eve doing before she disappeared? And what if... what if she had chosen to get up and leave?

My claws scrap the hardwood floor.

No. She wouldn't leave me. Nor, as much as I'd want her to, the annoying crow. 

So then, what had she been doing that night? Why had she been alone? Why had I not been beside her? 

A startling meow escapes me, almost like a hic. What if Eve never returns? She'll never place a glass down for me to knock over again. I'll never catch a mouse for her to use in a spell again. We won't cuddle, won't bicker. I won't receive any more treats-

"Matias?"

"Leave me alone!" I whirl around with a hiss. My claws out to strike.

The crow jumps back, just barely avoiding my attack. "It'll be okay."

"You don't know that." I turn my head away. Eve's bookshelves now fill my vision. "Do me a favor and see if you can fetch the village girl, yeah?"

"Why?"

I face him again. "Maybe if she asks some more annoying questions she'll come up with some answers."

He seems to agree with this logic or just doesn't argue. Either way, it's the first smart thing he's done.  His wings flap as he takes off and leaves the room.

Finally, I have some peace and quiet. Turning back to the room, I try and think like Eve. What would I be doing before I disappeared? Maybe I'd be standing over my caldron trying a new spell. But when I go over to it, it's empty and nothing but squeaky clean, no smelly spell, no loose ingredients. So, if she wasn't working on brewing a spell, what was she doing?

My gaze flicks around the room before landing on the stand that holds her spell book. Sure enough, there's a book left open on it. Something warm flutters in my chest. Is this the clue I've been looking for? Will this be the one that allows Eve to come back to me?

With a flick of my tail, I make my way over to it. Once I'm just barely below, but in front of it, I wiggle my butt and aim for the very edge of it. A great burst of energy propels me upward. Reaching out I grasp the edge of it. My claws dig in and leave marks as I scramble for purchase. But I make it up. 

Sitting down, I look at the page open in front of me. There's a picture of some leaves and flowers, and then a picture of a bird. If the spell needed a bird, why didn't she use the annoying crow? 

Because she cares for him too much. I roll my eyes.

But... that's all I can make out. What I know looks like words to Eve only look like scribbles to me. I huff. I hate that the village girl was right. Maybe I can keep it a secret from her, to make sure she never finds out that she was right. 

I spin around and jump from the book's perch to the table. Jars clatter together at my impact. Those aren't what snag my attention though. Sitting in the middle of the table is a circle of feathers, and some flowers. The flowers are a simple white, with green tips. I squint, trying to remember what Eve had called them when she planted them.

"These are Night Blooming Cereuses, Matias. They only bloom at night and even then, they don't come out often."

Why does Eve have these on the top? I look back at the spell book. Did the spell call for them? But... I thought they'd only been for decoration, not use. She's never used them before. 

Oh, Eve. What kind of spell did you get yourself into?

Eve hums as she flips through her spell book. Her legs swing back and forth under the desk. I watch from over the edge of it. Her swinging feet remind me of how she likes to taunt me with my toys. 

"What do you think of this?" Eve asks. She lifts the page up and points at the picture near the bottom of it. It's two people standing beside each other, an arrow in between them, pointing from one to the other. 

"What kind of spell is it?"

"It's a disguise spell! It'll let me look like someone else." She places the end of the book back down, and rests her head in her hands with a sigh. A far away look takes her away from me. 

"Why would you want to do that?"

She turns to look at me with her head still in her hand. "So I can go to school with the other kids! So I can learn all the cool things they're learning." Her gaze turns back to the book, and when she speaks again her voice is quiet. "So that the townspeople won't look at me like I'm some monster."

I stand up, no longer interested in her feet. I brush up against her arm, then against her chin as best I can. My tail flicks along her face, wiping away any tears that she might shed. Once they start they never seem to stop, and they cause Eve to hiccup uncontrollably. It's quite annoying. "But that's not a good reason to look like someone else."

She doesn't push me away, but I can tell she wants to. "Yes it is! How else will they see that I'm not a monster?"

Turning to face her, I sit down, my butt covering the stupid spell. "By your actions! You can show them that you use your magic for good. That you don't plan to harm any of them. You can teach them that witches are different than they used to be."

Tear streaks now mark her face. She sniffs. "I don't think that'll help."

"Well, I won't let you do the spell then."

"You can't do that!"  Her hands slam on the table.

"If I don't help you then the spell won't last very long."

"It'll last long enough." She slumps back in her chair.

"Not long enough for you to go to school." I flick my tail. I know I've won this.

"Why are you like this?"

"Because I like you the way you are." I hop from the desk into her lap. Placing my paws onto her chest I look into her eyes. "And I don't want you to change yourself to fit in with the townspeople who don't care about you."

She sniffs. "Thank you. Matias." Eve wraps her arms around me before burying her face into my neck. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Chapter word count: 1,290

Total word count: 7,033