A Familiar Experience: A Dark Realms Tale

Chapter Two

Laura brushed her long coppery hair, trying to decide what she wanted to wear. Her cat, a beautiful, half-grown black female with tortoiseshell markings, stretched out on her bed. In the 7 months they had been together, they had grown to know each other well. Mystic raised her head and looked up at her owner.

*Your Silk shirt and the longer dark green skirt, together with some dark hose to help keep your legs warm would look very nice, love.*

*What a surprise, dear, you’ve always loved that outfit! I agree that it would look very nice, though. Thank you, dear!* She reached out to stroke Mystic, and then withdrew the suggested outfit from the closet. She smiled and dressed, then added a little lip gloss.

*What do you think, little girl? Shoes, or boots?*

*Hmm.* Laura lightly touched Mystic’s nose. *I think you just don’t want the cute boys staring at me! I won’t be outside for very long, so you’re probably right, shoes would be best.*

*I wish you didn’t have to go to school, Laura.*

Laura laughed. *You and me both, baby girl.*

She slid on a pair of ballet flats, then picked Mystic up and settled her in her arms. When they got to the stairs, Mystic jumped out of her arms and ran down the stairs. Laura had tripped at the bottom of the stairs with Mystic in her arms at Christmastime, and now she wouldn’t let Laura hold her on the staircase.

Laura walked in to the kitchen to find her mother stroking Mystic, who was purring happily.

“It’s nice that I always know when you’re coming downstairs, dear. Your escort always shows up a few minutes before you do. I think she likes being spoiled a little while she waits for you.”

“A little?” She said as she stroked Mystic’s muzzle. “My little girl is very spoiled and she loves it.”

*I’m a cat, darling. It’s my rightful due.* Mystic lifted her head imperiously, making Laura laugh and pick her up.

“You can be so silly, sweetie!” She said as she held the cat above her head. “And I love you sooo much!”

*Not half so much as I love you, Laura, my sweet.*

Laura, and Mystic continued to converse telepathically while she ate. Debra, Laura’s mother, couldn’t hear Mystic, of course, but she and Laura would talk and Laura would share Mystic’s thoughts. No one mentioned Katherine, although she frequently dropped by the house. Debra had regretfully reported Katherine’s illegal spell, but all that she had heard from the Coven was that they were investigating her and what she had done thoroughly. In the meantime, Debra and Laura were to say nothing, and just respond normally.

‘Well, I’ve got to go to school. I’ll see you in a few hours, so you two have fun.” Laura said. And you behave, love. No more experiments in the bathroom, all right? At least, not until I get home, all right?*

*Not until I come home to you, pretty girl. Bye!*

Of course, they couldn’t truly be separated if they chose-Mystic could hear her quite well at the school. She liked to close her eyes and see the classes through Laura’s eyes. It was her favorite distraction. In the time she had been with Laura, she had done her best to adjust to her new life, and she was usually fairly relaxed and comfortable.

The holidays had been difficult, because she was very homesick. She wondered how her parents were doing, and if they missed her. She realized that even if she could get home, they wouldn’t know her. She tried hard not to be sad, because her emotions also affected Laura, and she hated to see Laura sad. She truly loved her, and would do almost anything for her.

She heard the doorbell, and she knew that Katherine was visiting with Debra. Mystic had found a few good hiding spots, and she typically hid whenever Katherine was in the house. She was definitely not on her list of favorite people.

Today she was in one of her favorite spots, behind Laura’s bookcase near the furnace vent. She felt safe and warm, so she closed her eyes and opened her mind to Laura’s History class. Now if she could just resist responding to the questions...

Elsewhere...

“Yes that’s the man I want. I’m sorry, but no one else will be acceptable. That’s right...Good man! Please have Corporal King report to me as soon as possible. Yes, that will be acceptable. Thank you, Staff Sergeant.” The woman turned. “They’ll be sending Jimmy right away, Duncan. Yes, now we’ll get some where!”

Back at Laura’s house in Finson...

“Hello, my sweet girl!” Laura said as she came in the house. Mystic always met her at the door, waiting to be picked up and stroked. She knew through her link that her mom was in the basement, doing laundry.

“I’m home, Mom!” she called down the stairs.

“Great!” Debra said. “Get your chores done; I’m taking us out for dinner!”

“Score!” Laura told Mystic. Her first chore was cleaning the litter box, but Mystic was a very neat cat, and she did her best to keep her litter box easy to maintain. Laura needed very little time to finish that chore and she and Mystic kept up a conversation as she moved on to vacuuming the living room. Her last chores were to put down some water, and to feed Mystic.

Mystic had been a little difficult, at first, when it came to eating. Having been a human, she found that she wasn’t happy with the idea of regular cat food. At least not until Laura heard about Samuelson’s. It was a dry cat food that Mystic couldn’t get enough of. It was organic, and Mystic told Laura that it was a lot like eating cookies! Yes, the flavors were different, but she found it more than satisfactory. Together with the occasional table scraps and their favorite, hard-boiled eggs (Laura loved the whites, Mystic loves the yolks), they kept her well fed.

Laura poured out a bowl of food, and then they shared a snack of cold hard boiled eggs. Mystic liked a couple of ice cubes in her water dish, and Laura was glad to oblige. They waited at the kitchen table while Debra finished whatever she was doing. Laura finished her homework while Mystic moved between helpfully coaching her and doing her best to annoy Laura, especially with her tail. She loved to tickle Laura’s nose with it. Eventually the homework devolved into a playful romp on the kitchen floor. Laura had discovered some sensitive spots on Mystic’s sides, and she enjoyed the way Mystic curled up in delight when she stroked her there.

“All right you two, enough.” Debra chuckled. “We need to get ready to leave.”

“What’s the occasion, Mom?”

“I just thought that Mexican sounded good. I heard something this morning, and sitting down to a Wet Burrito sounded good.”

“Belt Line Bar?” Laura asked, almost drooling.

“Of course, dear! We can even pick up a child’s meal so Mystic can share, all right?”

*Oh, yeah, that sounds yummy! I love Belt Line’s food!*

*Si, senorita, no salsa, por favor.*

Laura giggled, which made her mother look at her, questioningly.

“I convinced Mystic not to get the sauce tonight.”

“Oh. I mean, OH! Heaven’s no!”

“It’s okay Mom, she’s cool.”

“Thank goodness!”

Laura got the distinct feeling of Mystic sticking out her tongue, which made her giggle again.

Ravenscrest University, Men’s Dorms- 2 days later...

“Hello? Yes, this is Justin, How can I help you?”

A voice asked him a few questions.

“I know, it was very strange. He left to go to another town, and then never returned. I’ve been very worried about him.”

There were a few more questions.

“No, he didn’t say who he was meeting, only that Professor Bernacci set it up. He needed some more information for a project, and someone in a town called Finson was supposed to be of help.”

A little more discussion.

“No, I’m glad to help. If there’s anything else I can do, let me know, please. Your very welcome, Mr. King. Bye.”