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 Danny's Familiar  (9 ratings)by A.C. Englebert Page 2 of 4 Danny's mother smiled as he came into the kitchen, followed closely by the great black cat. "So, you're the one who's been feeding him, eh?" she said in a lighthearted tone. Danny poured a glass of grape juice and answered between gulps, "Yes... you don't mind if I keep him do you mom?" "No, I don't suppose. Say, have you named your little friend yet?", she took the glass from Danny, now emptied, and placed it in the sink. Danny gave her a perplexed look... how odd, he hadn't even considered a name for his new pet. "No," he began, his confusion over the matter sounding in his voice, "no, I hadn't even thought of that yet!" His mother laid her hand on his shoulder, "Well, you shall have to call him something, right?" she laughed. "Yes, I'll try to come up with something at the library", Danny said rising from the table, grabbing the book satchel he'd prepared for the trip. "Oh, off to the library today, eh?" his mom began, "checking out any particular books?" Danny shouldered the satchel and patted the cat's head, "Yes, well... not any particular books, but I want to find some about warlocks... er.... witches". "Pretty gruesome stuff isn't it? You and that comic book!" his mother answered with slight frustration. "No!" Danny quickly corrected, "Not the comic book ma... I'm done with that. I wanted to hunt up some books on the real McCoys!" His mother laughed, "Real warlocks and witches, huh? Son sometimes you are a hoot!" She began washing the dirty dishes occupying the sink. "You'd probably find a bit of interest in our new house then... Mr. Eldridge, you know, the gentleman your grandfather rented the upstairs to for so long, he was into many things of that nature." Danny's ears pricked up, as well as the cat's. Perhaps there was something more to the overall strange atmosphere in the old Victorian. "Really? I thought you said grandfather never really talked to him", he began as the cat sauntered back up the stairs to Danny's bedroom. "Well, he was quite secretive about the whole thing, but your grandfather did spend SOME time with the old coot... I don't really know much about the whole of it, most of that died with your grandfather, Danny." his mother said as she dried her hands. "Perhaps you could find something about him at the library as well... he was well known here in the area." Danny thanked his mom as she watched him jog outside into the airy autumn wonderland. She didn't notice as the black cat bounded down the stairs and followed in close pursuit. The town was awash with the sights and smells of Fall. Orange and brown trails of leaves raked from yards wound along the sides of the sleepy streets like autumn colored snakes retreating from the hint of winter's coming. Danny giggled as the black cat darted and dashed through the leaves, crunching as his paws padded through them. Danny watched the curling gray smoke ascend from the ancient chimneys of the town, and it tickled his nose as he ambled up the brick walk to the library's great door. Dejected, Danny peered down at his follower, "Well boy, I suppose you'll be staying out here," he said with a twinge of sadness in his voice, "they don't allow pets in the library". The cat flattened his ears in disapproval, and attempted to slip through the door before Danny caught him midway. "No! You can't go in here, cat!" Danny said, attempting to sound threatening, but laughing at the same time. "What good would a library do a cat anyway?" Danny set his book satchel on the walk to shoo the cat away. "Go on home!" he yelled, but the cat stood fast, staring in defiance with its large unblinking eyes. "I said, go..." but before he could even finish his thought, the black companion had hopped into the open satchel, eyes alight with expectancy. Danny laughed and scratched behind his pet's ears, "Oh, okay... you have to stay out of sight though!" and with that, he gently pushed the cat's head into the confines of the satchel and patted him lightly on the head before buckling the cover. Oddly enough, the cat didn't squirm or make any protest at all as Danny located the proper section pertaining to his hunt. Sure that no one was around to see, he began to unbuckle the bag and release the feline, but a sudden voice crackling from the long dark hallways the shelves comprised stopped him cold. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 A.C. Englebert, sffworld.com. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author. The author has submitted the work in accordance with and in agreement with the following Submission Guidelines. |
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