The Witch at Cobweb Cottage

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If ever something was meant to happen then surely a pure black cat arriving on a witch’s doorstep in the middle of a storm on Halloween was it! Everyone at the CI (Crones Institute) was in full agreement when she recounted the tale to her fellow witches.

When Agatha had returned from her All Hallows Eve broomstick duties, she found this pitiful black creature in the soaking wet bushes outside her home. He was skinny and very vocal and trotted into her house as if he had always lived there as soon as she opened her door. Since Agatha lived some miles from any neighbours by choice, she assumed he was a stray and decided to take him in.

When racking her brains for a suitable name so many just did not fit. At first, she thought of Hallow, but the thought of shouting ‘Hallow’ when calling for him was not appealing, she didn’t want random passing hikers thinking she was friendly! Watching him devour a whole plate of chicken he looked so small that suddenly Weenie seemed an appropriate fit.

There was perfect harmony between cat and witch, Weenie would bring her presents, toads from the marshes, rats from the wood and once even a lizard! He was rewarded with a bowl of cream that night! Agatha always seized his presents with a shriek of delight unlike his previous owner who used to scream and throw him out of the house. He didn’t know what she did with his little offerings, he had never seen her eat any of them. She always boiled them up in a pot on the fire and often green lights would fly around the room as she cackled and chanted.

Weenies favourite spot to snooze was always on the old sofa in front of the fire, he would snuggle among the cushions and curl into a tight ball, nose to tail. He would wake and stretch; his razor-sharp daggers would pull threads and sometimes he would jump down and have a really good scratch at the arm or front of the chair. Let’s just say the sofa was beautifully decorated by Weenie, not just by the artfully arranged scratches but also by his fur that he seemed to readily shed in vast quantities.

Agatha didn’t seem to mind the scratches or the fur, well she did wear black, so the fur didn’t show, and she wasn’t the worlds most houseproud witch! The cobwebs in the corners of every room seemed to be welcomed by her, in fact she loved spiders. Unlike Weenie, who although usually fearless had been nipped by a spider many years ago and was wary of them. He didn’t like cobwebs either, they made him sneeze uncontrollably so all in all he gave spiders and their webs as wide a berth as he could!

Agatha even managed to train Weenie to fly with her on her broomstick, but not on windy nights as Weenie had once nearly fallen off mid flight when there was a huge gust of wind. It took her a few attempts to get him to fly with her again after that!

Today Weenie and Agatha live in happily in the woods in Cobweb Cottage and if you are out and about on a clear Halloween night don’t be surprised if you see them flying high above the treetops!

If a little black cat ever turns up on YOUR doorstep be ready to welcome them into your home and don’t forget to be grateful for the presents and interior decoration they will surely provide.

 

Sarah Russell Dark Wishes Designs UK 2021

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