Ramblings

Just some random writing; was in a mood for it.


~


The lamp on the table flickered as she passed, a whisper of shadow following her down the hall. She hopped over the squeaky step to balance on the landing, peering around the corner. From the bathroom, a large cat stared at her, eyes narrowing. With a whispered word, the tom laid down his head and slept. She closed her eyes and took a long deep breath.


 A faint scent of salt water drifted from under the furthest door, the smell sharp, bright, and distinct. Her feet made no sound on the worn floorboards as she padded to the last door on the right. Laying her ear to the wood, she listened for any movement before hopping up to pull the door handle. She dangled for a moment, before the handle turned downward with a soft creak. Minutes passed as she twisted and bounced, using her small weight to open the latch.


The door popped open with a muted click. She braced against the door jam and pushed hard with her feet. The hinge gave a soft creak as she swung off the handle, landing in a crouch, claws clicking on the floor. She bolted for the edge of the bed, ducking under the bedskirt. She picked her way around dust bunnies and forgotten toys, creeping closer to the corner, under the bed. Again she paused to find that faint scent of water, sand, and salt. It wafted from the closet, twisting around the scents of shoes and the hamster cage on the desk.

The way to the closet was clear of obstacles. She crossed the distance in a few strides, her feather cloak fluttering. A backpack leaned against the door, the bottom crusted with a layer of fine white sand. The zipper was a trial as she tugged and pulled it in an arc around the top of the bag. There it was, sitting in the bottom of the bag, under a layer of sea shells and smooth rocks. The rocks and shells caught the light and glimmered, capturing her attention.  She knelt, crawling half into the bag to tug out a heavy brown lump.

Bunched up and crusted with white salt stains, the pelt was thick and heavy. Her fingers tingled as she rolled it into a tight bundle. She unwound a length of shiny string from around her waist and secured the fur at both ends. Her hands scooped up a few of the smooth shiny stones in the pack, stowing them in a pouch on her hip. With a grunt, she hefted the fur unto her back. It was heavy and warm across her shoulders as she loped towards the door.

She paused to peer around the edge of the door, down the dark hall. All that greeted her was the same silent stairs as before. Carefully, she crept out and past the empty bathroom. She continued, down the first section of stairs to the small landing. After a quick readjust of her burden, she hopped over the squeaky step. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the tail between the bars of the bannister. Less than a second later, the tom rounded the corner and spotted her. His ears flicked back as he dropped into a low crouch, his ample behind waggling back and forth.

For a moment, she considered dropping the bundle and escaping. She shook her head and looped the dangling string around her shoulders to support the bundle without the need to hold it. Ahead, she could see the door flap she had entered through. The tom crept up a step, his eyes intent on her. As a last effort, she whispered the sleep command again, hoping the feline was more susceptible than most. He merely sneezed and rose another step, his tail lashing.

She watching him rise another step, then another, until he was two steps below her.  She waited until the tom crouched low again, gathering his muscles to jump at her. Her hand found one of those smooth stones and pitched it at the cat's feet. His jump twisted as she jumped at the same time, one foot landing on his nose, the other on top of his head, forcing the cat's head down. Her momentum carried her over his back and tumbled down the rest of the stairs. The cat hissed as his nose smacked into the hardwood stairs.

She landed hard on her hands and hip, a dull crunch accompanied by a sharp pain lighting up her arm. Lurching to her feet, she ran for the pet flap as she cradled her right hand close to her chest. Above her, the tom was tearing down the stairs, yowling and hissing. She ran under the table, the lamp flickering again as she passed under. She came out the other side, one long leap away from the door when the tom charged.

The cat jumped from the third to last step straight up to the table. His weight made him slide, tangling his feet with the cord. Cat, table, and lamp came crashing down. She jerked the bundle off her shoulders and heaved it through the pet flap. She followed as second after, kicking and wiggling her body past the flap.

Behind the door, she heard a burst of yelling. She scooped up the pelt, running as fast as her short legs would take her. She kept running until she couldn't run any more. Then she ran just a little more.

The woman was waiting for her in a parking lot, not far from the beach. She waved when the woman finally saw her.

"Did... Did you get it?" The woman's large brown eyes watched her face intently as she limped up.

She gave a crooked smile. "Magpies are great thieves." She dumped the rolled fur onto the gravel parking lot and looked up at the woman. "The child never woke up once."

The woman unrolled the fur and buried her face in it, breathing deep. "Good. I was sure she didn't know what she found. She didn't try to give me a command."

The small birdlike faerie settled her cloak of feathers over her shoulders, hiding her swollen hand. "Just hide your pelt better next time. Do you have the payment?"

The woman pulled out a small pouch, stuffed to bursting. The magpie pulled the pouch open and stared at the contents with shining black eyes. Every shell and rock gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting the low yellow glow of  old coins. When she looked up, she could see a seal cutting through the shallow waves, heading further out to sea.

She shook her cloak of feathers around her body and took to the air, a black bird against a starless sky.

~~

Alright, that took a while. Like... five hours? Doesn't look like that it would take that long but it did. I'm off to bed now.