We are fortunate in that my son’s elementary school is only about a third of a mile from our house. It’s easily walkable, and he walks home every day barring something unusual like a doctor’s appointment. He frequently walks home by himself, but I sometimes meet him part way, especially if I’ve been cooped up all day and need a walk.
In one of the store fronts along our walk home, we sometimes see this cat hanging out on its’ cat tree in the window. This is an actual conversation that we had about this cat.
“Dad, that’s a witch’s cat!”
“Yep, did you know that’s called a familiar?”
“The cat?”
“Well, an animal companion of a witch or wizard is called a familiar?”
“Oh really? So they can have other animals too?”
“Absolutely. Like in Harry Potter he has an owl familiar.”
“Ooohhhh. I wonder if anyone has a squirrel familiar.” (A squirrel was playing in the tree above us at the time.)
“Maybe.”
“Or like a pig? (I laughed at this) Or even a DONKEY!”
We both start laughing at this point.
And then I feel it. The little spark of inspiration.
The blow story is only about 500-ish words, but it was entirely born of that little conversation with my son on a rainy walk home from school one day.
Enjoy!
“Come ON, Nick!” Daisy growled at the recalcitrant familiar. “We’re going to be late for school. Again!”
“Hee-haw.” Nick replied, eyeing the back of her broom as if he’d never seen the thing before.
“You know it’ll be fine. Just get on!” Exasperation finally motivated the gray and white donkey.
With an uncertain whine, the donkey reached out a single hoof and tested the purchase on the broom’s wide brush. The conveyance bobbed slightly, prompting another whine.
Daisy brought to bear her best angry eyes on the donkey, as she’d seen her mother to do her and her sisters on a regular basis. With one last ‘hee-haw,’ Nick made a little hop onto the broom. It bobbed again, but settled quickly. Nick pawed the surface a couple of times, but finally looked at her with his sad, dark brown eyes as if to say he was ready.
“See?” She asked, smiling. “Nothing to it, right?”
Nick brayed again and she held out a small carrot she’d pulled from the garden on the way out. He crunched happily as she settled herself on the custom, wide-brush PorchSweeper 1926.
She gripped the broom’s neck, long ago worn smooth and glossy by four generations of Stevenson women. With a mental urge, the broom smoothly accelerated and arrowed above the barn. In seconds they were out of sight of the farm, on the way to Warthog’s School of Magic n’ Such nestled in the hills of the Ozarks.
The broom rocked slightly as Nick finished his carrot and adjusted his position. He didn’t bray again, fortunately, as his muzzle was right in her ear. She wondered briefly how Grandma Jean had gotten Beau the Black Bear to sit on the back of the broom.
She shrugged. Her friend Barbara’s moose fit just fine on her broom, a bear couldn’t be that much more difficult. She’d heard that students in some of the European magic schools tended towards owls and rats and whatnot for their familiars. She snorted in derision.
An owl she could kind of understand: it could help keep mice out of the barn and silos, which would be useful. But a rat? Jeez louise.
She smiled as the wind whipped her hair around crazily as she topped Boulder Bluffs and whipped through the slot canyon just above Henson Creek. She saw a flash of color ahead and sped up. Her grin widened as she plunged into the Steel Creek ravine and slingshotted around the corner just ahead of Barbara.
Nick gave a triumphant bray as the sideslipped past the other witch, who shook a fist angrily. Daily laughed out loud at the outraged expression on the moose’s face.
“Shoulda picked a female, then you wouldn’t have all that wind resistance from the antlers!” She yelled over her shoulder, laughing gaily. Barbara currently had a C in Fluid Dynamics and it showed.
She navigated the last few turns and then ascended to touch down on the little landing field situated between the Experimental Distillery and Robotics Laboratory.
Nick hopped off, happy to be back on solid ground. She likewise dismounted and waited for Barbara. She’d made up just enough time so she wouldn’t be late to class. As the other witch touched down, still scowling, she rubbed behind Nick’s ears.
“Waaaayyyy better than a rat.”
“Hee-haw!”
I hope you enjoyed this little story! As always, you can leave any thoughts in the comments. See you next time!
A fun read. I loved it.