collection of short shorts winter 2021

1 - Familiar

I turn twenty-three today. I moved out of my foster parents house when I moved to college, where I lived in a dorm for four years. After graduating college last spring, I finally got a place of my own, and moved in last month. For the past week I have been decorating my house after finally getting my furniture in place. I have been taking walks through the neighborhood to get some kind of inspiration, sometimes picking up things that I find, like sticks in the park, or a leaf on the ground.
I am walking home from the store, enjoying the fall colors of the trees down my quiet street, with a small bag with chair tea bags, milk, and sugar, which I used the rest of this morning. I turn the corner onto my street and see once again a cat sitting on the corner of the sidewalk. I stop and watch it for a minute, wondering if it has a home. It's the first time I get a good look at it. It is a black cat with golden eyes. It sits there waving its tail behind its body, and it seems to be watching me, just as I am watching it.
I click my tongue to see what it does. It immediately crosses the street and walks to my feet, rubbing its head on my legs, and begins to purr. It has no collar, and seems to be hungry. I don't know why but I feel as if I have some kind of connection to this animal, and without hesitation I walk towards my house clicking my tongue, and it follows. It follows me inside and I set the bag on the counter. He sits on the floor, watching me as I get into the fridge and pull out a small bowl of leftover shredded chicken. I give it to the cat, which I have now realized is a boy, and he slowly eats it, purring again. I watch him eat as I put away the few things from the store.
Again I don't know why, but I feel a connection to this cat. I sit on my couch and he comes to my feet and sits. We watch each other for a minute, and for some reason I slide off the edge of the couch and sit in front of him on the floor.
A word comes into my mind, and I feel the need to say it. "Jynx." I say aloud. Again the cat purrs. The cat stands and walks to me, nudging on my hand and I pet his head.
Suddenly I feel dizzy, for just a second, and then my head is clear. I look at the cat and he meows. But oddly enough his meow sounds like my name. Again he makes a noise, but this time it is as clear as day. "Mae." I am surprised at this, but am not scared. "Mae." he says again.
"How do you know my name?" I ask, oddly not weirded out by the fact that I am talking to a cat.
"I am your familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Yes."
"Either I put some bad milk in my tea this morning, or You're saying I'm a witch."
"Look around, milk did not cause you to collect these things."
I look around the room, noticing the things that I have collected on my walks, and as if it has suddenly become clear to me, I realize that the flowers and leaves, and things that I have collected are things I have read about and heard of in stories. I look to the wreath above my fireplace made of dried peonies and sage, and the vase that has a bouquet of lavender and mugwort. Two of things that I have recently made of things I thought I randomly found on my walks, but I now understand are things that I felt drawn to.
I look back to the cat once more, and he says to me "It is in your blood Mae. I have found you, and I have been watching to confirm. And on the day of your twenty-third birthday, you have found me, and as we joined for the first time, our connection was made, allowing us to communicate."
"As we joined? When I pet you?"
"Yes. and now, I am yours, and you are mine. Witch and familiar. I will protect you, and you me. Forever to be bonded."