Sal, Butter and Pepper || ONC2024

Chapter 13: Laughter and Lies

Pepper rolled down the tinted windows of the vehicle and yelled, "Mr. Haaaaart!"

A few unsuccessful attempts later, the witch turned to her familiar. "I can't see him. It’s my fault for asking him to leave. I must do what's right, B."

Butter bobbed his head and watched his mistress leave the cozy inside of the vehicle and step outside. She hugged herself just as Sal had done. Her teeth clattered. "Oh my, it's cold!" Glancing over her shoulder, she instructed Butter. "Stay here. I will be back soon."

"Mr. Haaaaart! If you can hear me, please respond."

"Mr. Haaaaart."

"Salvadoooor."

Butter kept listening to Pepper's voice till it dropped off completely. He checked the time. It had been five minutes since Pepper left. The dash of the vehicle informed him that it was two degrees outside.

That couldn't be right. At Whistling Greens, the temperature when they had left was about fifteen degrees. It couldn't have fallen so drastically in such a short time unless something unnatural was around.

Yes, it was true that many species of magic folk had gone extinct, but there were still those who held grudges…who saw humans as their mortal enemies and looked upon witches and wizards with distrust and contempt for trying to blend in with those without magic.

Fear gripped the familiar's heart. He hoped that he was merely overthinking things. Hadn't it been over a decade since the last of the weeping poison Ivy had forfeited a human life? Yes, he was just being silly. Everything was fine. In fact, it was brilliant.

Minutes passed, eating away at Butter's resolve to stay calm.

Mistress, I hope both you and Sal are alright.

Puffs of clouds floated down in the form of ice. It was snowing. Butter liked snow, but only when he was with his mistress, at their home, safe and sound. The kitten grew restless.

What if mistress doesn't find Sal in time?

What if Pepper finds Sal, but the good fellow has already met his maker?

What if P loses the only chance to find love because I sat in the vehicle and did nothing!?

Nope. Butter was not the kind to do nothing. His mistress had told him to stay put, and that's what he would do; after all, he didn't have to step out of the vehicle to make a wish.

Butter braced himself for the pain and wished for Pepper and Sal's safe return to the resort and muttered, "Hail Satan, master of all things not quite human."

The resulting pain made him yawl loudly and fall unconscious an instant later. The only silver lining was that his mistress had not witnessed him disobeying her.

When he opened his eyes, Butter felt sick to his stomach. His head throbbed like someone had taken a hard swing at it. His eyes stung like he had been crying for hours, and his limbs hurt like they had taken a good old-fashioned beating.

"How's Butter?"

Sal?

"No change, but I think he will come around soon."