The Star Within (Poohpavel)

Chapter 16

Disclaimer:
This chapter contains mention of blood

The room was filled with the scent of fresh laundry coming from the lighted Trudon scented candle that Pooh had liked the scent for years. The combination of lavender and orange diffused a smell of lightness and neatness. Pooh's eyes were fixed on the open textbook in front of him. He was engrossed in the words on the page, trying to absorb as much information as possible before his upcoming exam.

Soft tapping noises occasionally rang through the room, interrupting the stillness of the night. Sitting in the dark room, Pooh was seated at the study desk, illuminated by the dim light of a small desk lamp. The desk belonged to Babe, but since the older man did not need it, he let Pooh use it instead for studying.

The real owner of the desk and the house was already asleep on the bed. His chest rising and falling slowly, not bothered by the soft light from Pooh's laptop and study lamp. Beside him was Eda, their beloved kitten, also fast asleep after tired playing around the house.

After putting new bandages and pajamas on Babe, Pooh found the white kitten rolling on the floor in the middle of catnip powder and an empty bottle in the corner. Pooh just sighed, forgetting to close the bottle properly. At least he did not need to take care of two hyper cats under the influence at once since the bigger one was already fast asleep. In the end, both cats slept together on the bed, leaving Pooh alone so he took the opportunity to study.

As Pooh typed away, lost in his study, he suddenly remembered the events of the day when Babe was acting weird, babbling, and slurring his words. Pooh was positive that the older man was high. From catnip?

With a sense of suspicion, he looked over to where Babe was laying, his eyes closed in peaceful slumber. The playful glow that danced in his eyes hours before was absent, replaced by a look of contentment as he dreamt away in his own little world.

Pooh sat in front of his laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he typed in the question that had been plaguing his mind for hours. The nagging sound at the back of his head grew louder as he hit the search button. It was as if some unseen force was trying to warn him to stop, but he pushed the thoughts aside and waited for the results to load.

Does catnip have an effect on humans?

As he waited for the page to load, his mind wandered back to how high Babe looked after sniffing the catnip. He had tried sniffing it himself but he had remained firmly rooted in reality. It was a strange experience, to say the least.

Is it possible?

As the search results finally appeared on the screen, Pooh leaned in closer, his heart pounding with anticipation. The first article he clicked on asserted that catnip had no effect on humans, that it was simply a harmless herb that only affected our feline friends.

Pooh was not satisfied with the information provided, so he decided to scroll for more. His finger moved swiftly on the mouse in his right hand. He scrolled through various articles, each one offering a different perspective on the matter.

Catnip effect on humans – 'Catnip has long been used for medicinal purposes... for relaxation and stress... the calming effect of catnip in people has also been believed to relieve headaches. However, there is no clinical data to back this up. What’s more, headaches are actually one of the reported side effects of catnip in people'.

'Reduce infections. Aphrodisiac'.

Can people get high from catnip?

Pooh's eyes zeroed in on the words.

'Nope'. 

The human leaned back on his chair, feeling a mix of confusion and dissatisfaction. He couldn't shake the memory of Babe's reaction to the catnip. He remembered how the older man's eyes had widened, how he had started giggling uncontrollably, and how he had insisted that everything looked brighter and more vibrant. It was as if the world had suddenly become a playground for Babe's senses.