Wool of Time Part Two
The House the Cat sat in
By: Melissa Small
*This is a Continue story from the first story in this on-going tale. Please look up the story called Wool of Time. *
Its been a few weeks since I met up with my new travelling friends from the East, Hecock, Gee, Laftia and that Druid Cat Squeaky. We'd been following a lead about a missing dog and seven hens from a farm not far from here and before you ask me why we are looking for a dog and seven hens. Let me explain the story.
A week ago, after our encounter with the were -sheep we were asked to look into a missing dog for a farmer. His favorite hunting dog went missing and seven of his best hens disappeared in broad day light. The reward was good money and the job was easy so we thought. Wrong!
Yes, wrong. We found no clues on this dog. On top of that we also found our selves lost in the woods. Even the Druid couldn't find where we were.
We travelled for days not knowing where we were going or what was causing our cat to have no link to the wild life around him. Also, it felt like we were being watched. Like something was following us. This feeling lasted for days.
We then turned a corner and poof we were in a town. A town filled with people coming and going from their shops. No sign of the woods around us and no sign of where we were. The town felt old like it had been there forever.
We headed straight for the inn as Gee has so hungry and in his words "he could get a whole Baby cow." This only pissed off our Druid Cat who was offended by the comment as he only ate plants as most animals where his friends and well, he didn't eat meat as a result.
We headed into the Inn and ordered food. When the food came it was off ..kinda like the town just didn't feel right, but as we were so hungry we ate it. It tasted funny, old and no flavour to it.
Gee inhaled it and I had to stop him from eating my dinner off my plate. Gee moved on to Laftia but she magic missiled him as a lesson to not touch her food. You'd think he'd learn not to mess with a sorcerer's food. No, he had not and he is still smoking from that lesson.
Hecock was sitting off to the left of me when both of us saw the old women come into the Inn and walked straight over to us. She stopped between myself and Hecock. In a low voice she said." If you want to live, leave this place." she then turned to leave and Hecock grabbed her arm. That's when the crazy happened, the chair Hecock was sitting on ate him.
She turned, shook her head and then dumped her skin and skipped out of the inn. Leaving behind her old dead skin where Hecock was sitting.
The rest of us had jumped to our feet as Hecock was swallowed by his chair. I for one did not want to die from furniture attack. We looked around his chair but there was no sign of Hecock.
Gee was the first to run out the door after the thing but it was no where to be found. The streets where filled with people but they where not moving. Hundreds of fake people. How did we miss this on our way into the village?
Laftia pulled the hair off one of the fake people. "What is this place?"
"I had a bad feeling about this." I told her.
Gee was already heading up the street towards what looked like the Mayor's place. It was a huge building with towers . but before we could get there, we were stopped by two brooms, a dust pan and a mop. Alright if you told me these things could move. Well I'd tell you are crazy but they moved. Not only did they move but they also kicked our butts. We got beaten up by the contents of a broom closet.
We woke up locked in a small dark cell and we were not alone. Hecock was there and what was left of the man. He had been eaten by something, a chair I suppose. We all crowded in with Hecock glad he was still alive.
Hecock explained he had over heard a Mop talking to a Broom about going after the others and all this must be done before midnight or the ritual would not be complete.
"Ritual?" I asked Hecock. "What ritual?"
"This town is cursed by an evil unicorn. "Hecock started to say and then was cut off by the cat.
"Your telling me a unicorn did this .." He then started to wiggle his way though the bars. "I'm out." The cat said and then darted into the black.
"Wait" I yelled but it was for nothing as the cat was gone.
We sat in silence for a while as we tried to figure out how to get out of the trap when there was a huge boom followed by another boom and then a smaller yet closer boom.
Gee moved closer to the bars to see if he could see anything and he jumped when a broom smacked at his nose.
The ritual is almost complete having five for wait where is the cat? "the broom asked.
"Cat is missing? replied the Mop. "There was a cat?"
"Yes, there was a cat." The broom replied and then took a swipe at the mop. This led to a battle of the sticks.
I will admit watching a mop and broom fight was very entertaining but it may have been more interesting to watch if it wasn't for our heads on the line.
As the two fought one had the keys and as they fought it slipped off the top of his wooden handle. The keys fell into Gee's hand and he quickly released us.
As we slipped by the fighting broom and mop. The mop noticed the cage was empty and slipped inside followed by the fighting broom. When both were inside Laftia used a spell to lock them inside. We then ran up the path towards what we hoped was freedom.
We ran out of the cell area to find our selves lost, yes lost again. We found a set of stairs that led up, so we followed it. Up and up it went, no other floors or exits just spiralling upwards. We walked up the stairs which felt like never ending stairs when finally, we reached the top only to find another broom and dust pan where cleaning at the top. The broom Cried out and the dust pan flew over at us.
Laftia was fast she reached down and grabbed her bag. She had this magic bag that she could fit all her magic books, scrolls, and once I saw her pull out a sandwich but that's not relevant to this story. She opened the bag as the dust pan flew at her and it flew into the bag. She closed the bag and put it back on her waist.
"Great job," I called out to her as I swung my sword at the broom.
"I'm not just a cook you know Twi'ani ." She then rolled her eyes.
"Right, "I replied as I ducked from the broom trying to hit me.
"Enough of this." I said and rolled away from the broom. I dropped by blade and lite my torch. "Let's see how it likes Fire."
Gee followed suit he dropped his bow and lite his torch. We then moved in on the broom. The broom was afraid of the fire.
"Now now boys " it begged. "No need to get all firey we can talk this out." But Gee lunged forward and lite the brooms straw on fire. It screamed and ran away. We picked up our weapons but left the torches burning.
We then continued down the hall towards a door we hoped would lead to our freedom. It led to another room but this room was full of chairs, tables and before he could enter. Hecock slapped the door shut. "Nope not going in there."
We stood for a moment arguing on where to go next when we heard a voice around us. "You can't get away."
"Oh yes we can" Gee said as he turned and ran down the hallway away from the room. We continued to run through halls after halls and rooms but no doors to the outside. We found a clock but it tried to kill us. I set it on fire with my torch and it ran off like the broom did.
It felt like forever walking and looking into rooms and through doors. Finally, we found a room with a window but there was a problem. The room was full of stuff. Chairs, Table, Candles, Book with selves. If all this was alive it would be hard to get to the window.
As we slowly opened the door and snuck in the door behind us slammed shut. That is when the boom happened. Gee tossed his poison of BOOM. The cocktail exploded and books, Shelves, table and everything was on fire including Gee. Gee was closest to the Boom. Laftia put him out and tended his wounds as the rest of us fought a room full of stuff.
I set a few books on fire and Hecock put his axe though the table and I set the rest of it on fire just to make sure it was dead.
Then it all just disappeared.
"ENOUGH!" a voice boomed.
We woke up by the farmers farm .no sign of the dog or birds. No idea of how we got back to the beginning and well to be honest, I don't care. I just want to leave this area and move on. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Laftia opened her bag and the dustpan was just a dust pan nothing magic or deadly about it. Oh, as for the Druid? We did find him. He was back living at the farm eating from the farmers table and usual cat thing living like a king. We asked him how he got back and he replied. "The house the Cat sat in." his eyes then went black and he looked away lost in thought. Something is off with the cat but at this point I just wanted to leave. The group of us headed back out down the trail with a crazy cat in tow.
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