Cats and Cauldrons

She rises slowly from her seat taking a first step.   There is no noise.  Her slippered foot lowers to the floor without anything impeding it.   She takes another step, then another.  The skirt of her gown flutters against her ankles. Unsure of her direction she keeps walking looking for a source, any source of light.  In the endless darkness the only light she can find comes from a cauldron. Flames burst from the top flickering and spitting at the air above it.  The flames burn so brightly she wonders how they are being contained by the cauldron at all.  The light emitted within the fire makes the cauldron itself glow warmly.  The sides seem to be thinning and she wonders how much longer it can burn before a stray spark ignites her...carpet?   Alighted by the flames is the familiar face of a dear loved one managing all.

“Dobby what's going on here?”  Writer Lady asks.

“Shh!”

“There's a strange fire burning in a cauldron in the middle of my living room and you're shushing me?”

“Shh!” This shush is stronger, louder, and more emphatic.

Writer Lady notices the room is warm. Not just from the cauldron's fire.  There is another warmth.  The warmth of several people in a small space, crowded together.  Writer Lady closes her eyes for a moment, opening them, she refocuses, this time using the light from the fire to find the shapes of others in the room.  Seeing nothing besides Dobby and the flaming cauldron she wonders if she is dreaming. On the other hand, Dobby is wearing a robe covered with shooting stars and a pointed hat. Writer Lady knows her kitty would never wear a get up like that without a good reason. What would make her dream about him wearing such a thing?

Dobby says a lot of strange words Writer Lady doesn't recognize while he waves his paws over the flames. It is a dramatic sight. Writer Lady can't help but wonder what Dobby and TP have been talking about while she's at work.   She continues to peruse the room looking for a source of information.

“I don't think she can see us.” A voice whispers from her right and just above her knee.

“That's because we're right behind her.” A deeper voice whispers behind her left ear.  “This is fun.”

“Duuuude. We're totally behind you.” Another voice whispers. Writer Lady smells a strong odor of taco chips and guacamole. If she didn't know Ray when she heard him, there was no mistaking his breath. Writer Lady turns her head to the right to find Ray standing right behind her.

“Thanks.” She says.

“No problem Dude.”

“So what's Dobby doing?” Writer Lady asks.

“It's a long story.”

She looks at Ray raising an eyebrow, undeterred.

Ray lets out a quiet sigh and says, “Dobby's calling forth a demon.”

“What?”

“A demon. Big scary thing with massive, long horns. They're kind of slimy. Demons come from the underworld which is really hot so I guess it's not their fault.  They can't help but, like, sweat and stuff.”

“What the...?”

“Shh!”

“Excuse me.”  Writer Lady says, turning around to face the group.  “EXCUSE ME.”  She repeats loudly when the group returns to watching Dobby.  “There is a massive fire in my living room and my cat is calling forth a demon.  I am not shushing until I get some answers.  Look over here.”  She says gesturing to her face.  “Spill.”

No one speaks.

“Whoa...” Ray says. “I guess since I started talking I get to finish. Dobby's calling forth a demon to get rid of the dragon.”

Writer Lady scans the area looking for Furnatche, wondering if he has had a growth spurt or something.  The silver white baby dragon lay on the floor next to her feet. Furnatche's neck is stretched out, eyes closed in slumber, his body glowing intermittently with his strange purrs.  “This dragon?” Writer Lady asks pointing down.

“No.” Ray says.

She looks at Ray waiting for more information.

“There's another dragon.”

“Another dragon?”

“Kind of.”  Ray says.

Rolling her eyes heavenward and bringing them back to Ray, “How can there “kind of” be another dragon?” she asks.

“That's kind of a long story too.  You don't use your bathroom much, do you?  It's okay.” Ray says gesturing with a nod of his head.  “Demon's coming.”

Looking back at the cauldron, Writer Lady watches as a sharp horn begins to emerge from its depths. Dobby begins to back away from the edge so the creature can come forward.  “Rise Malignant Spirit Rise.”

This has to be a nightmare.  Writer Lady stands stunned for a moment wondering where her sweet kitty went.  She begins to protest, quietly at first then growing much louder.  “Dobby Cat, you stop this now!”  She says marching to the cauldron, as close as she can venture without getting burned at least.

“Mo—om.” Dobby protests.

“Now!”

Dobby puts his paws down to their sides and stops chanting.  The demon keeps rising.  One horn becomes a pair of horns.  The top of its head continues rising from the flames of cauldron.

“It's still coming.” Writer Lady says.

“TP taught me how to pull but he had to go to the underworld to...”

“To...?”  She asks.

“Push.   A lot of demons have to be pushed.”

“What about all the demons in books and movies?  They're big, mean and murderous.  They force their way into our world.  They don't get pushed.”

“Those are the ones with anger issues Mom.”

The demon continues rising.  Its horns and head are now fully exposed.  The creature screeches making a sound that rattles the walls. The flesh on Writer Lady's arms prickle.

“Oh no!  I'm not having this in my house.” Grabbing the Big Red Flashlight, Writer Lady bangs on the outside of the cauldron like someone bangs on a wall to get the attention of the room directly below them. “TP.  TP!   Can you hear me down there?  Stop pushing!  Drop the demon.   I repeat, Drop The Demon!”

The demon turns it's head and screeches in Writer Lady's ear.

The demon stops rising.  It screeches in her ear again.

“I have had just about enough of that.  You just sit there and be quiet.”  She says to the demon looking in its eyes.

The demon's mouth opens again but no sound comes out.