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[ The Indentured - Forward ] [ Welcome - Prose ] [ Parting ] [ The WereCat's Tale ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 2  ] [ Chapter 3 ] [ Chapter 4 ] [ Chapter 5  ] [ Chapter 6  ] [  WereCat's Directory  ]

Chapter 1

***The Coffee Shop***

It was the 'official' underground coffee shop, or at least as close as you could get considering it was on the second floor. It was as unique as it's regular clientele. It was a combination of artist's displays, new age and occult supplies, leather, feathered and spiked costumes, jeweled colours and layered incense and cigarette smoke; filled with the artists themselves, witches, poets, writers, creative people of all kinds... and the occasional stereotypical 'gothic'. The last listing never lasted more than a couple of visits. The shop's six foot proprietress had little patience for poseurs and even less on a new moon night when her shop would be filled with the type of customers she preferred.

She watched in satisfaction as the last of the sixteen year olds with their stringy black hair, black cloths and strung out looks, filed out. Not one of them could handle an intelligent conversation if their life depended on it. They were busy trying to be something that they didn't really understand because they thought it was 'cool'. "Bitch!" was the only parting shot that the girl could come up with.

The owner smiled, thinking that they would learn eventually. She heard the big grandfather clock begin to chime and smiled to herself, as she got ready for the "Moon Light Gang", the term she affectionately gave to the group of pagans that would be in some time between midnight and 1 am. Cappuccinos, sweet rolls and assorted munches were set in motion and the foam pads and blankets that she kept in the store room were pulled out for the invariable sleepy children that were so much apart of the everything they did. Their children were never separated from them. A few more of the regulars filed in as the clock ticked by. It was a pleasant coincidence that tonight's new moon just happened to be on a Saturday night and all of her wonderfully creative patrons would fill the house. More than once some one saw the stacks of sleeping pads and did an "oh, yeah" as they headed back out to their cars to pull out barter items. Hand crafted items began to cover the tables and take precedence over carefully balanced latte` mugs, ashtrays and plates of goodies.

Twelve-thirty a.m. the Moon Light Gang began to arrive. Between the patrons already in appearance, the arriving coven members and the group's children, wired on energy, it was like some big, noisy family reunion. There were tensions and frustrations... as in any large family. But even still, it always amazed her that they were all so willing to help each other and watch out for each other. There was respect. Moral codes didn't always match and ethical codes were very different, but each member of their group respected the skills and talents of the rest, even if they didn't always like the individual.

She smiled and greeted one of the first to arrive with open arms. "Lisbeth", she greeted a moment before the woman slipped into her arms for their usual hug. That was only one of the things that made these people her favorites. They were all, or so it seemed, touchy-feely. Being afraid of showing affection didn't seem to be part of there nature. They broke apart and the proprietress, known simply by most as 'Mistress', told her friend "tea's brewing". At the look of relief on her friends face, she gave a short laugh. "You thought it wouldn't be? Usual round of munchies?' "Yeah. No question... The rest will be here in a couple of minutes." She carefully set down her own bag of barter goods on a table and casually greeted a few of the other patrons as they joked and teased about who would trade what for whom. "It's one of the advantages of being single", she called over her shoulder and then turned to face her friend as she came out from behind the counter with a pot of tea in one hand and the huge cups that anyone else would use as soup bowls in the other. One of the waitresses followed shortly behind with a tray of fresh fruit, cheeses, crackers and small plates ala buffet, to set on one of the near tables. As Mistress poured out cups of tea for them, Elisabeth continued. "I don't have to pack up kids or organize mates". She laughed a bit to her self. At her friends raised single eyebrow she gave a genuine laugh. "Don't worry... Mistress... " The look in her eyes and the shake of her head was meant and taken as a theatrical flirt. "I've just been feeling particularly bored with the way things are going." She looked around the room at the people she knew and didn't, the handsome and the talented and in some cases both in the same man. "One of these days I'm going to find a man who realizes just how wonderful I really am." Mistress reached out to stroke her friend's arm.

They both turned to the door and smiled at the sound of a child's voice enthusiastically calling "Auntieeee" and the thumping of his footsteps as he ran across the shop to throw himself into Elisabeth's now open arms, almost taking her out of the chair in his excitement. They both laughed as Mistress lifted her hands off the cups she had been protecting from toppling and Elisabeth looked down into the smiling face of her hazel-eyed nephew. She kissed him on the fore head. After the "I love you... I love you to's" were over with, Elisabeth looked back at her friend. "Let me rephrase that." She looked down at the eight year old that stood in the circle of her arms. "One of these days I'm going to find a man, besides my nephew, who realizes just how wonderful I am." She looked up ather sister as she walked through the door followed closely by her husband and the rest of the group. "Hi brat! Hi Mike! " She looked down at her niece holding her mothers hand, thumb in mouth and bright blond pig tails making her, in Elisabeth's opinion at least, the most beautiful little girl in the whole world. Mistress got up and laid out the first foam pad, pillow and blanket of the night. "Thanks," Elisabeth's sister told her on a sigh, as she walked the sleepy toddler over and tucked her in to sleep while the adults socialized.

"What will it be? Deanna", Mistress asked, ready to go get what every one would like. One of the advantages of owning the place was that she didn't really have to wait tables, but when it came to this group, she preferred to take care of them herself. "Coffee?" she asked. Mistress could only hold a straight face long enough to tell her "what do you think this is... a coffee house?!" before she gave into the giggles and headed back to the kitchen. Deanna set her bag on a table a few away from where Elisabeth sat, giving her sister her privacy while being close enough to keep an eye on her. It was Elisabeth who, while three years older by the calendar, was infinitely younger by experience and Deanna had taken the role of self-proclaimed protector. It was a family and coven joke that any man that wanted to get near Elisabeth would need a tranquilizer gun just to get a chance to introduce himself before Deanna could tell him he just wasn't good enough for her "baby sister".

While her husband got a soda out of the cooler and waived it at Mistress to get her attention so she could add it to the tab, she went over to where her sister sat. Deanna was one of those Amazon like women that could do something that on any one else would appear ridiculous, and with an air of 'because I can', pull it off. She was taking full advantage of that now as she bent at the waist and complete with squealing noises, preceded to kiss the top of her sister's head. "Smile!" She commanded, pointing a comically imperious finger at her. She made a half-assed attempt and sighed, "I am". She lit a cigarette from the pack she earlier placed on the table and took a sip of the tea that sat before her. She wrinkled her nose and made a funny face. "Oh, I am distracted!" she muttered as she first reached for the pitcher of milk then sugar. She had hoped her sister would leave well enough, but she should have known better. Deanna was no more likely to let go if she thought her sister needed to talk or needed her help than Elisabeth was. "OK, what's up? Deanna absently reached into her jacket to also light up a cigarette of her own. She was settling in and she wouldn't budge till she got some answers. Elisabeth's gaze scanned the room, hoping in vane that one of the other craftspeople were eager enough to brave her sister to start bartering for her artwork. That was one of the other things Mistress' coffee house was well known for. Celebration nights weren't just for great conversations and intelligent company. They were also a chance for people to pool their skills and trade or barter for what they couldn't pay for outright. Although there were quite a few pointed looks at her bag of items and she recognized a few faces of artists that would have brought specific items for her, none of them were willing to brave the look her sister was giving out. She mumbled a rather rude reference to waste elimination and sheepishly looked back at her sister. "Give it up!" She was told "There's no rescue... what's wrong?" "Nothing..." All she received was a look that said she wasn't going to get off that easy. "Oh, all right!" She sighed, done trying to fight, knowing she wouldn't win.

"I'm just tired... I want something different. Every one else's life seems to be moving forward. I fight like hell just to make ends meet and I'm tired." She was looking into her teacup now, not willing to deal with the empathy in her sister's eyes. She was feeling more than sorry enough for her self. "There is so much that needs to be fixed with my house. I am tired of being single and I am tired of being broke".

A new voice entered the conversation. A new voice and a smiling, young, fine boned male face appeared at Deanna's shoulder. "So change it..." Elisabeth very maturely stuck out her tongue and ignored him to look back at her sister. Not about to be ignored, he stepped out from behind Deanna to take the chair between them. "No, I'm serious. If you don't like it, change it. Simple!" That said, he sat back with an attitude that said he expected her to do exactly that. "Nooo, Ben.... it's not that simple." "Sure it is." He Smiled. "You're the witch, cast a spell and make a new beginning." He waved his hand in a very airy manner, deliberately playing things very cavalierly. There was a very pronounced twinkle in his eyes as he looked at Elizabeth so she would know he was serious, but she also knew he was also there because he took so much pleasure in irritating her sister.

Deanna was looking like she was about to erupt. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It seemed to help, but only just barely. "Why don't you go play in traffic?" His only acknowledgment was to give a theatrical 'oohhhh' face, including the hand gestures. If Elizabeth hadn't been concerned about the vein that began to twitch in her sister's neck, she would have laughed out loud. Deanna hated Ben passionately. Ben felt about the same way, but he got more joy out of simply driving Deanna absolutely bezerk. He looked at it as some big game; always out to better his previous score. Elisabeth began to try to hastily form a plan to divert what she saw as imminent disaster. Saving them all was the ever-present eight-year-old super hero. "Mommy," he called out from where he now sat with his father. At a table Mike had chosen, even further from Elizabeth's than Deanna had originally chosen, sat Mikie, his father Mike, and all of their belongings, complete with a sleeping blond darling between the table and the wall. "Yes, Mommy", Mike told her with a pointed look. "Come see Mikie's drawings". Deanna took one last long, nasty look at Ben before she gave in and took the out her husband had strongly suggested she take. Not willing to give up the fun so easily, Ben chose the moment that Elisabeth was mouthing "thank you" to her brother-in-law to make a last annoying comment.

Smiling and waving enthusiastically, he called out "Don't be a stranger!" Deanna stopped for a moment, but continued on after only one "Mooooooommy". Silently Elizabeth thought 'my hero!" As Ben took over the seat across from her, his gaze in the direction of Deanna's retreating form, he mumbled "at least any stranger than you are". "You know... she is my sister", Elisabeth commented. "That's not my fault. Don't blame me." It was his pat response. Everyone knew of their animosity. Someone would have to be both blind and stupid not to. She couldn't really blame either one of them. Her sister was inflexible once she made up her mind and he certainly wasn't going to put out a hand in peace knowing that odds were better than 50/50 that it would get torn of and used as a club to beat him with. She shook her head with a resigned sigh and took another sip of tea. Before she could even set the teacup down, a new voice entered the fray.

"Who pissed off Deanna? Or need I ask?!" Ben was very tall, but his build was fine boned, slim... very fey looking. He was the long lanky lean type. Steve, who had just come over to the table, was about the same height, but that's where the similarities ended. Steve was thick and more solidly built. Neither was a type to be crossed without consequences, but Steve looked the more dangerous of the two Ben looked over at him with a silly, self satisfied Cheshire cat grin plastered all over his face and said nothing. Steve paused then laughed. "Dumb question." He signaled Mistress to come over. Once she got there he asked "is every one here?" She looked around and ran a mental count and nodded. "Private stock?" she asked. "If your ready," he responded and she waved a signal to one of the people working the counter to bring out a pitcher of beer from the keg that a few of her regular customers paid a small amount of 'rent' to keep in back and went to hang the 'PRIVATE PARTY' sign on the front door.

That taken care of, he turned back to the other two to ask, "So... what's up?" Elisabeth opened her mouth and that's as far as it got. "Elisabeth's going to do a little casting, that's all," Ben answered. Elisabeth glared at Ben, who just smiled and Steve rolled his eyes. "Since when..." He looked directly at her. "Your 'morals' and 'ethics' keep getting in the way." "I don't know what I'm going to do yet," she answered honestly. This time it was Ben's turn to open his mouth and for her to finish ahead of him. "I haven't decided yet. All I really know is that I want things to be different. I'm tired of feeling as though I'm fighting a loosing battle all the time. I just don't know if I want to make the changes through majick or not." Steve smiled, one of pure mischief. "I told you. All you have to do is make the change. I'll open the door for you. Biscuit Boy (a reference to Ben's last name) and I can point you in the right, or wrong however you look at it, direction. All you have to do is quit worrying about how what you do will effect anyone but you." He paused and his eyes sparkled with the mischief was about to over flow through his ears. "Just walk through the door, Elisabeth." "Luke... Luke!" Ben was doing a very bad impression of Darth Vader. "Come to the Dark Side, Luke."

She laughed at the thought as the waitress brought over a pitcher of beer and two glasses. The thought of herself working the more negative/selfish majicks struck her as hilarious. Neither man expected her to change her 'alignment', but they couldn't resist occasionally giving it a shot. Most of her friends thought along the same lines as she did. The three fold law, harm none and the rest were more than just quotes from the latest occult book on Wiccan craft. Those were the codes she lived by, the same as any serious Christian took the Ten Commandments. These two though, lived by totally different standards. It had taken her a while to realize just how different they were. These men were not Wiccan. They were something else entirely... They had never really defined exactly what they were, but neither one could really be described as 'nice guys'. Incredibly gifted and talented, but if crossed they were also incredibly dangerous. They cared for her as much as they did any one, but as much as she liked them (and she liked them both enough to have been attracted to them each at one point), she didn't fully trust either of them.

She was still laughing when she told both, "No! No walking through doors. No changing of ethics. No corrupting of the witch. No!" They were a lot of fun. She was still smiling and knew she would be for the rest of the night. She took another sip of tea. This was part of the reason she liked them so much. She was never sure if they took such pains to break her out of her moody times because of unselfish reasons, or if it was simply that her skills and talents were about useless at those times. She knew how much they each valued her abilities for different reasons. Actually, she didn't really want to. Instead, all she said was "thank you". Ben gave her an over done look of confusion and Steve just told her "No problem." "I'll think about it," she told them. At their look of undisguised surprise, she told them, "not that, the spell." That they accepted. "But if I decide to do a little spell weaving, I'll need a little help." She got the expected 'huh?' and went on with a pointed look across the room to where her sister sat. "A little help with some distraction / diversion so I can work in peace."

Ben actually rubbed his hands together in his enthusiasm while Steve just smiled and told her he thought they could 'come up with something,' as one of the other patrons finally got tired of waiting and came over to ask if she was ready to take care of the barter end of the night or if she needed a bit more time. It was a pointed reminder of the time and the two men took their pitcher and glassed and moved of to let her make her trades and take more commissions for the art work she was beginning to become more well known for... and to let her think...

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