Works here are copyright of Beverly Anne Michel.

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Summary: Cassiopeia Winston finds an interesting figurine and soon discovers it will change her life.

Cassiopeia Winston stood in a thrift shop, alone, on a Wednesday afternoon. Her dark brown hair was braided down her back, tied with a purple ribbon. Her brown eyes were framed by green metal glasses. Big and round. She wore a plain black sweater, distressed jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. Her pale fingers wrapped around a small figurine she spotted on the shelf. It was only a few inches tall, barely taller than her outstretched hand. Possibly made out of porcelain. It had a rough texture on the outside, but it was supposed to represent fur. The figurine was a black cat. The odd thing about it, though, was the cat had no face. Maybe it had been painted there once and worn off over the years, but Cassie wasn’t so sure. It seemed intentional. Something about it called to her. Out of all the figurines sitting on the shelf, she had to pick this one up. 

She ran her thumb over the place where the eyes should be and hummed. Something in her felt alive when she looked at it. It thrummed in her heart. Love. She loved this little figurine and had to have it. She tilted the figurine and saw the price sticker on the bottom. Five dollars. She could handle that. Without picking anything else up, she held the cat close to her chest as she walked to the front counter. She set it down carefully and watched as the cashier peeled the sticker off. 

“There we go! No residue.” The older woman smiled as she set the figurine back down. “I hate when stickers leave that yucky stuff.” 

“Oh, me too,” Cassie said softly. 

The woman typed into her old cash register and asked for five dollars. Cassie dug in her purse and pulled out the five she needed. 

“Would you like a bag?” she asked. 

“No, thank you. I’ll just carry her.” 

“Her?” The woman smirked. 

Cassie shrugged. She picked up the cat and made her way toward the exit. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt a little judged for buying the figurine. She didn’t think there was anything weird about it. It was just a cat. She shook her head and forced the thoughts away. There was no use letting her anxiety get into her head. She was happy with her purchase and knew exactly where she was going to put her new cat. 

Cassie walked up the steps to her apartment. It was fairly quiet for a midweek afternoon. Most of the kids in the building were still at school. Most of the adults were at work. Cassie was an artist and worked from home. In her two bedroom apartment, one room was for sleeping, the other was her studio. It was a quiet apartment. She wasn’t allowed to have pets, though she always wanted a cat. Maybe that was what drew her to the figurine. It was a little piece of something she couldn’t actually have. 

She made her way to her bedroom and set the cat on her bedside table. It could keep watch over her while she slept. She hoped that wasn’t too silly. But then again… who cared? Her room was fairly subtle for belonging to an artist. She had a wooden dresser with painted flowers, she had done herself. Her bedframe was also wood. She painted matching vines on the headboard. Her bedside table was black with a little moon and stars in white and yellow paint. The curtains were black to shut out the light of the morning. She often stayed up late in her studio and slept well into the morning. 

Cassie wandered into her studio. The carpet was covered in tarp. She had an easel where a canvas currently sat. She had been working on the same painting for a couple days now. It was a woman with long silver hair and moonlight skin. But she couldn’t seem to get her eyes right. She had drawn them, redrawn them, and done them again and again, but nothing felt right. She left the space blank, hoping to think of something magnificent. 

She sat on her stool and stared at the painting. It felt as if nothing was going to come to her. Maybe she would never finish the painting. That would only break her heart. She hated unfinished work. Cassie sighed at the picture and got up to go to her kitchen. She could take the night to relax and think about it. Something had to come to her eventually, right? 

Cassie made herself a cup of chamomile tea and threw a frozen meal in the microwave. She wasn’t the best cook and today seemed like a good day to be lazy and microwave dinner. She watched television, drank her tea, and nibbled on her meal. The night dragged on slowly, but soon she found herself crawling into bed. Tomorrow she would finish that painting, she was sure of it. 

**

Cassie’s nose twitched as something brushed against it. 

“Ugh.” She rubbed her now itchy nose. “What was that?” 

She looked out into the dark and didn’t see anything, but something fuzzy had definitely brushed against her nose. She sat up and reached for the lamp on her bedside table. She flicked the light on and was met with… nothing. Not even her little cat figurine. It was gone. Cassie startled and flung her blankets back. She got out of bed and searched for the figurine on the floor. Maybe it had gotten knocked off in the middle of the night. But by what? She couldn’t find it. 

“What the hell?” 

She turned around looking through the room. Cassie was about to check the hallway when something soft rubbed along her bare leg. She yelped and jumped away. She turned on the overhead light and pressed her back against the door. There was a cat sitting in the middle of her room. A black cat. With no eyes. It looked at her and tilted its head. She could tell it was looking at her without really seeing. It unnerved her slightly. 

“Where did you come from?” 

The cat meowed at her and swished its tail. 

Cassie stared at it for a long moment. It didn’t seem like it was going to attack her or mean her any harm. She carefully took a step toward it. The cat meowed at her again and tilted its head in the opposite direction. She leaned down and let it stiff her hand. The cat gently lifted its head and sniffed at her hand. It licked her and purred loudly. 

“Huh,” Cassie said. 

She reached toward it and scratched it behind the ears. 

“Well, wherever you came from, you’re friendly.” 

The lack of eyes probably should have disturbed her, but there was something about the cat that calmed her. It was sweet and only seemed to want attention. Cassie had always liked cats, but her landlord didn’t allow pets of any kind in her apartment. She couldn’t even have fish or a guinea pig. She petted the cat again and smiled as it purred loudly. 

“I don’t have any cat food, but would you like some tuna?” 

It meowed at her. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” 

Cassie stood straight and opened the bedroom door. She idly wondered how the cat had gotten into her room with the door closed. Then there was the missing figurine. A thought crossed her mind, but it couldn’t be… could it? She shook her head and made her way into the kitchen. 

Her apartment was small. Short little galley kitchen and a small living and dining area. It was just enough for her and that was fine. Cassie grabbed a can of tuna and the can opener. She twisted it a few times and popped the lid off. The cat jumped onto the counter and waited while Cassie got the can ready. 

“Do you want mayo or something?” 

The cat tilted its head. 

“No, huh?” She laughed and set the can in front of the cat. 

It dug in immediately. It must have been hungry. Cassie yawned and leaned against the counter. She was happy to have the company of the cat, but she was going to have to figure out what to do with it. She obviously couldn’t keep it, but it was so cute and friendly. It hurt her heart to think about taking it to a shelter. 

She rubbed her eyes and realized she had forgotten her glasses in the other room. She wasn’t entirely blind, she could see the blurry shapes of things in her house, but she didn’t think wandering around like that all day would be very conducive. She walked to her bedroom and snatched the round frames off her bedside table. She placed them on her face and blinked a couple times as everything became clearer. 

Cassie made herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a granola bar out of the cupboard. She sipped her drink and nibbled at her breakfast while she watched the mysterious cat eat the tuna. She tossed her wrapper away and finished her coffee. She wasn’t sure what to do with the cat just yet, so she made her way to her art studio. She sat on her stool and stared at the painting in front of her. 

She was so frustrated with the painting of the woman, she half thought about painting over it, and starting over. But it felt special to her. She wanted to finish it. The cat came into the studio and jumped on her lap. It meowed and reached toward the painting. 

“What are you trying to tell me?” she asked the cat. “Do you have an idea?” she joked. 

Her smile fell away and the frustration bloomed. It was as if she had no more ideas. Every creative thought had been drained from her heart and mind. Even if she wanted to start over, she wouldn’t know what to do. She looked out at her other paintings she had finished recently. They lacked light and love. There was something integral missing from each one. She could have cried with anger. 

She wanted to throw black paint on the canvas, but she took in a deep breath and let the feeling ease out of her. 

“C’mon.” She plucked the cat off her lap and carried it into the other room. 

Cassie sat on the couch with the cat beside her. She sank low in her seat. Her mood nothing but sullen and angry. It was like something was sucking the very creativity from her soul. She crossed her arms and let out a sigh. Whatever was wrong with her, she would figure it out. She couldn’t go the rest of her life without finishing another painting. It would break her. 

She spent most of the day sulking around the apartment. She fed herself and the cat, but for the most part sat on her couch pouting. The cat stood at the balcony sliding door. It batted at the curtains. 

“What’s wrong?” Cassie stood and pushed the curtains out of the way. 

The dark sky was filled with light from the brightest moon Cassie had ever seen. “Huh, full moon.” 

“Yes,” a woman’s voice said from behind her. 

Startled, Cassiopeia whipped around. Before her stood a beautiful silver haired woman. Her skin was like moonlight. She wore a long black dress and a blindfold around her eyes. It took a moment for Cassie to process what she was seeing. Her painting come to life. 

“Don’t be afraid,” the woman said softly. “I’m Selene.” 

“Where did you come from?” 

“The cat,” Selene said with a playful smile. “She is me and I am her.” 

“The figurine…” 

“When you picked me up… it was the first time I have felt love in fifty years.” 

“F-fifty years?” Cassie thought she might faint. “You look so young…” 

“I haven’t aged in much longer.” 

“Shit. I think I need to sit down.” 

“Cassiopeia…” Selene reached for her hand. “You’re in danger.” 

“What?” 

“Something has been stalking you. I can feel it.” 

“Stalking?” She whipped her head back and forth as if the stalker was going to appear in the living room. 

Selene gripped her shoulders. “Cassie…” 

“I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before.” 

“It’ll be okay.” 

“How can you say that?” Cassie trembled under Selene’s touch. 

“Isn’t this cute?” a male voice said from the shadows. 

Both women turned toward the voice. A tall man stepped into the moonlight. He had equally pale skin, soulless black eyes, and long black hair. It fell around his shoulders in thick strands. He had dark horns protruding from his temples. The only word that came to Cassie’s mind was Demon. He chuckled and took a step closer to the women. 

“What the hell do you want?” Cassie snapped. 

“What I want, you’re already giving to me,” he said. The demon put his first and middle finger under Cassiopeia’s chin. “I’m going to suck you dry of your muse and creativity until you’re a shell of your former self.” 

“Get away from her!” Selene shoved him back with force that was surprising coming from such a small woman. 

“Selene, you know this is a waste of time,” the demon purred. 

“I’m not letting a demon like you hurt her.” 

“Witches…” he shook his head. 

Cassie started backing away from both of them. She didn’t want anything to do with these witches and demons. She didn’t even know why this was happening to her. She was just a painter. 

Selene faced the demon and held her hands up. Bright white light formed at her palms. The blinding light shot from her palms and into the face of the demon. He yelled in pain and turned away from the shining essence. 

“Leave. Leave her alone,” Selene shouted. 

“How dare you?” he growled. 

The demon pushed through the light and grabbed Selene by the throat. 

Cassie couldn’t even think all she could do was act. She ran at the demon and tackled him at the waist. He dropped Selene and fell to the ground in a heap with Cassie on top of him. She scrambled off of him and reached for a chef’s knife out of her butcher block on the kitchen counter. Before the demon could get to his feet she slammed the knife into his chest. He gave a strangled shout. 

Cassie pulled back and grabbed onto Selene as they stumbled back into the dining room. 

The demon wrapped his hand around the knife. Black blood dripped from the wound as well as the corner of his mouth. “If you think this is the last you’ll see of me, you’re dead wrong,” he hissed. 

The image of him faded away before their eyes until there was nothing but a bloody knife sitting on the kitchen floor. 

Cassie panted heavily. “Holy shit.” 

“You saved me,” Selene said, turning toward Cassie. 

“You were trying to save me… it’s the least I could do.” 

“He’ll be back… but as long as you have me by your side you’ll be safe,” Selene said. “I promise.” 

“I mean… I don’t have an extra bedroom…” Cassie started to say. 

Selene chuckled. “I can only appear like this on the full moon.” 

Cassie’s expression fell. “Oh.” She was more than a little disappointed that she would only see Selene once a month.

“Don’t be sad,” she cupped Cassie’s cheek. “You are the first person to show me kindness in a very long time and I swear to you, I will stand by you.” 

Cassie turned her head slightly and kissed Selene’s fingertips. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”

art done by Z.M Celestaire