Chapter 3: Chapter 3

I fell asleep on Sara’s lap then I woke up on the floor in the late morning after. The armchair where she was sitting is now empty. It faces a fireplace where the fire has died out from the night before. I looked around and she’s nowhere to be found. I wonder where she went. Wait- what does it matter?! Why should I care?! Besides, I have more important things to think about. Like being trapped into being transformed into a cat. There has to be some way to change back. I thought around about it for a while… I know! I’ll check that dumb survival guide. Maybe there’s something written on there about it now.

I look over at the table, the piece of paper is still there. I approach the table. Oh, great, I just realized that both chairs are pushed in. I don’t think I can jump up that high to get up onto the table. Is there a way for me to get up there? Luckily, there are other furniture pieces around that I can get onto. I jump up onto other obstacles that are not as high up in order to eventually make my way to leaping onto the table. Shit! Getting used to maneuvering around like this as a cat is really awkward. I make my way over to the guide. I place my paw in the middle of it and push it more toward the middle of the table. I look to see what it says. It’s just the title. Fuck! Tell me how to change back into a human, you useless piece of shit! All that comes out from me is a meow. Oh fuck, give me a break.

I’m still looking at the guide. Words begin to appear on it. “If you’ve transformed into your familiar form and wish to change back, close your eyes, concentrate on your bindings and picture yourself as a human”. Are you serious? That’s really it? I let out a sigh which just comes out as a meow. Whatever… I close my eyes, concentrate on my bindings and picture myself. My wrists, ankles and neck begin to burn and the burning continues to increase. I begin to feel larger and continue to do so until I feel as though i’m at my normal size. I open my eyes. I’m still on top of the table on all fours. I get down and stand normally.

Well, that’s a relief. I try to shake it off and feel as though i’m back to normal. Then I stand around and wonder what I should do now. I scope out my surroundings again. There’s not really anything in this cabin or cottage, or whatever it is to entertain me. I don’t even know the difference between the two if there is any, to be honest. I haven’t even been outside of this place yet. I guess I may as well go outside and see what’s out there, at least what’s nearby. I should probably stick close to this place for now since I have no idea about anything to do with this world. I’ll be patient and try to use Sara to learn more about it.

I walk over to the door and open it in order to step outside. I take a few paces out and look around. It’s really just trees everywhere. Sara did say before that I was in ‘The Mistwoods’. I’m definitely out in the woods, that’s for sure. It seems like i’m deep out in the middle of the woods. I face the cabin to inspect it. It really just seems run down and old from the outside but it really doesn’t appear to be all that bad. Should I call it a shack? I guess it’s too big of a building to be called that. I walk around the cabin and look around some more. It’s still just nothing but trees and for having mist in it’s name, there isn’t any mist at all. As for the weather, it’s not too cold out here, just a bit chilly. I imagine it just gets more cold in the evenings until the morning when the sun comes out, hence the need of a fire in the fireplace last night.

I may as well go back inside. There isn’t anything else to do out here. I walk over to the door, open it, step inside and close the door behind me. I stand still in front of the door with it to my back. What can I do now? I decide to sit in the armchair. It’s likely more comfortable than the chair at the dining table. I sit down in the armchair and try to get a feel for it. It’s definitely a lot more comfortable than the dining table chair. I eventually start to stare at the fireplace and ponder to myself.

I’m in a new world now. Well, new to me. I’m in a hell of a lot better situation here than I was in my world, assuming she’ll even want to keep me around for long. Something like that can always change at any given time. Maybe I’m being presumptuous that she’s even wanted me here in the first place. She did summon me here but she could be disappointed in the outcome. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions either way. And besides, there should be much more for me to discover about this place. Who knows what the possibilities may be. I’ll just have to take things as they come. I’m sure it’s not like I could just go back at any given time or if that would even be a possibility and why would I ever want to? I continue to ponder until my stomach starts to growl. I still haven’t eaten anything today.

Shortly after I hear the door open and footsteps enter in. I turn around in the armchair to look and see that Sara is now back. The door closes itself behind her. I stand up from the armchair. “Where did you go”? I ask her. “Why? Were you worried about me?”, “Did you miss me?” she says with a smirk. “Ugh, no.”, I say as I look down to the floor. “I see you figured out how to turn back”, she says. She’s walked over more closely and is standing in front of the dining table. “I figured it out eventually”, I respond. My stomach growls again. Sara notices. “I was gone for a long time”, she says. “Welcome back”, I tell her as I put on a smile, trying to seem friendly. From her reaction, it doesn’t seem that she’s taken it well. “Umm… have you eaten yet?”, I ask her. “No, would you like to…, she’s moved to the side and gestures over to the dining table. “Im starving actually, I say as I walk over to my chair at the dining table and take a seat. Then Sara walks over to her side of the dining table and takes her seat as well. Food, drinks and silverware appear in front of us on the table. We both begin to eat.

As she’s eating I study her. Her mannerisms seem very prim and proper, unlike my own. I suppose I don’t do too well with table manners. I’ve only really developed a habit of politeness in conversation but besides that I struggle a bit with formalities. “I’ve been thinking…”, I start saying. She finishes chewing her food and swallows. “With my bindings, i’ve been able to turn into a cat and back into my normal original form. Are there other things I could be capable of doing with them also?”, I finish saying. “You’ll learn eventually”, she answers vaguely. “When will that be?”, I say impatiently.

“Soon”, she says. We eventually finish eating. The plates, silverware, and cups disappear. “So what did you do while I was gone”, she asks me. “I just looked around outside for a bit and sat around in here. There really isn’t much to do.”, I answer. Sara then has her hand on her chin then places it back to normal as though she’s thought of something. A book appears in the air, in front of my face. I grab it, open it and flip through the pages.

The pages are all blank. This seems to be a running theme. “You have to tell or ask the book for what you want to see, read or know about”, she explains. I try to think of something. Oh, I know! Wait- I shouldn’t say that in front of her. Without saying anything, what i’ve thought of appears in the book. Pictures of beautiful, attractive women appear on the pages, dressed in scantily clad outfits as I flip through the pages. A big smile grows on my face. This is even better than the internet! In realization, I hope i’ve kept the book angled enough away so she hasn’t noticed. I quickly try to think of something unprovocative. How about… different desserts? The pages fill with images of desserts. When I see one that interests me, the book flips to the next page which has the image along with information written about the particular dessert. As I continue to gander at the book for a bit longer… “You’ll have to sign your name in the book in order to keep it”, Sara says as she interrupts my gazing of the book.

“Oh right”, I say. “Close the book and reopen it to the front page”, she explains further. I do so and the page appears blank again. The quill from before appears in the air beside me. Fuck, not this again. I hate that damn quill. I reluctantly grab the quill from the air. A sharp edge extends from it’s side and stabs into my palm, injecting itself deeply. I can feel it goes up through my wrist. I grab my wrist from my non-dominant hand and grip the quill tighter with my writing hand as a reaction to the pain. I struggle but manage to write my name down on the first page of the book. My name shows in blood at first but then changes to what appears to be regular ink. Then my name soon fades away from the page.

“This is a familiars’ glossary”, “it’s yours now”, she tells me. “It’s very similar to-”, I start to say. The survival guide page now appears in the air in front of my face, I had set the familiars’ glossary down to the table in front of me previously. The survival guide now has written below the title, “Never mention ‘The Survival Guide for Familiars’ to anyone. The guide disappears as i’m done reading it. “You were saying?”, she asks. “Oh-, ugh, never mind, I say as I look down to the book. She seems to pay it no mind. “Well, now that that’s settled. I have something I need to tell you”, she begins.

I look up at her from the book. “I need you to do something for me”, she says. “What is it?”, I say in response. “You’ll have to remain as a cat for the entirety of this. There’s a town nearby to these woods. You’d be going there sooner or later. It may as well be sooner. I want you to follow someone and find out what they’re up to”, she finishes. Great, the witch I just met is now giving me a mission, I think to myself in a sarcastic tone. What the hell is this going to lead to?

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