Transformation

 

            Mayzie looked up at the full moon above her. Tonight was the night, finally, that she would be given her hourglass. This was the whole reason that she had agreed to train to become a witch in the first place. She wanted to be able to transform herself into other animals or creatures. She probably could have done it with her own magic, but it was so much easier and safer with an hourglass.

            There was a scuffling sound behind Mayzie, and she turned to see Tabitha, her mentor, shuffling over toward her. Mayzie couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over her face when she saw the small hourglass filled with glittering stardust. Tabitha held it out to her by the chain that was attached to it, and Mayzie eagerly grabbed it and put it around her neck.

            “Repeat to me the rules of transformation,” Tabitha said brusquely.

            Mayzie took a deep breath and recited, “Always wear the hourglass in a way that won’t allow it to fall off.” She attached the chain to a special clasp on her shirt. “The total time that I have for transformation is a maximum of two and a half hours. After that, I will return to my human form no matter where I am or what I’m doing. Lastly, never allow normal humans to witness any transformation.”

            Tabitha nodded and said, “Correct.” She tilted her head curiously and asked, “What will you become tonight?”

            Mayzie didn’t even have to think about it as she said, “A cat.” Cats had always been associated with witches, and that was almost always the first choice for new hourglass users.

            Tabitha nodded again and said, “Stay out of trouble, and make sure you return to yourself before the glitter runs out.”

            Mayzie had to really focus on not rolling her eyes. How many times is Tabitha going to tell me that? she thought. “Yes, ma’am,” she said instead.

            Tabitha stood watching as Mayzie very carefully turned over the hourglass on her chain necklace. Then she closed her eyes, and focused her magic on turning herself into a cat.

            When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was how tall Tabitha was. Then she looked down at herself to see four furry feet and a tail swishing behind her. She immediately sprang away toward the forest while Tabitha shouted, “Good luck!”

            Everything looked so much bigger as Mayzie moved through the trees. She easily scaled a tree to look around and get her bearings. The night air felt wonderful on her furry face, and she slowly breathed in the crisp air. This made all of the training with Tabitha worth it. Tonight, she was a cat, but she could be anything.

            Mayzie climbed back down the tree with the help of her powerful claws and continued through the dark forest with her cat’s tail held up high. Her feet padded along silently, and her black fur made her nearly invisible. The forest sounds were magnified in her ears, and her night vision made everything really easy to see.

            Soon, Mayzie reached a lone barn near a farmhouse and went to investigate. She smelled the dog before she saw it, bounding toward her with great, booming barks. She darted away, and was easily able to leave the barking dog far behind her.

            In a large, grassy meadow, Mayzie spent some time practicing her pouncing on a family of field mice. Then she used her magic to see how much time she had left on her hourglass, and decided that she had better start back. She got on her way, but was distracted by some moths that were fluttering by. She was stalking them before she realized that she was following her cat instincts. By the time she remembered that she had to get back, she realized she only had fifteen minutes left of being a cat.

            Mayzie looked frantically around her, and she didn’t recognize anything. Knowing Tabitha would not be pleased, she climbed up another tree to figure out where she was. “There!” she meowed softly as she spotted Tabitha’s house. She shot down the tree and sprinted full out until she reached Tabitha, where she immediately transformed into herself again.

            “Cutting it a little close, aren’t we Mayzie?” Tabitha asked, eyebrows raised.

            “I made it back, didn’t I?” Mayzie asked innocently.

            “Well, come on inside and tell me all about your adventures,” Tabitha said as she smiled good naturedly.

            Mayzie followed her, already thinking about what she was going to change into for her next adventure. Something really exciting – like a dragon, she thought with a smile.