The Pet Store

            Cora wasn’t really paying attention as she walked home from school. She had a lot of work to do once she got home. That math assignment would probably take a while to finish, and then she had to write a paper for her science class.

            Lost in a little pity party, she didn’t notice the building next to her until she heard a giant croak. Turning her head, she saw that she was standing in front of a pet store. However, instead of puppies or kittens in the display window, there was a single toad. This wasn’t just your ordinary toad, either. It was a bright green color, and it was huge and squishy-looking.

            Cora stared at it, wondering who would want a pet like that. She looked at the storefront and realized that she had never even seen it before. She was pretty sure that this used to be an empty field. Curious, she walked inside to have a look around. She may have a lot of homework, but she wasn’t exactly in a hurry to get started.

            A bell tinkled overhead as Cora walked through the door. Her eyes widened when she realized that this was definitely not a normal pet store. Birds and owls squawked from every side. Lizards of every color of the rainbow sat in small cages. There were cats all around, though they didn’t look like any Cora had ever seen before. They came in fantastic colors and stripes. Even their eyes looked different. She stared at a bright yellow cat who was looking back at her with enormous purple eyes.

            The sound of footsteps came from behind Cora, and a voice said, “Looking for your first companion, young lady?”

            Cora spun around to see a woman all dressed in black. Her flyaway hair stuck out in every direction. She might have looked like a crazy person if it wasn’t for her serious, solemn eyes.

            Cora stared at the woman for a little longer than necessary, but then said, “I’m not looking for a pet right now, thanks. I was just curious when I saw that bright green toad in the window. I didn’t even realize there was a pet store here.” She smiled a little nervously.

            The woman returned a warm smile and said, “Well, welcome to the Witch’s Companion, where we can provide you with a magical creature of your choice to start your life-long witching journey.”

            Cora raised her eyebrows as high as they would go. She reassessed her opinion of the woman and realized that she was, indeed, crazy. “Magical creatures, huh?” she finally asked.

            The woman put her hand on Cora’s shoulders and said, “Only witches are able to find their way inside this place. Our establishment has been serving witches for hundreds of years.” She looked right into Cora’s eyes. “That makes you a witch.”

            Cora backed up, thinking that she’d better escape from this crazy lady. “Well, thank you, but I’ve got to be going now.”

            The woman gave a soft chuckle and said, “Now that you’ve found the Witch’s Companion, you won’t be able to leave without choosing your animal guide.”

            Cora was only half listening as she made a beeline for the door. The only problem was, she couldn’t find it. She ran down an aisle lined with beautiful birds in their cages. She hadn’t walked that far from the door, had she? Why couldn’t she find it?

            The strange woman watched Cora and said, “All you need to do is find your guide, and you can leave.” She spoke in a voice full of kindness, but Cora was starting to panic.

            Cora ran around the store, which was much larger than it had first appeared to be, and there was no sign of a door to the outside. Finally, she stopped to catch her breath.

            The woman’s kind voice called, “It’s okay, miss. Just relax and find your guide.”

            Cora stood there, weighing her options. What did she have to lose? Looking around her, she asked, “So, I just choose one? All of these animals look a little strange. I’ve never seen a blue fox before.” She stared at the miniature blue fox with yellow eyes, wondering if it could even be real.

            “If you were able to come inside this store, then your guide has already chosen you. All you need to do is find it.”

            “How?”

            “Close your eyes and feel it calling to you.”

            Dubiously, Cora closed her eyes and tried not to think about how strange this was. Breathing deeply, she tried to feel something. “I don’t think this will work.”

            “Of course it will. Just listen for your companion.”

            Cora held her eyes closed, thinking that this had been such a waste of time. She was about to give up again when a voice entered her mind. “Walk down the next aisle,” it said.

            Cora’s eyes snapped open and she went down the next aisle. This area was full of brightly colored lizards. Looking them over, she stopped when she saw a lizard that looked like a miniature iguana, but it was a strange teal color. She walked toward it and put her hand on its cage. “Hello, Cora,” came the voice, full of pride. “My name is Malcolm.”

            Cora looked back at the strange woman and said, “I think I’ve found my guide. Can I leave now?”

            “Of course, dear, the door’s right over there.” She pointed to the door which was mere feet away from where Cora was standing.

            Cora hurried toward the door, but the woman called, “Don’t forget Malcolm, dear. You’ve made a good choice. Lizards make some of the most powerful guides.” The woman picked up Malcolm the lizard and dropped him into Cora’s hand.

            Cora immediately felt a well of power awake within her. She stared at the small lizard in her hand. He suddenly felt a part of her somehow. She looked up at the woman and asked, “How much does he cost? I don’t have any money with me right now, but I can come back later.”

            “I’ll take whatever you have in your pocket, dear, and we can call it good.”

            Cora put a hand in her pocket and pulled out a handful of shiny gold coins. She stared at them in amazement. “What…?” she breathed. Cora hardly ever carried money in her pockets, and she certainly didn’t carry around gold coins. She handed them over to the woman and finally left the shop with Malcolm now riding on her shoulder.

            As the girl left, the woman sighed and said, “There goes another happy customer who is well on her way to becoming a great witch.” She smiled and sat back to count her gold coins while she waited for the next customer.