Medium: Adobe Photoshop CS4

Gretchen wakes later than normal. Usually the hustle and bustle of the coven wakes her in the morning-- the chatter of early risers, the smell of bacon frying. Today she doesn't wake until the sun is high in the sky. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she struggles from bed with a start. She's late for her lessons!

Gretchen is 10 years old, and the only apprentice in her coven. She doesn't even notice how quiet it is as she squirms into her standard issue hand-me-down clothes. They don't fit her right, but she knows that someday she'll have her own-- when she's a witch!

She skips breakfast and rushes towards her mentor's room, running through her apology in her head. The halls are quiet. She skids to a stop and launches into her apology...

...but her mentor is not there.

Her apology fades unheard. Backing out of the room she wanders the halls. How late was she? Was her mentor having lunch? She was in so much trouble. She'd be lucky if they didn't kick her out! Fretting all the while, she inches into the dining hall and...

...It's empty.

Confusion grips her as she silently walks the room. Partially eaten breakfast sit on the table. Worse, still... where the witches normally sat, their hats lay, crumpled and forgotten. Panic takes hold and she runs from the room, calling for someone, anyone.

Nobody answers. She checks each room. The library. The commons. The kitchen. Everywhere she could think of, even the places she normally wasn't allowed. She found more of the same-- no witches, but hats where they should be. She even takes the stairs to the Matron's study, finding the door hanging open and the study Matron-less.

Where had they all gone? When were they coming back? Why had they left her?

She walks the silent halls in a daze, her feet taking her back to her mentor's empty room. She sits on the edge of the bed, picking up her mentor's worn, well-loved hat. The bell dangling from the tip jingles merrily. She finds herself overcome, pressing her face into the hat. She begins to cry.

A soft light fills the room. Surprised, Gretchen pulls away from the hat. The bell cradled in her hands is glowing. It continues to glow gently for several moments before intensifying-- she has to shield her eyes as several shapes flash before her, bathing the room in harsh relief.

When the light dies down, the bell is gone from her hands, no longer attached to the hat. Rubbing the spots from her eyes, she looks with surprise at the creature standing placidly before her. "Where did they all go?" she asks quietly.

The creatures frowns and looks sadly at its hooves before returning to Gretchen's own.

It doesn't know.

In the following days, Gretchen conjures more of these creatures, each vivid and individual. She calls them Kittycorns, and what they are in the magical terms is a Witch's Familiar. They are beings of magical energy conjured from a source of emotional attachment-- in this case the hat charms of the missing witches.

Gretchen considers them all her friends.

At first they tend to stay by her side, wandering the empty hallways that had until recently been occupied by her coven. After time passes, some choose to stay-- others drift away. They always return to visit, but their purpose lies elsewhere. With other unhappy people.

Kittycorns are drawn to people who feel as if something is missing in their lives. They seek to stabilize places and people where emotional energy is off balance. If you have suddenly found one in your life, this is why. They're there to bring you happiness and put you at peace.