"he's not so bad," (name) insisted as salem rode on her shoulders, clinging onto her back. it was as almost as if she was giving him a piggyback ride, the black-furred feline's tiny legs dangling, his front paws nestled around her neck.

the teen couldn't see the cat's face as he rested his head on her shoulder but he was glaring ahead while she continued to talk about the boy they just met. salem would beg to differ. just by looking at him, salem could tell that he didn't want that messy-haired boy near his human.

"you just need to be nice, you grumpy cat," she huffed. salem made a peculiar noise as he snorted at her comment. the cat just couldn't believe what he was hearing, was she really defending someone she just met? after he might have been watching them through the bushes?

salem blinked in annoyance. he began to purr and rub his face against her neck. he hoped that it would get his human to stop talking about the subject and it worked in his favor. his human giggled at the tickling sensation of his fur against her bare skin.

the two continued their journey through the city, the streets vacant except for an occasional car or passersby on the sidewalk. just a simple girl attended by her creature of the night.

as salem was beginning to fall asleep, they made it to their intended destination; the shop for all your occult needs. it was the store that (name)'s aunt owned.

as she placed her hand on the doorknob, salem began to squirm and his grip around her neck began to loosen. he just wasn't very fond of closed spaces; he favored the outdoors more, hence why (name) never adopted him into her home.

"ow, you're hurting me," she hissed in pain as his claws dug into her skin. (name) knelt down so her beloved cat could climb off. he jumped off skillfully, licking his paw once he landed on the pavement.

(name) brushed herself off and accidentally ran her fingertips over the forming scratches. she cringed in pain at the hard pressure on the reddening, inflamed skin.

"you're lucky i love you so much," she grumbled under her breath before sweetening her tone, "see ya, salem, goodnight. try not to get into too much trouble."

the cat stared up at her, his eyes glowing as she entered the shop. he soon scurried off into the night when she shut the door behind her and locked it with her spare key.

the smell of old books greeted her. the room was wrapped in a melanoid blanket, the only source of light being a lone candle near the register. the atmosphere of the shop may have been eerie to a stranger but to (name), it wasn't much to frighten her. however, she did shift uncomfortably as the candle dimly illuminated the faces of the statues in the shop. they were abstract and a bit creepy, a few of them had oddly sprouting tendrils spanning out of their heads.

(name) suspected that the stone figures were scaring off customers, but her aunt rejected the idea. "some people just don't understand art," the woman retorted, straightening a rather ugly clown painting on the wall.

before she headed upstairs apartment, she blew out the candle. the last thing they needed was the shop burning down. she supposed that her aunt might've forgotten to put it out.

the wooden steps creaked under her weight as she made her way up the flight of stairs. that very unflattering clown painting seemed to stare at her as she unlocked the front door. (name) hoped that the sobbing clown wouldn't jump out of the painting to get her.

immediately as she stepped into the cramped living room, she could hear the soft snores of her aunt. her aunt was sprawled out on the couch, the TV remote tucked into her hands like a child's teddy bear would be. she sighed softly, gently taking the remote out of her aunt's light hold and placing it on the coffee table.

she fixed the falling blanket on her sleeping aunt, tucking her in and placing a kiss to her forehead. she admired the elder woman with all her heart.

she was ready to throw herself in bed once she reached her bedroom door. she took off her backpack and tossed it aside. she quickly changed out of her day clothes and into her night ones, reaching into her bag and grabbing a book. she propped herself onto the bed, tossing the covers over her.

she eagerly opened the battered book, scanning the spells that were scribbled onto the yellowed pages with fine ink. she couldn't wait to learn a thing or two, and who knows? maybe she'll be able to impress the boy she hopes to become friends with.

.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．