On the bank of a meandering river and all on its lonesome sat a country estate like no other. Its weathered stone walls portrayed its ancient origins and vines grew over its many windows. If someone were to happen upon this place, they would surely believe it to be some lordly manor. But it wasn't. It was an orphanage for young witches.
As rain pelted the roof of the Home for Enchanted Girls one dreary morning, its caretakers were on a mission. To wake up the only orphan who hadn't graced the dining room with their presence.
Shuffling down a corridor, their long robes sweeping over the carpeted wooden floor, Miss Harrower, Madame Joan and Mrs Good were heading upstairs. And the looks on their faces conveyed much annoyance.
With Mrs Good leading the way, her pointy nose trained on the delinquent, the three trounced up a winding staircase. And once they reached the landing, its sides adorned with broomsticks, they headed down another corridor. Door after door they passed, each one etched with a name, until they reached one in particular.
Without knocking, the three middle-aged witches barged in, quickly screeching at the scene that greeted them. The bedroom was a mess. Objects, books and clothes were strewn everywhere and a desk and chair had been overturned.
'Merlynna!' Mrs Good bellowed. 'If you are hiding away in all of this, show yourself immediately.'
Suddenly, and giving the caretakers another scare, out from underneath the bed popped a head, the girl's long brown hair matted to the side of her freckled cheeked face.
'Morning, Misses,' Merlynna yawned.
'Don't morning, Misses us, young lady,' Miss Harrower retorted, glaring down with her beady black eyes. 'You missed breakfast – once again – and our important announcement. And what are you doing under there?'
'I was sleeping.' Merlynna poked her arms out and gave them a stretch. 'As you can see my bed's a mess and this was the only place I had room to travel to dreamland. If I'm being honest, it's not that bad under here. I may have to sleep here from now on.'
'Didn't your alarm go off?' asked Madame Joan. Through her thick purple glasses, she pointed over at the clock on the wall that she had specifically made for Merlynna. 'But before you answer, please get out from under there and honor us with the respect we deserve.'
'Yes, sorry, ma'am.' With some effort, Merlynna squeezed out from under the bed, her black cat print pajamas looking as if they had been thrown into a fire, for burnt spots covered the garment. She then stood up, gave a short bow before answering sheepishly, 'And I may have charmed the clock to not wake me up.'
'How did you do that?' said Madame Joan, looking aghast. 'Your magical ability couldn't have outcharmed my spell on the clock.'
'No disrespect, Madame Joan, but it seems like it did.' Merlynna then watched as Madame Joan's face turned more sour, a telling off on the tip of her tongue.
Mrs Good, however, deflated Madame Joan's anger by holding up a hand. 'Why would you do that knowing we were going to announce something important this morning? Remember I told you that last night right before I yelled at you to turn off your light.'
Feigning recollection, Merlynna replied, 'I'm sorry, ma'am, I completely forgot you told me that.'
'Hmmmm.' Mrs Good looked as though she didn't believe that. 'And another question–'
'Yes, ma'am.'
'What happened to your room? It's as if a storm has come through here.'
'Now this truly is my fault. It was a combination of a wayward spell and me trying to defend myself against said wayward spell. I promise I'll clean it all up.'
'Indeed you will,' scowled Miss Harrower.
'By the way,' said Merlynna, 'what was the announcement?'
'It is the time of year again when we send the girls of age on placements,' replied Mrs Good, 'And as you turned twelve last month, you will –'
All of a sudden, a ball of black fur flew out from under the bed, zipped across the room and hit the wall with a thump before tumbling down to the floor with a crash.
Everyone was taken aback, even Merlynna, although she knew who it was.
The ball of black fur unfurled itself to reveal a cat, who then started to lick its new flying appendages as if nothing had happened.
'Are those wings on your cat?' stuttered Mrs Good.
'They are,' Merlynna replied, unable to look the caretakers in the eyes.
'May I ask, why does he have them?'
'Another spell that went wrong, ma'am. I tried getting rid of them but it didn't work. But Fury seems to be liking them though.'
'Cats are not supposed to have wings,' said Madame Joan, 'I'll turn him back to normal.'
But as though Fury could understand, he instantly stopped his licking and pounced into the air once again, bumping into the three cross witches before flying out of the door.
Mrs Good glared at Merlynna. 'In your own time, you will capture that cat so that Madame Joan can rid it of those wings. But in the meantime, and once you cleaned up your bedroom, meet us down in our office so we can look into the orb together and see where you'll be placed.'
'Will do, ma'am,' Merlynna replied.
'I mean it. No detours to our office.'
Merlynna smirked. 'I swear.'
The three women left Merlynna to tidy up. And when she had and had changed into her gray uniform, she headed to the office. But as she left her bedroom, she was quickly surrounded by four other girls.
Looking furious, the leader, a lanky girl with a thin and severe face, barked, 'I didn't get any sleep with all that racket you were making last night. If it happens again, I'll turn you into–'
'That's not my problem,' Merlynna interrupted, 'You should have charmed your room to be soundproof. That's what I do. So I don't have to hear the four of you fart and snore all the time.'
'We–we do not fart and snore,' came a chorus.
'Yeah, you do. And it's really loud. Anyhoo, I'd better be off. It was fun talking.' Leaving the girls to their embarrassed blushes and growls, Merlynna skipped away.
Not long after, she was passing through a hall lined from floor to ceiling, and on shelves, with miniature stone figurines of orphans past and present. And on it went until she shuffled through an arched doorway. Then across a covered courtyard, she came to a set of double doors wrought with iron in the shape of a cauldron, which opened immediately without a single touch.
Merlynna stepped through and into a room with a long desk set at the back, and of which Miss Harrower, Madame Joan and Mrs Good were sitting behind. And in the center, and perched on a wooden stand, stood an orb the size of a melon.
Mrs Good looked up from what she was doing. 'My, my, Merlynna, you actually made it here in a reasonable time. Maybe, ladies, we finally got through to her.'
Miss Harrower and Madame Joan tutted at the lunacy.
'Now please, Merlynna, let's see where you will be placed,' Mrs Good continued.
As Merlynna walked over to the wooden stand, the three caretakers got up from their chairs and joined her.
'Let us come together and peer inside,' said Mrs Good.
Merlynna took Miss Harrower and Madame Joan's hands and gazed into the orb, a swirling fog soon filling the magical ball.
'From the world,' Miss Harrower began to recite, 'young witches come. They learn, they grow until it's time for them to go.'
The orb lit up with a golden glow and the fog grew fainter until an image of a street could be seen. The view then started to move as if the four witches were walking down the cobbles themselves. Past dainty shops closed for the night and darkened houses they went until they came to a sign.
'Welcome to the Hamlet of Huldalane,' it read, before their vision panned up to a clock tower. '10:20.'
A newspaper soon fluttered by. And as it flapped and eddied, they followed, it eventually landing on the sidewalk. Their sight drew closer to the unfolded rag until all they could see was the date.
It was in a week's time.
The newspaper soon morphed into swirling fog and the orb's golden glow quickly died.
'Well your placement has been set, Merlynna,' said Mrs Good as all four witches broke apart.
'What do you think I'll be doing?' asked Merlynna.
'That's for you to find out.'
Merlynna frowned. 'What if it's dangerous?'
'The orb wouldn't send you off into danger. In all my time, it never has. You will be fine.'
'I hope so–' The sudden clatter of smashing glass made Merlynna whip her head around. And as her gaze drew to a window above the long desk, she saw Fury barreling towards her. She yelped, as did Miss Harrower, Madame Joan and Mrs Good.
The winged cat then somehow dodged spell after spell cast by the caretakers until he hit the orb, bounced off and smashed through another window, disappearing once again.
Clutching the now teetering magical ball so it wouldn't drop to the floor and shatter, Mrs Good screeched, 'Wings or no wings, you'll be taking that cat with you.'