A startled yelp escaped her at the sight of the unfamiliar masked man. She stumbled back, hitting the door behind her, slamming it shut, and nearly dropping her purse and lunchbox in the process. All the while her feline companion sat and watched the proceedings from the bed with a lazy, uninterested expression. The tip of Star’s fluffy white tail gently twitched before she yawned.
Not at all phased by Junipers reaction, the young masked man held out an envelope to Juniper. “For you.” He stated simply as Juniper stood staring at him.
Hesitantly she pushed away from the door to take the cream hued envelope and just like that the young man disappeared from sight, leaving her with the stationary gripped lightly between her thumb and fingers. There was no doubt that this was somehow connected to Other Ashdown. How else could someone just disappear like that? Funny though. She had thought the whole magic thing was only done in the other world.
With the man gone, Juniper looked at the envelope more closely. The odd fragrance of burnt orange filled her senses which drifted to her tongue giving her an odd taste. Curious, she walked to her bed (the whole 5 steps it took) and dropped her bags at the foot before collapsing onto the piece of furniture. Tearing the envelope open she pulled out the letter inside:
The Court of the Sorrowful One
requests your attendance on the eve of the red moon
at a dance to honor the tithe of the otherworld.
Come alone or in a pair.
Please arrive at moonrise and appropriately dressed.
The unmasking will occur at moonset.
A hand reached out to pet Star’s head as she read through the invitation a second and third time.
“A dance.” She mused. “I would never have expected something like this from that place.” The last and only time she had been in Other Ashdown hadn’t necessarily felt like the most welcoming of events.
“I wonder who The Sorrowful One is though?” She tapped the invitation against her stomach as she thought.
Rolling onto her side she gathered Star into her arms and pulled the feline close to her body to snuggle. “What do you think? Should I go?” She questioned the cat who lay purring in her arms. “I mean, it’s an invitation. I am sure someone will be interested in actually meeting me and not being rude about it. Plus, what if I don’t go? Would they be offended and get angry?” She felt a bit uneasy about that last thought.
She lay there for awhile, contemplating her options. There was a lot that could go wrong in either situation but there was the possibility, if she went, that she could learn more about Other Ashdown. After all, despite her last experience, she was very curious about the place.
She heaved a sighed., decision made. “I might as well. What do I have to loose, right?” With a smile she focused her scratching ministrations on Star’s head, onto the singularly marked ear. “The question is, what am I going to wear?” She eyed her closed that primarily consisted of work clothes and costumes for festivals. She didn’t have anything that she would consider suitable for a dance. “I’ll figure something out, even if it’s something simple.”
Pushing herself up from the bed she looked down at Star. “Well, Star, I am sure you’re hungry. I know I am. How about I get dinner for the two of us, huh?” She smiled at the feline who took the extra space to stretched out her furry body, digging claws into the well worn comforter. Juniper chuckled and shook her head. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Count: 673 (doesn’t include the invitation)
