Named Under the Moon

Short Story | 8 Minute Read

This is another short story written for the NYC Midnight Short Story Competition. I believe I wrote this story in 2019. I was given the genre of fairy tale, but that is the only detail of the prompt I remember. The other fun fact about this story is the names within. Rufus, Chewy, and Buffy are all names of dogs in my life. Rufus was the first dog I ever had, and who I know mostly through photos of his presence around my infant form. Chewy and Buffy, however, are the two beagles who got me through some of the hardest times of my life. I do believe angels have fur and I am forever grateful I had two at once. I am happy I found this tiny way to pay homage to them.

This is a 8 minute read.

image created by Nicole Rivera using CanvaPro

NAMED UNDER THE MOON

Once upon a time I met a boy at the end of a dirt road on my thirteenth moonrise. 
“Hello, happy LunaLight,” he said. The coven hadn’t called it LunaLight in years.
“Thanks,” I said. 
“My name is Rufus,” he said, extending his hand to me. Rufus wasn’t supposed to be here. I looked at his hand and I think my fear must have shown. “I’m a warlock. It’s my LunaLight as well. Shall we walk together?”
“I’m supposed to go alone,” I said, taking my first steps down the road.
“So there’s no confusion for your familiar,” he said, following me. “There shouldn’t be.” He shrugged as he came up next to me and grabbed my hand. It felt warm and tingly. His magic was strong, but not threatening. 
Ferals gathered beneath the willow at the end of the road. I was to sit at the base of the tree and thank them. I love kittens. I’d been looking forward to that night for a long time. I could spend as much time as I’d like playing with them and sharing magic. It’s a feline free for all. I let all the kittens crawl on my legs. Their tiny kitten needle-nails were a torture that was easily forgiven in their cuteness. 
“Look at you,” Rufus said, crouched down petting one of the ferals. 
It was her. My kitten. The one I had been drawing for years. She and I were destined to be together and this warlock was petting her. 
“Why are you here?” I asked. 
“I told you, it’s my LunaLight,” he said, looking up with wildly playful eyes. 
“Warlocks don’t have LunaLights,” I said. Rufus was getting annoying. “And warlocks do not mingle with cats.”
His playful smile fell. “You sound like them,” he said, sitting in the middle of the dirt road next to my betraying kitten who scooted next to him, purring. 
“Like who?” I asked.
“The fatherhood,” he said. “They sent me to find my dog, but look at this little one. Aren’t we meant to be together?” 
I stood up. “I don’t think so,” I said. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to fight for this stupid feline. She didn’t even want me. The rest of them corralled around me, rubbing up against my legs, one nearly knocking me over.
Rufus laughed. “There he is!” He pointed to my feet. 
I looked down to see a big pawed, floppy-eared puppy chewing on a stick. He looked at me and my heart stopped. It was him, my puppy. I gasped.
“He won’t bite,” Rufus said, rolling his eyes.
“I know,” I said, unable to hold back tears. I pet him, our connection was undeniable. 
“I’m supposed to name him,” Rufus said.
“His name’s Chewy,” I said. He dropped his stick and licked my arm. It was warm, not as wet as I had imagined it would be, and wonderful.
“That’s a little obvious,” Rufus said. 
I shrugged. It wasn’t up to me, witches and puppies couldn’t mingle, so why did it matter?
“You’ve gotta come up with something better than that!” he picked up my kitten. “Like this little one -- she’s so fluffy, but should we call her Fluffy?”
“We?” I asked.
“The point is, her name is Buffy. Close to fluffy, but still a name,” Rufus said, rubbing her on his cheek as he walked her to me. “You think she’s yours?” 
I stood up to take her in my arms. She looked up to me with her knowing eyes. Of all the kittens that showed tonight, she was the only one I’d ever drawn. We had a connection, for sure. “I think so. I have to name her,” I said.
“And I have to name him.” Rufus bent down and gave Chewy his stick. “I’ll do Hewie.”
Looking into the eyes of my kitten I said, “I’ll call her Iris.” 
Bells chimed in the distance. Drums beat to the west.
“It’s time,” Rufus said.“Nice meeting you.” 
This was it. We’d never see each other again. He was taking Chewy with him. I leaned into the puppy. My heart broke as Iris began to purr in my arms. I released Chewy to find Rufus petting Iris, looking as lovelorn as I felt.
I returned to my coven to find the twelve awaiting my return. There were oos and ahhs at the site of Iris. A potion was presented and I drank as the matrons sang my MoonNight song, transforming me from a daughter to the thirteenth sister. 
I felt the magic infuse me and my skin illuminated. I was handed a broom, took my seat upon it, and called Iris to my side. 
She didn’t move.
I called again. It was as if she didn’t hear me.
I whispered, “Buffy?” She tilted her head in my direction and walked back in the direction of the dirt road. 
A murmur rumbled through the ceremony.
One witch asked, “What’s her name?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed.
Gasps surrounded me as another sound grew closer: a howl, followed by shouting. “Hewie! Stop!”
I saw Chewy running for me, with Rufus behind. “Chewy!” I said. “Stay!”
The puppy and Rufus stopped. Rufus almost missed Iris prowling through his legs. “Hey Buffy!” he said, immediately softening. 
The coven unleashed their wands, pointing them at Rufus. “Get that mongrel out of here!” my matron shouted, staring at Chewy. 
“No!” I screamed. “Chewy! Come!” He bound toward me, tongue and ears bouncing to the side of his face. The love I felt for this animal was greater than anything I ever felt before. He jumped on my broomstick and I took off. In an instant I chose the puppy over all else. 
By sunrise Rufus and Iris had joined us. Together we built a new society of mages at the end of the dirt road, next to the willow tree, with witches and warlocks and familiars of their choosing where we all lived happily ever after.

Leave a Comment and Don’t Hoard this Story!

Tell me about your most beloved pets — living or passed. Did you feel an almost magical bond with them? How did they stumble into your life?

If this is your first time here…

Don’t forget to subscribe so you get all of my story hoard delivered right to your inbox every time a new piece is released!

Or use the APP!

Substack has an APP now! Do you love to engage with the internet via a mobile device? If you are working with ios, then you can now download the new Substack APP and read your stories there! Click below: