Writing prompt:
I was strolling along Park Lane South where the horse and carriages are lined up on the pavement near Central Park when one of the drivers called out to me and said, "Excuse me! I need to leave for a few minutes. Would you mind sitting up here and minding my carriage in the meantime?" I had no pressing matters to attend to and thought it a rare opportunity that Chance had landed me, so I stepped up into the cab and took the reins. The driver then vanished. A few moments later ....
As they were cleaning themselves getting ready for a nap, I pet each one of them. One was a striped tabby, two were black, two were orange and one was calico. Six beautiful kittens.
As I pet the calico, I felt a sharp bump in its shoulder blade. I pulled the fur back and I saw the beginnings of a wing. I checked the other side, another wing. I was stunned.
The remaining kittens had the same wings. Elated I eagerly waited for the driver to come back and explain this miracle.
An hour went by and no driver returned. The horse was getting hungry and restless. I got him some hay from a wayward bale left nearby.
Another hour passed; kittens are sound asleep now. I asked some of the other carriage drivers if they knew who the carriage I was minding belonged to. No one knew.
I was left with a problem. What am I to do with this horse, carriage and box of kittens with wings? Suddenly the driver appeared. “Sorry for taking so long; thanks for waiting.”
Miffed I nodded and asked about the kittens. “I heard the kittens cry and took the liberty to feed them, what are you planning to do with them?”
“What kittens?” he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
“These kittens in the box,” I replied.
“I had no idea there were kittens in the cab. You can have them,” the driver responded quickly and sped away in haste.
“OK then, I will be on my way.” I grabbed the box and in these few short hours the kittens became full grown cats with fully formed wings. “Oh my.” I muttered under my breath. I covered the box with my sweater and started home.
I am not sure what happened, but I got lost walking in the direction I had walked for years. I stopped to get my bearings and the box of kittens was getting heavy. They were watching me walk, their heads bobbing up and down.
“Where am I?”
Suddenly a white winged cat swooped past me. The kittens now grown cats were meowing loudly as if calling out to the white cat. The white cat landed; she was the size of a Thanksgiving turkey. I put the box on the ground. The white cat with wings smelled the box and the kittens and she covered them with her huge six foot wing span.
“Thank you for rescuing my babies; that driver works for an evil man who wanted to drown and kill my children. I am forever grateful to you. As payment for your kindness, as a reward here is a box of gold to use as you wish.” And with that she and her babies were gone.
“But wait, how can I contact you?” I shouted in the dust.
Puzzled, I gathered myself and looked for a way home with the box under my arm. Here were all the familiar streets I traveled, yet I knew that I had been in the presence of magic. I couldn’t tell anyone, however. no one would believe I rescued a box of winged kitties who were about to be killed and that their mother - a white winged cat - found us. Scratching my head, I arrived home.
Settling down I opened the box of gold and I knew I would be quite well off for a long time to come.
March 2022
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