{"id":4754,"date":"2022-05-15T22:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T02:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/?p=4754"},"modified":"2022-06-01T22:13:32","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T02:13:32","slug":"an-equivalent-mass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/2022\/05\/an-equivalent-mass\/","title":{"rendered":"An Equivalent Mass"},"content":{"rendered":"

Content warning: this story contains depictions of abused animals. (And comeuppance. If depictions of abused animals upset you \u2014 that\u2019s ok! They should! \u2014 feel free to not-read knowing the bastard gets what\u2019s coming to him.)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The three animals stepped into the clearing in the woods: a siamese cat with a bit of airs about her, a young pit bull who was a bit too excited to be lost, and an old Labrador retriever. Clearly someone\u2019s beloved pets, all three looked bedraggled and, though not badly injured, certainly unhappy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cat stopped suddenly and sat down, looking at the two dogs as if they had straight up lost their minds. The pit bull balked as well. The log cabin that stood in front of them didn\u2019t look safe. The southern end\u2019s roof had collapsed and a tree grown up in the space. The northern end was leaning dangerously to the left. The porch roof looked scorched by fire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Labrador paused with the others for a moment. The animals exchanged looks. The lab, not convinced by the others\u2019 concerns, stepped forward to lead the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As they approached the house, a brick fell off the chimney and smashed on the ground. The cat jumped up on top of the pit bull and refused to climb back down even after the pittie shook himself.<\/p>\n

The animals climbed the rickety stairs onto the porch. They stared at the door.<\/p>\n

A middle-aged woman stood on the other side of a crooked brown storm door. \u201cLost in the woods, huh? Family lives three hundred away, over the mountains? And you want to get home?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She stared at them for a moment, then sighed. \u201cCome on in.\u201d She swung the screen door open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The lab pawed at the air.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m not a goddess, I\u2019m a witch. I don\u2019t care what the Saint Bernard told you\u2026 you\u2019ll understand the difference soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Inside, the cabin was whole, undamaged, and much larger than it looked on the outside. The large room\u2019s southern door led to a sunny kitchen with a solid roof and no errant trees. The northern wall over the basement stairwell was covered in framed pictures of animals, mostly pets, but the occasional bear, raccoon, and deer as well. The back room appeared to be a bedroom.<\/p>\n

The cabin wasn\u2019t crowded, but it wasn\u2019t empty either. A dozen dogs and cats lounged in pet beds, climbed the furniture,\u00a0 <\/span>or played with toys strewn about everywhere.<\/p>\n

Only the large steel cage, big enough for an elephant, in the northeast corner, hinted at anything other than a dog\u2019s paradise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The old woman looked down at the trio and sighed again. \u201cLet\u2019s take a look at you.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The pit bull woofed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t do examinations? Would you rather go back outside?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The pit bull looked away, and woofed again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I thought.\u201d The witch\u2019s hands began to glow with a magical light. She picked up the cat and inspected her. \u201cSassy, eh? Fitting name. You\u2019re in good shape for your age, though I\u2019m guessing you\u2019d prefer wet food over dry considering those teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, she examined the pit bull. \u201cChance, huh? Maybe you\u2019re the one they should\u2019ve named Sassy,\u201d she commented after a moment. \u201cNot even a year old, I\u2019m guessing. How did you manage to lose two front claws already if you\u2019ve only been lost for two days? Escaping a bear? Well yes, I suppose that would do it\u2026 Nothing wrong with you that a little antibiotic cream won\u2019t clear up.\u201d She rubbed the salve on Chance\u2019s injured paws and set him back down on the floor. \u201cBefore you try licking it off let me warn you that it\u2019s made with hot peppers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The witch motioned to the black lab. \u201cYou\u2019ve got some years on you, sir. Twelve, huh? Your people must love you very much. Yes, I see why they named you Shadow. No, I think the grey muzzle looks stately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chance went tearing by the witch and the lab, tongue hanging out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a bowl of milk in the kitchen,\u201d the witch called after him. She turned her attention back to Shadow. \u201cYou can warn the young ones but they don\u2019t listen anyway,\u201d she said. \u201cI suppose you already know that if you\u2019ve had a run-in with a bear\u2026 yes, of course that\u2019s why you sought me out.\u201d She stood up. \u201cYou\u2019re in good shape for your age, but I\u2019ll bet that hip arthritis is giving you trouble. Her hand glowed brighter for a moment. Shadow visibly relaxed. \u201cYeah, I\u2019ll bet that\u2019s a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thee witch he called her new guests back over. \u201cThere\u2019s another guest coming in momentarily, so I\u2019m going to make this quick. I\u2019m not a goddess, I\u2019m a witch. The treatment you just received, a bed, and a meal for the first night is free. But if you stay longer than that, there\u2019s a price.\u201d<\/p>\n

The animals conferred. Sassy meowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cost for staying a few days until I take you home? Some minor injuries would work best, I suppose. No one would believe you travelled through the mountains for 300 miles without a single injury, and I don\u2019t need you drawing anyone\u2019s attention to my operation. You won\u2019t have to limp very far, though. There\u2019s a suitable place to drop you near your home.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She paused. \u201cThe cost for leaving is doing it on your own\u2026 once you leave, you won\u2019t be able to come back. I won\u2019t pick you up a second time if you\u2019re not willing to pay the price for my hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shadow snorted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right, the Saint Bernard was quite mistaken when he called me a goddess.\u201d The witch stood with her arms crossed and waited.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The three animals decided to stay, though clearly there was some disagreement.<\/p>\n

The animals took the time to introduce themselves to the others, then started to settle into the beds around the cabin.<\/p>\n

The witch sat at her chair by the fire and read the news on her phone. \u201cThe Antarctic situation is getting worse,\u201d she told a tabby who was batting at a stray wisp of her hair. \u201cKrill populations are way down. At this rate I\u2019m going to need to consider how to rescue a blue whale.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch\u2019s phone chirped. She tapped the screen. The cabin shook, as if a small earthquake had rolled through. The witch glanced out the window. Instead of a learning in a forest, they were in a clearing in a desert. \u201cHere again? That\u2019s the third time this month. How many dogs does that guy have?\u201d<\/p>\n

A moment later, she half-carried, half-dragged a bulldog off the front porch. He had clearly gotten the worst of someone\u2019s temper. The dog was bleeding in multiple places, and bruised in many other. \u201cYou\u2019re going to need more than salve,\u201d the witch muttered, pouring potions from the kitchen shelves into a dog bowl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The dog was so hurt that she had to guide his face to the dish so that he could find it. \u201cDrink. It\u2019ll take away the pain and help you sleep.\u201d The dog took a long drink and sighed. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s the good stuff.\u201d She wrapped his wounds in bandages and salve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The potion began working even before all of the dog\u2019s wounds were wrapped, and he was able to get on his feet. \u201cYou, Chance, Shadow, come give Charlie here a hand.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The dogs jumped to their feet and flanked Charlie so that if he lost his balance, he\u2019d tip into them instead of falling over. Shadow guided Charlie to the softest bed on the floor, and with a quiet woof displaced the three cats that had taken it as their napping spot. Charlie sniffed Shadow\u2019s ear in thanks. He curled up on the soft bed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance returned to the witch\u2019s side and sat down, his ears back, his tail wagging timidly. \u201cOh, no, honey, he\u2019ll be okay. The potions just take a little time when you\u2019re in bad shape. He\u2019s still got life and love in him.\u201d She scratched Chance behind his ears.<\/p>\n

The next morning started with the pickup of an extremely confused beagle in the suburbs of a large city. \u201cRoscoe, your people need to get that gate repaired,\u201d the witch said. Roscoe wagged. \u201cWhat\u2019ll it be this time? Ear mites? Ticks?\u201d she asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Roscoe dropped an extremely well-chewed tennis ball on the floor and wagged.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I can\u2019t take your favorite toy as payment, Roscoe. If I did that we\u2019d have toys from the basement to the attic and no room for dogs. How about fleas? They\u2019ll only itch a little, and once you share them with your owners maybe they\u2019ll learn their lesson and get that gate fixed. Oh I know! Fox scat!\u201d<\/p>\n

The witch tapped some commands on her phone. The cabin\u2019s rumble was short. Based on the view from Sassy\u2019s window seat, they\u2019d moved only a few blocks. Roscoe bounded out the front door and down the sidewalk of what appeared to be an abandoned suburban home. As soon as he bounced out of the gate he stopped. He rolled in a very large pile of very smelly fox poop that just happened to be on the sidewalk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When he was done rolling, Roscoe turned to the left, and the witch yelled out the door, \u201cNo, you idiot, you live across the street!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The beagle turned and panted at the witch. He crossed the street and scratched at the front door. The woman who opened the front door gagged as Roscoe trotted past her int the house.<\/p>\n

Sassy climbed down from the window and meowed at the witch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch poured herself a mug of tea before she replied. \u201cOh, I assure you, rolling in fox scat is certainly a price. Or rather, a bath is a price. Roscoe\u2019s already been marched up to the bathtub, where both he and his people will spend the next hour trying to get sticky fox scat out of his fur. It\u2019s not going to be pleasant for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sassy licked her paws and stared at the witch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t I just keep him? A scatter-brained beagle with only a half an idea what \u2018house trained\u2019 means? No, he has people of his own. People who need him to sooth their minds and be their conscience. I\u2019m not like them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow had the look of the dog who disagreed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie woke with a start, then ran laps around the cabin like a puppy who had just discovered the joy of running. He stopped in front of the witch, stood firmly on all fours, and barked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I see that. All healed up, huh?\u201d The witch smiled. \u201cReady to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dog hop-barked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWherever you want. However you want.\u201d She paused when the big dog growled. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to go back, Charlie. He almost killed you. You don\u2019t have to have anyone as your person any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the animals in the cabin raised their heads. Some, like Shadow, didn\u2019t look like they could imagine leaving their person voluntarily. Others, like the nervous Chihuahua with the bruised ribs in the kitchen, looked extremely excited at the concept.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The idea appealed to Charlie as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen we certainly are not going to take you back to the desert\u2026 he said he\u2019d hunt you down anywhere? No, that\u2019s not going to happen either. We\u2019re going to make sure it doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

The witch paused a moment, listening. \u201cWell, what if you weren\u2019t a dog anymore? Then he wouldn\u2019t recognize you. And you could live anywhere. If you could go anywhere and be anyone in the whole world, Charlie, what would you pick?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dog snuffled and paced for a bit, chased a few cats for their opinions, moved among the packs of dogs for theirs, then returned to the witch. He woofed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA bulldog? Charlie you\u2019re already a bulldog.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie woofed again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh! A bull! Like a bull-bull. A large male cow. Horns and the whole bit.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie wagged his tail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes I can do that. I\u2019m a witch. But, Charlie, if I transmute you to a bull you\u2019ll have to be a baby. I can only transform from one shape to another when it\u2019s an equal amount of mass. You would be, well, you\u2019d be a highly underweight premature baby bull. I couldn\u2019t guarantee your safety.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charlie\u2019s eyes dropped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what about a gazelle?\u201d the witch asked. \u201cYou\u2019re about the right size for a buck. They get to run around, fight, all the things you\u2019re asking for.\u201d She pulled up a picture on her phone of two gazelle sparring. \u201cYes, they\u2019re a lot like horns. You could definitely gore a human if they got too close to your herd.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that, it was decided. The witch said an incantation over the dog, then tapped him on the head. She used her phone to move the cabin to the grasslands of Africa. A herd of gazelle stared at the cabin from a safe distance away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch opened the front door, and Charlie burst out into his new form, then bounced through the trees to the herd.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat herd lost their buck a few days ago to an illness,\u201d the witch said to two of the nearby dogs. \u201cHe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sassy meowed from her seat at the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no, there\u2019s no price for him. His price will be paid by his person, rest assured.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow whined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will I do to his person? Kill him, obviously.\u201d The witch replied.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance whined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not the same as putting him down. No, it isn\u2019t. Look, you haven\u2019t seen what I\u2019ve seen! Some people, they\u2019re broken. Your loyalty is displaced. They aren\u2019t going to stop hurting \u2014 they have to go.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow huffed, then half-barked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not arguing about this with you. I\u2019ve got things to do.\u201d The witch stormed down to the basement. The animals in the house gathered in nervous groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next day was much like the first. The cabin traveled from place to place, all over the globe. They picked up lost animals and helped them find their way home. They picked up runaways and helped them heal and find new homes. The witch showed every animal love, even the grumpy polar bear who slept in the big cage overnight. (\u201cIt\u2019s not that I don\u2019t trust you,\u201d the witch said, \u201cit\u2019s just that you\u2019re a bear and everyone else here is snack food in comparison.\u201d)<\/p>\n

Even the witch noticed that she only spoke about people with a hint of contempt. A terrier who lost her people while chasing a squirrel was inconsolable. The witch was about to say\u00a0 <\/span>something sarcastic, when Shadow caught her eye, and she sighed. \u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019re just as unhappy about it as you are,\u201d she said instead. \u201cWe\u2019ll get you home as soon as we can.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That night, the witch sat in front of the fire and knit. She tapped the phone and announced that they were \u201coff duty\u201d. At Chance\u2019s curious look she explained. \u201cI\u2019m not the only witch on the lookout for those who need help,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Council of Witches set the schedule, so that we can still do things like sleep, and eat, and lay curses on newborn princesses and their christenings.\u201d She laughed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow rested his head on the witch\u2019s knee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a good dog,\u201d the witch said, petting him. \u201cYour people must be very special to have earned a dog as good as you are\u2026 they\u2019re not your first people? Oh, you\u2019re all rescues? I wouldn\u2019t have guessed for as much as you love them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dog sighed a big sigh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 I didn\u2019t have a very good relationship with my people,\u201d the witch said. \u201cAnd in this business, you don\u2019t see many of the good ones. You mostly see, well, people like the man who beat up Charlie.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow licked the witch\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo to watch the reunions? No. no, I wouldn\u2019t want to pry. And more importantly, I wouldn\u2019t want someone to think I was after their pet. People can be very protective of their animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shadow laid down and rested her head on the witch\u2019s feet. In a few moments, he was snoring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA dog like you, well, a person can see why,\u201d the witch whispered quietly to herself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the witch\u2019s phone chirped the next morning, she cursed. \u201cBack to the desert,\u201d she muttered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This time, when the witch carried the young Irish setter into the cabin, the dog had lost consciousness from her injuries. The witch was furious, but didn\u2019t let her anger distract her from the medical tasks she faced. The woman mixed potions and salves with magical spells and healing words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the witch worked, Chance laid down against the setter\u2019s back to lend his warmth. He licked the pup\u2019s ear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sassy kept watch at the window, and rallied the other cats to do the same. A lost animal or a runaway was one thing \u2014 they rarely had pursuers. The cats knew that there was a predator on the loose outside, and spotting it before it spotted the cabin was a top priority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow sat by the witch\u2019s side, wordlessly giving her a companion and a witness. When she tired, he licked the sweat from her cheek. When she cried, he leaned against her for comfort.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After too long a time working on what seemed a hopeless mission, the witch sat back against the wall. \u201cThat\u2019s all I can give her. Th healing potions will work, or they won\u2019t. If she lives to morning, it\u2019ll be because she wants to live more than he wanted to kill her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0 <\/span>They moved the setter, whose tags said \u201cRose\u201d to the same bed that Charlie slept on. The dog roused herself just enough to lick the witch\u2019s hand. \u201cHush now, sleep, Rose. You need your energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cabin\u2019s occupants slept like those who were waiting for any groan, any creak, any whistle, to mean that the enemy had come upon them. Whether that enemy was Death or the predator that invited him was of no matter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch woke with a wish that she still drank coffee. \u201cMy head is pounding today, friends,\u201d she said to the cats who prowled the window sills and the kitchen counter. The witch brewed some tea, and was about to sit down to a light breakfast when Sassy and two other cats yowled an angry alarm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch looked at her phone, tapped a few buttons, and snapped her fingers, instantly changing out of her pajamas into more presentable clothes. Her phone had transformed into a mahogany staff of considerable length. \u201cDon\u2019t look so shocked,\u201d she laughed at Sassy look of amazement. \u201cDid you really think I didn\u2019t have a wand?\u201d<\/p>\n

A man beat against the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not taking visitors today,\u201d the witch called politely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOpen this door and give me my dog!\u201d the man yelled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019re doing this,\u201d the witch sighed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow and Chance, along with three other medium-sized dogs, stood at the door, hackles up. The witch was momentarily taken aback by their loyalty. \u201cIf I thought it would put an end to things, pups, I would absolutely let you chase him down.\u201d She ordered the dogs back from the door, then opened it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I help you?\u201d the witch said sweetly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The man was twice the size of the witch, tall and thick with muscles. He carried a length of chain stained with blood and a leash and collar studded with prongs. \u201cYou\u2019re the bitch stealing my dogs,\u201d he spat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t stolen an animal my whole life,\u201d the witch replied. Hands on her hips and chin up, she looked like a defiant child trying to stare down a furious adult. Chance and Shadow exchanged glances, then jogged forward, flanking the witch on both sides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rose weakly clambered off of her bed and walked to the front door. She recognized Chance and Shadow from the night before, and pulled up at Shadow\u2019s side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRosie baby! There you are!\u201d the man said in a high falsetto that reeked of you-are-in-so-much-trouble.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rose looked up at the witch, then out at the man.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can go if you want to,\u201d the witch said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rose turned toward the cabin beds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you turn your back on\u2014\u201c the man yelled. As he swung his arm down to grab Rose by the back of the neck, his stroke was blocked by the witch\u2019s staff. She flipped the staff this way and that, tapping the man in the head and both shoulders, before using the staff to push him back to the door.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The man lunged forward at the witch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance, Shadow, and Rose all lunged forward at the man. He stepped back again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRose, do you want to stay?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The tall, skinny Irish setter paused in her growling long enough for a quick tail wag, then returned to her growl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe lady would like you to leave,\u201d the witch said, gesturing to Rose, \u201cAnd I would like you to leave as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dogs stepped forward snarling again, but this time the man didn\u2019t step back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t think you can threaten me with your dogs,\u201d the man growled.<\/p>\n

The witch laughed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThreaten you with my dogs? Sir, I do not threaten.\u201d She waved a finger, and the chain jumped out of the man\u2019s hands. It danced around him like a snake, then wrapped itself around him tightly, growing and stretching until he could move neither his arms nor his legs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cats gave the witch a look of approval. They knew what \u201cplaying with the prey\u201d looked like. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do not need to threaten.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The chain pulled the man into the large cage in the dark corner of the cabin. A plush sofa popped into existence. The chain shortened until the man had no choice but to sit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance woofed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s forbidden. The Council that controls the cabins would strip me of my powers and send me back out on the streets. Cuts, bruises, even cancer, no problem. Depression? Fair game. Fixing this? This would be changing his personality and that\u2019s off limits.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow sneezed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be best for everyone,\u201d the witch replied.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow sneezed again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like with one of these people. You don\u2019t understand!\u201d the witch argued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow stood up on his hind legs, waving his paws at the witch. For the first time, she saw the scars that the old dog\u2019s first people had caused.<\/p>\n

The witch paused, listening. Tears filled her eyes. \u201cWell sometimes animals are monsters too, and we have to put them down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shadow sat down and sneezed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rose nuzzled the witch\u2019s hand. The witch\u2019s shoulders fell. \u201cYou do too? After all the things he did to you?\u201d She stroked the setter\u2019s healed face. \u201cOkay then. I\u2019ll do my best.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>She pulled herself back together before she turned to face the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dogs have asked me to show you some mercy, and treat you like an injured animal instead of a murderer.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sassy meowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cats think I should kill you, to absolutely no one\u2019s surprise,\u201d the witch added. \u201cNow, let\u2019s take a look at you.\u201d The witch walked into the cage, and pulled the door shut.<\/p>\n

The man\u2019s chains disappeared. He jumped to his feet and charged the witch, but try as he might he couldn\u2019t reach her. He ran in place as if he was on a treadmill. When he reached out to grab her his hands passed right through her. The witch waited, silently, until the man was too exhausted to continue, and sat back down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch put her hands on either side of the man\u2019s head. Her fingers entwined in his grimy hair when he tried to yank away from her touch, but her magic was stronger than his fear. Her hands glowed around the man\u2019s head. The strain of the battle showed on both their faces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d The witch let go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The man collapsed against the back of the sofa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019re a broken being, you are,\u201d the witch said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen some broken animals in my time. You were broken at birth and then they beat you\u2026 and you broke further\u2026 oh, this isn\u2019t good.\u201d<\/p>\n

A stool popped into existence, and the witch sat down on it. She thought in silence for a few moments. All of the animals gathered around the cage, watching silently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to live?\u201d she asked the man.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He spat an expletive at her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, seriously. I\u2019m not threatening you, I\u2019m asking you. When a bear or a wolverine seeks me out with injuries like yours, they do so because they don\u2019t want to live in pain and anger and fear anymore. You \u2014 we \u2014 are more like the wolverine than the dog. If you are done with all this pain and anger, I can end it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me my dog and let me go.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI put down one of your dogs recently. No, don\u2019t try to deny it, I can see her in your memories. You didn\u2019t love her. You used her. She was just something you could destroy, and you wanted to destroy. She loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man on the sofa rose to his feet, and tried again to attack the witch. He hurled such profanities that many of the animals cowered. Still, the witch sat on her stool.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will make you the same offer I made to the dogs you destroyed,\u201d she said when he had once again exhausted himself and sat down.<\/p>\n

The man\u2019s face was furious. All he wanted was revenge. He was barely listening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you wish it, I will end your suffering. If you prefer to live, I will change your form to one that will cause no more harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I turned you into a bear, or a boar, or heck, even a collection of stoats, you would be the nastiest creature in the forest. The other animals would continue to suffer. If I leave you as a human, you will have learned nothing and your reign of terror would continue. But I must turn you into something of equal mass\u2026 and you\u2019re not exactly the size of a mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man snarled and yelled obscenities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch thought.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance pawed at her staff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to see my phone? You\u2019re a dog.\u201d The witch shook her head and transmuted the staff back into a phone. The man paused in his yelling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance waved a paw at the phone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe news I was talking about the other day?\u201d She flipped through the history. The article on endangered krill in the Antarctic lit the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn equal mass of krill\u2026 hmm\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chance panted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch looked around the room. \u201cChanging him into an equal mass of krill would spare his life. He would continue to live, as a very angry mass of microorganisms in the Antarctic ocean. Are there any objections this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shadow snorted. Rose followed suit.<\/p>\n

The witch returned her attention to the man. \u201cOne more time: would you rather live or die?\u201d<\/p>\n

He began to curse at her again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEnough! Live, or die?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLive!\u201d he snapped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cNo use waiting any longer, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

The witch fetched a large washbasin from the basement and dusted out the cobwebs. She set the basin in front of the cage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a freak. You\u2019re crazy. You can\u2019t turn people into krill! That\u2019s not even possible! Let me out of here!\u201d<\/p>\n

The witch called to the animals. \u201cBack up!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They scattered in all directions, hiding under furniture or behind the kitchen door. Shadow and Rose both stayed closer than the others. Their eyes never left the man. Their hackles never dropped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch pulled the cage door open and the man charged her. As his foot crossed over the threshold of the cage, it transformed into krill, causing him to lose his balance and tumble forward. His whole body transmuted to krill as it fell forward. The witch waved her hands again, and the entire mass of krill poured itself into the washtub.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch tapped her phone screen, which turned back into a staff. She held the staff in both hands, high over her head. The cabin rumbled a long, long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as everyone got their wits about them, the cabin lurched and leaned to the right. \u201cHad to land us on an ice sheet. I just gave a herd of sea lions the scare of their lives.\u201d The witch cackled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch levitated the entire wash basin of krill through the front door, then dropped it unceremoniously into the ocean. It sank. \u201cI did\u2019t like that washtub much anyway,\u201d she gasped as the effort of what she\u2019d done washed over her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sassy pushed the front door closed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch raised the staff over her head one more time. A long rumble later, the cabin was nestled back in the clearing in the woods where Shadow, Chance, and Sassy had found it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch collapsed into her chair and drank her entire mug of tea. \u201cNot as effective, but tastier,\u201d she said. Tapping the screen one more time, she announced. \u201cYou know, I don\u2019t care that Roscoe got out again, one of the others can handle it. We\u2019re taking the rest of the day off.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That night, Rose took Shadow\u2019s place at the witch\u2019s feet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next morning, the witch called Shadow, Chance, and Sassy forward. \u201cToday\u2019s the day,\u201d she said. She tapped Shadow\u2019s address tags with her phone, and the cabin shifted locations yet again. \u201cYou\u2019re less than a quarter of a mile from home and, yes, your people are outside right now wishing they knew where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShadow\u2026\u201d The witch bent down next to the old retriever. \u201cA witch could use a conscience. There\u2019s a place for you here \u2014 all of you \u2014 if you want to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cat wound around her ankles and the two dogs thunked their tails on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, yes of course your children need you,\u201d The witch sighed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow woofed.<\/p>\n

Rose pawed at the witch\u2019s arm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2026 you want to stay with me? Are you sure you don\u2019t want to go somewhere else? Do something amazing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose woofed, and sat at the witch\u2019s side. She grinned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The witch lined the three animals up again and tapped them each on the head while chanting under her breath.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to forget everything when you leave the clearing and enter the field ahead of us,\u201d the witch explained. \u201cSassy, you\u2019ll have a torn ear from a fight with a bobcat that you boldly escaped. Chance, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s a nose full of porcupine quills for you. Shadow, well, nobody\u2019s going to believe that hip healed during the journey, so the arthritis is coming back, buddy. But you\u2019ll be home with your people before the night is over.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She opened the door to the cabin and the three animals bounded across the clearing. Sassy and Chance dove into the trees. Shadow stopped and turned, looking at the witch and the setter and wagging his tail once last time. \u201cGet going,\u201d the witch called. \u201cI have another pick-up to get to!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He bounded into the trees and disappeared from her sight.<\/p>\n

Photo by Ken Reid<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Content warning: this story contains depictions of abused animals. (And comeuppance. If depictions of abused animals upset you \u2014 that\u2019s ok! They should! \u2014 feel free to not-read knowing the bastard gets what\u2019s coming to him.)\u00a0 The three animals stepped into the clearing in the woods: a siamese cat with a bit of airs about … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “An Equivalent Mass”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[197],"tags":[198,101,6],"class_list":["post-4754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fiction","tag-dogs","tag-fantasy","tag-fiction"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kirabug.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/5D8364E0-1129-40EB-945F-AD68833C0A64-scaled.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1313&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdUhYo-1eG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4754"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4903,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4754\/revisions\/4903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kirabug.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}