Witchy Gossip

20250508

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

“And did you hear about Ms Slythwart?”
Maude grinned. “Do tell!”
“Weeeell…” Trish paused to take a dainty sip of tea. “You know how she’d been going out with that banker…”
“Oh, don’t draw it out! What did he do and what did she turn him into?”
“Tsk.” Trish shook her head. No respect for the art of gossip! And precious little patience. But you had to cut best friends slack, particularly when you’d been a pair since school. So she simply relayed “He convinced her to take out some investments he swore would pay back, and the bottom fell out of them, so now he’s a bearded lizard.”
“Oh, well…” Maude shrugged, her manner clearly indicating that this fate was uninspired but perfectly fair. “She’s got to be running out of space in that basement.”
“She’s started giving the older ones to her grandchildren as pets.”
“No!” Maude put her teacup down so she could gawp properly.
“Yes.” Trish sniffed. “I told her that it’s not right giving creepy old men to children, even if they are now reptiles, and she had the nerve to laugh!”
They both tutted fiercely.
“No wonder she went and became an enchantress.”
“Right? The old Missus Slythwart would be spinning in her graves. Glad she didn’t have to see what her granddaughter did with the Talent.”
“Ugh.” Maude shook her head and grabbed another iced finger. “Should have left things to her youngest. I mean, I know why she didn’t, but Shaun’s lot has turned out very well considering. Imagine what young Mindy could do with it.”
Trish paused, her eyes lining up for once as she stared at her friend. “…You haven’t heard?”
“Heard?” Maude tilted her head.
“About Mindy.”
“No? What…?”
Trish looked down at her plate, spoon rattling around her teacup. “She’s… She had an accident while working on her Level 6. Apparently she was trying to get that crackpot spell of her father working.”
Maude’s hand shot to her mouth. “The experimental banishment one?”
Trish nodded.
“For a Level 6 exam? What teacher signed off on-”
“Nobody.” Trish patted her arm reassuringly. “She picked it for the theory coursework. And, well, it would be a fun challenge to analyse, wouldn’t it? What with ‘eschewing the shackles of conventional structure’. No-one expected her to ever try casting it.”
“And… it…?”
Trish shook her head and mumbled “We don’t know what it did. Just that she’s… gone. And no-one’s been able to find her, much less contact her or try and bring her back.”
“Oh no.” Maude pushed her plate aside. The treats no longer appealed and this called for a far stronger drink than tea. “I-I need a shot of nightshade. Want some?”
“Oh, well, if you’re getting the bottle out anyway…” Trish pushed her cup over. “We haven’t given up yet. The Coven’s got Al in.”
“Al?”
“Alistair. That warlock chap.”
“Ah, him. He’s a good egg. Hopefully…”
Trish nodded and managed a soft smile. “Hopefully.”

Prompt was “Write a gossip session between two friends which suddenly turns very serious.”