What the Rain Washes Away

By Kevin Densmore

In a familar neighborhood a young woman sits in her parents garden and comtemplates her life. Before she makes a fateful descision that will not only impact her life but the lives of those around her she begins a journey through her own memories and gets paid a vist by a strange black cat.

 

Come on a journey with a young woman as she discovers who she is and why she is here. As she discovers that life is worth living and that magic is indeed real.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kevin Densmore
• Release date: Mar 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393974178

Kevin Densmore

Kevin began writing short stories when he was an awkward teenager living in a small town in Alabama. Now as an awkward adult, Kevin now lives in a small town in Illinois and still writes short stories. Only this time he is releasing his madness into the world.

Book preview

Before the story begins.....An Introduction.

This novella was originally intended to be a short story inspired by and written for my original editor. Unfortunately, something happened and inspiration and ideas changed. Stories must still be told. I was asked not to publish it, but that would have been a crime within itself.  After rereading the original story, I was quite proud of it. I sent it off to various other people and all of them told me the same thing: Publish it. Some said the message was powerful. Others said it shined a light of hope on those who might be contemplating taking their own lives. Other’s applauded that I discussed an ailment that is not particularly mentioned in popular fictional literature. A couple were just happy that I put a positive spin on witchcraft.  I decided that I would go through the original story and just rewrite it. Not from the ground up, but doctoring it and changing things as I saw fit. I know my original editor is going to be unhappy that I published it, but she should have known I was always going to do so. Every story deserves to be told.  I can’t worry about what one person thinks.  No matter how important that one person may be. In a way, this is still HER story. In a way, it is not. This is a story about a witch. This is a story for those who have ever felt like giving up. This is a story for those who are sick, yet can still see a light off in the distance. This is a story about a black cat. Above all else, this is MY story. A wonderful work of fiction I am proud of and I hope whoever is reading will enjoy. Now turn the page, and maybe for the next couple of hours, or however long it takes you to read this, I will make you believe in magic. Now let's learn how hope really works.....

Prologue: Issadora’s Request

Issadora stared out of her kitchen window and into her backyard. She saw Jynx was happily following her neighbor’s son, Maxwell, around. The black cat would playfully swipe up at the little bizarre, flying, creation that Maxwell had brought to life today. At some point Issadora was going to have to talk to the little boy and explain to him exactly what low profile meant. For now it was just mere innocent, childish antics and he was, after all, just playing.

There was suddenly a call coming from the young boy's mother, who was leaning out of her backdoor, telling Maxwell it was time to wash up for dinner. Maxwell bent down, petted Jynx on the head, and turned to go inside his home. Issadora smiled as Jynx slowly made his way over to her backdoor where she opened it and let the feline in.

Jynx, Issadora said, as she knelt down to the cat’s level. It’s time to go and gather her.

Jynx stretched out, before sitting up and staring at Issadora, as if he was a soldier awaiting her orders.

Issadora smiled at her familiar and said softly, She is in her mother’s garden, now go to her and take her to the woods. I will meet you there.

Jynx meowed loudly then vanished in a small puff of white smoke, leaving behind the faint scent of jasmine and sage.

Issadora smiled and walked to her front room to gather the few things she would need to welcome her newest charge.

Chapter One: In the garden

The garden was always beautiful this time of year. The roses were in full bloom. The lone dogwood tree that sat like a silent sentry monitoring four beds of flowers was even adorned with white blossoms. Fat bumblebees went back and forth, sampling the flowers and collecting what they needed to bring back to their hives. The garden in springtime was always full of life, but right now all Gwendolynn wanted to do was die.

Gwendolynn sat silently on the small, marble bench her mother had placed in the garden to honor her grandfather who passed away three years earlier, her back facing the small, wooded area that laid at the back of her parent's house.  Still a stubborn teenager at the time the garden was being erected, Gwendolynn whined and complained the entire time any real work needed to be done. Especially during the placement of the marble bench, which seemed to weigh more than what it should have, given its size. Gwendolynn recalled every moment of that four week build, and even though she complained the entire time, she was amazed at just how beautiful this little tribute to her grandfather looked after its completion. Gwendolynn wondered if her mother would do something similar for her when they found her body, drained of its blood out here in the garden. Gwendolynn looked down at the straight razor she had taken from her father’s shaving kit and turned it over in her hand. She knew that this little trinket her father had kept great care of would indeed do the trick. It would open the veins in her wrist as easily as a hot knife would cut through butter. She felt she had no choice. After what Gwendolynn was told three days ago by her doctor, she honestly did not see the point in living past twenty two years. The cruel irony of it was with the gift she was blessed with, she should have seen this coming.

When Gwendolynn was born, her mother ,Karen, and her father, Mark, knew  their daughter was special. While every parent of a newborn thinks that way about their child, Mark and Karen knew their daughter was gifted. Gwendolynn responded differently to outside stimuli from  the instant she was born. Even the nurses took notice as some remarked that Gwendolynn did things that most newborn infants did not. Gwendolynn responded to light by shielding her eyes with her hand, something that most infants did not do. If that wasn’t odd enough, she did it not when the lights were shined upon her, but as if she was anticipating it a moment before the lights turned on. This happened more than once and one doctor did indeed take note.

There was a nurse who witnessed Mark give Gwendolynn her first bath. The nurse noted how Gwendolynn raised her infant head so her father could wash her neck. The infant even held out her arm willing to receive her hospital issued identification tag. Yes, Mark and Karen indeed thought their daughter was very special. They, of course, did not know how special until a couple of years later. For now, they were happy to just have a healthy daughter with ten fingers and ten toes.

Gwendolynn remembered the stories that her