Dreamcatcher: 2022

By Paula Glynn

A selection of short stories about hope, horror, redemption and everything in-between. Read stories of a high school student who practices witchcraft, to a student that finds a return to innocence as a nun. Also read Club Rich Bitch: characters who are going places. Hannah to become the boss of a major computer company, to Candy who becomes a master painter, after being discovered shop lifting. Read about Marguerite: a woman with a dark side. Summer Flowers to raise hope and other stories ending in happiness: for most of the characters at least. 16 short stories to devour and even inspire your own writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9781447772620

Book preview

Dreamcatcher

Magical stories to inspire 2022

Paula Glynn

Autumn Rain: Tricks & Treats

Return To Innocence

A Horror Story

Where Spiders Dwell

Red Lipstick

Club Rich Bitch

Angel In The Mirror

The Quest 2017

The Hospital

Blue Candy

Mission To Mars

The Ugly Truth

Summer Flowers

Virtual Reality Nightmare

The Parisian Marguerite

The World Is Full Of Married Men

Autumn Rain

Tricks & Treats

Chapter 1

Katherine had spent the summer searching for jobs in Illinois, as she was a native to Chicago. She had graduated from high school the summer just gone. She passed with all A’s and B’s. Her parents were very pleased, as Katherine was herself. She applied to go to college and study English Literature. The best news of all: she got in. There was a big party on exam results day. Katherine was mainly interested in shop work, as she had done part-time shop work while at high school. She was also a skilled driver, so had to pay for her own gas and clothes. Katherine was a very independent 16 year old. But now she was 18 and her life was changing. Katherine was not to know just how much things would change.

Katherine found work in an occult shop, around three miles from college. Her boss was Maxine Peters. Katherine and Maxine got on like a house on fire. Maxine had every confidence in her new employee. The shop stocked various items the occult used. There were sacrificial knives, stones and crystals, love charms, Ouija boards, rabbit feet, essential oils, tarot cards: the list went on. Katherine was intrigued by all the items. Her friends came into the store one evening and seemed very interested in Katherine’s choice of shop to work in.

Katherine had made friends with Jennifer, Toni, Anna, Anais, Patricia and Alice, early on in her literature college course. Alice particularly enjoyed reading the classics and discussing them in lectures. Katherine had to admit she was closest to Alice. But Katherine was fairly popular. No thanks to a certain Clara Thompson, of course. Clara and Katherine did not get along. Clara was very opinionated and showed her dislike of Katherine. But Katherine was not bothered that much. It was like water off a duck’s back. Katherine was no one’s fool. They just avoided each other on the whole. Clara had her friends and Katherine had her friends. Anais was particularly protective of Katherine.

Anais was absolutely into fashion. She read all the fashion magazines every month, like clockwork. She would always be dressed in the latest style, whether that was neon or pant suits. Her foot wear was pretty glamorous, too. Anais LOVED wearing heels. She had about 200 pairs of shoes. Katherine had to admit Anais had class. Some felt Anais was a fashion victim, but not Katherine. Katherine was loyal to all her friends.

Chapter 2

Katherine’s boss, Maxine Peters, had shown Katherine how the shop worked and what went where in the stock room. Katherine’s retail experience meant she had no problems dealing with the public at the tills. Maxine was impressed with Katherine’s ease and confidence. Katherine had charisma that was for sure. As the months went by, Maxine felt Katherine was gaining a deeper interest the occult. It wasn’t just a job to make money anymore. So Maxine decided to invite Katherine to her coven.

Maxine was a white witch and her coven was well known. This was the modern era, so no one threw stones anymore or drowned a witch. But Maxine was a white witch and did not practice her magic negatively. The coven would cast many spells. Whether that be love spells, good luck spells for exam time or just plain turning a frog into a prince. They did not practice black magic or sacrifice animals. They worked for the good of the earth: and used power for the good of nature.

Maxine explained this to Katherine. Katherine had a lot of questions: how often did the coven meet? Are animals hurt? Do other people know about the coven? Is there an initiation rite? What kind of spells do they cast? Maxine answered all of Katherine’s questions. Katherine was certainly intrigued. So she made up her mind and decided to go to a meeting of the coven.

Chapter 3

It was October and the leaves had fallen red, brown and rust from the autumn trees. Katherine had been a member of Maxine’s coven for a month now. She loved every meeting and had even begun to cast her own spells. For instance, there was a young man she passed everyday in the hall at college. His name was David Wood and she had her eye on him. So Katherine cast a love spell, in the hope it would turn around her fortune. But Katherine knew she would have to approach him herself. And so she did. He was even better looking close up. But their first encounter was almost supernatural: Katherine – always on time and never clumsy – accidentally dropped her college books outside David’s lockers. As she was picking them up, to put into her bag, a male voice offered to assist. It was David! Katherine blushed a little. But she remembered the love spell she cast and decided to try her luck. They met up for coffee the next evening after college.

David turned out to be a skilled car mechanic and was studying physics. Katherine was very impressed. David was a keeper and Katherine knew they had a spiritual bond. David had come to her. In the next few weeks they spent a lot of time together, outside of college. Katherine told David about her job at the occult shop. He was very interested and decided to see her at work.

David came into the shop at around 8pm. Katherine showed him the items they stocked and what uses each item had in the occult. David was a man of science, but he respected Katherine’s beliefs. He would not advertise the fact Katherine was a white witch. They were certainly opposites, but opposites do attract. This is what David felt.

Chapter 4

Clara and Katherine still did not get along. Clara found out David and Katherine were dating, but she did not know Katherine was a white witch. This was to change. A friend of Katherine’s made known that Katherine was attending a coven every week. Clara was not into magic and the occult scene, so she decided to see if Katherine would drown. This being so, the next day at college people were staring strangely at Katherine. Katherine had a gut feeling it was because she was a witch. Looking at Clara’s smile, Katherine knew who had spread that rumour, but she still did not know who had betrayed her. Later it would conspire it was Toni who had spoken to Clara.

Katherine felt betrayed and upset. What had she done to turn Toni against her? It was a tough situation for the group of friends, but even Katherine agreed there may be a reason that could be forgiven. Toni had been under stress and felt a little jealous of Katherine. But she did not hate Katherine. And Katherine couldn’t make herself hate Toni. Katherine knew her friend needed sympathy, not pain. So they sat down together and the group became one again.

This was to help Katherine turn around the hostile atmosphere towards her at college. She wrote about witchcraft in her essays and tried to highlight the reality of being a white witch. This was an unusual move, but Katherine felt it best to communicate her different beliefs. Many questioned her religion. Why was she not a Christian? They would ask. But, over time, being a witch made her more popular, much to Clara’s spite. But Katherine could not care less what Clara said or did.

Chapter 5

It was Halloween night and Katherine had gotten dressed up as a witch for the annual Halloween college party. She had a green painted face, a witch’s hat, striped tights, and general witch attire. It was a smart move. David came as Batman, much to Katherine’s delight. There were a lot of other cool costumes that Katherine’s friends wore. By now, Toni and Katherine had been getting on a lot better. The situation had been equally as hard on Toni, Katherine came to see. Neither of them was perfect. But, like true friends, they forgave each other and Katherine kept her reputation. By now everyone knew she was a white witch. Again, it was all water off a duck’s back.

The party began at 7:30pm. There was music, there was punch and there was Clara with a snide remark about Katherine’s costume. Katherine smiled and walked away. Clara stood there, speechless. It was too bad, thought Katherine. She just did not care anymore. David was here tonight and he understood her. That meant everything to Katherine. She was doing very well at college. Katherine absolutely loved reading novels. She had taken to reading books on the occult in her spare time. She was learning more and more. She was passionate about her job at the occult store. A lot of people came in out of curiosity. Many would pick up a few crystals and ask her what powers they gave. By this time, Katherine was almost an expert on how white magic worked. She loved doing predictions with tarot cards. As was often explained the death card did not mean death as such: just something would end, meaning new beginnings. Katherine still cast good luck spells and love spells for all her friends. They loved it, absolutely. By now Halloween had been and gone, but Katherine still carried special memories of that day and the party. She and David were still going strong. As he was a year above, they did not see each other at