“Okay, I think I have everything. Let’s just run down the list one more time,” Maeve mumbled to herself while reading down her extensive handwritten list of ingredients and reminders. “Cauldron: check. The herbs were just added, check, and are simmering as they should be.” Indeed, aromas of thyme, sage, and peppercorn were steaming up and out of the cauldron on the stovetop. “Excellent,” Maeve said, crossing those off the list. “Candle. Alright, well, I’ve never lit just one candle at a time in my life.” She walked around her small apartment, lighting a series of lavender-scented beeswax candles that were handmade by one of her dear friends, all carefully enshrined in various containers for safety purposes. She walked back to the kitchen, smoke trailing off her spent matches which she put in the sink, and checked that off the list. “Snacks: Out and ready, done. Bathroom: As clean as it’s going to be,” she said, checking those off the list. “Final thing: Cat. Right! Purrscilla, come here!” Normally, her sweet little elderly cat would come prancing into the room at the mention of her name. Tonight, though, she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. 

“Come out, sweet girl!” Maeve called, walking into the living room to see if she was hiding behind the curtain: no Purrscilla there. “Hmmph,” Maeve grumbled, going into the bedroom and checking the usual spots: under the covers, no; under the bed, inside her suitcase was another no; and inside the closet on a pile of clothes Maeve needed to donate was another no. “Purrscilla! Where are you?” Maeve was getting a little worried. Purrscilla recently became a “super senior” cat who needed a lot of attention and care, which Maeve was happy to give, but every time she didn’t see Purrscilla in one of usual spots, her heart beat a little faster, worried that Maeve had found a place to…. Maeve couldn’t finish the thought without tears welling up. “No, no, don’t think about it. She must be somewhere!” At that moment, Maeve heard a tiny tap on the sliding glass door out to her small covered, fenced-in patio, followed by a sweet little mewl. “Purrscilla! You’re outside!” Maeve slid the door open and Purrscilla pounced in with a cry. “I’m so sorry, sweet girl, I completely forgot that I let you go outside so you could give birds and squirrels the evil eye.” Purrscilla meowed as Maeve scooped her up. “Let’s get you your meds and a treat. The party is starting soon!” Maeve heard her phone vibrate on the counter. It was a text from one of her friends asking if they should bring anything to Maeve’s scary movie marathon. Maeve looked around, checked the list one more time, and answered her friend: “We’re all set. I have my candle, cat, and cauldron. Come on over!”

Scent Notes: White thyme, sage, and pink peppercorn, beeswax and lavender, smoke, warm fur.