Final cover
Mishkins can look a bit friendlier here when opening shop
CHAPTER TWO
A Cacophony of Cats
Mister Mishkins woke exactly 22 minutes later. The sun was now on the other side of the sky, and he had a feeling that someone was already making their way to Mosaic Street, despite the Apothecary having only just arrived.
“Time to get ready,” he thought to himself with a quick glance around the Apothecary. There was no time to put all the cats back into their drawers, but he wanted to be sure that everything else was present and correct. Having brushed his whiskers, Mister Mishkins straightened his waistcoat once more. Lightly jumping off the stool, he went to the door and opened it, glancing up at the tinkling bell with a smile, before stepping out into the sunshine. Looking around, he walked out onto the cobble street, sat down, and waited for the first visitor.
As he waited, Mister Mishkins looked up at the sun shining in the sky – which actually was not the sun, but his friend Marmaduke, an incredibly fluffy ginger cat. Marmaduke was one of the Mighty ‘M line’ cats that Mister Mishkins himself was part of, and with his sunny personality and cheerful smile, the other ‘M’ cats decided Marmaduke should be the sun and share his happiness around the world.
Celene tiptoed carefully down the cobble street, stepping delicately on each stone as she made her way to where a ginger cat was sitting, smiling, and waving his tail at the sun. At least, it seemed as though he was waving his tail at the sun. Celene gasped as she glanced up. She could have sworn she saw whiskers sticking out from either side and moving up and down! Looking as closely as she could, Celene realised the sun was remarkably orange in colour and it seemed to have the ears of a cat.
A Cacophony of Cats
Mister Mishkins woke exactly 22 minutes later. The sun was now on the other side of the sky, and he had a feeling that someone was already making their way to Mosaic Street, despite the Apothecary having only just arrived.
“Time to get ready,” he thought to himself with a quick glance around the Apothecary. There was no time to put all the cats back into their drawers, but he wanted to be sure that everything else was present and correct. Having brushed his whiskers, Mister Mishkins straightened his waistcoat once more. Lightly jumping off the stool, he went to the door and opened it, glancing up at the tinkling bell with a smile, before stepping out into the sunshine. Looking around, he walked out onto the cobble street, sat down, and waited for the first visitor.
As he waited, Mister Mishkins looked up at the sun shining in the sky – which actually was not the sun, but his friend Marmaduke, an incredibly fluffy ginger cat. Marmaduke was one of the Mighty ‘M line’ cats that Mister Mishkins himself was part of, and with his sunny personality and cheerful smile, the other ‘M’ cats decided Marmaduke should be the sun and share his happiness around the world.
Celene tiptoed carefully down the cobble street, stepping delicately on each stone as she made her way to where a ginger cat was sitting, smiling, and waving his tail at the sun. At least, it seemed as though he was waving his tail at the sun. Celene gasped as she glanced up. She could have sworn she saw whiskers sticking out from either side and moving up and down! Looking as closely as she could, Celene realised the sun was remarkably orange in colour and it seemed to have the ears of a cat.
With a slight shake of her head, she moved closer to the ginger cat in front of her, who, on closer inspection, was wearing a very smart green waistcoat. She paused, feeling only a slight surprise, as the ginger cat stood up on his back legs and bowed to her. For some reason, this seemed completely natural to Celene, but then she had always seen things differently to her school friends.
‘Good morning, and welcome to Mosaic Street,’ purred the ginger cat, stretching his arms out to the side to show off the surrounding space.
“I must be dreaming,” Celene thought to herself as she smiled nervously at the cat.
‘My name is Mister Mishkins, and I’d like to welcome you to my Apothecary. Would you like to come inside and have a cup of hot chocolate? I always find that hot chocolate makes things so much better – and the cats should have calmed down by now.’
Intrigue and curiosity overwhelming her, Celene allowed Mister Mishkins to open the door, hearing a beautiful sound above their heads as the door gently moved inwards. Looking up, she saw a faded red bell, and it seemed as though – no, there couldn’t be – there was rainbow glitter falling from the bell as the door moved.
As Celene moved into the shop, she gasped as she saw around 50 cats, all sitting in rows behind the counter and looking at her. She quickly realised that the cats were all sitting in drawers, and just as each cat was different, so each drawer had a different word written in gold on it – Rain, Fish, Sharks, Siblings, The Dark, and Homework were just some of the words she read.
‘Good morning, and welcome to Mosaic Street,’ purred the ginger cat, stretching his arms out to the side to show off the surrounding space.
“I must be dreaming,” Celene thought to herself as she smiled nervously at the cat.
‘My name is Mister Mishkins, and I’d like to welcome you to my Apothecary. Would you like to come inside and have a cup of hot chocolate? I always find that hot chocolate makes things so much better – and the cats should have calmed down by now.’
Intrigue and curiosity overwhelming her, Celene allowed Mister Mishkins to open the door, hearing a beautiful sound above their heads as the door gently moved inwards. Looking up, she saw a faded red bell, and it seemed as though – no, there couldn’t be – there was rainbow glitter falling from the bell as the door moved.
As Celene moved into the shop, she gasped as she saw around 50 cats, all sitting in rows behind the counter and looking at her. She quickly realised that the cats were all sitting in drawers, and just as each cat was different, so each drawer had a different word written in gold on it – Rain, Fish, Sharks, Siblings, The Dark, and Homework were just some of the words she read.
The cats all stared at Celene and, as one, they blinked and then began to start purring together. Celene gasped, and then slowly began to smile, two small dots of pink appearing on her cheeks. There were black cats, tabby cats, tortoiseshell cats, ginger cats, calico cats, black and white cats, grey cats, white cats, chocolate cats, white and black cats, lilac cats, Siamese cats, Bengal cats, tuxedo cats, long-haired cats, short-haired cats, Maine Coon cats, Norwegian Forest cats, Ragdoll cats, moggy cats, Persian cats, and more. All the cats were looking at Celene and, as she listened to them purr in harmony, she felt a great peace within.
Mister Mishkins looked at the cats, and then at Celene.
‘The cats are pleased to see you,’ he said, taking Celene’s hand with his paw and giving it an encouraging squeeze. ‘Now, let’s see about that hot chocolate.’
From nowhere, a jug of steaming liquid appeared on the counter, and Mister Mishkins poured the drink into a jade green mug that matched Celene’s eyes perfectly.
‘Everything here is magic,’ murmured Celene, almost to herself.
Mister Mishkins smiled knowledgeably, his whiskers lengthening as he did so.
‘Yes, it is. But – you do not seem to be surprised?’
Celene blew on the dark, hot liquid before taking a sip, in no hurry to answer this curious cat standing before her.
‘No. I… That is… I think I’m different from other people.’
Celene paused, taking another sip of her hot chocolate, which was smooth, velvety and comforting. Mister Mishkins watched her, noticing that the pink spots on her cheek were getting bigger as she warmed up. He didn’t say anything, just let the young girl gather her thoughts. The cats in the drawers were still purring gently, some sitting down with their heads resting on the side of the drawer, while other sat upright still, looking inquisitively at their visitor.
‘I mean… I know I see things that my friends don’t. Well, I call them my friends, but I don’t really have any. The kids I go to school with think I am strange, with my pale hair and way of looking at the world. I see mice on the moon, and I am now sure that the sun is actually a cat…’
Celene suddenly stopped talking as the cats began to miaow loudly.
‘You said the ‘m’ word!’ explained Mister Mishkins. ‘Not the magical ‘M’ word, of course, but the other one.’
‘You mean, mic…?’
Mister Mishkins raised his tail in a sign of warning.
‘Yes. That one. It is best not to say it… Some of the cats can get a little overexcited.’
Mister Mishkins looked at the cats, and then at Celene.
‘The cats are pleased to see you,’ he said, taking Celene’s hand with his paw and giving it an encouraging squeeze. ‘Now, let’s see about that hot chocolate.’
From nowhere, a jug of steaming liquid appeared on the counter, and Mister Mishkins poured the drink into a jade green mug that matched Celene’s eyes perfectly.
‘Everything here is magic,’ murmured Celene, almost to herself.
Mister Mishkins smiled knowledgeably, his whiskers lengthening as he did so.
‘Yes, it is. But – you do not seem to be surprised?’
Celene blew on the dark, hot liquid before taking a sip, in no hurry to answer this curious cat standing before her.
‘No. I… That is… I think I’m different from other people.’
Celene paused, taking another sip of her hot chocolate, which was smooth, velvety and comforting. Mister Mishkins watched her, noticing that the pink spots on her cheek were getting bigger as she warmed up. He didn’t say anything, just let the young girl gather her thoughts. The cats in the drawers were still purring gently, some sitting down with their heads resting on the side of the drawer, while other sat upright still, looking inquisitively at their visitor.
‘I mean… I know I see things that my friends don’t. Well, I call them my friends, but I don’t really have any. The kids I go to school with think I am strange, with my pale hair and way of looking at the world. I see mice on the moon, and I am now sure that the sun is actually a cat…’
Celene suddenly stopped talking as the cats began to miaow loudly.
‘You said the ‘m’ word!’ explained Mister Mishkins. ‘Not the magical ‘M’ word, of course, but the other one.’
‘You mean, mic…?’
Mister Mishkins raised his tail in a sign of warning.
‘Yes. That one. It is best not to say it… Some of the cats can get a little overexcited.’
I will add in the labels on the drawers where visible. Dont think mister mishkins pouring hot chocolate with jug is really necessary to add into this spread.
As though on cue, an extremely fluffy black and white cat with a small black dot just to the left of his nose took a flying leap through the air and pounced on an imaginary mouse.
‘Cosmo! There are no mice here! Get back to your drawer,’ said Mister Mishkins in a reassuring voice.
‘But she said…,’ began Cosmo, in a high voice that showed he was not much more than a kitten.
Mister Mishkins smiled kindly and reached down to stroke Cosmo’s fluffy head.
‘I know. Now, go on…’
With another flying leap, Cosmo jumped from the floor straight back into his drawer, landing lightly and making such an effort look completely effortless.
Celene giggled.
‘I’m sorry, Cosmo. I’m sorry Mister Mishkins.’
Cosmo smiled at her from his drawer, while Mister Mishkins fluffed his whiskers and shook his head sightly.
‘
‘Cosmo! There are no mice here! Get back to your drawer,’ said Mister Mishkins in a reassuring voice.
‘But she said…,’ began Cosmo, in a high voice that showed he was not much more than a kitten.
Mister Mishkins smiled kindly and reached down to stroke Cosmo’s fluffy head.
‘I know. Now, go on…’
With another flying leap, Cosmo jumped from the floor straight back into his drawer, landing lightly and making such an effort look completely effortless.
Celene giggled.
‘I’m sorry, Cosmo. I’m sorry Mister Mishkins.’
Cosmo smiled at her from his drawer, while Mister Mishkins fluffed his whiskers and shook his head sightly.
‘
There is nothing to be sorry for. Now, what’s your name and what brings you to Mosaic Street?’
Celene suddenly looked shy and then she introduced herself to Mister Mishkins and the Apothecary cats.
‘I’m Celene, and I live with my mum. But she’s not very well, so I have to look after her a lot.’
‘That must be hard,’ said Mister Mishkins sympathetically.
Celene nodded. ‘It is… Sometimes, my gran comes to help, but she’s not able to get out much. Dad left years ago, and it’s aways just been me and my mum. It was okay for a while, but then she lost her job and that’s when everything really changed. Some days, mum doesn’t even get out of bed, and although we have a carer, I often end up doing everything.’
Celene said all of this without bitterness or anger. It was clear to Mister Mishkins that this young girl loved her mum, yet she was full of sadness, and she was lonely. The clever cat knew that this was why Celene had found her way to Mosaic Street so quickly. He knew it would not be easy to bring Celene confidence and help her find ways to cope with the challenges life had presented her with. But Mister Mishkins knew she had found her way to the right place, and that the magic of the Apothecary was already beginning to work once more.
Celene suddenly looked shy and then she introduced herself to Mister Mishkins and the Apothecary cats.
‘I’m Celene, and I live with my mum. But she’s not very well, so I have to look after her a lot.’
‘That must be hard,’ said Mister Mishkins sympathetically.
Celene nodded. ‘It is… Sometimes, my gran comes to help, but she’s not able to get out much. Dad left years ago, and it’s aways just been me and my mum. It was okay for a while, but then she lost her job and that’s when everything really changed. Some days, mum doesn’t even get out of bed, and although we have a carer, I often end up doing everything.’
Celene said all of this without bitterness or anger. It was clear to Mister Mishkins that this young girl loved her mum, yet she was full of sadness, and she was lonely. The clever cat knew that this was why Celene had found her way to Mosaic Street so quickly. He knew it would not be easy to bring Celene confidence and help her find ways to cope with the challenges life had presented her with. But Mister Mishkins knew she had found her way to the right place, and that the magic of the Apothecary was already beginning to work once more.
Cost projection for cover and chapers 1 and 2 :
CHAPTER ONE
Lead character - Celene. She has green eyes the colour of jade and long hair so blonde it was almost white.
Mishkins, naturally,
I'll read C1 to you over the phone ❤
CHAPTER TWO
All the cats and Celene
CHAPTER THREE - THE DARK
Celene and Mishkins
Child - Thomas:
A young boy burst in, with wild curly brown hair and dark brown eyes that were hidden behind thick glasses. He had a smattering of freckles scattered across his nose as though someone had tapped a paintbrush above his face. He was dressed in dark jeans and a navy sweatshirt with the word STILL written across it in big white letters – a curious word, thought Mister Mishkins, as there was nothing still about this boy, who was filling the shop with his energy.
Cat - Waffles:
What he did not expect was for a very fluffy mink grey cat to sit up and blink a hello!
‘This is Waffles,’ smiled Mister Mishkins, rubbing the grey cat’s ears.
Waffles waved his tail at Thomas, his dandelion yellow eyes shining as he smiled.
https://images.app.goo.gl/HmPPxDgppLRHzZMQ8 - this is the look
https://images.app.goo.gl/y5BYUH2CkMrWkB3h6
Absolutely NO Persian look to him, just a fluffy grey moggy. Not as fluffy as Cosmo/Olli
CHAPTER FOUR - Spiders
Mishkins
Child - Jess:
Jess had auburn hair in a messy plait that fell over one shoulder. With lightly tanned skin and wearing sporty clothes, she looked strong and healthy, ready to take on anything – yet the quiver in her voice and slight tremble in her legs showed that she really was scared of this little spider.
Cat - Henry, photos attached:
Out leapt Henry, a black cat so athletic that, should you only glance over at him, you could easily mistake for a panther. He had short thick black fur, orange eyes with big black pupils, a thick black nose, and there was a tiny bit missing from the tip of his right ear: if you asked Henry about it, he would just smile and purr, ‘A minor scrap from one of my adventures…,’ leaving you none the wiser. This all added to Henry’s allure and poise.
CHAPTER FIVE - Nero the Hero
Mishkins
Nero:
Today as he walked along, Nero enjoyed the feel of the early morning sunshine on his face. He was very upright when he walked, looking ahead all the time to see what was coming, rarely looking behind him. His eyes were an unusual copper brown, and his hair was black and curly, closely cropped in places. He had a black beard, which contained tinges of caramel. Nero loved those caramel tinges; he knew they made him look different to everyone else.
CHAPTER SIX - THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Celene
Mishkins
Child - Freya:
The girl had short brown hair and blue eyes, and she was dragging a teddy bear in her hand. The bear looked very well loved, with bare bits in its fur where he had clearly been held tightly.
Cats - Olli and Cosmo
Could you possibly mean these two?’ he asked as he walked down the drawers and stopped at one labelled Bumps in the Night. Compared to the other drawers in the Apothecary, this one was wider, and Freya was scared at what could be inside. Her eyes widened with fear as Mister Mishkins put his paw on the drawer to open it, imaging that a three-headed monster would pop out and gobble her and Ted up.
However, as the drawer opened, the Apothecary was filled with a loud purr – a very loud purr, too loud to be coming from one cat… As the drawer fully opened, out popped two black and white cats, both extremely fluffy. One was wearing a feathered hat, set at a rakish angle, the brim of the hat balancing on the most extraordinary eyebrows ever seen on a cat. As both cats’ faces appeared from within the drawer, Freya took a step back in shock and lost her balance, falling over.
Lead character - Celene. She has green eyes the colour of jade and long hair so blonde it was almost white.
Mishkins, naturally,
I'll read C1 to you over the phone ❤
CHAPTER TWO
All the cats and Celene
CHAPTER THREE - THE DARK
Celene and Mishkins
Child - Thomas:
A young boy burst in, with wild curly brown hair and dark brown eyes that were hidden behind thick glasses. He had a smattering of freckles scattered across his nose as though someone had tapped a paintbrush above his face. He was dressed in dark jeans and a navy sweatshirt with the word STILL written across it in big white letters – a curious word, thought Mister Mishkins, as there was nothing still about this boy, who was filling the shop with his energy.
Cat - Waffles:
What he did not expect was for a very fluffy mink grey cat to sit up and blink a hello!
‘This is Waffles,’ smiled Mister Mishkins, rubbing the grey cat’s ears.
Waffles waved his tail at Thomas, his dandelion yellow eyes shining as he smiled.
https://images.app.goo.gl/HmPPxDgppLRHzZMQ8 - this is the look
https://images.app.goo.gl/y5BYUH2CkMrWkB3h6
Absolutely NO Persian look to him, just a fluffy grey moggy. Not as fluffy as Cosmo/Olli
CHAPTER FOUR - Spiders
Mishkins
Child - Jess:
Jess had auburn hair in a messy plait that fell over one shoulder. With lightly tanned skin and wearing sporty clothes, she looked strong and healthy, ready to take on anything – yet the quiver in her voice and slight tremble in her legs showed that she really was scared of this little spider.
Cat - Henry, photos attached:
Out leapt Henry, a black cat so athletic that, should you only glance over at him, you could easily mistake for a panther. He had short thick black fur, orange eyes with big black pupils, a thick black nose, and there was a tiny bit missing from the tip of his right ear: if you asked Henry about it, he would just smile and purr, ‘A minor scrap from one of my adventures…,’ leaving you none the wiser. This all added to Henry’s allure and poise.
CHAPTER FIVE - Nero the Hero
Mishkins
Nero:
Today as he walked along, Nero enjoyed the feel of the early morning sunshine on his face. He was very upright when he walked, looking ahead all the time to see what was coming, rarely looking behind him. His eyes were an unusual copper brown, and his hair was black and curly, closely cropped in places. He had a black beard, which contained tinges of caramel. Nero loved those caramel tinges; he knew they made him look different to everyone else.
CHAPTER SIX - THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Celene
Mishkins
Child - Freya:
The girl had short brown hair and blue eyes, and she was dragging a teddy bear in her hand. The bear looked very well loved, with bare bits in its fur where he had clearly been held tightly.
Cats - Olli and Cosmo
Could you possibly mean these two?’ he asked as he walked down the drawers and stopped at one labelled Bumps in the Night. Compared to the other drawers in the Apothecary, this one was wider, and Freya was scared at what could be inside. Her eyes widened with fear as Mister Mishkins put his paw on the drawer to open it, imaging that a three-headed monster would pop out and gobble her and Ted up.
However, as the drawer opened, the Apothecary was filled with a loud purr – a very loud purr, too loud to be coming from one cat… As the drawer fully opened, out popped two black and white cats, both extremely fluffy. One was wearing a feathered hat, set at a rakish angle, the brim of the hat balancing on the most extraordinary eyebrows ever seen on a cat. As both cats’ faces appeared from within the drawer, Freya took a step back in shock and lost her balance, falling over.
Chapter One
Return to Mosaic Street
The basket of the balloon swayed gently before landing with a gentle brush against the grass. If anyone was watching – not that they could be, as this happened just before the owl hooted his last goodnight call before returning to the fourth tree on the left, just inside the woods – they would have noticed that, rather mysteriously, the rainbow silks of the balloon above stayed upright. Rather than falling down, as typical hot-air balloons do, the silks instead swayed gently in the breeze, their rainbow colours shifting as the first fingers of the morning sun appeared on the horizon, bringing glitter to the skies.
If anyone had been passing and just happened to look inside the basket, they would have seen a very smart ginger and caramel cat, curled up in a ball, and who was fast asleep. It appeared as though the cat was wearing an emerald-green waistcoat, although one couldn’t be sure. As the sun slowly rose in the sky, the ginger cat gradually opened his gold and green eyes and blinked. Waking from his deep sleep, the cat yawned, the whiskers on either side of his face going back towards his ears as his mouth opened wide. If you glanced into the basket at that precise moment, you might find his appearance a little scary, but there really was no need to worry about as this was a very kind cat indeed.
As the ginger cat stretched in the basket, paws reaching above his head, there was a slightly stronger ripple on the breeze. As if by magic, a whole street and shop appeared and, as the cat leaped elegantly out from the basket, the balloon vanished, as though melting into the air. With a final stretch up through his back to the tippy tufts of his ears, and a straightening of his waistcoat, it was clear for anyone who was watching that Mister Mishkins, his Apothecary, and Mosaic Street were back in town.
Meanwhile, a short bicycle ride out of town, Celene Roberts was sat on the end of her bed, watching the sun turn the skies yellow, orange, and then red. Celene had green eyes the colour of jade and long hair so blonde it was almost white. Although the sun was only just rising, Celene was already dressed and ready for her day. She lived with her mum, who wasn’t very well, so Celene had to look after her. Every day, before school, she would make breakfast for her and her mum, make her packed lunch and help her mum get dressed, all before leaving the house. As soon as school was finished for the day, Celene came straight home so that she could be there before the carer left. Once she had done her homework, Celene cooked dinner, washed up, and then helped her mum into her nightclothes. Despite being twelve years old, Celene would often lay on the bed with her mum, snuggling into her and holding her hand, while her mum sang lullabies to her in a gentle, quiet voice.
Celene loved her mum, and while she did sometimes wish she had a dad or a sibling to help look after her, Celene was happy on her own.
Because of her spending all her time with her mum, Celene didn’t have many friends. She didn’t have the latest clothes, the latest phone, none of the gadgets that the ‘cool kids’ had While she didn’t mind, the school bullies would try to pick on her, so Celene spent much of her free time at school in the library. There, she would lose herself in books and dream of sunnier days.
Sunrise and the moon captivated Celene. Every night, she would sit in the dark, on the end of her bed, and stare at the moon. She spent much of her day wondering whether the moon really was made of cheese and if so, were there were mice on it. Celene would watch the clouds scurry across the surface of the moon and imagine that, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a mouse’s tail, just disappearing down a crater. She knew that magic was possible; she just didn’t know how to find it.
It was while staring at the moon one early one morning after a restless night, just before the sun came up, that Celene glimpsed something else. This was definitely not a mouse or even a mouse’s tail. Rather, it was a sparkling rainbow and beside it was what looked like a flutter of butterflies. But surely butterflies weren’t out at this time of the morning?
As Celene squished her nose tightly against her bedroom window, she could have sworn she saw a rainbow balloon gently glide out of the sky – and vanish. Trying to work out where the balloon had landed, Celene counted four trees to the left of the woods just outside of town, and she made a careful note in her diary. When she looked up after writing this down, the morning sun was starting to make its way up into the sky. There were no more rainbows or butterflies to be seen, or even balloons over moons. With a promise to herself that she would investigate once school was over, Celene slowly began to start her day.
Before Celene reached for her diary, inside the basket of the balloon, the ginger cat had finished his stretching. The cat was indeed Mister Mishkins, the magical cat who owned this special place that mysteriously appeared in town overnight. For Mosaic Street, and Mister Mishkins’ Apothecary, was only ever found by those in need – those who needed their fears calmed or worries banished. With his clowder of cats, Mister Mishkins had helped the lives of many people, and now he was back in a new town. Maybe it is a town near you?
Taking his time, Mister Mishkins leapt out from the balloon basket in one graceful movement. With a blink of his eye, the balloon immediately vanished. As the last of the rainbow silks disappeared into thin air, there was a strange ripple on the breeze, and the cobblestones of Mosaic Street appeared beneath Mister Mishkins’ paws.
‘Home,’ Mister Mishkins smiled to himself as next to him, the Apothecary shop appeared, also as though by magic. Peering through the square panes of glass to look inside the shop, Mister Mishkins saw the counter with the Apothecary drawers behind them, each with gold italic writing on. Opposite the door, behind the counter, was a stool, topped with a luxurious gold velvet cushion with dark green tassels, colours that matched the cat’s eyes exactly.
Taking a beautiful ornate golden key out of his waistcoat, Mister Mishkins unlocked the Apothecary, glancing up with a smile on his face at the faded once-red bell on the door as it tinkled above him. As he closed the door, the ginger and caramel cat looked around him, satisfied that all was as it should be.
The Apothecary was just as he had left it. Mister Mishkins pressed a button on the shop wall and slowly, a rainbow-striped awning unfolded itself outside. With the sun shining in through the awning, it cast a second pastel-hued rainbow on the floor of the Apothecary. Mister Mishkins hopscotched his way over the rainbow on the floor to the side of the shop and straightened the paintings of just some of the Apothecary cats. As he did so, he heard a purring coming from behind the Apothecary counter – coming from within the drawers themselves.
‘Coming, coming,’ laughed Mister Mishkins as he grabbed a large jug of cream and a collection of bowls that had mysteriously appeared on the counter. He then walked down the line of drawers, opening them each up one by one and placing a bowl of cream inside.
For within each drawer that he opened was a cat – although no-one quite knew where the cats went when the drawers were closed. Each cat represented something different – Rain, Thunder, Lightning, Clouds – and it was Mister Mishkins who looked after them. It was through these cats, who were all his friends, that Mister Mishkins was able to help people. Wondering which of the cats would be called upon this time around, the ginger cat gently placed the last bowl of cream inside the drawer labelled Water and then poured himself a cup of cream from the last drops in the jug. Mister Mishkins had left all the drawers open, so the cats could sit up and stretch after the balloon journey. The Apothecary was filled with the gentle sound of multiple cats purring. Even Mister Mishkins himself didn’t know how many cats there were within the magic of his special shop, as he would often come in and find that the drawers had renamed themselves overnight, with Rain becoming Oceans and a different cat within. However, one thing Mister Mishkins did know was that all the cats came back in the end – there were as many as a hundred cats within the realm of the Apothecary and there just weren’t enough drawers for them all. This was one reason he liked to leave the drawers open once Mosaic Street settled into a new town, so that the cats could catch up with each other. The purring of the clowder of cats was never a cacophony; instead, it was always music to Mister Mishkins’ ears.
With all the cats relaxing, Mister Mishkins walked down to the far end of the Apothecary counter and, in one elegant leap, jumped up onto the gold velvet cushion with dark green tassels, which was perfectly balanced on a stool there. Crossing his back legs and sipping from the cup, Mister Mishkins looked around the Apothecary with a smile on his face – his cheeks becoming chubbier as he did so. With a satisfied sigh, Mister Mishkins put the cup down and relaxed, before curling up on the cushion and closing his eyes in a gentle slumber, the sound of purring around him lulling him into a deep and restful sleep.
Return to Mosaic Street
The basket of the balloon swayed gently before landing with a gentle brush against the grass. If anyone was watching – not that they could be, as this happened just before the owl hooted his last goodnight call before returning to the fourth tree on the left, just inside the woods – they would have noticed that, rather mysteriously, the rainbow silks of the balloon above stayed upright. Rather than falling down, as typical hot-air balloons do, the silks instead swayed gently in the breeze, their rainbow colours shifting as the first fingers of the morning sun appeared on the horizon, bringing glitter to the skies.
If anyone had been passing and just happened to look inside the basket, they would have seen a very smart ginger and caramel cat, curled up in a ball, and who was fast asleep. It appeared as though the cat was wearing an emerald-green waistcoat, although one couldn’t be sure. As the sun slowly rose in the sky, the ginger cat gradually opened his gold and green eyes and blinked. Waking from his deep sleep, the cat yawned, the whiskers on either side of his face going back towards his ears as his mouth opened wide. If you glanced into the basket at that precise moment, you might find his appearance a little scary, but there really was no need to worry about as this was a very kind cat indeed.
As the ginger cat stretched in the basket, paws reaching above his head, there was a slightly stronger ripple on the breeze. As if by magic, a whole street and shop appeared and, as the cat leaped elegantly out from the basket, the balloon vanished, as though melting into the air. With a final stretch up through his back to the tippy tufts of his ears, and a straightening of his waistcoat, it was clear for anyone who was watching that Mister Mishkins, his Apothecary, and Mosaic Street were back in town.
Meanwhile, a short bicycle ride out of town, Celene Roberts was sat on the end of her bed, watching the sun turn the skies yellow, orange, and then red. Celene had green eyes the colour of jade and long hair so blonde it was almost white. Although the sun was only just rising, Celene was already dressed and ready for her day. She lived with her mum, who wasn’t very well, so Celene had to look after her. Every day, before school, she would make breakfast for her and her mum, make her packed lunch and help her mum get dressed, all before leaving the house. As soon as school was finished for the day, Celene came straight home so that she could be there before the carer left. Once she had done her homework, Celene cooked dinner, washed up, and then helped her mum into her nightclothes. Despite being twelve years old, Celene would often lay on the bed with her mum, snuggling into her and holding her hand, while her mum sang lullabies to her in a gentle, quiet voice.
Celene loved her mum, and while she did sometimes wish she had a dad or a sibling to help look after her, Celene was happy on her own.
Because of her spending all her time with her mum, Celene didn’t have many friends. She didn’t have the latest clothes, the latest phone, none of the gadgets that the ‘cool kids’ had While she didn’t mind, the school bullies would try to pick on her, so Celene spent much of her free time at school in the library. There, she would lose herself in books and dream of sunnier days.
Sunrise and the moon captivated Celene. Every night, she would sit in the dark, on the end of her bed, and stare at the moon. She spent much of her day wondering whether the moon really was made of cheese and if so, were there were mice on it. Celene would watch the clouds scurry across the surface of the moon and imagine that, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a mouse’s tail, just disappearing down a crater. She knew that magic was possible; she just didn’t know how to find it.
It was while staring at the moon one early one morning after a restless night, just before the sun came up, that Celene glimpsed something else. This was definitely not a mouse or even a mouse’s tail. Rather, it was a sparkling rainbow and beside it was what looked like a flutter of butterflies. But surely butterflies weren’t out at this time of the morning?
As Celene squished her nose tightly against her bedroom window, she could have sworn she saw a rainbow balloon gently glide out of the sky – and vanish. Trying to work out where the balloon had landed, Celene counted four trees to the left of the woods just outside of town, and she made a careful note in her diary. When she looked up after writing this down, the morning sun was starting to make its way up into the sky. There were no more rainbows or butterflies to be seen, or even balloons over moons. With a promise to herself that she would investigate once school was over, Celene slowly began to start her day.
Before Celene reached for her diary, inside the basket of the balloon, the ginger cat had finished his stretching. The cat was indeed Mister Mishkins, the magical cat who owned this special place that mysteriously appeared in town overnight. For Mosaic Street, and Mister Mishkins’ Apothecary, was only ever found by those in need – those who needed their fears calmed or worries banished. With his clowder of cats, Mister Mishkins had helped the lives of many people, and now he was back in a new town. Maybe it is a town near you?
Taking his time, Mister Mishkins leapt out from the balloon basket in one graceful movement. With a blink of his eye, the balloon immediately vanished. As the last of the rainbow silks disappeared into thin air, there was a strange ripple on the breeze, and the cobblestones of Mosaic Street appeared beneath Mister Mishkins’ paws.
‘Home,’ Mister Mishkins smiled to himself as next to him, the Apothecary shop appeared, also as though by magic. Peering through the square panes of glass to look inside the shop, Mister Mishkins saw the counter with the Apothecary drawers behind them, each with gold italic writing on. Opposite the door, behind the counter, was a stool, topped with a luxurious gold velvet cushion with dark green tassels, colours that matched the cat’s eyes exactly.
Taking a beautiful ornate golden key out of his waistcoat, Mister Mishkins unlocked the Apothecary, glancing up with a smile on his face at the faded once-red bell on the door as it tinkled above him. As he closed the door, the ginger and caramel cat looked around him, satisfied that all was as it should be.
The Apothecary was just as he had left it. Mister Mishkins pressed a button on the shop wall and slowly, a rainbow-striped awning unfolded itself outside. With the sun shining in through the awning, it cast a second pastel-hued rainbow on the floor of the Apothecary. Mister Mishkins hopscotched his way over the rainbow on the floor to the side of the shop and straightened the paintings of just some of the Apothecary cats. As he did so, he heard a purring coming from behind the Apothecary counter – coming from within the drawers themselves.
‘Coming, coming,’ laughed Mister Mishkins as he grabbed a large jug of cream and a collection of bowls that had mysteriously appeared on the counter. He then walked down the line of drawers, opening them each up one by one and placing a bowl of cream inside.
For within each drawer that he opened was a cat – although no-one quite knew where the cats went when the drawers were closed. Each cat represented something different – Rain, Thunder, Lightning, Clouds – and it was Mister Mishkins who looked after them. It was through these cats, who were all his friends, that Mister Mishkins was able to help people. Wondering which of the cats would be called upon this time around, the ginger cat gently placed the last bowl of cream inside the drawer labelled Water and then poured himself a cup of cream from the last drops in the jug. Mister Mishkins had left all the drawers open, so the cats could sit up and stretch after the balloon journey. The Apothecary was filled with the gentle sound of multiple cats purring. Even Mister Mishkins himself didn’t know how many cats there were within the magic of his special shop, as he would often come in and find that the drawers had renamed themselves overnight, with Rain becoming Oceans and a different cat within. However, one thing Mister Mishkins did know was that all the cats came back in the end – there were as many as a hundred cats within the realm of the Apothecary and there just weren’t enough drawers for them all. This was one reason he liked to leave the drawers open once Mosaic Street settled into a new town, so that the cats could catch up with each other. The purring of the clowder of cats was never a cacophony; instead, it was always music to Mister Mishkins’ ears.
With all the cats relaxing, Mister Mishkins walked down to the far end of the Apothecary counter and, in one elegant leap, jumped up onto the gold velvet cushion with dark green tassels, which was perfectly balanced on a stool there. Crossing his back legs and sipping from the cup, Mister Mishkins looked around the Apothecary with a smile on his face – his cheeks becoming chubbier as he did so. With a satisfied sigh, Mister Mishkins put the cup down and relaxed, before curling up on the cushion and closing his eyes in a gentle slumber, the sound of purring around him lulling him into a deep and restful sleep.
