Leggings demon at large...

............................................................

I saw from the corridor the child shadow at the window looking in.  Sometimes I'm in 'Peter Pan'.  I nodded to it.  It bowed to me, and left.  I continued to my room - it wasn't late the sun was still shining on the Daisies.  When I was a child I remember running to a window and looking in.  There was an old  lady knitting.  Will I be like her I wondered?  Will I?

This is a time of signs and portents.

I step out of the house in rush.  Liquid fresh from the shower.  I feel in great need of a physical walk across the busy city.  Half way there Kitty glides into step with me...
"Hi," she says, "Got your new range of ideas with  you today?"
"No, not yet.  I have about half of them ready and the rest is still formulating inside the brain."  I'm a bit resentful.  I liked being alone. I'm not certain I'm ready for dress design wars. 
"Did you bring yours?"  I'm sure that's what she really means.
"Yes,"  she said tossing her head back, she's become more confident, walks far straighter than she did do.  "I have, because doing it keeps the  mind occupied.  I have this idea for an older woman, I thought you'd model it for our new shop catalogue..."
"I already do the shows - same as you do, for the clients."  I objected.  It was odd for someone to suggest exposure.

"There is a rumour about the area that a certain well off guy left his money in £20 lots to prostitutes to keep them off the streets."  she said laughing.  "I wonder if it's really true..."
"Is that why you see the girls running around with a twenty?  That's so funny.  I suppose there isn't a lot of money in the streets with the job crisis."  I'm beginning to feel better about talking now.  I suppose I need warming up time.

"How's things with you?  You look so much better."
"I'm alright today, had some sleep the night before.  The night before that I was attacked by the dreadfuls, weaving their dread machine above my head.  It really gave off omissions, the air went bad.  The white noise was shocking, I felt as if the inside of my ears was melting."
I nodded, I had heard some of it.  "Plenty of ear wax?"
"I must have because I'm still alive.  I slept on the floor the next night to try and stave some of it off."
"It must be a coven."
"It's either the Care Bears, or the Getalonggang, They say things like it will be alright if we stick together..."
"I always found them really odd."  

"Do they ever say anything about how they do it?" I asked.
"Apparently it's a matter of focusing.  The night I was on the floor I made sure they had something to focus on."  Kitty half smiled.  "Delightful really.  I went to sleep."
"You've really grown through this."  I told her.  I knew suddenly that they couldn't ever take her down.  

She pushed open the door to the shop.  "Hi Phyllis," she shouted into the dim interior, "You in the back?"
Phyllis struggled out of the back, waving a cup of coffee, "Hey," she said shakily, " I had a strange encounter."

"You did?  What kind?"
"I think it was a demon.  Black, big as a man. Glowing red eyes.   Big feet and hands.  I'm going back to church.  I've been into talk to the priest."
"Sit down," said Kitty pushing out the chair from the counter, "You look all in."  We shared a look over her head.  "I'll come with you if you like, if the church is really Christian."
"Me three," I joined in cautiously.  "I keep on getting the call back and yet the actions of the congregations worry me to death."

Kitty laid out her drawing file on the counter, "As we're all here," she said positively, "I want to ask about us having a catalogue in store at first.  To show our customers some of the designs we're either out of stock on, or have in mind for the future.  That would I feel to cut your costs - as the customer would have to ask for it to be made up.  We'd only have to make up one, either for the shop, or for the photographic record after."
Phyllis looked at the designs, "Well that's not a bad idea, and it might well mean we wouldn't carry extra stock."
"We could do proper design shows too, put two on a year, invite the regulars, and show the new ideas off, put the catalogues out at the same time."
"At cost," said Kitty practically, "If we did that we could employ apprentices for the modeling. perhaps a government scheme."
"Wow," said Phyllis, "You go so fast, why not cost out a show, and the price of a catalogue first...   Let me know prices and we'll discuss."

.....................................................................