Sealed with a Hiss

Mave Kitten is ecstatic when she lands a dream job as a paranormal journalist for a local newspaper, the Echo. It's a chance in a lifetime for a neurodivergent Witch. She's a little nervous about the boss, leather-clad motorcyclist Lisa Blonde. But Lisa's got a heart of gold, and Mave soon settles into her new role. There's even an office cat to help out. Only one tiny problem remains—Lisa doesn't believe in the paranormal. How is Mave to change her mind?

Her Little Joke

Mave and Lisa investigate a creepy sound emanating from a nearby canal. Little do they know to what depths the trail will lead: Ghosts, a haunted well, ignorance, a flapping bird. What of the woman in green? Mave's interviews lead to some unexpected situations, and all the time, the hissing sound grows louder. The last place Mave and Lisa wish to visit is the depths of a macabre well. Heck, no. They're just ordinary women with bills to pay. But entities are fashionably unpredictable, and ghost whisperers can't choose when to answer a supernatural SOS. When the darkness closes in, Mave is glad of Lisa's winning formula of strength and softness.

Swamp Woman

Although Mave loves her Sunday dates with Lisa, she wishes the outings would lead to something more intimate. When a swamp monster at Ladybower Reservoir goes AWOL and a researcher disappears, it's a brilliant opportunity for Mave and Lisa to get better acquainted and stretch their investigative skills. Mave leaves no gravestone unturned. Phantom aircraft, a missing scientist, abandoned lizard tails, tussles in the bushes: all pathways lead to one heated conclusion—it's time to tell Lisa how she feels.

Kitten and Blonde set forth on Lisa's motorbike armed with packed lunches and crucial questions. Why is a mysterious noise coming from the well? What's causing the toxic chemicals at Ladybower Reservoir? Where's the nearest pub? Maybe the most crucial question of all is whether Lisa Blonde will ever believe in the supernatural.

Her Little Joke was previously published as part of the NineStar anthology, Listen: The Sound of Fear.