Join us for a weekly blog party in Six Sentence Stories, hosted by Denise and attended by some mighty fine, fun folk. Prompt word=TABLE. Read, write and come back for more SIX SENTENCE STORIES. (Link goes active Wed night).
She lifts the chalice, pausing for just a moment to allow the aroma to reach toward her, then retreat as its contents settle.
Behind her, standing on the back of the heavy wooden chair where the woman bides her time, the black cat shakes a paw, gazing straight ahead with cold green eyes, then lowers his head to lick and smooth the paw, and finally scrape and sharpen each claw.
Before her the dark wenge wood table is simply adorned with a hand-turned ewer and a small loaf of the morning’s bread; it is otherwise spread with an elaborately embroidered runner—its figures seeming to writhe in the shadowy light—and the weight of unresolved history. This end of the darkened room is chilly, located too far from the fireplace and embers that had warmed it earlier.
Cat settles into the thickly padded chair back, paws now glinting and immaculate, and his head lowers to rest on them, though his eyes remain wide and vigilant green.
She sips from the chalice, and then holds it in her hand, crossing one wrist carefully over the other.
© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2026)
Valley 
Intriguing story, Liz, or should I say, enchanting! Superb scene setting, I’m particularly interested in that table runner. Something up there, eh? Looking forward to more of this story.
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I leave intrigued. A wonderfully descriptive piece.
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Thank you for your kind comment, Keith!
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loved the pace of ‘reading the room’ … the room unfolded in such a way i could hear the cat purring … her slow steady breathing … her thoughts unspoken as she observed all that was before her… the warmth of the fire and the coolness of a room of stone…. waiting for her thoughts to manifest and speak a story into existence…. great six
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Thanks Ms Pie! I’m delighted you got the slow unroll. The mood’s the thing.
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You’ve set the scene for a mystery or horror tale, I wonder which it will be.
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🤗
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The black cat, the embroidered runner and drinking wine from a chalice nicely sets the scene for what I imagine will be a series of tales.
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Go for it, Frank!
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How fabulous.. just purrrfect 🐈⬛
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Such a lovely scene, I would love to have a sip from that chalice behind the beautiful table accompanied by a black cat with cold green eyes.
Sounds lovely.
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Thank you, Reelika! 🌟
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so…I googled ‘ewer’ that’s cool too
right?
;p
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Very cool! The more you know… ;-)
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Oh, a delightful scene… that gorgeous black cat, and his mistress. I would love to see more…
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The description of this room is impressive! Nicely done, and I hope this leads us into a new series.
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Only The Shadow knows…
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When I was very young, maybe 5 or 6, that program was on the radio, and it was unbelievably vivid in my head.
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what a subtly painted scene… I did not realize until i read D’s comment that she was the cat herself- and then had to dive in for another read.. Well done!
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Oh! I didn’t intend to write it that way, but if it called that up, that’s fabulous. Cat & mistress are quite like-minded!
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Yes, that’s why I googled, I saw a similarity. Hadn’t heard of these Norwegian Forest cats before. My cat is a tabby mutt, but she does cross her paws oh so delicately like your chalice holding character.
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Meow. 😺
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She is cat like herself. An intriguing, mysterious scene.
And, yes, I did google Norwegian Forest Cats. For real, these mystical felines!
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Rivaling the Maine Coon Cats!
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