The Rainlit Corner

The Rainlit Corner was the sort of café you found yourself yearning for on a rainy day.

Hidden down one of those enchanting streets, behind the café’s magenta door, lived Ethel and her familiar, Asteria. The cat’s beautiful fur resembled midnight on a warm midsummer night, and she had bright golden eyes and an unshakeable devotion to her favourite napping chair.

Above the door lived a brass bell that never rang the same way twice. It was said that the bell had favourites. If he liked you, he would chime happily; if he was less fond of you, he would make a sound resembling the wail of a banshee in an attempt to scare you away.

Ethel had spoken to the bell numerous times about this, but she could never truly get through to him.

Once you made it past the bell, you would be greeted by the comforting smells of freshly brewed coffee and warm cinnamon buns. Ethel prided herself on always having a fresh batch ready to go.

“It’s the perfect way to celebrate the rain,” she would sing.

To the right stood a bookshelf filled with books donated by Bernard from The Crooked Spine. He said he did it out of the kindness of his heart, but Ethel suspected that he used the Rainlit Corner as a dumping ground for the books that never sold.

To the left, displayed proudly upon the wall, was a celebration of the townsfolk. Poetry, artwork and short stories sat together for all to see. Ethel called this collection The Voices of Us All, for it gave everyone in Moonvale a place to share their passions.

Mayor Tilsbury always popped in on a Friday to present Ethel with a new collection created during the Town Hall’s Thursday get-together. No matter how crowded the wall became, Ethel always managed to find room for one more piece.

It was said that if you ever felt lost or disconnected, all you needed to do was find the Rainlit Corner, and all would be right again.