French Bread

 

            Wind blew through Preston’s hair as he feverishly pedaled his bike to the corner grocery store. Why did he have to go, right now? He was so close to leveling up on his video game. Soon, he would get the legendary sword and be pretty much invincible. But, of course, Mom had to send him to go get a loaf of French bread for dinner.

            It only took Preston a few minutes to ride to the bike stand outside the store. He threw the lock on haphazardly, his mind still on what he needed to do next in his game. He ran up to the sliding door and was startled to see someone standing off to the side. His mouth dropped open when he realized it was Talus, his avatar from the game. He looked just like he had come out of Preston’s TV. He even had the blue shield strapped to his back and the double sword blades Preston preferred.

            A woman bumped into Preston from behind with a hurried, “Whoops, sorry!” Preston glanced at her as she stepped through the door. When he looked back to where Talus had been standing, there was no longer anyone there. He spun around, but couldn’t see Talus anywhere.

            Shaking his head, Preston decided he had been seeing things. He stepped up to the sliding doors, and they opened with a whoosh! He stepped over the threshold before realizing that he must be in the wrong place. Instead of looking at shelves stocked with food, he was standing at the edge of a jungle. He blinked, trying to make sense of what was happening.

            Before he could do anything, Talus was standing next to him. “Ready for a real adventure?” The smile on Talus’s face was full of malice.

            “I-I-I’m supposed to pick up some French bread for my mom,” Preston stuttered.

            Placing a hand on Preston’s shoulder, Talus said, “Don’t worry about your mom. Aren’t you tired of facing danger from the safety of your couch? Find out what it’s really like to be fighting monsters, face-to-face.”

            Preston felt all the blood leave his face. “Um, no thank you. I’ve got to get back.” He turned and ran back through the sliding doors, which were miraculously still there. He didn’t stop running until he had grabbed his bike and was pedaling hard. He rode three blocks to another small grocery store, focusing only on the French bread.

            He finally made it back home, where he tiredly set the bread on the kitchen counter.

            “Thank you, son,” Mom said with a smile. “I know it was hard to take a break from your game, but now you can go play it again.”

            Preston left the kitchen without a word, but he didn’t return to his game. He decided he’d had enough of it for a while.

Kidnapped!

 

            Mary was just climbing into the hammock in her backyard when her phone started buzzing. She sighed when she saw that it was Chief Johnson. Taking a deep breath, she answered, “What can I do for you today, Chief?”

            “I need your help with a case, Mary.” His voice sounded stressed.

            Resigning herself to giving up her nap, Mary replied, “What is it?”

            “A small boy has been kidnapped at an event where his father was giving a speech. There were more than a hundred people there, and no one knows what happened to him.”

            Mary was already grabbing her keys. “I’m on my way.” Hanging up, she whistled for Rover. “Come on. We’ve got a job to do.” The black crow flew down from a tree and landed on her shoulder. Together, they got in the car and drove over to the station.

            Mary often got called in to the police station for her special skills. No one protested anymore about having a bird there with her. Officer Hall greeted Mary and said, “The Chief’s waiting for you.” He led her through the station to where Chief Johnson was on the phone.

            As soon as he saw her, he finished up his phone call and got right down to business. He held up a photograph of a blonde-haired boy with a big grin on his face. “This is who we’re looking for. His name is Randy, and he was last seen wearing a green shirt and jean shorts.”

            Mary took the photo and looked at it carefully, with Rover leaning down to study it as well. “Where was he taken from?”

            “The small convention center downtown. We’ve been all over there, but we haven’t found anything.”

            “When did this happen?”

            “A few hours ago. I don’t need to tell you how important it is that we find him. The first twenty-four hours are the most critical in a kidnapping case.”

            “All right. I’ll let you know what I find out.” Without another word, Mary turned around and walked back out to her car. As soon as she climbed inside and shut the door, she said, “What do you think?”

            In a crackly voice, Rover answered, “Yeah, I’ll find him. Just tell me where to start looking.”

            Studying Randy’s photo again, Mary said, “Let’s go to the convention center. We’ll see what we can learn there.”

            Ten minutes later, Mary walked past the police tape at the convention center and studied the scene. She brushed her hand along the walls and over the seats and tables that were set up inside. Abruptly, she stopped and whispered, “This is where Randy was sitting.” She put both hands on the chair and closed her eyes. “A man in a pinstriped suit took him by the hand and led him out the door.” She walked through the door, pausing with her hand on the handle. “Yes, they came this way.” Walking quicker now, she stopped every few seconds to lean down and touch the pavement. When they reached a certain parking spot, she whispered, “They drove in a red convertible, heading north.”

            “On it,” Rover croaked, flapping his great wings and taking off in the direction she had indicated.

            Mary followed him in her car, using their bond as a guide. She could always tell where Rover was—that was one benefit to being a witch. She knew that he would get information through other crows and be able to find the boy. This city was full of the black birds and made a perfect spy network. She and Rover had solved many cases this way.

            Twenty minutes later, she pulled up to the train station, where Rover was waiting for her. “They’re inside here,” he said quickly. “I think they must be waiting for a train.”

            Taking out her cell phone, Mary dialed the number for Chief Johnson. Holding the phone up to her ear, she said, “He’s inside the train station. Get your men over here immediately.”

            Chief Johnson arrived with several other officers after a few minutes. They quickly found the boy and arrested his kidnapper. Not waiting to be thanked, Mary and Rover left for home. Once again, Mary climbed into her hammock, a smile on her face. “Good work, Rover. I think we’ve earned the right to take a nap now.”

            Rover only let out a single soft caw in reply. Both of them were asleep within minutes.

Laundry

 

            As soon as Dawn felt the alarm on her wrist, she rolled out of bed. What was today? Ugh – Monday. The start of the week was always hard, and today was also laundry day. Dawn may have been just a stay-at-home mom, but she had a lot of work to do.

            Mornings were always a little hectic on the weekdays. Making sure four kids were ready for school was no small task. Oatmeal, scrambled eggs, or cereal was the choice for breakfast. With six people in the house, usually every option was chosen. The smell of maple and brown sugar filled the air and the frying pan was cooling down on the stove as everyone sat down to eat.

            Half an hour later, there was a frantic hunt for jackets and shoes when it was time to head out. “Where’s my water bottle?” one of the kids asks.

            “I can’t find my library books!” another child cries.

            Then it’s time for school drop-off. When Dawn returns home, she took a few deep breaths before cleaning up the kitchen. With all the sticky surfaces wiped clean, she’s now ready to start tackling the laundry.

            A mountain of clothes greets her as she walks into the room where the three overflowing hampers sit. Sorting the clothes takes twenty minutes. She nearly missed a red sock going in with the white clothes. Whew! That was a close one. She finally gets the washer started with the first batch of laundry.

            Now, Dawn can run a few errands. The grocery store was priority number one, but sometimes she also had a few other places to visit. Today, it was the dry cleaner’s. Throughout the day, she mostly remembered to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer and to start another load. Finally, with the fourth load in the washer, it was nearly time for school pickup. She hadn’t had time to fold all of the clean clothes, but she grabbed her keys and headed for the car.

            After school, there was another flurry of activity, and Dawn did her best to help everyone with their homework, while also trying to get dinner in the oven. She finished folding the clean laundry with minutes to spare before the oven timer beeped. Allowing herself to sit down for a moment, she reveled in the fact that the laundry hampers were empty and all the clean clothes were put away.

            Then she watched her oldest come in with her dirty gym clothes. The girl smiled sweetly at her mom and asked, “Can you wash my gym clothes, please? I need them for tomorrow.”

            “Sure, honey. No problem.” Dawn suppressed a sigh. She should have known that the laundry was never done.

Greek Mythology

 

            “Okay, class! Today we’re going to review our Greek mythology unit by playing Jeopardy!” Mrs. Dewey was so excited, her grin nearly split her face.

            Addy groaned. She hadn’t been studying at all and knew that the only answer she could give was, “It’s all Greek to me.” She smiled to herself as Mrs. Dewey split the class into two teams.

            Settling herself at the back of her group, Addy lay her head down on the desk. She heard Mrs. Dewey say, “Remember to say your answers in the form of a question…”

            Addy didn’t listen anymore and closed her eyes. If only they were studying “The Lord of the Rings.” She knew a lot about that. She had reread it so many times she would be able to answer every question. The movies were good, but they weren’t the same. Glorfindel, for example, was a character in the books that never appeared in the movies. If there were only a clue that went something like: The elf searching for Frodo outside of Bree. That would be easy to answer. All she would need to say would be…

            Her classmate elbowed her, and Addy jerked awake, saying, “Who is Glorfindel?”

            Snickers erupted around her and Mrs. Dewey said, “Um, no, that is incorrect. Now the other team gets a chance to answer.”

            Addy felt her face go red with shame and she put her head back on her desk. Oh, well – it had been fun to dream about. She slowly sat back up and pulled out her notes. Maybe she should actually study this time.

Fairy Tale Wedding

 

            The wedding ceremony was taking forever. Andrew tilted his head back and closed his eyes as the music played. His brother Tony was already officially married to his new wife, Tanya. The preacher had already said, “You may now kiss the bride.” But the guy was still talking. Something about “Thank you all for sharing this special day with Tony and Tanya.”

            All Andrew wanted to do was get out and explore the place. He would have left already if he hadn’t had to sit in the front row. He couldn’t sneak away without Mom or Dad noticing. Tony and Tanya had chosen to get married at “The Forest Glade.” It was a wooded area designed specifically for weddings and owned by some millionaire who wanted to provide a fairy tale experience. As Andrew looked around, he appreciated the set-up. It looked like they were literally in the middle of the forest.

            As soon as the last Amen was said and people started to stand up, Andrew got away as quickly as he could. Finally, he could go check out the creek that he’d heard bubbling close by. He loved being outside and was glad that his brother decided not to get married inside a stuffy old church.

            Andrew walked through dense brush, away from the beaten path. Branches snagged at his tuxedo jacket, and the forest seemed to close in around him. The sound of the creek was getting louder, but it was also getting harder to move forward. The forest didn’t seem to want to let Andrew through, but he continued to push on until at last, he reached the bank of the creek. “Whoa!” he exclaimed.

            The creek was purple and was boiling and bubbling with heat. Dumbstruck, Andrew just stared at it for a few minutes before he went in for a closer look. Not only was the water purple, but it also seemed to be thick, like slime. Andrew really wanted to touch it, but realized that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea. He grabbed a stick and poked the purple goo with it.

            “Hey, watch it!”

            Andrew stumbled backward in shock as the purple creek rose up and changed shape and colors until a small boy stood on the grassy bank, staring accusingly at him. “S-s-sorry!” Andrew stuttered. “I didn’t know!”

            The boy rolled his eyes. “You must be one of the humans from Tanya’s wedding. I told her she should have gotten married somewhere else, but she really loves her human.”

            Andrew had so many questions, he didn’t know which to ask first. Finally, he asked, “Tanya’s not human? Does Tony know?”

            The boy waved his questions away. “Of course, of course. No one else was supposed to find out. We were all supposed to pretend to be part of the normal forest. I was doing all right until you poked me with a stick!” He glared back at Andrew.

            “But…you were purple. I’ve never seen a purple creek before.”

            The boy’s expression changed from anger to pleasure. “I know water shouldn’t be purple, but it looked really good, right?” His eyes twinkled.

            As Andrew nodded, he heard his name being called back where the wedding had taken place. “I, uh, gotta go.”

            The boy smiled good-naturedly and said, “All right. Nice to meet you…”

            “Andrew.”

            “Andrew.” The boy shook Andrew’s hand and continued. “My name’s Jansen. Next time, don’t poke me with a stick, okay?”

            “Sure. Sorry about that.” Andrew waved and headed back up to the wedding.

            “There you are!” Tony said, exasperated. “Mom wants everyone for pictures. Where have you been?”

            Andrew stared at Tony seriously before saying, “You never told me Tanya was some kind of magical being.” Before Tony could protest, he continued. “I just met someone named Jansen who was pretending to be purple water in a creek.”

            Tony’s eyes sparkled with laughter. “Didn’t I tell you that Tanya was unique?”

            “That’s not what I was thinking about when you said unique.” Andrew started walking over to his parents, but Tony stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

            “Hey, Andrew, wait.” Tony’s face turned anxious as he said, “You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

            Tony could always get Andrew to do anything. Andrew nodded and said, “Of course. Who would believe me, anyway? If I told anyone else, they’d think I was crazy.”

            Andrew couldn’t believe how the day had changed. He’d gone from being super bored at a wedding to being asked to keep a massive secret. He suddenly had lots of questions for Tanya. Now that they were all family, he knew he would have plenty of time to ask them all. Yes, today had turned into a spectacular day.

Witch's Cat 2: Elusive Flowers

 

            The night was chilly as Angela drew her cloak around her more tightly. Another fruitless day, she thought glumly.

            Think of it this way, came Chesterfield’s thought. Now we know exactly where to not find the Chartreuse Hawthorn. The black cat sat proudly next to Angela.

            Usually, flowers bloom in the spring. Are we sure that it’s a real plant? She scooted closer to the fire.

            Of course. Cassandra wouldn’t send us on a useless quest. Chesterfield settled himself into Angela’s lap where he immediately began purring.

            Angela petted him absentmindedly while she thought about their problem. They needed the flower to make an invisibility potion. Her teacher, Cassandra, said that it was a magical flower found only in this area during winter. Angela and Chesterfield had flown all over this hilly landscape on her broom, looking for the brightly colored flowers. Two days had already passed. They had only one more day to find it and fly back to Cassandra’s School for Witches.

            Angela already felt like she was behind everyone else. She had come to the school at thirteen years old, when most of her classmates were only ten. She did not want to fail in this task.

            Chesterfield interrupted Angela’s musings. Why not try to look for it at night? Maybe it will be easier to see then.

            Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?

            Because you needed me to think of it for you. I’m the source of your magical power, remember?

            No, you only help me control my power.

            Whatever, you still need me. Chesterfield purred even louder.

            Angela felt a wave of affection for her cat. In the years since she had known him, they had become exceptionally close, just as a witch and her cat should be. All right, let’s do this, she thought resolutely. She stood as Chesterfield bounded off her lap.

            It only took a minute for Angela to pack up her small campsite—being a witch with magical powers had a great many uses. In no time, she and Chesterfield sat astride her broomstick, flying low over the hillside, looking for the elusive yellow-green flower. They searched for hours, and Angela started to think that this was a waste of time. Her hands were nearly frozen, and her back ached.

            She was just about to suggest that they give up and get some rest when Chesterfield shouted, Look! Over there! He held his paw off to the right of the broomstick, and Angela turned to investigate.

            Once she saw the flowers, she couldn’t believe that she had missed them before. They were glowing. The hawthorn bush was covered with the vibrant flowers and made it look like a beacon.

            Well, that was easy. Chesterfield sprang to the ground as Angela went to collect the flowers. He stretched luxuriously and lay down on the rocky hillside.

            Easy for you to say. Angela put the flowers in her special collecting sack that would keep them fresh. I’m ready for a nice, warm bed. Are you ready? She hopped back on her broom and Chesterfield settled himself behind her.

            As they flew back to school, Angela was relieved and happy that they had accomplished their task. When they reached their destination, Chesterfield climbed onto her shoulders and wrapped himself around her neck. Here’s a nice, warm bed, he said as he started purring.

            Smiling, Angela replied, Glad I could be of service to you. This was the best part of being a witch—always having your best friend with you.

The Lottery

 

            Excitement flooded through Chris when he woke up. Today was Christmas! He threw off his covers and looked at his alarm clock. It said 3:17 AM. Reluctantly, he climbed back into bed. It was still too early to even go wake his brother, Jack.

            Chris tried to close his eyes and go back to sleep, but it was no use. Reaching for his notebook, he propped himself up in his bed and began to write. If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well work on his story about two friends on a treasure hunt in the jungle. After writing for a while, he paused, wondering what was going to come next.

            That’s when he noticed the red envelope sitting on his bed. Curious, Chris picked it up and pulled out the card from inside. All it said was: “You’ve won the lottery! Come and claim your prize at the bottom of the stairs at 3:58 AM.”

            Chris looked at the clock again: 3:56 AM. Was Jack playing a trick on him? Why did it need to be such a specific time? Usually, Chris was the one to wake up Jack on Christmas morning.

            Thinking that he should at least check it out, Chris tiptoed silently out of his bedroom toward the stairs. It was absolutely silent in the house. If Jack was really waiting for him, he was doing a good job of hiding. The staircase was pitch black as Chris walked carefully down it, using only his sense of touch. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he carefully whispered, “Jack? Where are you?”

            Suddenly, the area flooded with light, and Chris found himself in the middle of a vast, open stage. What had happened to his house? Standing in front of him was a man dressed in a business suit. With a smile, he shook Chris’s hand and said, “Congratulations! You’ve won the Christmas lottery!”

            “What?” Chris was totally bewildered.

            “You’ve been chosen to receive one Christmas wish. What will it be?”

            The man looked at Chris expectantly, but Chris had no idea what was happening. “I get a wish?”

            “Sure! Make a wish, and it will be granted.”

            Wow! What was he going to wish for? After thinking for several minutes, Chris finally answered, “I wish I could get a puppy for Christmas.”

            The man nodded. “Your wish will be granted. Thank you.” He turned around and walked away.

            Chris was left alone, wondering what he was supposed to do next. The light was fading fast and he was starting to panic. Shuffling away from the encroaching darkness, he felt his heels hit a carpeted step. He turned around, walked up the stairs, and down the hall to his own room. Climbing back into bed, he wondered, Did that really just happen? He’d always wanted a dog, but his mom was allergic. He would never be allowed to keep a pet.

            Feeling so much more tired now, he lay back in bed and promptly fell asleep. A few hours later, he was being shaken awake by Jack. “Come on, Chris, it’s Christmas!”

            Groggily, Chris shook his head to clear the sleep from his eyes. What a weird dream he just had. He followed Jack downstairs to the Christmas tree, where they promptly unwrapped the small mountain of presents beneath it. Their parents looked on sleepily.

            The rest of the day passed quickly. Chris had so many new toys to play with, but he couldn’t shake off the disappointment that the wish he’d made wouldn’t come true. When it was time for bed, he slowly went upstairs to his room and shut the door. There, on his bed, was a black and white puppy with a red ribbon tied around its neck.

            Surprised and ecstatic, Chris scooped up the puppy in his arms while it enthusiastically licked his face. A red envelope fell to the floor, and he picked it up, setting the puppy gently on the bed. Inside was a card much like the one he’d received earlier that morning. It said: “Here is your puppy. Because of your family’s special circumstances, this is a magical animal. He will be your companion as long as you like, but he can’t be seen by anyone else. He will never shed, and you don’t need to worry about feeding him. Enjoy!”

            After feeling slightly let down for most of the day, Chris suddenly felt the happiest he’d ever felt. Hugging his new puppy, he knew this was the best Christmas ever.

Inside the Pages

 

            “Happy Birthday, Damien!” Mom exclaimed proudly. “Fourteen years. I can’t believe it.” She handed Damien a present covered in shining gold wrapping paper.

            The package was so heavy that Damien nearly dropped it when Mom gave it to him. “Whoa, what’s in here? I could use this for weight lifting.” He immediately lay back on the couch and pretended to bench press the present.

            “This one’s from your dad.” Mom smiled sadly. “He wanted you to have it when you turned fourteen.”

            This was Dad’s? Damien barely remembered him. He had died when Damien was only three years old. He tore through the wrappings, and out fell – a book. He touched its soft covers and gently picked it up. The outside was plain green except for the title, which was printed on the spine – Gardening for All Ages. “Gardening for All Ages?” Damien raised an eyebrow. “Was Dad a gardener?”

            Mom’s eyes sparkled. “This was his favorite book. It’s actually a family heirloom. It’s yours now.”

            “Great,” Damien said softly. What was he supposed to do with this?

            Mom saw the disappointment in his eyes. “Just read it. You might like it.”

            Dubiously, Damien opened the book. He had zero interest in gardening, but this had been Dad’s. Maybe he should at least read some of it. He settled himself on the couch and started to read. Within minutes, his eyes were glazing over. He was about to give up and put it away when something in the text jumped out at him. Focusing now, he reread the last paragraph. Then he reread it again, just to make sure.

            Here’s what it said: Congratulations on reading this far, Damien. You have unlocked the true nature of this book. As my son, you have the right to use the information found in this book any way you see fit. You come from a long line of magicians and this book is a compilation of all our secrets and spells. Only those of our line will even be able to read it. I wish you good luck for the start of your magical journey. May you find as much joy in it as I did. I love you, son. Love, Dad.

            Damien leaned back as he tried to process this. Closing the book, he saw that it was no longer a plain, boring book about gardening. The ornate gold and dark blue cover was decorated with stars and the title said, “The Magician’s Guide to Magic.” He ran his fingers over the raised letters and felt a prickle of excitement. Was it really magic?

            Much more excited now than he’d been before, he dived back into the book. He was ready to learn everything his dad had to teach him.

Delicate Arch

 

            Shading her eyes from the sun, Carmen looked over at the massive arch. The Delicate Arch was much bigger than she had expected.

            “Pretty cool, right?” Dad asked. “I told you it would be worth it. It looks almost magical.”

            Carmen wasn’t sure about that. The hike had been pretty tough. A slight breeze blew into her face and she closed her eyes, welcoming its coolness. It was only April, but Moab, Utah, could get really hot – even in the spring. She never thought she would miss the cooler weather of northern Utah. When they’d left, there had just been a spring snowstorm. It was the kind of snow that melted right away, but it was still cold.

            Carmen shivered. She opened her eyes to the orange landscape in front of her. She had forgotten how sweaty and hot she was for a moment. Shivering again, she turned her face to the sun to get warmed up. But what was happening? She felt like she was getting colder instead of warmer. The breeze that had been softly blowing across her face now felt more like an icy wind.

            Dad was saying something, but Carmen’s ears weren’t working. His mouth was moving, but all she heard was the howling wind. Hugging her chest, she ran to stand next to him and was alarmed when she realized she couldn’t move. The wind was preventing her from going anywhere. She knelt down to keep herself from being blown over.

            The wind continued to swirl around her as it whistled and reached a fever pitch. She raised her hands to cover her ears and closed her eyes when suddenly the wind stopped.

            The loss of wind made it seem silent around her. She opened her eyes and immediately wanted to shut them again. Instead of the red rocks she expected to see, she was in a winter wonderland. She was kneeling in still, quiet snow. Icicles hung from bare tree branches all around her. She stood up with her legs freezing, and her T-shirt left her skin exposed to the icy cold air.

            Carmen stood staring at the scene around her until her eyes watered. How had this happened? She shook her head to clear it. As she did so, she felt a warm breeze blow across her face. She felt her skin start to thaw as she hugged herself tighter. The wind grew in strength as she felt warmer and warmer. She finally closed her eyes when the wind got too intense – and then it stopped.

            Opening her eyes, she was once again standing near the Delicate Arch. Dad looked concerned as he asked her, “Are you okay, Carmen? You look a little rattled. Maybe that hike was too intense.”

            Throwing her arms around her father, Carmen said, “I’m just so glad to be back here at the Arch. It feels so warm out here.”

            Dad pulled back from her hug and looked at her closely. “Let’s take a break before we head back down. I think you could use a little rest.”

            Panic gripped Carmen as she thought about staying there and being blown back again to winter. “No, no, I’m fine!” she said – maybe a little too cheerily. “You were right, Dad – this is a cool, magical place – but I’m ready to head back down now.” She started back to the trail with Dad following close behind. She didn’t want to risk being blown away again to who knew where.

            “Are you sure you’re okay, Carmen?” Dad asked worriedly.

            “It was just a little too windy for me, that’s all.” Carmen didn’t know what had happened, but she knew she wanted to get away from the wind.

Secret Life

 

            The red pen said 88% at the top of Trixie’s test. Letting out a sigh of relief, she put it into her folder to take home. Math was not her strong suit, but she had gotten an acceptable grade. She didn’t understand why she would need math in the real world, but she was expected to do well in all of her subjects.

            “What did you get?” Melody whispered from across the aisle.

            “Eighty-eight,” Trixie whispered back. She couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on her lips.

            “I got eighty-seven!” Melody’s face showed how pleased she was.

            Trixie didn’t know how she would get through school without Melody. Best friends since second grade, they had always been in the same class. Now, in eighth grade, they were each other’s lifeline in the whirling torrent that was junior high school.

            As they walked home from school later that day, Melody asked, “Do you want to hang out at my house this afternoon?”

            “Sorry, I can’t,” Trixie murmured. “It’s Thursday. I have my family thing tonight.”

            “Oh right, I always forget. What exactly do you guys do anyway?”

            Trixie couldn’t quite meet Melody’s eye as she said, “We do different things. My dad says we should always spend time together as a family.” She wasn’t lying, exactly, but her family had a secret that no one else knew about.

            Trixie said goodbye when she reached her house. As she walked inside, Mom met her, looking excited. “Are you ready?” Mom asked, taking Trixie’s arm.

            “Of course!” Trixie couldn’t wait.

            “Dad and Aaron have already left – let’s hurry!”

            They both ran up the stairs to the secret closet. “After you,” Mom said as she opened the door.

            Trixie carefully stepped over some boxes to the back of the closet. She held out her hand and stepped through the invisible portal. A slight breeze blew across her face and she felt her talons dig into the grass beneath her. With a joyful roar, she shot into the air, her great wings unfolding to carry her higher. She may have two different lives now, but this was the one she really craved. She couldn’t wait until she became an adult. Then she would be able to stay where she belonged – in the Land of the Wind as a fearsome dragon.

Unknown Planet

 

            “Captain, we’ve reached the unknown planet 2A461,” Data stated. “Our scans indicate intelligent life on the surface. This is the source of the power beam that we’ve been following.”

            “Good, thank you, Data,” Captain Picard said as he tugged down on his uniform. They had discovered a strange power source shining a beam of light deep into space. This planet appeared to be where it had originated from. Picard knew that they would need to investigate. “Lieutenant Worf, hail the planet.”

            There was a beep and Worf answered, “There is no answer, Captain.”

            “Number One, assemble an away team to investigate.” Picard nodded to Commander Riker.

            Immediately, Riker stood up and said, “Data, Worf – you’re with me.” Together, the three walked off the bridge toward the transporter room.

            When they beamed onto the planet’s surface, Riker’s first impression was of heat. It was stiflingly hot here. Tugging uncomfortably at the edge of his collar, he said, “Data, do you have a lock on that power source?”

            “Yes, sir. It is emanating from this direction.” Data immediately headed off into a thick jungle. There was a path of sorts, but it was overgrown with vines and weeds. The three officers followed this path for several meters until it ended at a seemingly solid rock wall. Data took readings with his tricorder. He appeared slightly perplexed.

            “What is it, Data?” Riker asked when Data didn’t say anything.

            “This wall appears to be made of hardened diamonds. The power source is definitely behind it, but there is no way in. The wall is several meters thick.”

            “Would our phasers be able to penetrate it?”

            “Yes, but that is not advisable. I suggest that we seek out the life forms of this planet and get some answers from them.”

            “Shouldn’t we have met some by now?” Worf asked in his deep voice.

            Data consulted his tricorder. “There are three life forms 124 meters away from us in a large clearing.”

            Riker nodded his head, saying, “Lead the way.”

            With the help of their phasers, the Enterprise officers cut a path through the thick jungle. Soon, they reached the clearing and were astounded by what they saw. Data rapidly took readings with his tricorder while Riker and Worf were left speechless.

            After several moments, Riker recovered his voice and asked, “Are those...dragons?” The massive creatures towered over the crew of the Enterprise. As the curious foreigners watched, the creatures breathed flames on the foliage around them. Instead of being burned, however, the flames seemed to make the plants grow bigger.

            Data analyzed several more readings in his tricorder before he answered Riker’s question. “They do appear to be similar to the creatures in fairy tales that are known as dragons, but these are not mythological. They are using their fire to generate the habitat around them. Interesting.”
            “Will we be able to communicate with them?” Riker asked with eyebrows raised.

            “I would advise against that, sir.” Worf was studying the dragons with their massive wings folded against their backs. The talons on each dragon were very impressive, even for Worf.

            Data opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted by one of the dragons themselves.

            “What are you doing in our jungle?” The voice came from the dragon nearest to them. Its red scales gleamed in the sunlight as it studied the three officers.

            Stepping forward, Riker answered, “We followed a beam of light from deep in space. We’ve come to investigate the source and wondered if you had any answers for us.” Outwardly, Riker appeared calm and in charge, but his hands were balled into fists as he addressed the dragon that was four times as tall as he was.

            The dragon stopped to think for a moment while the green and blue dragons looked on curiously. “Oh, you mean the diamond portal.” He nodded his head as he explained. “We have recently arrived at this planet for colonization, but it wasn’t exactly suited to our needs. We have put a lot of firepower into terraforming it to make it more comfortable for us. We had to create a conduit for the planet to shed the excess power from our flames. Without it, this planet would explode.

            “Interesting,” Data said again. “For the amount of power to flow through the conduit to attract our attention, your flames must be powerful, indeed.”

            The dragon nodded his great head. “We are sorry to attract your attention. As soon as we finish terraforming, the excess power will stop.” He focused his orange eyes on the crew members. “After that, we wish to be left alone in peace.”

            Riker nodded curtly and said, “That shouldn’t be a problem. We’re on our way and won’t be bothering you anymore.”

            They turned around and started back the way they’d come. When they gave their report to Captain Picard, he looked curious. “Dragons, you say? Well, this will be an interesting report to give to the Federation.” He took his seat on the bridge. “Ensign, set a course for our previously arranged assignment.”

            There was a moment when the ensign tapped on the console. “Course laid in, sir.”

            Picard held up his hand and said, “Engage!”

The Scream

 

            They had been in the museum for an hour, and Eddy was bored. Mom had lied when she said it would be a fun experience.

            Eddy rolled his eyes and flopped onto a bench as they entered yet another room full of paintings. His older sister, Janet, looked closer at one of them. She was really into art, oohing-and-aahing over everything. Eddy tilted his head back to rest on the hard marble bench. He was done with all this art.

            But Janet wouldn’t look at the paintings quietly. “Hey, Eddy, come look at this!”

            “No thanks.” All he really wanted to do was sleep, but the next thing he knew, Janet had grabbed his arm and was pulling him toward a painting. He groaned and asked, “What’s so special about this one?” It was called, “The Scream.”

            “This is only one of the most famous paintings ever,” Janet gushed. “You don’t know how lucky we are to see it.”

            Reluctantly, Eddy looked closer at the painting. At least it was in his favorite colors. Blue, orange, and yellow did look really good together. Then he noticed the two people behind the screamer. He was staring at them, when he suddenly felt himself being pulled off of his feet. He fell headfirst through the painting, landing next to the people he had been staring at.

            Eyes wide, he slowly looked around. The blues and oranges that he had admired from the outside of the painting were now swirling all around him. The Screamer had his back to Eddy, but the noise coming from him was so loud. Almost falling over from the noise, Eddy tried to cover his ears.

            The man standing next to him looked down in shock. “Where did you come from?” he shouted.

            Eddy barely heard him over the scream, but he answered, “I was just looking at this painting, and now I’m inside it. How did that happen?”

            The man looked flabbergasted and turned to ask his companion.

            Eddy couldn’t hear their conversation. The screamer was still screaming. It was just a never-ending, AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Didn’t that guy need to breathe?

            The man standing next to Eddy tapped him on the shoulder and said, “You’d better get out of here.” He nodded his head toward the screamer. “He never stops.”

            “How do I leave?”

            The man just shrugged, saying, “We’ve been here for more than a hundred years. We don’t know the way.”

            A hundred years! Eddy had to get out, now. His head was really aching from the noise. He pinched himself, hard, and woke up with a start. His heart pounding, he stood up from the hard marble bench and looked once again at “The Scream.”

            “Pretty cool, right?” Janet said excitedly.

            What had happened? How did he fall asleep? “Uh, yeah, sure.” Never had Eddy been more grateful for silence. He smiled and said, “Good thing we can’t hear that guy screaming.”

Bow vs. Rifle

 

            The morning was still as Cora drew back her bow. Breathing out, she let the arrow fly, hitting the rabbit precisely where she had planned. She smiled when she thought about the delicious rabbit stew Mom would be able to make for dinner.

            After dressing the rabbit and putting it in her pack with the other one that she had shot earlier, Cora headed home. She wondered if Sam had had any luck hunting this morning. She loved her brother, but she knew he was hopeless with a rifle. Because she was a girl, she wasn’t allowed to take the gun, so she had turned to the bow instead. Hours and hours spent practicing had paid off for her, and she could put an arrow right where she wanted to every single time. When Cora went hunting, she hit whatever she aimed at. Sam, on the other hand, rarely brought back anything from his hunts.

            As she neared home, Cora heard a shuffling sound off to her right. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that it was a bear. It was far enough away that it hadn’t noticed her, so Cora stayed silent, watching as it passed.

            When it had gone, Cora took a few deep breaths and continued on her way. She would have to warn her family about the bear. Maybe Dad would set some traps…

            “Aaargh!” The shrill cry came from where the bear had disappeared.

            Cora felt the blood leave her face. Was that…?

            “Get away!”

            Yes, that was Sam’s voice! He must have blundered into the bear. Moving quickly, Cora made her way to the shouts and looked down a hill just in time to see Sam fire the rifle at the bear, which was less than twenty feet away. Even with a huge target, Sam missed.

            Throwing down her pack, Cora nocked an arrow. Instead of being scared off, the bear seemed to become enraged by the gunshot. “Get out of there, Sam!” she cried, noticing that he appeared to be frozen. Cora sighted down the arrow and let it fly into the charging bear.

            The bear stumbled and fell only feet away from Sam. Cora ran down the slope to get to him. Grabbing his hand, she heaved him to his feet and started shoving him back the way she had come. Grunts and snorts came from the bear as it slowly got back on its feet. It let out a roar at the retreating forms of Cora and Sam, but then turned away and slowly shuffled deeper into the trees.

            Cora watched it, and knew that it wouldn’t get far. She’d tell Dad where to come and look for it. Turning her attention back to Sam, she was a little alarmed at how white he looked.

            “Did you see the size of that thing?” he whispered in awe.

            Cora nodded and said, “You’re lucky to have escaped from a bear like that.”

            Sam looked seriously at Cora. “I wouldn’t have escaped if it hadn’t been for you.” He gave her a hug. “Thank you!”

            Together, they walked back to the house to tell their story. It had been a tense few minutes, and Cora could see that Sam was severely shaken. She decided not to tease him about missing such a large target when it was right in front of him.

            After that day, Dad said that Cora could hunt with the rifle if she wanted to. She was able to shoot with it just as accurately as with her bow, but she didn’t use it often. “My bow is enough for what I need,” she told anyone who asked. “If it’s good enough to take down a bear, it’s good enough for me.”

The Mango

 

            The sun beat down on the back of Calvin’s neck. Sweat poured off him as he gazed longingly at the fruit stand. A juicy mango would be so refreshing right about now. His stomach grumbled. When had he last eaten? Yesterday morning? He had to get one of those mangoes.

            The market was busy this afternoon. Everyone was preparing for their evening meal. Calvin strolled among the crowd with his hands in his oversized pockets. He tried to appear nonchalant when he glanced at the other stalls. His threadbare shirt stuck to his sweaty back as his heart pounded in his chest. He was nearing the fruit stall, and his mouth started to water.

            The large group that was crowded around the fruit vendor didn’t even notice when Calvin joined them. Everyone was jostling each other, trying to get the owner’s attention. Soon Calvin was standing right next to the tray of mangoes. He leaned over them, pretending to study the apples in the tray beside it. Quick as a flash, he grabbed a mango and stuffed it into his pocket. He stayed a few moments more, then slowly strolled away, his baggy pants hiding the contents of his pocket.

            Trying to keep his breathing even, Calvin waited until he was two streets away before he finally ducked into a darkened alley and took off running to his hiding place. Once there, he took a big juicy bite of the mango and delighted in the explosion of juice and flavor. It took a surprisingly short time before the mango was gone. He gnawed on the giant seed until there was nothing left to get out of it.

            Calvin felt refreshed after the mango, although he was still hungry. Maybe he could go back for a loaf of bread or perhaps even some rice. Determined to find something else to eat, he stepped out from his hiding place and was immediately met by a man holding a wicked-looking knife. Calvin recognized him as a royal guard and turned to flee.

            He didn’t get very far before another royal guard stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Good evening, young man.” This guard held up a long sword as he towered over Calvin.

            Calvin’s heart raced as he thought of any way to escape. “Uh, good evening.” The other guard came up behind him, closing off any escape route.

            The guard with the sword sheathed his blade and smiled at Calvin. “You’re wanted at the palace, son.”

            Calvin’s mouth went dry. “It was only a mango!” he shouted hurriedly. “I never took anything else! I was starving!”

            “Don’t worry about that. We’ve taken care of it,” the knife man said behind him.

            The two men escorted a terrified Calvin as they walked through the city toward the palace. How was he ever going to get out of this? His eyes darted all around, looking for anything or anyone that might help him. No one paid attention to a poor boy in the company of royal guards. Soon they were standing outside the palace gates.

            The big guard called for the gates to open and the three of them stepped through. Gloom settled over Calvin as the gates closed behind them. He expected to be taken down to the dungeons, but he was surprised when they entered the palace proper. They passed through several hallways and doors until he felt hopelessly lost. The décor became more and more elegant until finally, they stood in front of an ornate door and the knife guard knocked.

            “Come in,” a girl’s voice said from within.

            The door opened and Calvin felt himself thrust inside. His breath caught as he recognized Princess Jade Ali standing before him. He fell into a clumsy bow and said, “Your highness.”

            The princess walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Are you Calvin?” she asked kindly.

            “Y-yes, your highness,” he answered nervously.

            The princess sighed in relief and said, “I’ve been looking for you for months!”

            Calvin raised his head just enough to see the smile covering Jade’s face. She had been looking for him? Why?

            Noticing his confusion, Princess Jade said, “I believe that you are my brother.”

            Dumbfounded, Calvin could only answer, “What?”

            “You’ve been living on the streets your whole life, right? Who were your parents?”

            Seeing only kindness in Jade’s eyes, Calvin answered truthfully. “I never knew my parents, but my Uncle Rafe raised me. We got along okay until Rafe disappeared last year.” He paused. “I don’t know what happened to him, but I’ve been on my own ever since.”

            Jade’s kind face flashed angrily when Calvin mentioned Rafe. “The man you knew as Uncle Rafe was actually Rafael, a healer who used to work here at the palace. You and I are twins. When we were born, Rafael stole you and completely disappeared. Our parents did everything they could to find you, but you were gone. I, myself, never knew of your existence until Rafael unexpectedly showed up here at the palace, trying to get his old job back.” She shook her head slowly. “Father saw through his lies of wanting a fresh start. He threw Rafael into prison. We still might not have known that you were alive if Rafael hadn’t bragged to the other prisoners about how he had stolen you from right under the king’s nose. Well, as soon as we learned that you were still alive, the royal guards began searching everywhere for you.” She smiled, and Calvin noticed a twinkle in her eye. “Your true name is Jasper Calvin Ali. Would you like to meet your parents?”

            Calvin felt as if he had just been run over by a herd of elephants. Was he really a prince? He thought back to how he had lived with Uncle Rafe. The man hadn’t been unkind to him as long as he stayed out of his way. A bubble of happiness started deep inside Calvin. Looking up at Princess Jade, the bubble grew until it burst from him, covering his face in a grin. “Yes, please!”

            Jade grabbed Calvin’s hand, and together they went to meet their parents. Calvin was nervous, but he realized that he would never have to go hungry again. The grin on his face got wider.