Tilt-A-Whirl

 

            Claire stomped off angrily after she read the text. Tears filled her eyes as she mumbled, “Why would he do that?”

            Claire had been waiting for half an hour to meet Thomas at the fair. They had planned to go together, but Thomas said he would be a little late. Claire said that would be fine and she could just meet him there later. She loved to shop at all the little stalls where people were showing off what they had brought to sell. She and Thomas could always go on the rides together later. So, Claire had spent the last hour wandering among the stalls, waiting for Thomas to arrive.

            Claire and Thomas had been best friends since he had moved next door to her when she was six years old. They had stayed friends all through elementary, but junior high had been a little trickier. They still hung out, but they also had other friends and interests. One thing they always did, though, was go to the county fair together. It was within walking distance of their houses in their small town.

            Now Thomas had just texted that he wouldn’t be able to come at all today. Claire fumed as she thought of his reason why. He was in the middle of a Minecraft campaign with his friend Josh. Claire could feel the heat coming off herself as she stomped toward where the rides were. She would still ride the rides without Thomas.

            Claire got in line for the Tilt-A-Whirl. This one had always been one of her favorite rides, and it was so fun to ride it with Thomas. He always went out of his way to squish her into the side of the seats more than necessary. Then, as it moved, Claire tried to squish him back.

            She walked on to the ride and chose a seat. She buckled herself in and waited for the ride to start. She tried to shake off her anger at Thomas, but she continued to get more and more mad. The ride started and Claire slowly started to slide around. Instead of helping her calm down, the ride seemed to intensify her anger. She felt her hair being blown by the wind. Faster and faster, she twirled from side to side. Her hair was all over her face and the wind was getting stronger.

            But the ride was slowing down. Even when it stopped completely, the wind was gusting stronger and stronger. Claire had a hard time getting off the Tilt-A-Whirl. The wind was tossing her around like a doll. She made it off the ride and past the line of people who were still strangely waiting instead of running for cover. Claire looked closer at them and realized that the wind wasn’t affecting them at all.

            Claire stared in shock as she saw that the only one the wind was pushing around was her. Everyone else was staring at her struggling against the wind.

            Claire panicked as the wind turned into a gale. She started running away from the ride area. The wind followed her. She ran toward the vendor stalls with her hair blowing wildly all around her face. As she ran, she no longer felt like she was pushing against the wind. She was at the center of a miniature tornado. She stayed in the center as the vortex around her widened. People screamed as they tried to take cover from everything that was blowing wildly around Claire.   

            Claire kept running until she was away from the fairground. Where could she go with this whirlwind? She headed toward the only place she could think of – home. She ran as she had never run before. She usually hated running, but adrenaline fueled her on.

            Finally, her house came into view and Claire saw Mom just getting back from somewhere as she drove the car into the garage. “Mom!” Claire cried as she ran toward the garage.

            One look at Claire, and Mom knew exactly what had happened. With a wave of her hands, the tornado surrounding Claire slowed down and died.

            Claire stood in shock, staring at her mother. “How did you do that?” she asked in awe.

            Mom lowered her hands and said, “There’s something you need to know, Claire.”

            “What?” Claire asked, wondering what on Earth this was going to be about.

            Mom took a deep breath and said, “All the women in our family have the ability to control the weather. Our power manifests around our teenage years. Usually, some strong feelings trigger it.”

            Claire was stunned – she had the ability to control the weather? Why didn’t she know about this before? “Come again?” she finally asked.

            Mom smiled and put her arm around Claire. “Let’s go inside. I’ll explain all about it.”

            Claire missed a week of school while she struggled to control her newfound power. Eventually, she was able to return, but she still had several incidents whenever she experienced any kind of strong emotion. Mom had explained that it was all part of a magical weather wielder’s growing up experience.

            Their small town experienced a lot of weather anomalies that couldn’t be explained away by normal weather patterns. Some of the older residents weren’t surprised, though. It seemed like this had all happened here before. After all, the town hadn’t been named “Eye of the Tornado” for nothing.

Feel Better Potion

 

            Irene looked critically at the potion stewing on her stove. It was meant to help her friend Tessa feel better. She had watched her mother make this potion hundreds of times, so she felt like it shouldn’t have been that hard. She used all the same ingredients as her mom, and did everything in exactly the same way. The only problem was, it was a bright neon orange.

            Irene thought that she had done everything correctly, but if she had, it would have looked like a creamy broth. That way, non-magical people wouldn’t know that they were being fed a magical potion.

            Irene sighed, and did what she had tried to avoid doing in the first place. She called her mom. It wasn’t by phone, of course. Humans loved their cell phones, which they thought were so marvelous. They had no idea of a sorceress’s power.

            Irene conjured a window in front of her. On the other side of the window stood her mom, who was currently making a magical potion of her own.

            “Hello, dear,” Mom said as she tossed some herbs into her pot.

            “Hi, Mom. I was just wondering about your feel better potion that you make for people when they’re sick.”

            “Oh yeah, that’s an easy one.”

            Irene fought to keep herself from groaning out loud as she said, “Yes, well, I’m trying to make it, and it’s orange. How do I make it look like your soup?”

            Mom looked right through the window at Irene and said, “Did you add the chicken broth before or after the happiness drops?”

            “After,” Irene answered immediately.

            “Did you remember to say the words to the spell while the potion was boiling?”

            “Yes.”
            “Hmmm.” Mom tilted her head to the side, thinking. “How orange is it?”

            “It’s a really bright, neon orange. Like the orange humans wear when they go hunting.”

            “Oh, I know – you forgot to put in the sugar with the writhing eel.”

            Irene thought back and said, “I put the eel in and then the sugar right afterwards. Isn’t that the same thing?”

            “Oh no, you need to make sure that the eel is completely covered in sugar, or else it cancels out the properties of the horse hairs.”

            Irene’s shoulders slumped as she said, “So this potion is useless then.”

            “Well, no. It will actually make a great concoction to water newly sown crop fields. You should save it for your garden when it’s time to plant your cleaned chicken bones. You should get some beautiful blooms that will be fantastic for attracting ravens. That way, you’ll be able to harvest all of their discarded black feathers.”

            Irene smiled. Black raven feathers were some of the most magical bird feathers that were used in a lot of different potions. Then her face fell as she said, “But I’m out of eel. I used the last of it for this potion. I still need to make the feel better potion for my friend.”

            “Oh, don’t worry,” Mom said, waving her hand unconcernedly. “I just happen to have an extra one right here.” She walked over to her fridge and showed Irene the eel. “You can have it.”

            “Are you sure you won’t need it for anything?”

            “Not right now. You can get me some more in a few days, when you have more time.”

            Irene relaxed and gave her mom a true smile. “Thanks, Mom. I’m trying to do everything right, but I still mess up sometimes.” She went right up to the window as her mom handed her the eel through it. Human technology might be pretty good, but it couldn’t compare to a sorceress’s window conjuring.

            Irene went to soak the eel in sugar as her mom said, “Well, I made plenty of mistakes too, but a few hundred years of magic wielding have helped me get better.” She smiled and waved at Irene. “Good luck with your feel better potion. I know you’ll make a great sorceress.”

            Irene waved back and said goodbye. She wanted to prove that she could do things herself, but it was good to know that she had her mom to count on for help if she needed it. She got out a new pot to start the potion over, and set to work, making sure that the eel was completely covered in sugar when she added it to the mixture. Good thing Tessa didn’t know what was actually going into her soup. Not many people actually liked eating eel, but Irene knew how to magically make things taste delicious. Irene smiled as she continued working, and by the end, it looked like a delicious, creamy chicken soup. “Just like Mom used to make,” she said with a happy smile.

Churros

 

            Flick dived off the telephone wire, heedless of the cries of “Wait!” that came from his parents. That man down there was eating an everything bagel, and Flick had just seen a big piece of it tumble to the ground. He loved bagels, and he wanted to get that piece before the other pigeons did.

            He flew behind the bench that the man was sitting on. Quickly, Flick grabbed the tasty morsel in his beak just as the man reached down to pick it up. “Hey!” he cried, batting at Flick.

            But Flick was already gone, flying back up to the wire. He landed with a smug smile, showing off his prize.

            “That was very dangerous, Flick,” Dad said sternly.

            “You’re supposed to wait for the human to leave!” Mom cried.

            Flick rolled his eyes while his parents scolded him. He didn’t see what the big deal was. He hadn’t gotten caught and this bagel was delicious.

            Flick often got into trouble. His parents said he was too impulsive – whatever that meant. He might be impulsive, but nothing bad ever happened. Usually, he ended up with some kind of treat. He thought he was smart for being the fastest.

            Later that day, they were heading home when Flick caught the unmistakable scent of churros. He veered off towards a garbage can, where the delicious aroma was coming from. It was one of those with a lid that latched shut. Flick hated those. Why did humans want to keep their garbage locked up, anyway? They didn’t want it anymore, so why not let members of the animal kingdom have it?

            Flick would have just flown away if it hadn’t been for the smell. Those churros smelled pretty fresh. The scent alone was almost as good as eating one. He landed on top of the latched lid and realized that it wasn’t actually latched. A paper cup had been wedged in the opening, preventing the lid from closing properly. “Yes!” Flick cried joyfully. He actually had a chance to get those churros. They were so close. Surely it couldn’t hurt for him to just pop in and out with a churro. He knew he would get a lecture later about being impulsive, but this was a chance that he couldn’t pass up.

            Flick inspected the lid a little more closely. The cup was holding it open a good four or five inches. He was sure he would be able to squeeze through. He stuck his head inside where the churro smell became overpowering, and then he saw it! An unmistakable half-eaten churro on top of the garbage pile. The can was only half-full, so he would have to go all the way inside to get it.

            Flick held his breath and squeezed himself through the opening. He nearly got stuck and had to kind of wiggle himself back and forth before he finally shot inside, bumping the cup inside as he did so.

            Suddenly, it was dark. Flick immediately cried as loud as he could, hoping his parents would hear him. He was panicked. He felt like the dark was a physical weight, pushing him farther into the garbage. He tried to fly, but without being able to see, he kept running into the sides of the garbage can.

            After a few minutes of thrashing wildly around, Flick lay on top of the garbage heap, exhausted. No one was coming to help him. He hadn’t even told his parents where he was going. He didn’t even notice that he was resting on the half-eaten churro until he laid his head down in despair. He took a small nibble and it didn’t even taste that good.

            Flick spent a long night inside the garbage can, alternately calling out for help and trying to escape. Now he knew why it was better to watch and wait instead of rushing into things. He made a promise to himself that he would always wait until it was absolutely safe for everything he did.

            Finally, light started to seep slowly through the cracks and into Flick’s prison. It was dawn, and his hopes started to rise. He heard footsteps, and there was the unmistakable smell of coffee. Maybe he would be found soon! He renewed his calls and started fluttering around more vigorously.

            There was an almost blinding flash of light as a hand opened the lid to put an empty coffee cup inside. Flick soared joyfully out and basked in his newfound freedom. He hurried home and found his parents, who looked absolutely frantic.

            “There you are!” Mom cried, nuzzling Flick affectionately.

            Dad put a wing around him and said, “Where have you been?”

            Flick explained his night’s adventure to his parents. Now, in the daylight, it didn’t seem nearly as scary. He felt almost heroic telling his parents how he had burst out of the garbage as soon as the lid was opened.

            His parents were so relieved to see that he was all right, that they decided to celebrate. Dad said he knew of a special place, and they flew over to check it out. Flick was excited to find out what the surprise was.

            He was less excited when he saw what it was – churros. He tried to look like he was enjoying the churro fragments that they had found, but forever after that, Flick didn’t like churros. All the other birds thought he was crazy, but for him, churros were always associated with darkness and fear. It always worked as a reminder to take things slowly.

Exam Jitters

            Tanya finished studying and pushed her chair away from the table in exhaustion. She felt stiff as she stood up to stretch out her body. Three straight hours of studying while sitting hunched over her books and notes hadn’t felt very good. But Tanya smiled nervously as she thought about the exam tomorrow.

            Finally, after four years of working and studying in the Royal Library, she was ready to take the test to become a Sorcerer’s Apprentice. She thought of all the classes she had sat through, and all the hours she had put into practicing her magic. It was hard work, but it had been worth it. At least, it will be worth it if she passes the exam tomorrow.

            Tanya thought about her family at home. She knew her parents were proud of her for getting this far in the program. Her older sister, Alice, had passed her own exam two years ago and was now studying under a great sorceress. Tanya tried to imagine what would happen after she passed the test. Would she be able to work with a great sorcerer? Not everyone who graduated from the Royal Library found positions afterwards.

            Tanya shook her head, trying to banish the worry she felt creeping in. All she needed to do was get a good night’s sleep. She was confident that she would do well tomorrow. She’d done everything she could to prepare.

            Tanya let out a yawn as she headed to bed. It took her a while to finally fall asleep, but when she did, it was a deep sleep.

            The alarm clock went off, and Tanya tried to shake the sleep out of her eyes. When she saw what time it was, she jumped out of bed. It was 10:30 AM. Her exam started at 11 AM! How could she let this happen? Did she really hit snooze that many times?

            Tanya got dressed as fast as she could, but she felt like she was moving so slowly. She started to panic more when she realized that someone must have put a slow-motion charm on her. Would one of her roommates do that? Trying to put the thought out of her mind, she performed a speeding-up spell and was able to move normally.

            Skipping breakfast, she started toward the door, but found that it wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, Tanya checked to make sure that it wasn’t locked, and then used all her strength to try and open the door. She finally ended up summoning her magic to get the door unstuck. Someone was really messing with her today.

            As soon as she was outside of the dormitories, she started running across the campus to get where she needed to be. Tanya thought she might just make it to the exam, when she ran headfirst into an invisible wall.

            Momentarily stunned, she lay on the ground where she had fallen until she could summon the energy to move again. Gingerly, she felt the air around her until she found the invisible wall. Trying to find the edge, she ran her hand along it. She walked several feet off the path before she gave up and used her magic again to blast a hole through it.

            Really frustrated now, she finally reached the Exam Building. She took a minute to slow her breathing, and then she walked inside.

            The building was completely empty. Tanya felt her jaw drop as she realized that she was standing inside an empty shell of what the building used to be. It was just one big open room with no furnishings or decorations of any kind except for a large clock hanging on the wall. The clock showed that it was now 2 PM.

            Tanya screamed when she realized that she would not get a chance to take her final exam. She had missed it. Her scream turned to rage as she thought of everything that had happened to her that morning.

            Tanya was still screaming when she woke up. Her two roommates were fearfully gathered around her, looking deeply concerned. Betsy and Lillian both asked, “Are you all right?”

            Tanya nodded slowly and turned to look out the window. It was still dark outside. Her alarm clock said it was 2:45 AM. She sighed in relief to know that it had all been just a dream.

            Her roommates continued to look worried, however. Betsy asked, “What were you dreaming about? It must have been a doozy.”

            Tanya started to explain when she noticed that her room was a mess. Her stuff was scattered everywhere. “What happened here?” she asked, horrified.

            “Umm, you did,” Lillian said, her eyes still wide. “We’ve been trying to wake you up for a while, but you were sleeping so deeply, and you must have been soooo mad.”

            “Yeah, you were trying to run somewhere, but you kept running into the wall,” Betsy said excitedly. “You used your magic and everything went everywhere.”

            Tanya surveyed the damage and said, “I think I’m just worried about my exam that’s happening later today. I really thought that I had missed it.”

            Tanya told her roommates her crazy dream. Just thinking about it made her feel anxious and worried. Betsy and Lillian helped her calm down and set her room to rights. Of course, magic helped a lot with that. Before she went back to bed, she triple-checked that her alarm clock was set to go off at 7 AM. She did not want her dream to become a reality. For the second time that night, Tanya fell asleep, but this time she didn’t have any crazy dreams. She woke up with her alarm and made it to her exam just fine. She wouldn’t let exam jitters bother her any more.

Dragon War 2 - Midnight Visit

 

            Queen Karyn stared longingly out the tower window towards the setting sun. That’s the direction she had seen the last dragon fly off to. She remembered how she had worried all day about the small green dragon. Then he had flown west, never to be seen again.

            That was 15 years ago. Karyn was only a princess back then. A few years later, her father unexpectedly passed away, and Karyn had become queen at the age of 15. For the last 10 years, she had worked hard to change the public’s opinion about dragons. She reversed the law that forbade dragons from living in the kingdom. If any dragons were ever sighted, they were supposed to be allowed to roam freely.

            The trouble was, no one had so much as seen a dragon for almost 20 years. Talon, the one that Karyn had met, hadn’t been noticed by anyone except her. She sighed when she thought about the group of knights that had just returned from the far western regions. She had sent them in hopes of finding the dragons and making amends with them.

            Although the knights traveled far beyond the kingdom’s western borders, they didn’t find any dragons. In a last, desperate attempt to find them, they had left a message carved on a cliff face. According to legend, dragons were able to read, and the message said simply, “The Dragon War in the Kingdom of Queen Karyn is officially over. Dragons will now be welcomed and treated with respect throughout the kingdom.”

            Karyn was hopeful that a dragon would see the message and return. She let herself believe that it would be Talon, leading a host of other dragons. She watched out the window for a few more minutes, and then gave up and returned to the throne room, where she was supposed to be overseeing matters of state. “Oh well,” she murmured. “Maybe another day.” She felt disappointed as she set her steps toward the stuffy throne room.

            Much later that night, Karyn was awoken with a start when she heard an almighty roar. She quickly jumped out of bed and hurriedly put on her robe. It was still very dark outside and must be around midnight. Another roar seemed to shake the castle, and Karyn ran downstairs. On the way, she met the Knight Captain, Sir Frances, who saluted her and said, “There’s a great big dragon on the lawn, your majesty. He is demanding to speak with you.” He paused while another ear-splitting roar rattled the windows. “We asked him to wait until morning, but he was quite insistent.”

            “That’s all right, Captain. I’ll speak with him.” Karyn continued running through the castle until she reached the massive front doors. The guards looked relieved to see her as they let her through. She stepped outside, where the lawn was completely obscured by a massive green dragon. Her knights stood nervously around the perimeter.

            “When will she come?” the dragon roared. “I haven’t got all night!”

            Karyn took a deep breath, and said as loud as she could, “I’m Queen Karyn. To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”

            The dragon swiveled his head to look at her, and his hard features seemed to soften. He went into an unmistakable bow. “My name is Talon. Many years ago, you showed me kindness.”

            Karyn’s worry immediately turned into joy as she cried, “Talon! You’re so much bigger now! Did you ever find your family?”

            “I found the dragons, but I never found out who my parents were.” There was a slight note of sadness in his voice.

            “I’m sorry to hear that, but I am glad to know that you reached the dragons safely. I have often wondered over the years.”

            Talon smiled and said, “If I hadn’t met you that day, who knows what could have happened to me. You have my gratitude.”

            Karyn blushed and said, “Oh, it really wasn’t anything that anyone else wouldn’t have done.”

            “Maybe,” Talon said doubtfully. Then he cleared his throat and sat up straight. “Tonight, I have been sent as an emissary of the dragons in the western mountains. We have received your message and wish to renew our friendship, but we will not be returning to these lands.”

            “Why not?” Karyn asked, surprised.

            “We don’t wish to suffer again and repeat the mistakes of the past.” Talon looked sadly at the Queen. “Too many dragons died during the War.”

            Karyn nodded as she tried to hide her disappointment. “Very well. May the friendship between humans and dragons always continue. If you ever change your mind, the offer still stands. You may come and go from our kingdom as you wish.” She offered a sad smile.

            Talon shifted uneasily as he said, “I must be getting back to the Dragon Council, but I wanted you to know that we received your message. I also hope that we can be friends.”

            “Of course!” Karyn said immediately. “You are welcome here any time. Maybe you could come during the day next time? That way, I’ll be more suitably dressed.” She gestured to the robe that she was wearing over her nightgown.

            Talon let out a short laugh. “Yes, sorry about that, but I had to be sure that no one would see me flying, just in case some of your people decide to try and shoot me down. Previous experiences can be hard to overcome.”

            Karyn assured Talon that no dragon would be hunted in her kingdom. She watched as he launched himself back into the air and flew west.

            After that, humans and dragons lived peaceably. Friendships grew, and dragons were seen throughout the kingdom again. Talon visited Karyn often, and the people grew to change their opinion of dragons. They were no longer the terrifying, horrible creatures that they had believed them to be. (Even if they were a little loud.) Queen Karyn had wanted to change the world. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better.

Cursed Wishes

 

            A clearing deep in the woods holds a powerful secret. It’s near a waterfall at the end of a popular hike. Hundreds of people walk by it every year without knowing why they suddenly feel chills run up and down their spine. Even animals avoid the area. It would be a perfect spot to sit and have a picnic if it wasn’t also devoid of any plant life. The stream gurgles merrily close by, but no one has stepped foot there since Elizabeth had changed everything.

            Elizabeth came 500 years ago to settle in the woods. She wasn’t what you would call normal. She preferred to live alone and practice her craft, which was magic. Having been run out of her previous home, she was looking for another. When she came to the clearing with the stream, she immediately decided to settle there. She set up a small campsite and went off to search for some food. She returned an hour later with a small rabbit which she cooked into a stew.

            She was feeling very hungry and contented with herself when she received an unwelcome visitor. A tall man stomped into the clearing, and Elizabeth nearly groaned aloud. “Hello, Albert,” she said in a guarded voice. “I thought I left everyone behind when I left. How long have you been following me?”

            Albert folded his arms as he stood just inside the clearing, studying her campsite. “I followed your trail. I have to warn anyone around here about your demon witchcraft.”

            Now Elizabeth was annoyed. “Why do you care what I do? I left your precious town, and I’m not planning on returning. Also, if you look around, there’s no one else here. Go away before I turn you into a toad.” She couldn’t actually turn him into a toad, but her statement had the desired effect.

            Albert immediately dropped his haughty posture and took a step back. “You wouldn’t!” he yelped, a definite note of fear in his voice.

            Elizabeth chuckled and said, “How would you know?” She stirred her rabbit stew and then said, “All I want is to be left alone. Why can’t you just leave me be?”

            Albert stood up straight and said, “I have to make sure that you won’t practice your evil ways.”

            Elizabeth rolled her eyes. How was she going to convince him to leave her alone? “Well, you can leave now, because it really isn’t any of your business. I left so I could be alone.” She glared pointedly at Albert. “Now it’s time for you to leave.”

            Albert glared back in defiance. “How do I know that you’ll stay here and not come back to our town?”

            Elizabeth tried to think of a way to appease the man. Suddenly, she had it. “I will make a promise that if I ever come back, I will grant you three wishes. I solemnly swear that I will never go back to live with the people who threw me out.”

            Albert looked skeptical, but the thought of having his wishes granted made him agree.

            Elizabeth immediately drew some strange symbols on the ground and muttered some magic words. She closed her eyes for a minute, and when she opened them, she said, “It is done.”

            Seemingly satisfied, Albert left and Elizabeth was left alone again. She finished her meal and got ready for sleep. She thought about how she would probably have to move her camp again tomorrow. She really didn’t want any more visitors.

            Just outside the glow of the fire’s dying light, Albert waited, crouched among a group of trees. The more he thought about Elizabeth’s promise, the more he realized that he actually wanted her to return with him. He said that magic was evil, but that didn’t stop him from wanting Elizabeth to grant his wishes. He waited silently until he heard Elizabeth’s snuffling snores. Then, he made his move.

            Albert pulled out his long neckerchief and a small length of rope that he carried in his pack. Stealthily, he crept closer to where Elizabeth lay. He held his breath, picturing exactly how he was going to do it, and then he pounced on Elizabeth. He quickly tied up her hands and feet with his rope, but before he could gag her with his neckerchief, she spat out a curse.

            “Everyone will know of your treachery!” Elizabeth hissed. “Even if you remove me from this place, there will be a curse that follows you and your family for the rest of your life!”

            Albert gagged her before she could say anything else. He might be slightly afraid of being cursed, but he still wanted to be able to make his wishes. For that to happen, he would have to take Elizabeth back to town with him. Not wanting to waste a moment, he dragged her through the trees until they came to where he had left his horse. He flung Elizabeth behind the saddle and then mounted himself.

            He rode the long miles through the darkness until he reached his home. Dismounting, Albert led the horse into the barn, and he threw Elizabeth down onto the hay. “Okay, you’re here now,” he said matter-of-factly. “I want my three wishes.”

            Elizabeth glared with hatred as she granted Albert’s wishes, which were all for wealth and prosperity. As soon as she had finished, she yelled, “Now you will also be cursed for what you’ve done to me!” With that, Elizabeth snapped her fingers, and Albert turned into a feeble, old man. She then saddled one of his many new, wished-for horses and sped off into the night.

            Elizabeth was so mad that her power flared up within her and spread outward like wildfire. When she reached her clearing, it no longer seemed like the place where she wanted to stay. She packed up all of her things back into her wagon. All the while, her hatred spread out all around her. It poisoned the foliage and made the entire area feel evil.

            Elizabeth left that night, and was never heard from or seen again. But the clearing near the stream is still barren to this day, filled with hate and darkness. Albert died soon after receiving his wishes, having only had a few months to enjoy his newfound wealth and prosperity. His family didn’t get to enjoy it either. They were shunned because of Albert’s involvement with the witch and lived out their lives in exile. To this day, none of Albert’s descendants have what you would call “good luck.” Although Elizabeth’s effects have lessened over the years, they have always shouldered the burden of a witch’s curse.

My Dog Ate My Homework

 

            With a final flourish, Brent finished off his map of South America. He was pleased with the final product. All the major rivers and landmarks were labeled and each country was filled in with a different color. It had taken him quite a while to finish it, but he was done.

            He pushed his chair back from the kitchen table and stretched. Seeing this, Panther leaped onto his lap. “Silly cat,” Brent said fondly as he scratched behind Panther’s ears. Before Panther could fully make himself comfortable, Brent gently picked him up and set him on the floor while he got up for a snack.

            “The Cheez-Its are almost gone, Mom!” Brent yelled as he took a handful. Spying the bag of M&Ms, he took some of those as well. He put his snacks in a bowl and went downstairs to watch TV until it was bedtime.

            Panther followed him and waited until Brent was situated on the couch before settling himself into Brent’s lap. He watched Brent with his green eyes as Brent slowly ate his Cheez-Its and M&Ms.

            “Looks like Panther wants some, son,” Dad said from beside him on the couch.

            Grudgingly, Brent fed Panther a few of his precious snacks. “Good thing Panther isn’t like normal cats,” he said conversationally. “Normal cats would die from eating chocolate.”

            “Yeah, well Panther is definitely not a normal cat.”

            To demonstrate this, Panther let out a loud belch. He then let out a plaintive, “Meow,” but the snacks were gone.

            “Sorry, buddy,” Brent said as Panther walked off, disgusted.

            “Maybe you should go get a few more for Panther,” Dad said, watching the cat leave the room.

            “Oh, he’ll be fine,” Brent said, unconcerned.

            “Okay, but watch out. You never know what could happen if Panther doesn’t get his way.”

            “I gave him half!” Brent said defensively. “He doesn’t need anymore.”

            “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

            They finished watching “Is It Cake?” and Brent headed upstairs to bed. On his way, he noticed his finished homework still on the table. He should probably put it away, but he was too tired. “I’ll get it in the morning,” he mumbled.

            The next morning, Brent woke up late. He hurriedly got dressed and ran downstairs for a quick breakfast. When he went to sit down at the table, he saw the pained expression on Mom’s face. “What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

            To answer him, Mom held up his homework from the night before. “I’m sorry, but I think Panther got to your homework last night.”

            Brent gasped when he saw what had happened to his map. It used to be a map of South America. It was technically still a map, but it wasn’t South America. There was a big blob of land that was separated into countries, and was fully colored and labeled with rivers and mountains. But as Brent looked closer, he saw that all of the labels said things like “Boo to Brent” and “I need more snacks.”

            Brent groaned as he realized that he couldn’t possibly turn in this map. “What am I going to do?” he moaned.

            “You should have put your homework away last night,” Mom told him.

            “I’ll have to make another one, and I’ll only get half credit.”

            “Just explain the circumstances to your teacher. Maybe she’ll understand.”

            “You think she will understand that Panther changed my map into another continent that looks like it hates me?”

            “Yeah, that’s not going to work.” Mom looked thoughtful and then said, “Just say that your dog ate your homework.”

            “But Panther’s a cat! And he didn’t eat it!”

            “Right now, maybe, but you never know what he might be this afternoon.”

            At that moment, Panther jumped down from his perch on the windowsill. He yawned and stretched, and then he transformed into a dog. Brent and Mom watched as he gently picked up Brent’s map in his mouth, and then ate it.

            “Well, there you go,” Mom said. “Now when you say that your dog ate your homework, it will be true.” She went to pat Panther’s head in thanks. Panther wagged his tail in pleasure.

            Brent let out a disgusted sigh. “I can’t believe that I’m going to use ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuse.”

            “Don’t worry,” Mom said as she put her arm around Brent in a hug. “Have your teacher call me, and I’ll confirm that our dog did indeed eat your homework.”

            Brent rolled his eyes as he grabbed some Pop Tarts from the cupboard to eat on his way to school. There were some perks to having a pet shapeshifter, but this wasn’t exactly one of them. As a wizard-in-training, Brent couldn’t tell any of his friends about Panther’s many forms. Only fellow wizards knew about the existence of true shapeshifters. Instead, Brent had to use excuses like “My dog ate my homework.”

            As he passed Panther with his wagging tail, Brent murmured, “Thanks a lot, Panther.”

            Panther let out a bark that Brent swore was actually a laugh.

            Brent hurried out the door, wanting to escape more of Panther’s retaliation. You could never tell what Panther was planning when he watched you with those glowing green eyes.

Dragon War

 

            Karyn practically ran to get out of the stuffy castle after her lessons. After hours of working with her tutor, she was finally free. She never liked history or language arts, but today was particularly difficult, with the sun shining so invitingly.

            Karyn didn’t pause to say “hi” to anyone on her way out. She had a specific goal, and she wanted to hurry to get there. There was a beautiful meadow next to a picturesque pond. It was her favorite place to go and enjoy the outdoors. It was very secluded, and her father, the king, didn’t really approve. It was outside the castle walls, but Karyn still insisted on going there. It was the only place where she didn’t feel so confined by responsibilities and walls.

            As soon as she reached the pond, she took a deep breath of the clear, summer air. She felt herself relax as she took a leisurely stroll around the water to clear her head. She tilted her head upwards to feel the sun’s rays. She watched a bird fly across the sky and then turn toward her. It grew larger as it got nearer, and Karyn gasped when she realized it was actually a dragon.

            She quickly backed away to try to find a place to hide. She threw herself down into some tall grass and watched the dragon land near the water. Karyn relaxed a little when she realized that this dragon was a youngling. He wasn’t any bigger than a sheep, although his wings had made him seem much larger. He leaned down over the water and took a noisy drink. Karyn could see that the dragon was exhausted as he flopped down on the grass and took great, heaving breaths.

            Karyn was fascinated. Her father had officially outlawed dragons a few years ago, but they were mostly gone by then anyway. Any dragon found within the kingdom would be hunted until it was either driven out or slain. She hadn’t even seen a dragon before. She had always been told of their mean and savage nature. Karyn tried to reconcile this with the pitiful dragon she saw in front of her.

            First, the dragon was beautiful. His green scales shone like emeralds all along his body. He curled up like a cat, with his wings folded around him. As his eyes started to close, Karyn stirred. She had to get closer and get a better look. She moved slowly through the grass on her hands and knees. Then, a twig snapped underneath her, and she froze.

            The dragon immediately leapt up and spread his wings, ready for flight.

            Karyn had no idea what made her do it, but she stood up and shouted, “Wait! Don’t go! I won’t hurt you!”

            The dragon’s face turned toward her, wings still poised for take-off. She was close enough to see the fear in his eyes.

            Slowly, Karyn walked a little closer, saying softly, “I’m not going to hurt you.” She was surprised to see that he was even smaller than she had at first thought. This was a very young dragon. “Are you lost?”

            The dragon, terrified, said, “My family…left.”

            “Your family left you? Oh, you poor thing!” A well of compassion swelled up within Karyn. “Where did they go?”

            “I don’t know.” The dragon’s wings drooped a little at this. “I was alone when I hatched. As soon as I could fly, I set off to find them. I haven’t seen any other dragons, and I keep being chased by you humans.”

            “How did you survive?” Karyn asked softly.

            The dragon shrugged his shoulders. “The ancestors have been guiding me. They told me that I must find the other dragons.”

            “I’m Karyn. What’s your name?”

            “Talon.”

            “Well, Talon, I hate to be the bearer of more bad news for you, but my father has chased out all the dragons from our kingdom. I have heard rumors that they all headed way out west, but I’m not sure.”

            Talon looked relieved at this news. “I must go and find them. Thank you.” He spread out his wings in preparation for flight, when Karyn stopped him.

            “Wait! You can’t go yet! If anyone spots you this close to the castle, they’ll come after you, and kill you if they can.”

            “But I have to go. I can’t stay here.” Talon’s eyes were determined now.

            Karyn tried to reason with him. “At least wait until it’s dark. That way, you’ll be harder to see.”

            Talon looked at her curiously. “Why are you helping me?”

            “Well, you’re the first dragon that I’ve ever seen. Before the Dragon War, humans and dragons lived together. Then, humans decided that they were better than dragons and started treating them like cattle. Dragons were too noble to submit and fought back. They would have won if my father hadn’t discovered their weakness. Using his discovery, he killed so many dragons. The rest of them had to leave, or die.” She looked up at Talon. “At least, that’s what I’ve been taught.” She paused as she studied Talon curiously. “My father says that dragons don’t deserve to live here anymore. That, if they refuse to succumb to the superiority of men, they must be killed. But…I don’t believe that. If we lived together in peace for so long, we must have been friends once. I’ll make sure that you aren’t disturbed for the rest of today. As soon as it’s full dark, you should leave. Follow the setting sun, and find your family. Let them know that not all humans are out to get them.”

            There was silence for a minute. “Thank you,” Talon said softly.

            Karyn looked at Talon again, and wondered why her father hated dragons so much. They were truly noble creatures. She gave a little wave and said, “Good luck, Talon.” With that, Karyn turned away and left Talon alone.

            She needed to make sure no one came this way. The pond was generally a secluded, hidden place, but everyone knew that this is where the princess went when she left the castle. She heaved a sigh as she realized she would have to stay within the castle for the rest of the afternoon. She didn’t want anyone to come looking for her and find Talon.

            When she reached the castle, she made sure that everyone knew she was there. The afternoon and evening had never felt so long as she worried about Talon. She knew he was safe for now. If someone else had spotted the dragon, the entire kingdom would know about it.

            Karyn retired to her rooms early, but she didn’t go to bed. She watched the sun set from her window and looked toward her pond until she saw a shadow lift up from the trees and fly away. Karyn hoped that Talon reached the other dragons. Maybe she would see him again, someday. Maybe when she was queen, she could bring about some changes. This war against the dragons wasn’t right. Such magnificent creatures shouldn’t be slaughtered or outlawed. Yes, she would be the one to end the pointless Dragon War and see the dragons return to the kingdom.