The Pet Store

            Cora wasn’t really paying attention as she walked home from school. She had a lot of work to do once she got home. That math assignment would probably take a while to finish, and then she had to write a paper for her science class.

            Lost in a little pity party, she didn’t notice the building next to her until she heard a giant croak. Turning her head, she saw that she was standing in front of a pet store. However, instead of puppies or kittens in the display window, there was a single toad. This wasn’t just your ordinary toad, either. It was a bright green color, and it was huge and squishy-looking.

            Cora stared at it, wondering who would want a pet like that. She looked at the storefront and realized that she had never even seen it before. She was pretty sure that this used to be an empty field. Curious, she walked inside to have a look around. She may have a lot of homework, but she wasn’t exactly in a hurry to get started.

            A bell tinkled overhead as Cora walked through the door. Her eyes widened when she realized that this was definitely not a normal pet store. Birds and owls squawked from every side. Lizards of every color of the rainbow sat in small cages. There were cats all around, though they didn’t look like any Cora had ever seen before. They came in fantastic colors and stripes. Even their eyes looked different. She stared at a bright yellow cat who was looking back at her with enormous purple eyes.

            The sound of footsteps came from behind Cora, and a voice said, “Looking for your first companion, young lady?”

            Cora spun around to see a woman all dressed in black. Her flyaway hair stuck out in every direction. She might have looked like a crazy person if it wasn’t for her serious, solemn eyes.

            Cora stared at the woman for a little longer than necessary, but then said, “I’m not looking for a pet right now, thanks. I was just curious when I saw that bright green toad in the window. I didn’t even realize there was a pet store here.” She smiled a little nervously.

            The woman returned a warm smile and said, “Well, welcome to the Witch’s Companion, where we can provide you with a magical creature of your choice to start your life-long witching journey.”

            Cora raised her eyebrows as high as they would go. She reassessed her opinion of the woman and realized that she was, indeed, crazy. “Magical creatures, huh?” she finally asked.

            The woman put her hand on Cora’s shoulders and said, “Only witches are able to find their way inside this place. Our establishment has been serving witches for hundreds of years.” She looked right into Cora’s eyes. “That makes you a witch.”

            Cora backed up, thinking that she’d better escape from this crazy lady. “Well, thank you, but I’ve got to be going now.”

            The woman gave a soft chuckle and said, “Now that you’ve found the Witch’s Companion, you won’t be able to leave without choosing your animal guide.”

            Cora was only half listening as she made a beeline for the door. The only problem was, she couldn’t find it. She ran down an aisle lined with beautiful birds in their cages. She hadn’t walked that far from the door, had she? Why couldn’t she find it?

            The strange woman watched Cora and said, “All you need to do is find your guide, and you can leave.” She spoke in a voice full of kindness, but Cora was starting to panic.

            Cora ran around the store, which was much larger than it had first appeared to be, and there was no sign of a door to the outside. Finally, she stopped to catch her breath.

            The woman’s kind voice called, “It’s okay, miss. Just relax and find your guide.”

            Cora stood there, weighing her options. What did she have to lose? Looking around her, she asked, “So, I just choose one? All of these animals look a little strange. I’ve never seen a blue fox before.” She stared at the miniature blue fox with yellow eyes, wondering if it could even be real.

            “If you were able to come inside this store, then your guide has already chosen you. All you need to do is find it.”

            “How?”

            “Close your eyes and feel it calling to you.”

            Dubiously, Cora closed her eyes and tried not to think about how strange this was. Breathing deeply, she tried to feel something. “I don’t think this will work.”

            “Of course it will. Just listen for your companion.”

            Cora held her eyes closed, thinking that this had been such a waste of time. She was about to give up again when a voice entered her mind. “Walk down the next aisle,” it said.

            Cora’s eyes snapped open and she went down the next aisle. This area was full of brightly colored lizards. Looking them over, she stopped when she saw a lizard that looked like a miniature iguana, but it was a strange teal color. She walked toward it and put her hand on its cage. “Hello, Cora,” came the voice, full of pride. “My name is Malcolm.”

            Cora looked back at the strange woman and said, “I think I’ve found my guide. Can I leave now?”

            “Of course, dear, the door’s right over there.” She pointed to the door which was mere feet away from where Cora was standing.

            Cora hurried toward the door, but the woman called, “Don’t forget Malcolm, dear. You’ve made a good choice. Lizards make some of the most powerful guides.” The woman picked up Malcolm the lizard and dropped him into Cora’s hand.

            Cora immediately felt a well of power awake within her. She stared at the small lizard in her hand. He suddenly felt a part of her somehow. She looked up at the woman and asked, “How much does he cost? I don’t have any money with me right now, but I can come back later.”

            “I’ll take whatever you have in your pocket, dear, and we can call it good.”

            Cora put a hand in her pocket and pulled out a handful of shiny gold coins. She stared at them in amazement. “What…?” she breathed. Cora hardly ever carried money in her pockets, and she certainly didn’t carry around gold coins. She handed them over to the woman and finally left the shop with Malcolm now riding on her shoulder.

            As the girl left, the woman sighed and said, “There goes another happy customer who is well on her way to becoming a great witch.” She smiled and sat back to count her gold coins while she waited for the next customer.

Dragon Chase

 

            Evan slammed his foot down on the accelerator as he nervously checked the rearview mirror. He sped down the highway while listening for any sign of pursuit.

            Then came the sound he had been dreading: a fearsome, earth-rattling roar. Evan looked in the rearview mirror again and saw a great green dragon hurtling toward him. Its mighty wings beat fiercely, giving it incredible speed. Evan tried to push the accelerator down further, but it was already to the floor. The speedometer read 120 miles an hour, but the dragon was still gaining on him. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to think how he was going to escape. The road stretched out straight in front of him as far as he could see. Looking back, the dragon was coming ever closer. Soon it was only a car’s length behind him with its huge talons outstretched. Evan screamed when he realized there was nothing he could do.

            Evan woke up, covered in sweat. His heart was pounding a million miles a minute, and his entire body was tense. He saw the sun shining through his window. He jumped up to look outside. There was no sign of a dragon. He heaved a great sigh of relief and flopped back on his bed.

            These nightmares were getting worse, and they were becoming more and more real. He took deep breaths to calm his breathing and his nerves. At least today was Saturday. No school today, thank goodness. High school would be one less thing he had to worry about.

            Evan thought back over the last few weeks. He had had a dream about a dragon every single night. It was always the same dragon, though it wasn’t always chasing him. Sometimes it seemed that it was trying to talk to him, but Evan never understood what it was trying to say. He shook his head to clear it. It didn’t matter anyway. Dragons weren’t real.

            With that thought, Evan got up and dressed for the day. He and Dad were supposed to hike to the creek to do some fishing. The thought cheered him up a little. He loved being outside. The outside air would help to clear his head of the nightmares. Maybe he would sleep better tonight. Maybe.

            When Evan and Dad got in the car later, Evan felt much more relaxed, but Dad seemed anxious for some reason. “Are you ready to catch some fish today?” Dad asked in a distracted voice.

            Evan wasn’t sure why Dad would be anxious. They did this every other weekend, when Dad wasn’t on one of his business trips. It was tradition. “Yeah, sure,” he answered. “Are you ready for me to catch more than you?”

            Dad smiled and he relaxed slightly. “Don’t count on that, son.” But the anxiety returned when he said, “I’ve got to talk to you about something.”

            “What is it?”

            “Well, things change as you mature and get older.”

            Evan held up his hands and said, “Whoa, Dad, we’ve already had this talk, remember? I already know.”

            Dad shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m not talking about that.”

            “Okay, what then?”

            Dad slowed down as they reached the trailhead. He parked the car and turned to look straight at Evan. “You and I are different from everyone else.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well, I guess you could say we have magical powers.”

            “What, you mean we’re wizards or something?” Evan smiled, thinking of Harry Potter.

            “Not exactly, no.” Dad stopped to think for a minute. “I guess I’ll just need to show you.” He opened the car door and stepped out.

            Evan followed him. They pulled out their backpacks, but when Evan went to grab the fishing gear, Dad said, “We won’t need those today.” Then he set off up the trail.

            Confused, Evan hurried to catch up. “We’re not going fishing?”

            “Just wait and see,” Dad said with a mysterious smile.

            They hiked up the familiar trail, but when they came to the fork where they usually turned right toward the river, Dad led them off to the left instead. Soon they came to a wide grassy meadow.

            “Okay, here we are,” Dad said nervously. “Are you ready?”

            “Ready for what?”

            Dad just smiled and looked out at the meadow.

            Evan looked too, wondering what they were waiting for. He was about to ask when, all of a sudden, there was a dragon standing next to Dad. Evan took a few steps back as he tried to process what he was seeing. Was this a dream? This dragon looiked different from the one he usually dreamed about. This one was blue.

            While Evan stood there, trying to work things out in his brain, Dad said, “Evan, meet Arturo. He’s my familiar.”

            “Your what?”

            “My familiar. You have one too, you know.”

            Evan’s head felt like it was going to explode. “Excuse me?”

            “Arturo tells me that you have a familiar now too, but that you haven’t met him yet.”

            Evan said nothing, just stood and stared.

            “You and I and our ancestors have always had familiars to help us and guide us in our lives. It has always been our task to protect those around us.”

            “Protect from what?” Evan asked seriously.

            “Well, dragons aren’t the only mythical creatures in the world, you know. There are so many terrifying things that we have been tasked with keeping secret and away from civilization. I myself have gone with Arturo on countless missions to protect humanity without anyone knowing it.”

            Evan tried to make sense of what Dad was saying. “So all your business trips were actually demon-hunting trips?”

            “Yes, exactly. Now that you also have a familiar, you will be able to join me.”

            “Wait, I don’t have a dragon!” Evan nearly screamed.

            Arturo made a sound that was almost a laugh. He and Dad looked at each other and then Dad said, “All you have to do is believe, son. Apparently, he’s been with you for a few weeks now.”

            Evan’s head throbbed. Was he going crazy? He stared at Arturo and thought about all the dreams he’d been having lately. Could they be real somehow? Did he really only have to believe it?

            Evan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He saw the green dragon in his head and was amazed at the amount of detail he could see. He saw the dragon’s great wings held close to his side. He could see individual scales all down the dragon’s body. He studied the dragon’s face. Then he heard a voice: “Finally, you see me!” it said happily.

            Evan’s eyes snapped open and he was shocked to see the green dragon standing next to him. Inside his mind he heard, “My name is Mateo, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Evan.”

            “There you are!” Dad said happily. “Who’s your friend, son?”

            “He said his name is Mateo. Didn’t you hear him?” Evan looked quizzically at his father.

            “He only talks to you. Now you’re ready to learn all about the family business.”

            For the next few hours, Evan learned what it meant to be a protector of humanity. It all seemed like a dream every time he looked at Mateo. He learned that things and creatures he had thought were all myths and legends actually turned out to be real. He learned how to communicate with Mateo and how they would forever be together now. Mateo could vanish at will. They were a team.

            Later that night, Evan went to bed, exhausted from the day’s events. The last thing he did before he fell asleep was ask Mateo, “So, am I going to see you in my dreams tonight?”

            Evan heard Mateo chuckle and say, “Those dreams were only trying to get your attention. I’ll make sure you get a better sleep tonight.”

            “Thank you,” Evan thought as he rolled over to sleep. He smiled, and for the first time in weeks, he had slept peacefully.

Magic Stories

 

            Hans clutched his notebook tightly to his chest. He had tried so hard not to be noticed by the headmaster. It was usually easier to escape notice during the school day, but Hans had nowhere else to go once school was over.

            Both of Hans’s parents had died, leaving him an orphan. Headmaster Jensen had offered to take in Hans out of the goodness of his heart. Hans sighed. The only goodness in the headmaster’s heart was the desire to look good in front of his superiors. Hans knew full well that the headmaster only took him in because he wanted to appear generous in order to be promoted.

            Well, Headmaster Jensen hadn’t been promoted, and he took out all of his anger on Hans. It was true that Hans had his basic needs met—barely. But every day after school, he was put to work doing all kinds of chores. Cleaning the school and the outhouse, as well as tending the large garden. Hans worked without stopping until bedtime.

            When Hans was finally alone on his straw pallet, he was able to sit and think—and write. Hans would dream up stories of people who lived magical lives and write them down in his notebook. It was his way of escaping the reality of his life. He wrote about castles and knights who fought dragons. Several of his stories were about children like himself in poor situations. He always thought up magical ways for them to escape and live happily ever after.

            The only thing Hans had to worry about was hiding his notebook. He kept it hidden among his other schoolbooks during the day. On sunny days, he brought it outside with him at lunch time. There was a secluded spot behind some trees where he could write in peace.

            Not today, though. Hans looked up at Headmaster Jensen, whose hand was held out. “Hand it over, boy,” the headmaster said roughly.

            Reluctantly, Hans gave him his precious notebook. “It’s just my personal notes, sir.”

            Headmaster Jensen glanced through the notebook, looking at the contents. “Writing magic stories, are we?” He glared at Hans. “You don’t have time for this nonsense. Especially ones about children rising above their elders.” He held up the notebook and said, “I’ll just hold on to this until you learn some sense.”

            “No, wait!” Hans cried as the headmaster walked away. He knew that he would never get his notebook back. He slammed his hands on the ground in frustration. If only he could be like the people in his stories. Surely a fairy godmother would come and visit him and help him get his notebook back. Maybe even take him somewhere far, far away from here. He could see it all happen in his head and his fingers were itching to write it down. He had to get his notebook back, but how?

            Hans worked the problem over in his mind for the rest of the school day. He paid less attention than usual to his lessons, but when school was dismissed, he had a plan. He was going to get his notebook back.

            Hans threw himself into his afternoon and evening chores. He didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself. He finished cleaning the school house and started weeding the garden. Finally, he came in after dark and accepted his small supper without complaint. The headmaster set him a few extra chores before he was finally allowed to retire to bed.

            The hardest part of his plan was lying on his sleeping pallet, pretending to sleep, when really, he was listening with all his might for any movement upstairs. Hans’ sleeping space was in a small closet, close to the kitchen. He didn’t stir for at least an hour before he judged that the headmaster had gone to bed. Then he waited another hour before he rose silently and crept through the kitchen, into the main school house.

            Every creak sounded like thunder as Hans slowly moved upstairs toward the headmaster’s office and sleeping quarters. He heard the headmaster snoring softly as he passed the closed bedroom door. The small office next door seemed a mile away as he held his breath and crossed a particularly loud and creaky section of flooring.

            Hans froze when he heard a snuffle come from the bedroom. He stood there for a full ten minutes until he heard the snores resume. Very carefully, he opened the door to the headmaster’s office and looked around. This and the bedroom were strictly off limits to Hans and he wasn’t exactly sure where he would find his notebook. He moved to the desk and quietly started his search.

            The full moon cast enough light through the window for Hans to see while he searched the desk drawers. He started sweating as he tried to keep from making any sound. He couldn’t find his notebook anywhere in the desk. He turned to a chest of drawers set against the wall, and resumed his search.

            His heart leapt in his throat as he opened a drawer and saw his notebook. Finally! He forgot his caution as he wrenched the drawer all the way open. It gave a terrific squeak and Hans heard a thump from next door. He snatched up his notebook, closed the drawer, and was looking for a place to hide when he heard shuffling footsteps.

            Moving as fast as he dared, Hans darted toward the window. Knowing he had only seconds, he wrenched the window open and climbed outside. He stuffed his notebook inside his shirt and lowered himself from the windowsill. Hanging by his hands, he dropped to the grass below which only slightly cushioned his fall. Quickly, he jumped up and ran for the kitchen door. He slid into his sleeping pallet just as he heard footsteps descending the stairs. He pretended to be asleep when he heard his door open.

            Forcing himself to take slow deep breaths, he waited for what seemed like an age before he heard the door shut again. He didn’t move even after he heard the headmaster head back up to his own room. Finally, after an hour, he dared to retrieve his notebook from inside his shirt. He couldn’t be happier when he saw his own name written on the inside cover—Hans Christian Andersen.

            After that day, Hans took extra care with his notebook. Never again would he allow anyone to take it away from him. There would come a time later in his life when he would share his stories with the world, but for now, he held them close, safe from disapproving eyes.

Purple Pansies

 

            Patty looked critically at her reflection. This pink dress was pretty, but what about that other purple one? It was so hard to decide. She had to look perfect for the fairy ball tomorrow night. The annual Flower Festival was always the biggest event of the year in all of Fairyland, but this year was special because Patty was finally old enough to participate. She and the other fairies had spent the last several days visiting all the flowers that grew in Fairyland. With their magic, the fairies were able to coax the plants to grow the most spectacular blossoms.

            The last day of the Festival ended with the ball, where all the fairies gathered to enjoy the party and show off their work. Patty thought about the purple pansies that she had spent so much time on. She looked back at the purple dress and tried it on again. Yes, this was the one she was going to wear.

            Patty paid for her new dress and was flying home when she decided to visit her pansies. She wanted to see how well they matched the dress. Maybe she would cut one to put in her hair.

            She flew right past her pansies before she realized what had happened. Panic bloomed inside her as she flew back to look at the damage. Her beautiful pansies! Something had come through and dug them all up. The few that survived were limp and covered in dirt and soil. Who could have done this?

            Patty looked frantically around her and saw what she had been dreading—giant footprints belonging to a human. With a cry, she flew immediately to find Queen Freya. She would want to know that a human had visited Fairyland. Patty flew all over asking several fairies if they had seen the Queen. Finally, she found her tending her own roses for the Festival.

            “Your majesty!” Patty cried, somewhat out of breath. “Humans have been in Fairyland!”

            Freya looked up sharply and asked, “Are you sure of this?”

            “Yes! I saw footprints, and my pansies have been ruined!” Tears threatened to slide down her face as she thought of all the work she had put into her flowers.

            Freya stood up with a regal air and said, “Show me where.”

            Patty led the way, with Freya following close behind. As soon as they reached the ruined pansy patch, Freya pursed her lips and said, “We’ll need to tighten security in case this human comes back. How did they get in here in the first place?”

            Patty was wondering the same thing. It was supposed to be impossible for humans to enter Fairyland. Unless… “What if it was a human who has been here before?” Patty asked.

            “I haven’t invited any humans to Fairyland for years.” Freya’s face turned thoughtful. “But, maybe it was…” She suddenly focused on Patty. “The last human I invited was a woman named Eva. She helped us out of a little bit of trouble before. I invited her to Fairyland, but she never came because she moved away with her family.”

            “But why would she come and ruin my flowers?” Patty cried.

            “Humans do this thing where they dig up flowers to plant somewhere else.”

            Now Patty was confused. “Why don’t they just harvest the seeds for replanting?”

            “They can’t wait. Sometimes, they would rather risk killing the flower than growing a new one. I’ll go see if Eva has come back.” Freya flew off.

            Patty sat down on a branch to mourn her flowers when Freya called, “Well, aren’t you coming?”

            Patty hopped back up and felt her spirits rise. The Fairy Queen had invited her to come! Now she followed Freya, who seemed to know right where to go. They crossed the Fairyland border, and the world seemed to grow a little less colorful. They flew to an old cabin that Patty was sure had been vacant before. However, Freya flew right up to the door and knocked.

            The door opened, and a woman cried, “Oh, Freya! How good to see you!”

            Freya responded with much more warmth than Patty expected. “Eva, I thought you were long gone!”

            “Yes, we did leave, but we decided to come back to our roots. The big city turned out not to be for us. I’m so glad you came! I went to find you in Fairyland, but you weren’t there. Look at these beautiful pansies I found!”

            Patty saw her pansies—beautiful, if slightly battered. They now resided in a flower pot next to the front door.

            “Yes, well, you see, that’s what I’ve come to talk to you about,” Freya said kindly. Those have been cultivated for our Flower Festival for tomorrow.”

            Eva’s face fell slightly. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I would be happy to bring them back! I didn’t realize they were being used for anything.”

            Patty flew up beside Freya. Now that she had met Eva, she didn’t feel so bad for her flowers. At least they would be tended by someone who would enjoy them. “I would be happy to gift them to you.” Patty’s face reddened slightly. “But could I have one of the blossoms to wear with my dress, please? I’m planning on wearing it to the ball tomorrow night.”

            Eva agreed readily. For the next hour, Queen Freya and Patty visited with Eva in her small cabin. It soon became apparent that no one else could see the fairies. Eva’s family came and went out of the cabin without even glancing at the two fairies sitting on their couch.

            After they left, Patty felt much better about things. Her pansies might be ruined or damaged, but she still had one flower to match with her dress. She went to the ball the next night, and received so many comments on her dress and flower combo that she decided to grow pansies again for next year. Only this time, she would make sure to plant them somewhere else.

Midnight Ride

 

        Tanner yawned as he glanced at his alarm clock. 11:57 p.m. He rubbed his eyes and put his head down on his arms in despair. He was never going to be ready for the test tomorrow.

        Tanner took deep breaths as he thought about how the test would go. It wouldn’t take place until the afternoon, at the end of the school day. World History was his last class. Maybe he could just stay home and study until then. He sighed in frustration. There was no way Mom would let him do that. He had to go to school in the morning.

        Tanner rubbed his eyes again as he lay down on his bed. He wasn’t sure that he would even be able to sleep with all the things he was trying to remember repeating themselves in his head. He couldn’t wait until after the test was over. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. He tried to relax his mind, but what was that sound?

        There it was again – a thumping sound that seemed to be emanating from his window. It was like someone was knocking on his window with something soft. Tanner got out of bed to investigate. He pulled open the blinds, and all he could see were feathers covering the entire window. “What the…?” he muttered. His bedroom was on the second floor. Something feathery was rubbing against his window. He couldn’t really tell what it was, so he decided to open the window and find out.

        Very carefully, he undid the latch and slid the window open an inch. The feathers immediately shifted, and Tanner found himself looking into a lion’s face.

        Tanner jumped back in shock, and then the lion spoke. “Ah, finally! There you are! I don’t suppose you could let me inside, could you? There’s not much room out here.”

        All Tanner could do was stare. Did the lion really talk? What was it doing here? He had so many questions, he didn’t know which one to ask first.

        The lion seemed amused at Tanner’s stunned silence. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t bite you. I’ve just come to offer you my help.”

        “W-what help?” Tanner finally asked.

        “Well, you’re worried about your World History test tomorrow, right?”

        Tanner nodded mutely.

        “Well, let’s go then. We’re wasting time. Let me in.”

        Without really knowing what he was doing, Tanner opened the window all the way. The lion squeezed himself inside, and Tanner realized that this wasn’t just any lion. This was a lion with wings. The lion spread out his giant feathery wings and stretched. Then he folded his wings so they lay smoothly along the rest of his feathery body. “Thank you, Tanner,” he said gratefully. “There’s not much room on the roof out there. It was getting a little cramped.”

        “What are you?” Tanner asked in concern. “And how do you know my name?”

        The lion sat down and said, “My name is Griffin, and I’m a winged lion...obviously.”

        “But, that’s not a real thing.”

        “Why not?”

        “Because it’s not. This must be a dream.” Tanner started slapping his cheeks, trying to wake himself up.

        Griffin chuckled and said, “Well, whatever you want to believe, Tanner. However, I am here to help you.” He looked with kindness at Tanner. “You’ve got a big test tomorrow, and you don’t feel ready.”

        Tanner groaned and whined. “I’ll never be able to remember all those dates and things. If I don’t pass this final exam, I’m going to fail the class. There are no other assignments. Whatever I get on this test will be my grade for the entire class. It isn’t fair!”

        “You know the dates and the information,” Griffin said patiently. “All you need to do now is rest and relax so you will feel refreshed and ready tomorrow. That’s why I’m here.”

        “To help me relax?” Tanner asked incredulously. “How?”

        “Come on, let’s go outside.” Griffin got up and squeezed back out through the window.

        Wondering how this could be a good idea, Tanner followed him. There wasn’t much room on the roof, and the ground looked far away from up here. Tanner held on to the windowsill for balance. “How is this supposed to make me relax?” he asked in a slightly higher-pitched voice than usual.

        “Climb up on my back. We’re going for a ride.”

        “Are you crazy?”

        “Trust me. Just climb on.”

        Well, Tanner had followed a winged lion through the window. Why not climb on his back and fly away? Gingerly he climbed on Griffin’s back, just in front of his feathery wings. “What if I fall?” he asked worriedly.

        “Just wrap your arms around my neck,” Griffin said confidently. “You’ll be fine.”

        Tanner hugged Griffin’s neck as the great lion leaped into the air and then they were flying. At first, Tanner’s heart felt like it was in his throat as they flew higher and higher. But Griffin beat his wings steadily, and the rhythm was soothing. The night air felt deliciously cool on his face, but not too cold. Griffin seemed to exude heat, and Tanner felt himself growing quite comfortable. Looking down, he was surprised at how small the city appeared.

        “Where would you like to go?” Griffin asked.

        “Somewhere awesome,” Tanner replied.

        Griffin immediately sped up without seeming to actually move any faster. Tanner watched the land beneath them magically whoosh by until suddenly, he saw the Pyramids. “Are we in Egypt?” he asked incredulously.

        “Yes,” Griffin answered. “This is where I’m originally from. I would say that it’s pretty awesome.”

        Tanner agreed. After they saw the Pyramids, Griffin whooshed again, and then they were in France. The Eiffel Tower stood majestically above the city of Paris. They also went to see the London Bridge and the Great Wall of China. Finally, Griffin whooshed one more time, and Tanner recognized his own city.

        When they landed outside of his window, Tanner couldn’t believe how much better he felt. He slid off of Griffin’s back and climbed in through the window. Griffin followed him. “Well, that was absolutely amazing!” Tanner said happily. “Thank you!”

        Griffin nodded his head and replied, “You’re welcome.” Then he squeezed himself out of the window again and took off into the night.

        Tanner watched him as he disappeared. He got back into bed and glanced at his clock again. 12:02 a.m. Tanner started as he realized that almost no time at all had passed. Had it all been a dream? He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

        The next morning, Tanner got up, feeling refreshed and only a little nervous about his test. He had decided that Griffin had just been a dream. An amazing dream, it’s true, but still just a dream. He got everything he needed in his backpack, and that’s when he discovered the feather. A long golden feather lay on the windowsill. Tanner picked it up and smiled. He hoped he would get to see Griffin again someday.

Don't Wake Up Mom!

 

            Drake and Levi were wrestling on the ground, each trying to pin the other down. It was important for young dragons to learn such skills as they grew up, but they took wrestling to the extreme. Growls and snorts issued from the tangle of talons and teeth as they rolled along the ground. Finally, Drake was able to get a good grip on his brother’s shoulders, and Levi lay still, panting. “Pinned you!” Drake crowed triumphantly.

            “All right, you win,” Levi said grudgingly. “Now let me up.”

            Drake smirked as he allowed Levi to get back on his feet.

            Dad flew on to the cliff top with a sheep in his mighty jaws. Drake and Levi immediately got ready to pounce as Dad released the sheep.

            Using their sharp teeth and powerful talons, the brothers quickly overcame the bleating sheep and ate their breakfast, which took a surprisingly short time.

            Dad looked at them with approval and said, “I think you boys are ready to do your own hunting. I can tell you’ve been practicing.”

            Drake licked his lips and said, “We’re going to be as fierce as you are. Nothing will be able to escape us.”

            “Yeah,” Levi piped in. “Nothing can beat me!”

            “Except me,” Drake said slyly.

            Levi headbutted Drake in the side, and they both rolled over, laughing.

            “Enough!” Dad said sternly. “Where’s your mother?”

            “Taking a nap,” Levi answered.

            Dad looked with concern at them and said, “I hope you haven’t been bothering her.”

            “Of course not,” Drake said with a laugh. He looked back toward the cave opening behind him. “We know better than that.”

            Just then, their older brother Crag landed on the cliff top and folded his great wings. He looked to Dad and asked, “So, are they ready?”

            Dad nodded and Crag let out an almighty roar. “All right! Let’s go then!”

            Suddenly there was an angry roar followed by a huge blast of flames that issued from the cave mouth. Mom came out of the cave looking distinctly disgruntled. She glared at all four dragons in front of her and asked, “Who woke me up?”

            Dad, Drake, and Levi didn’t say anything, but surreptitiously glanced at Crag. Crag seemed to shrink a little as he said, “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were sleeping.”

            “You’re lucky,” Mom said, her tone softening. “If you had been in the cave, you would have had a full fire bath.”

            “It’s not so bad,” Dad said. “We are dragons after all, and fire can’t hurt us.”

            “No, but it’s still really hot,” Levi muttered, remembering how he had once accidentally awoken Mom from her nap.

            Mom chuckled and shook the last of the sleep from her eyes. “I guess that’s why humans say to let sleeping dragons lie.” She stretched out her wings and asked, “So what’s with the celebratory roar, anyway?” She looked over at Crag.

            “Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “Dad says that Drake and Levi are ready to start hunting on their own.”

            “Excellent,” Mom said with a smile. “Let’s all go find some deer or something. I’m starved.”

            Drake and Levi couldn’t contain their excitement. Drake launched himself into the air and Levi followed. They set off down the mountainside, and Crag followed close behind them.

            Dad looked over at Mom and said, “Sorry about that, dear.”

            Mom shrugged her wings and said, “It’s okay. Don’t worry about me. I know you’ve had it worse. Remember when Drake ran into the cave, yelling about something? You were in a really deep sleep. Poor Drake had a hard time hearing for a few days after that. You definitely have the loudest roar.”

            Dad chuckled. “Well, everyone has to learn.” The two dragons took off to follow their kids, smiling happily.

 

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.