A Magical Test

 

Jordan looked hopelessly around at the endless expanse of trees and undergrowth. He didn’t want to admit it, but…

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Johnny, the African parrot on his shoulder, cut into his thoughts.

Jordan tried to keep the fear out of his voice as he said, “Well, maybe. I just don’t recognize this place.”

Johnny clicked his beak. “Weren’t you paying attention?”

Annoyance flashed through Jordan. “What about you? We’re supposed to be doing this together.”

Jordan felt Johnny’s claws tighten on his shoulder. “Come on, you’re the wizard. I’m just your good luck charm.”

Shaking his head, Jordan said, “You know you’re much more than a good luck charm. I wouldn’t be a wizard without you.”

Spreading his wings proudly, Johnny said, “Of course. Thank you for acknowledging my importance.”

Jordan couldn’t stop the smile that crept over his face. “Well then, Mr. Importance, which way do we go?”

Johnny carefully arranged his feathers and thought. “What are we supposed to be looking for again?”

Jordan barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “Just the magical spellbook that will teach us how to be wizards.” This was the first test to prove that they could use their new magic. If they failed, they would go their separate ways and Jordan would go back to his previous boring life. Looking over at his new friend, he felt his resolve harden. They may have only just met, but their friendship was deeper than any other he’d experienced. He was not going to lose that now.

Studying the dark trees around him, he looked for any kind of clue that would lead them where they needed to go. The strange forest let in very little sunlight, and rustling leaves surrounded them. “What do you think, Johnny?”

Cocking his head, Johnny stopped to listen. “Everything looks and sounds the same in here, but there’s got to be something we’re missing.”

An idea popped in Jordan’s head. “Why don’t you fly up into the trees and see if you notice anything different from up there?”

The weight on Jordan’s shoulder disappeared as Johnny launched himself in a burst of feathers. Jordan watched as the gray parrot flew high into the treetops. “See anything?” A shaft of sunlight blinded him temporarily, and he had to look away. He could no longer see Johnny anywhere.

After a few anxious minutes, Johnny’s gray wings finally reappeared and he settled himself back on Jordan’s shoulder. “The only things I could see were miles and miles of the same trees that surround us down here. This is obviously a magical forest, and we won’t get anywhere without cracking some kind of code or something.”

A magical forest? What were they supposed to do? How were they going to find a magical book in an ocean of trees? “Maybe we’ve got to use magic?” Jordan had no idea how to use his new magic, but it seemed the obvious answer to their problem. “You know how it felt when we connected? That felt pretty magical. Let’s try that again.”

“All I know is that you’re the one that drew me to you. Just do that for the book.”

Jordan thought back. How exactly had it happened? He had so desperately wanted to be a wizard. When he finally had a chance to call a companion, he had no idea how to do it. As the minutes passed, he’d grown more and more worried until finally he noticed something different. It was as though an invisible string had been tied to him and someone was pulling on it. Intrigued, he pulled back on the line and was astounded when Johnny came and landed gracefully on his shoulder.

Could he do the same thing again, but with the book? He looked within himself and saw his connection to Johnny. It already seemed stronger than when he’d first felt it. He kept searching and found… nothing.

“Why don’t you try calling out loud for the book?” Johnny’s sudden question made Jordan jump.

“Okay.” Feeling slightly foolish, he called, “I need the magic book!” Absolutely nothing happened.

“You should try that again, but feel for it with your magic this time.” Johnny’s eyes shone and Jordan wondered if he was laughing at him. But no, it was excitement in his eyes, and Jordan felt it too.

“Where is the magic book?” This time, when Jordan called out for the book, he looked within himself and waited for some kind of magical feeling.

At first, he didn’t notice anything different, but then a thought shot right to him… from the woods. Now he knew what to do. “This way.” Confidently, he followed the feeling, and he could tell immediately that he was going in the right direction.

Johnny flapped his wings in excitement, saying, “There we go! I knew I made the right choice when I came to you!”

Continuing to follow the magical pull, the two friends strode deeper and deeper into the woods. The feeling grew stronger as they walked at least a mile. Finally, they reached a small clearing, and Jordan knew this was it. Pulling aside some branches, he looked into a beautiful, grassy area and saw a book, sitting on a tree stump. Without any hesitation, he picked it up and knew it was what they’d been looking for.

The feeling intensified as he opened the book and a beam of light shot straight into the sky. A mighty wind built and grew and he threw up his hand to protect himself from the sudden tornado.

When the wind subsided, he was surprised to see a man standing in the clearing next to him. “Oh, well done Jordan and Johnny!” He shook Jordan’s hand while Jordan just gazed back, dazed.

“You two were the first ones to find your book. Congratulations on recognizing your new magic!”

At these words, Jordan found his voice again. “Thank you!” He grinned from ear to ear and felt the excitement from Johnny, too. They had done it! He was going to become a real wizard!

As he followed the man out of the clearing, Johnny whispered in his ear, “Good job, partner! I’m proud to be on your team!” The bird squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

Still grinning, Jordan reached up to softly stroke Johnny’s gray feathers. “Thank you for your help, friend.” For he knew that he wouldn’t have been able to find the book without Johnny. This was going to be a great friendship.

Witch In Training

 

            When Maybelle woke up that morning, the first thing she did was savor the silence. It was the only peace she would get at home all day. Taking in a deep breath, she relished the fresh air coming in through the open window, completely free of steam and smoke.

            A minute later, she heard her sister, Arielle, stir in her bed on the other side of the room. A muffled, “Good morning,” sounded from the pile of blankets.

            Sighing, Maybelle reluctantly returned the greeting. “Good morning.”

            As the sisters got ready for the day, Maybelle was once again astounded at the level of noise her sister made in everything she did. Dresser drawers slammed while Arielle stomped around, trying to get herself ready. Dressing as fast as she could, Maybelle escaped downstairs.

            Breakfast was a noisy affair as Arielle informed them all of her plans for the day. Maybelle barely suppressed a groan when she heard that Arielle was going to be practicing her potion making again. She had really hoped that she could have a break from the oppressive smoke and fumes.

            She couldn’t wait until she was old enough to start her own magical education. She was sure that she would be able to do things so much quieter and cleaner than her sister. For now, she was more of an assistant who was sent to fetch potion ingredients and to help in whatever else her parents or Arielle needed.

            When she was sent to gather potion ingredients later that morning, Maybelle took as long as she could. She knew she would be able to get most of the ingredients at the local apothecary, so she walked slowly along the path and enjoyed the stillness of the forest. The potion that her sister was supposed to make today was a sleeping draught. While not technically in training yet, Maybelle knew a lot from having to help her sister, and this potion was supposed to be fairly easy. The one ingredient that she wouldn’t find at the apothecary was fox fur. Luckily, she knew the location of a den that was close by.

            When she finally returned home, it was nearing lunchtime. “What took you so long?” Her mother looked at her reproachfully. “Arielle’s been ready for a while. She needs the fox fur right away.”

            Steeling herself, Maybelle headed to the room that served as a laboratory. Just as she feared, steam was pouring out of the room into the hall, as well as the smell of rotten eggs. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she handed the ingredients over to Arielle, who was standing focused over her cauldron. Without taking her eyes from the potion, Arielle said, “Finally. Just leave the stuff on the table.”

            “Is it supposed to smell like that?” Maybelle’s eyes were watering now and she let out a little cough.

            “I’m not sure, but I think I can fix it.” Searching through the bag that Maybelle had brought her, she pulled out some dried lavender. “This should do the trick.” She threw it haphazardly into her cauldron.

            Maybelle’s eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s going to work?”

            For the first time, Arielle focused a scathing gaze on Maybelle. “Of course. I’m the one practicing magic, remember?”

            Rolling her eyes, Maybelle retreated outside to the cooler, clearer air. She knew that while lavender did make potions more aromatic, too much of it could also have adverse results. The potion could easily boil over and become useless, or even…

            An explosion sounded from inside the house, and Maybelle closed her eyes in frustration. Arielle had definitely used too much lavender, and now the laboratory was surely covered with the half-made sleeping draught. She sighed as she waited for her mother to call for her help cleaning up. She knew that the rest of the day would be spent scrubbing walls free of the vile-smelling potion. She wondered if she should just sleep outside tonight. It might be cold, but at least she wouldn’t have to sleep with the smell of rotten eggs in her nose.

            “Maybelle, we’re going to need your help in here!” Her mother’s voice seemed to float over from far away. With a groan, Maybelle headed toward the house and mentally prepared herself to scrub the slimy, smelly potion for the next few hours. She couldn’t wait until it was her turn to start her magical training. Then she could show her sister how to properly make a potion.

Potion Shop

 

            Helga smiled as she leaned over her potion. Mixing up the Sleeping Death always put her in a good mood. The sticky sweet smell of the apples mixed with the cinnamon and nutmeg always made her think of cool fall mornings.

            The spring season had just started, and she’d gotten a surprising amount of requests for the Sleeping Death Potion. Who would have thought that when the Wicked Queen used it on Snow White all those years ago, that it would be so popular today? Nowadays there were women who used the Sleeping Death just to try to get a handsome prince to kiss them.

            Helga nearly laughed out loud. No one had been kissed by a prince, but her potions still flew off the shelves nonetheless.

            The bell above the door tinkled, signaling the arrival of a customer. Straightening up, Helga went over to meet them. Her good mood improved when she saw it was Dana. She came in at least once a week looking for magical cures for all of her problems. “What can I do for you today, Dana?”

            The look on Dana’s face was one of exasperation. After letting out an annoyed huff of air, she said, “I need something to take care of the slugs in my garden.”

            Helga raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Weren’t you having problems with your garden last week?”

            “Well, it was the crickets last week. I used what you gave me, and the crickets have all disappeared, but now I feel like I’m being overrun by slugs.” Dana folded her arms and stared at Helga. “Do you have anything that can help me out?”

            Helga tipped her head back to think. “Yes, I think I’ve got something that will take care of the slugs, but it needs to be sprinkled over your garden under the light of a full moon.”

            Dana’s face brightened. “Perfect! The full moon is tonight! I’ll take some, please.”

            Studying her shelves carefully, Helga found what she needed and brought a bright purple bottle over to the counter. “This should take care of your problem.” She checked the price and wrote it into her big book. “Would you like anything else?”

            Dana eagerly walked up to the counter. “No, thank you.” She paid for her potion and hurriedly left.

            After watching for a few minutes to make sure she wasn’t coming back, Helga let out a hearty laugh. “Yes, that will definitely take care of your slugs, but you’ll be back next week, looking for a way to get rid of your new mice problem.” Still chuckling, she went back to concocting her potion.

            The thing that most people didn’t understand around here was that once you grew dependent on magical cures for everything, you would always need more. It was an addiction that was more powerful than anything else. Helga had definitely made the right choice to set up shop here. There was always work for a witch.

Secret Pet

 

            Joel rose silently from his bed and dressed quickly. The birds were already awake and singing their morning songs even though the sun hadn’t fully risen yet.

            The clock on the dresser said 6:34. Thinking of how hard it had been to get up early during the school year, Joel smiled. If this had been a normal summer’s day, he would still be asleep and wouldn’t stir until at least ten o’clock. But today was different. Unable to stop thinking about what had happened yesterday, he couldn’t wait another second for the day to get started. Tiptoeing downstairs, he slipped on his shoes and was out the door and into the backyard.

            Heart thumping with anticipation, he darted to his hiding place behind the shed. The sight of the makeshift box he had constructed yesterday filled him with relief. It was still here and completely closed. “Hey, I’m back,” he whispered as he gently took the lid off. Peering inside, he was happy to see that his new pet was awake, alert, and waiting for him.

            The fiery golden eyes looked intelligently up at him as he reached inside and brought out the small creature, whose head leaned affectionately into his hand. “I’ve been thinking about you all night. I didn’t tell anyone about you, because who would have believed that I had found a real dragon?”

            The small green dragon cocked its head as though it were listening and could understand what Joel was saying. He settled down on the grass and set the dragon on the ground.

            Feeling like he was talking to a friend, he continued. “Where did you come from anyway? I’m sure dragons don’t just appear in people’s backyards.” He watched as the little dragon stretched out his tiny wings and got comfortable in Joel’s lap.

He thought about the day before when he had come out to mow the lawn. This little guy had been sitting in front of the shed, almost like he was waiting for him. Joel had stopped in his tracks and watched as the small dragon walked toward him and sniffed his shoes. Slowly, not wanting to scare him, he reached down to touch it and was surprised when it hopped right into his outstretched hand. It immediately climbed onto his shoulder and stayed there. He stayed while Joel mowed the lawn, and Joel started to wonder what he was going to do with it.

It was getting late and he enjoyed having the little dragon with him. His parents weren’t pet people, and he wasn’t sure how they would feel about a dragon. So, he had hastily made a small box out of some wood scraps and set the dragon inside, explaining that he would return in the morning.

Looking at the dragon now, he still couldn’t believe it was real. Dragons were only found in fairy tales and old legends, right? The morning grew brighter as he sat with the little green dragon. The creature didn’t seem afraid of Joel at all as he continued to talk to it.

When he heard the sounds of his family stirring inside the house, Joel knew he would have to go back inside soon. Sighing, he picked up the dragon to put him back inside the box. As he did so, he was shocked when the creature spoke. “Well Joel, aren’t you going to give me a name?”

For a moment, all Joel could do was stare. When he found his voice, he said, “You can talk?”

The little head nodded. “Why not? I’m a dragon, aren’t I?” He stared into Joel’s eyes. “Of all the people I’ve ever seen, you are the only one who’s ever been able to see me.”

“No one else can see you?”

“I’ve been around a long time, and no one else has ever noticed me before. I’ve searched around the world for someone who could see magic.”

“Magic?!” Joel couldn’t believe this was happening.

“I’ve been waiting for you to give me a name, but I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. Once you name me, I’ll be able to show you so much more.”

Joel’s disbelief was changing and grew into excitement. A slow smile was spreading across his face. “Okay, I’ll give you a name.” It wasn’t hard to choose and he’d been thinking about it anyway. The dragon’s gleaming green scales made it easier. “How about Jadyn?”

As soon as he said the dragon’s name, the air shimmered around him and Jadyn grew until he was taller than the shed. Joel’s eyes widened as Jadyn shook himself and spread out his now massive wings. “Ah, that’s much better. Thank you, Joel.”

Joel nodded, feeling a little nervous. The dragon that used to fit inside his hand was now too big to go inside his house.

Seemingly unconcerned, Jadyn went on. “You and I are now connected. I will teach you everything, and together, we’ll be able to do great things.”

When Joel went inside later, he tried to act normal, but he couldn’t help looking outside the window every minute to see Jadyn sitting regally on the back lawn. He’d always wanted to do something exciting, and this went beyond his wildest dreams. He couldn’t wait to go back outside and continue the adventure of a lifetime.

Trapdoor

 

            Thunk!

            Lily sat bolt upright in bed as the unfamiliar sound reverberated in the darkness.

            Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

            As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she realized the sound was coming from below. Was someone doing something downstairs? Maybe she should go and get Dad.

            Throwing her covers aside, her feet found the soft carpeted floor, and she walked slowly to the door. Her clock read 2:43 AM and she didn’t want to trip over anything in the blackness.

            Suddenly, the carpet under her feet disappeared and she found herself standing on something hard. Was it a piece of wood or something? She didn’t remember leaving anything like that on her floor. Crouching down, she felt the object she was standing on. She moved back to the carpet when she realized it was indeed wood. She tried to pick it up to move it out of the way, but it wouldn’t budge.

            The thumping sound had stopped, but now she had to figure out what this thing was in the middle of her floor. Her fingers moved around until she found something that felt like a handle. Grabbing it tightly, she pulled.

            Light streamed into her room from the hole that had appeared in her floor. The thing that she had pulled had been a trapdoor. The light was so bright, it was painful after the darkness.

            When she could open her eyes without squinting, she looked down into the hole. Was she dreaming? What was this? A rope ladder stretched down as far as she could see. Bright blue sky was now below her, without any sign of the ground. Feeling a little dizzy, she scooted away from the abyss, trying to figure out what on Earth was happening.

            After closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths, she opened her eyes again, hoping things would just disappear. To her disappointment, nothing had changed. Her room was still flooded with light that was pouring in from the hole in her floor. She stared at it, trying to make it make sense.

            But what was that on the inside of the trapdoor? She scooted a little closer until she saw the note attached to it. As she read the note, she knew she must be dreaming. If the trapdoor hadn’t been enough, this note certainly meant she must still be lying in bed with her eyes closed. It said: “Congratulations! You’ve been chosen to visit the World of Dreams. Climb down the ladder to experience anything your heart desires. Anything you can dream up can be a reality here. All you need to do is state the dream you want to experience, and then climb down the ladder.”

            After staring at the note for a full minute, Lily decided to try it out. If this was all a dream anyway, what would it hurt? Scooting forward until she was poised at the very edge of the hole, she leaned over the space and shouted, “I want to be able to fly around!”

            When she finished shouting, she leaned back and waited for something to happen. Nothing changed, and after a few minutes, she decided to go down and try the ladder. Telling herself that this was all just a dream, she lowered herself to get her feet on the ladder, which was swaying in the breeze. She nearly came right back up, but she kept going down.

            Her hands gripped the top rung of the ladder. She went down another rung, and the rope swung violently. Her body rocked backwards with the ladder, and she lost her footing. With a scream stuck in her throat, the rungs of the ladder slipped out of her grasp and she was falling. Air rushed past her as she reached out for anything to grab onto.

            With her arms flapping like a bird’s, she noticed something. She wasn’t falling anymore. The ladder was just out of her reach, but it wasn’t zooming past her. Hardly daring to believe it, she relaxed slightly and held her arms out like the wings of an airplane. She angled her body to the right, and she glided closer to the ladder. Grinning now, she tried moving in different ways, and was delighted when she was able to move how she wanted. Soon, she was spinning in the air, doing loop-de-loops and having a fantastic time.

            After soaring around for a while, she began to think again about her bed and headed back to the ladder and up through the trapdoor. Once she pulled herself up through the opening, she heaved the trapdoor closed and crawled into bed, smiling. Her last thought before she fell back asleep was, I hope I dream this again. Next time, I’m going to ask for cake and ice cream and eat as much as I want. Then she was lost to sleep.

An Unexpected Bird

 

            “Hey, Bill, wait up!” John ran to catch up to Bill, who was already speeding along the trail. “You’re going to miss things by going so fast. I saw a ring-necked pheasant near here the other day.”

            Bill smirked. “A ring-necked pheasant? That’s small potatoes compared to the birds that I want to see.”

            “What is it that you’re looking for?” John had caught up to his friend and was breathing heavily.

            “Oh, something much more interesting.” With no further explanation, Bill walked at a breakneck pace until they reached a small clearing surrounded by towering oak trees.

            John craned his neck to look up into the treetops with his binoculars. “Is this the place you were looking for?”

            Bill wasn’t listening. Counting trees under his breath, he stopped when he reached seven. “This way.” He strode in between two of the oak giants and John hurried to follow.

            Plunging into darkness, the two young men pushed aside branches as they followed a very faint trail. With all of his attention focused on keeping his face free of scratches, John didn’t notice when Bill stopped and he bumped right into him. Annoyed, he wanted to yell, but he saw the excitement on his friend’s face and he paused.

            In a hushed whisper, Bill said, “Okay, this is it. Got your binoculars ready? I don’t know how close we’ll be able to get.” He slowly moved forward to what John could now see was an opening through the trees to a large clearing.

            Binoculars in hand, John felt his excitement growing. This had to be a truly spectacular bird. What could it be? An owl perhaps? It was certainly dark enough in these woods. He strained his ears to hear the telltale hoot-hoot of an owl, but what he heard instead made him stop dead in his tracks.

            A screeching roar rang out of the stillness ahead. Feeling the blood drain out of his face, John’s voice came out as little more than a whisper. “W-what was that?”

To his surprise, Bill had a triumphant smile on his face. “It’s what we’ve been looking for. Come on! There’s a great spot to watch just up here.”

            With more than a little trepidation, John followed his friend to a small rise which had an unobstructed view of the entire clearing in front of them. He had to rub his eyes several times before he realized what he was seeing. “Are those… dragons?”

            Three giant, lizard-like beasts were lounging in the clearing. All of them were different colors, but they still seemed to manage to match their surroundings. Blue, green, and yellow shades ran together over diamond-hard scales and were only detectable once they moved. The massive creatures seemed to be slowly rousing from a nap. Translucent wings spread out as the dragons stretched, each one of them as big as a house.

            Words left John as his throat grew too dry to swallow.

            Bill, however, was beaming. “Told you this was better than spotting pheasants!” He pulled his own binoculars up to his face. “When they’re on the ground like this, it’s much easier to get a good look at them.”

            A yellow-green dragon displayed all of its lethal-looking teeth as it yawned. Images of getting caught and trapped with those teeth flashed through John’s mind. With effort, he whispered, “Are we safe up here?”

            “Oh, sure. I’ve been here lots of times. Just don’t make any sudden moves.”

            John didn’t think he could move if he tried. He could only stare as fear paralyzed him. After a few minutes, one of the dragons, a blue-green one, gave a few experimental flaps of its wings. The entire clearing was blasted with a wind that nearly knocked the two friends over. Suddenly, the dragon crouched and sprang directly up into the air and started to fly away. More wingbeats followed as the other two dragons took off and flew away as well.

            The sudden stillness in the clearing was deafening. Finally convincing himself to move, John sat down in the dirt with his head in his hands. “How?” was all he said.

            Sitting at ease beside him, Bill answered. “You know we’ve been friends for a long time, right? Well, I thought it was finally time to show you where I came from.”

            John stared hard at his friend. “What are you talking about?”

            With a smile, Bill wrapped his arm around John. “I’ve just brought you to a magical land where legendary creatures from your world actually exist. My family and I were sent to live in your world to see how you live without magic.” Sadness spread across his face for a moment. “It’s like living without color. I wanted to show you how things can really be.”

            John looked into Bill’s face and saw that he was more animated than he’d ever seen him. As his fear started to dissipate, he began to understand what Bill meant. After seeing dragons, he couldn’t imagine anything else looking as majestic and full of life as they had been. He gave a small smile. “You know, you’re right. But maybe you could warn me next time you show me something like that. Those were definitely not birds.”

The New Year

 

            Today is the best day. People in suits and beautiful dresses gather down below while they whisper and talk excitedly. Shining my brightest, I look down and cover everyone with my best light. Each one of my 450 individually crafted crystals sparkles as the light hits it and refracts it around the enormous hall. It is my proudest moment as the hotel’s grandest chandelier.

            The orchestra has already started playing, but few people are dancing at the moment. It’s still early. Men and women with trays of hors d’oeuvres file in and disperse among the guests. Champagne sparkles in glasses almost as bright as me. By the time midnight rolls around, everyone will be feeling its effects at the countdown of the New Year.

            The ballroom at the hotel always looks grand, but extra effort is made for the holiday. It’s my favorite time to see new hope on everyone’s faces. Talking and laughter grow louder as more and more people arrive. The dance floor is starting to fill up now as well as the small tables scattered around the edges. Couples lean in close to each other as they discuss their plans for the new year, each one hoping for a kiss at midnight.

            By the time eleven o’clock arrives, the noise level has risen considerably. The flow of champagne has done its work, and the party buzzes with excitement. The orchestra takes a break, and music blasts through speakers placed throughout the hall.

            Finally, at ten minutes to midnight, the excitement has built up into an audible hum, even though the music has paused. Various people take the stage to talk about how this next year will be so much better than the last. Seconds before midnight, the entire hall counts down to the new year. When they reach zero, confetti and streamers are released from the ceiling and fall down onto the upturned faces below.

            The party continues for another hour as people start to trickle out. Pretty soon, all that’s left are the tired staff as they clean up the considerable mess that’s left. It’s nearing four in the morning when the lights are at last turned off and my brilliance falls into darkness.

            If I could sigh right now, I would. Another New Year’s party is over. There are many other events throughout the year, of course, but none of them ever feel like this one. What’s my wish for the New Year? For this year to pass swiftly until the next New Year’s Eve.

 

Escape

 

            The beating of drums woke Jonah up. He groaned as he reached for his head, which was pounding right along with the drums. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was walking home with Jake and Seth after unloading the ship at the docks. It had been a dark night, and then there were those thugs.

            His head gave another pound as he thought of the four guys that had shown up with bats in their hands and steel in their eyes. Jonah wasn’t small in size, and working on the ship had left his muscles taut and hard, but he and his friends had been no match for the thugs. Ready for a fight, he hadn’t even gotten in one swing before something hit him in the back of the head, and everything went dark.

            Slowly, he sat up and gingerly touched the goose egg on the back of his head. Wincing, he stopped and left it alone. The drums continued as he slowly stood up. Where was he? It was almost completely dark, except for a light at the end of a hallway. He walked toward the light and up some stairs as the pounding drums grew louder and a new noise could be heard. An enormous audience was cheering along with the drums. What was happening?

            Climbing up several flights of stairs, Jonah finally reached a small door as sound thundered around him. Pushing open the door, he gasped in surprise when he found himself on the backstage of a concert. He could only stare as he watched a band playing to a crowd of 10,000 fans. The screaming was loud, but the drums that had woken him up now beat so loudly that he felt like the drums were inside his chest, fighting to get out.

            He stood there for several minutes, trying to figure out where he was or what he should do next. He noticed one of the thugs from last night, watching him from the other side of the stage. Without pausing to think, Jonah took off running around the stage toward the one place he knew he could escape—the screaming crowd.

            Plunging into the mass of bodies, he expertly wove in and around people as they cheered for the band. When he finally dared to look back, there was no sign of the thug anywhere. Allowing himself a smile of relief, he continued to run toward the nearest green exit sign. Once he made it outside to the hallway, the amount of noise lessened enough that he could hear other things. One of those things was running footsteps that were growing louder.

            With a yelp of surprise, Jonah ran for the door to the outside as another of the thugs started speeding toward him. He hit the door so hard, he knew it would leave a mark, but he pushed through it and went into the sunshine. He ran as he’d never run in his life. Once he figured out where he was in the city, he ran to the only place where he felt truly safe—Dad’s house.

            It was at least two miles away, but he didn’t stop running. Afraid that he was still being followed, he took as many shortcuts as he could. Sprinting through backyards and over fences, he finally made it to the house. Looking up at the imposing edifice, he hesitated for half a second before running up to the front door.

            As soon as he reached the porch, he felt familiar eyes on him. He waved and called out, “Hey, Jeff.”

            A hulking man dressed in a suit seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Hey, Jonah, long time, no see.” He slapped a great hand down on Jonah’s shoulder.

            “I know.” Jonah tried not to fall over at the force of Jeff’s slap. “I just need a place to lie low for a while. Someone’s been chasing me.”

            “I guess you know you’ll be safe here.” Jeff led the tired Jonah inside. “It’s funny that you should show up today, though. Your dad’s looking for you.”

            Jonah only had time to lift his eyebrows before he was forcefully steered into his father’s office. “Hi, Dad,” he said in a low voice, his eyes downcast. He might feel safe here, but there was a reason he didn’t live here. He and his dad didn’t always see eye to eye.

            “Ah, son, just the man I’ve been looking for. Avery here says you’re in trouble and he thinks you might be open to his proposal.” His father pointed to another man whom Jonah hadn’t noticed before.

            The strange man shook Jonah’s hand with a smile and what looked like relief. “Sorry that I didn’t reach you sooner, Jonah. I meant to meet you at the docks last night, but I must have just missed you. There are others looking for you right now that I don’t think you want to meet.”

            Jonah almost laughed. “I think I met them last night.” He rubbed the back of his still tender head. “They took me to a concert that I didn’t want to see.” He nodded to his dad. “It’s why I came here, actually. I’d rather not meet up with them again.”

            Concern flitted across his father’s face. “Are you all right?”

            Avery heaved a sigh. “Well, now that you’ve reached the age of 21, more people will be coming to look for you.”

            “Why?” Jonah was totally confused. Why would anyone come looking for him? He was nobody.

            The sadness in Dad’s eyes shone through the unshed tears as he said, “It’s because you’re my son.” He sat down heavily in his chair. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t have the gift, but now it’s obvious that you do.”

            “What gift?” Jonah was getting more and more confused.

            Dad stared at his son for a long moment before saying, “You and I both have the genetic gift to communicate with anyone and anything. That’s something that some people would pay lots of money for or even acquire through other, illegal means.”

            Jonah’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

            In answer, Dad whistled for old Bruno, his beloved hound dog. As soon as the dog came in, he looked right at Jonah and said, “It’s nice to see you, sir. Your father’s been really worried about you.”     

            Jonah’s jaw dropped.

            Dad smiled and said, “You hear him now, right?”

            Jonah nodded mutely.

            Avery cleared his throat. “So now that we know for sure that you have the gift, our facility is willing to train you to use it properly and to defend yourself.”

            Jonah glanced at Dad. “Did you do this?”

            Dad nodded. “They’re the best in the business, and I trust them completely.” He then proceeded to tell Jonah about how he had learned extreme self-defense when he turned 21. “I can handle myself in a fight, but it’s always good to have backup too.” He gestured over to Jeff. “That’s why this house is such a safe place for someone like you, son. Go with Avery. It won’t be an easy road, but I know that you’ll make me proud.”

            So, Jonah left with Avery a little while later. He hoped that they were going to teach him to be like Jason Bourne or something. Wouldn’t that be awesome? But he couldn’t believe that he’d never known that about Dad before. He shrugged as he thought, Dad always had a bunch of secrets. I guess I get to join in on them now, too. He whistled as he waved goodbye to Dad and Jeff. “See you soon!”

            And then he was gone, off to start a new adventure.

A Park Bench

 

            When the sun rises, the drops of rain that have been covering me all night finally have a chance to evaporate. There goes Mrs. Fuller with her tiny, ridiculous dog. All fluff and nothing else. The ball of fur shakes itself when it accidentally brushes up against a bush covered with last night’s rain. How I long to shake myself like that dog.

I hate every drop of rain that will eventually turn my arms and legs into rust. Given enough time, the rain will also warp all of my wooden slats. These are just some of the worries of a park bench.

            With the coming of spring, the nights have thankfully started to get warmer. I’m looking forward to the summertime. That’s my favorite time of the year. So many people visit the park and this area comes alive. In my years of existence, I’ve witnessed some amazing things, most of which happen in the warm summer months. Picnics and parties fill the green yard, and I have plenty of company. I’ve been a silent witness to secrets shared that I can’t ever tell anyone.

Once, I even witnessed the joy of a young couple’s marriage proposal. I’ll never forget that nervous young man as he dropped down on one knee and asked his sweetheart to marry him. I could feel the happiness radiating from the young woman as she said yes.

            A jogger stops and sits on me, just as the sun’s rays finish warming my seat. He fiddles with the fancy watch on his wrist for a few moments before he takes off running again.

            Humans are always in such a hurry. They’re always missing out on the best things. The sun is bright and beautiful, and the world is coming alive. There’s a family of bunnies that lives in the burrow under the tree, and one of them just darted across the grass. I don’t think anyone has ever noticed them. I see all the wildlife that walks carefully across the lawn when the humans are gone. The quail bob through the grass, looking for seeds and bugs. There’s a snake den under the bushes, near the big rocks.

You’re the first person I’ve been able to tell these things to. Now you know how a park bench feels. Think about that the next time you sit on one. Open your eyes and pay attention. You never know what you might see. Who knows? You might notice the hawks circling in the sky or be able to enjoy the breeze that flows perfectly through here. Maybe you could even see a dragon. What, not real, you say? I challenge you to come here at night and look up at the stars. Who’s to say that there aren’t any dragons in the great cosmos?

The Invitation

 

            And with smaller letters at the bottom, it concluded, “We await your response. Please RSVP as soon as possible.”

            Nancy folded up the letter and put it back in the parchment envelope with shaking hands. She hoped with all of her might that this wasn’t some kind of trick. Had she really just been invited to participate in a fantasy convention? What did that even mean? Maybe someone at the library had seen how much fantasy fiction she read. The address in the letter was in town. She could ride there on her bike. The convention was taking place on Saturday, so there was no school. Mom would let her go… maybe.

            With the envelope clutched tightly in her hands, she went out to the garden where Mom was pulling weeds. After reading through it, Mom looked at Nancy with confusion. “What is this? Where did you get it?”

            “I found it in the mailbox with the rest of the mail. It looks fun and it’s not far. So, can I go, please?”

            Mom raised an eyebrow. “You want to go to a magic show?”

            “I think it’s more like Comic-Con or something. You know I’m always reading books about magic.”

            “Huh. Yeah, I guess you can go, but I don’t want you going alone. I’ll come with you. I’m a little curious myself.”

            Nancy let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She took the envelope back and looked at it again. Even if this was some kind of smaller convention, their quality was top-notch. The picture of the dragon on the envelope really appeared to be breathing fire on the knight who was holding up his massive shield for protection. She hurried inside to call the number to RSVP, feeling like Saturday would never come.

            When Saturday did finally come, Nancy was excited. She carefully chose her clothes so she would look her best. Her favorite T-shirt featured a dragon in flight, and she made sure to wear the jeans without the hole in the knee.

            Since Mom was coming with her, she didn’t have to worry about riding her bike. The car ride took less than five minutes. Mom followed directions on her phone, which led them to the site. “Is this it?” Mom asked in shock.

            Nancy tried to push down the wave of disappointment that threatened to swallow her. She opened the car door and found herself in the middle of a cornfield. How was this even here? She didn’t remember there being any kind of farm in the city. Looking around, she didn’t recognize anything. When she pictured the convention, she assumed that there would at least be some kind of pavilion or something. But there was nothing here.

            Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes when she felt Mom’s arms wrap around her. “Sorry, sweetie.”

            Nancy couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat.

            After staring for a minute or two, Mom again broke the silence. “Let’s at least walk around for a minute before we head back.” She tugged on Nancy’s arms until she started moving.

            They walked right up to the tall rows of corn. Listlessly, Nancy stretched out her hand to feel the leaves.

            Before Nancy could understand what was happening, she suddenly found herself inside a large building that was packed with people. She almost jumped out of her skin when Mom whispered near her ear, “What is this place?”

            “I have no idea.”

            A woman who appeared to be in charge spotted them and walked over. “Welcome!” she exclaimed with a smile. She shook both of their hands. “Nancy, right?”

            “How did you know?” Mom was scrutinizing this woman who seemed to know exactly who they were.

            “I’m the one who sent out your letter.” The woman continued to smile. “Glad you could make it.”

            “What exactly is this place, and how did we get here?” Mom asked.

            The woman ignored her and spoke directly to Nancy. “I’m Mina and I’ll get you all set up. This is the prestigious magical school, Dragon Fire Academy. You’ve passed your first test.” Her eyes bore into Nancy’s. “Congratulations! Not everyone finds this place. It just shows that I was right about you.”

            “What?” Nancy couldn’t hide her confusion.

            “You have the gift, dear.”

            The rest of their visit passed by in a daze for Nancy. Mina sent them home with books and pamphlets about Dragon Fire Academy. Apparently, Nancy had enough magic to attend. She had come today to enjoy talking and learning about fictional fantasy, but now it looked like she had found a real fantasy world.

            When she went to bed that night, she had almost grown used to the idea of learning magic. Somehow, she’d pulled both her and her mother from the cornfield and into the building. That had to be magic, right? She started getting excited about what the next few days would bring. Today had turned out differently than she had planned, but she had known that it was going to be special.

At the Movies

 

            “I don’t think this is a good idea.” Marie glanced at the giant screen in front of them that was currently showing an ad for Coca-Cola. “How did I let you guys talk me into this?”

            “Ah, come on, Marie. You never come to the movies with us.” Stacy put her feet up on the seat in front of her as she settled back with a bag of popcorn. “This one’s supposed to be really good, and the dragon looks pretty believable. There’s so much bad CGI out there.”

            Marie took a calming breath. There was a dragon in this movie? She couldn’t stay here! What if it happened again? Her mind went back to the last time she had watched a movie in the theater. She had been five years old when she watched one of the Toy Story movies. The results hadn’t been great. True, she’d ended up with a bunch of new toys, but they weren’t normal toys. It had taken a week for everything to clear up. Her parents made sure that she never went to the movie theater again after that.

            She had to get out of here. As she stood up to leave, one of her friends, Jen, asked, “Oh, are you going to the concessions? Mind if I come with you? Stacy’s popcorn is making my mouth water.”

            “Uh, sure.” Marie headed down the steps with Jen right behind her.

Jen was really excited about the movie. “I’ve actually already seen this movie, but it’s so good and is definitely worth a re-watch.” She proceeded to tell Marie everything that was good about this movie, and Marie found herself getting more and more interested.

            Maybe this won’t be that bad, Marie thought. Jen has told me so much about this movie, I have to see it now. She waited in line with Jen, and both girls got a bag of popcorn. When they headed back into the theater, the movie previews had already started, and they quickly found their seats.

            When the movie finally started twenty minutes later, Marie was shocked to find that her bag of popcorn was nearly gone. She finished it off before the opening credits were done. Despite her misgivings, she found that she was thoroughly enjoying the movie. She felt connected to the characters as they went on a fantastic quest to find a treasure. The dragon appeared near the end as the guardian of the treasure. It made its entrance amid roaring flames.

            A prickle of fear ran down Marie’s back. She couldn’t look away from the immense dragon as he chased away the characters from the treasure. She felt the heat from the flames, and the dragon’s roar filled her whole soul. Power from deep within her rose up and surged toward the movie screen. The dragon turned and looked directly at her as it tore from the screen and into the theater.

            Now, the screams of people all around jolted Marie out of her trance. Her stomach dropped as the dragon unfurled its wings like a giant umbrella and grabbed the seats with its fearsome talons.

            Everyone ran for the exits, but Marie felt frozen to her seat. She had done this. She knew she should have never watched a movie here. She had to do something, but what? She thought back to how she had felt a minute earlier when she brought the dragon out.

            Searching deep within herself, Marie felt the raw power inside her. Focusing with all of her might on getting the dragon back inside the movie, she sent a wave of that power headed straight toward the dragon. The dragon stumbled in the middle of a roar, and Marie stood up as she sent more magic towards it.

            The dragon was still roaring, but it didn’t sound so bad now. With a final effort, Marie pushed the dragon back into the movie and then collapsed onto the seat behind her. The movie continued playing, but the theater was now empty. Without another thought, Marie left to look for her friends.

            Stacy and Jen were trying to explain what had happened to a theater employee. He looked bored as he explained, “Yeah, I know the dragon looks real in that movie, but you have to remember that it’s still just a movie.” He turned and walked off, just as Marie reached her friends.H

            “Are you guys okay?” Marie asked shakily. “You’re missing the rest of the movie. After you guys left, the dragon disappeared.” When her friends only stared back at her with incredulous faces, she continued. “They must have used some amazing 3D technology. It was almost like the dragon had actually left the screen.”

            It took her a while, but Marie was finally able to convince her friends that the theater was safe now. They opted to go home and not finish the movie, and Marie heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe the dragon movie hadn’t been the best choice, but she had definitely learned some things about herself. Now that she knew how to use her power, she might actually be able to watch a movie every once in a while. At least, only movies without dangerous creatures.

Cave of Wonders

 

            Reveille seemed to come extra early that morning. Daniel rubbed his eyes, then bolted out of bed when he realized what was happening today. Rafe let out an angry “meow” as he fell to the floor in Daniel’s hurry to get out of bed.

            “Sorry, Rafe, but we need to go. I don’t want to miss anything.” Daniel threw on some clothes and grabbed his pack. It didn’t take much to get ready when you were at summer camp. Just before he walked away from his bunk, Rafe jumped at Daniel, transforming smoothly from a cat to a gecko. He crawled straight into the backpack where Daniel knew he would immediately fall asleep.

            Grinning, Daniel walked outside with the other boys in his cabin as they headed to the trailhead next to the archery fields. He pretended he was just like everyone else at the camp and laughed and joked with the others.

            But he wasn’t like them. Rafe was his best friend and partner in the wizards’ bond. Daniel couldn’t do much magic yet, but he and Rafe were always together.

            Today’s hike ended in a waterfall, but it was eleven miles away. After the boys each packed their food for the day, they started off. Daniel loved hiking. It was the main reason that he’d wanted to come to camp so badly.

            It wasn’t until they stopped an hour later that Rafe emerged from Daniel’s backpack. He crawled out to accept the food that his friend had saved for him. When he finished, he transformed into a small sparrow and flew to the trees.

            Nice to see you awake, Daniel teased.

            A harsh chirp sounded from the tree and Daniel heard, It’s not natural to be awake before the sun comes up.

            Come on, you know you’re just as excited as I am. We’re finally going to the waterfall today!

            Rafe didn’t answer, but Daniel felt his excitement. This waterfall was supposed to be filled with ancient magic, and they were both hopeful that it would help them. There was something hidden there that contained an ancient spell. If the legend was true, then Daniel would learn more magic today.

            The hike was amazing. Daniel marveled at the greenery around them as they trudged through fields and across streams. Rafe had fun changing his form into different kinds of birds so it wouldn’t look too suspicious having the same bird following them. He was currently in the form of an eagle as he soared high above them.

            Around lunchtime, the trail turned rocky, and they started hiking along the base of a cliff. Shouts of delight announced that the boys in front had found something interesting. When Daniel saw what they had found, he understood their excitement. A great cave mouth yawned wide beside them.

            As he stood next to their guide, Jake, he was surprised by the confusion on his face. He kept shaking his head. “What’s the matter?” Daniel asked.

            Jake nodded to the cave. “I’ve done this hike every summer for the last five years, and I’ve never seen this cave before.”

            Rafe! Get down here! If this was the first time the cave had been seen, it was possible that it had something to do with magic.

            Everyone wanted to check out the cave. Jake reluctantly gave them a few minutes to explore, but told them to hurry up so they could reach the waterfall in time. Daniel filed in with everyone else and saw Rafe out of the corner of his eye as he flew in as a little black bird.

            Even though the mouth of the cave was wide and should have allowed for plenty of sunshine, it was dark inside. Daniel had to dig out the flashlight from his pack and click it on. He was startled to discover that he was the only one inside. “Hello?” Where had everyone else gone? A slight weight on his shoulders let him know that Rafe had joined him. Where is everyone?

            Beats me, but this is obviously a magical place. Let’s see what we can find. Rafe flapped down to the cave floor where he transformed into a great hulking wolf. Glad for some physical protection, Daniel led the way deeper into the cave.

            Before they had gone very far, a menacing growl came from behind them. Whipping his flashlight around, Daniel saw a great beast bounding straight for them. Purple scales covered its massive hide and its eyes glowed like fire as it brandished its talons and opened its mouth full of sharp teeth.

            A smaller beast, this one green, streaked past Daniel to meet the bigger one. With a rush of relief, Daniel knew that the smaller one was Rafe. His long, serpentine body met the ferocious attack of the great purple monster. Roars from both creatures echoed loudly throughout the cave as they struggled with teeth and claws.

            Daniel’s relief turned into fear as he realized that Rafe was no match for the bigger animal. Focusing his mind, Daniel gathered his magic to form a ball of fire in his fist. He let it grow bigger and bigger until it lit up the whole cave around them. After sending a silent message to Rafe, he hurled the great fireball straight at the massive creature where it exploded and was completely encompassed in flames.

            When the fire dissipated, Daniel saw that the creature was injured but not dead. It took four more fireballs before the flames finally took down the beast.

            Rafe turned back into a wolf as he limped slightly beside Daniel. Are you all right? Daniel tried not to let his worry come through to Rafe.

            I’ll be fine, just give me a few days.

            I didn’t know you could turn into mythological creatures. A smile broke out on Daniel’s face.

            Why not? There’s just not much opportunity to use them. Rafe leaned down to sniff the purple beast’s body. There’s something here.

            Daniel was immediately at his side, studying the charred remains. A faint glowing green light emanated from the ashes. Reaching out, he picked it up, studying the most brilliant emerald he had ever seen. The glow grew brighter, and he felt a change come over him. He felt more… powerful.

            Whoa. Hold on to that, Daniel. This could be the magical object we’ve been looking for.

            What does it do? Daniel turned over the stone in his hands. The light slowly faded until it looked like an ordinary green gem.

            We’ll have to do some research, I think. Rafe looked toward the cave’s entrance. We’d better get out of here and get back to the group. Who knows what’s happening right now. He turned back into a bird as the two of them left the cave together.

            Daniel was greeted with concerned faces from the boys. “Where have you been, Daniel? We thought you were lost.”

            “Yeah, we need to hurry so we can get to the waterfall.”

            Jake walked up to Daniel. “I thought I said only a few minutes.”

            “Sorry, Jake,” Daniel said. “I lost track of time.”

            Seeming to accept this excuse, Jake nodded. “All right, let’s get going!”

            The hike to the waterfall was easy after that. Daniel was glad that no one had seen what had happened in the cave. He could still pretend he was a normal kid.

Stranded Safari

 

            Adrian couldn’t believe it. She knew she shouldn’t have come on this safari. She knew she shouldn’t have taken that ticket to Africa. Nothing good ever happened to her, but winning tickets to a special safari had sounded lucky at the time, even if she’d never entered any contest. She should have stayed home in Utah, watching over her flower shop. Instead, now she was stuck in the middle of the desert with a group of strangers in a broken-down Jeep. Their guide had left more than four hours ago to get help. Adrian didn’t think it would take him that long to walk to the village and back, and it was starting to get dark. The blistering heat of the day was slowly disappearing, replaced by a chilly breeze.

            Tired of waiting, one man in her group started organizing everyone to walk back to the village on their own. Adrian wasn’t sure about this. They hadn’t exactly followed any roads out here. All she could see was sand and brush in every direction. She wasn’t even sure which direction the village lay. She wanted to wait a little longer for their guide to come back, but she was outvoted. Not wanting to be left behind by herself, she walked along with the group in the direction they thought their guide had gone.

            Night fell quicker than she thought possible, and the landscape turned quiet and dark around them. She tried not to think of the scorpions and snakes that came out at night, but the small night sounds fueled her imagination, and she walked with her heart in her throat, ready to bolt at the first sign of actual danger. The night and the landscape both felt endless. There was no sign of the village or any kind of human civilization.

            Finally, after at least three hours of trudging through the dust and darkness, their leader said that they should stop and rest and wait for morning to come. “We can’t stay here!” a woman shrieked as she moved closer to her husband. “I’m not going to lay down and wait to be bitten by a venomous snake!”

            Adrian agreed with her, but no one else felt like walking any further. Realizing that there was safety in numbers, she reluctantly lay down to try to rest.

            When she woke up, it was still dark, but she panicked when she realized she was alone. Where was everyone? Had they decided to continue without her? How could they just leave? Her eyes darted around for any sign of the others as she frantically thought about what she should do next. A red glow appeared over the horizon and rushed straight to her.

            Adrian’s breath stopped in her throat as a massive flying red dragon landed directly in front of her. Before she could do anything, the dragon lifted her with its great talons and she was flying high above the desert. She screamed, but it was ripped away by the rushing wind. With her arms held tightly in the dragon’s claws, she could do nothing except kick her legs.

            The dragon took no notice of her squirming and continued on through the night. Lights appeared below her and she was surprised to see that it was the village that they had been trying so desperately to return to.

            The dragon deposited her in the village square, and she immediately ran to warn everyone about the monster that had brought her here. Though she shouted and knocked on every door she saw, no one answered. All the while, the dragon watched her closely, but otherwise left her alone.

            Adrian found the building that housed the tour company of her safari, but unsurprisingly, there was no one there. A flicker of flame from the road caught her attention and she went to see what it was.

            A discarded torch burned brightly in the middle of the dirt road. Grateful for a source of light, she ran over to pick it up, but by the time she reached it, it had disappeared. The dragon flapped its wings and continued to watch her. The torch reappeared, but it was further down the road. As Adrian drew closer, it disappeared again. Glancing back at the dragon, she was startled to discover that it had moved closer to her. The torch appeared further away down the road, and as she walked over to it, the dragon followed behind.

            Feeling as if she was stuck in a trap, she continued to follow the torch that disappeared as soon as she reached it and reappeared further down the road. The dragon followed her, getting closer each time. She didn’t know how far down the road she’d gone, but she was nearly running by the time she finally reached the makeshift camp of the other people from their tour group.

            They were all still sleeping soundly when Adrian appeared in their midst and started shouting at them to wake up because there was a dragon coming. Surprised shouts rang out as they jumped up and gathered around her. “What?!” “What’s going on?”

            When Adrian pointed back towards the dragon, it was gone, and the sun was just rising. All that was left were the footprints that she’d made on her way here. She looked wildly around for any sign of the dragon, but it had completely vanished. Embarrassed now, she pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

            Luckily, her footprints led them straight back to the village which was bustling with activity, nothing like when she had been brought back here by the dragon.

            Later, Adrian could never be sure if what had happened had been real. She never told anyone how a dragon had carried her back to the village and then chased her to where the rest of her group was stranded. Maybe it was all a dream, and they were just lucky that they were able to get back to the village. But, maybe it wasn’t.