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.