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.

Haunted House

 

            Ned couldn’t believe their luck. The one time he didn’t have an umbrella with him and it had started to rain. Josh insisted that they keep going since they were already halfway to Toby’s house and should still get there before it got too dark.

            The rain dripped down Ned’s back and he shifted his pack uneasily. “How much farther?” It was raining harder, and he was getting wetter and wetter. Puddles sloshed and soaked his socks as he trudged through them.

            “It’s probably at least another three miles,” Josh answered slowly. “We’ve got to get out of the rain, though, and wait this storm out.”

            Ned had thought that hiking ten miles to visit their cousin Toby had sounded fun when his brother Josh suggested it yesterday, but now he wasn’t so sure. They could stay for a day or two and go fishing together. Mom was all too happy to let them go. Both boys had made the trek several times before and there wasn’t much else for them to do since school was out. Ned thought longingly now of his cozy bed at home. He shivered as the rain soaked him through and the temperature started to drop. Even though it was still early, the day was growing dark as more clouds rolled in. He kept his eyes open for some kind of shelter where they could try to get dry. There wasn’t much out in these open grassy fields, but he saw something that made him sag in relief. “Josh! Do you see that light over there?”

            Josh looked to where Ned was pointing and saw the light shining from a window of a great, hulking house at the edge of the field. “Yeah, but isn’t that the old Morgan house? I didn’t think anyone lived there.”

            “It looks like someone moved in.” Ned shook his head to clear the rain from his eyes. “Let’s see if they’ll let us stay for a while.”

            Josh grinned at his brother. “Aren’t you worried about ghosts? Everyone says that the house is haunted.”

            A shiver went up Ned’s spine that had nothing to do with the rain. “I know what they say, but I’d rather face ghosts than die from the cold.”

            They crossed the field that was quickly becoming muddy and arrived at the doorstep of the old house a few minutes later. The relief of having a little shelter from the rain fought against Ned’s desire to run away as fast as he could from here. He was already thinking that this was a bad idea when Josh knocked and rang the doorbell.

            Deep chimes rang inside and the hair on Ned’s arms stood straight up as they waited for the owner to come to the door. After a few minutes, though, no one came and then the wind started. Being already wet and cold, the wind set both boys’ teeth chattering.

            “That’s it,” Josh said as he shivered violently. “Let’s go in. I can’t take it anymore out here.” He turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open. It swung wide with a loud “creak,” and Ned followed his brother inside.

            “Hello!” Josh called out. “We got stuck out in the storm and we’re looking for shelter for a little while. Is anyone home?”

            The only answering sound was a steady “drip, drip, drip” as a puddle formed on the floor around Ned and Josh. A light shone from down the hall, and the boys headed toward it with Josh calling out, “Hello?” They reached a cozy sitting room where a roaring fire burned in the fireplace and filled the room with warmth. Nearly stumbling over each other to stand near the flames, Ned sighed as he felt the warmth seep into his bones.

He was just about to remove his pack when a flapping sound came from behind them. Spinning around, he noticed the large black bird standing on a perch on the other side of the room. It gave out a single “Caw!” that rang in Ned’s ears.

            “Cool!” Josh walked over to get a better look. “They have a pet crow.” He reached out to pet it, but the bird snapped at his hand and Josh jumped away. He eyed the bird with disgust. “They didn’t do a very good job of training this bird.”

            A second “Caw!” sounded out, and the boys turned to see another perch with three more black birds glaring at them. The light from the fire danced off their glossy feathers as they shuffled their wings. More caws sounded, and Ned was surprised to see that the room was now full of crows.

            “Where did they all come from?” For the first time, Ned heard the fear in Josh’s voice.

            “Let’s just get out of here!” Ned turned to go back the way they had come. Only… it wasn’t there anymore. He could no longer see any of the room around them as the crows flapped their wings and caws rang out. Ned’s voice came out a whisper as he said, “We’re trapped.”

            Josh stepped closer to his brother. “We’re just going to have to run through them to get out of here.”

            “Are you sure that’s a good idea? They keep multiplying!” The room swirled as black feathers occupied every space. Hundreds of crows stared at the two boys with what Ned was sure was malice.

            “No, but let’s go!” Josh covered his head with his arms and dove straight into the black birds. Ned quickly followed, afraid of being left behind. He kept his eyes on Josh’s pack straight ahead of him as he felt the birds come at them.

            After what seemed an eternity of wading through feathers, talons, and beaks, the boys finally found their way back to the front door and they crashed through it as they ran back toward the trail.

            With the sound of feathers and caws behind them, Ned dared to look back, and he was surprised to see that the field was completely empty. There weren’t any birds following them, and there was no house. “Hey, Josh, come here!”

            Josh’s voice answered right next to him. “What happened?” He looked over at Ned with blood on his face and hands where the crows had scratched and pecked at him. Ned knew that he couldn’t look much better.

            Without another word, the boys dashed along the trail, heedless of the rain that continued to pelt them and remind them of what they had just endured. They ran all the way to Toby’s house where their cousin was shocked at their appearance. Gasping, they told him about their experience at the old Morgan house.

            Toby’s shock turned to confusion. “But that house was destroyed by a lightning strike that burned it to the ground. It’s gone now.”

            Ned and Josh looked at each other with fear in their eyes. They knew what they had seen and been through. It seemed like that haunted house would remain haunted, even if the house no longer physically existed.

Invisible

 

            Sweat trickled down Reina’s face as she waited for Mr. Price to announce who would be presenting next. When he said her name, she took a deep breath and tried to stop herself from shaking. She really, really hated standing in front of everyone. She somehow managed to make her way to the front of the classroom without dropping her notes or tripping over her feet.

            Standing now at the front of the class, Reina glanced up at all her classmates staring back at her. She felt her face turn red and launched straight into the speech that she’d practiced, trying to get through it as quickly as possible. She knew she wasn’t doing a great job, but she kept going. She fervently wished she were anywhere but here as she rattled off facts about the country of France, the subject of her presentation.

            As soon as she finished, she raced back to her seat with her head down. She was already so hot and embarrassed, but she pulled on her sweatshirt and put the hood up as she tried to hide. She pulled her hands inside her sleeves and hugged her chest, pretending no one could see her.

            The rest of the class was a blur for Reina. She was so focused on hiding from everyone that she didn’t hear another word that was spoken. When the bell finally rang, she jumped up in relief and headed to her next class. Gym wasn’t her favorite, but today it felt like a gift. She could easily blend in and keep her head down so no one would notice her. They were running the mile today, and she knew this was something she could do. You didn’t really need any special skills to run.

            A jolt of alarm rushed through her as she peeled off the hoodie that she’d been hiding inside. Blinking her eyes several times, she willed them to see something different than what she was currently seeing. She rubbed her hands together to make sure she could feel them, but they were just gone. She picked up the sweatshirt and felt it in her fingers, but her hands had disappeared as well as her arms.

            Nearly reaching full-panic mode, she put the sweatshirt back on and grabbed her backpack as she started running. She ran straight out of gym class and out of the school altogether. She didn’t stop until she got home, which was more than a mile away. Running faster than she’d ever run before, she tried not to think about her invisible arms and hands. When she reached her house a few minutes later, she barreled through the front door and slammed it shut behind her. Her parents were at work and her older brothers were still at school, but the feeling of being home and out of sight of everyone was somehow comforting.

            She quickly rummaged through her backpack and retrieved her cell phone. Taking another calming breath, she called Mom.

            Mom didn’t answer until the fourth ring, while Reina tried not to let her panic spiral out of control. When Mom finally answered, Reina wasn’t sure how to explain what had happened, but she choked out, “Mom! My hands disappeared!” Her voice came out much higher and scared than she’d planned.

            “What?” Mom sounded bewildered. “Where are you?”

            “I ran home because I didn’t know what to do. Help!” Reina was gasping in panic and trying to keep tears from spilling onto her face.

            Mom’s voice was calm as she said, “Stay right there. I’ll be home in ten minutes.”

            Mom hung up, and Reina waited for the longest ten minutes of her life. When Mom finally opened the front door, Reina ran to her and threw her arms around her.

            Mom’s face was full of concern as she gathered Reina into her arms and pulled her close. They both stood in silence as Reina felt her heart rate slowly calm down. She knew Mom could fix anything.

            “Let’s see your hands,” Mom said gently as she led Reina to the couch.

            Reina sat down heavily and slowly pulled off her sweatshirt. Her hands were still invisible, but she could actually see more of her arms now. Wordlessly, she showed them to Mom.

            Instead of looking shocked or panicked, Mom’s face was full of joy. She held Reina’s hands in hers and looked into her eyes. “You’ve discovered your power!” A huge grin appeared on Mom’s face, but Reina didn’t feel like smiling.

            “My what?”

            “It looks like you’ve awoken your magic.” Mom then launched into an explanation of the hidden magical members of their family. Only certain people had magic, and Reina was now one of them. Her brothers didn’t have any magic in their veins, but Mom had seen Reina’s potential and had apparently been waiting for something like this to happen.

            Reina sat there in shock as Mom then demonstrated her magical power. Snapping her fingers, a bolt of lightning flew between Mom’s hands, and she sent it bouncing around the room before she caught it and it disappeared. She told Reina that she was finally ready for her magical training.

            “But what about my hands?”

            Mom waved her hand, totally unconcerned. “Don’t worry. They’ll reappear eventually. You must have really wanted to disappear or something. Invisibility magic is really tough to master.”

            Mom and Reina talked for hours. Reina couldn’t fully relax until her hands had reappeared. When they finally did, she caught some of Mom’s excitement about learning more magic. A few hours ago, there’d been no such thing as magic, but now it was a glorious possibility. She thought back to her disastrous presentation at school. At least something good would come of it, even if it wasn’t a good grade.

The Yellow Bird

 

            Beth let out a sigh of relief as soon as she was outside in the cool night air. She’d successfully made it outside without waking anyone up. Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she headed straight into the forest. Tonight was the night that she was going to prove everyone wrong.

            As soon as she reached the shelter of the trees, she threw back her hood and shook out her long, golden hair. “Hector, any sign of it yet?”

            The striped cat seemed to materialize next to her. “Not yet, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find, right?”

            Beth thought about the upper class’ failed attempt to find and catch the rare yellow bird. It should have been easy for them to just use their advanced magic, but they had been unsuccessful and returned empty-handed. Beth might not be in the upper class, but she was sure that she had more magic than all of them put together. The familiar hum in her veins announced that Hector had found something.

            Delighted by her quick success, Beth quickly darted closer to Hector. The cat’s eyes were riveted on the fluttering bird that moved through the trees, twenty yards away. “Good work, Hector,” she whispered as she quietly set down her supplies. It should have been easy to use her magic to bring the bird to her, but she didn’t know how to do that yet. If she tried, she’d probably light the woods on fire or something.

            No, she was going to do this the old-fashioned way. Pulling out the box that she had made earlier that day, she set it on the ground and then poured a neon-green liquid into it. Trying not to breathe in the horrid stench of the liquid goo, she set the spring that would close the box on the bird as soon as it was inside.

            Once the trap was set, Beth stood up with satisfaction. She might not be great at using her magic yet, but she was a true wizard when it came to making potions and concoctions. Her best friend, Katie, loved to tell the rest of the class about how rad Beth was at potion-making.

            A smile appeared on Beth’s face as she thought about Katie. Only Katie ever used old words like “rad.” She couldn’t wait to go back and show her friend what she’d done. She might not quite be a true wizard yet, but maybe she could be wiz’rad.’

            All Beth had to do now was wait for the bird to come in and trigger the trap. The special goo inside was designed to lure the magical bird. It was an incredibly difficult potion to make, but if it was done right, the bird would smell it from miles away and come to investigate.

            Hector wound himself around Beth’s legs as she waited. Scooping him up into her arms, she felt the purrs radiating from his chest. If Katie was her best friend, then Hector was her family. The two were magical partners for life.

            A fluttering of wings announced the approach of the bird. It headed straight for the box and dove inside. The lid snapped shut with a little click. “Gotcha!” Beth carefully put the wiggling box back into her backpack as Hector watched.

            “Well, that was easy. Now take me back where it’s warm.” Hector stretched and arched his back before he sprang up onto Beth’s shoulders.

            Beth chuckled as she rubbed Hector’s ears. “Yes, your majesty.” They started back the way they’d come, moving silently through the darkness, except for the rattling of the box in Beth’s backpack. They had nearly reached home when a great rustling sounded behind them and Beth whipped around to see what it was. Her eyes widened with fear and she ran pell-mell down the path.

            A huge swarm of yellow birds caught up to Beth easily. Hector darted away with a yowl, and Beth tried to protect her head from the birds’ sharp beaks. She soon found herself sprawled on the ground while her backpack was torn away. All she could see were yellow feathers as more than a hundred of the birds quickly tore the backpack apart. An unpleasant smell filled the air and she knew the birds had found the vial of the potion that Beth had used to lure and trap the bird earlier. In a matter of seconds, the potion was gone and the crowd of birds went to work on the box. They easily opened it and finished off the potion inside before the whole flock disappeared back into the forest.

            With her mouth hanging open, Beth could only stare as she realized that her plan had failed. “Looks like your potion was stronger than you thought,” Hector said as he padded back over to Beth’s side.

            A stern voice rang out from the open door behind Beth. “Young lady!”

            A feeling of dread settled over Beth as she stood up to face her teacher. Ms. Markham glared furiously back at her. She knew she was in trouble now. She didn’t even have the bird to justify why she had been outside at night. With slumped shoulders, Beth picked up the ruined remains of the box and her backpack, and she and Hector followed Ms. Markham inside.

            As they walked through the open doorway, Hector said loud enough for only Beth to hear, “I guess you won’t be wiz’rad’ today.”

Dragon Birding

 

            Ted clutched his binoculars as he waited breathlessly for another hoot of an owl. He had to make sure that he had really heard it the first time. Yes! There it was! He hurried over a small stream as he drew closer to the sound and searched the trees above him.

            Finally! Hours of stumbling around in the dark had paid off! A large, snowy owl was perched on a branch high above the ground. Looking through the binoculars, he made certain that it was indeed a snowy owl before logging it in his bird book. Maybe he could even capture a picture of it before it flew away.

            He carefully took his camera out of his backpack and searched for the owl through the lens. As soon as he snapped the picture, the great bird took off through the forest. What a beautiful bird!

            Glancing at his watch, he was startled to discover that it was almost midnight. Ted was familiar with these woods, so he wasn’t worried about getting lost, but he hadn’t expected it to take him so long to find the owl. Quickly packing up his backpack, he started back through the forest.

            He had just reached the trail that would take him back to his car, when he spotted an orange glow that seemed to be coming from the treetops to his right. Curious, he brought up his binoculars to see what it was.

            What he saw nearly took his breath away and made him wonder if he was even more tired than he thought. Was that… a lizard of some kind? Fiddling with the knob on his binoculars, he brought the creature into focus. It was like a dragon the size of a bird. It was perched calmly on a branch, just like the owl had been.

            As Ted watched, the creature opened up its orange wings and flew off into the night. Its scales were glowing and looked like a beacon, calling back to Ted.

            Forgetting how late it was, Ted immediately started after it. If this was real, he had to get a picture of it. No one would believe him when he said he had seen a dragon in the forest. Heedless of branches tearing at his clothes, he ran as fast as he could, trying to catch up to the orange light.

            The forest grew closer around him, and the glow grew fainter. He willed his legs to move faster as he forced himself past dense bushes. He realized he would have to give up when the glow completely disappeared. Bitter disappointment threatened to overtake him until he spotted a clearing just ahead.

            With one final effort, he exploded out of the bushes that were holding him captive. Breathing deeply, he looked up and saw… a dragon. This wasn’t the small bird-sized dragon that he had seen through his binoculars. This dragon was at least ten feet tall and staring right at him.

            Ted nearly collapsed when the dragon spoke. “Why are you following me?” There was anger in his voice and in his eyes.

            Ted gulped. “I-I-I thought you were…something else.”

            “What exactly did you think I was?” Menace filled the clearing as the dragon waited for Ted’s answer.

            Ted could feel the blood leave his face. “A f-f-flying lizard of some kind?”

            A low growl sounded deep within the dragon’s chest and turned into a scornful chuckle. “You see a glowing dragon, and you think I’m a lizard?”

            “Well, you were smaller back there!” Ted felt panicked. Had he upset the dragon? How was he going to get out of here?

            The dragon continued to chuckle and laugh, and the feeling of menace disappeared, replaced by the dragon’s good mood. Ted looked back behind him, wondering if he could safely escape while the dragon continued to laugh. His legs felt like lead, however, and he stayed where he was, unable to move.

            Finally, the dragon’s laughter subsided. The look he gave Ted was still full of merriment as he said, “My name is Keef, and you know what I am now, right?” Ted nodded mutely, unable to say anything else. Keef continued, “Well, what’s your name then?”

            Finding his voice again, Ted said softly, “Ted.”

            “Ted, consider yourself lucky. No one else has been able to see me in over 500 years. It looks like you have the gift of dragon sight.”

            “What’s that?” Ted asked curiously.

            “It means you and I are destined to work together, because you’ve been born with magic. It appears that I am meant to be your teacher.”

            There was so much in this statement that Ted didn’t even know how to respond. He just stared at Keef in disbelief.

            Keef didn’t seem to be bothered by this. He spread his great wings as he prepared for flight. “When you are ready to accept your destiny, come and find me.”

            “How?”

Keef drew closer and touched a great claw to Ted’s chest. Ted couldn’t move because he was frozen with fear. Thinking that he was about to suffer death by dragon, he didn’t notice what was actually happening to him. A warmth spread through his chest that radiated outward to the rest of his body. When Keef stepped back, Ted was amazed at how alive he felt. His entire life now felt as though he’d been asleep through it all.

            Keef’s eyes glowed red as he said, “At the start of your magical journey, I give you an awakening of your talents. When you are ready to continue on this road, use these talents to summon me, and I will come.”

            With those final words, the great orange dragon lifted himself up into the sky with his powerful wings. He headed off to the east where Ted could see that it was nearly sunrise. Had he been here all night?

            Exhausted, Ted stumbled his way back through the woods to his car. It didn’t seem to take nearly as long as it should have. He barely remembered driving home, or throwing himself on his bed. He had a lot on his mind as he decided what on earth he was going to do. His last thought before he fell asleep was, “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to learn magic from a dragon. I bet magic would help me find more birds.” With that thought, his mind was made up—he would go seek Keef again in the forest.

A Harrowing Ride

 

            Anna’s mind was on autopilot as she drove to the store. Mom wanted her to pick up a few things for dinner and Anna agreed. She had homework to do, but she needed a break and the store wasn’t far.

            It was as she came up to the stoplight that it happened. The grocery store was down the street to the right, but she couldn’t slow the car down to turn. Alarmed, she frantically pushed on the brake, but nothing happened. The steering wheel wasn’t responding either.

            Throwing herself onto the passenger seat, she grabbed her phone out of her purse. All of a sudden, the car swerved to the right, and she was pushed back into the driver’s seat. Looking around wildly, she realized that she had turned onto a different deserted street. Trying the steering wheel again, the car didn’t respond. Then, it turned left without slowing down. In shock, Anna realized that the car was driving itself.

            Finally reaching her phone, she couldn’t believe it when she saw that she didn’t have any service. How could this happen? She was on the best cell phone network, and she always had service. She tried to roll the windows down to shout for help, but they wouldn’t budge. As she racked her brain for anything else she could do, she realized that she had left the city and was now bumping along a dirt road. When had that happened?

            The road disappeared, and the car was swerving through a forest of trees. Anna held on for dear life, just praying that it would be over soon. She looked ahead, and her heart nearly stopped. The car was heading straight for a rock wall.

            Anna braced herself and shut her eyes, waiting for the crash. But it didn’t come. The car continued to hurtle along, and when she opened her eyes again, she was in some kind of tunnel. Had she gone through the rock wall? Glittering diamonds and gems winked at her as she sped past toward some unknown destination.

            It got brighter and brighter as the number of gems on either side of her increased. Something else changed, too. At last, she was slowing down as she left the confined tunnel and a huge cavern opened up in front of her. The car finally came to a stop at the edge of a vast, underground lake. While Anna sat, staring and terrified, the door opened on its own and she felt the seat tilt sideways as her seatbelt unbuckled.

            The next thing she knew, she was on the rocky ground outside the car. With her eyes as wide as saucers, she wasn’t sure if she should get up and run or not. The cavern was silent, but brightly lit by the priceless gems that glowed with some strange inner light. The lake water was still, but then it started to ripple.

            Small waves reached the shore where Anna sat as she watched something rise up out of the middle of the lake. Spires and turrets appeared first, bringing up a castle beneath them. It was immense, but it continued to get larger until it nearly filled the whole lake. Waterfalls rained down from roofs covered in moss and algae. A great gate stood facing the shore. There was the sound of wood scraping along stone, and the gate opened.

            Anna nearly cried with relief when she saw a figure walking toward her. She picked herself up and ran toward the boy with the smile she knew so well. “James!” She threw her arms around her best friend. “What happened? Where are we?”

            After returning Anna’s grateful hug, James pulled back and studied her with concern. “Are you all right? I know how terrifying the first trip here can be.”

            Anna launched into the story of her harrowing journey while James listened patiently. When she finished, she asked again, “What is this place?”

            James’s eyes twinkled with excitement as he said, “It’s a place of magic.”

            “What, you mean like Hogwarts, or something?” She looked curiously at James, waiting for a joke.

            James just shrugged. “If you want to think about it that way, sure. Only people with magic are brought here. Those who have true magic manifest it around the age of 16 or 17. They are then brought here to learn how to control it. For the next few years, you can expect to come here every day to hone your new skills.”

            Anna took this all in with wide eyes. “How long have you been coming here?”

            “Just a few months.”

            Anna was confused. “But, how? I see you at school every day. When do you have time?”

            His eyes continued to shine and sparkle. “You have all the time you need here to finish today’s lessons. When you go home, you’ll discover that no time at all has passed.”

            Anna’s brain felt like mush. “Are you serious?”

            James gave her his best smile as he put his arm around her. “Come on, I’ll show you around.” Together, they walked into the still dripping castle.

            That day marked the beginning of Anna’s education as a true magician.