When we arrived at the mountain parking area, Wade couldn’t help staring as I unloaded the swords and shields from the trunk. “Whoa, what do we have here?”
“I’m going to teach you how to use a sword. It can be a deadly weapon at close range.”
Wade picked up a sword and shield and began slashing the air like he was fighting someone. “Do I look like a Roman Centurion?” he asked.
I kept a straight face. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen a Roman Centurion dressed in a checkered shirt and faded jeans.”
Wade stopped and looked at me. “Boy, I really got stung with that one.”
We walked to the edge of the woods, wearing our backpacks and carrying our shields and swords. “You do realize, Wade, that riding piggyback with all this equipment is out of the question.”
“That means we have to do the Mist thing, right?”
I smiled and held out my hand. “It’s time to fly.” The trip to the clearing took less than a minute.
The first thing I did after reaching the clearing was to make several force field targets and position them around the clearing. We started the target practice by taking turns trying to outdo each other using our energy beams. Our aim was getting better with each trip and we were turning into regular sharpshooters. I noticed that Wade’s energy beam had gotten stronger since our last trip. This was a sign that his powers were still increasing. I was already making plans to find a larger space where Wade could practice his control over the weather. What we really needed was a deserted island in the middle of nowhere.
“Okay, Wade, it’s time for you to learn the art of sword fighting,” I said with a grin.
Wade looked concerned. “Have you ever used a sword and shield before, Janis?”
“No, is that a problem?” I asked, looking confident.
“So what you’re telling me is you’ve inherited the art of sword fighting from the ancient Ivarrs?”
“That’s correct. Do you see that tree at the edge of the clearing with two large knots about two feet apart?
Wade stared at the trees. “The really big one about fifty feet away?”
“That’s the one.”
I picked up Wade’s sword so that I was now holding a sword in each hand. I began spinning the swords in the air like an expert juggler putting on an exhibition. I tossed one of the swords high into the air, and then I waited a full second and tossed the other one into the air. When the first sword came spinning down, I grabbed it by the handle and threw it towards the tree at the edge of the clearing. In a split second, I reached out and grabbed the second spinning sword and sent it flying right behind the first sword. When the swords struck the tree, the blades landed in the center of the tree knots exactly two feet apart.
Wade was collecting his thoughts before he spoke. “I would be honored to be taught the art of sword fighting by such a gracious master. If you will accept this miserable human as a student, I will do my best not to bring shame on your house.”
I tried not to grin. “I bet you got that little speech out of a movie. Let’s retrieve the swords because we have a lot of work to do.
The first thing I taught Wade was the correct defensive stance and how to move his feet forward and sideways. After covering the basics, I introduced him to the rudiments of sword fighting. I taught him how to lunge, how to make short and long slashing motions, and how to combine them with the footwork he used earlier. Wade was a fast learner. He lost his balance only one time.
I pick up my sword and shield and faced Wade. “Now the fun begins.”
I stood in front of Wade and had him start with the lunging motion he’d been taught. He’d barely extended his sword when I knocked it out of his hand. “You’re too slow,” I said. “Do it again and put some speed behind your lunge.”
Wade did as I asked, but I stepped to one side and knocked the sword out of his hand again. “The point to remember is that your opponent is not going to stand idly by and let you stab him with your sword. It’ll take time, but you’ll eventually sharpen your skills to anticipate your opponent’s moves. In ancient times, the children of warring tribes were skilled swordsman by the time they reached the age of twelve.”
Wade grinned. “That tidbit of information makes me feel a lot better.”
We spent another hour going over the fundamentals of sword fighting. I couldn’t get over what a quick learner Wade was. He had a determination to succeed that was inspiring.
“I think you did pretty well for a beginner, Wade.”
“That’s because I had a good teacher. I’m going to get a whole lot better and make you proud of me.”
“I’m proud of you already. You have the heart of a warrior and that’s something that can’t be taught.”
We cleaned up the area and put on our backpacks. “I was thinking, Wade. Why don’t we just leave the shields and swords here so we won’t have to transport them back and forth?”
“Sure, if you can think of a good place to hide them.”
I used my telekinesis and secured them on a limb high in the tree tops.
“Perfect,” said Wade, but I have another suggestion.”
“I’m listening.”
The next time we come here, why don’t you spread a thin force field over the ground? That would eliminate any chance of us damaging this area and it would be easier to clean up afterwards.”
“That’s brilliant, Wade. You’re a lot smarter than I thought you were.” I tried my best to keep a straight face.
“I’m not sure if that’s a put down or not. Now that we don’t have the swords and shields to tote around, do I get a piggy ride back to the car?”
“Okay, but only because you’re such a hard worker.”
“Then I’m going to work even harder the next time.
Wade was true to his word. His skills with a sword improved with every practice session. He would eventually become a formidable opponent who couldn’t be taken lightly. I was really proud of him.
I also adopted Wade’s idea and added a thin force field to the open field. It worked perfectly. It protected the ground and it was easy to clean up afterwards. All I had to do was roll up the force field like a carpet.
CHAPTER 19
Christmas was just around the corner, my favorite time of the year. The shopping malls were filled with Christmas music and everyone was scurrying around with smiles on their faces. Whenever I hear the familiar ring of the Salvation Army’s bell, I always make it a point to drop something into the kettle.
I stopped at Wade’s house on the day before Christmas to drop off some presents. When Wade answered the door, I shouted “Merry Christmas!”
Wade invited me inside and we exchanged gifts. When I was getting ready to leave, Wade said that he had a very special gift for the entire city of Charlotte.
We walked out onto the front porch and Wade looked up at the sky. I felt a sudden chill and then I spotted the first snowflake floating down to the ground. Within a matter of minutes, the sky was filled with snowflakes and the ground was turning white. The city of Charlotte was going to have snow for Christmas.
I wrapped my arms around Wade and hugged him. “Wade, you have a beautiful soul.” I knew I would never forget that wonderful moment as long as I lived.
* * *
Christmas morning was special this year because I had bought the kitties some unusual presents. This is for me, said Missy as she eyed the gift-wrapped box. I opened the box to reveal a red cape with the words “Super Cat” embroidered in blue letters. Missy remained motionless as I fastened the cape around her neck.
Look at me, Izzy, I’m Super Cat, defender of the clawless.
I opened Izzy’s box to reveal an identical cape with the words “Super Cat’s Assistant” embroidered on it. Look at me Missy! I’m your assistant. I can’t wait to fly.
“No time like the present,” I said as I lifted the kitties up in the air. It was quite a sight because their caps were flapping in the wind as they circled around the b
edroom. Don’t show those varmints any mercy when you catch up with them! yelled Missy.
Don’t give it a second thought, Izzy yelled back. I’ll make them sidewinders wish they’d never set foot into Super Cat Junction.
I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. This was going to be a very special Christmas.
* * *
I turned seventeen in January of 1961. I was only a year older, but I felt more like an adult than a teenager. I’d inherited a huge responsibility that had made me mature beyond my years.
Outside of morphing, I still hadn’t told my parent about the powers I’d inherited. Sometimes I’d unload my thoughts to Pauline, but I hadn’t told her the entire story because I’d never mentioned Wade to her.
Not a day passed that I wasn’t thinking about different ways to use my powers. One idea I’d come up with was creating my own superhero. It would still be me, but I wanted to alter my appearance. I also wanted an impressive costume to go with my new look. I’d even decided on a name for my new superhero —The Changeling Princess.
I started out with a body that was similar to the Egyptian Princess at Anna’s pool party. That made me six feet tall and very shapely. I used my own face, but I wanted to look elegant. To do that, I lengthened my neck a tad, thinned my face, and raised my cheekbones. I decided to keep my auburn hair, but I wanted the length to be all the way down to my waist. For a final touch, I added curls.
When I was satisfied with my new look, I went to work on something to wear. A Roman toga was my first choice because I wanted a classic look. I kept the toga short, about four inches above my knees for easy movement. When I was finished, the toga was perfect because it added the touch of class I wanted.
The last thing I added was a pair of Roman sandals with laces. I stood back and looked at myself in the mirror. My face was still recognizable, but I was more statuesque. The Changeling Princess was awesome.
It suddenly dawned on me that the Changeling Princess was seven inches taller than Janis French. If my powers increased proportionately with my height, that made the Changeling Princess ten percent stronger—a definite plus.
I locked the details firmly in my mind and morphed back to Janis French. I needed to do a test, so I took a deep breath and then morphed again. To my delight, I found myself staring at the Changeling Princess I had created. I couldn’t wait to show her to Wade.
* * *
“I hope I didn’t bother you,” I said when Wade answered the phone.
“No, I was just practicing my drums. I’ve been slacking off a lot lately.”
“How do you practice without driving your aunt up the wall?”
“I use a practice pad. It’s a wooden block with a pad of rubber secured across the top. It’s got a great bounce and it’s really quiet compared to an actual drum.”
“I’d like to have the patent on that invention. Did you have a nice Christmas?”
“I always enjoy Christmas. It seems to be the only time of the year when people make an effort to get along with each other.”
“I can’t argue with that. It’s too bad we don’t have the power to make it Christmas the year around.”
“I’d go for that. The world would be a much better place.”
“The reason I called is I was wondering if you want to take a trip to the mountains tomorrow morning.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. It’s probably knee-deep in snow up there.”
“It won’t be after I’m through with it,” I said seriously.
“Somehow I get the feeling you’re not kidding.”
“I’m deadly serious.”
I sensed that Wade was having trouble making up his mind. “Okay, Janis, what time do you want leave?”
“Let’s go early, about seven o’clock.”
“I want you to know that I’m only doing this because I’m dying to see how this works out. I’ll see you at seven.”
* * *
Wade wasn’t smiling when he got into the car the next morning. “We’re really going to the mountains? This isn’t a surprise birthday party or anything like that?”
“It’s not your birthday.”
“So what? 1t’s always fun to eat cake and ice cream and open presents.”
I glanced at Wade and snickered. “You’re a little bit sillier today than usual.”
* * *
The drive through the mountains got slippery at times. Wade and I both used our power of telekinesis to keep the car on the road. After we parked, we donned our backpacks and I took hold of Wade’s hand. We morphed into Mists and arrived at the clearing quickly.
Wade studied the area. “The snow’s not that deep here, Janis, but we’re going to freeze our butts off.”
I raised my arms into the air to resemble Moses parting the Red Sea. “Oh ye of little faith watch and behold.”
I concentrated on forming a force field dome to cover the entire clearing. I made it about fifty feet tall so we would have plenty of room to set up our targets. “Okay, Wade, concentrate your energy beam like a flashlight and sweep the entire area of the dome. Use full power.”
I joined Wade and watched the surface of the dome turn red in color. The heat from our energy beams was heating the dome and the temperature rose quickly. Wade looked pleased.
“This is really something, Janis. I never would have thought of it.”
“Thanks, but now I want to show you a new project I’ve been working on. Take a deep breath and tell me when you’re ready.”
Wade took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Wade, I’d like you to meet your new partner . . . the Changeling Princess.”
I morphed into the Changeling Princess and watched the expression on Wade’s face. My instincts told me he was pleased. “So how do you like the new me?”
Wade was speechless at first. The warmth in his voice told me he was more than pleased.
“What’s not to like? You’re beautiful! You’ve got the body of a goddess and I love the fact that you kept your auburn hair. I like your toga too. Excuse me, but do I still call you Janis?”
“Yes, because that’s the Changeling Princess’s real name. Anything else you want to know?”
Wade tried to keep a straight face. “Do you do piggyback rides?”
I shook my head and tried not to laugh. “You never fail to amuse me, Wade. Are you ready to get to work?”
Wade turned serious. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I removed the swords and shields from the tree top. We practiced for an hour and then I erected several force field targets and positioned them around the clearing.
We started out with shooting energy beams at the stationary targets. It was obvious that our skills were improving with each practice session. Wade like to show off by alternating between both eyes. He liked to imagine himself as an old-fashioned gunslinger with two guns.
I didn’t have any poker chips, so I fashioned similar looking chips with compressed air. These chips were better anyway because they didn’t shatter when they were struck. We’d come a long way since our first practice session. We’d reached a point where we could toss five chips into the air and hit all five of them before they hit the ground.
I was really proud of Wade. He clowned around a lot, but he was deadly serious when it came time to go to work. It was easy for me to understand why Wade had been chosen to be my partner. He had a fierce determination and I knew he would never back down from a fight.
“Let’s test your tornado power,” I said.
Wade nodded his head and focused. I was surprised because we had a raging tornado in a matter of seconds. I motioned for Wade to remove the tornado. The height of the dome was much too low and the tornado was spreading rapidly.
“We need a bigger area for you to practice in, Wade. Your powers are still increasing and that’s a good thing.” We cleaned up the area and morphed into Mists for the trip to the car.
Wade had adjusted to flying, so I
made a suggestion. “If we morphed into Mists and flew full speed, I bet we could fly from Charlotte to the clearing in less than half an hour.”
“That makes sense. We could save a lot of time.”
“I’m glad you agree. What’s the sense of having special skills if we aren’t going to use them?”
The first time we traveled as Mists, Wade commented that the trip to the mountains was a combination of a roller coaster ride and being shot from a cannon. Wade finally admitted that he looked forward to flying as a Mist. Wade had the heart of a warrior, but he was still a little kid at heart.
CHAPTER 20
Winter was soon behind us and the feeling of spring was in the air. Missy was strictly an indoor kitty, but Izzy loved the outdoors. Missy was extremely suspicious the first time she was taken into the back yard. She’d tiptoe through the grass and Izzy was running around her in a circle shouting, Let’s play!
It wasn’t long before my kitties were running around the flower garden playing hide and seek. Missy still loved playing cowboys and she was always giving instructions. Go behind the bushes, Izzy, and sneak up on them varmints. You flush‘em out and I’ll finish them off.
I still remembered the day I brought Izzy home from the animal shelter. She was Missy’s long lost little sister and the kitties fell in love with each other. I was happy for both of them.
* * *
I liked double-dating with Bruce and Sherri. The drive-in theaters opened in May and everyone enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere. The drive-ins in the ‘50s and ‘60s showed some really bad movies. The worst of the lot were the science fiction films. Movies like “Devil Girl from Mars” and “The Crawling Eye” kept me in stitches. Wade’s favorite was “The Astounding She-Monster.” Half of the fun was watching to see if the second movie was as bad as the first one.
After the drive-in we’d head to Heidi’s Drive-In for root beers, burgers and onion rings. Heidi’s onion rings were to die for. No one knew how they made the breading and they kept the secret to themselves. Instead of ordering two burgers and an order of onion rings, I always ordered a single burger and a double order of onion rings. The second order of onion rings was my dessert.
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