by Jerod Lollar
“Well, you need a place to lay low for a while.”
“We could stay at the hotel down the street from here. I used to work there. Or we could stay with you.”
I was hoping Johnathen would say 'yes'. Even with Fetch in my life, I felt very alone. Having your whole life erased, even one as pathetic as mine, can have that kind of effect on you. Michelle looked hopefully at Johnathen. She wanted us to stay with them, more for the chance to get to know Fetch better, than to get to know me, I thought. I couldn’t blame her for that. Johnathen shook his head.
“If you were discovered at my place, before I had a chance to find out what the council is saying about you, it could mean trouble for us all. It was hard enough to allow Michelle to keep her memories and let her become a part of the magic community. I have still had to shield her from the fey. If the fairy on the council wasn’t under a spell of silence that keeps anyone on the council from discussing what goes on in the meetings, then she would have been exposed to the fey and would be in a world of hurt right now. I know it seems harsh but the further you are from me, right now, the better."
Michelle had been digging around in a strange looking pouch. She pulled out a cell phone and handed it to me.
"Here, Jack, we can stay in touch with each other this way. Then we won’t draw too much attention to ourselves using the bobcats for communication."
Remembering the bobcats, a thought entered my head.
“Are you the only one to use animals for communicating?" I asked as I put the cell phone in my pocket, giving Michelle’s hand a quick squeeze to let her know how grateful I was to her.
“No, a lot of wizards and other magic folk use animals the same way. Why?”
”Do you know of someone using a squirrel that way?"
I looked at Fetch who quickly looked away. The little confrontation with the squirrel in the tunnel wasn’t one of our proudest moments. In fact I had kind of skipped over the whole laughing squirrel thing when I had told my story.
"No, no one that comes to mind, Jack, but again I ask why? Did someone talk to you through a squirrel the way I talked to you through my bobcats?"
"No," I said.
Both Fetch and I were avoiding looking at anyone. I really didn’t want to go into too many details about our embarrassing fight, in front of Michelle. It was bad enough that she saw my clumsy attempts at fighting off Booger and the snot brigade. The whole mess in the tunnel really wasn’t mine or Fetch's proudest moment.
"What are you not telling me, Jack? Everything that has happened to you is important. It could lead to a quicker end to this mess. Please tell me.”
I looked at Johnathen and could tell that he was upset. Here we were becoming friends and now I left him with the idea that I didn’t trust him. I looked at Fetch. The smoke was purple but he nodded 'yes'. I felt bad that I hadn’t asked him before I told Johnathen so much. After all this was just as much his story as it was mine.
"Did this squirrel talk to you?” asked Johnathen.
”No,” I answered, ”it didn’t talk. It, uh, laughed.”
“Laughed?”
“Yes, it laughed at me and Fetch when we were fighting in the tunnel."
“Oh, I see,” said Johnathen. ”Just laughed?”
“Yes, he pointed and laughed.”
"Oh well, if that was it, I doubt it was a messenger for anyone. I’ll check it out to make sure, but I wouldn’t worry about it. It does bring up a point though. You will begin to see things, Jack, things that were hidden from you in the past. Now that you have been touched by magic, your eyes, mind, and, most importantly, your heart, will now see what was unseen. But, just like you will be able to see many things now, many things will notice you. Fetch will be able to hide from these things, but you will not be able to on your own. So I’m going to give you a few things to help you out.”
Michelle reached into her small bag again, pulling out another small bag. She handed it to Johnathen. He reached inside it, pulling out a leather choker with a teardrop-shaped piece of turquoise tied to it.
“Here," he said. "Put this on. It will hide you from people in the magic world."
"Will it make me invisible?“ I asked.
“No, just overlooked. It sends out a tiny pulse that makes anyone who sees you forget that they saw you as soon as they look in your direction. It won’t work on non-magic people, but with you basically being a new person, you really won’t need to conceal yourself from them. Fetch, the collar I gave you in the tunnel is designed to do the same thing. I didn’t know you would have your natural talent to hide yourself."
As I tied the choker around my neck, the teardrop felt warm against my skin.
“As long as it stays warm, it is working," said Johnathen. "When it gets cold, it means that it needs time to gather more magic."
Michelle pulled out a similar looking teardrop to show me that I wasn’t alone in using such magic.
“Don’t bump into anyone, Jack. If you make physical contact with anyone then the spell is broken and they can see you.”
"Ok," I said. "This is great, but what if someone recognizes me from the video on YouTube?”
Johnathen put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “You need to relax. Worrying about things too much isn’t going to help you. All you need is a change of clothes. In a few days, when your hair starts to grow back, no one will be able to tell that you were the one in the video.”
I had to laugh just a little. I mean, after all, I had dark forces who could use magic after me.
“You really think my hair and eyebrows are going to grow back?" I asked, touching my bald head.
Fetch made a coughing sound. It was so obvious he was trying not to laugh at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was Fetch's inexperience that cost me my hair and eyebrows, or if he did it on purpose. I wouldn’t put it past him, twisted lizard.
“Sure,“ said Johnathen. He didn’t sound too convincing. “Now, let’s do something about those clothes you are wearing."
He looked at me for a few minutes. He walked all around me whispering something under his breath. I felt a tugging of the sweats, and I had a moment of panic when I thought they were going to be pulled off my body, leaving me naked in front of Michelle. But instead, they began to change. It felt like they were folding upward, a kind of waving sensation, and when it reached my neck it stopped. I was now dressed in a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved, black, button up, oxford shirt. I had on black leather boots and a leather belt with a silver buckle. Michelle whistled.
”Not bad,” she said, giving me an appreciative nod.
The clothes fit well and made me feel a lot better about my appearance. I smelled a faint odor of cologne and realized that Johnathen had cleaned me up a bit, as well as changed my clothes. A part of me wondered why he couldn’t have done that in the tunnel when I was left naked, but I was too grateful to him for all he was doing to say anything.
Johnathen looked at me for a moment. With another wave of his hand, and a whispered word, a bandana appeared on my head. Another wave of his hand and sunglasses appeared. I couldn’t see the bandanna, but I figured it was black. It seemed to be a theme for Johnathen. He smiled, a little pleased with himself.
“Now, Jack, for some real magic," he said with a crooked smile and a gleam in his eyes.
He took the pouch in his right hand and passed his left hand over it. Reaching in, he pulled out a red box and a flat metal rectangle about the size of a credit card. The red wooden box was the amazing part of the trick. It was too big for the pouch, yet somehow, Johnathen had pulled it through. He set the box on the table and handed me the metal card.
“This has a special spell placed on it. Michelle helped me come up with it. It is a universal I.D. card. If you are ever in a place where you are asked to show your identification, hand them this. It sends out a pulse that convinces them that it is a real I.D. It will give whoever touches it a feeling of peace and will reassure them that you are ok."
�
��It’s gotten me out of a traffic ticket or two,” said Michelle.
She was holding up a similar card. She had a guilty smile on her face. I took the card from Johnathen and put it in my back pocket. Johnathen walked over to the duffle bag, waving a hand over the top. It opened and all of the money began to flow out of it. It flew around Johnathen's head before it began to disappear into the small pouch. In just a few seconds, all of the money had disappeared into the tiny pouch.
“Show off,” said Michelle.
Johnathen laughed, handing me the pouch.
“Reach inside and pull out some money," he said.
I took the pouch expecting it to be heavy. It had no weight to it at all. I reached inside it. I could only get about three fingers in it. I touched the bottom of it, not even able to get my fingers in very deep. It was just an empty pouch.
“Ok, what’s the trick?"
Johnathen smiled. There was a gleam in his eyes. He was enjoying showing off.
“Just picture what you want to pull out of the pouch. Make sure you have a clear image of it. It helps to close your eyes and get the image first, until you get the hang of it. Then just reach in and pull it out."
I closed my eyes for a second, getting an image of a hand full of cash. When I felt I had a good picture in my mind, I opened my eyes and reached into the pouch. My whole hand fit inside. It wasn’t like the pouch had grown, but more like my hand had shrunk. It was the strangest feeling. I quickly pulled my hand out holding a wad of cash.
“You’ll get used to it,“ said Michelle. “It’s just one of the things that people use in the magic community."
I had to start getting used to all of this. It was now my life. I placed an image in my mind of me putting the money back into the pouch, and reached inside again letting go of the cash. I made a point of slowly pulling my hand out, not wanting to appear too freaked out by the strange sensation.
“Now, Jack, I have one more gift for you.”
He reached over and picked up the red box. Michelle had stopped working on her computer and was watching me very closely. She seemed to have an idea as to what was in this red box. I got the impression she was very interested in my reaction to this last gift. Johnathen opened the box. Inside was a dagger. It was silver and covered with strange symbols. At the base of the hilt was a blood red jewel. The dagger was long and sharp on both sides. Lying next to it was a leather sheath.
“This is a very special dagger, Jack. It is very rare. Not many like them. This dagger is one of the few things that can kill a fey."
My heart went cold as Johnathen's words sank in. I had realized that I was in danger. I knew that my battle in the parking lot could have ended up with someone getting hurt, or worse, but what Johnathen seemed to be suggesting was a little too much for me. I backed away from the box, not wanting to touch the dagger. I shook my head to let Johnathen know I wouldn’t take it. As I backed away from it, I continued to stare at it. It was one thing to defend myself against goblins and learn to protect myself from any more fey attacks. But, I felt that taking the dagger meant that Johnathen expected me to go after the fairy and kill her. Even knowing that she wanted to kill me, even knowing that my life was erased because of her, the idea of killing her was beyond me. I was not the same person I was just a short twenty-four hours ago, but I just couldn’t see myself as a killer.
“Jack, this is just for your protection. Please take it. If you are ever in a situation where you come across a fairy, just them seeing the dagger will stop them from getting too close. Just touching it could kill them. Use it as a last resort and only as a last resort. Having this kind of protection will make me feel better when I’m not around.”
“Go ahead, Jack. Please take it," said Michelle, "just in case. We just want to protect you. I would hate it if you got hurt."
I looked over at Fetch. He was staring at me, his eyes green. He didn’t move a muscle. I got the idea that he didn’t want to give me any idea as to what to do. This had to be my decision and mine alone, whether to take the dagger or not. I reached into the box and pulled it out. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I slid the dagger into the sheath, and then stuffed the thing into the pouch. I looked at Johnathen. At that a moment he looked old. It was like seeing behind the young and carefree veil he had set up in his life. I could see sadness and pain in his eyes. Only someone who has been through a lot, who has lost a lot, can have that kind of look. In that moment it struck me how old Johnathen must be. I couldn’t even guess at his age, but I knew he was very old.
“I gave you the dagger, with the hope that you never have to use it, Jack. I am hoping that if you are in a situation involving the fey, you will show them that you have the dagger. Just seeing it will discourage them from attacking you."
“I won’t kill anyone.” I said. “I don’t think it is in me.”
I felt as old and tired as Johnathen looked. It was getting harder for me to accept that any of this was real. I just didn’t want to accept that I might even have to look like I was willing to kill anyone. A thought of the destruction that I was a part of in the battle in the parking lot went through my mind. For the first time I wondered if I had killed any of the goblins. The thought made my skin crawl.
“Do you think I killed any of those goblins?”
“I don’t think so, Jack. They are a pretty tough race. I think you hurt them pretty good. They have been used in many wars. They create chaos, as you saw. But you have nothing to feel bad about, Jack. You were trying to save yourself and all of those witnesses."
Johnathen's words made me feel a little better. But I remembered how angry I had gotten, and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that I was just lucky no one got hurt. I made a promise not to let myself get that angry again. With all I seemed to be able to do now, the last thing I wanted was to lose control. Johnathen put his arm on my shoulder. He looked young again.
”You and Fetch have been through a lot in just a day. I would like to tell you that it will all be smooth sailing from now on, but I would be lying. This is a time of change in the magic world, Jack, and you and Fetch are a big part of that change. Some people say there is a war coming. One that will shake the very foundation of the earth. I am trying to keep that from happening."
“What do I do now?" I asked, my frustration starting to show.
“For now, I think you and Fetch need to find time to get used to your new life. Check into a room at the hotel. Michelle and I will keep in touch. We need to go for now. At times I am watched and I don’t want them to figure out that I have found you just yet. We will find time to go out and see just what you can do with your forced magic. For now just try to enjoy yourself a little. Take some time to observe the new magic world around you. The teardrop will allow you to do this unseen. I promise you both that I will find a way for you to become a part of the magic world, without people fearing you. Don’t worry yourself over the unknown person that sent the goblins to attack you. The teardrop will protect you from them as well. You have a very unique opportunity to observe and learn without being seen Jack."
I felt a rush of gratitude for both Michelle and Johnathen. They had already done so much for me. I was grateful. It seemed like they were taking a big risk in doing all of this.
“Now that you have changed your clothes, Jack, you really can’t tell you are the same person as the one in the video,” said Michelle, "and with a little visit to a friend, it will be off the web and considered a fake in no time.”
I smiled in gratitude. I was very tired and hungry, so it was getting a little hard to concentrate on what she was saying. Fetch had stayed quiet during all of this. His eyes had stayed green and he had watched all of us in turn. He seemed to be studying us, trying to get his own grasp on everything that was going on. I looked at him and realized that decisions were made and plans discussed that involved him, without any of us asking his opinion. For all I knew, Fetch might not want to hang around with me anymore.
“So, Fetch," I said
, “you want to hang around with me? At least until we get this mess cleaned up?”
Fetch looked at me for a second. He walked around me like he was giving me the once over. I knew he was just showing off for Michelle. He sat in front of me and with a much exaggerated sigh nodded his head 'yes'.
A feeling of relief washed over me. Even though it had only been a day since I had known him, and all the mixed feelings I had about his involvement, about how my life had been turned upside-down, at that moment I couldn’t imagine going through any of this without him.
“Great,” said Johnathen. "Well, I guess we had better get started now."
With a wave of his hand, the field around the ramada dissolved. The sun was nice and bright and made me squint. I saw a small child playing catch with his dad do a double take as Fetch went into camouflaged mode. He didn’t time it right, and, judging how the boy was pointing and jumping up and down, I had the idea that he had seen a glimpse of Fetch. I nodded my head in the kid's direction.
“Should you pulse him?" I asked, hoping that was the right terminology for erasing someone’s memory.
“No, it was just a glimpse. He will remember this day and, who knows, he might write about it and become the next great fantasy novelist of his generation. That is something that has happened throughout time, Jack. Even the greatest of magic users, and the most powerful spells, can slip at times. I think you might be surprised as to who have seen glimpses of the magic world. As long as stories are perceived as fantasy or fairy tales then it is usually allowed."
“But there have been times in history when man has believed in magic. There has to be a time when both worlds were aware of each other.”
“Yes, but that time passed. A terrible spell was cast that caused a lot of things to die. It was a long time ago and that was when the magic world started to separate itself from the non-magic world. It’s a long story. I will have to tell you about it sometime."
We had been walking up to the limo while we were talking. I could hear birds from the zoo and smell the different animals as they began their early morning stirring, waiting to be fed. As we approached the limo, the sound of the animals died down. I wondered how those animals would react if they could see or sense Fetch. I made a note to myself not to visit the zoo with Fetch.
