Forced Magic

by Jerod Lollar

  “Where were you?” I shouted at him.

  He slowly turned to me. I could tell he was ready to retaliate until he saw the look on my face. He could tell that something had occurred. I sat on the bed next to him and told him what had happened. His eyes shifted colors as he sat there listening to my story. We had sat around long enough, now we needed to start acting. There seemed to be too many magic creatures that were victimizing non-magic people. It had to stop.

  “We've got to tell Johnathen about this, Fetch. We have to do something.”

  Fetch nodded his head in agreement. I texted Michelle telling her I needed to see her, right away. When I received no immediate response to the text, I called.

  “Look, Michelle, I need to talk to you. Something bad has happened and I need to talk to someone about it. You said you would see us in a couple of days and it has been weeks and I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE NOW!!! “

  I hung up the phone and put my head in my hands. A few minutes later I heard a scratching at the door. Fetch and I both jumped up ready for an attack. This thing had scared us both and we were now ready for anything. I put out my hand and Fetch shot a burst of flame into it. I walked up to the door keeping to one side. There was another sound of scratching. My senses seemed to intensify and it felt like I had two, strong, fast beating, hearts in my chest as I got ready to open the door. Fetch planted himself squarely in front of the door going into cameo mode. He let out a little “huff” to let me know he was ready. I flung open the door to the surprising sight of one of Johnathen's bobcats. It quickly slunk in and, jumping over Fetch, sat on the bed. Its mouth opened and Johnathen's voice came out.

  “Michelle said you were very upset. I sensed a pulse of magic at the hotel. What happened?”

  I told the whole story again. When I finished, Johnathen's voice came through the bobcat again.

  "They are getting bolder and out of control. For one to act on its own that way, means that things are getting bad."

  “Wasn’t it sent by the person trying to kill me?" I asked.

  “No. I don’t think so. If it was, it would have attacked you directly. Besides, there would have never been any way to tell where you were. You have been wearing the teardrop?”

  “Yes, and Fetch has stayed out of sight."

  I didn’t want to tell Johnathen that Fetch had been going out on his own to hunt and fly around. I didn’t want to be a tattle tale. Besides, I was upset that Johnathen and Michelle had blown me off.

  "Did you hear all of that, Michelle?” said Johnathen.

  “Yes” said Michelle's voice out of the bobcat.

  It sounded like it was coming from a long way off.

  “Jack, I'm almost there."

  I sat down in a chair again, my head in my hands. I was relieved that Michelle was coming. The bobcat jumped down off the bed and came over to me, putting a paw on my lap. Johnathen spoke again.

  “I’m sorry, Jack, it was my fault that Michelle hasn’t been around. It’s just that things have gotten dangerous. Somehow word has gotten out about you. You are something of a celebrity, Jack. People are concerned that you might cause trouble. I am trying to get you an appointment to see the council. They are being stubborn and there has been more than one incident over goblins and other creatures openly attacking non-magic people. I am trying to explain that you really don’t have anything to do with it. I was afraid if Michelle was seen with you, she would be in trouble herself."

  “What?" I said. "Tell her not to come here then. I don’t want her to get in trouble."

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Too late," said Johnathen.

  I jumped up and opened the door to see Michelle standing there. She looked concerned as she stepped in and gave me a hug. Fetch bumped me out of the way to get one too.

  “Well," said Johnathen, "I will leave you all now. Jack, I will be coming to see you myself soon. I still want to see what you can do.”

  With that the bobcat headed for the door. Michelle opened it and the bobcat ran off.

  “He seemed upset,” I said. “Is he ok?”

  “He got mad when I demanded to come see you. He is just worried."

  I could tell that there was more to it than that, by looking at her face, but I didn’t want to push it. I was just glad to see her.

  “You shouldn’t have come. If I had known you could be in danger, I wouldn’t have sent you that message.”

  “It was my decision to come, Jack. I did tell you I would see you in a few days, and I can make up my own mind and take care of myself.”

  In that short sentence I could tell what kind of conversations Michelle and Johnathen had been having lately. Again, I didn’t want to press it. My mind was in a whirl. I knew in my heart that I couldn’t be there to keep every goblin or fairy from attacking, but I felt that I needed to do something. I had an idea, something I had been thinking about for a while now. I wanted to run it by Michelle.

  “It is Johnathen's ultimate goal to get the word out about the magic world right?” I asked Michelle.

  “Yes, you know it is."

  Michelle was looking at me while absentmindedly scratching Fetch's head. She seemed upset. I knew it had to do with Johnathen but I didn’t want to push it. I had to tell her my idea though, so I walked over and got my computer.

  "Let’s go down and get some coffee."

  Fetch perked up at the idea of coffee. His mood was beginning to mirror Michelle's mood. I wanted to make them both feel better. If I was right, then this just might do it.

  We walked down to the little coffee shop. They had great mocha lattes, something that I discovered was a favorite of Fetch's. It was a big shop and was usually not very busy at night. With a little clever maneuvering, Fetch could sneak inside, and we could sit at a corner table, away from the cameras, and drink a few in peace. They had Wi-Fi there too. Not something I usually concerned myself over, but tonight it was important if my idea was to work.

  We got lucky and found an available corner table. After placing our drink order I got my computer started. I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting to see a blue ball and an army of goblins appear. I was sure the last one had to have told some of his little snot buddies about me. I was beginning to think this was a bad idea, going out of the room. Michelle grabbed my hand. I looked her in the eyes and I saw strength in them. She had been through so much.

  “You can’t live in fear, Jack."

  I knew she was right. After everything that had happened, the worst thing I could do is live in fear. I squeezed her hand as I smiled at her. I felt Fetch's paw on top of both our hands. I was a little overwhelmed for a second. In all my life I had never had friends like this. Not ones that I could truly count on. The closest thing I had would be my brother. He was the only person from my old life that could match the closeness I had for these two. I took a deep breath and a sip of my coffee and began.

  “Ok, creatures in the magic world have a problem with computers. You told me that some can’t use them and others just won’t try. We now have a connection to the magic world but we are still able to use computers. Why don’t we use this technology to tell the world about magic?"

  Michelle l gave me a blank look. ”What do you mean? Like a blog or something?”

  "Well, yeah, eventually I guess. I’m not the best with computers. In fact, if I hadn’t had help I probably would never have gotten a Facebook page."

  I turned on my computer and found my Facebook page. It was still there. It hadn’t been deleted yet. I had posts from people who really didn’t know who I was. Most people never checked their Facebook friends list and so it was conceivable that people would keep me without knowing who I was.

  “Here, let me show you what I mean.”

  I wrote a message on my Facebook wall, “Not many people know this but dragons love coffee! :)" I showed it to Michelle. She still looked puzzled.

  “I have seen a little girl who was not affected by the memory pulse. There have to be peopl
e out there who have experienced magic, and, because they either didn’t recognize it, or were afraid someone would think they were crazy, they didn’t say anything about it. I was thinking of keeping my Facebook page and seeing if I could find out if anyone else has seen or experienced anything to do with magic. I know there are a lot of people out there that talk about magic, but I figured if I kept it simple and even a little funny at times, I might get some responses that could help us discover who knows what. We could also use it as a way to get the word out there that the magic world does exist."

  Michelle’s eyes lit up. “Ok, I see where you are going with this. The benefit is that the council would have no clue as to what we are doing, and before they found out, the word could already be out there."

  “Yeah, I mean, I could put little things out there like ‘Don’t pick up any cool looking rocks, they could be dragon eggs.’ and see what kind of response I got. I mean I thought I would keep it simple to start, just to see who would respond and why. This could be a great tool to get the word out there as to what is going on. The more people are thinking about it and keeping from getting pulsed, the better. Johnathen wanted to get the word out about the magic world, why not use computers to do it?"

  “I think that is a great idea, Jack! I don’t know why I never thought of it myself. I mean, I have been teaching computers to the magic world and I never thought to use it this way. It’s a great start, Jack. I can start monitoring stuff more and I will make sure your Facebook page stays open. But, there are those who are learning to use computers. You need to keep it simple, Jack. Keep it light, just like your post, for now. If you say or do too much, it could draw too much attention to you. You don’t want to get in trouble with the council before you see them. This could really work."

  Michelle sat there looking at me for a few minutes. I could tell she was trying to decide something.

  “Let’s not tell Johnathen about this, at least not for a while. I think he would try and put a stop to it, but if we could get more people thinking about the magic world, then it would help in the long run. It might even prevent a few tragedies."

  “I thought it would be a good way to find those with magic ties too. Like you and your elf blood, we could find others with connections to the magic world and help them.”

  Michelle smiled. “By the time you go before that council, Jack, you are going to have more support than you know."

  “That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I think we need to show ourselves to the magic world."

  I said it all in a rush, not knowing what her response would be. Most of what I was saying sounded like betraying Johnathen. Michelle sat there staring at me. I couldn’t read the look on her face. She had been protected from the magic world for a long time. I really didn’t know her whole story about what she had to do for the magic community to accept her. I had a feeling that Johnathen had introduced her to just certain creatures of magic. What I was proposing was to expose myself and Fetch to the whole magic community.

  “I would keep Johnathen's name out of it, Michelle. I wouldn’t want him to get in trouble. But, if Fetch and I were to show ourselves, then it could keep him from getting into trouble for hiding us."

  “I can’t tell you what to do, Jack. But, I will ask you to wait before you do anything like that. You have to remember that Johnathen is trying to protect you. He is trying to protect us all. Exposing ourselves slowly on the web to the non-magic world is one thing. But, to reveal yourselves to the magic community, before Johnathen is ready for you to do so, is dangerous. You don’t know what he went through for me. Please, Jack, just give him some time before you do this. It is only fair to him.”

  “Ok, I will, but you need to understand that I don’t want someone to get hurt because of me. You guys keep telling me how special Fetch and I are, and all I can think of is someone getting hurt because of that. I want you and Johnathen to be safe too. The only reason I would expose myself to the world, magic or non-magic, is because I want you all to be safe. I don’t want another baby kidnaped because of me."

  I hoped what I said made sense to her. I wanted everyone to be safe. All the positive feelings I had because of the physical changes I had undergone were fading fast. I was back to being frustrated and confused. I felt guilty about what almost happened to the baby today.

  “Jack," said Michelle, “you can’t blame yourself for what happened today. It was just a renegade goblin causing trouble.”

  “Yeah?” I asked. "Then why did it attack at the hotel where Fetch and I were staying? Do you really think that was just chance? I feel like someone is manipulating me, and, if it isn’t the fairies, then who else? Who sent those goblins to attack me?"

  “I don’t know, Jack. Johnathen is working on it right now. Please don’t freak out on us. Just please give him more time. Give us more time. Your idea with the Facebook is a good one and I have another idea for you. Let’s go back to the room and I’ll show you what I mean."

  When we got back to the room, Michelle pulled out her computer. She had her little magic box attached to it and ran a wire to my computer. She got on my Facebook page.

  “Jack, you need to write your story.”

  “What? No, I’m not a good writer."

  “I think you are, Jack, and besides, if my idea works, you won't have to sit there and type everything out. The magic will do it for you."

  “I don’t understand. You mean let the magic tell the story?"

  “Yes, from what you have told us about your forced magic, it seems to be a part of you. You wanted to stop the goblin but you didn’t want to hurt the baby. The magic put them both to sleep. I think on some level you have complete control over the magic. You don’t want to kill anyone, so the magic won't. It has built up inside you and it has to come completely from you. That’s why it is uncomfortable for you to release it. It is a part of you. If my hunch is correct, you can use it to write your story. We can get it online and people will be able to read it. You can get the word out about magic to the non-magic world."

  “How would I do this? I have only been able to use my magic when I am fighting or in some sort of danger."

  “Have you tried? I mean, have you concentrated on something and tried to use the magic to make it happen?”

  “No, I guess I haven’t done that. I don’t really know where to start. I don’t think I can do this."

  Fetch came over to me, sat in front of me and just stared. His eyes stayed green and he put a paw up onto my computer. It was obvious what he wanted me to do. I had his vote and also his faith. If I did this right I could help change the world and warn them about magic elements that might affect their lives. People had to know that their fantasy book could come to life. I thought about my nightmare vision, the one that Johnathen seemed to dismiss. I wouldn’t wish another person to go through that. Not even my worst enemy. They had to know about not picking up something as simple as a sparkly rock. It could actually kill them if it were to turn out to be a dragon's egg. It had to stop, and if this could stop it, then I had to do it. All I could do was try.

  I closed my eyes and tried to remember what the magic felt like when I had used it before. I needed to find a way to bring it out of me when I wanted it to, not just when I was in danger. I stood there for a long time. I could hear Michelle and Fetch breathing in and out, in and out. At first it sounded like two separate breaths, but then it seemed like they merged together and were breathing together. I could feel their presence, almost as if they were pressing in on me and trying to share their strength with me. I felt a small tugging in my stomach, and then the familiar itchy feeling slowly started to come over me. As it grew, I tried to control it. It was like trying to hold onto sand. I seemed to get a grasp of it. I pictured myself balancing a broom stick in the middle of my hand. I had to make sure that I kept concentrating on keeping the magic still in my body until I was ready to release it. I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the computer screen. I put a hand on Fetch's neck.
>
  “This is as much your story as it is mine, Fetch. I wish you could put yourself into it as much as I am about to."

  Fetch let a small jet of flame pass in front of my eyes. He kept the flame burning. It was his healing fire. I watched it slowly change colors. When I released the magic, it would pass right through Fetch's flame. He would be a part of this story. I was nervous. I figured Fetch was too. We were pretty much winging it and I hoped that our computer wouldn’t blow up in our faces. I thought about that first day. Picturing it in my mind, trying to imagine it as words being typed on a computer screen. I knew I had to start with a warning, hoping to grab the full attention of whoever read it. Then I pushed. I felt the magic forced out of me. I could see a glimmer as it passed through Fetch's flame. When it touched my computer the screen went black. Then all of the colors of Fetch's fire began to pop up on the screen. It went to a blank white screen and just stayed that way. At first I thought that it didn’t work, but then I saw words appear. They didn’t type themselves onto the page, they just appeared on the screen. They were the first words of my story, “Do you believe in magic?” I watched as mine and Fetch's story began to appear on the screen. It wasn’t all at once but in spurts. I believed it was coming from my head, but it was something more. It had to be Fetch's twist on the whole thing. At times it wasn’t all that flattering to me. It was showing the real me. Michelle sat next to me and the three of us continued to read the story. I didn’t even think of it until that moment, but Fetch can read. Just another thing he seemed to be able to do. I wondered if it was part of the magic of all dragons, that from their birth they seemed mature and able to do so much immediately, or if this was just unique to Fetch? I wondered if I would ever know or would it remain a mystery like how Fetch got takeout food from restaurants.

  We continued to read until it came to the nightmare I had. I didn’t want to read that and was trying to figure out a way to erase it. So much of what is now my life seemed to be coming out on the page. It was embarrassing enough when it mentioned that I was naked for so long in the tunnel, this dream was too intimate. It exposed fears and regrets of my life that I wasn’t ready to share. I reached to shut my computer off but Michelle grabbed my hand.