by L. C. Miller
When they made it to the graveyard, mist was already rolling over the headstones, and crickets sang in the air. Ethan led them straight to the nameless headstone. Someone had let it grow over so much that you almost couldn’t see it.
“When this was in the paper, they said there was a drawing on the headstone,” said Aaron. “Let’s see if we can find it.” They cleared away the vines so they could see more of the headstone.
Carly yelled excitedly when she found something. She had ripped up some grass near the bottom of the stone and saw a corner of an image etched into it. Crowding around her, they tried to get a better look. They dug a little more and could finally see the image clearly. “It looks like a flower,” said Ethan as he tried to clean away some more of the dirt.
“A rose,” Abby whispered as she stared, suddenly feeling uneasy.
“And look, it’s a different color than the stone,” Carly pointed out.
Abby continued to stare at the rose. “It’s yellow,” she said quietly. She didn’t know where, but she could have sworn she had seen a rose exactly like this. It was partly closed and had a circle surrounding it.
“Um, hey, guys,” called Aaron.
“What?” asked Carly, barely paying him any attention.
“It’s quiet.”
Ethan stood up. “Most graveyards are.”
“No. I mean, it’s quiet. The crickets stopped.” Aaron was already on his feet, looking around.
Abby, who had been staring at the rose, raised her head. He was right; the crickets had stopped. There was an eerie stillness, like the calm before the storm. Without notice, the graveyard came to life. A ghost popped through the tombstone they were examining. Jumping back, Abby fell over as more ghosts rose from graves to hover in the air. “The … these are friendly ghosts, right?” she asked, staring at the closest one.
It was a guy, his back to her. Abby thought he looked almost alive until he turned around. He fixed her with one empty eye socket, skin oozing from his face. Carly grabbed her arm tight as the guy floated toward them. Although his face was half gone, his mouth still formed words. “Run,” he said. “Before they catch you.” Then he smiled.
They didn’t need telling twice. Abby lunged to her feet only to trip and fall over their bag. Another one of the ghosts leaned toward her, her arm outstretched. This one was a witch with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. She backed off when Aaron used his wand and flooded the area with light. Another ghost tried to grab Carly, but jumped back when something shot off the ground and hissed at her. Other ghosts saw the light and started toward them. Aaron grabbed Abby’s hand and they took off. They left the forgotten backpack on the ground and ran as fast as they could toward the gate.
Aaron ran through one of the ghosts as he made it to the gate. Ethan had to grab his arm to keep him going. When the others caught up with them, he was very pale and shivering. “I take it ghosts aren’t friendly here,” Abby gasped after they finally stopped running. Carly nodded at her, trying to catch her breath before they started walking again.
Though none would admit it, they were periodically glancing over their shoulders to make sure the ghosts stayed inside the cemetery. They reached Carly’s house first, then Aaron’s. As Ethan and Abby walked through the woods, he said, “I can’t believe no one found out more about that rose. I mean, as much as they talked about it in the paper, you’d think someone would have figured it out.”
“I think I’ve seen it before,” Abby said without thinking.
“What? Really? Where?” Ethan asked excitedly.
“That’s the problem. I don’t know. It just looks familiar.” They made it back home, and Abby went straight to her room, but couldn’t sleep.
After trying for about an hour, she got up and went to her dresser. It was barely eleven o’clock. She took out a piece of paper and pen and started writing. Dipping her fingers in a small blue pouch on the desk, she blew. A bubble formed on the tips of her fingers. She slipped the folded note into the bubble, and opening the window, gently pushed it outside. She watched it disappear into the woods. She kept her window open and went to her bookshelf.
She took out the Maseroff book and opened it to the fourth chapter. She was halfway into it when the bubble came silently gliding back to her. She jumped when it popped over her head and a note landed on her book.
Quickly opening it, she read her friend’s reply.
Hey, Abby,
We need to work on the bubble a bit. It popped over the fire. As I lunged for it, I knocked over Julie’s chair, almost waking her up. Goodness knows the weirdo needs her beauty sleep. Luckily for me, Marcella takes a sleeping potion. Claims she can’t sleep without one. Yeah, I think I can get out then. I’ll meet you outside the woods a little before dawn. Rollen is gone again.
He never tells me when he leaves, but at least we know he’s looking out for you. Have you seen him yet?
Remind me next time I see you to give you the next dance song. It’s the one Mia wants the Dancers to perform at school. I can’t wait to hear about your first week. I bet it’s so interesting. Anyways, I’ll see you soon.
Rainy
Abby smiled as she read. After she put the note in her chest and locked it, she moved Bombers and put him next to her pillow. “Wake me up at five, please,” she said as she turned out her light. This time, it didn’t take long for her to fall sleep. What seemed like only minutes later, Bombers was slapping her face with the end of his tail.
Getting out of bed, she tiptoed around the room to get dressed. She grabbed the case she had placed in the corner of her room and opened it, letting the rolled-up carpet slide out. She glanced outside and quickly laid the rug out flat. Sitting on it, the flying carpet flew out the window and into the woods. Landing softly, she looked around. “Rainy,” she called softly into the darkness.
Chapter Seventeen
“Here I am,” Rainy said as she came out of the shadows. “I see you brought your Glider. They know what it is yet?”
Abby shook her head. “No, I haven’t told them. Ready?” Nodding, Rainy stepped onto the Glider.
“Where are we going again?”
“Back to the graveyard. Not only did we leave the backpack, but I want you to see the unmarked grave.” As the two of them swiftly rode to the graveyard, Abby told her all about the adventure earlier that night. When they landed, daylight was just beginning to rise.
“Man, I wish I could’ve come,” said Rainy as they walked into the empty graveyard.
“Be lucky the ghosts only come out at night. They were downright scary.” Abby glanced back at her friend as they wound their way through the headstones. “There it is,” Abby stated, and groaned. “Looks like the ghosts had a field day with Ethan’s bag.”
Rainy got on her knees to examine the rose as Abby went around gathering face paint and jackets. “Was that really necessary?” asked Abby, looking at a statue wearing Ethan’s jacket.
“This doesn’t look all that familiar to me. There is some kind of ring around it, but I can’t tell much other than that,” said Rainy as she came to help yank the jacket down.
Abby sighed. “I was hoping you would be able to recognize it. I know I’ve seen it before. I just don’t remember where.”
“Don’t worry so much, Abby. I’m sure it’ll come to you. These things always do.”
Abby asked Rainy about camp, and Rainy immediately went into the horrors of living with Marcella and Julie. The duo got back on Abby’s Glider and rode toward home.
“Oh, and here is the dance song. We will be performing at the school’s Halloween and spring dances. Maybe one other but that’s not decided yet.” Once they landed, she handed Abby a small round case.
“Thanks for coming,” said Abby as they hugged.
“Anytime. You know I don’t mind getting away for a while.” Abby watched Rainy disappear into the woods before getting back on the Glider.
She looked around the outside before stopping at her bedroom window. She silently
slid through and put her Glider away. Bombers stared up at her as she searched for her pajamas. “No such luck,” she whispered to him as she crawled back into bed. He shook his head before slithering onto her pillow, curling up beside her head. “Maybe I should listen to Rainy and not worry about it. It will come to me sooner or later.” She fell back asleep after listening to Bombers’s agreement.
Later that afternoon, Abby lined up with the other dancers. She was excited as they prepared to perform the dance that made plants grow. The gold paint glimmered on her arms, causing the symbols to stand out. While certain dance moves meant different things, it was the symbols painted on the dancers’ skin that made the magic work.
As the music started, the dancers fanned out. It was an honor, really, to let them perform this dance instead of the adults. The adults had already performed the one to enrich the soil, making it ready for planting. It was a short dance, only a few minutes long, but Abby loved it. The symbols on her arms seemed to glow as she spun. The music started to dim, and they danced their way back to their starting point. It was important they ended the song where it had started, effectively concluding the dance. All the Mystic dances were done like this.
Like most of the camp, everything seemed smaller than it actually was. The rows of tents looked small on the outside, but once a person entered them, they expanded to something similar to a house, with several rooms divided up by thick wool rugs. The same was said for their garden. A gate led to a large fenced-in field with row after row of vegetables and fruits.
Abby, done with her dancing and body cleaned up of symbols, headed back toward home. As she walked the path, she heard someone swearing. Peering through the trees, she saw Brannon sitting near a creek, his morphing book opened and in his lap. “Come on,” he muttered to himself. “I can do the snake. I know I can! Just concentrate more!”
Instantly angry at him, Abby turned and continued up to the house. Later that night, she was reading more of her Borgan Maseroff book when she finally landed on the chapter she wanted to read most. “Bombers,” she said excitedly. “This chapter is the one that talks about Mystics!” She read out loud to him:
The Mystic Theory
“Aside from the Wielders-were-always-around-and-there’s-no-point-in-arguing-about-it theory, is another one that could very well be older than the very first theory, and that is the Mystic theory. In this theory, the Mystics got their magic from the four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
They lived peacefully in four tribes, moving from place to place, never actually calling anywhere home. Water Mystics were known for their healing, but heaven help you if you crossed one. To this day, there are rumors combining the creation of the now Grand Canyon and the temper of a vexed Water Mystic.
The Fire Tribe could foresee the future and could create fire out of nothing. Dragons and phoenixes were often seen as pets of the Fire Tribe. The Air Tribe was the best at potions and could create tunnels of wind so forceful they could destroy anything in its path. It is said their allegiance with the creatures of the Air provided easy means of getting place to place.
The last tribe, the Earth Tribe, was well known for their ability to create shields of protection and defense. They were able to shake the ground with such force that it could swallow cities whole.
Now in this Mystic theory, it was said the four greatest leaders of their time created a spell that would enable them to have a permanent place to live.
However, none of them knew the side effects of such a spell. One of the leaders lost their life in its creation, causing much turmoil. The four tribes split, many leaving the permanent area because of the scars it left. Now what does this have to do with Wielders you ask?
The fallen tribe leader left something behind … the entire leader’s magic in one little object. The object the lost one left is said to be the first wand ever created. Tribe members started to realize the aftereffects of the spell. Many could put their magic talents inside something and use it at a later time, to enhance whatever spell they wanted and to mix any of the other elemental magics. Many controversies rose, causing the tribes to split again.
Those who feared the new growth in magic fled the area, choosing instead to stay with their old ways. Casting aside the new form of magic, they remain inside their camps, watching the world change around them. The ones that remained, however, eventually came to be known as the first Wielders. What happened to the four leaders who started it all? Well, I will tell you. To this day, they are called ‘The Four Who Changed Things’.”
Information received from Emerald Greenhawk.
“How cool is that, Bombers?” Abby asked as she closed the book. He nodded to her from her bedpost. “Come on,” she said, unwinding him from his perch. “It’s bedtime.” She laid him in her dresser, on top of a pile of clothes, and turned off her light.
The next morning, as she got ready for school, she crept downstairs and found Brannon’s backpack sitting in a chair at the table. She quickly found his snake page, its corner folded to mark its place. She unfolded it and then folded the corner of the cat’s page. She stuck a little sticky note to it that read: Holy harpies! Enough with the snake. You’re a cat whether you like it or not!
After school that day, Mr. and Mrs. Herrin surprised Abby with her own broom. Ethan and Brannon immediately took her outside so she could practice. After landing and skidding across the ground for the seventh time, Abby realized just how much she hated flying by broomstick. She’d take her Glider any day of the week. Brannon sighed as he went to help her up. Abby glared at Ethan when he tried, without success, to cover his laughter.
Chapter Eighteen
Between dance practice and school, time flew by for Abby and before long, it was October. She used to love October. Not only was her real birthday in October, so was one of her most favorite holidays—Halloween. She had told the Herrins that she celebrated her birthday on December twelfth, which was true. It just wasn’t when her birthday was. She hadn’t celebrated on October fifteenth for nearly five years now.
Only Rainy knew when it really was. And Rainy would give her a gift, regardless if Abby didn’t want to remember that day. She was jerked back to reality when Carly tapped her on the side of the head. “Hello. Earth to Abby. You in there?” The two of them sat around the table in the hidden room during lunch. Ethan and Aaron had gone to get their lunches.
“Oh, sorry, lost in thought here. What’d you ask?” Abby replied, shoving her birthday in the back of her mind.
“I asked what you wanted to be for the Halloween Ball. Ethan’s thinking of Dracula, and Aaron a pirate, and I’m going to be Shelldra McWitchbe.” Abby remembered hearing about the singer who was famous for her inability to sing.
“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t really thought about it.”
Carly looked shocked. “Well, you better hurry. It’s barely a month away.”
“Time for lunch,” Aaron cried out as he and Ethan entered the room. They each held a tray of sandwiches and desserts.
“Are you all right, Abby? You’ve been awfully quiet today,” Carly asked after they finished and were about to leave.
“Oh, uh, I’m fine,” Abby replied, not meeting her eyes. “Just a little tired. I think my broomstick is going to be the end of me,” she tried to joke. She followed Carly out of the room, fighting tears that threatened to spill for some unknown reason.
Abby did her best to behave like herself the next two weeks. The nightmares she had been having made her feel like all the secrets she’d held were about to explode. On the morning of the fifteenth, Abby woke up feeling sick to her stomach. It was the same dream she always had around this time. Her birthday and the day her mom was murdered. The dream kept her awake through the night again. She hated that dream.
After dressing, she glanced down at Bombers. “Thanks for waking me up,” she told him as she picked him up. “I’ll be fine,” she said as he rose to look her in the eye.
Abby kissed the snake on the head,
then she laid him in the window seat and left. When she opened her door, Ethan was leaving his room. To her, he looked a bit tired. They said nothing as they went downstairs. She went through the pretense of eating some breakfast and was quiet on the way to school. She laughed when either Aaron or Ethan cracked jokes, congratulated Carly when she received an A for acceptable for her report on mermaids.
During their brewing class, Abby was coming back from gathering supplies for their potion when she saw it. The small bubble glided slowly into the room. She stared at it, willing it not to pop before it got to her. Carly was busy trying to cut up all her discolored mermaid scales and didn’t notice anything. Abby stopped at her desk and waited for the bubble to get closer.
She didn’t notice Ethan set his stuff down on his desk and watch her. She didn’t see his eyes go from her to the bubble and back again. She never took her eyes off it, and luck was on her side. She quickly popped the bubble as it hovered over her desk, grabbed the note that was inside it, and stuffed it in her pocket. She tried to forget about the note and concentrate on the potion, but she couldn’t. She forgot one of the directions, and her potion ended up hardening into brown clay.
They walked through the crowed hall, but Abby lagged behind the others. She wondered what Rainy had written. She didn’t notice Ethan, Aaron, and Carly slowing down or the hall emptying. “You okay?”
Abby looked up, startled. Ethan, Aaron, and Carly were standing in front of her. “Yeah, sure. I’m fine. I think I’m having an off day.”
“You sure?” asked Carly.
“More like a few weeks,” said Aaron.
“Now that I think about it, you didn’t eat much breakfast,” broke in Ethan. “And that’s not right.”
