Abby and the Mystic Dancers

by L. C. Miller

  “Yeah, sure,” Ethan replied as he flipped through his book. It wasn’t long before the bell rang and the students slowly walked out of the room. Abby and Ethan got their next surprise when they stepped into the hallway. Two other council members in black robes were blocking students from coming into the room.

  Aaron came up to Ethan and Abby looking surprised at the sight of the council members. “What’s going on?”

  Ethan shrugged as they started down the hall.

  “Have you seen Carly?” Abby asked Aaron.

  “No, she wasn’t in class. Why? She still hasn’t showed? What happened?” Aaron asked.

  Ethan explained as they walked. Carly was nowhere to be seen. None of them saw her the rest of the day.

  “Maybe she went home?” offered Aaron when they went outside. Carly’s broomstick wasn’t around.

  “Let’s try her house,” said Ethan as they got on their brooms. While Abby was getting better at riding the broom, she still preferred her Glider. She collided into Aaron when she tried to jump off her broom at Carly’s house. Emily Richardson was standing outside waiting for them.

  “What’s going on, Mom?” asked Aaron as he walked up the steps.

  “Come in. We need to talk,” she said as she took their brooms and laid them against the wall.

  The three of them followed her inside. Carly was sitting at a kitchen table, hugging her dad, tears falling down her face. The Herrins, Mrs. Queenly, and Ms. Bauble were all sitting around the table as well.

  Ms. Bauble suggested that Carly, Ethan, Aaron, and Abby go upstairs to Carly’s room while they discussed something. Carly hugged her dad again before getting up from the table. Abby, Ethan, and Aaron followed her upstairs.

  “What’s going on?” asked Ethan as he sat on the bed.

  “They think my dad did something horrible,” sniffed Carly. “And they won’t even tell me what it is. Dad keeps saying not to worry and that everything will be all right in the end.”

  Abby put her arm around Carly. “There is no way he would do something horrible. He doesn’t even like to step on spiders.”

  “Yeah, and he’s the defense teacher!” Ethan remarked. They stayed in Carly’s room for an hour before Mrs. Herrin came upstairs.

  “We need to be getting home,” she said with red eyes. “Carly, if you want, you can stay with us tonight.”

  Carly shook her head as she followed them down the stairs. “Thank you, Mrs. Herrin, but I want to stay with my dad.”

  As Abby hugged Carly bye, she whispered, “Don’t worry, Carly, we’ll figure this stuff out.”

  “Oh, and Carly?” said Ms. Richardson when the group came downstairs. “You and your dad are invited to dinner tomorrow. We are throwing a little get-together for Aaron’s birthday.”

  ~*~

  When Abby brought Aaron’s present downstairs the following evening, she saw Ethan lugging around a huge wrapped present. The wrapping paper was moving across the box, screaming, “Happy birthday! Merry Christmas! Happy anniversary! Happy death day!” and it continued until Ethan said, “Shhh.” It was quiet for a moment, but then suddenly burst into song:

  Whether for birthdays or holidays,

  Anniversaries or death days,

  I’m the wrapper of choice,

  I come in all colors and sizes,

  And can even wrap prizes,

  For I have many disguises!

  So pick ME for your wrapper of choice,

  And you will not be disappointed,

  Or even become disjointed,

  Instead, you shall be the talk of the party,

  For many love to hear me sing and speak,

  Though you may not, but others will think that I’m quite hearty,

  For I can entertain while others won’t,

  Just ask my boss,

  On second thought, DON’T!

  “I knew I never should have let him buy that,” sighed Mrs. Herrin. Mr. Herrin came into the kitchen, bringing a wrapped box with the same kind of paper.

  “Why not? It’s rather useful.”

  The pattern on his soon formed a smiling mouth, but before it could get a song out, Mrs. Herrin slapped it with her wand. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned.

  The box’s smile became a frown. Laughing, Abby and Ethan walked outside. Abby had wrapped the egg with the linen and placed it in a glass box. “What’s in there?” she asked Ethan on the way through the woods.

  “Oh, it’s what he was drooling over when we went into town for school supplies. Remember when we were in the broom shop? He was eyeing the new Wind Splitter 300. His mom got him the broom, and I got him the guide to keeping it fast and clean. What did you get him?”

  Deflated, Abby whispered, “I’m not sure what it is.” She told him about buying the egg from the trader. “It could be anything.”

  Ethan laughed. “I bet it’s awesome. He’s always wanted a pet, but his mom’s allergic to a lot of animals.”

  “I guess I should have asked her first, huh?” asked Abby, holding the box up.

  “Nah,” Ethan replied as they crossed Aaron’s lawn. “We can give it to him when she isn’t around.” The front door was open and Carly and Mr. Peterson were already inside.

  “Happy birthday!” they told Aaron as they came inside.

  “Mom’s in the kitchen setting up,” he told Mr. and Mrs. Herrin. Putting the presents on a side table, they went into the kitchen.

  “Abby should go ahead and give you hers while your mom’s busy,” Ethan whispered as Abby handed Aaron his present.

  “Sure, let’s go upstairs,” Aaron said, and they followed him upstairs.

  “I didn’t know your mom was allergic to a lot of animals, but hopefully she won’t be allergic to this,” Abby said. Opening it, Aaron carefully unwrapped the egg.

  “What is it?” asked Carly as Aaron held it up.

  Chapter Thirty

  Abby immediately looked for the picture of her dad with darts in it, but it wasn’t to be found. Aaron had removed it. Ethan quickly distracted her as she saw him reach out for the egg. “You can’t touch it,” she explained quickly. “Although I’m not sure what it is, only the person it belongs to can touch it. It has memories of who actually touches it with bare skin, or rather, eggshell. If more than one person does, it could confuse the animal, so he or she won’t hatch and will end up dying. I got it from the Mystic trader when he came through last week.”

  “Really?” asked Aaron, holding the egg to light. “Did he have any idea what it could be?”

  “Not really, no. He said it could be anything from a dragon’s egg—”

  “Too small for that,” Ethan interrupted.

  “To a griffon egg—”

  “I don’t think it’s that. I have seen those before. They’re more brown and gold,” said Aaron.

  “To a miniature elephant,” Abby finished.

  “Really?” asked Carly excitedly. “Now, that would be fun.”

  Aaron laughed. “Whatever it is, it’ll be great,” he said as he gave Abby a one-armed hug.

  He gently wrapped the egg in its cloth and laid it back in the box. “Until later, my friend,” he told it when his mom called them downstairs.

  Ms. Richardson got him a broomstick-shaped cake with candles lit around it. Aaron opened his presents and was ecstatic about his new broomstick and the book Ethan gave him.

  Carly and Mr. Peterson had given him the newest edition of Flying Right and True: The Racing Guide to All Kinds of Flying. Soon Ethan started teasing him about sleeping with his new broom and possibly even the books, which started all sorts of jokes.

  ~*~

  During the course of the weekend, all of them raced—in between Aaron checking on his egg and Carly trying to find out what her dad could have done.

  Ethan, Aaron, and Abby waited for Carly at school Monday morning. Rumors had already started as the three of them sat in the mess hall. “That was her broom outside, right?” Abby asked, searching for Carly.
<
br />   “Yeah, it was,” Aaron answered. “Maybe she’s in her house room?” The three of them rose and started down the hall, listening to the conversations as they walked. For once, the rumors were true. Mr. Peterson had been arrested. Abby listened as they delved deeper into the school. She was surprised to see a waterfall as the Sea Serpents homeroom entrance. They stood outside it, waiting for someone to come out.

  Finally a girl stepped through. “Hey, Sara! Is Carly in there?” Aaron asked.

  “Oh no, she isn’t. You missed her by a good twenty minutes. She ran out of there when people found out about her dad. Did you know about that? Do you know what he did? I heard he jinxed someone to rob houses.”

  “Um, no, I don’t know.” Aaron, Carly, and Ethan started down another hallway. “Oh, wait,” Aaron said suddenly. “The forgotten room!”

  The bell began to ring as they made it to the door. They snuck into a large room before ducking through a small door.

  Sure enough, they found Carly sitting on a couch, crying. Abby went to her side. “Are you okay?” she asked, putting an arm around Carly.

  “I take it you heard,” replied Carly, trying to wipe her eyes.

  “What do they think he did?” Aaron sat on the other side of Carly.

  “They think he murdered someone. They picked him up this morning. Everyone knows. Like he could do anything like that,” Carly sobbed as more tears ran down her face.

  “When’s his trial?” asked Aaron. “Maybe we can go up and speak for him.”

  “Yeah,” broke in Ethan. “If they see how many people like him, they would realize he couldn’t have done anything bad.”

  “But we’re students,” said Carly. “Who’s going to take the words of a bunch of kids seriously? And besides, the hearing is today at the council quarters. Did you know this is what our parents have been prepping for all year? I didn’t think anything like this.”

  “If they’ve been doing it all year, then they’re bound to have a good defense set up and everything,” Abby remarked.

  “Yeah,” agreed Ethan.

  “Plus, anyone who knows your dad knows he would never hurt anyone,” stated Aaron.

  Carly nodded. “Now, yes, but this was supposedly done years ago, during the Ridmore years.”

  “Then it must have been self-defense!” Abby said assuredly. “I just cannot see your dad hurting anyone.”

  “Do you guys hear something?” asked Aaron suddenly. They listened for a moment.

  “I don’t hear anything,” said Carly, hiccupping.

  “I’m going to go check right quick.” Aaron got to his feet, and Ethan went to sit next to Carly on the couch.

  “Since our first class has already started, we could try to go to the hearing,” he said, looking at the clock on the wall. It slowly creaked close to nine.

  It wasn’t long before Aaron ran back into the room. “I did hear something,” he whispered excitedly. “The hearing isn’t at the council quarters. It’s here! There are some Mystic-looking people in there, too. My mom’s in there, and so are the Herrins, and your brother, Carter.” He gestured to Ethan.

  “What?” Abby demanded, jumping to her feet. Carly also jumped to hers and looked at Abby questioningly, as did Ethan and Aaron. “Which Mystic was it? Did she have roses in her hair?”

  “Uh, yeah, she did ... Hey, wait,” called Aaron as Abby ran toward the door. The three of them went in after her. They met up with her as she peeked through the door.

  Several people sat inside the courtroom. In the front sat Mr. Jensen and Mr. Jenkins, and between them sat Mr. Peterson. At the head of the seats was Madam Winters, putting something into a glowing cauldron at the front of the benches. The students heard her clearly when she spoke:

  “We seek the aid of our spirit world.

  Hear our call.

  Come to our aid.

  Find who we seek.

  COME NOW, ESMERALDA FIREN.”

  Nothing happened. The silvery potion just shimmered. “Who is that?” whispered Aaron.

  “That’s who they think he killed,” Carly whispered back. Abby gasped and pushed the door open. The Madam raised her hands high in the air and said again:

  “We seek the aid of the spirit world.

  Hear our call.

  Come to our aid.

  Find who we seek.

  COME NOW, ESMERALDA—

  “Reed,” yelled Abby, stepping into the courtroom. All eyes left the cauldron and turned to her. Aaron dropped her sleeve as the eyes took in him, Ethan, and Carly behind Abby. Mr. and Mrs. Herrin stood up. Abby stepped forward.

  “They were married, you know, not that any of you bothered to acknowledge it,” she said angrily at the Madam.

  “What are you doing here, Abby?” demanded the Madam.

  “What am I doing here? What are you doing here?”

  The Madam cut in, “Abby, you shouldn’t be here. You need to leave before you forget your promise. We cannot have you upset.”

  This sent Abby right over the top. “Upset? You don’t want me to be upset? How would you know when I’m upset? Do I look like I’m changing anything? Anything look different? You hardly spend time in my company, and half of what you learn about me you get from Rollen spying on me.”

  Gasps filled the air as the Mystics turned to look at Rollen, who happened to be sitting in the front next to the Madam. He looked down, shamefaced.

  “I have more control over my emotions than even you do. Your roses have to show your emotions on a daily basis. I’m fifteen and not allowed to show mine! I can’t look like Mom in case someone finds me. I can’t look like Dad in case someone recognizes me. How can you sit there and tell me not to forget my promise when I never have before?” Abby was yelling now.

  “Stop, Abby. Now!” demanded the Madam.

  “Why do you even care? You didn’t care then who killed her, so what’s the big deal now? And do you honestly think it was him?” she demanded, pointing at a stunned Mr. Peterson.

  “We didn’t want you reminded of that night, Abby. That’s why we didn’t ask you about it,” broke in Rollen.

  “Like I could forget it?” snapped Abby.

  Mr. Jensen chose that time to interrupt. “Ask who what?” he demanded. His upside-down eyebrows looked sharper than normal.

  “Me!” yelled Abby. “You could’ve asked me! No one in this room knows more about her murder than I do.”

  “And you were locked behind a protection shield too long to see anything, anyway, so that’s enough, Abby,” spoke Marcella. Rising, she took a step toward Abby.

  “No, it’s not!” Abby shot back. “Since when does a disgraced Mystic concern any of you? Especially you?” she demanded, glaring at Marcella.

  “I said, that’s enough,” Marcella snarled and grabbed Abby’s arm.

  “Let go of her!” Mrs. Herrin said as she stood next to Abby.

  “Oh, go stick your wand in someone else’s business and stay out of this,” Marcella snapped back, trying to drag Abby back toward the door.

  “Marcella. Stop,” the Madam called out.

  “LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER,” a cold voice spoke as heat flooded the courtroom. No one had looked at the cauldron since the four students had entered. It was now filled with bright red smoke. Esmeralda Reed floated above it.

  “Momma,” whispered Abby.

  Marcella and Mrs. Herrin both took a step back. Given the fact that Esmeralda was dead, pale, and slightly transparent, Abby thought she looked exactly the same as the day she died. “Esme—” began the Madam, but the ghost-Esmeralda put her back to the Madam.

  “I cannot help you, Winters. You forced my hand long ago. I cannot change that, and I cannot help you. But you can.” She looked at Abby. “Had I known the effects of the memorial spell, I never would have taught you it. You still wear it even to this day.”

  To this, Abby started crying. “I never take off the necklace. I didn’t want to risk losing it,” she whispered.

  “I don’t want
you to be sad anymore, Abby. Show them the necklace, sweetheart. Show them what I taught you. Help them. They’re going to need it.” Esmeralda suddenly appeared in front of Mr. Peterson. Gazing at him, she said, “I’m sorry you were brought back into this. You’ve been nothing but a good friend.” Then she disappeared. All eyes glanced between Abby and Mr. Peterson. Reaching for the locket around her neck, Abby broke the thin gold chain.

  “We tested that,” said Marcella, but with a gesture from the Madam, she went silent.

  Holding the necklace in her hand, Abby held it out in front of her, palm flat. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I open for no one.” The necklace immediately flew into the air, where it exploded, taking the entire courtroom into the past.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Five years ago …

  “Very good, Abby,” whispered Esmeralda. Nine-year-old Abigail Reed, with her bright pink hair in a lopsided ponytail, held the necklace floating inches above her hands.

  “I did it, Momma. I did it!” Abby said excitedly.

  “Very good, sweetie. How long can you hold it in the air?”

  Abby closed her eyes and concentrated. She could see in her mind the slightly glowing necklace above her hands. She concentrated on sending it high in the air. Opening her eyes, she saw the necklace high in a corner across the room.

  “Mom, look! I did it!” she said, pointing.

  Esmeralda laughed at her daughter’s excitement. “Yes, you did. And very well, I might add. I know it wasn’t exactly what you wanted for your birthday, but …” She didn’t finish as Abby skipped around her.

  “Are you kidding? It’s so much better than that doll in the store. I just made a memorial spell. The necklace was one Dad gave you, right? And it’s still floating.” Abby spun a circle with her arms outstretched. She stopped suddenly. “When can you teach me the new dance?”

  Esmeralda smiled at her daughter. “Don’t you want your cake first?”

  “Cake!” squealed Abby as she ran into the tiny kitchen to get the cake from the fridge. Her now bright blue corkscrew curls bounced wildly. Esmeralda smiled at her daughter’s excitement.