The Girl Between Two Worlds

by Kristyn Maslog-Levis

  We spoke quickly as we hurried to our lockers. “Who was that?” Mark asked me.

  “I don’t know, why are you asking me?” I said a little too defensively.

  “It’s kind of hard to miss that he was looking straight at you, Karina,” Alyssa said.

  “He was looking at us. For all I know he was probably enchanted by your long blonde hair,” I told Alyssa, hoping it wasn’t true. She moved to her locker quietly but not before I glimpsed her little smile at my comment.

  As much as I wanted to keep thinking about the new boy in school, the class bell didn’t give me enough time to linger.

  “I’ll see you guys later.”

  I sat at my desk before the teacher came in for English class. Mr. Parish placed his things on the table, his red bow tie a great contrast to his blue suit jacket. He was one of the few teachers I liked. When I became a social pariah a couple of years back, Mr. Parish encouraged me to use my emotions in my writing.

  The new student was a couple of feet behind Mr. Parish. He didn’t scan the crowd or looked at the teacher, who was introducing him to the class. His gaze went straight to my desk, staring at me with what I could only translate as contempt. I felt my stomach squeeze itself into knots again and I could not help but feel angry at the new guy.

  “Class, please welcome our new student, Jason Lund. He just moved from another school, but he is originally from Norway and will be joining our class starting today. Jason, please have a seat,” Mr. Parish said.

  As the universe would have it, the only vacant seat was in front of my own. I sighed in relief, knowing he wouldn’t have a chance to stare at me again. I tried hard not to glance at him as he settled in his seat. I fidgeted with the reading material for the class. We’ve been discussing Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I was trying hard to concentrate on Mr. Parish’s lecture but it wasn’t easy. Aside from the nerves I felt about my first training session, I couldn’t help but steal glimpses of Jason’s back. You could see the contours of his back muscles through his school uniform. I suddenly felt a bit hot around the neck, like I was burning up inside. Maybe I was just putting too much meaning into his stare. It was probably not contempt. Maybe he was just nervous? Constipated? It wasn’t like he had any reason to be mad at me since we had never even spoken to each other. I only saw him that day, plus I had never been to Norway.

  Class was dragging by at an unusually slow pace, which was sad because I usually looked forward to English. It was one of my favorite subjects because, before this Engkantasia thing happened, I wanted to become a journalist or maybe a writer. I guess I wasn’t really sure what I should be aiming for. If I ended up in Engkantasia, I wouldn’t be doing reports from Darfur. I doubt they had CNN there or BBC.

  When English finally ended, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I didn’t even notice I barely moved during the entire class so my leg fell asleep. It took me a while to get out of my seat and by then, I only had minutes to spare before my next class. I resolved to just go through the day and focus on the tasks in front of me. There was no point worrying about the training when I didn’t even know what I was supposed to do.

  At lunch, Alyssa and Mark waited for me at the cafeteria. We decided to take our food outside, away from the crowd where our conversations would not be overheard by anyone. As we settled on the grass, I spied Jason heading to one of the trees.

  “I heard he’s from Norway and his mom is from the Philippines,” Mark said, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

  “Really?” I said, trying to act nonchalant.

  “Hey, maybe you guys have something in common. Might be a good conversation opener,” Alyssa said, not too convincingly.

  “Like I’d want to start a conversation with him. I don’t think I’ll be talking to him anytime soon.”

  “Why? What happened?” Mark asked in between bites.

  “Nothing. Forget it,” I said, dismissing the topic. “Besides, I have more pressing issues today.”

  Mark tried to suppress a laugh without much success. “I’m sorry, I just can’t imagine you doing karate given your history with anything sporty. You can barely balance on a bike.”

  It was true. I think I was born with the worse sense of balance. I must have overslept on the day the heavens handed out balancing skills. I could swim and I did some karate classes while I was in the Philippines, but that was about it. I always ended up flat on the ground every time I tried anything complicated. That also translated to other types of sports. I tried basketball once and ended up with a bloody nose after the ball bounced on my face. I tried skating and biking, but again, the lack of balance and stupid gravity took hold of me. I couldn’t even ride an electric scooter without falling.

  “I doubt there would be anything physical required of me. I think it’s just about practicing my abilities. Maybe learn to regrow avocados, that way we can always have guacamole when I want it,” I joked unconvincingly. I sneaked a glimpse toward Jason’s direction and I swore he was snickering, too.

  “Can we watch your training?” Alyssa said.

  “I don’t think so. My grandfather wants everything to be as hush, hush as possible. Dad had to clear the garage so we can have somewhere private to train. But I’ll definitely let you know tomorrow.”

  “Isn’t it bizarre to find out that you’re actually not half-Filipino after all?” Mark said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well if you think about it, technically Karina’s mother is not a Filipino, is she? She’s not from this realm,” Mark said looking at me. I didn’t say anything, letting the realization sink in. Mark was right—one of the identities I had known all my life had just been ripped off of me. If only I knew what being half an engkanto meant.

  The bell rang and we rushed back to our classes. I caught Jason staring at us before he quickly ducked into the toilet. Maybe I would have the courage to talk to him, and maybe ask why he didn’t like me. It wasn’t important. I needed to focus on what was in front of me and that was it.

  Although Lolo never asked me outright, I knew he wanted me to take the throne. I couldn’t be forced so in reality there shouldn’t really be any pressure. But why was I feeling the pressure? I really didn’t have time to think of Jason’s weirdness. Unnecessary distractions had to be placed on the sideline because I was going to make the biggest decision of my life.

  Chapter Seven

  House for Sale, January 2013

  Rose Garden, San Jose

  Perfect Family Home in a Quiet Cul-de-sac

  This sophisticated modern style family home is ideal for comfortable suburb living. This stylishly renovated property boasts of an open-space layout with a great view of the city. A huge terrace entertaining area extends the lounge room space outdoors. The home is tucked in a peaceful elevated private location, featuring panoramic views.

  Three bedrooms, main with WIR and ensuite

  Two bedrooms with built-in wardrobes

  Modern spa bathroom, separate internal laundry

  Spacious granite kitchen with dishwasher space

  Modern dining room with high ceilings

  Large living room, extending to terrace entertaining area

  Automatic garage, carport

  Huge basement area

  Sun-drenched lawn

  It is situated close to bus stops, schools, shopping centers, and train station. Auction is scheduled this Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Viewing and registration from 3 p.m.

  For further inquiries, contact the real estate agent anytime.

  June 2015

  T he house was empty when I got home. For a moment, I almost thought it was just another normal day when Dad had to work late and I had to make my own dinner. But then I saw Lolo waiting for me in the backyard, and the anxiety crawled back. I took a deep breath and walked to the garage.

  “Lolo, I’m ready, let’s do this.”

  “I’m glad you’re eager to start, my child. I’ve been waiting all day for you to arrive. Let’s go to the trainin
g room.”

  The garage was dark, I fiddled around to find the light switch and walked to the center of the room. Lolo was staring at the pile of old things Dad had pushed to one side of the garage to make room for our training.

  “It is still hard for me to grasp that my only daughter left our world to replace it with this one—a world where the main source of entertainment is a frame on the wall with moving pictures. Your Dad taught me how to change the picture by pressing buttons on the ‘remote control’. But no matter where I changed it to, I still cannot understand why this would entertain anyone.”

  “It is a form of escape into another world, Lolo.”

  “Engkantasia is another world.”

  “Never mind.”

  “You have three months to learn how to fully control your abilities. I wanted you to stay home today so we can begin earlier but apparently, your human school is more important.”

  “I don’t really agree with that. I could’ve used with a day off from school,” I said. “What’s with the three-month deadline, Lolo? What’s going to happen in three months?”

  “I have to leave in three months. But don’t concern yourself with that for now. We need to focus on the task at hand,” he said, brushing the topic aside. I could sense there was more to it but I decided not to press on.

  “Have you heard from anyone in Engkantasia? I mean, do you guys use phones or something?”

  “We communicate differently from humans. Already I can sense something is amiss in Engkantasia. The news has probably already spread that I’m in the human world and that the heir to the throne has used her power. By now, my enemies would be looking for ways to find you. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out what is going on. We are losing precious time.”

  “So let’s begin,” I said, honestly eager to get things going. If I would be targeted by monstrous creatures, I needed to be able to defend myself.

  “We will start with the manipulation of nature, something you’ve already done yesterday with great skill. It isn’t as hard as you think. You’ve already figured out what you needed to do to make things happen. See it in your head, focus and believe. You don’t even have to touch anything, just the mana, a form of energy coming from your hands, your feet, your eyes, will be enough to make things happen. Other beings from our world can’t do some of these things, but because you are my granddaughter and your mother has bestowed her own powers upon you through the necklace she gave you, you have more inside you than most of the creatures in Engkantasia.”

  Lolo placed a seed on the ground and stepped back.

  “I know this is only a seed but I want you to make it grow.”

  I blinked and looked at him to see if he was joking. Lolo’s face was set, dead serious about what I was supposed to do.

  “But it’s only a seed. And there’s no water, or sunlight, or soil. How can I make it grow? It’s on concrete. You need photosynthesis to do this. I don’t even know what plant that is. How can I picture it in my head when I don’t even know what it should look like?”

  “Do what you did yesterday. Picture the seed growing, taking root, growing a stem. But instead of thinking of how it should look like, ask the seed to take its own destiny. Ask the seed, like you would another person, to grow and embrace its life. Have you ever wanted to do something but your parents wanted you to do something else instead? Imagine that feeling of being able to do whatever you want and focus that on the seed—guide it like a parent would but without restrictions. Do you understand what I’m saying. Karina?”

  I nodded. “I think I understand. I’ll give it a try.” I sat on the floor and focused on the seed, pushing my face close to the ground. Nothing happened.

  “This seed is stubborn,” I sighed.

  “You have doubt in your mind, I can sense it. That’s what’s blocking your abilities. Why not try this: Do whatever it is that calms you. Your mother used to sing while using her abilities. Why don’t you try that?”

  “Singing? It might die on me if I sing to it,” I chuckled. I had been known to make children cry just by the sound of my singing voice. But Lolo wasn’t smiling, so I tried again.

  I closed my eyes and started to hum to quiet myself, a lullaby Mama used to sing to me before bedtime. I clutched my necklace, letting its smoothness soothe me. After several seconds of humming, the seed started to exert tiny roots on the ground. The transformation started slow at first, but as I got more excited, the stem and leaves moved faster, revealing more and more as it grew higher. I continued to hum, this time smiling and slowly standing. Sensing something strong inside of me, like an adrenaline rush, I hummed a bit louder and saw the plant push several flowers from its stem, blooming in the dark training room, creating a stark contrast with the dreary walls.

  “It’s a Belladonna,” I gasped at the beautiful plant now firmly rooted in the concrete ground of the garage. “How do I make it stop growing?”

  “Just tell it to stop, in your mind or out loud, it doesn’t matter. You can communicate with nature any way you want. Although in the human world, it might be best if you keep your thoughts to yourself. Your abilities need to stay hidden, as you can understand.”

  I knelt down to move my hand near the plant and its roots clung on to my arm, settling the plant on my palm. I carried it to a space in the backyard where it could grow. The moment it touched soil, its roots started digging, immediately knowing what to do.

  “Wait, can your people sense me every time I use my power?”

  Lolo nodded.

  “But that means your enemies can sense it too, right? This garage will be like a lighthouse for those who want to kill me.”

  “I can assure you I’ve taken measures to hide you while you’re inside your home. After what happened yesterday with your abilities, I needed to make sure everyone is cloaked from anything that’s looking for you. And your necklace protects you as well.”

  “What kinds of creatures are after me, Lolo? How bad are they?”

  Lolo sighed. I could see he was hesitating to tell me about the creatures that wanted me dead. His brows furrowed as he raised his head to look at me.

  “It’s not a problem at the moment. In due time, I will tell you about them. But for now, we need to focus on this.”

  “Making plants? Am I supposed to be raising a rainforest or something?”

  “Patience, mija, patience. Nature is all around you and if you can manipulate it, then you are fit to rule the land,” he said.

  I cringed at his words. I wasn’t sure I wanted to rule their land. But I couldn’t tell him that because even though I hadn’t decided yet, a part of me was also curious, even excited, at the notion of being queen one day.

  “Karina, you are still so young. It wasn’t fair to disrupt your life. But there is no other choice. It’s not only your life that’s on the line. Your world and mine will collide in a disastrous battle if nothing is done in the next couple of months.”

  I looked at my hands, so foreign to me now. I never imagined my hands could be responsible for such magnificent things. “Shall we continue, Lolo?”

  “Yes. Let us proceed,” he said, before taking two seeds out of the bag. “This time, do the same thing to two seeds, but don’t stop until they’ve grown as big as they can grow.” He nodded. “Let us begin.”

  Chapter Eight

  June 2015

  Dear Diary,

  Who would have thought I could grow plants by just using my mind? Definitely not me. It’s only been a week, but already I can command several plants and trees to do what I wish them to do. It is the coolest thing in the world. One moment I’m just an ordinary girl and the next moment I’m Mother Nature incarnate. Well, maybe not mother, maybe sister nature. Little Sister Nature?

  Lolo has been patient with me and I’ve been enjoying our training sessions together. I’ve long accepted the fact that I don’t have grandparents. My dad’s parents never traveled while we were in the Philippines and by the time we migrated here, Dad�
��s mom already passed away. Knoppy lives in Tasmania, Australia so we barely see him. Mama always said she’s been an orphan for a very long time. But now so suddenly, I have a royal grandfather, and a whole world of relatives I haven’t met yet. I am very much aware of the underlying responsibilities that come with the abilities. I am also aware that something is expected of me at the end of three months’ training. But I need to just focus on the present, otherwise I wouldn’t want to get out of bed.

  Mark and Alyssa have been quite supportive of my trainings, even if it means less time hanging out together. We managed to schedule it so that Friday nights are our nights. Given the circumstances, Dad has been very easy on me. I can stay at either Mark’s or Alyssa’s every Friday night. But we can’t go out at night without adult supervision so we’re pretty much confined to indoor movie nights and talking sessions.

  School has been quite bizarre as well. I would have thought it would be boring given my extracurricular activities but that Jason kid has made things more interesting. He never said a word to me during his first week at school. He never glanced at my direction nor sat anywhere close to us during lunch breaks. He seems to be quite contented interacting with other students, especially Melissa—all legs Saint Melissa. She’s always hated that I am Alyssa’s best friend but I never pay much attention to her, especially after she argued that “irregardless” was a word even after she’s been corrected by the teacher!

  Melissa has made it her personal project to help Jason out with everything. Within a week, she’s moved him from his spot under the tree to “her” table. It doesn’t seem to bother him but sometimes I catch a glimpse of him staring into space, like he was thinking about something deeper than the gossip. There were moments that I pitied the guy for being sucked into that group, but that changed rapidly after he continued ignoring me during our classes—even during the ones where we are sitting next to each other. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. He’s just wasted energy.