A Teenage Enchantress: Earth, Air, Fire and Water

by S.B. Bartlett

Grandfather flies up and hops on in front of Emma and I.

  “Hold on girls, Stardust is quite fast.”

  Emma, grips onto my waist, with her face pressed against my back. Before I could reply, Stardust shoots up off the ground. Grandfather was right: Stardust is fast.

  I take the opportunity to look around and see our world from above. Aquarian Falls stretches out as far as I could see. I glimpse Midnight down at the waterfalls. As I look around, I see the beautiful world we live in, the magical enchantments lighting up every inch of Aquarian Falls.

  Before I knew it, Stardust lands, and we’re in the middle of a forest. It doesn’t take long to notice that the bottom of the huge tree trunks were little stores. How magical. Grandfather helps Emma and I float down from Stardust.

  “Thank you Stardust,” I whisper as I caress her face gently.

  “Wait here Stardust, we won’t be long,” instructs Grandfather with a gentle pat to her head.

  Stardust nods in understanding.

  “This girls, is Belk forest. Many stores exist throughout our world, but today we’ll be visiting The Sleeping Owl.”

  We follow Grandfather into the forest that was like a maze; one could easily get lost here. We walk for only a short moment before we find ourselves standing outside a tree. Above the door it read: ‘The Sleeping Owl’

  I look at the size of the tree and wonder how the three of us would fit inside. But once Grandfather opens the small door, I see that the inside is huge! In fact, it was like the size of a large house.

  A kind lady welcomes us into her store. A staircase ran up the tree, leading to a library of magical books and spells. Emma and I wonder around, looking at all the potions, books and magical items. I pick up what looks like a red trident staff. I’ve only ever seen these in the video games Sebastion plays, so to be holding one is awesome!

  “Arabella, put that back! Gently.” demands Grandfather.

  I do as I’m told, cautiously.

  “Sweetheart, that’s a fire blizzard, quite dangerous in the wrong or inexperienced hands,” explains Grandfather.

  I hold my hands up and back away from the shelves that hold so much I wanted to know about.

  Grandfather purchases some type of scroll - not what I expected him to buy.

  “Look Arabella, a potion to change your eye colour.”

  “Really?”

  I look at the tiny bottles, all filled with different colours. The label read ‘A Change of Eye’ and on the back it says, ‘This colour your eyes will change too, the effect will last twelve hours, side effects include non-working, tiredness, and itchy eyes. Must drink entire bottle.’

  Interesting.

  “Pick a colour Emma.” I say.

  “We don’t have any money,” she replies.

  “It’s okay, you pay with magic. You pay in shimmers, tiny gold coins, which you’re only allowed a certain amount a day,” Grandfather divulges.

  “That is so cool!” exclaimed Emma. Her trademark expression here, it seems, I think with amusement.

  “I’ll buy these for us.” I state as I pick the purple bottle for myself.

  We continue to wander and I come across a shelf of wands.

  “Grandfather, can I get a wand?”

  “Arabella, you don’t need a wand, only wizards require wands. Your magic lays in your hands and mind. Well, I think we have all we need, are you ready to pay for your items Arabella?”

  “Yes.” I say grinning at Emma in excitement.

  “Good morning, welcome to The Sleeping Owl,” the lady behind the small oak desk greets.

  “Good morning!” I reply.

  “My name is Maple.”

  “I’m Arabella, it’s nice to meet you Maple.” I smile.

  Maple lights a gold coloured candle. “Alright, to use your magic, to make a payment, place the items down, hold your left hand in front of you, your palm facing up, and use your pointer finger on your right hand to sort of swirl above your palm.”

  “Repeat this spell Arabella: Goddess of gold, dare to be bold, place in my hand, the money of gold.” Grandfather instructs.

  I do as grandfather says and repeat the spell. Before I know it, my hand holds tiny coins of gold. I pay Maple and we leave The Sleeping Owl.

  “Well we have all we need my dears, it’s time to go home,” says grandfather.

  “You got the glass jar and blue gem?” I ask.

  “No my sweetie, creating a portal that way, it can glitch. I bought two portal scrolls, they can only be used once, and the portal will remain open for only thirty seconds. We need one to get to the mortal world, and we need one to return home.”

  A portal scroll. I was glad to know about it. It could come in handy one day.

  We walk back to Stardust, who looked quite relaxed.

  “Can she speak?” I ask Grandfather in a low voice.

  “Star spirts don’t speak, they communicate in other ways.”

  “How so?”

  “We speak and they understand us, and they respond with body language.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  Grandfather pays Stardust a handful of sugar cubes, which she eagerly accepts.

  Emma and I couldn’t wait to get home and try out our eye colour potions.

  As Stardust drops us home and flies away, my happiness is cut short.

  “Oh look, it’s the enchantress that killed our tree,” he says snidely.

  “You ruined our portal, thanks for that, princess” snaps the other.

  It was the Bralin brothers.

  Oh no, I could feel my eyes starting to water.

  “You two, go home, before I call your father,” barks Grandfather.

  My eyes fill with tears and I drop our potions as I run inside, letting the tears flow. I didn’t mean to ruin everything. I’m trying to fix things! Emma comes in after me shortly.

  “Don’t worry about them, they’re losers.”

  “I have to fix this.” I sniff.

  “And you will. I know you will. This isn’t your fault Arabella, you had no idea. Don’t let those nasty boys get to you,” Emma comforts me.

  I wipe the tears I so desperately tried to hide, and think of the eye colour potions.

  “Oh my, I didn’t break the bottles did I?” I ask with worry.

  “No they’re right here babe,” beams Emma.

  “Okay, on the count of three, we’ll take them together,” I grin.

  “Deal,” smiles Emma, relieved that my mood picked up.

  We open the potions. Emma picked green; she has beautiful blue eyes, but she always wanted green.

  “1, 2, 3,” I say as I drink the entire bottle.

  It tasted like bubble-gum. My eyes scrunch shut. I bravely open them and stare directly at Emma.

  “Oh my God, your eyes are purple!” she shouts.

  “Yours a green!” I giggle.

  We both jump up and run for the mirror on the wall.

  “Oh my God, my eyes look amazing,” says Emma dreamily.

  I loved the purple colour, I think it suited me. It definitely made me smile.

  “This is amazing Arabella, I wonder if they have a potion for longer hair, or even to change my hair colour for twelve hours.” We both fall onto the bed in laughter, discussing the possibilities.

  Knock-Knock.

  “Come in.” I say with a giggle.

  “Arabella, we must go.”

  “Go where?”

  “To the mortal world of course! We need to gather the things that will help return life to our portal.”

  “Can Emma come too?”

  “Sweetheart, it’s best she, remain here, where we can keep her safe.”

  “It’s okay Arabella, you do what you have to, I need to spend some time with dad anyways. Stay safe okay?” Emma hugs me, and heads off home.

  “Where is the Book of Shadows my dear?”

  Oh my, it’s on the sill of my bedroom window, I completely forgot! I jump up and open my window, breathing a sigh of relie
f to see it still there, safe.

  “Why was it there?” enquires Grandfather with a perplexed look on his face.

  “It’s a long story.” I really couldn’t be bothered to explain; we need to focus on restoring life back into the portal.

  “I have a list of what we need, don’t you find it quite odd that we require things from the mortal world?” I ask.

  “Not at all, because the portal is in what we call the in-between. It’s between Earth and Aquarian. It makes sense that we would require things from there,” he explains and then continues, “What items do we need Arabella?”

  “I wrote it all down, we need three passion flowers, a bottle of earth, wind in a bottle, and we have to light a red candle in the mortal world, and catch the wax drops in a jar. We also need six raindrops. Once we have everything, we have to return home, mix it all together and pour onto the roots of the portal tree.”

  “Ah, the four elements then.” Grandfather packs a small satchel with a red candle, the two portal scrolls and our spell book along with several small empty bottles.

  “Can I come as well?” asks Sebastion.

  “Not this time little man, we’ll do something tomorrow.” Grandfather promises him.

  “Sweetie, you take care okay? I love you so much,” Mom hugs me tightly.

  “I will, and I love you too.”

  “Take care of her Father.”

  “Of course my sweet child,” he assures her.

  I stay wrapped in mom’s arms, sensing her reluctance in letting me go. I’ve missed Mom’s hugs. I’ve missed one on one time with her. “I love you.” I whisper in her ear. She gently kisses my cheek and lets me go, reminding me to be careful one more time.

  Grandfather and I set off towards the portal I so badly ruined. It makes me sad to look at it. I think grandfather could tell I was sad.

  “Arabella, it’s okay, we’ll figure this all out.”

  “I really hope so.”

  “You ready?”

  “Sure am.”

  Grandfather pulls out the