by Sonia Parin
The job didn’t come with a step-by-step instruction book and no one ever seemed to have the right answer for her. Well, except for Octavia. Her mom had given her the perfect personal assistant who always came up with bright ideas but she also had a penchant for sneaking away to work in Mirabelle’s vast library, so she wasn’t always at hand.
Lexie knew she needed something stronger than frustration to home in on the Well.
Fear.
“So, which way do we go?” Rebel asked again, her voice edged with impatience. Almost as if she wanted to get everything over and done with and return to the other side…
Both paths looked the same.
“You’ve been very quiet, Luna.”
Luna stuck her nose in the air and said through gritted teeth, “I’m trying to be on my best behavior.”
And Lexie could tell it was costing her dearly. “Do you have any suggestions?”
Luna sniffed the air. “As a matter of fact, I do have a suggestion. Next time we visit the Crone, you might want to suggest she allow me, your feline companion, to go in instead of being forced to sit and wait outside like a servant.”
“Sorry. I needed her help and didn’t want to annoy her by being too pushy and demanding.”
“Apology accepted. Despite the humiliating experience of being excluded, I overheard her say you needed to tap into your fears. I suspect you might have to do more than think about them.”
“You mean, I’ll have to feel them?”
“Yes. To the point of being overwhelmed by them. That’s my interpretation of the Crone’s instructions. Then again, I had been forced to sit and wait outside. So, I might have misheard what she said.”
Lexie tapped her chin. “No, you heard correctly.”
Luna tilted her head. “So, what are you most afraid of?”
“Mirabelle.”
Luna snorted. “She doesn’t frighten you, she annoys you.”
“In a frightful sort of way.” Lexie hummed under her breath. There had to be something. She’d be the first one to admit to being afraid of… “Oh, my mom.”
“You’re afraid of your mom because…”
Lexie held up a finger. “Because she makes me do things I don’t want to do like… acting. Going on stage can be quite daunting. Even… traumatizing. If she continues to be pushy, I’m afraid I’ll eventually develop a nervous twitch. See, I am afraid.” Luna didn’t look convinced. “Well, what are you afraid of? Give me an example.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you. I’m actually quite fearless. I have claws and sharp teeth.”
Lexie curled her fingers into the palms of her hands. She had fireballs and she had a feeling her arsenal of magical weapons would be infinite for as long as she remained a witch. And… that would be forever.
Rebel cleared her throat. “Well? Are we going right or left?”
“The Crone mentioned something about a magnet,” Luna said. “I was grumbling at the time because… while I don’t wish to harp on about it and you might not have noticed, I hadn’t been allowed to go inside so I can’t be sure what she said.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“About which part? You not noticing I’d been left out in the cold or the Crone mentioning a magnet?”
“The Crone mentioned the magnet part. Apparently, the Well sucks up emotions.”
“So… did you or didn’t you notice I’d been forced to remain outside?”
Holding up a hand, Lexie walked around in a tight circle. Maybe she could attract the power of the Well by thinking about…
Emotions… She needed to put herself in a perilous situation and feel fear. Or dread. Definitely helplessness.
She could do that.
Digging deep inside her, Lexie tried to think of a moment of panic when she thought all would be lost. To her surprise, she didn’t have to think that far back.
Recently, she’d almost lost Luna.
In fact, she’d thought Luna had died.
A barrage of emotions swirled inside her. She had to close her eyes to keep them at bay but the emotions kept rising until she felt her throat clogging up.
“Something is happening,” Rebel whispered.
Lexie’s legs wobbled. She felt her eyes welling up with unshed tears. Yes, she’d nearly lost Luna. Stricken with panic, she’d tried to think of a way to bring Luna back. For a moment, she’d thought it would just be a matter of willing her to come back because, after all, she was the incoming High Chair. Seeing Luna’s little body so limp and lifeless had made something inside her snap, but they hadn’t been in the clear, in fact, she’d still had a battle in her hands.
Lexie sucked in a breath.
Her chest tightened as she remembered having to decide between rushing to Luna’s side or dealing with the menace responsible for killing Luna.
“Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,” Luna said.
Lexie’s lips parted and a wail erupted.
She sunk to her knees and curled up into a tight ball.
“Okay,” Luna said. “I think that’s enough. It looks like we didn’t actually have to go anywhere. The Well came to us.”
Lexie pressed her hands against her chest. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this much despair. At the time, she’d had her hands full trying to deal with the renegade witch who’d taken over Mirabelle’s manor house. She’d found the strength to go on because she’d wanted revenge for Luna’s death.
“Whoa, what’s wrong with her?” Rebel asked.
Luna pressed her paw against Lexie’s cheek. “You might not have heard me. You can stop now.”
“I can’t,” Lexie cried out.
“Yes, you can. Just think of a bright happy place,” Luna said in a sing-song tone.
“That’s the best advice you can give her?” Rebel asked.
“I’ll ignore the sarcasm. Can you do something?”
Even in the midst of her despair, Lexie could imagine Rebel giving a nonchalant shrug.
Lexie managed a small smile right before wailing again. Then the strangest feeling swept through her and her heart swelled with a good feeling she couldn’t quite identify. Sitting up, Lexie rubbed her eyes. “What just happened?”
“The fairy… I mean, Rebel, our new companion and… third member of our industrious team, sprinkled some of her fairy dust on you.” Luna leaned in and whispered, “I saw her murmuring something over the dust so don’t be surprised if you grow a tail. I still say we can’t trust her, but I am trying to be nicer to her.”
Rebel blew her a raspberry. “I heard that and, for your information, I whispered words of wisdom.”
“Oh, yes? Do share,” Luna encouraged.
Lexie rubbed her stomach. “Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve eaten a pound of lemon baked cheesecake and drank a gallon of coffee?”
Rebel’s orb brightened. “Would that make you happy?”
Dusting herself off, Lexie nodded. “It sure would.” She strode over to the Well.
“It was shimmering before,” Luna said. “You know, when you were curled up and looking pathetic as you wallowed in your misery.”
Lexie took a tentative step toward it. Something inside her tightened. The Well had appeared because she’d connected to feelings she hadn’t even known she’d been holding onto. Were the feelings still there or had they been absorbed by the Well?
Her foot sunk into a mossy mound. When she got near enough to the Well, she peered inside it. As she did, her breath rushed out of her and she struggled to draw another breath in.
Oh, so much pain and anguish and despair.
What had the Crone called it?
“The Well of Tortured Souls,” she murmured. A gray mist swirled just above the water line. Somehow, she had to reach into it and fill a flask.
The spell would contain the essence of her despair. Yet, she knew it wouldn’t compare to the utter desperation and anguish felt by someone facing their end.
“I don’t see a bucket. How am I supposed to fill the fla
sk?” Lexie looked around for something to use.
“I volunteer Rebel,” Luna said. “She could fly down there.”
Rebel hovered above the Well and, before Lexie could stop her, she swooped down, plunging straight into a suicide mission.
Luna purred, “Oh, she’s taking courage to a whole new level.”
“Why did you have to taunt her? We were working on a solution.”
Luna leaned over the Well and called out, “Give us a sign of life.”
Rebel blew her a raspberry. Flying back up, she stretched her hands out. “Okay, give me the flask.”
“Are you sure?” Lexie asked.
“Do you have any other ideas?”
“She should have been named Attitude, not Rebel,” Luna mused.
“All right but be careful. We don’t really know what’s down there.” She pulled the cork out and gave Rebel the small flask. As Rebel reached for it, the flask shrunk in size.
When Rebel swooped down, Luna asked, “Do fairies have nine lives?”
Lexie shook her head. “I doubt it.”
“Then why did you let her go down?” Luna sniffed. “What if something happens to her? What is taking her so long?”
“Are you crying?”
“I’m… I’m suddenly feeling very weepy.”
“It must be the fumes from the Well.” Narrowing her eyes, Lexie tried to see past the mist hovering inside the Well. “I can’t see her. Can you?”
“No, but I can hear her. She’s crying. Now she’s wailing.”
“Rebel,” Lexie called out. “You need to come back now.”
“What’s the point?” Rebel cried. “I’ve been disowned by my own kind. I live in a noisy concrete jungle. I never know where my next blueberry is coming from.”
“We have to do something,” Lexie said. She had the elements at her disposal. What if she made the water line rise? She closed her eyes, emptied her mind and...
“There’s no time for that,” Luna grumbled. “She’s sinking fast. Cue suspense music. Grab hold of my tail.” Luna didn’t give her a chance to argue. Taking a leap, she dived down into the Well. “Grab my tail,” Luna yelped.
Lexie lunged forward. Her hands stretched out and she just managed to grab hold of Luna’s tail.
“That’s not my tail. That’s my foot,” Luna screeched.
“Sorry. Do you want me to let go of your foot and grab your tail?”
“No. Whatever you do, do not, I repeat, do not let go of my foot.”
Rebel bellowed a sorrowful wail.
“Can you reach her?”
“It’s like a soup of emotions down here,” Luna purred. “She’s swirling around in it. Snap out of it Rebel. We have work to do.”
“Go on without me,” Rebel whimpered. “You don’t need me.”
Luna’s purr sounded like a roar. “We don’t leave anyone behind. I’m going to count to three,” Luna threatened. “If you don’t get your fairy butt up there, I’m going to shred your wings. Do you hear me?”
Keeping her toes on the ground, Lexie wiggled to see if she could lower Luna even more. “Can you reach her?”
“I’m close enough to swipe my paws.”
“What are you waiting for? Grab her.”
Lexie didn’t need to see Luna to know she’d just rolled her eyes.
“I’ve told you once, I’ve told you countless times. I do not have fingers. How am I supposed to grab her without fingers?” Luna moaned. “Oh. This is dreadful. My life is so meaningless. I spend most of it preening myself or… sleeping.”
“No. Luna. No.” If Luna had succumbed to the Well’s woefulness, they’d be no rescuing either of them… “Luna. Hold your breath,” Lexie shouted. “Don’t breathe. You’re our only hope to get Rebel out.”
Peering down, Lexie thought she saw Rebel press her little hand to her forehead and swoon downward.
“She’s fading.” Luna gasped in a breath. “You have fairy dust. Sprinkle some on yourself. Quick. Save yourself.”
“What’s the point?” Rebel sniffed. “You don’t even like me.”
“You’re ruining our chances of getting our own prime time TV show. No one will want to watch a fairy pity party.” Luna sighed. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. Cue the violin music but this had better not be about you trying to force me to get all emotional and… and tell you how, deep down, I couldn’t imagine life without you. We’re a trio now and without you, we become a duo again. That wouldn’t be so bad except I’ve now made so many concessions for you, I wouldn’t know what to do with the extra space at the apartment.” Luna roared. “If you don’t come out now, Lexie will use her compelling voice on you and make you do things you don’t want to do.”
“Such as?” Rebel asked.
Luna’s voice lowered. “She’ll make you go back to your fairy herd. That’s right. The ones who gave you away.”
Misery swelled inside Lexie. The fumes from the Well seemed to be reaching out to her. She tried to clear her mind before the feelings of hopelessness overwhelmed her.
Air.
Light as air.
“Aww,” Luna yelped. “Why am I slipping?”
Lexie tightened her grip on Luna’s foot. “Sorry, I’m multi-tasking here.” She managed to call on the air around them and felt it swirl but she had to direct it into the Well. No easy feat when she had to try to hold onto Luna and stave off the effects of the Well.
“Aww, I’m slipping again.”
“Stop wiggling.” Growling, Lexie dug inside her pocket. “I just remembered.” She drew out the small pouch the Crone’s fairy had given her a while back. Unable to pull on the dainty string, she tipped the entire contents over the Well.
“I see twinkly lights,” Luna said. “Why am I seeing lights?”
“Quit squirming.”
“Have I died and gone to cat heaven? What’s going on?”
“Fly,” Lexie murmured under her breath.
“Whoa. I’m floating. Hey. I can fly. I’m free. Let go of my foot.”
“Grab Rebel. I mean… use both paws.”
“Yikes. Too late. She’s gone under. Let go of my foot.”
“No!”
“Let go, before it’s too late.”
Gritting her teeth, Lexie pressed her eyes shut and released Luna’s foot. When she heard a splash, she leaned in as far as she could. The water bubbled. She held her breath and, as she counted, she wondered how long Luna could last under water. Cats didn’t like water…
Did she even know how to swim?
The water became still. She stopped blinking just in case she missed another bubble.
Gnashing her teeth, she felt around the inside of the Well. Some of the stones had edges jutting out. If she jumped in, she’d be able to climb back up. Surely, she could…
Lexie clambered over the edge and eased herself down. Just before she released her hold, Luna and Rebel burst out of the Well and flew out.
Luna hollered, “Cue the Indiana Jones music. I’m flying. Weeeee. Hang on. Now I’m falling. Yikes.” She landed with a thud, Rebel still held against her.
Lexie lifted herself out of the Well and rushed toward them. “Is she all right?”
Rebel moaned. “What happened? Ewww. I smell wet cat.”
Luna spat out a mouthful of water. “Misery tastes dreadful.”
Seeing they were both all right, Lexie asked, “Where’s the flask?”
Luna sprung to her feet and shook the excess water off. “I’m fine, thank you for asking.”
Rebel reached inside her little pouch and produced the flask. As she held it out, it increased in size.
“Someday, you’ll have to tell me how you do that.” Lexie’s eyes welled up with tears. Her heart grew heavy. Her throat clogged up. Frowning, she looked over at the Well. “Oh, crikey.”
Luna snickered. “You picked that up from Cat.”
“Yeah, and I really mean it. Look. The Well’s not happy about something.” A heavy mist rose from within it and
appeared to be in search of something. “You two, hop on. We have to make a run for it.”
“Double yikes.” Luna swiped Rebel with her paw and sent her flying toward Lexie’s hair right before she took a leap and landed on her shoulders.
“Hold on tight,” Lexie hollered and took off at a run.
“This is the boulder scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Cue really exciting music,” Luna trumpeted.
Chapter Five
“It’s gaining on us,” Luna hollered. “We must be attracting it. The two of you need to quit thinking miserable thoughts. Where is your optimism? The sun will come up tomorrow, tomorrow.”
Lexie stole a glance over her shoulder and saw the mist taking shape and forming a hand with sharp claws.
“That mist is definitely getting too close for comfort and that’s saying a lot considering I just escaped from its very depths. So, you should take me seriously and start thinking happy thoughts. Better still, sing them. If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands… Or, in my case, paws. Why aren’t you singing?”
“Because I’m trying to find the door.” Scanning the forest, Lexie thought she saw something shimmering up ahead. She didn’t dare ask Rebel to light the way for fear that it would give them away.
“Be careful,” Luna warned. “In a movie, this would be the point where you trip and fall bringing us even closer to danger. If I hadn’t already said we don’t leave anyone behind, I would suggest easing your load and ditching the fairy.”
“Really?” Lexie managed to say. “But you weigh more than Rebel.”
“Yes, but I came into your life first so it stands to reason… You would choose me… Wouldn’t you?”
“I see it. I see the door.” Her legs pumped hard and her feet barely touched the ground as she ran toward the fairy tale style door. “Hold on tight,” Lexie said. “We’re going through.” She didn’t spare a single thought to the fact the door between worlds was made of solid wood.
Lexie shot her arms forward and dove for the door. Time almost held still as she appeared to be moving but nothing around her moved. Yet, move she did.
Landing in a crouching position on the other side, she rolled until she crashed against Jonathan. Seconds later, something hard smashed against the door, shaking the building to its very foundations.
