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~~Writing
Workshop Anthology~~ |
Fall
Term 2005 Writing Workshop - Characters ____________________________________________________________ Racing
his father, Giggs rushed through the cave. “I’m going hunting to get lunch. You be a good boy for your father. Bye” said his mother. His dad took him inside to eat breakfast. After breakfast, Giggs took a nap. When
he woke up Giggs looked around the cave. He couldn’t see anyone.
He pointed up his ears to hear better. There wasn’t a sound to
be heard in the cave. The next day he went searching for them by flying around the area. As he flew over Marco Van Nistroy’s castle, he could barely smell the scent of his mother. Dragons have peculiarly strong senses of smell. He quietly landed by a window. He didn’t want anyone to know he was there. He looked in to the window and gasped. There on the floor he saw both of his parents lying dead. He
heard a guard coming so he quickly flew into the trees, hoping he wouldn’t
be seen. When he woke up the next morning there was a strange feeling in his stomach. He had never been hungry like this before. It had been two days now since he had eaten. Giggs wondered if he could catch breakfast for himself. He never had to hunt, but that was before. Giggs worked up enough strength and courage to try. He went to the entrance of the cave and took off in flight. As
he flew high over a river he noticed a boy sitting on a rock waving
a wand. Giggs flew closer to the ground to take a look. The boy looked
to be about 9 years old, but Giggs wasn’t that familiar with humans.
Giggs landed on the ground. The lonely looking boy turned around suddenly,
hearing the dragon behind him. “I am a wizard! What do you want?” The boy said confronting Giggs. “You are a wizard?” Giggs asked not believing him. “Well, well I’m in wizard school” the boy answered defensively. “I’m Giggs” “I’m Henry” Suddenly there was a loud growling sound. Henry jumped back away from Giggs. “What was that?” he asked. “I’m sorry! That was my stomach. I haven’t eaten in two days.” Giggs replied. “You aren’t going to eat me are you?” Henry asked as he stepped behind the rock he was sitting on. As if that would protect him if Giggs had wanted to eat him. “No, I don’t want to eat you. You might taste funny.” Giggs replied squinting his face. Henry laughed, “Well what do you eat? We’d better find some to make that rumbling stop.” “Do you have any Chocolate Covered Toads? That is my favorite, but my mom made me eat fern leaves too.” Giggs face became sad remembering his mother. “Where is your mother?” Henry asked noticing how sad he looked now. Tears came into Giggs eyes and he told Henry how he found his parents at the castle. “So you are an orphan like me!” Henry said, “Where do you live?” “In a cave by the waterfall,” Giggs dried his tears. “I don’t have any Chocolate Covered Toads but I do have a bow and arrow in my lean to. Let me get it so we can go hunting.” Henry said as he walked over and picked up his pack and bow. The two new friends headed into the forest in search of something to eat. While they were heading towards a stream they found a cottage. The cottage was old.
Giggs said, “I smell something. I know this place.” They walked up to the door step of the little cottage. A little meow was heard coming from the back of it.. “Pooka” Giggs shouted. “What is Pooka?” asked Henry. “Not what, but who; Pooka is a black cat’” Giggs answered, “This is Elsie’s cottage.” “Who is she?” asked Henry. “A witch!” answered Giggs. They ran around the cottage to the back. There they found Pooka and Elsie cleaning a cauldron. “Hi Elsie!” “Hi Giggs, Where is your Mom and Dad?” Giggs eyes started to water. Before
Giggs could answer, Henry stepped up “Oh
Giggs, I’m so sorry!” She said wrapping her arms around
him. A loud rumbling sound came from Giggs’ stomach vibrating Elsie. This made Pooka jump into the air, his fur sticking straight out. “My, there’s nothing in that tummy of yours, let’s get you some chocolate covered toads!” Elsie said. Elsie went into her cottage and came back out with a large basket filled to the rim with goodies to eat. As the three of them were eating the goodies, Elsie asked Henry, “So Henry, how did you come to meet little Giggs here?” Henry stood up straightening his tunic, “I am a wizard!” Then Henry tripped over the large stone he was using as a chair. His face turned red with embarrassment. “A wizard eeh? You say,” Elsie let out a tiny giggle. Henry turned to her with anger in his eyes. “Now, now, I’m sure you are a fine wizard or you will be when you finish your apprenticeship. Who is your Master?” “I don’t need a master!” he replied stubbornly, crossing his arms and sitting again with his back to her. “Henry, come on now, Elsie didn’t mean anything by it. It was pretty funny when you tripped over the stone.” Giggs said. “Elsie, Henry used to attend the Wizard school before Van Nistroy closed it. He doesn’t have a master now to teach him.” Giggs said through a mouthful of chocolate toad. “Hey maybe you can finish his training? He really is good.” Elsie nodded her head, “Giggs, how did you find out about your parents?” “I woke up from my nap and they were gone. I went to search for them. I found them at Van Nistroy’s castle.” Tears started to roll down his face, “I looked into the window and saw them lying on the floor not moving.” Elsie stood up and was rubbing her chin, “They weren’t moving huh? But were they breathing?” Giggs looked at Elsie as if she had lost it, “What do you mean were they breathing? They weren’t moving at all.” “Oh I’m sorry Giggs, I meant did you notice if their sides were moving with breath? See Van Nistroy closed the wizard school because he made the master wizards work for him at the castle. They can put dragons in a trance and make them drink a potion that will make the dragons do whatever King Van Nistory wants.” “Giggs, I don’t think your parents are dead, I think they are under a spell.” Henry said finishing Elsie’s thought. “Exactly! You are quick, Henry!” Elsie complimented him. “Well what do we do now?” he asked. Giggs in excitement shouted out, “We have to save them!” Pooka jumped into Elsie’s lap and meowed in agreement. “Okay, let’s get started, Giggs, Henry we will need some supplies. Can you go into the forest and find me herbs- Let’s see we need Hound’s tongue, Adder’s fork, Toe of Frog, and a scale of a dragon. Well wait, Giggs can give us that.” “Isn’t Toe of Frog the Buttercup?” Henry asked. “I know what the others look like.” “Yes, Henry it is! Quickly now find the herbs. We haven’t much time. Pooka, go to the garden, get Mugwort and Sage. I will get water and put the cauldron on the fire” Giggs
and Henry ran into the forest to collect the herbs. Henry started to hand the herbs to Elsie, but she stopped him. “I want you to make this elixir.” “First, put in the Hound’s tongue stir in a clockwise motion. Then add the Adder’s fork, Toe of Frog, Mugwort and Sage.” Henry did as she said. The steam from the cauldron was making his face turn green. “Now we need the scale Giggs” Elsie requested. “Henry, hold it high and say, Draco Mysterium Flammicopia!” Elsie guided. Henry did this and his face turned red this time after a poof of steam rose when he added the scale. “Now it is ready!” Elsie said. “What do we do with it?” Giggs asked. “You need to give it to your parents. They need to drink it. The wizard’s dragon dominance potion will last forever unless it is countered by this elixir within 3 days of the trance. How many days has it been since you found them?” “It was two days ago.” Giggs answered. “How are we going to get into the castle? It’s not like Giggs can be disguised!” Henry said. Elsie thought a moment and then said, “He will have to be put under an invisibility spell. It wouldn’t hurt you either Henry.” Elsie went into her cottage and came out again with a little bottle that kept changing colors. “Here,
you both need to drink this, take it with you and right before you get
near the castle gates drink the whole bottle. Elsie
gave them both a hug and wished them well. When
Henry and Giggs arrived near the castle gates, Henry pulled out the
bottle from his bag. He took a sip and handed the rest to Giggs. “How will we know if we are invisible?” Giggs asked as he turned around looking for Henry. “Henry! Henry!” Giggs whispered, “Where are you?” “I’m right here beside you! Listen to my foot steps. You will be able to know where I am by their sound.” The two entered the gates sneaking past the guards. They went into the castle and down to the dungeons. Giggs could smell his mother, he led Henry to the area where his parents were kept. They looked into a giant room and there they were. Giggs was so happy to see them. He ran up to his mother. She couldn’t see him though because of the spell. Henry pulled out one of the elixir bottles and put it to her lips. She was still in a trance and just laid there. Drops of the elixir dripped into her mouth. After a few moments she woke up. “Where am I?” she asked. “Mom, it’s me.” Giggs said. “Giggs, where are you? I can’t see you.” “It’s okay Mom. I am here. I have to save Dad first.” Henry was already giving Giggs’ dad the other elixir bottle. “Giggs, your dad has the elixir too.” Henry said. “Oh thank you, Henry.” “Hello,
Giggs’ mom and dad. I am Henry. “We don’t have much time. Elsie sent you both bottles of invisibility potion too. You need to drink it. Listen to me and you will know when I am near your mouths to drink it. “She Zheng wang dong li pa!” “We need to go before the guards know you are here.” Giggs’ father said “Henry, can you climb onto my back?” Giggs’ mother asked. Henry climbed onto her back and she positioned herself to fly through the castle halls. Giggs’ dad did the same. Giggs followed behind them, listening to the flapping of their wings to know where to go. They flew down one hallway and into a great room. Then they left through open doors into another hallway. Giggs thought he heard them go down, but his parents had flown up. This next hallway led into a tall tower so the sound made it difficult to hear. “Mom, Dad, Henry?” Giggs called out. There was a guard standing by a door, “Who is there? Who said that?” Giggs was afraid. He flew down another hallway. He stopped mid-air to listen for their wings. He didn’t hear a sound, then he heard footsteps running towards him. “I know I heard a voice. There is someone here.” The guard told the other guard with him. Giggs panicked and flew into a room. He waited to see if they would leave, then he heard snoring behind him. On a bed asleep was King Van Nistroy. The guards ran into the room to check on the king. “He seems to be okay.” One guard whispered. The guards stepped back into the hall. Giggs followed them. He gathered up enough courage and hit both of the guards with his tail knocking them both out cold. “If I don’t stop Van Nistroy, he will come after us.” Giggs whispered out loud. Giggs went back into the bedroom. He went up to the bed and tried to let out a breath of fire. He wanted to put the drapes surrounding the bed on fire and the blankets too. Giggs took a deep breath and let out a puff of smoke. He tried again, taking a deeper breath and thinking he needed to save his family. This time a little spark of flame came out of his mouth. Van Nistroy woke up seeing only this little spark. It was enough to set the bed into flames. Van Nistroy yelled out as he was burning too. He tried to get out of bed but was trapped by the burning drapes. Giggs stood near the windows and watched as Van Nistroy died. "You tried to kill my parents, you no-good, rotten waste of a human being" Giggs roared at him. Giggs heard a noise outside of the windows. It was his parents. He could see Henry again, the spell must be wearing off. “Giggs, can you get out of the window?” Henry asked. Giggs tried with all of his strength to break the three windows with his tail. With all three of them broken, it would be wide enough for Giggs to fly through. He flew out of the window and into his mother’s arms. “Whoa, don’t drop me please!” Henry said trying to balance on her back. “Let’s go to Elsie’s.” Giggs’ father said. The three dragons flew off into the forest in the direction of her cottage.
Elsie clapped her hands together. “You did it!” “Thank you Elsie for helping us.” Giggs mother said. “Giggs you did it, you breathed fire.” Henry said. “Yes, it was tiny, but I did it.” “Henry, I was wondering if you would like to stay here with me for a while?” Elsie asked. Henry looked at Giggs and saw that his family was together again. “I will always be your friend Henry. I will always be here if you call me.” Giggs said. “Yes, Elsie. I would like that.” Henry replied. Elsie pulled out dishes to give everyone stew that had finished cooking. They all sat around the cauldron in the back yard retelling the adventure at the castle. Until
the next adventure with Giggs…… She'd known he'd be here. He always came up here to think, since...well, since he moved in with his grands. Since his life, as she put it, "took a turn." Lara sighed. I have to fix this. If only it was as simple as fixing one of her inventions. John felt more than saw her sit down beside him. They shared the shelter in companionable silence for a few minutes before she spoke. "Wet enough for you?" "Mostly." A snort. "You know, you could just tell me what's bothering you." John looked at her sideways. "And spoil your fun? Never." "This isn't fun for me, you know." She elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Watch that. I bruise easily!" He laughed, and rubbed at the spot. "Felt that, did'ya?" Lara poked him again. "That's a message that you should probably listen to your best mate when she tells you it's best to vent." Still rubbiing his side, he had to concede her point. The times that Source had temporarily let him get smacked around always had a point. He never liked to admit it, of course. "It's just...this THING. Me. Why?" he blew out a frustrated huff. "A lot to deal with, you know? And then the thought that I could have saved mom and dad if..." He trailed off. And she let him, for a minute. "You know, John, that line of thought isn't gonna take you anywhere good. Yeah, you could have saved them if you'd had these powers then. You didn't. And now you pretty much have two choices." Lara ticked them off on her fingers. "Dwell in the past and depress not only yourself, but you grandma, grandpa, and the cute, fabulous genius girl. Or live with it, move on, and do some real good here and now." "I know you're right," he sighed. "But... doing it is the hard part." "Focus on the positive things. Like Jenny in chemistry class." Lara could feel him blush without even looking. "You know, the pretty redhead you ALWAYS somehow end up sitting with." She affected a high falsetto, "Oh, John, please be my lab partner! Pleeeease!" "I don't pick on your crushes, miss 'I-have-whole-notebooks-filled-with-Jack's-name'." "Because I'm a girl. You don't pick on girls. We're delicate." Slowly, his head swiveled to look her in the eye, and mouthed the word as if he was chewing something unfamiliar. She hit him again. "I'm serious! Anyway, think of the good things you can do now. The people you could save. And the flying is kinda cool." He smiled. "Yeah... Still scary though." "You are the only person I know who could have the ability to really fly and agoraphobia at the same time." John's nose scrunched up in thought. "I'm afraid of farming?" She groaned and hit him. And they both laughed. And this time, he didn't feel it. "So...." Lara grinned at him in an odd way. "You up for a little action?" John blinked, hard. + + + + + + + "Remind me what the point of this is again?" "Think of this as helping me with my homework." Lara explained. She was wearing a whistle and carrying a clipboard, like a tiny demented soccer coach. "I think it's a good idea if we test the limits of your abilities. So you don't get in over your head in the field." "Riiiiight..." John sounded unsure. Although, looking around at the abandoned quarry, he realized that she's chosen the perfect place to cut loose a little bit. The Jasperlode Mine was miles from town, in the middle of heavy woods, and abandoned for as long as anyone could remember. "How does this help with your homework though?" "Easy. It'll give me some math practice. Now..." she took a pen out from behind her ear. "Long jump for me." "Huh?" "Just jump forward. That way." She pointed with the pen. "As far as you can." John nodded and jumped. He'd had to practice this at first, since the force he could generate now far exceeded his mass and could wreck his balance. At least, that's how Lara had explained his tumbling head over heels and smashing into things. *WHUMP* This time, he'd stuck the landing, up on the lip of the quarry. "How was that?" he called out. Lara wrote down some numbers as he sauntered back. "Not bad. About 400 feet, give or take." "New record?" "Well, you didn't land on your face. That's something." He peeked at the equation she was working through. "So why'd you insist on doing this today?" "Force equals mass times acceler-oh! I wanted to get this done for a while. I figured it'd be our last chance before the class trip. I don't want to even think about math and mystical whatchamajiggies while we're in Scotland." That made him smile. "So you finally admit you're excited." "Wellll...." she tapped the pen against her teeth. "Yeah, okay. I'm juiced. Ha! Got it!" "Is it contagious?" "Quiet, you." Lara produced a bright pink bowling ball from somewhere. "Toss this at the wall, wouldja?" He did. And then whipped around to shield his friend from the shrapnel in the nick of time. "I hope that wasn't your favorite." Lara glared at him and waited until her ears stopped ringing from the impact. "Of course not, do I look like an idiot to you?" Then she grinned wickedly. "It was my sister's." Oh no. "You set me up!" She actually giggled, which made him suitably afraid. She never giggled. "I won't tell her... You know how bad my memory gets after someone buys me dinner..." "Tonight?" "Oh no! I'd never expect that." Lara considered him for a second. "Now in Scotland..." "You're incorrigible." "Oh! You learned a new word!" "That does it. I know where you're ticklish!" Lara
screamed in mock horror, and the chase was on. Sandy blinked the tears out of her eyes. How did Mom know? She'd never been to Hogwarts, nor her father. The family had not even known such a thing as magic existed till Sandy has gotton her letter. And now she was moving away from her home and family to a place she had been to only in her dreams. Sandy was soaring away from her awful Muggle school and Venus Whalen, a terrible bully. But at the same speed Sandy was leaving the life she had led for eleven and two months. Plus her beloved family and pet lizard who could not come to Hogwarts with her. It as enough to make Sandy sob. But now Sandy was a big girl and must not cry. "Be outgoing, Dear." her mother had said. "But it scares me..." Sandy has replied. "Well be brave." Lisa added kindly. Sandy had to be brave now and not think about her parents. She must think about new friends. And just as the thought came into Sandy's head the compartment door opened and a girl stepped in. She must have been Sandy's age, though taller and plump. She had long, shoulder lentgh red-browish chesnut hair and lots of freckles. She was in her uniform, like Sandy, though hers had a Griffindor badge on it. She was smiling, revealing a mouth of braces as she said: "Hello, I'm Margaret, Second Year..." At this point a gigly blonde girl whispered something in Margaret's ear and the two walked away giggling, leaving Sandy alone. A hour passed in which Sandy stared out the window and stiffled sobs. The food cart came and Sandy bought several chocolate frogs for company. More hours. It was late at night when the train skidded to a halt and Sandy sat up, and followed Margaret and her friend onto the platform that looked eerie in the moonlight. Sandy watched some girls, looking just as nervous met up with her. "Hi." said one to Sandy. Sandy studied the girl. She had long black hair and a pretty button face. "I'm Ivy Leigh, First Year." the girl said. "I'm Celestia Ambrose, First year also." said a girl with curly golden hair and wide blue eyes. "Hazel McPherson." said another, looking away bored. Slightly hurt by Hazel's attitude Sandy said croakily: "I'm...Sandy Baker." "Nice to meet you, Sandy!" Ivy said, shaking Sandy's hand. "Me too!" sqealed Celestia, happily. Hazel remained silent. No one talked on the way to Hogwarts Castle. Sandy wasn't even happy when she made Griffindor with Ivy and Celestia. Hazel got Slytherin. Margaret turned out real nice too. But Sandy thought she knew why she had made Griffindor. No matter how much she missed her parents she had gone on and made it. She had overcome her fears of being put on the spot. And to show for it is two great friends and a great year. Sandy isn't quiet any more. Bit too loud actually, says her teachers. But she is proud of herself. For
showing Griffindor Courage. * TO
BE CONTINUED…. Inspector Evans had stayed overnight at Willoughby Castle to question the entire member of the household about the murder of Andrew Lynch, and to investigate the house. She had probably roamed the corridors on all floors more than six times since her arrival at seven o'clock the night before. There was always a new question that popped out of her mouth, but sometimes she asked questions that had been inquired many times to different people, although rephrased. This morning she insisted to have private interviews in the library, and chose Katrina to be first. Katrina was beginning to feel exhausted of all the questioning, having to repeat the incident from her point of view over and over. She was even getting tired of hearing condolences already, some of which she did not believe were genuine anyway. She felt intruded; she wanted to be left alone; she had not had a chance to mourn yet and she needed to mourn. She wanted to lock herself up in her bedchamber to relive every single memory she had ever shared with Andrew. There were at least a dozen of boxes upstairs in her room filled with gifts, keepsakes, and letters that Andrew had given her that she wanted to browse through. She wanted to curl up in her bed and cry until she could not cry anymore. She wanted just to be alone until she was ready to face the world. But people seemed to constantly swarm around her and would not leave her alone - her parents, her guests, her housemaids, her brother, and now, the inspector. The sound of footsteps in the hallway outside the library informed Katrina that the inspector had arrived. She pressed down the button on the wall to the left of the fireplace and spoke into the speaker, asking Martha to send one of the housemaids to pull the curtains down in the library before her interview would begin. Just as she pressed the Off button, Inspector Evans walked into the room with a bright smile plastered all over her face as her sharp chocolate brown eyes scanned the library. "This is quite a comfortable spot for interviews, I must say," she said, her authoritative voice rang throughout the room. Katrina forced a smile and nodded at the inspector. "Yes, which is why I immediately agreed to your decision to host the interviews in the library. Would you take a seat, please, Inspector Evans, and have morning tea with me before we begin?" "Yes, tea sounds wonderful. Thank you, Katrina." The young inspector crossed the room and took a seat in the sofa. She poured tea into two cups and offered Katrina milk and sugar, both of which were declined. "My assistant will be joining us shortly," Inspector Evans said, handing one cup to the girl. "Is there anyone that you would perhaps like to have present in the room during the interview? Your parents? Your friend Laken, maybe?" Katrina shook her head after sipping on her tea. "No, inspector." "How are you feeling this morning, my dear?" Katrina placed her teacup on the table and gave the inspector a shrug. "I feel that I should spend the whole day by myself. I wish everyone would leave me alone." "Do you know if your guests will be leaving some time soon after all that has happened?" "Laken will probably stay for a bit. The others I really don't care about." A soft knock on the door made both Katrina and Inspector Evans look up, and they found a housemaid standing by the door. "Mrs. Livingstone asked me to close the curtains in this room, Miss Katrina." At Katrina's nod, the housemaid went to the first window and closed the curtain. "The morning sun is blinding me, so I asked my housekeeper to close all the blinds," Katrina explained to the inspector, who nodded in acknowledgment. The housemaid continued closing the curtains in the other three windows, and then she curtsied and left the room. "Would you like a biscuit, Inspector?" Katrina offered, handing over the plate of biscuits. Another knock on the door signaled the arrival of Melissa Townsend, personal assistant to the inspector. "Oh, no, thank you, Katrina," Inspector Evans said, gesturing Melissa to the seat across from her and to the tray of tea on top of the table. "We'd best begin the interview now that Melissa's arrived." Melissa declined the morning tea and immediately set up her tape recorder on the table. A writing pad and a pen were ready in her hands. Inspector Evans cleared her throat and waited for Melissa to press the Rec and Play button before speaking. "This is the testimony of Miss Katrina Willoughby, daughter of Sir William Willoughby and Lady Christine Willoughby, recorded on Tuesday, July the twenty-first, at exactly ten o'clock in the morning. This testimony takes place at Willoughby manor in Whispering Rocks, Scotland. My name is Gayle Evans, inspector on duty on the Andrew Lynch murder case, and present in the room with me are Miss Melissa Townsend and Miss Katrina Willoughby. Ladies, please loudly state who you are." "Melissa Townsend, secretary to the inspector." Melissa's voice rang confidently throughout the library as her hand jotted down her own name underneath Inspector Evans's. "Katrina Elizabeth Moira Willoughby." The inspector smiled at her. "Very well," she said, crossing one leg over the other to get into a comfortable position. "The session will now begin." She glanced over at Melissa to make sure that they were ready to start, and at Melissa's nod she turned back to Katrina. "Miss Willoughby, how old are you?" "I am turning seventeen on September the twenty-second." Katrina saw Melissa write down her birth date, month, and year on the pad. "Please explain your relationship with Andrew Lynch." This was one of the questions that Katrina had heard so many times in the past twenty-four hours. The first time she was asked this she instantly broke down and cried; the second time had been better, although she did say out loud she did not like to reminisce her relationship with Andrew. At least not in public. Now Katrina simply gave a sigh, a tired, weary kind of sigh. "He was my piano instructor for about two years. I was his pupil." Inspector Evans pulled out her own notepad and flipped through the pages until she reached one where the writings were marked with a yellow highlighter. She skimmed through the page and looked up, her eyes scrutinizing but not unfriendly. "I have received reports from the general household, which obviously includes your parents and brother, that the two of you were close friends. Do you agree with the statement?" Katrina swallowed the tears that were threatening to burst. Andrew and her had been closer than close. But people could not know that. "Andrew was my best friend," she said in a quivering voice. "He was someone I could talk about anything to, maybe because he was not that much older than I am and he was such an understanding and affectionate individual. Andrew was loved by many... I don't know anyone who doesn't. Didn't, I mean." She shuddered, her arms rose to hug herself. "His death truly devastates me." "Miss Willoughby," the inspector's voice suddenly turned soft. "Were you and Andrew Lynch in love with each other?" It was a question that Katrina had not had to answer before. She looked at the inspector who was smiling at her and giving her a little encouraging nod; her eyes strayed to her teacup as she considered the least controversial answer. Andrew loved her. He did. And for a long time Katrina was content with that fact. But now she could not help thinking how wonderful it would have been had Andrew been in love with her. "No," she replied finally, then immediately corrected her statement. "Perhaps I was in love with him a little bit." There was no harm in being truthful. Inspector Evans tilted her head a little to the side as she watched Katrina's expression. "You were, but he wasn't?" she asked. Katrina swallowed before answering. "He loved me. That much I know is true." "When did you last see Andrew Lynch, Katrina?" "Just last night around eight o'clock, after dinner." "Consulting with the notes I have written down here I understand that Mr. Lynch normally came over every Tuesday and Friday afternoons for piano lessons - why was he here on a Monday night?" Another one of those repetitive questions. "He came to see one of my guests, Francine Caldwell. They're - well, they were seeing each other." "They were a couple, you mean?" "They just hooked up last week Friday." Katrina picked up her cup and sipped on the tea that was beginning to turn cold. "I didn't exactly speak to him last night," she continued. "The head housekeeper, Martha, opened the door for him and he insisted on seeing Francie immediately. I saw them together in the backyard, in the gazebo." "And of course you were jealous at the sight of them two together." "Yes, I was." Another truthful answer. Katrina looked at Inspector Evans straight in the eye and added, "I didn't kill him, Inspector." "I wasn't implying that you did, dear." The inspector flipped over a page in her notepad and continued the interview. "Is it correct that this is the second death that you have experienced?" "Correct. My twin sister died when we were eight." "Can you tell me what happened?" This interview is not going very well, Katrina thought. "She fell from her horse when we were going on a short ride into the forest," she spoke slowly, calculating her words. "Her horse got scared, jumped, and threw her off its back. The behavior put my horse in great distress that he, too, jumped and threw me off his back. The fall broke my spine and I was pronounced paralyzed by the doctors the next morning." "What had frightened your sister's horse?" "A little toy mouse that I had brought along with me." "And of course you didn't expect the horse would act so radically when you decided to bring along the toy?" "Inspector, do you honestly believe I would've brought the mouse if I had realized it could've endangered my sister's life?" Both the inspector and her secretary instantly lowered their pens and wrote something on their notepad. Katrina wished she had sat close enough to see what it was. "How has your sister's death affected you?" Oh, no. Not this one. Katrina chewed on the inside of her bottom lip for a moment before answering. "This may sound really disturbing, but even though I was nearly mute due to shock after Karla's death, I started enjoying being the only daughter in the family." There. Now the inspector could believe whatever she wanted to believe. "Speaking of siblings - do you get along with your brother?" "My stepbrother, Inspector," Katrina corrected, then added nonchalantly, "I love Sebastian." Inspector Evans turned to her secretary and gave her a slight nod. Melissa nodded back. "Miss Willoughby, do you own a silver dragon-shaped letter opener?" "Yes, I do. My father gave it to me just last Christmas." "And you do confirm that the particular weapon used to murder Mr. Andrew Lynch last night was, in fact, your letter opener?" "That is correct, yes. It is my knife." "Did you kill Andrew Lynch?" Katrina sighed. She knew this was the end of it. "I
have told you this, Inspector. I didn't kill anyone." She wanted to find out what the noise was. She climbed over the garden wall being careful not to get her long pink dress dirty. Princess Daisy knew her parents did not want her to go into the forest. She heard a neighing sound. She stood at the edge of the forest looking between the trees to see what was making the sound. In an old oak tree there was hole in the trunk by the roots. It was a large dark hole. Sitting in this hole was a baby unicorn. The baby unicorn was a girl. She was white but her horn hadn't grown yet. Her mane and tail were sparkly white. Princess Daisy climbed back over the wall. She went to her mother's vegetable garden. She picked some long sweet carrots. She put them in her white apron and held it up so they wouldn't fall out. She climbed back over the wall and stood at the forest's edge. Princess Daisy held out a carrot, clicking her tongue to call the unicorn. The
unicorn came to eat the carrot. Princess Daisy took her jump rope and
tied it around the unicorn’s neck like a lead rope. "I'll take care of you until we find her. I think I will call you Starlight because the sparkles in your mane are just like stars. My name is Princess Daisy." Starlight neighed at her, bumping her arm for another carrot. She walked Starlight along the wall until they came to a gate. She took Starlight to the horse stables where the king kept the horses. She put Starlight in a stall that was far away from any of the other ones. There was a large wall and door that kept the other ones away from this one. She put hay in the stall and filled the water bucket. Starlight lay down on the straw. Princess Daisy covered her with a soft red horse blanket. "Princess Daisy! It's time to come in." she heard being called to her. "I have to go now but I will check on you in the morning. Stay here until we can look for your mother." Princess Daisy shut the stall door behind and blew a kiss goodnight to Starlight.
She had to get there before the stable hands got up. She didn’t want them to hear her feeding Starlight. “Starlight! Where are you girl?” Princess Daisy whispered as she snuck into the stable. Princess Daisy picked up a pitch fork and dug into a pile of hay. She tossed it into the feeding bin in Starlight’s stall. “I’ve been meaning to ask you a question Starlight. I read somewhere that unicorns have the ability to shield themselves so no one can see them. How is it that I can see you?” “Wait, what am I doing asking you? It’s not as if you can answer me with a straight answer right?” Princess Daisy laughed. “Well I can actually!” Starlight said quietly. “What? Did you say something? Am I so tired that I’m hearing things?” Princess Daisy rubbed her eyes and let out a huge yawn. “No, you aren’t hearing things. I can talk, only if you will listen.” Starlight answered. “So how come I can hear you and see you, but others can’t” “I am able to show myself to a person with a true heart. When I saw you that day at the edge of the forest, I knew you would not hurt me. I didn’t say anything until now because I was waiting to see if it was safe to talk.” “Wow! A unicorn is talking to me!” Princess Daisy danced around. “Are you done being silly?” Starlight asked. “Okay, okay I’m getting over the shock. It just makes me so happy to know you are here. I really hope no one finds out and that you can be safe here.” Princess Daisy said. “I can become invisible when anyone comes near. Don’t worry about that. If you can’t make it one morning, don’t worry. I know it is hard to keep a secret like this. It must be hard for you to leave your room without your parents knowing where you are going.” “Yes, but what I really worry about is if someone finds you. Also isn’t your mother worried about you?” Princess Daisy said. Starlight was quiet a moment before answering, “I think she was captured. I don’t really know what happened to her. We were walking in the forest and some men came on horses. She told me to hide in that hollow in the tree. I didn’t see her for a few days until you came. I was scared and I thought it would be safe with you.” A tear rolled from Starlight’s eye. “Well we can look for her, but I am not allowed into the forest. That was why I had to get a carrot to have you come to me. I know, every day I will go to the edge and call for her. She will answer and come get you if she can. Do you think that would work?” Princess Daisy asked. “Every night I do call her. It’s a magical call that unicorns can do and humans don’t hear it. I haven’t heard anything back. I am scared that the men did something to her. Do you think they did something to her?” “If only I could tell my father. Then he could have his guards search the forest for her. They could search the whole kingdom to see if they could find the men who took her. I wonder what else we could do” Princess Daisy sat down with her arm around Starlight hugging her to calm her. “It will be okay. We will find a way.” Starlight said, “My mother use to tell me stories of the Lunaverse. She said Queen Lulu was a friend to all unicorns. Maybe we can find her and ask her help” “The Lunaverse? I’ve never heard of such a thing. How do we get to it?” Princess Daisy asked. “My mother told me a story once of finding the moonlight in a river or stream. Then a unicorn would touch the moon with its horn and a portal would open.” “You can’t find moonlight in a stream. The moon is in the sky.” Princess Daisy said. “Well we have to try. We will find it somehow.” Starlight answered, “Can you come here after dark?” “I will have to sneak out, tomorrow is my birthday celebration so I have to be back before they miss me. I’ll see you tonight okay!”
“Where will we find a stream?” Starlight asked. “There is one near the edge of the forest, let’s go there.” When they found the stream, they both laid down beside it. “Do you see the moon?” Starlight asked. “No, do you?” Just then a wind blew. The clouds that covered the moon blew away. In the stream was a reflection of the moon above. “Look, look, I see the moon now!” Princess Daisy said, “Quick, touch it with your horn.” Starlight bent over and touched the water with the moon reflected on it with her horn. Little lights like fireflies started floating around the moon in the water, and then they started to come out of the water and circle around Starlight and Princess Daisy. Soon they were in a different place. “This must be the Lunaverse. The magical kingdom that can only be seen in the moonlight” Starlight said. “Hello, Can I help you?” A voice asked coming from one of the stars floating around them. “We are here to ask Queen Lulu to help find my mother.” Starlight answered. Then the star got bigger and bigger until Queen Lulu was standing right there. “Tell me what happened to your mother.” Queen Lulu asked. Starlight told the Queen what had happened. “Well let’s take my carriage and we will find her.” Princess Daisy, Starlight and Queen Lulu sat in the magical carriage pulled by a unicorn friend. “Let’s go into the forbidden forest where, Princess Daisy found you. We can find tracks of your mothers and search for her there.” Queen Lulu said.
They lead them to a camp site where three men sat around a campfire. Starlight’s mother was in a metal cage on the side. Queen
Lulu took a ribbon of stardust and wrapped it around Starlight’s
horn. Queen Lulu took more of the ribbon and in a flash tied it around the ankles of the three men. Then she tied the other ends to a strong branch of a tree. The three men turned upside down and were hanging from the tree from their ankles. Princess Daisy let out a little giggle, “They look like piñatas.” “Piñatas, Yes! A star, a moon and a sun.” Queen Lulu said and then the three men turned into a star piñata, a moon piñata and a sun piñata. Shall we take these to your birthday celebration Princess Daisy?” Starlight touched her horn to the metal cage and it melted away so her mother could climb through. They wrapped theirs necks to each other hugging each other. “We need to get Princess Daisy back in time” Starlight said. Princess Daisy and Queen Lulu stepped into the carriage. Starlight and her mother ran along side the carriage to the edge of the forest. “Will you come to my party?” Princess Daisy asked. The morning sun had just come over the tops of the forest trees. “We will be there. Thank you, Princess Daisy, for taking care of my baby.” Starlight’s mother said, “Thank you Queen Lulu for bringing them to me.”
The party started and it was such fun. Pink and white everywhere, white and pink table cloths with pink ribbons; pink and white roses on every table; pink balloons floating throughout the garden. A huge cake like a wedding cake, covered in white frosting with a ton of pink roses. Princess Daisy looked and looked for her new friends. She stepped into the garden by the herb garden. “Starlight, Starlight?” She called. “I’m here.” Starlight showed herself. “Princess Daisy, it is time for us to go. You are always welcome in the Lunaverse. Find the moon in the stream and touch it with this locket shaped like a moon. Say the word "Estrella" and the portal will open for you” said Queen Lulu. “Happy Birthday, Princess!” Starlight’s mother said. Starlight gave Princess Daisy a hug, “Come play with me when you can okay?”
Jennifer
drove up to a large, beautiful apartment building, located on the outskirts
of the magical section of Holyhead. Only the rich and famous lived there.
Jennifer looked down at her clothes and then at a few people entering
the apartment. She had Muggle clothes, jeans and a sweater on, and they
were wearing the fanciest robes money could buy. She always felt out
of place here…that is until she walked inside and all of the staff
and most residents recognized her. She didn’t like the fanciness
though. She thought that she needed a place that was more down to earth
so that her head wouldn’t be clogged up with the thoughts of being
a superstar. She really wasn’t a superstar though. She was well
known throughout the wizarding Europe but she definitely wasn’t
starring on the cover of Witch Weekly…except for that one time. With
a loud pop, she was standing before the entrance to the only Quidditch
pitch in Holyhead, the Talon’s Quaffle. Jennifer was bewildered
when she first learned the name of the pitch, but she got used to it
eventually. After giving a big hello to her friend, Joe the guard, she
walked out onto the field. She saw five of her friends, one lady she
recognized from somewhere, and another woman she had never seen before. Chiland Shillindel Nazca, twenty-six years old, couldn’t keep a disgusted sneer off his face. He had been on his way to the family stables when the quiet murmur of a child’s voice had caught his attention, distracting him from his destination as he stopped to investigate. He pushed open the door to the room the sound had been coming from and peered inside. A small boy sat in a chair so large he was dwarfed by its size, a large book lying open in his lap as he read aloud from it. He whispered the words with a kind of reverence usually reserved only for holy vespers of ancient, ritualistic words of power. Although Chiland knew the child before him to be male, it was only his familiarity with the boy that made it obvious. The appearance of his youngest sibling was certainly anything but masculine. At nine years of age, young Icarallium Krystallian Nazca appeared closer to five or six. Slim and delicate, he had the same sharp features and light coloring as their mother and was, if nothing else, an embarrassment to their proud and ancient family name. It wasn’t, however, Icarallium’s feminine looks which caused his brothers, his sisters, and even his own father to despise him, although they were certainly a contributing factor. Icarallium, who would always unflinchingly insist he be called “Icarus,” was possessed of a very strange, very weak nature. Out of all of the surviving children of Cenntrillium and Seraphinnia Nazca, Icarus had the greatest power – and the least control. Quiet and submissive, nearly invisible, he lived in constant terror that the slightest emotion would set off a burst of cataclysmic, uncontrollable wild magic. Therefore, he did not (or could not) carry himself in a manner befitting a proper pureblood lordling. Their father would never give Icarallium a proper title or land, much less bother to take the time to arrange a suitable marriage for him. “What are you doing?” Chiland demanded at last, knowing he wouldn’t like the answer. Large amethyst eyes blinked slowly, long, dark lashes brushing against pale cheeks for a moment before the jewel-like orbs rolled upwards to view Chiland with the utmost dispassion. “Reading.” The boy answered quietly in a voice that was clear and pure. “Your spellbooks?” Another slow blink. “No,” He whispered at last. “Shakespeare.” Chiland felt a stirring of anger, as well as the cold hand of fear. Hundreds of years ago, disgusted by the growing number of mixed breeds creeping into regular wizarding society, an ancestor of the brothers, along with his wife and children and half a dozen other pureblood families, decided to separate from that “impure” society. A large section of Germany had been quietly purchased and bespelled, not only to make it unplottable, but to keep muggles from remembering it even existed. A small purist community began. Raised in the world’s only perfect wizarding kingdom, young Icarus hadn’t even known that muggles really existed until about a year ago. When he had learned the truth, the ever-curious boy had begun devouring every bit of muggle information he could find, eventually developing a rather disgusting taste for their literature. Catching Icarallium with Twain, Faulkner, or Shakespeare infuriated their father, but after the nightmare that happened the first time Cenntrillium had tried to punish him for his actions, he hadn’t tried again. The disturbing behavior persisted. Like many young and inexperienced wizards, control was a difficult thing for Icarallium. The stronger his emotions, the less control he had – and the better the chance was of his magic blindly, violently lashing out. Once, when Centrillium had attempted to burn his collection of muggle literature, young Icarus had nearly brought the mountains down on their heads. Their father had barely looked at Icarallium since that incident. Perhaps he was afraid of the boy; if that was the case, Chiland could well understand the sentiment. Calm and quiet his brother may be, but when pushed too far, Icarallium became…fierce. “You shouldn’t waste your time on this rubbish.” Chiland heard himself say, tone scornful. “You should be practicing your charms work.” A small scowl spread across his brother’s small, perfect mouth. “It is not rubbish.” He insisted. “Nor a waste of time.” He hesitated a moment, considering. “I agree that I do need to study, though.” Icarallium ceded at last. “Perhaps once I finish this.” Arguing would be impossible. Chiland chose a different path. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” He asked instead. “Father’s guests will be arriving soon.” “I’m wearing this.” Icarus answered distantly, attention on his book once more. Chiland’s disgust only grew. Their father was entertaining pureblood guests from Asia today in the hopes of securing a husband for Avellina, his second-youngest daughter. As it was generally agreed that it was time to get the rather violently-inclined girl out of the house, everyone was quite terrified that Icarallium might do something to embarrass the family and ruin the whole deal. To be fair, Icarallium’s strangeness was not entirely his fault. Their mother, Seraphinnia, had turned quite mad long before her youngest child was born. Centrillium was a difficult man to get along with in his good moods. A loveless marriage to him, four miscarriages, and a life spent secluded in her bower had turned a once-powerful witch into the raving madwoman she was today. It was Chiland’s personal opinion that Icarallium had somehow inherited their mother’s madness. Dressed in a flowing, highly ruffled purple shirt and a pair of soft, cream-colored trousers, Icarallium was at the height of wizarding fashion. Somehow though, the clothes served to make him appear much weaker than a pureblood lordling should ever be. Reather than appear stylish, the young boy looked…soft. Weak. Pretty. “His attire is the exact reason I have chosen to bring him a gift.” Chiland gave an involuntary jump, spinning to face his father as the man strode into the room. Dark and muscular, he looked nothing like his youngest son. Icarallium’s eyes followed him warily, a prey animal watching a predator, as their father entered the room. “Here.” Centrillium said coldly, thrusting a small box into the boy’s hand. “Wear it. Never take it off.” Curiously, Icarus opened the box and drew out of it an iridescent, teardrop shaped charm on a long, hair-thin silver chain. “It will ensure that you don’t bring shame on us all.” Cantrillium informed him coldly, glaring until the boy slipped the “gift” over his head. The chain was so long on the small boy that the charm nearly reached his waist. “There is a very strong web of spells on that,” Their father continued once he was satisfied that Icarus was wearing the charm. “The most powerful charms I could find. It should make you practically invisible to anyone who doesn’t already know of your presence. Hopefully, this way you will avoid attracting any undue attention tonight.” Color flooded his pretty face. For a moment there was hurt in his eyes. “Weak.” Centrillium seethed. “Come, Chiland. I require your assistance.” (Z) Unmoving in his oversized chair, Icarus watched his father and brother leave the room, the weight of the chain heavy around his neck. He had composed himself and now not a flicker of emotion crossed his fair face, though his heart burned with shame and his eyes burned with the tears he could never shed. Blinking rapidly, he looked down at the book in his lap once more and read the next section of verse to himself, a small, humorless smile gracing his lips. O
spite! O hell! I see you all are bent ((Quotes taken from William Shakspeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"))
The
weeks began to pass; soon it was the first game of the season, Rathenclaw
vs. Hufflepuff. The whole school was looking forward to it. Rathenclaw
hadn’t won the Quiddich cup in along time. Rumors were spreading
that Ryan (the keeper on the team, who beat Holly) was thinking about
cheating. But that was soon put to an end when Michael said no one was
going to cheat and that they were practicing every day now. "Mom says dinner is ready and Robert says don't blow any of it up, because he is hungry and wants to eat today" said kerry as she stood in the doorway. Robert was their older brother who didn't like the fact that Holly was a witch. Actually though he didn't admit it, he was afraid of her. Actually her whole family was a little afraid of her though Holly. As she reached the kitchen the room became silent. The family she once felt apart of she now felt different from. Her family were what the wizarding world would call muggles they didn't have any magic and didn't really know anything about the world that Holly belonged too. In away she felt kind of bad for them. All her parents wanted was to be able to tell their friends that their daughter was going to collage here and was going to do this job. But instead they got her a witch, whose future they would never understand. She sat down at the table and smiled to everyone. Then asked her dad to pass the chicken. "Here you go" responded her father with an attempt to smile back. The
family countioned there usual conversation about there jobs and what
they did that day. Maisie climbed out of bed slowly. After a quick shower, Maisie hurried out of her room thinking she would take the Limousine this time. She never liked to be escorted around the city in the Limo, but this time she wanted it. She had her credit card on her and she planned to do some shopping. She wanted to go to the New Age shop in the mall to buy some tea relaxants. She loved the New Age shop, the man who owned it kept offering to do her charts for her but Maisie always said no. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At the mall Maisie told the chaffer to stay in the car and she would call for him when she was ready. She had a feeling he didn't like her much, he had acted like she had ruined his day by asking for a ride to the mall. She hoped none of her acquaintances were at the mall. She didn't feel like doing anything with them. Maisie really didn't call them her friends since she didn't trust any of them. The first place Maisie decided to go too was the Music store. She wanted to see of there were any good CD’s out. Humming to no tune at all she entered the store and went straight to the Pop section. She would never admit to her acquaintances that she like Pop music. She never cared for the rap music that they listened too though. She picked up a CD from the Backstreet Boys, a band she didn’t care for and read the song titles on the back of the CD. As she did, for no reason at all she had the urge to take it without paying. She didn’t know where the urge came from, but the more she told herself that she couldn’t do it, the more she wanted to. She looked around before pulling the detector off the CD, and she stuck it into her baggy jeans pocket. She examined the pocket and saw that you could only see a corner, but no one would really know what it was. Humming still, she turned and headed to the doors. A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder. Maisie whirled around to see a large man dressed in blue and white was glaring down at her. "Did you forget to pay for that CD?" He asked her. "Oh yea." Maisie said quickly. "Sorry, I’ll just do that now. I uh got distracted." "Come with me." He said, he grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her to a door behind the counter. "You’re in big trouble young lady. I’ve had enough with you kids stealing from here all the time." "But I seriously forgot." Maisie whined. "Sit." He said after he opened the door. Maisie sat on a chair in front of a desk feeling terrified. He gave her the phone to call one of her parents. After she called her father and he told her he was coming, the man began to lecture her. Maisie started to cry and kept apologizing to him. He didn’t appear to be listening. He continued on with his lecture. When Maisie’s father walked in, she looked up and saw how angry he looked. She started down at her feet as the two men talked. Finally her father shook hands with the man and pulled Maisie put of her seat. She had never seen her father so angry before. She didn’t know what she should say. "I-I forgot." She finally said. "I know you didn’t." Her father answered. "And I know all the other things you’ve been doing. You’ve been smoking, doing drugs, probably drinking, skipping school and stealing. This isn’t your first time, I know it isn’t." "Why didn’t you ever say anything?" Maisie asked bitterly. "We’ll talk when we get home. I knew this was going to happen. Thanks to you my reputation will be ruined. You’re lucky he isn’t charging you. You are lucky that he is only banning you from the store." Yea right. Maisie thought. I’d rather be locked up in jail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maisie sat on the couch with her arms folded, watching both her parents pace in front of her. She wanted to snap at them to sit down, but for once she was lost for words. Finally her father stopped and looked directly at her, looking even more angry then he had at the music store. Maisie felt a lump in her throat, and blinked back tears. She did not want to cry in front of them. “What don’t you have?” He asked her. “Why is it that you are always getting into trouble? Your mother and I buy you everything that you want. You probably have everything that girls your age can only dream of having.” “And yet they have something that I don’t have.” Maisie muttered. “Oh.” Her mother said in a shaky voice. “This is going to be gossip in the Beauty Salon. How could you do this? Your father and I both have good reputations, how can you ruin them like this?” “They were already ruined when you divorced.” Maisie said. “People probably expected this.” Her parents stared at her in shock, then in fury. Mrs. Bentson was wringing her hands as she paced. Mr. Bentson walked over to the couch and sat down beside Maisie. She turned her head away but he grabbed her chin painfully, and made her look at him. “Is this why you are acting out? Because of the divorce?” He asked. “No.” Maisie answered pushing his hand away. “Ok, maybe partly.” “So what else could be making you act this way? Do we not give you enough money?” Her mother asked. “We give her enough Angela.” Her father said sharply. Maisie sighed and kept her face determinedly away. She was inwardly arguing with herself about whether or not she should tell the truth. Out of the corner of her eye she saw The Maid watching. The workers had Saturdays off so there was no reason for The Maid to even be near the sitting room. Yet, Maisie didn’t seem to mind her presence like she usually did. For the first time in years, Maisie appreaciated that The Maid was watching. The Maid seemed to understand because she gave Maisie a nod and a thumbs up, as if to say: Tell them how you feel. Maisie looked at her mother and father again. Her mother was still pacing while her father was still watching her, he didn’t seem to notice The Maid though. Maisie took a deep breathe before looking her father directly in the eyes. “I want your love.” She finally said. “Our love?” Her mother asked. “What do you mean our love? Of course we love you, we are your parents. You are acting very childishly Maisie.” “You’ve never shown it. You barely paid any attention to me when I was little, but that was fine with you because I had all those nannies. All you’ve ever cared about was your reputations in this community. You only had me because you needed an heir, only you hoped I would be a boy.” Maisie said angrily. “All my life all you’ve done is buy me things, you’ve never spent time with me. After the divorce, you stopped paying attention to me all together. All you’ve ever cared about is your stupid Salon, Mother and all you’ve ever cared about is your reputation, Father! If you cared the least bit about me at all you would have stopped be from doing the bad stuff you know that I was doing!” Maisie looked at The Maid, she was smiling at Maisie. She looked back at her parents. Her mother had stopped pacing now, she was blinking quickly, while her father was staring at the floor now. No one said a word for a moment, then her father looked back at her. “Go up to your room. Your mother and I need to talk, we’ll be up there shortly.”
“Are you ok, Ms. Bentson?” The Maid. “I’m fine. Thank you for being there. I’m sorry that I was always, you know rude. By the way, call me Maisie.” Maisie answered. “It’s all right. I always knew what bothered you, and I always promised whether you knew it or not that I would be there for you.” She answered. “What’s your name by the way?” Maisie asked. “I’ve always wanted to know.” “It’s Janet.” The Maid answered. “Well Janet, I’m glad you were there for me when I needed it. There is so much more I need to tell them. Please promise you’ll be around when I do.” Prologue: Maisie and her parents talked, and it took a long time but Maisie started to feel better about herself. She and her parents went to a family therapist and they are still talking, hoping to make the family right. Maisie was teased for a long time at school because of the school paper article and the stealing incident, but Maisie didn’t care. She worked hard on her stories and picked up her grades. She is hoping to go to college and become a journalist. She has also started a novel about a rich girl trying to find love and finally getting it. Her title: “The Rich aren’t always the way they seem.” She is hoping to get people to realize that rich people don’t live the fantasy world that most people think they do. She has also become friends with a good crowd, Janet and is hoping to get a date with a boy she likes. Revised copy on interview: Maisie
sat in the chair wondering if she should run. She didn't know why she
had decided to do this interview but she was instantly regretting it.
It was the second day of school and the editor of the school paper had
asked if they could do an interview with Maisie. Maisie was sitting
in the School Papers office waiting for Sheila Arbor her interviewer
to come. Maisie sighed and wondered if there was any money in the room,
as she got up to look Sheila entered the room. Sheila was a very pretty
girl with blond hair and blue eyes, she was a very short and skinny
girl who could pass as a twelve-year old. Sheila looked Maisie directly in the eyes, she had a small smirk on her face. “When did you become interested in writing?” She asked Maisie. Maisie rolled her eyes and said the first thing that came to her head. “Yesterday.” Sheila
let out a loud groan. “Oh come on Maisie, can't you be serious
for once? Here is another question for then, do you think you can just
slack off in school just because of whom your father Maisie had a feeling about where this was going. “Yes. Here is a question for you, why don't you stop acting like you are better than everyone else for once.” She said hoping that Sheila caught the annoyed tone in her voice. Sheila let out a dramatic gasp for the tape recorder, it would be something she and her friends could listen to later. “I do not act like I'm better than everyone else. Look who is talking, the snobby rich girl who will probably never work a day in her life.” She said in a feigned hurt voice. Maisie just laughed before saying; “At least I have the luxury to do that. I heard that your family is poor. You’ll probably end up being a single mother with twelve children.” Sheila didn’t say anything for a moment before sighing softly. “I'm going somewhere in life unlike you. Anyway, forget that. Let's go back to the interview. So back to my original question, when did you become interested in writing?” Maisie thought back to when her parents divorced and the first story she had written. “When I was nine.” Sheila smiled. “What kind of stories did you first write?” When is this interview going to be over? Maisie wondered, she wasn’t going to say what she wrote at the age of nine. They had been stories that little nine year old girls normally didn’t write. “Stupid stories.” “Like . . . “ Sheila said in an exasperated tone. “None of your business.” Maisie snapped. “Look can you hurry up and wrap this up, I'm not the type to go into details and-“ “Why do you write such sad stories?” Sheila interrupted. “They are beautifully written but they always involve the mother dying.” Maisie
wasn’t sure what to say. “Maybe I like writing about that.”
She finally said. “Hmm, it looks like you are trying to become my therapist. Shall I pay you ten dollars an hour?” “Most of your readers are probably curious about why you write about a rich girls mother dying.” Sheila said smiling and tilting her head. “It's none of their business. If they don't like it then too bad.” Maisie answered. “Moving on. What made you decide to submit a story to the school paper?” Sheila asked making a note that Maisie couldn’t see on a piece of paper. “I had nothing better to do.” Maisie said giving Sheila her own smile. “But you had to know you were a good writer in order to do that. A person doesn't wake up one morning and decide that they are going to submit a story or poem in. You had to know that you were good at writing in order to do that.” Sheila pressed on. “All right, so I knew I was a good writer and I wanted to see my name in print.” Maisie said with a shrug. “Is writing a career you want to pursue?” “According to you I won't get anywhere in life.” Maisie snapped. “If you keep behaving the way you do you won't. You are talented though, you could write a book maybe. A happy book though.” Sheila said with a sigh. She added more notes to her paper. Maisie leaned forward in her chair to see what she was writing and said. “Most stories aren't happy all the way through you know. People will go for the sad stories before the happy books anyway.” Sheila
cover the paper quickly. “I suppose so. You won't always write
about someone dying though will you?” “But I have more questions to ask you . . .” Sheila began Maisie didn't say a word. She got up and hurried out of the office slamming the door behind her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she didn't understand why. Sheila
laughed. “I think our rich girl has issues at home. Well that's
our interview of this week. Stay tuned to next week when we interview
the principal.” It
had been a while since Connor Adams had called him. Like two weeks,
Mike Borders thought as he groaned, hearing the phone ring once more.
It had been ringing nearly all day, yet Mike thought it wise to not
pick it up. If he closed his eyes, he could remember. But he didn’t want to and he couldn’t. Remembering was just too painful and too heartbreaking. He couldn’t deal with that at the moment. Mike ignored the ecstatic peddler with a wide and cheerful grin who was holding out an excruciating bright yellow flyer to him. “Just you buy this watch and boom!”—With this exclamation, the peddler showed off an extravagant hand motion—“no more broken watches for you, young man! What do you say?” The peddler was now standing in front of Mike, blocking him, in a way, from getting to his destination. The grin was still worn loudly on the peddler’s young, yet seemingly weary, face. “Get lost,” Mike simply said, brushing past the peddler harshly, smirking at the frown that replaced the large grin. He had no time for buying watches. What was so important about buying watches when humanity was on the brink of destruction? All because of those vampires, Mike thought. If he closed his eyes, he could remember the incident, fresh in his mind. He would remember it as if it had happened yesterday, or the day before yesterday. But he despised remembering. He had a job to do. Connor had requested him to do the job. He had said it was highly important. It would mean, by Connor’s standards and language, that they would both get a large amount of money. Mike resisted to do the job and offered it to Jose, but Connor insisted. Reluctantly, Mike took the job, only for the fact that if he didn’t, he would lose his home. He was short on money, which meant that his landlord was preparing to kick him out of the apartment building. If he did the job, he would get half the money and he would be able to pay his monthly taxes for at least two months, maybe even more. After walking another block, he came upon the antique store. The large ebony sign above the door read in elegant golden letters ‘McTarnahan’s Antiques’. Mike entered the store and was greeted by the cheerful chiming of a bell. “Good afternoon to you, lad,” greeted a burly man from behind the front counter. Though burly, he seemed old: his hair was white, speckled with remnants of the black hair he supposedly had. He carried a thick Scottish accent and a round potbelly that shook when he laughed. Grinning, he gestured for Mike to step further in, teasing, “Well, come on in, why don’t you? I don’t bite.” Mike grinned slightly as he nodded, as if to acknowledge the fact that he wasn’t in all the way and walked up to the counter. “I’m looking for a safe. I believe Connor Adams placed it on hold. I’m here to pick it up,” Mike informed and added, “Do you still have it?” “Oh! Yes, Connor Adams. He’s a good customer, he is,” the man mused, moving out from behind the desk. “I’ll be back in just a moment. Don’t you leave, now.” And with that final remark, the man exited from the room through a door. First Mike glanced at his watch and then at the store. It was filled with antiques, many different kinds, such as cameras, weights, books, postcards, and trunks. A sword or two hung on a wall, with probably even more hiding amidst the other junk. Mike was hardly fond of antiques. They told a different kind of history: one he didn’t want to know. “Ah ha!” the man cried from the other
room. “I found it,” he enlightened as he came out of the
back room, a large safe carried in his hands. It took much effort for
him to walk back to the counter and place it gently upon the glass.
After he did that, he punched in some keys on the register and happily
remarked, “That will be exactly $30.” “I’ll see you later then!” the man said. Out of the corner of his eye, Mike saw the man wave enthusiastically. He hardly cared if he looked silly walking down the sidewalk with a heavy and rusty looking safe in his hands. What only mattered was the fact that he was going to get paid. Brisky and his gang were in the alley next to
the warehouse, where Connor had promised they would be. Setting down
the weighty object, Mike demanded instantly, “Give me the money.” Mike
fingered the money in his pocket as he made his way back to his apartment.
Well, I guess I need to tell Connor this, he thought. As he passed by
a graveyard, he turned his head, catching sight of the funeral that
was ending. And as he did so, he caught sight of Jack’s parents.
Shocked, he stopped in his tracks, looking closely. Yep, he thought,
stilled at the image of seeing Jack’s parents, crying. Looking around the little room disdainfully, Kyrie wrinkled her nose at the décor. There were days when it seemed like it was just yesterday that she had said goodbye to Sofie and boarded the plane for Britain, but then there were days when it seemed like a lifetime ago. Today was a lifetime day. If Sofie had told her that less than a month after arriving in Britain she’d have a chance of obtaining a job at the most prestigious wizarding school in Europe, Kyrie would have laughed in her face. The most she had been hoping for was a job in a wizarding shop and to be accepted… something she had never had in the American Wizarding World. But here she was… waiting for the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to meet her for an interview. Startled out of her reverie by a knock, Kyrie looked at the door as if there were a Lethifold on the other side of it. “There is no reason to act like you’ve seen a Grim. Get a grip, woman!” Kyrie berated herself. Then, taking a deep breath, she walked to the door and pulled it open. “Professor Dumbledore?” she asked looking at the stately wizard in brightly coloured robes standing on the other side of the door. “You are Valkyrie Danielle Lamarck, I presume?” came the reply. “Yes, please come in. The room isn’t much, but I’m hoping to head back to the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow,” babbled Kyrie. “Shall we sit?” invited Dumbledore, smiling in a grandfatherly way. Kyrie turned to find two cushy, red pouffes in the centre of the dreary little room. Eyeing the chairs, Kyrie felt her face heating up in an unmistakable blush. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Here she was, acting the host, yet waiting for her guest to make the accommodations more comfortable. Taking a seat in an empty chair, Kyrie looked at the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His robes and hat were a vibrant violet that sported yellow moons and stars. His hair and beard were flowing and white, but it was his eyes that caught your attention. They were blue as the sky and twinkling madly, and although they gave him a jovial Santa Claus look, she saw the intelligence blazing in them. He wasn’t a wizard to be taken lightly, regardless of the outrageous look. She knew that she would like him.
“Miss… I’m single,” replied Kyrie. “Would you join me in a cup of tea, Miss Lamarck? I always find that I think better when I’ve had tea and biscuits.” And with that, Professor Dumbledore conjured a table, followed by a tray of tea and biscuits. Taking a cup of tea, Dumbledore settled back into his chair and looked at Kyrie. “Why don’t we get down to business? Please tell me, why are you interested in the Muggle Studies position at Hogwarts?” “I’m a teacher, Mr. Dumbledore. I’ve taught Muggle high school for several years and I wish to continue teaching, however I find myself wanting to extend my services to children of the magical community. Having been raised in the Muggle world, I have the experience that I feel will enable me to be a good Muggle Studies teacher,” stated Kyrie with a smile. Teaching was her passion and she couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than to be able to teach in the wizarding world. “But why leave America?” enquired Dumbledore curiously. “I went to Muggle schools, attended a Muggle college where I obtained a Muggle degree, and was home-schooled in magic. The magical community there looked down on me,” said Kyrie quietly. “When mum died, I decided to return to my birth country to hopefully take a place among the wizarding community.” “Birth country? Did your parents move to America with you when you were small?” Kyrie sighed. “Mr. Dumbledore, I was raised by my godmother. My birth mother was captured by Death Eaters when the Dark Lord was beginning his first attempt at domination---” She paused seeing Dumbledore’s concerned look. “What?” “You called him ‘the Dark Lord.’ Why?” asked Dumbledore austerely. “I call him the Dark Lord, because that’s how mum referred to him. As I said, my birth mother was captured by his minions. She was tortured and raped, so that doesn’t exactly endear them to me. Luckily she escaped when Aurors raided the house where she was imprisoned. Unfortunately, one of those monsters is my father. Soon after my birth, Laura was killed and my aunt and uncle adopted me. I believe you know Rima Jacobs Jackson and Jordan Jackson.” Seeing Dumbledore’s nod, Kyrie continued. “Aunt Rima and Uncle Jordan fled to America because they were afraid my father might try to kill me. Not long before my fourth birthday, they were killed in a car accident. My godmother and Rima’s best friend from Hogwarts, Cassiopeia Black Lamarck and her Muggle husband adopted me, hence my surname. Mum always said her family was filled with Dark Wizards and I guess that she just always heard him called the Dark Lord, so it became natural that she do so. And that’s why I refer to him as the Dark Lord. Although, from what I hear people don’t call him much of anything because they’re afraid of him.” Dumbledore looked saddened at her tale. Taking one of her small hands in his, he spoke. “My dear, Voldemort is currently making another campaign on the wizarding world. Are you sure you want to be here? Moreover, you should know that some of Hogwarts’ students are children of Death Eaters and as much as it saddens me to say, some of the students will find themselves joining his camp.” Kyrie smiled at the old wizard. “I’m aware of the ongoing war, but I’m tired of hiding. I don’t even know the identity of my biological father, but it would change nothing. Mum made sure I was trained in Muggle and wizarding defense. I’m prepared to look out for myself.” She paused to take a deep breath, which she let out as a saddened sigh. “As for the children, it saddens me that there are parents out there who would lead their children into his service. But, there is always hope, even for the adults. All they need is someone willing to give them a second chance.” The silence following her last statement stretched out for so long that Kyrie thought she blown any chance at the position. Sighing, she wondered what else she might be qualified to do. “Miss Lamarck?” Kyrie looked up guiltily, “I’m sorry, Mr. Dumbledore. What did you say?” Dumbledore chuckled, “I insist that you call me Albus, my dear. Welcome to Hogwarts.” He extended his hand. Shaking his hand, she responded, “Call me, Dani.” “I think that you will be a breath of fresh air for Hogwarts, Dani.” Smiling like the Cheshire cat, he said, “I know that you will turn the heads of a few of our single faculty members and perhaps… yes…” Dumbledore broke off, staring into space thoughtfully. Kyrie wondered what he was thinking, but decided based on the look on his face that she really didn’t want to know what the old man was scheming. “Albus, I do have one thing that I need to get ironed out, so to speak.” “Yes, my dear?” “I have two horses, Willow and Majick, and I was wondering if there was a place to stable them at Hogwarts or nearby. The pair have been a life saver over the past few months and I can’t bear to be separated from them.” “Not a problem, my dear… not a problem at all. We’ve plenty of room at Hogwarts and I know that Rubeus Hagrid, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher and Keeper of Keys and Grounds, will be more than happy to help you out. Though, I dare say, your horses will be a bit tame for Hagrid.” Kyrie looked quizzically at the headmaster. “Let’s just say that dear Hagrid has a certain fondness for what most people would term monsters,” chuckled Dumbledore. Kyrie laughed. “My two will definitely be too tame for him. Nothing monstrous about them. Nothing but their appetites… that is.” Dumbledore laughed, but then looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally he spoke, “I feel that I should warn you about a particular member of our faculty. Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House, is a harsh task master and expects nothing but the best… from himself, as well as from those around him. His tongue can be very severe at times. Never under-estimate him. He is just as quiet and deadly as the symbol for his house, but he is a strong ally.” Seeing the look on Kyrie’s face, he hastened to add, “I’m not trying to frighten you. I just want you to be aware that he’s not an easy man to get along with. He’s quiet and reserved most of the time, and that tends to cause people to seriously underestimate him. He’s not someone to be trifled with and he’s hard to get to know, but… if you can get him to trust you… if you can become his friend… you will find no fiercer protector and friend than our dear Severus. He’s also single,” added Dumbledore with a wink. Kyrie shook her head in amusement. The old coot was going to try and play matchmaker. Oh, well, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t had friends and acquaintances doing that for years now. Standing and walking to the door, Dumbledore spoke again. “Come to Hogwarts next Wednesday so we can get your contract out of the way and we’ll discuss when you will be moving in the castle. You’ll want time to get settled before term begins, I imagine.” “Yes,
I would like to get settled and get my horses situated before the children
arrive. So, I’ll see you next Wednesday, Albus” she said
before closing the door on his retreating back. Grinning immensely,
she banished the chairs and table, and then got ready for bed, which
suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Bridget
whirled around and saw Professor McGonagall looking very severe indeed,
with her hair tied up in a very tight bun that looked as sever as her
expression. Her nostrils were flared as she came storming up to Bridget
and Ashley. Conversations
In The Night by Rachel Sandersen "Could you
hand me your plates? I’ll do the washing-up." But Raestan agreed with him. Not that he admitted it to the young boy, but these days he’d been wondering why on earth they had brought the girl with them?! Sure, she’d been alone, frozen and hungry, and lost in those ruins. But did that mean they had to bring her with them? No! Up to this point, she had been of no use to them; actually she had been more of a problem… "Is there
anything else I have to do, or will you let me go to bed?" Minna
was back. "I wanna go
home!" she mumbled a few minutes later. Minna wiped a tear
off her cheek. Alan listened and didn’t know what to say. Now
he knew what Minna had been doing in those ruins. But, he asked himself,
perhaps he would rather not know. For the first time he really felt
sorry for the girl. "Will I ever
be able to return home?" Alan asked quietly after a while. "The village
was very small. Just about 15 small houses. It was far away in the north,
in the mountains. It was beautiful there, the landscape…"
Raestan lost himself in memories. "There was a place which I always
went to in the springtime. A family of foxes lived there every year,
and I used to sit there hidden, watching them." He paused to put
some more wood on the fire. Alan just looked at him without saying anything.
Somehow he felt that Raestan would continue anyway. He was right. Raestan
pulled out his pipe and continued. Some more minutes
passed, and the night grew dark. None of them said anything. Until… Raestan stared into the fire. But he didn’t see the flames. Instead he saw a small boy, with dirty hair and clothes, who laughed. A small boy, who ran home crying because another boy had beaten him. A boy, who was a bit older now and followed his older brother up into the mountains. A young man who laughed and teased his older brother because he still wanted to watch the foxes, even though he was almost 20 years old. A grown up man who had his arm around his wife and held his young son by his hand. The pale face of an older man who seemed to be asleep. Asleep forever. A dark pit in the ground, later covered up and with a stone upon it. A stone with the name Keiran written on it. Raestan didn’t sleep much that night.
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