1
Averest Madley roused with a shivering movement controlling her whole body. Of course, this was far from normal, even when one had just had a foreboding dream that they couldn't really explain, as was her very own case.
She turned on the light at her bedside. It illuminated her bedroom, shining light on her old-fashioned wall clock—4:11. She sat up, the quakes still dominating her whole self.
Think, now think, what was it? Hmm... She started to figure. Now that she thought of it, whatever had been so eerie and frightening had completely flown her mind.
Wait, I got it! It was that…thing. Yeah, that was what it was…
For a few nights in a row, she had been dreaming of something, not quite human, with pale white skin, slit red eyes, and a cold metal voice. The shivers were back.
Why this figure scared her so much, she really had no real idea. She had never seen it do anything but cackle, and quite frankly, she was positive that it didn't even exist.
She threw her sheets back onto her wooden bed, rubbing her eyes shortly after. She grabbed her navy-blue, leather bound journal. She smiled when she opened it.
This journal had been her best friend Azriel's years ago. Of course, it contained nothing private or special, except for one last entry written before Azriel gave it to her when she was eight, before Azriel left.
This entry was her favorite. It rather, wasn't an entry at all, it really was a letter, specifically to her, but it was total gibberish to Averest.
Avery.
Remember that day by the lake when I said there was something totally different about you that I couldn't tell you? I'm almost positive that I was correct. Here's what I can tell you—if I'm as right as I think I am, we'll see each other in a few years, almost certainly.
Take care, I'll miss you,
Azriel.
She hated this letter almost as much as she loved it. Was he sure they'd see each other again? She had told herself for years that he couldn't be, but every night she looked at this, she said that he was right.
She put the object away. She was waking up and she'd be dead tired in the morning.
It was morning, and speaking of predictions, Averest was completely precise about her energy level the next day.
"It's that creeping about you do at night, it's catching up to you dear." Was her mother's theory. Averest made no comment, her mother was a weary woman who, as her older brother had said one night, was "completely devastated when Dad died, and probably won't be the same for a while".
Either way, it was in the evening when something particularly strange happened. It was dinnertime and Averest was upstairs. She never really cared if she was late, 'dinner would be fine warm or cold' was her excuse for this.
She suspected that her brother was getting steamed up by now; because like most nights, she could hear him ranting about his new job at a bank, and even though this was her least favorite part of the evening meal, it was the one she was called down to attend, to try to change the subject.
"Averest, get down here and stop looking out that godforsaken window like you always do and eat with us!" her mother called.
Seeing that her mother was right, she stopped looking out the 'godforsaken window' and raced downstairs.
Taking her seat in the small, pumpkin orange kitchen, she zoned out of her brother's trivial troubles and, again, started staring out of a window.
What she saw was different than she imagined.
"Mom, come look at this, out the window!" she cried. It was an owl carrying a letter. "It's like one of those carrier pigeons, only it's an owl!" she cried. Her mother's face flushed.
"R-really? Oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…" mumbled her mother. She briskly got up and looked out the window, her pale hand barely in contrast to the stormy white sky.
"Zane, Averest, please take Blair upstairs with you…" she commanded. Zane picked up baby Blair, while Averest stayed put.
"Why mom?" she asked. Her mother looked frustrated.
Seeing the look on her mother's face she scurried upstairs.
Her mother watched the dust brown owl swoop down in front of the dark cherry wood door, and opened it just before it would have smacked.
It, sure as the sun would come up, carried a letter in its claws. Lynn gently took it away from the bird, and gave it a nice place on a light green cupboard.
The heading of the letter was just as she feared:
Miss. A. Madley
The kitchen
78 Hyacinth Boulevard
Antrim, North Ireland
Her own daughter, a witch? How could it be?
Well, of course, her father was one, but Sileas couldn't have produced… when Zane was eleven he sure did not get this letter…but Averest did…
Her mind raced. She knew she had to take care of this. She opened a pale green drawer, and gracefully slipped the note inside.
She looked at the owl. How was she to hide that?!
Averest, upstairs with a look of utter boredom, desperately wished she was downstairs not listening to Zane and playing with her peas.
"…and I can't stand that Jaxley! Always sucking up the boss, he is! Don't you agree Averest?" rambled Zane. Averest yawned.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever floats your boat." Averest said with disinterest drowning her every word.
Like beautiful music to Averest's ears, she heard her mother's voice sound from down below, hollering "why don't you kids come down now?".
Downstairs, Averest heard Zane gasp.
"What is…that?!" he choked out, directing his attention to the large, dusty brown owl perched on the light green cabinet, supporting himself on the dark wood table.
Averest yawned.
"It's a barn owl." She stated. Zane gave her a look.
"I was not talking to you, I was talking to mom." He said. He looked to Lynn, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, I really thought the poor bird would be, um, would have trouble flying in the storm that's coming, so…I'm going to put him in that little brass cage you own until…the storm lets up, now stop asking questions and…here's a coat, Zane, go and…put it in the barn, now go!" she nervously said. Zane grunted.
Averest turned around.
"I'm going to bed, see ya." She said. Lynn frowned.
"Dear, why don't we…talk for a moment, please dear." Lynn stated. Averest shrugged.
In her bedroom, Lynn just let it out.
"You're a witch." She stated, sighing heavily. Averest nodded.
"Halloween's a few months away mom…" Averest declared, confused.
Lynn started over.
"No, actually, you won't be here for Halloween, Avery." Lynn said.
"Why not mom?" she asked in return.
"Um, where do I start…your father. You remember him, don't you? Yes, very good…he was a wizard. And you are a witch. And…neither I nor Zane are magical either. So, you'll…be going to a school…this is too hard!" cried Lynn.
Averest was, understandably, confused. She watched her mother rummage in her pockets, pulling out a single scrap of paper the size of a playing card. Attached to the slip was a packet of who knows what, weighing heavily on the paper.
Lynn started mumbling. "Hmm…floo powder…fireplace…wizard…Acreasis's home…" she read. She handed the card to Averest.
"Follow the directions, he'll explain everything."