Chapter 2

Every one seemed to follow her into the room including Calcifer who asked Howl if he could be carried in to join in on the action. "Oh Lettie!" Sophie again mumbled.

"Um Sophie...what is it?" Howl asked gently, afraid of angering her.

"It's Lettie... She, she has run away!

"Your sister Lettie? That Lettie?" Howl asked. Not sure if he remembered what her sister looked like by what he had seen a heck of a long time ago.

"Yes, that Lettie. the Lettie who always kept her head on straight and never did anything like this! Howl, I'm worried... really worried. It's just not like her and I don't know where in the world she could be." Sophie turned the note back and forth trying to see if Lettie left any note of where she might be. Sophie spied a glimmer on the back but Sophie figured it was only the light.

It felt a bit childish but she concluded to herself that she would search the country. "There has to be some way of finding her! and I won't give up on her!" Sophie stated in an empty room. she looked around and sighed, spying the note. Sophie reached over to pick it up. folding it, she noticed something on the back. nothing had been there before. Sophie took a sudden interest and unfolded the note to see the back. It was a map of the country. Scetched houses spotted the drawing and a particular one was etched in purple, probably marking something of importance. It got Sophie thinking and she ran out of the room. "Howl, Howl!" Sophie called after him.

""Yes Sophie?" Howl questioned as he came down the stairs. "Well what could be setting you in a good mood... especially after what just happened?"

"Oh Howl, I don't want to get my hopes up but look at this!" Sophie handed him the note and beamed.

"Ummm... Sophie, I've already seen the note." Howl chuckled, delighted that Sophie was in a good mood.

"No Howl, it's on the back." Sophie politely corrected him. Howl stared at the back of the note for a long time with confusion.

"Woah Sophie... what made it do that?"

"I don't exactly know Howl but it just appeared after I..." Sophie stopped short kind of embarrassed that she'd been talking to the note.

"Yes Sophie... After youwhat?"

"Oh nothing..." sophie started to say but thenshe added, "I just asked it to tell me where Lettie was. So maybe it can tell us where Lettie is!" sophie was starting to jump too far, becoming desperate to find her sister.

"Yeah but it doesn't tell us where in the country Lettie is. The only informationwe have is that purple house there. Anyway, I'm more interested in what you said you did."

"Huh?" Sophie was confused. How could Howl be interested in her talking to objects?

Howl went on to explain, "You said that you talked to the note?"

"Yeah I asked it if it could show the way to Lettie."

"I don't know for sure but it seems to me that you can enchant things by talking to them." Howl said that with a big grin on his face.

"I..." Sophie could hardly say anything. Still she didn't fully understand exactly what Howl meant. "What do you mean Howl?"

"What I mean is that your magic is little but can control certain things by talking to them. But that's just a theory..."

"You mean Sophie can do magic like that?" Markl chimed in who had been listening to the conversation from the side.

"Markl now, you heard Howl. He said it was only a theory." Sophie tried to calm him.

"Yes but it's very likely Sophie." Howl added.

Sophie took it into considerstion that night of course, but could never fully come to believe that what Howl said might be true. "How could I have magical powers? If I actually had powers I would've known a while ago." Sophie assured herself but it didn't help at all. Howl glided into Sophie's room with hot tea.

"Delivery!" Howl called through the door. "Hot tea made by Calcifer. Just what you need."

"Thank you Howl." Sophie said surprised that he could actually make tea. Or at least Calcifer could.

Howl sat next toSophieon her bed. "You don't believe medo you?" Howl smiled and said knowingly. "What's on your mind Sophie? You look like you're always in deep thought lately."

"Howl it's just that I don't know anything about this situation and if it's best I leave it alone." Howl handed Sophiethe cup of tea and while she sipped on it Howl tried to argue.

"Sophie... you can't be sure about your situationif you don't try to prove itand you can learn more about it by not leaving it alone." Howl had a point. Suddenly, Howl jumped off the bed and grabbed Sophie's arms to pull her up as well. Howl had that ready-to-do-anythingsmile on his face.

"What are we doing Howl?" Sophie asked.

"We're doing a test run!" Came Howl's reply as he pulled her around the room, looking for something.

As she was being dragged along for the search, Sophie asked, "We're doing what?"

"A test run." Howl answered, still looking. "To see if you really have powers."

"But Howl..." Sophie stopped his search and looked at him. "I don't know if it will work. I mean I didn't expect it to happen with the note and I wonder if it will actually work if I do it in purpose."

"Just don't worry so much sophie!" Howl said, breaking away from Sophie to continue his search. "Aha!" Howl said triumphantly. "Here Sophie hold this." Howl handed Sophie a broom that he had found in the closet of her room. "Now Sophie, tell it to do something!" Howl said enthusiastically, showing his obvious curiosity.

"Okay... ummm... What do I say Howl?"

"Anything Sophie. Just tell it something you wish it could do. Try Sophie. Aren't you curious to know?"

"I just am not sure...it's that...Howl."

"Sophie... just try okay?"

Sophie felt determined now. She would not let Howl down, he was counting on her to try. "I'll try Howl." Sophie smiled up at Howl.

Sophie turned to the broom that had been propped up on the bed. "Ummm...I wish that you would clean the house yourself?" Sophie said unsurely. She desperately hoped it would work.