3. A fair life
Gabriel woke up sweating again. He dragged himself out of bed, jumped in the shower, jumped out, put on a pair of boxers, his dark jeans, a white v-neck, a long black fitted coat, and a pair of grey high-tops. He glanced at the clock; 6:50.
His dad and sisters were waiting in the living room.
"You're going to be late if you don't hurry," David said cheerfully, "I made you breakfast." Gabriel saw a couple of toasted Poptarts. The girls were eating theirs solemnly in the corner. They were all dressed up in matching blue and pink dresses. David was in an ill-fitting grey suit and a black tie. His black, dress shoes were dusty from not being used and his hair was combed over to cover the white spot in the center of his head.
"Aren't you going to say 'good-morning'?" he started to growl.
"Morning," Gabriel whispered.
"You guys better get going," David told them. The girls immediately got up and headed for the door. Gabriel followed them.
"You'll bring them to the court house at three, right?" David told him more than asked.
"Yeah," Gabriel mumbled as he walked out.
"ROOOOPH!" Sophie, the neighbor dog barked at them as they climbed into the bug.
"Hey girl," Gabriel said, "We'll see ya!"
"Rooph!" she barked again, wagging her tail.
They got to school right at 7:35. Tyler and William were waiting for them as always. They exchanged hellos, the girls rushed off to meet their peers and the trio headed for the school.
"We're going to the courthouse today," Gabriel told them.
"What are you going to tell them," William asked.
"I don't know, Bill," Gabriel said rolling the stone around in his palm.
"You have to say something," Tyler told him.
"Like what? It really won't matter," he said quickly. They just starred at him.

The bell rang and the three of them went in their separate directions. Today Gabriel had photo first, then statistics, then he ended with phsyc. He shuffled back to the parking lot where Tyler and William were waiting by his car.
"Whats this?" He said seeing them.
"We're going to lunch," Tyler told him.
"You coming?" William asked. Gabriel just watched them for a second. Then he grinned a half grin.
"I have to get ready for court," he told them.
"Come on, man," Tyler wined.
"I got to go man," he said unlocking his car and sliding into the seat.
"Tell us how it goes!" William yelled as he sped off. He passed by the front of the school where Lane was standing by her car. She waved at him as he passed. He smiled his half smile and took off.
When Gabriel got home, it was just after noon, and his father's car was gone. He stopped for a moment to pet Sophie and he immediately headed for the rocks. He pulled away the rocks and dirt from the root and pulled out his wand.
"Cooooh!' Jasper swooned right above him.
"Is that from mom?" he asked, spying the letter at Jasper's feet. The owl nudged it forward and it landed in his hand. Gabriel waved his wand over the envelope. It wiggled, the lifted into the air, tore open and unfolded.
"Gabe,

I just remembered you have your court date today. Please please please don't do or say anything you are going to regret. Your dad loves you. I know he does. And he loves the girls too. Please help me out one more time. Please. I know it isn't fair of me to do this, but I need you to stay strong. For me and the girls. I love you!

Mom"

That was all he needed. Suddenly everything went black for a moment as a hate so deep boiled to the surface. How could she say this?

"I don't get it," he whispered.

"Whooo," the owl cooed.

"Why does she make me do this? After everything he's done." Gabriel read the letter over again. He held the letter up in the air and pointed his wand at the bottom corner. Without saying anything, a spark flew out of the end, and the letter caught fire. He kept his wand at the letter and then let go of it. It floated up in the air and crumpled down into a flaming ball. The owl hopped down beside him and rubbed against the boy's arm.

"Hey Jasper," he said, "what have you been up to?"

"Cooh, coooooh," it swooned.

"Well that sounds nifty," he told him.

"Cooh?"

"Yeah. But what are you gonna do?"

"Coooooh, whoo, whooooo."

"Tell me about it."

Gabriel waved his wand over the floating fire and it changed from a deep red to purple. He waved it again and it turned blue. He spotted a single, pink rose growing beneath the large trunk.

Suddenly everything changed. He went into genius mode. If there was something Gabriel was a master at, it was latin and greek. Most every spell out there had a latin or greek base, so as an aspiring spell composer, he made it his mission long ago to learn both. Thinking hard, and reviewing magical mathmatics over and over again in his head, he managed to think something up. Now, turning a cup ot bowl into a living animal was an easy task for any wizard, but turning one living thing into another was rather hard stuff. But Gabriel had something else in mind. He focused hard on the rose and pointed his wand right at the heart of the flower. Then he muttered "Cedo deus."

Nothing happened for a moment, then it began to shake softly. The petals gathered together like a bud accept for two who began to beat like bees wings. The stem split in two and the entire flower lifted by the fluttering petals into the air. It spun around, and all at once the flower became like a tiny fairy, with petals for wings, stems for legs, leafs for arms, and a flower bud for a head. Two black eyes and a small mouth smiled up at the bird.

"What do you think?" he said. The poor owl starred in amazement at the small creature.

"Prrissssier!" the sprite squeaked. The owl jumped backward, then hopped back toward the sprite. It landed in the dirt and looked around, picking up a pebble in it's tiny hand and dropping it back down. It turned around a few times and lifted back up into the air. A small breeze pushed it a few inches right and it landed back on the ground, shaking in fear. Gabriel chuckled and put his hand out for the sprite. It saw him and climbed into his palm.

"Prrrrisssssssssier!" it squeaked. The rose spotted Gabriels Pith Pinch hanging around his neck, hovered into the air and grabbed it. It watched it as it changed from blue to green to yellow and back to blue.

"You're kinda strong." The stone was easily as big as its head.

"Coooh!" Jasper swooned at the sprite. It spotted him again and leapt onto his head. Gabriel chuckled again.

"And curious," he told the flower.

"Prrissssier! Sssssssiiier!"

"Let's call you...Sier."

"Prrissssiier!"

"Cooohh!"

"Jasper and Sier. I like it."

Just then, Gabriel felt as the stone on his chest as it turned black, and he heard the familiar chugging of his father's car as it pulled into the driveway. He jumped up, and saw the black Lexus and it sped down the white pavement.

"Aguamente!" he whispered and water shot from his wand onto the floating flames. He leapt for the hole, threw the rock in front of it, and covered it with dirt.

"GO!" he whispered as loud as he could. Poor Sier looked confused, but Jasper had a wild look in his eye. He knew he was in trouble. The owl leapt into the air and the sprite grabbed hold of his feathers. Gabriel stood up strait and closed his eyes quickly. Instantly, he felt as if he was being shot through a tube, six inches in diameter, but only for a second, and then he was in his room. Apparating from one place to another was no limo ride.

"Gabe?" he heard his father yell. He was just about to call back when he noticed his wand still in his hand.

"GABE?" David yelled again. Without really thinking, he lunged for his bed and jammed it under his pillow.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" The mans voice was right at his door. Gabriel turned around right as he door pushed open.

"Hey!" he said loudly. The man starred at him.

"Why didn't you answer?" He eyed the boy.

"Bathroom," he said timidly.

"...right..."

They both stood there, watching each other.

"I...got to go get the girls," Gabriel mumbled.

"Yes you do," David told him. Gabriel hesitated, and then rushed passed him.

"BE THERE ON TIME!" The man yelled after him. Gabriel didn't answer. He rushed down the steps and out the back door down to his car. He jumped in and took off down the road.

Gabriel's heart was still racing when he got to the middle school. He hadn't looked at the clock yet. 2:50. The girls would be out at 3. He switched on the radio, slouched down in the small seat and grabbed his backpack. Rummaging through it, he found a copy of "1,000,000 Facts, Fictions, and Know Hows" by Kripen Kross, proclaimed professor of Cobblecot School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was William's gift to him for his birthday. There were twenty-three pages, each with a large letter of the alphabet on it. He turned to the page with a large 'P'.
"Pith Pinch," he said out loud. The 'P' faded away, and paragraph after paragraph of words faded in.
"The Pith Pinch!
The 'Pith Pinch', or 'Soul Searcher', invented/discovered by Wittle Hobbs (also discoverer of the Seeing Stone), tells the bearer his/her/it's immediate feelings or moods, and the feelings or moods of those within a range of approximately 20 feet or of those who have particularly strong emotions, by use of color."
Gabriel chuckled, thinking of his dad.
"Once the Pith Pinch establishes a 'nexu' or a permanent bond with a bearer, it can directly 'speak' to the bearer's mind, telling him the emotions, and even the thoughts of those whom the bearer wishes to investigate. This 'nexu' is only established once the Pith Pinch decides that a bearer is worthy of such abilities.
The Pith Pinch was found by Mr. Hobbs in North-East Asia in 1399, as..."
He stopped reading there.
"Are we connected?" he asked the stone around his neck. It turned a bright shade of yellow. Then it suddenly turned green, and then purple, then yellow again. "Cool."
The school bell rang harshly, and Gabriel watched as the girls rushed from the school, in their blue and pink dresses to the car. Gabriel put the book away, and when the girls reached the car he asked them how their day went and if anything interesting happened. They led a resounding "fine" and then a "no". Gabriel started up the car and they were off to the courthouse.

…

"You just had a birthday didn't you?" a large man in a tight-fitting black suit asked him from across a long, metal table.
"Yeah," Gabriel articulated.
"Eight-teen! You're a man now!" he said enthusiastically.
"Yep."
"What'd you get?"
"An iTunes card," he mumbled.

The man hesitated. "That's it?"

"Yeah," he huffed.

"Well," he mumbled scratching something down on a clipboard, "how have things been at home?"

He thought about telling the man about his dad always being drunk or hitting the table or the wall and all the yelling and grabbing. Then he thought about his mom.

Please, Gabe. For me Gabe.

"It's been good," he said, trying to sound convincing.

"Really?" he said, unconvinced. He watched Gabriel for a moment, and Gabriel watched the table.

"Yeah," he whispered finally.

"You know you can tell me," he told the boy. Gabriel didn't answer for a while.

"It's been fine."

No one said anything for a moment.

"Really? So, no yelling, or hitting..." the man began, " because the girls have a few bruises and your dad's alcohol level..."

"NO! IT'S BEEN FINE!" he yelled. The man was silent for a while.

"Gabriel. I can't do anything unless you tell me," the man seemed solemn.

Gabriel thought about that. He thought about his sisters. His dad. His mom. His mom.

"Everything is okay. He loves us. Everything is fine," he told him looking at the table.

Silence.

"Okay."

Gabriel met Alexus and Breanna and his father in the court lobby.

"Alright Mr. Locket, we are ready for you now," the woman walking Gabriel out to the lobby told his dad. He smiled at his son, but Gabriel felt the stone turn dead black. The three of them, Gabriel, Alexus and Breanna waited in that lobby in silence for their dad. Gabriel played with the stone. It was a dark green, like a sick child. Both of the girls looked sick to him. But what could he say?

It didn't take long before they were done with Mr. Locket. He strutted out, tight suit, come-over and all, and marched right up to the kids.

"Well, clean bill of health!" he announced. Gabriel shivered with fury. It wasn't fair. "Who wants to celebrate?"

No one said anything.

"We will..." Alexus stammered.

"Yeah," Breanna chimed in.

"Coming Gabriel?" His father growled.

"No," he muttered. The old man starred him down. Gabriel glared up at him. The man was about to lash out when he realized where he was.

"We'll...see you at home then..." he said through his teeth.

"Yeah. I guess you will."

Gabriel marched out to his car, fell into the seat and slammed the door shut. He jammed the key into the ignition, threw it into first gear, took off down the highway, and drove. He drove for miles. Miles and miles. And all the way, screaming. He drove till there was no more gas, which frankly wasn't that far. He only got to the boarder of Nevada when his car stopped. He put it in neutral and pushed it into a gas station. It only took about forty dollars to fill the small tank. Gabriel sat in his car at the station, just sat. He sat there for a while, playing with his ring. A ring his mother got him for his eleventh birthday, the same day he got his wand.

Don't ever take it off, her voice rang in his head. Never. Always keep it on you, and I will always be there. Never take if off Gabe. Never.

He never did. It meant so much to him.

For me, Gabe. For me.

He threw the car into first and sped off down the road again.

He got home at almost two in the morning. The house was dark, and asleep. All accept for one light in the living room, right next to his door. The stone was black, darker then ever.
"Gabe?" his father said as he made it to the end of the hallway. Gabriel turned to see the back of his father's head as he sat on the couch. Beer glasses cover the floor.
"Yeah," he whispered.
"Where have you been?" the man growled.
"Out."
He turned around. His eyes were grey and bloodshot, and his face was wet with sweat that creased in the wrinkles of his face. He stood up and walked around the couch. That's when Gabriel saw it. His wand, in his father's hand.
"I found this," he slurred, drunk, "in your room. Your not supposed to have this," he said waving the wand in the air. Gabriel stood frozen. He watched the wand as the large one dropped it on the couch.
"I..." the boy tried to say.
"SHUT UP!" the man screamed. Gabriel took one step back and David took three forward. He grabbed the boy around the neck and squeezed. Gabriel started to choke. Then, as quickly as he grabbed him, he threw him down on the tile floor. The boy was coughing.
"I...I..." he tried to say again. He looked up into his eyes, those grey, bloodshot eyes. The stone suddenly grew darker.
"You're just like you mother," the man grumbled through his teeth.
"Good," Gabriel whispered. And the stone grew darker.
"YOU WANA BE LIKE HER?" He kicked the boy. He kicked him on the floor, in the stomach. "YOU WANA BE LIKE THAT BITCH?" The man picked the boy up by the neck and threw him back across the room. Gabriel hit the couch and it rolled over. His wand slid over by the fireplace.
"Please," Gabriel coughed as blood splattered all over his shirt. He spotted the wand up against the granite and crawled slowly toward it, "dad."
"OH SHUT UP!" he screamed, and lunged toward him. But it was to late. It had happened. Gabriel grabbed the wand and closed his eyes, and in a instant he was gone.
He opened his eyes and he was up in the rocks. His hand and legs shivering, blood covering his mouth and chest. For a moment, time stood still. All the blood left in his body rushed to his head. He saw the faces of his sisters and his mother and of Tyler and William and Lane. And then he saw his father, that man who tortured Gabriel's very existence. His face burned from the inside of Gabriel's eyes. That face like a hog, ugly and twisted in anger.

Something happened then. A voice whispered to him, his mother's voice. She reached out to him, trying to call him back. But it was too late, it had happened. A darkness, deep and smoldering, sparked and kicked up by the pain of his father, sprang to life within him. A dark fire, suppressed by his mothers still small voice, broke up through the bars of her words. Her voice called to him, pulling at his heart, but it was already caught up in the cold flames. Like ice, the darkness froze over his mind and pulled him to a new state of consciousness. It had taken him.

He clenched the wand tight in his fist, took a breath, closed his eyes, and apparated back into the house.
He was standing in the doorway of his room, starring down at his father who was still huddled by the fireplace. The man whipped around, stunned to see the boy.
"How..." the large one gasped. Suddenly, all at once, the boy raised his wand and screamed, "CRUCIO!"
The man jolted to the floor and doubled over in pain. He spasamed and cringed, trying to scream. The man felt as if his spine was spinning and cracking and breaking. Gabriel pulled his wand away and all at once the pain left him. He pointed his wand at the body on the floor and muttered, "IMPERIO!" The man stiffened like a board. Gabriel raised his wand and the body followed. He threw the man against the wall and then released him. "CRUCIO!" He screamed again and the body rolled over in unspeakable pain. He let him go and watched the body as the man sobbed like a child. "IMPERIO!" And he threw him against the other wall. He rolled the stiff body over and let him go. The man starred into his eyes. Blood gushed from his mouth and tears boiled down his face. Gabriel watched him bleed.
For me, Gabe. For me. Her words pulling the ice back.
He watched his father bleed. But there was still ice left. "Imperio," he whispered. He lifted the man and threw him back toward the door, then turned and threw him across the room, through the glas window and let him fall into the pool outside. Then he watched as the man, barely alive, tried to swim and swim. A red velvet liquid stretching over the pool like a blanket.

And then Gabriel vanished.