Author's Note:
This was a re-write of the whole first chapter.
The only reason I did this re-write was because some people couldn't stop complaining
about the minor mistakes I put in the first write-up - therefore, here is what was changed.
1) The Seattle Ocean - yes, I know it is cold, but I was stupid enough to forget just HOW
cold.
2) This wasn't added in this story, but - what did Oliver lie about? Kit and Nita lied to
their families about what they were doing - he did the same thing.
3) To the Advisory/Senior deal - the Seniors helped with forming the computer program
for the Advisory, right? Therefore, wouldn't it be obvious that they ARE the Advisory, as
the Advisory is much too lazy to make their own computer programs?
4) I know this is not at ALL like DD's books, but I am a fanfiction writer - I don't HAVE
to be a clone of her!
5) Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first write-up - I loved every single review
(excluding bad ones), but I got fed up when I got my tenth complaint of 'what is in the
books and what isn't!'.
Sara - I wrote that Oliver put 'random other information' in his circle. Maybe he... likes
reading historical fiction. Edgar Allen Poe is his idol. When he is an adult, his goal is to
become a famous wildlife photographer. I don't know, but I'll probably put more in a
future chapter.
Melody - about the Marine's-powers-at-10 thing: well, Diane Duane said that the younger
the wizard, the more power they have. DD never put down how much power anyone has
or does not have, so maybe Marine's powers are a decent amount when she first got them,
and now are quite small.
The spells are mine - yes, they aren't anywhere near the ones in the books, but I wasn't
willing to go into the books and merrily search for spells.
Apple Computers are beyond me, honestly, and I don't care if I got anything wrong about
them.
The next part will be out before June 7. I know that. Just... wait.
Disclaimer:
Everything is Diane Duane's, excluding the plot, characters, and other such novelties.
Dark Wizardry
Chapter One
"Oliver. Oliver."
I mumbled and tossed in my bed, still thinking I was on Oprah's talk show,
commenting on how my quick thinking saved the world from a nuclear meltdown.
Oprah's voice changed to that of my sister's, irritated and tired. "Oliver Willard
Elm, if you don't get up this moment, I am going to eat your breakfast!"
"Agh! I'm awake, God. Ya know, ya really don't hafta try sneaky ways to steal my
food. You could've just asked." I said as I yanked my shirt on over my head. I don't
actually sleep in the nude, but I sleep with only a pair of boxers on.
"So, Ollie, can I have your breakfast?" Michelle, my younger sister, asked in a
polite voice.
I sighed. "Fine. Just leave me a piece of toast, okay?"
She nodded and zipped downstairs.
I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth when I discovered my twin, Lana, was
working on her makeup and using the sink.
"Hey, dork." I said.
"Freak."
"Twit."
And with that, she left and I worked on my morning bathroom exercises.
Exercises, of course, meaning working on my hair (spiking it and making sure it was still
it's normal black - brothers and sisters have been known to do strange things with my hair
over the night, sometimes), brushing my teeth and my retainer (when I remember, of
course), and doing toilet leg lifts. Or not.
When I finally finished, I went down the stairs, skipping every other step, and
went to the kitchen table.
"Hey, ya'll."
Lana nodded, while working on some Algebra homework, Michelle waved while
drinking some orange juice, my father said a quiet "Hello," as he worked on making more
eggs for breakfast, and the only older sibling we had whom was still living at home,
Rupert, turned the page of the newspaper he was reading.
It looked almost like it had ten years ago. Only with a few differences: one,
everyone was older by ten years. Two, my other sisters - Cara, Sara, and Leslie - were
here and not at college. Three, my mother was here.
My mother died around ten years ago, a few weeks after the birth of Michelle.
Everyone misses her, especially Dad.
Back to the present. "Dad, I think I'll leave early for school," I said. He nodded as
he brought a plate of eggs to the table.
"Can I go, too?" I looked, surprised, at Lana as she completed her Algebra. "I
want to go to the library." That made me blink. Lana is a nice girl, decent to look at
(though you wouldn't catch me saying that anytime soon), but popular. And most popular
people are rarely caught dead at the library.
"Okay. Oliver, just remember that tonight is your night for dinner. And no
twinkies!" our father said.
I gustily sighed. "Oh, fine. Deny me of my junk food, why don't you!"
He smiled and I began my journey to school.
The school is only a few blocks away from where we live, which is quite good.
We can leave the house at a late time and be there within five minutes. If you run, two
minutes.
I passed by a few people on the steps, and entered. Since it was the only high
school in this part of town, every kid who was of age went there. But, for some reason, it
was very rare that you could spot more than two people in the library before school.
So, I walked into the library when I noticed Lana (who had practically run the
whole way) mouthing some words as she studied from a book.
I snuck near her (blocking my face by facing the bookcases), and overheard what
she was whispering. "... or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened. To these
ends, in the practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it
is right to do so- till Universe's end."
A strange deathly silence came over the library. I shivered as I realized how odd
she'd been acting the past few days - like she was considering doing something. I mean,
she actually did her Algebra homework. If that isn't considered odd, or, at least, strange, I
don't know what is.
Suddenly, the school bell rang (it's been that long already?), and Lana rushed out,
leaving a trail of dirt clumps on the floor... next to the book. "She forgot the book, eh? I
guess that just means I will have to save my sister from that... that cult!"
And, in a flash of extreme heroism, I grabbed the book and went to my locker.
After a long day at school, the bell rang and I practically sprinted out the door, and
went to a little park a few blocks in the opposite direction of the school and my house.
Once I got to the park, I climbed behind the bushes, and made my way down a
little path that was inside the bushes. After a minute of walking, I made it to a small
clearing in the bushes, and sat down on a carpet of leaves.
I opened the book up, and began reading.
After about an hour of reading, I was considerably shocked. My sister - my twin
sister, whom I had done and participated in everything since birth with - was in some
weird sort of cult? A wizard?
I shook my head. It just wasn't possible. But, in some strange and scary way, it hit
a bell in me. No, a gong. At the same time I was chanting 'It's not possible, there is no
such thing as magic,' I was thinking 'I'm able to read this, so I have the power to have
magic... if I want to.'
As if in showing myself that there was no such thing as magic, I took the same
Oath that my sister had taken earlier this morning. The same silence overcame me when I
finished as had earlier, and I waited for a sign of my possible magic powers bursting out.
A streak of lightning. Anything, just to show me that it was possible.
And nothing happened.
It was the middle of third period the next day when the door slowly opened and a
tall girl (compared to my height of four foot eleven) with blond hair walked in.
She went to the teacher and handed him a note. He read it and said, "Class, this is
Marine Aber. She's in from Seattle and she will be joining this class. Please make her feel
welcome." he instructed the girl - Marine - to a desk in the last row.
I bent over my work and shivered. I could feel someone watching me, and I had a
feeling I knew who it was.
I sat down at my normal table at lunch with an apple and a can of diet coke and
pulled the book out of my backpack.
I opened it when Marine (holding a tray of the truly disgusting looking school
food) walked up and asked, "May I sit here?"
Shrugging, I said, "I suppose." In all honesty, I did not want her to sit near me -
she simply creeped me out. We had had every class from third period till lunch, so far,
together, and I had this feeling that I was being watched in every class.
She sat down and opened a bag of potato chips and pulled one out. "Want one?"
she asked. In reply, I shook my head.
It was obvious that she was trying to make conversation when she asked
something that I found strange. "So, how long have you been one?"
"Been one what?"
She motioned towards the book. "A wizard."
I blinked. So that was why she had been staring at me all morning - she wasn't
staring at me, but the book!
"I'm not a... wizard," I weakly urged out. But already, after five minutes of
knowing each other, she could tell I was lying. "Fine. I read the Oath yesterday, but
nothing happened. My sister, Lana - you know, the girl you sat next to fifth period - took
it early yesterday morning. She doesn't know I took it myself, of course, or that I have her
book."
She blinked uncertainly. "Er... right. Pretty soon you'll be on your ordeal - so
you'd better get reading, there - and at least try a spell before saying nothing happened?"
I nodded. "How long have you been a wizard?"
Marine smiled. "Since I was ten. I used to live in Seattle-"
"Yeah, I know."
She rolled her eyes and continued. "Where we lived in an apartment right across
from the ocean. I swam every day it was nice out-"
I gave her a puzzled look. "Isn't it freezing up there?"
She sighed and nodded. "There was a pool right next to the ocean, which - oddly
enough - used ocean water. It was cheaper and such. Anyways, when the pool was closed,
I just pulled a wet-suit on and jumped into the ocean," she leaned in, eyebrows raised.
"When the ocean was just too cold, or the pool was closed, I read. That's how I
discovered my manual - I was going through the books I had borrowed from the library
when I ended up with it."
"Ah."
She began sounding wistful. "My mother named me Marine, because, she said, I
looked like a baby otter. Kind of embarrassing, really, being compared to an otter, but...
she also enjoyed swimming."
"You're talking in past tense." I mentally slapped myself - God, talking about
straight forward.
She snapped out of her reverie and looked annoyed. "My mother and father died a
few weeks ago. I had to move in with my aunt. That's why I'm here."
I nodded. After this, the conversation basically ended, and the bell rang. We
headed off to our classes (separate, this time), and I was relieved that lunch was over, so I
could finish up chapter twelve without feeling obliged to talk.
By the end of school, I had read up to chapter twenty, and thought I was prepared
to do my first spell.
Understandably, I was quite happy - to see if this was real, and to make sure
Marine and Lana and whoever else was in that cult wasn't just making me go crazy from
an incredibly elaborate joke.
I went back to my little clearing, and opened the book up. It landed on a page that
listed a spell for transportation. I shrugged and decided to try a transportation spell for my
first bit of wizardry.
Luckily, it didn't involve any supplies besides a circle, a wizard's knot, some
information of myself, and someone who could speak.
I looked around me for a piece of thread and gave up after about ten minutes of
crawling through the bushes. I found a loose thread on the bottom of my sock and placed
it in a near circle. I then picked up a stick and drew the wizards knot - a sideways eight -
and flipped my book to chapter three, where it had a chart of all two hundred and eighteen
Speech symbols. I put down my name, age, date of birth, grade, and several other random
facts about myself on one side of the circle, and stood on the other. I looked down at the
book - one more thing to do: say the coordinates and the thirteen syllable word.
I thought about where I wouldn't mind visiting... my mind ran through hundreds
of places in less then a minute - the Moon, Mars, South Africa, India, Japan, Brazil - and
stopped on one place: my bedroom. I wouldn't have to tear another piece of thread off my
socks (which already were filled with holes and ragged) to come back, and I'd still have
air.
I decided that it was a good idea, and began the spell. After stating the coordinates
(which basically included the town, state, zip code, house number, street name, and how
many feet off the ground you want to be), I said the word.
After a trip through this weird black portal thing, where I was twisting around in
some very uncomfortable ways ("Dammit! Agh! Pain!"), I saw the white at the end of the
tunnel. Or rather, light blue.
I fell two feet straight down, landing on my bed, ("Dammit!") pretty sure that
twelve feet was a bit too high up.
I turned my head towards the door, which was wide open. Now, I normally shut
my door, but occasionally I forget.
I cursed as my father looked, amused, at me, hand on the doorknob. "Dammit!"
Oddly enough, he didn't comment on anything, though he did smile at me more
than usual, as though he knew what it was.
After dinner, I noticed that Lana was getting slightly frantic over something - she
was looking halfway to tears and very anxious. I stopped by the bedroom she shared with
Michelle and an elder sister, Leslie, when she was home.
Lana was halfway under her bed, throwing things out from underneath it. I tapped
her calf and said, "Lan, what are ya lookin for?"
She backed out and sat up. "A book. It had a picture of a wand on it... have you
seen it?"
Well, of course I've seen it. I mean, it kinda is in my backpack... but I refrained
from saying that and said, "Sorry. I'll keep on a lookout for it, though."
And I then left for my bedroom (that I share with the only other male sibling we
had, Rupert). He was on his bed when I entered, and was working on some homework.
"Yo, bro."
"Hmm." he replied. See, Rupert is very... er... quiet. He never talks if he can help
it, and has been asked by other people in the past if he was on narcotics. Surprisingly, he
isn't, but he has a rather wicked sense of humor when he gets around to it.
I dug into my backpack and pulled the book out - where I had placed it once I got
home - and began plotting my plan.
The next morning, my plan began.
I got up about fifteen minutes before everyone else in the house got up, and did all
of my normal morning stuff.
After I was sure my sisters had left their bedroom, I snuck in and hid the book
under a shirt on the floor. Relieved that I had not been caught, I ran down the stairs,
taking three steps at a time.
My father wasn't in the kitchen yet, so I wandered around the first floor until I
saw him booting up his computer in the living room.
See, we have two computers - a Mac and a PC, but only our father ever uses the
Mac. The PC is public property, as Cara - the eldest sibling - says.
I really wouldn't pay any attention to him at his computer, but the Mac Apple
flashed on it - only, you see, it had no bite. That definitely gained my attention.
A sign-on box popped onto his computer, and I spotted what he typed in.
Another plan began hatching in my head.
After school was over, I came home. Since it was a Wednesday, my father was at
work - he worked every day of the week except for Tuesdays, Lana was at cheerleading,
Michelle didn't get out of school for another hour, and Rupert had a Theater class. I was
all alone in the house... with my father's computer.
I came inside and yelled, "Anyone home?" Nobody replied, so I shut the door and
rushed to my dad's computer. I flicked the switch on in the back, and watched it slowly
boot up. Eventually, the log on box popped up.
This morning I had seen what my father typed in - Skye, after my mother's name.
It made me slightly depressed, though it was kind of relieving: he has so much work I
sometimes think he doesn't think about her.
So I typed in Skye, and got in. A list of programs popped up, and I was stunned. I
knew that this computer was only two gigabytes, but, oddly enough, I was positive that
the total size of the programs on it put together was at least double that.
"Huh..." I shrugged and clicked a program called seek.com.
IIIC SEEK UTILITY
Choose one:
(1) Seek Family
(2) Seek Friends
(3) Seek Strangers
(4) Seek Wizards
(5) Seek Advisory
(6) Seek Other
(7) Exit to system
I typed 4 and the screen changed.
SEEK WIZARDS OPTIONS
(a) Local
(Town/city listings)
(b) State
(State listings: United States/Canada listings only)
(c) Regional
(Regional listings: IE. Midwest, Southwest)
(d) Country
(Country listings: IE. France, Uganda)
(e) Continental
(Continental listings: IE. Africa, Antarctica)
(f) Exit to main menu
I hit the A key, and a list popped up in alphabetical order. I scrolled down the list,
and clicked the 'next' link. It brought me to the next page, and I kept on clicking it,
searching for familiar names, when I reached the E page. I scrolled down, and found the
first of my family.
ELM, Alexander M.
1261 Michigan Ave.,
(405) 555-8922 (Advisory)
My jaw practically hit the floor. Quite understandable, really, if you think about it
- my father was a Senior? I mean, they die, on average, before the age of thirty five. My
father is forty four. Did I mention that the reason they die is because they fight the One, or
one of His hired henchmen? I guess not.
I then saw the name of my aunt Jane, who lived on the other side of town, and
then Lana, and then me.
Suddenly, a pop up appeared. It said, 'Copy Utility: Open or Cancel'. I checked
my watch, and it said there was still fifteen minutes left before anyone came home. I
shrugged. Maybe Apple's take about forty minutes to boot up?
I clicked Open and a new screen popped up. I did all the basics and suddenly had
a computer next to me. I then turned my father's computer off and turned the other one
on, and set the Hide feature.
It asked for a password for retrieval, and after a few seconds of thinking, I typed in
Otter. My conversation with Marine was still bright in my head.
Almost ten seconds after the second computer disappeared into... well, otherspace
(with a retrievable pocket, of course), the door began being fumbled open.
I jumped up, pushed the chair in (praying that nobody would find the need to sit
there and discover the warm spot), and opened the door.
Lana, who had been leaning against the door, fell in. Michelle giggled and skipped
upstairs, while a friend of Lana's, Kelly, helped Lana up.
"How was cheerleading practice?" I inquired as they began up the stairs.
"We cheered."
"Oh."
And then I went to the kitchen for a snack.
About two hours later, after I had dinner, I went out to my little bush-clearing
place, and began to read some more - after fiddling with my computers voice commands.
Eventually, after getting through five more chapters (leaving me on chapter twenty
five), I began daydreaming.
I replayed lunch today over in my head.
"Hey, Oliver."
"Hey, Marine."
"I hate school."
"So do I."
"Want a chip?"
"Sure."
Okay, it was barely a conversation, let alone a memorable one, but... something
about it ran a chill down my back. A warm chill.
Oh, my God. I have a crush on Marine.
After that revelation, I hid my computer in otherspace and ran home.
The next day, I decided to get in some extra spells before school, so I got up and
left the house early again, and visited the place that was becoming my second home.
I brought my computer back out with a "This is a computer retrieval spell.
Password Otter, coordinates 1579 Michigan Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United
States-" Since it gets pretty boring and far out (think of how many universes and
dimensions there are. I had to list exactly which one we're in, which ones we are next to,
and if I made a single mistake I could quite possibly be recognized as an piece of overly
burnt toast), I'll leave off there.
"Computer, could you bring up the Speech charts?" I asked. It complied, and
within seconds, I began my studies of the Speech.
You see, the Speech is very important in wizard culture, because it describes
things no Earthly word could describe. I hadn't actually learned it that much, but because
I took Spanish in the fourth and fifth grade, German in the sixth through eighth grades,
and am currently taking French with a goal of getting through high school with it, I
learned it pretty fast.
I got pretty absorbed in my learning a new language, and eventually I realized that
I was probably late for school, or going to be. I checked my watch and yelled - it was an
hour after school began, and I wasn't there! I hurriedly began packing up, when a devilish
idea came into mind - maybe I could just skip. I mean, it's just one day, and they certainly
don't care if you go to school or not!
After that idea took over my mind, I sat back down. I had six hours to do whatever
I pleased - and at the top of my list was, obviously, to do a bit more reading.
After three hours of intense reading, I sat up from being bent over my computer
and rubbed my eyes. I should have just had my computer verbally tell me everything, but
that was just too dangerous - I mean, I was in the middle of a city, here.
"Ugh...," I said, clasping my hand to my stomach as it made a growl. "I need some
major chow." I grinned and prepared my transportation spell - the piece of string was still
there, and I could just redo the wizards knot and information and all.
I brushed the old information to the side and began my working. It wasn't as hard
as before, because I had been studying, but I still had to check and make sure I wouldn't
suddenly have hair to my feet.
I sent my computer off and said the word that began - and ended - the spell.
I was pulled into the irritating tunnel thing, and when I was halfway through it, a
hand popped in. "What the-" I began, and the hand did something - nothing rude, but
some gesture that looked like a flower blooming in fast motion - and I stopped.
"Shit." I said as I fell into a stream of cerulean blue water. And then I saw black.
This was a re-write of the whole first chapter.
The only reason I did this re-write was because some people couldn't stop complaining
about the minor mistakes I put in the first write-up - therefore, here is what was changed.
1) The Seattle Ocean - yes, I know it is cold, but I was stupid enough to forget just HOW
cold.
2) This wasn't added in this story, but - what did Oliver lie about? Kit and Nita lied to
their families about what they were doing - he did the same thing.
3) To the Advisory/Senior deal - the Seniors helped with forming the computer program
for the Advisory, right? Therefore, wouldn't it be obvious that they ARE the Advisory, as
the Advisory is much too lazy to make their own computer programs?
4) I know this is not at ALL like DD's books, but I am a fanfiction writer - I don't HAVE
to be a clone of her!
5) Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first write-up - I loved every single review
(excluding bad ones), but I got fed up when I got my tenth complaint of 'what is in the
books and what isn't!'.
Sara - I wrote that Oliver put 'random other information' in his circle. Maybe he... likes
reading historical fiction. Edgar Allen Poe is his idol. When he is an adult, his goal is to
become a famous wildlife photographer. I don't know, but I'll probably put more in a
future chapter.
Melody - about the Marine's-powers-at-10 thing: well, Diane Duane said that the younger
the wizard, the more power they have. DD never put down how much power anyone has
or does not have, so maybe Marine's powers are a decent amount when she first got them,
and now are quite small.
The spells are mine - yes, they aren't anywhere near the ones in the books, but I wasn't
willing to go into the books and merrily search for spells.
Apple Computers are beyond me, honestly, and I don't care if I got anything wrong about
them.
The next part will be out before June 7. I know that. Just... wait.
Disclaimer:
Everything is Diane Duane's, excluding the plot, characters, and other such novelties.
Dark Wizardry
Chapter One
"Oliver. Oliver."
I mumbled and tossed in my bed, still thinking I was on Oprah's talk show,
commenting on how my quick thinking saved the world from a nuclear meltdown.
Oprah's voice changed to that of my sister's, irritated and tired. "Oliver Willard
Elm, if you don't get up this moment, I am going to eat your breakfast!"
"Agh! I'm awake, God. Ya know, ya really don't hafta try sneaky ways to steal my
food. You could've just asked." I said as I yanked my shirt on over my head. I don't
actually sleep in the nude, but I sleep with only a pair of boxers on.
"So, Ollie, can I have your breakfast?" Michelle, my younger sister, asked in a
polite voice.
I sighed. "Fine. Just leave me a piece of toast, okay?"
She nodded and zipped downstairs.
I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth when I discovered my twin, Lana, was
working on her makeup and using the sink.
"Hey, dork." I said.
"Freak."
"Twit."
And with that, she left and I worked on my morning bathroom exercises.
Exercises, of course, meaning working on my hair (spiking it and making sure it was still
it's normal black - brothers and sisters have been known to do strange things with my hair
over the night, sometimes), brushing my teeth and my retainer (when I remember, of
course), and doing toilet leg lifts. Or not.
When I finally finished, I went down the stairs, skipping every other step, and
went to the kitchen table.
"Hey, ya'll."
Lana nodded, while working on some Algebra homework, Michelle waved while
drinking some orange juice, my father said a quiet "Hello," as he worked on making more
eggs for breakfast, and the only older sibling we had whom was still living at home,
Rupert, turned the page of the newspaper he was reading.
It looked almost like it had ten years ago. Only with a few differences: one,
everyone was older by ten years. Two, my other sisters - Cara, Sara, and Leslie - were
here and not at college. Three, my mother was here.
My mother died around ten years ago, a few weeks after the birth of Michelle.
Everyone misses her, especially Dad.
Back to the present. "Dad, I think I'll leave early for school," I said. He nodded as
he brought a plate of eggs to the table.
"Can I go, too?" I looked, surprised, at Lana as she completed her Algebra. "I
want to go to the library." That made me blink. Lana is a nice girl, decent to look at
(though you wouldn't catch me saying that anytime soon), but popular. And most popular
people are rarely caught dead at the library.
"Okay. Oliver, just remember that tonight is your night for dinner. And no
twinkies!" our father said.
I gustily sighed. "Oh, fine. Deny me of my junk food, why don't you!"
He smiled and I began my journey to school.
The school is only a few blocks away from where we live, which is quite good.
We can leave the house at a late time and be there within five minutes. If you run, two
minutes.
I passed by a few people on the steps, and entered. Since it was the only high
school in this part of town, every kid who was of age went there. But, for some reason, it
was very rare that you could spot more than two people in the library before school.
So, I walked into the library when I noticed Lana (who had practically run the
whole way) mouthing some words as she studied from a book.
I snuck near her (blocking my face by facing the bookcases), and overheard what
she was whispering. "... or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened. To these
ends, in the practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it
is right to do so- till Universe's end."
A strange deathly silence came over the library. I shivered as I realized how odd
she'd been acting the past few days - like she was considering doing something. I mean,
she actually did her Algebra homework. If that isn't considered odd, or, at least, strange, I
don't know what is.
Suddenly, the school bell rang (it's been that long already?), and Lana rushed out,
leaving a trail of dirt clumps on the floor... next to the book. "She forgot the book, eh? I
guess that just means I will have to save my sister from that... that cult!"
And, in a flash of extreme heroism, I grabbed the book and went to my locker.
After a long day at school, the bell rang and I practically sprinted out the door, and
went to a little park a few blocks in the opposite direction of the school and my house.
Once I got to the park, I climbed behind the bushes, and made my way down a
little path that was inside the bushes. After a minute of walking, I made it to a small
clearing in the bushes, and sat down on a carpet of leaves.
I opened the book up, and began reading.
After about an hour of reading, I was considerably shocked. My sister - my twin
sister, whom I had done and participated in everything since birth with - was in some
weird sort of cult? A wizard?
I shook my head. It just wasn't possible. But, in some strange and scary way, it hit
a bell in me. No, a gong. At the same time I was chanting 'It's not possible, there is no
such thing as magic,' I was thinking 'I'm able to read this, so I have the power to have
magic... if I want to.'
As if in showing myself that there was no such thing as magic, I took the same
Oath that my sister had taken earlier this morning. The same silence overcame me when I
finished as had earlier, and I waited for a sign of my possible magic powers bursting out.
A streak of lightning. Anything, just to show me that it was possible.
And nothing happened.
It was the middle of third period the next day when the door slowly opened and a
tall girl (compared to my height of four foot eleven) with blond hair walked in.
She went to the teacher and handed him a note. He read it and said, "Class, this is
Marine Aber. She's in from Seattle and she will be joining this class. Please make her feel
welcome." he instructed the girl - Marine - to a desk in the last row.
I bent over my work and shivered. I could feel someone watching me, and I had a
feeling I knew who it was.
I sat down at my normal table at lunch with an apple and a can of diet coke and
pulled the book out of my backpack.
I opened it when Marine (holding a tray of the truly disgusting looking school
food) walked up and asked, "May I sit here?"
Shrugging, I said, "I suppose." In all honesty, I did not want her to sit near me -
she simply creeped me out. We had had every class from third period till lunch, so far,
together, and I had this feeling that I was being watched in every class.
She sat down and opened a bag of potato chips and pulled one out. "Want one?"
she asked. In reply, I shook my head.
It was obvious that she was trying to make conversation when she asked
something that I found strange. "So, how long have you been one?"
"Been one what?"
She motioned towards the book. "A wizard."
I blinked. So that was why she had been staring at me all morning - she wasn't
staring at me, but the book!
"I'm not a... wizard," I weakly urged out. But already, after five minutes of
knowing each other, she could tell I was lying. "Fine. I read the Oath yesterday, but
nothing happened. My sister, Lana - you know, the girl you sat next to fifth period - took
it early yesterday morning. She doesn't know I took it myself, of course, or that I have her
book."
She blinked uncertainly. "Er... right. Pretty soon you'll be on your ordeal - so
you'd better get reading, there - and at least try a spell before saying nothing happened?"
I nodded. "How long have you been a wizard?"
Marine smiled. "Since I was ten. I used to live in Seattle-"
"Yeah, I know."
She rolled her eyes and continued. "Where we lived in an apartment right across
from the ocean. I swam every day it was nice out-"
I gave her a puzzled look. "Isn't it freezing up there?"
She sighed and nodded. "There was a pool right next to the ocean, which - oddly
enough - used ocean water. It was cheaper and such. Anyways, when the pool was closed,
I just pulled a wet-suit on and jumped into the ocean," she leaned in, eyebrows raised.
"When the ocean was just too cold, or the pool was closed, I read. That's how I
discovered my manual - I was going through the books I had borrowed from the library
when I ended up with it."
"Ah."
She began sounding wistful. "My mother named me Marine, because, she said, I
looked like a baby otter. Kind of embarrassing, really, being compared to an otter, but...
she also enjoyed swimming."
"You're talking in past tense." I mentally slapped myself - God, talking about
straight forward.
She snapped out of her reverie and looked annoyed. "My mother and father died a
few weeks ago. I had to move in with my aunt. That's why I'm here."
I nodded. After this, the conversation basically ended, and the bell rang. We
headed off to our classes (separate, this time), and I was relieved that lunch was over, so I
could finish up chapter twelve without feeling obliged to talk.
By the end of school, I had read up to chapter twenty, and thought I was prepared
to do my first spell.
Understandably, I was quite happy - to see if this was real, and to make sure
Marine and Lana and whoever else was in that cult wasn't just making me go crazy from
an incredibly elaborate joke.
I went back to my little clearing, and opened the book up. It landed on a page that
listed a spell for transportation. I shrugged and decided to try a transportation spell for my
first bit of wizardry.
Luckily, it didn't involve any supplies besides a circle, a wizard's knot, some
information of myself, and someone who could speak.
I looked around me for a piece of thread and gave up after about ten minutes of
crawling through the bushes. I found a loose thread on the bottom of my sock and placed
it in a near circle. I then picked up a stick and drew the wizards knot - a sideways eight -
and flipped my book to chapter three, where it had a chart of all two hundred and eighteen
Speech symbols. I put down my name, age, date of birth, grade, and several other random
facts about myself on one side of the circle, and stood on the other. I looked down at the
book - one more thing to do: say the coordinates and the thirteen syllable word.
I thought about where I wouldn't mind visiting... my mind ran through hundreds
of places in less then a minute - the Moon, Mars, South Africa, India, Japan, Brazil - and
stopped on one place: my bedroom. I wouldn't have to tear another piece of thread off my
socks (which already were filled with holes and ragged) to come back, and I'd still have
air.
I decided that it was a good idea, and began the spell. After stating the coordinates
(which basically included the town, state, zip code, house number, street name, and how
many feet off the ground you want to be), I said the word.
After a trip through this weird black portal thing, where I was twisting around in
some very uncomfortable ways ("Dammit! Agh! Pain!"), I saw the white at the end of the
tunnel. Or rather, light blue.
I fell two feet straight down, landing on my bed, ("Dammit!") pretty sure that
twelve feet was a bit too high up.
I turned my head towards the door, which was wide open. Now, I normally shut
my door, but occasionally I forget.
I cursed as my father looked, amused, at me, hand on the doorknob. "Dammit!"
Oddly enough, he didn't comment on anything, though he did smile at me more
than usual, as though he knew what it was.
After dinner, I noticed that Lana was getting slightly frantic over something - she
was looking halfway to tears and very anxious. I stopped by the bedroom she shared with
Michelle and an elder sister, Leslie, when she was home.
Lana was halfway under her bed, throwing things out from underneath it. I tapped
her calf and said, "Lan, what are ya lookin for?"
She backed out and sat up. "A book. It had a picture of a wand on it... have you
seen it?"
Well, of course I've seen it. I mean, it kinda is in my backpack... but I refrained
from saying that and said, "Sorry. I'll keep on a lookout for it, though."
And I then left for my bedroom (that I share with the only other male sibling we
had, Rupert). He was on his bed when I entered, and was working on some homework.
"Yo, bro."
"Hmm." he replied. See, Rupert is very... er... quiet. He never talks if he can help
it, and has been asked by other people in the past if he was on narcotics. Surprisingly, he
isn't, but he has a rather wicked sense of humor when he gets around to it.
I dug into my backpack and pulled the book out - where I had placed it once I got
home - and began plotting my plan.
The next morning, my plan began.
I got up about fifteen minutes before everyone else in the house got up, and did all
of my normal morning stuff.
After I was sure my sisters had left their bedroom, I snuck in and hid the book
under a shirt on the floor. Relieved that I had not been caught, I ran down the stairs,
taking three steps at a time.
My father wasn't in the kitchen yet, so I wandered around the first floor until I
saw him booting up his computer in the living room.
See, we have two computers - a Mac and a PC, but only our father ever uses the
Mac. The PC is public property, as Cara - the eldest sibling - says.
I really wouldn't pay any attention to him at his computer, but the Mac Apple
flashed on it - only, you see, it had no bite. That definitely gained my attention.
A sign-on box popped onto his computer, and I spotted what he typed in.
Another plan began hatching in my head.
After school was over, I came home. Since it was a Wednesday, my father was at
work - he worked every day of the week except for Tuesdays, Lana was at cheerleading,
Michelle didn't get out of school for another hour, and Rupert had a Theater class. I was
all alone in the house... with my father's computer.
I came inside and yelled, "Anyone home?" Nobody replied, so I shut the door and
rushed to my dad's computer. I flicked the switch on in the back, and watched it slowly
boot up. Eventually, the log on box popped up.
This morning I had seen what my father typed in - Skye, after my mother's name.
It made me slightly depressed, though it was kind of relieving: he has so much work I
sometimes think he doesn't think about her.
So I typed in Skye, and got in. A list of programs popped up, and I was stunned. I
knew that this computer was only two gigabytes, but, oddly enough, I was positive that
the total size of the programs on it put together was at least double that.
"Huh..." I shrugged and clicked a program called seek.com.
IIIC SEEK UTILITY
Choose one:
(1) Seek Family
(2) Seek Friends
(3) Seek Strangers
(4) Seek Wizards
(5) Seek Advisory
(6) Seek Other
(7) Exit to system
I typed 4 and the screen changed.
SEEK WIZARDS OPTIONS
(a) Local
(Town/city listings)
(b) State
(State listings: United States/Canada listings only)
(c) Regional
(Regional listings: IE. Midwest, Southwest)
(d) Country
(Country listings: IE. France, Uganda)
(e) Continental
(Continental listings: IE. Africa, Antarctica)
(f) Exit to main menu
I hit the A key, and a list popped up in alphabetical order. I scrolled down the list,
and clicked the 'next' link. It brought me to the next page, and I kept on clicking it,
searching for familiar names, when I reached the E page. I scrolled down, and found the
first of my family.
ELM, Alexander M.
1261 Michigan Ave.,
(405) 555-8922 (Advisory)
My jaw practically hit the floor. Quite understandable, really, if you think about it
- my father was a Senior? I mean, they die, on average, before the age of thirty five. My
father is forty four. Did I mention that the reason they die is because they fight the One, or
one of His hired henchmen? I guess not.
I then saw the name of my aunt Jane, who lived on the other side of town, and
then Lana, and then me.
Suddenly, a pop up appeared. It said, 'Copy Utility: Open or Cancel'. I checked
my watch, and it said there was still fifteen minutes left before anyone came home. I
shrugged. Maybe Apple's take about forty minutes to boot up?
I clicked Open and a new screen popped up. I did all the basics and suddenly had
a computer next to me. I then turned my father's computer off and turned the other one
on, and set the Hide feature.
It asked for a password for retrieval, and after a few seconds of thinking, I typed in
Otter. My conversation with Marine was still bright in my head.
Almost ten seconds after the second computer disappeared into... well, otherspace
(with a retrievable pocket, of course), the door began being fumbled open.
I jumped up, pushed the chair in (praying that nobody would find the need to sit
there and discover the warm spot), and opened the door.
Lana, who had been leaning against the door, fell in. Michelle giggled and skipped
upstairs, while a friend of Lana's, Kelly, helped Lana up.
"How was cheerleading practice?" I inquired as they began up the stairs.
"We cheered."
"Oh."
And then I went to the kitchen for a snack.
About two hours later, after I had dinner, I went out to my little bush-clearing
place, and began to read some more - after fiddling with my computers voice commands.
Eventually, after getting through five more chapters (leaving me on chapter twenty
five), I began daydreaming.
I replayed lunch today over in my head.
"Hey, Oliver."
"Hey, Marine."
"I hate school."
"So do I."
"Want a chip?"
"Sure."
Okay, it was barely a conversation, let alone a memorable one, but... something
about it ran a chill down my back. A warm chill.
Oh, my God. I have a crush on Marine.
After that revelation, I hid my computer in otherspace and ran home.
The next day, I decided to get in some extra spells before school, so I got up and
left the house early again, and visited the place that was becoming my second home.
I brought my computer back out with a "This is a computer retrieval spell.
Password Otter, coordinates 1579 Michigan Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United
States-" Since it gets pretty boring and far out (think of how many universes and
dimensions there are. I had to list exactly which one we're in, which ones we are next to,
and if I made a single mistake I could quite possibly be recognized as an piece of overly
burnt toast), I'll leave off there.
"Computer, could you bring up the Speech charts?" I asked. It complied, and
within seconds, I began my studies of the Speech.
You see, the Speech is very important in wizard culture, because it describes
things no Earthly word could describe. I hadn't actually learned it that much, but because
I took Spanish in the fourth and fifth grade, German in the sixth through eighth grades,
and am currently taking French with a goal of getting through high school with it, I
learned it pretty fast.
I got pretty absorbed in my learning a new language, and eventually I realized that
I was probably late for school, or going to be. I checked my watch and yelled - it was an
hour after school began, and I wasn't there! I hurriedly began packing up, when a devilish
idea came into mind - maybe I could just skip. I mean, it's just one day, and they certainly
don't care if you go to school or not!
After that idea took over my mind, I sat back down. I had six hours to do whatever
I pleased - and at the top of my list was, obviously, to do a bit more reading.
After three hours of intense reading, I sat up from being bent over my computer
and rubbed my eyes. I should have just had my computer verbally tell me everything, but
that was just too dangerous - I mean, I was in the middle of a city, here.
"Ugh...," I said, clasping my hand to my stomach as it made a growl. "I need some
major chow." I grinned and prepared my transportation spell - the piece of string was still
there, and I could just redo the wizards knot and information and all.
I brushed the old information to the side and began my working. It wasn't as hard
as before, because I had been studying, but I still had to check and make sure I wouldn't
suddenly have hair to my feet.
I sent my computer off and said the word that began - and ended - the spell.
I was pulled into the irritating tunnel thing, and when I was halfway through it, a
hand popped in. "What the-" I began, and the hand did something - nothing rude, but
some gesture that looked like a flower blooming in fast motion - and I stopped.
"Shit." I said as I fell into a stream of cerulean blue water. And then I saw black.