CHAPTER 5

Aladdin lay there, blind and sore. He could smell smoke, but couldn't do anything to stop it. Or could he?

Mustering all his strength, he transformed himself into a wolf. Though still blind, he now had the ability to call for help. Aladdin took a deep breath, and began to howl at the top of his lungs.

In an old house, just on the edge of town, Jim opened his eyes and listened. As the howling continued, he got up and quickly snuck outside. Transforming into a wolf, he howled out, "What's wrong?"

"Fire!" came the answer.

"I'll get help," Jim promised, and rushed toward town.

Stopping just outside a small house in downtown, Jim let out a howl that caused Eric to sit straight up in bed. Eric opened his window.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The forest is on fire! We need you!" Jim said frantically.

"I'm coming!" Eric exclaimed, and quickly climbed out his window and followed the wolf down the street towards the forest.

"Hurry, up!" Jim called as they ran. Eric didn't answer, but did manage to speed up a little.

By the time they reached the forest, Eric was stumbling and gasping for air. But that didn't stop him from reacting to the scene before him.

"Oh no," he gasped.

The fire raged before him, each moment finding something new to feed the flames.

"Put it out!" Jim yelled.

"How?" Eric asked, thinking hard. "Water."

Eric thought hard. The stream was too small, but the ocean…

"Don't hate me, Ariel," he exclaimed. Reaching out with his arm, and his mind, he gathered up a great wave, then threw his arm forward like a pitcher. Everything around, including Eric and Jim, was instantly drenched, and the fire was put out.

Both boys sputtered, getting the salt water out of their mouth and eyes.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Jim said coughing, "but it works."

Eric looked around. "Where is everyone?" he asked, worried.

"I don't know," Jim said. "We'll have to sniff them out." So saying, he began trying to pick up their trails. But after a few minutes, he had to admit defeat.

"The scent's cold," Jim said, transforming back into himself. "Washed away by all that water you dumped on us."

Eric felt his face turn red. "I'm sorry," he said, embarrassed.

Jim looked at Eric. "Can you find them?" he asked.

"I don't know," Parker admitted. "I can try."

"Try," Jim growled.

Eric closed his eyes. With his mind, he began searching the forest for his friends. It didn't take long, but it seemed like forever till he saw what he wanted. "Al!" Eric's mind came back to where he was.

"Where is he?" Jim asked.

"This way." They hurried toward the place Eric had seen.

It only took a minute to reach him.

"Al!" Eric cried, rushing to his friend. "Are you ok?"

"Get this dark out of my eyes!" Aladdin said urgently.

Nervously, Eric placed his hand over Aladdin's eyes, searched with his mind, and found the blind. With his mind, he grabbed the blind and removed it as he removed his hand from Aladdin's eyes.

Aladdin sighed with relief. "Thanks."

"What happened?" Jim asked.

"It happened too fast to see," Aladdin told them. "But I do know one thing: whoever, or whatever, is behind this, there is definitely big magic involved."

"Do you know where the others are?" Jim asked.

"I know where they should be," Aladdin answered. "Come on." Aladdin led the way through the forest.

After a minute, however, Jim stopped. "What?" Aladdin asked him.

"Can't you smell that?" Jim asked sharply.

Aladdin sniffed the air. "Smell what?"

"I'm not sure," Jim answered slowly, "but I've smelled it before. Can't stand it."

Aladdin shook his head. "All right. Stand guard, then."

Aladdin and Eric took a few more steps forward. "I smell wine," Aladdin said suddenly.

"And something else," Eric added.

Both boys rushed forward and found Phil passed out in the bushes.

"It's Phil!" Aladdin called to Jim.

"Is he all right?" Jim asked.

Eric knelt down and examined the cup. "Sleeping potion," he said grimly. "I'd know that smell anywhere." He stood up. "He'll stay conked out for a couple of hours, but he'll be all right."

"Are you sure?" Aladdin asked, worried.

"I'm positive," Eric said firmly.

But Aladdin was still not convinced. "How can you be positive?"

Eric rolled his eyes. "Trust me, once you've smelled that, you never forget it."

"You're right," Jim said, finally forcing himself to come closer. "But I never did find out what it was. How did you?"

Eric thought hard. "There was – a test – and…" He placed a hand on his head, which had started to throb. "I can't remember. It's almost like I've blocked it somehow, like I don't want to remember."

"I remember when I first smelled it," Jim said thoughtfully. "I was a kid. My parents were away, and some guy from town was watching me. He had this cream, like butter. He began to smear it all over me. I got angry, and started fighting him. He forced a few drops of that… stuff into my mouth. The next thing I remember, he was gone, and my parents were home again. I didn't know what had happened until that night. It was a full moon. I couldn't stop myself."

The true meaning of what Jim was saying hit the boys like a ton of bricks. "You weren't born a werewolf!" Aladdin exclaimed. "You were turned into one. I've heard of things like that, but I didn't realize it was real."

"It was," Jim said firmly. "Soon after that, the man was hung as a wizard. All the children he had cursed were sent away to become some… government experiment. As soon as my parents found out, we moved away. Never came back." He looked away. "Until now."

Eric shook his head. "No one ever knew about my gift," he said quietly. "Whenever anyone found out, I would just wipe it from their mind. Make them think I was an ordinary kid. I could do that somehow. Anyway," he said quickly, "we're off track. We need to find the others."

Come on," Aladdin said, "Pocahontas should be over here."

Aladdin was leading them when he suddenly stopped short. The top of a large tree lay in their path. "Oh, no," he whispered, then ran forward wildly, shouting, "Pocahontas!"

Pocahontas was laying on the ground, unconscious. Aladdin ran to her and held her in his arms. Eric stood beside him, searching with his mind. "She's alive," he told them.

"But not for long!" Aladdin blurted. "Her spirit is connected to that tree, that's how these things work! If it dies, she dies!"

Jim looked at Eric hopefully. "Eric?"

Eric understood what he meant. He closed his eyes, and focused his mind. Reaching out his arm so that his hand was even to his shoulder, he slowly bent his elbow until his fingers pointed to the sky. As he did so, the tree followed, until it stood straight again. Eric then rubbed his elbow, sealing the tree where it broke. Then he gently released the tree from his mind. The tree stood, and they all sighed in relief.

Pocahontas stirred, and opened her eyes. "Al?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah, I'm here," Aladdin answered gently. "Oh, Po, I thought we'd lost you!"

Pocahontas smiled weakly. "Not yet, you ain't."

"Are you ok?" Aladdin asked her, concerned.

She winced a little as she sat up. "A little sore, but I'll be fine."

"We need to find the others, Al," Eric reminded him.

But Eric seemed reluctant to leave Pocahontas' side. She smiled at him weakly. "Go, I'll be fine," she told him.

"Are you sure," he asked.

"I'm sure," she said firmly. "Go make sure everyone else is ok."

"All right," Aladdin answered, standing. "We'll be back, I promise."

As the boys went along, Eric said, "I didn't know she was your girl."

"She's not," Aladdin said. "She's my sister."

Jim looked at him, surprised. "Sister?"

"Well, stepsister," Aladdin explained. "See, Kida and Pocahontas are sisters, but they have different fathers. Me and Pocahontas have the same father, but Kida…"

They all stopped and stared in horror. Kida was trapped, floating in a giant ball of water over the stream. "You've got to be kidding me," Jim muttered in disbelief.

"Eric, if you can do anything, do it!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"What did they do?" Eric said quietly, a bit stunned. He looked closely. "River stopped," he said to himself. Then it hit him. "It's a bubble!" Reaching his hand forward, he pressed gently against the bubble. Water began to leak out around his hand. He pressed harder, and his hand was inside. He kept on pushing, until his whole body was inside the bubble. Kida floated above him. Eric focused with his mind, lifted his arms above his head, then dropped them quickly. The bubble busted, and water poured out everywhere. Kida quickly fell, and Eric caught her just before she hit the ground. "Kida?" Eric asked, worried.

Kida stirred. "Eric?"

"Kida!" Aladdin cried out in joy. He ran over and hugged her. "You're ok!"

Eric looked around. "Where's your dad? And Ariel? If this keeps up they could be in danger."

Aladdin looked Kida in the eyes. "Where's Dad?"

"He was over there," she said, pointing.

The boys took off in the direction she pointed in. He was nowhere to be found.

"Wait," Eric said. Closing his eyes, he began to search with his mind, finally finding what he wanted. "He's at the beach with Ariel. Come on!"

As they ran, Aladdin asked, "How did you find them?"

"The same way I found you," Eric answered, breathless from running. "Brain waves."

"You got more power than I ever figured!" Aladdin exclaimed.

Eric gasped, "I just hope it's enough."