A Life With Magic

 A Life With Magic

By Justin O'Neal

“No Lexi, honey. Leave the fish alone. It’s dead.”

            “What do you mean the fish is dead, I just saw it swimming not too long ago.”

            “I know honey, I’m very sorry, but there isn’t much that can be done.  Go get your sister for me please. Uuh, she will be devastated.”

            “Bella” Lexi said sniffling.  Mother wants you. W-why, what’s wrong?”

            With great worry on Bella’s face, she soon heads to her mother.

            “Yes mother, what is it you want, and why is Lexi sad?”

            “Sweetie I’m sorry but I must tell you.  Goldy’s time has come.  Do you want me to take care of it for you and Lexi?”

            “We can do it mother. Thank you though.”

            Lexi, come on we’re going to take Goldy to the river instead of mother.”

            “Okay, give me a few seconds please.”

            “We will be back mother.”

            “Okay, be careful you two.  After all I should be going with the two of you since you are both fairly young, but I trust you.”

            “Thank you, we will be back as soon as we can.”

            “Give me what I came here for!”

            “I am awfully sorry sir, I know not of what you came for.”

            “Don’t play stupid with me!  You know very well what I am looking for.”

            “Again sir, I am sorry but I don’t know what it is you are after.”

            “Look Ma’am, I don’t want any trouble so please let’s not do this the hard way.  Now I suggest you take me to what I am after!”

            As that was said, a shot was fired sounding off into the distance.  Beneath the sound of the misfire, the woman had said “You will never be able to get your hands on my daughters.”  Lexi and Bella are surrounded by the sound of the shot that killed their mother.  Not sure where it came from though they linger their way back to their home.  The criminal had fled the scene as soon as he got the chance.

            “Bella, I give you the honors of placing the fish to its watery grave.”

            As Bella set her hands on the dead fish, she could feel the scales retract.  Then the fish began to splash in Lexi’s hands.  Allow the girls to jump in excitement.

            “Mama, come see this.  Goldy is alive again.”

            As they got closer to their home.  They had realized there were many flashes of blue and red lets, coming from their house.  Watching them load a black body bag into the back of vehicle.  They had decided to stay back out of sight. 

            “That can’t be, we just talked to mother not too long ago.  How could this be?  Why must it be? If only father hadn’t left us not to long ago.  None of this would have started!  All of this would be gone, it would be different.  Wouldn’t it?”

            “Come Bella, we must go before we are caught.”

            “Go where?  This is the only place we have gone and this is the only place to go.  We are on our own now.”

            “I know, but would you rather live together or be separated?  Because children with no parents get separated most of the time.”

            “As the twins mage their rash decision to live with no one to be there for them.  They head back home after all the commotion dies down and everyone leaves.

            “How will we get our food and other supplies we need?”

            “I don’t know yet.”

           

            “Did you get what I asked for?”

            “No sir, I’m afraid I didn’t.’

            “Guards take him to the test site.  We don’t need people who fail me.  At least he can’t screw this job up.”

            “Wh-what, will you do to me sir?”

            “Nothing to painful. I had some new experiments to try.  Why you lucky Ginny pig.”

            “Wa-wait sir.  I will---

            “Mama, here is the fish you asked me for.  Will papa be okay?”

            “I’m going to be just fine.” The father manages to squeeze out as he coughs.

            “Hey, now Grace, leave your father be for now, Okay?”

            Beginning to come down with something. “Oh, it appears I have the same thing your father does. Along with the rest of the village.”

            “Mama, do you know why I am the only one in the village who isn’t ill?”

            “Sorry, everyone is just as puzzled as we are.”

            “I need you to do me a favor though.”

            “What is it I must do?”

            “I have been hearing terrible rumors about you, and I just want to know you are safe so.”

            “What kind of rumors were they?”

            “Well the village think you must be one of those people.”

            “What do you mean by one of “those” people?”

            “The village has been saying you are the reason we are sick with this god awful illness.  I have also heard talk of them wanting to kill you for it.  Hoping it would be the cure to this illness.  I have tried to convince them, you aren’t the one to blame for it, but no one believes me.  I am sorry I have failed you.”

            “Don’t say stuff like that!”

            “I just need to make sure you are safe.  Can you do that for me?  I need you to leave the village and come back in a few weeks.”

            “But… where will I go?”

            “That was the problem your father and I haven’t figured out yet.  I’m just going to leave that decision up to you though.  We figured it would be easier that way.  Just let your father and I know before you leave, if that is alright with you.”

            “I think I will just go out in the forest a little ways from here and set up a campsite.”

            “At you age? You are only five. I think it is just best you head out into the forest.  Just be safe will you?  You are safer surrounded by beasts then inhumanity.”

            “I am basically take care of myself already though.”

            “I guess you do have a point there, with your father being sick and him in need of me I can see how you take care of yourself fairly well.”
            “So, when do you want me to leave?”

            “Whenever it is you are ready.”

            “Okay I think I am ready for this.”

            “I am terribly sorry it had to come to this Grace.  Your father and I love you very much so.  Try not to get lost or into any trouble.”

            “I know, I know.”

            Just as Grace walked into the shadows of the forest.  A stranger to the vicinity, comes tromping to the front door of the largest hut in the village.  The man looked as if he meant business.  All tough looking and the sense of being serious was throughout his personality.  He begins to knock at the door.

            “Hello who is it?”

            “Don’t worry about who I am.  Worry more about what I will do to you if I don’t get what I came here for.  Well I am sorry sir, but I am going to have to ask you to leave.  I don’t know what you are talking about I don’t know who you are, so it appears you have the wrong house.”

            “It doesn’t matter who I am.  I want what I came here for!  If I don’t get it then I must kill the whole village with the disease you all came down with.”

            “You mean you are the one who gave us the illness?”

            “Well I would say it was directly me, but it was my people who did.”

            “W-Why would anyone do such a thing?”

            “That way we could get what I came here for without a problem, but as it seems that won’t be happening.”

            “Sir, you must realize you have to give me some kind of notice with what you want. Before you just come knocking on someone’s door. Forcing them to give you something. They don’t even have a clue what it is.”

            “You obviously don’t know who I work for then.”

            “N-no, I don’t believe so sir.”

            “Then it is best you keep your mouth shut, and give me what I came all this way for.” 

            “I still don’t know what you are talking about sir. But if it satisfies you. I will allow you to look around the village, if that helps you any?”

            “That won’t be necessary.  I will just burn this place into ashes.  After all that is what my real intent was to begin with.  P-please sir, anything but that.  If it is wealth you after. By all means take it! We don’t have much but it is yours for the taking.  I will do my best to give you all I can.”

            “Ha, I’m not here for something, but someone.”

            “W-who are you after?”

“Give me a name and I will go fetch them for you”

“You are too late for that!

            “Sir, please I beg of you. Don’t burn this poor village down.  It’s all we have left.”

            “I don’t care what you have and what you don’t have. You forced me into doing this and I enjoy this part very much so.  All hope is lost for this village.  All I have to do is release this chemical into the air and the illness you have will react to it. It will kill you all instantly.”

            “You mean the illness your boss gave you?”

            “I am my own boss. How dare you believe a person like me would be of all a messenger.  Thankfully I won’t be seeing you scums anymore.”

            “Wait!  If you open that vail, letting the chemical out, won’t it effect you too?”

            “Are you stupid or something?  It will only effect those who have the illness. A reaction occurs.”

            “Then what about the person you have been looking for?  Won’t it kill them too?”

            “Fortunate for me is she is a very different person then you all think.  She isn’t able to get the virus I gave this rotten village

            Before any more could be said he lets the fumes of the chemicals loose.  After that he used the power he holds deep within him setting the village on fire.  Making it look like the masseur was a natural cause.  Just as the leader of the village heard that.  His eyes widened and before the effect of the chemical could reach him he whispered “Grace” as his final breath.  As he knew that was who the mysterious man was after. The smell of flames traveled through the thick forest.  Slowly, creeping up on Grace.

            “What’s that smell?  It smells an awful like, smoke?  I hope the village didn’t get into an uproar.  I don’t care anymore.  They are the reason I am out here in the first place.  I must get close enough to see if it is the village.  If it isn’t then I will have to explain to my parents I thought the village may have been set fire. If it is the village then I have no clue what I will do.  The village would come after me though if I was caught lurking around the outer edge of the forest.  I guess I should stay here. After all they are the reason I won’t be able to save them anyways.  Ha they deserve to die. Blaming me for the illness.  They wouldn’t let me get close to them even if I told them I was there to save them.  Sad to believe they would rather die than to let me same them.  Knowing how they think I’m to blame for their illness.  They must think I’m the one who caused the fire anyhow. Ugh, stupid townspeople.  Why did you all have to go and accuse me of something I wouldn’t do?  Sorry mama and papa. I would save you guys though.  I just can’t save you!  I’m sorry, I just can’t!” Tears begin to race down Grace’s face.

            As the sun falls into the horizon.  Followed by the purplish shadow that is cast.  Grace’s campfire glows on the ground as her eyes begin to tear.  Slowly the tears start into the fire, making a crackling noise.  Grace’s tries to figure out what she is supposed to do.  Now that she has absolutely nowhere to go.  Thinking of solutions that could help solve what she is to do now. She can’t help the feeling deep within her about the fire, was her village.  Due to the smoke coming from directly where the village lays.

Grabbing his head Leo comes in with a terrified scream. “Gah, it’s here, it has already started!  This can’t be happening, not now.  What will we do?  What will we do?!  The corruption, it’s finally here.  What will we do now?  It has found us!”

            “Leo, just calm down.”

            “No old man!  You can’t keep me from my feelings. The corruption has found them.  It has found our heroes.  Now all hope is lost!”

            The old man eyes widen.  “What do you mean they were found?  That’s impossible!  We must let “him” know at once!”

            “But how sir? How will we contact “Him”?  We are quite a ways from the clan.”

                “I know.  That means we only have one choice.”

            “No, wait!  We can’t just abandoned these people.  They need us.”

            “Yes, that may be true, but there won’t be any people needing saved if we allow the chosen ones to be captured.

            “Okay, let’s go.  We must hurry to warn the others.”

            “We have no time to trace the clan and save the kids from the corruption.  We must save the three ourselves.  I know it will be risky, but there just isn’t any time.  Anyways I’m sure the master already knows.  Have you forgotten what he can do already?”

            “Oh yes, that is right. I’m sorry I had forgotten for a brief moment.  I’m just worried is all.”

            “So, you said that Grace, Bella, and Lexi were found correct?  I’m sure anyone would forget about any “one” kind of power in a situation like this.”

            “Huh? I sense someone.”

            “Who is there?  Come out I must warn you I’m the top of my guild.”

           

            “Norio, isn’t it?”

            “Y-Yes, but how do you know me?  No one knows my real name.  I have always been known as Shora in this world.”

            “Ah, really?  Is that really your power?  The only thing you are good at is telling the future.  Ha, this will be much easier than I thought.  If you were so good at telling the future then tell me, how did I get here without you tracing me?”

            Just as that was said the lady and her grandson unleashed vines incasing Norio, dropping him to his knees.

            Laughing the woman says.  “You really think since my nickname means “future”.  That was what my power would be?  No one has been given the ability to do that yet.