The Melissa Curae Chronicles: A Magical Aspect

Prologue

Bowing down over a mountainous pile of papers and open books, Carol flicked furiously through the pages, searching for information.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing," she muttered to herself.

Slamming the book shut, she sent a cascade of papers fluttering to the ground. Ignoring them, she began pacing back and forth, massaging her forehead, her eyebrows creased.

A man slowly staggered in, precariously balancing a briefcase and four bulging suitcases in his arms. The zippers strained on the bags, and one refused to close all the way. The bags tilted
dangerously to one side, but somehow, he managed to keep ahold of them.

Putting down the bags, he walked over and gently took Carol's hand. He kissed her on the forehead and looked her in the eye. "You didn't find it?"

"No." Her tone low and soft, she looked up at him and shook her head, "Jeffrey, we have to go. If we stay here any longer . . ." 

Turning, she looked out the large wall of windows that flanked the west end of their library. It looked out onto a beach with glistening sand and a mass of rocks at one end. Two small children, a boy and a girl, identical in nearly every aspect, were building a sandcastle. Both children were covered to their elbows in sand, their brows furrowed as they studiously worked on their creation. The boy gathered the wet sand while the girl worked to make the mud take shape. For a moment they worked like two cogs in a machine, then the boy dropped an armful of sand on his sister's head and the castle making it collapse. She chased him, throwing clumps of sand until they both dove into the water, splashing each other. After a few moments of chasing each other in the water, they returned to their destroyed sandcastle, dripping head to toe, and began working on the structure once more. The boy's previous misdeed, forgotten.

Jeffery joined Carol at the window. She touched the glass and closed her eyes. He stayed silent, watching her for a moment, as he took her other hand in his. He caressed her hand gently and looked out.

He dropped her hand and let out a painful breath.

"What is it?" She asked.

"We shouldn't have to do this."

"I know."

"I just wish . . ." He sighed.

"I know, but their safety is more important. Could you . . . ?"

"I'll get them," he said with a slight smile, but it did not reach his eyes.

As he reached the door, a loud rumble sounded, and a ferocious
tremor shook the house. Books slid to the floor, and the large
shelves toppled over. Soon the trembling ceased, and all was still
once more.

"Jeffrey!" Shouted Carol. "Jeffrey!"

Jeffrey stumbled out of a pile of books. "I'm alright, I'm alright."

"We're too late." Carol reached out, her hand shaking, and then
froze.

Smoke leaked through the crack under the door, and the heat in
the room started to build.

"Quickly, out the window!" Carol shouted.

Jeffrey got to the window first and wrenched it open, and attempted to jump. He was jerked back as if by an invisible force field.

"They put a humanus contra on the house!" He cried.

"A humanus contra only stops people. But it does not stop items from going through. Throw out the kids' suitcases. " She said, thinking quickly. "Maybe they can still get away."