THE WICKED

1

—LEAH PICKLEY—

Off she was again, into the woods.

Leah slumped her backpack over her shoulder as she watched Wisteria leave. She didn't even try to chase after her. Wisteria would be in the woods and just not come back for hours on end, and Leah got lost one time trying to find her.

Leah turned to the rather lush of the dense overgrowth that Wisteria went running into. She could still see a trace of her orange sneakers and the lace still untied.

She pushed the door of the house back open. Wisteria was Leah's step-sister and closest thing to a friend she'd ever have.

"Leah, sweetie! You're finally back! You didn't talk to anyone, did you?"

That's why.

Leah never liked her step-mom. She never called her mom. She called her by her real name, Kenna. Kenna was always so protective of her, but let Wisteria run wild.

"No, Kenna. Nobody except Wisteria."

"Good, good. Now, sit down and have lunch." She ushered Leah to a table filled with chicken, jelly beans, carrot sticks, and cookies.

At least Kenna was a good cook.

Leah sat down and ate while they waited for Leah's father and Wisteria's step-father to come back from his job at the blacksmith.

He always came back with things for the girls to play with together. He brings Leah swords and armor (they played outside a lot because that caused too big of a ruckus), and Wisteria got pretend animals and pottery.

They shared their stuff pretty evenly.

It's not that Leah didn't like Wisteria. It wasn't her fault their parents babied her. She was an independent person. It was just that.. Leah envied her.

Leah was treated fairly. It's just that she got treated better.

She finished her platter and went to go put it in the sink, when she saw something bobbing in the pond just outside her house.

"Kenna, can I go out in the front yard really quick?" Leah asked, curious. The thing bobbing around couldn't go anywhere, and it'd do no harm to look.

"Sure, sweetie, just don't talk to anyone, even the neighbors. I doubt Wisteria's gonna come back."

Leah put her dirty plate in the sink, put her dirty lime green jacket on, and ran outside.

—WISTERIA KAMMERMAN—

Wisteria wasn't far away from the house, just a few yards from the front door.

She could still hear everything.

She'd learned how to listen closely for even a presence, a breath, a small rustle, a mango falling down from a tree that didn't even produce mangoes.

She heard something. She heard the front door open.

It was probably Dad, getting back from work.

Wisteria got up from the rock she was sitting on, put on her cap, and dashed towards the house.

She stopped when she was around fifteen feet from the front door. Leah had come out the door and stopped at the porch and saw Wisteria.

"Hey?"
"I thought Dad was back."
"Wisteria, there's something bobbing in the water. It's hollow, so obviously, it's not sinking. Should we check it out?"
"Oh? Im.. kinda curious. Lead the way!"

Wisteria was led to a pond. Indeed, right, there was a little egg-shaped thing bobbing in the dead center of the pond.

"How're we gonna reach that?" Leah asked, thinking.

Wisteria thought, too, but she wouldn't have any good ideas.

"Wait, what if we get Dad's fishing net? We could get it then."
"Lets try it."

Leah got the net and snagged it with one swipe.

She picked it up with ease, and started at it.

Wisteria peered over.

It was an orb, producing a soft, jade colored light.