Fantasy

11-Abby

Early Monday morning Marie, Mom, and Dad are busy packing stuff into our black 1991 Ford Bronco while I get dressed and eat breakfast. Jenna arrives soon after I'm finished and Dad gives her a quick set of directions before he, Mom, and Marie leave. "So, let's go, then," Jenna says once they're gone. "Sarah, are you coming or are you going to stay here?"

"I'll stay," she answers, "After all, someone has to watch the farm and take care of the animals." I feel kind of guilty that I didn't think of that, but Dad hired some help before he left to look after the cows. The only thing Sarah has to do is take care of the chickens. I follow Jenna out and into her car. She drives me to the CMRA where we meet Jessica, along with another agent. I recognize him to be the man that played BOB in my entry test. I still have a hard time thinking of him as an agent, though.

"Hi," he greets me with a smile, "My real name is Charlie." He then hands us both plane tickets and guides us to the garage. This time there is a four-door Navy-blue Jeep. He leads us over to it and gets in.

"I call shotgun," Jessica announces, which doesn't bother me any; I'm not even old enough to ride in the front seat. I just open the back door and get in while she hops up front. When we all have seatbelts on Charlie takes out a little box similar to a garage-door opener. He presses a button on it and the platform starts to rise up. Once in the field, Charlie starts the car and turns on the radio. Driving forward, he changes the radio and stops on country station. Jessica groans in protest, but I smile. Finally, there's someone who has good taste in music.

A few hours later we arrive at Harrisburg International Airport. Jessica and I are ushered onto a plane and shown to our seats. It's all rather exciting; I've never been on a plane before. I'm surprised when Jessica lets me have the window seat, the view, once we get going, is amazing. When we land it is in Florida. Once we exit the airport we walk outside to the sidewalk. Going from the air conditioning into the Florida weather feels like walking into a wall of heat. I start sweating nearly instantaneously. "So, where's our ride? It's hot out here!" Jessica asks, panting.

"I don't know," I say. Then an old wood-paneled Station wagon with the passenger side window rolled down pulls up in the street. In the driver's seat is a woman with light brown hair and eyes. Who demands my attention, though, is the boy in the passenger seat. He has pumpkin-colored hair and aquamarine eyes, Aaron!

"You? What are you doing here?" Jessica asks in outrage.

"I told you; I want to help. Dad never lets me go on missions, says they're too dangerous. Besides, you guys owe me for taking you to Bert. Without me you would be at a dead end with that locket."

Unfortunately, he's right.

"Whatever, is that our driver or not?" Jessica asks.

"Yes, my name is May," the lady says, she sounds a tad annoyed. "I live here in Florida and I work for the CMRA, but I'm just your driver. I can't help you with any other aspects of the mission," she continues. I wonder if she was told she had to tell us that.

"Won't May rat you out to your dad?" Jessica asks Aaron.

"No, I've made a deal with her and all the people we're riding with... oh, the point is, are you going to let me help or not?"

"No!" Jessica exclaims.

"We might need help, though," I remind her.

She grits her teeth. "Whose side are you on?"

"Look, I just want to get into the CMRA! Plus, I have a feeling Aaron's not going to take no for an answer," I say.

"Ugh! Fine! Whatever!" she caves.

"Great, hop in." Jessica and I climb into the Station wagon. It occurs to me how many strange cars I've gotten into in the past two weeks.

A few miles later we arrive at a small beach house. It's painted yellow and has a cute little mailbox out front. The porch is covered in a coat of peeling white paint and the roof is bright blue. I check the address and the number on the doorframe. This is the place. Jessica marches through the short white gate and up the steps onto the porch. Aaron and I trail behind. Jessica pounds on the door and a few seconds later a lady opens it. She's probably around Bert's age and has dark brown eyes. Her hair is a faded red and very dry; it hangs down below her shoulders and frames her face, probably dyed. Above her left eyebrow are stiches and I offhandedly wonder how she got them.

"Are you Brice Worldd?" Jessica blurts out unceremoniously.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Oh, we're from the CMRA," I inform her.

"The what?" she asks.

"The CMRA, you know, the place you used to work for?" I continue.

"I'm sorry; I've never heard of the place," she replies. I wonder if somehow her mind was erased of that, too.

"Oh, well, we must be thinking of someone else, sorry," Aaron tells her. "We still do mean to be here because we're, um... traveling magicians."

"You are?" Brice asks skeptically.

"Yeah, we're from the circus," I add.

"Right and we've come to give you a sampling of what will be there," Aaron goes on. "May we show you a few tricks?"

"Oh, sure, I don't have any other plans. Come inside." Accepting the invitation we follow her into the little beach house. An air conditioner in the window is on full blast and every fan in the house is on. It makes a difference and I immediately feel cooler. We all hustle into the living room and stand behind the coffee table.

"Please, sit down and enjoy the show," Aaron tells her. Then we all huddle into a group.

"What should we do?" Jessica hisses.

"I could read her mind. I've seen a few flashes, enough to know where she works," Aaron suggests.

"Okay, that's one, but how do we get her to talk to the locket?" I ask, worried.

"Make it a 'magic word' and then, like, pull the door open or something," Jessica tells me.

"Alright, we could use one more trick," I admit.

"I'll fill a glass with water," Jessica says. We turn to face Brice, who is sitting on the couch expectantly.

"Alright, well, Miss Worldd, I, Aaron, will now read your mind."

"Oooo," Brice marvels.

"I believe, that... that you were born on the 10th of December and you work at... at, a hair solon called... 'Warm Smiles and Hair Styles,'" Aaron tells her, making a big show of it.

"Wow! You're good," Brice says.

"Next up, I, the Jarring Jessica, will proceed to fill Abby's shoe with water," she exclaims, extending her hand towards me. I frown and reluctantly hand over my sneaker. Jessica holds it up and shows that it's empty, then she holds her finger over it and a trickle of water runs down into the shoe. The steady stream starts gushing faster until the shoe is filled. Waving her hand over it, she turns it upside down, solid ice. She taps the top and a pile of snow falls onto the ground. Then she hands me my empty, but slightly damp shoe. Brice oos and ahhs at our trick. Okay, my turn.

"And, for the final trick, I need your help to open this locket," I stutter, taking it from around my neck. "It's magically sealed, see," I say, trying to open it. "All you have to do make it open is say, 'you can open.' Ready? One...two...three... 'you can open,'" Brice and I say in unison. Instead of the locket opening, though, I pull open her door with magic and drop the locket into my pocket. "Oh. Look at that, right trick, wrong latch, well, I guess we should get going. Thanks for your time and I hope to see you at the circus," I thank her nervously. I slowly start towards the door and quicken my pace when Aaron and Jessica follow. Brice gets up and closes the door behind us with a wave and 'goodbye'.

Only once we get back to the street do I speak, "Well that was..."

"Fun?" Jessica finishes.

"Funny?" Aaron says.

"Nerve-wracking," I conclude. We go back to May's car which is parked on the curb and she drives us back to the airport.