Fantasy

14-Abby

The next morning we get on a plane to Chicago, Illinois and are served breakfast. A lady named Alice picks us up at the airport and drives us into the city to meet a boy named Zahmir. We are let out at the foot of a towering skyscraper while Alice parks on the curb to wait.

"Oh, I probably should've reminded you of something," Aaron comments, "Most magicians don't realize they're magic until they're recruited at age eleven, so, if someone we're visiting is below eleven let's try not to give them any hints. That said, what floor and what room does Zahmir live?"

"Um, apartment 6, whoa, top floor," I tell them, reading the address. We enter the building, shuffle into the elevator, and get off at the top floor.

"Apartment 6, here we are," Jessica announces before pounding on the door. It swings open revealing a tall man in a suit.

"Oh, hello, Miranda! They're here," he booms. A lady in a skirt and blazer comes to the door.

While she's putting in earrings she invites us in, "Okay, um, all you have to do is get him ready for school and then to the bus stop right at the edge of the block, got it?" We all subconsciously nod. "Okay," she says before walking out with the man. Aaron, Jessica, and I turn around to see a little kid in dinosaur pajamas spooning cereal into his mouth. Milk drips from his dark brown chin. Where have I seen this kid before? His mom looked familiar, too. Zahmir's eyes widen at; I think he recognizes me, too. He calmly gets up and puts his bowl in the sink.

He turns around and wipes his mouth with his sleeve before asking, "Who are you guys?" through two missing front teeth.

"Um, I'm Aaron, and this is Abby and Jessica," Aaron says. Zahmir nods.

"Have we met before?"

"Um, no?" Aaron returns.

Zahmir fills his lungs with air slowly and then shouts, "Help! Help! Crazy people! Stranger danger! Help!"

"No, no, no!" we all shout, chasing him around the apartment. The problem is the door is still wide open and he easily bolts out. We all look at each other and then run after him. I'm the first out the door, but Zahmir is already at the other end of the hallway. I race after him as he climbs a set of metal stairs to the roof. When I reach the top he's standing on the very edge. The wind moves his pajama shirt. He takes one look at me, and then starts slanting backwards. It's slight at first, but as the slant increase he loses his balance! His figure plunges over the edge of the skyscraper. I rush forward and reach out my hand hoping to grab him and pull him back onto the roof, but I misjudge where the edge is and take one step too many. The next thing I know my sneaker is hovering over nothing and I've already put my weight on it. I tumble into the air, plunging towards the asphalt below. A scream escapes my lips as I approach the ground. My glasses fly off my face. At a meager two floors from the road I feel something grasp both my hands. Suddenly, I stop falling and am left suspended in midair. I fling my hand out and draw my glasses back to me with magic. Clumsily I place them back on my face. Looking over, I can see Zahmir opposite me. All of a sudden I remember where I've seen him; he was standing on the sidewalk at Philadelphia. Oh, he must've been the one to make Taylor float; that's his extra power! He's obviously figured out he's magic before turning eleven.

"Hey, Zahmir, could you please take me back up to the roof and solid ground? I'm not a stranger, remember, you saw me at Philadelphia." I plead.

"Well, I guess it's alright, then," he says and we move upwards. At the top of the building Jessica and Aaron haul me back onto the roof. Zahmir lands beside us. "I'm sorry you fell," he apologizes.

"Uh, it's fine, but could you do me one more favor?" I ask. He tilts his head. I pull out the locket. "Will you please tell this locket it's okay to open? It's a magic locket and it won't open unless you reassure it that it's safe to open."

"Hey, locket, it's okay to open," he says softly. At that moment two kids a few years older than us barge onto the roof.

"Oh there you are, Zahmir, I was surprised your parents left when we hadn't arrived yet..." They saw us. Well, these must be his real babysitters. I run past them and to the stairwell with Jessica and Aaron hot on my trail.

"Next time we meet that kid, you jump off a building," I tell them when we're on the ground.