Playing With Fire

Prologue

The old lady was dying. The last of magic would officially be omitted from this earth.

But she didn't play her roll in my plan. No, she did exactly what I didn't want her to do. With her last breath, she breathed on to her orange and white tabby cat, giving it all the magic she had in her. Before I could grab the cat, it vanished into the night.

"Rats, what am I going to do now?" I muttered to myself. Then I got a phone call.

"Sir, four more dots just appeared on the screen, what do we do?" I grinned to myself. So that cat passed on the magic? This should be easy.

"Send forces to have them slaughtered."

"But sir, they're children," George replied. "We can't murder children."

He was right. We can't murder children, but we could manipulate them.

"Is there a weakest dot on the map?" I asked.

"Yes, over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina."

"Good, send Jeff, Terry, and Henry. I will meet them there so we can influence this child's mind to get her on our side."

"That's a well thought out plan sir," he said. "Except..."

"What now George?" I asked irritably.

"Well, it is very close to the strongest dot on the grid, so close that they could possibly live in the same neighborhood. And that dot, well, it is even stronger than the old lady's was."

"We are going to have to take our chances."

"But Bill-"

"No buts! Get them there, I want control of that child now."

"Yes, sir. They are leaving now."

"Good," and I hung up the phone.
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"Jeff should go knock," Henry said.

"What! Why me," Jeff exclaimed.

"Because," Terry said. "If the girl will not come with us, we will need to pick her up and leave quickly, and you are the quickest and strongest. Plus, in case she kicks, Henry and I will like to be spared from a lot of pain in our future."

"Well, what if-"

"Jeff go," I said, right as I arrived

I watched Jeff walk up to the front door taking a grumpy attitude with him, mumbling curses under his breath the whole time. When he got to the door, he knocked and waited. Five seconds later the door opened and a nine year old girl appeared sucking on a big lollipop.

"Hey little girl," Jeff said, as he crouched down to her height. "Do you want to come with me? I have a lot more lollipops."

"I'm not allowed to talk to strangers," she replied and kicked him where the sun don't shine.

"Awe sh-" Jeff started.

"No potty words," she said, smiling innocently.

"Why don't you just-" Jeff started, but then she kicked him again. "That's it!" Jeff dug into his pocket and grabbed his knockout spray, and sprayed her all over. She passed out on top of him, which sent them both tumbling down the porch stairs. Jeff made no attempt to get up, so I sighed and got up to walk over to him. Henry and Terry were cracking up the whole time, while I was mentally facepalming myself.

"Jeff, get up," I said, and kicked him gently in the arm. He groaned from underneath the girl.

"Don't you think I've been kicked enough," he said.

"Just grab the girl and let's go," I replied, and walked back to our van to sit and wait. I was waiting for ten minutes before Jeff, Terry, and Henry came around the corner half carrying, half dragging the girl between them. Henry opened the door and threw her into the back, which caused her to stir and wake up.

"My parents are going to be very mad at you," she said while glaring at us.

"Please just tell us your name," I said.

"Miranda," she said and passed out again.