Little 15 (Cities In Dust)

by L. D. Wosar

  “Did ya even try it?”

  It was a simple question which was met with the expected glare. Today wasn't ma day with m’Da and I was striking out left and right with him.

  “What did I just say, Aisling? We can’t get in here, so our trip here was all for nothing.” He rested his hands on his hips, standing there in deep thought. Yet, rather than waste time standing there with him, I waved ma hand, portalling closer to school property.

  Without a care in the world, I marched inside hoping there was a student or two that I could start trouble with, but there was not a single soul. I had ta find Sammie and Brendon, to ensure me and Da get ta that necklace before they did or we’re doomed; well, at least ma Da thinks so. I am much stronger than Sammie and if she’s dead, she can’t find the necklace. And neither could we. Admittedly, I didn’t think this through too carefully, so my urge to kill my competition needed ta wait until after she found the necklace. I could use one of my super cool dark spells on both her and Brendon, killing two birds with one stone. Ma Da would be so proud, yet, he is a selfish pig and wouldn’t think twice to siphon ma aunt’s magic right then and there.

  As I gingerly ascended the stairs, a thought occurred ta me that I was wasting time looking inside fer these two. Closing my eyes, I searched for Sammie as if to track her and found her. She was on a trail, talking ta someone, more than likely Brendon. There were trees all around her, so I assume they are in the forest looking fer the necklace. This was something I needed ta do on ma own and I ran out of the school toward where I thought they were.

  While sprinting across the yards to the forest, my plan was foiled when not only did ma father approach me, so did a half dozen casters patrolling the area. “Aisling, m’wee girl, ya need ta stop right there.”

  “What are ya doing Da?” The casters each pointed their wands at me. If ya think wands are safer than guns, ya thought wrong, they’re even worse and all it takes is two little words and yer dead or stunned or thrown so high in the air that the landing is unbearably painful. But, it felt, at that very moment, that I was being set up by ma own flesh and blood. Well, the last laugh is on him, for I’ve grown intolerable of this man. He’s had his day in the sun, it was ma time ta shine and carry out the prophecy that should be mine, not Sammie Flowers.

  “Drop whatever weapons yer carrying, Miss!” One of the casters demanded, though, ever so politely. I raised ma hands ta show these dingleheimers that I was unarmed, yet, they rushed around me, pulling ma hands behind ma back.

  “I’ve done nothing wrong, what are ya doing?” I screamed, never taking ma eyes off ma da, who stood there with a condescending grin on his face. This man, ma own father, set me up. But I wasn’t going ta take any kind of punishment without defeat and broke from the casters’ tight hold, knocking them across the yard. Rushing over, I picked up one of their wands, aiming it at ma father.

  Raising his hands ta surrender, he begged me, “Please, Aisling, yer not thinking straight and I need yer head in the game.”

  “Ma head has been in the game and if it weren’t fer me, you’d never know the two were in Ireland. Yer just being selfish and wanting the magic ta yerself.” I zapped him with a bit of electricity and he stood frozen, his eyes widened with shock that I was able to use magic against him, something I’d never done ta him. Tears of disappointment streamed down ma cheeks and I snaked my tongue, tasting the salty liquid. The casters, thinking they were so bold, surrounded me and I aimed the wand at each one, rendering them all paralyzed before setting my attention back ta ma Da. “I can’t kill ya yet, Da. I need ya in order ta lift the veil over the forest.” I slid the wand inta ma boot and walked past him toward what looked like a trail. “I’m in charge and ye will do what I tell ya, not the other way around.”

  “What does this necklace mean ta ya? I have more ta lose if someone else gets a hold of it and siphons ma twin’s magic,” the moment he whined about losing everything, I’d had enough. I pulled the wand out of ma boot, pointed it at him and put a silence spell on him. I didn’t want ta hear another word out of this man’s mouth. When we stood before the forest, I pressed against the shield and rather than do some long, unnecessary chant, I pointed the wand while hearing as the shield dropped. After I walked through and pulled ma father inside, I raised the veil once more and looked around to see if there was any sign of Sammie and Brendon. I saw no one, nor could I feel any presence from either one of them.

  Sammie

  Brendon proceeded to talk my ear off, half of what he was saying I didn’t hear because I was focused on finding what we came to Ireland for. “Did ya hear anything I said? Or are ya in yer own little world, Sammie-kins?”

  The name got my attention. He had never called me that and it was something my dream guy would call me. Not only that, but Brendon had raven, wavy hair. The only difference was he had dark chocolate eyes, whereas my dream guy had eyes so light you could see right through them. Now that I think about it, he did this on purpose as a distraction to my deep thoughts about my mother’s past and this damned necklace. “What did you call me?”

  “Ya heard me, so I am not going ta repeat maself, Sammie-kins.” He said, followed by a chuckle. “Do ya think we will still be friends after ya find the necklace? I assume it’s the only reason yer keeping me around.”

  We stopped walking and I grabbed the canteen that Brendon made appear out of the thin air. I took a drink before I answered him, giving him a warm smile as I handed the canteen back to him. “Bren-bren,” I laughed at the name I gave him. “You’re the first friend I’ve had in years and there is no way I am going to let you go a day without seeing me when this is all done.”

  “Aw, so ya want ta be just friends?”

  Pursing my lips with annoyance at his persistence in wanting more, I nodded. “If you mention the whole more than friends deal again, I will reconsider even being your friend. So, please, for now, put that thought into the back of your head. When I am ready to dive out of the friend zone with you, you’ll know.”

  Suddenly high volts of electricity surged through my body, causing the most excruciating pain imaginable. I dropped to my knees, unable to breathe, unable to scream out. “Sammie? What’s going on, love?” Now, he’s calling me love? Whatever, at this time it was warranted and I craned my neck to see the source, with the thought that Aisling was behind us, yet there was no one.

  The breeze whispered through the trees, telling me Téigh abhaile. I coughed out the phrase and was told by Brendon it meant go home. Tá tú i ambol, which was another Irish phrase I strained to say. “Um, Sammie, I heard it too and they are telling us to turn back or we’re as good as dead.”

  I yelled out - “NO!” The pain was gone as was the breeze, which gave me the belief that defying nature in this haunted forest worked. Brendon backed into a nearby tree, seemingly dazed by what just occurred. “What was that?”

  His dumbfounded look was replaced by a wide grin, “no one has ever defied the voices in the forest and won. Well, I believe, Miss Sammie Flowers, that yer a force ta be reckoned with.”

  We were laughing and talking about how compelling I was, even though the pain I could have done without, when the rustling of dried leaves quieted our small celebration of sorts. I lightly walked around the tree Brendon was still leaning against, when I saw two very familiar figures heading up the trail. “We need to hide,” I said, pulling Brendon behind another tree. “See how predictable they are, I knew Aisling and Aidan would follow us here,” I whispered, only to be shushed by Brendon.

  Aidan told his daughter, who was five feet behind him, looking like a spoiled teenager who didn’t get her Barbie Dream Car for her birthday. “See, I told ya this was a waste of time, Aisling. I don’t see either of them nor is their presence strong like it was back home.”

  The two walked past us and I slowly exhaled the breath I had been holding. “They can’t see us or feel us, I put a cloaking spell on both of us, doncha remember, Sammie?”

  I guess I paid no atten
tion, I was too busy looking behind us to make sure we weren’t being followed. However, this was another thing to add to the list of things Brendon does right, which is outweighing the fact he never told me about my mother. On the other hand, it should have been her responsibility to tell me her history before we made the trek abroad, so I wasn’t entirely fair to Brendon to cast my frustrations out on him.

  Two Hours Later

  We were deep in the woods now with no sighting of this tree with a dug-in alcove at the base of it anywhere. Brendon handed me a sandwich, like the canteen, seemed to magically appear. “Yer favorite, turkey and cheese with mustard only.” This boy paid attention to everything and he handed me a bottle of Dr. Pepper also to wash it down.

  There was complete silence as we both scarfed our magically delicious sandwiches down. “Thank you, Brendon. You’re my saving grace, you know that?” I said, as I chuckled, while nudging him.

  “Yer birthday is coming up soon, what do ya want fer your sixteenth birthday besides a kiss from yers truly?” He asked with a playful tone, while reciprocating the nudge I gave him.

  “There you go, pushing your luck again. But, I need to stop toying with you and tell you the honest truth.” There was sadness in his eyes as he swallowed hard. “Brendon, I have been smitten with you since the first day I saw you and I cannot go one day without seeing your handsome face. Honestly, I have no idea what you see in me though. But it’s safe to say you feel the same as I do or you wouldn’t be just a pest about your affections toward me.”

  “Yer so humble that ya don’t see how stunning ye are? Sammie, I’ve been in love with ya since before I met ya.” How in the hell is this possible? Unless he was watching me through some fortune teller’s glass ball. He laughed, “the moment I arrived in Santa Barbara, I got a call from Becca - er- Aisling and after all of the garbage she fed me, she sent me a picture of you. I was so obsessed, I had ta continuously look at yer picture, envisioning the first time we’d meet. Needless ta say, the picture did ya no justice, in my opinion anyway.”

  The moment I rose to my feet, another surge ran through my body. This time it wasn’t painful, it felt like a cold breeze and it was comforting like a hug...from my mother. “Bren? I felt a rush of cold air and now all I can smell is my mother’s perfume. Does that mean we’re close?”

  We rushed down the trail, surprised that the two troublemakers were nowhere in sight. The breeze was more frequent and I could hear my mother’s voice, ‘fer m’bairn, take great care in the treasure ya find.’ At first it was a whisper which gradually became louder and when my mother yelled to ‘Stop!’, it was a good indication we were right next to the hiding place.

  “She’s got the hiding place cloaked and if I release the cloaking spell, there stands a chance we’d no longer be invisible,” Brendon told me with defeat in his voice. However, he was not the only caster here and I had to test my magic.

  “Let me try it and see if I can dispel my mother’s magic, without dispelling yours,” I held my hands up, using the dispel chant Brendon taught me. It took a few times of repeating it, until I felt the same cold air penetrating my fingertips, as though I was siphoning one of my mother’s spells.

  Brendon stifled his chuckling and I opened my eyes, standing before a stone wall with a small entryway. I half expected there to be a slight glow, as if to say, Welcome Sammie and Brendon, but no! There was no fanfare or munchkins welcoming us to MunchkinLand or anything weird like that. It was just a hole small enough for one person at a time to go through.

  The sun was starting to go down and we had no time to waste deciding who was going to enter first, so I got on my knees and crawled through the small hole, my butt barely making it through until I forced it. The moment I got farther inside, it was much bigger than I imagined and I was able to stand up. “Brendon, you should see this place.” I yelled, unaware he was right behind me.

  Brendon responded while circling around where I never moved. “Looks from the outside are completely deceiving. So, now that we're here, do ya feel anything?”

  “It is still the rush of cold air, but nothing significant, leading me to the necklace.” I spoke too soon as I heard my mother’s voice in my head, as though she was having a conversation to herself about Aidan, the merge, and death. I’m sure she was frightened and talking to herself to relieve her mind, now I know where I get it from. After my mother’s inner dialogue about her twin killing her, she listed off what sounded like directions. Okay, Mavis ya can remember this for the future. Take the first tunnel to the right past the entryway. Sixteen steps and take a left. There is another room filled with stone like ledges. Turn ta the right and another left. Ten steps ta the corner of the room and dig below the lowest ledge.

  Dropping to my knees, I noticed the dirt was packed solid and used my fingernails to loosen it, until Brendon was behind me holding a spade. “Do you?” I asked breathlessly, “have some hidden Mary Poppins compartment on your person?” I laughed while removing the spade from his hand.

  “Something like that. Having magic abilities rock!” He said with a proud arrogance.

  “They do, but then again, they don’t.” The dirt was so packed that even with the gardening spade, I still couldn’t break the hardened surface. “Brendon, I need your manly strength.” He didn’t hesitate and lightly pushed me aside to take over, effortlessly breaking up the decades old dirt. Nausea from excitement blanketed me at the notion we were so close to finding this treasure and that no one, especially my mother, would never have to live in fear again.

  Aisling

  Running around in circles behind ma father was becoming frustrated as all get out. He had no idea where he was going and neither of us felt any kind of magic that would lead us to some stupid cave. Ma father insisted he’d be bonded ta the necklace due ta familial ties he had ta Aunt Mavis. “Da! We’ve been at this fer hours. I am hungry and ma feet are killing me.” I groaned, only for ma complaints to fall on deaf ears.

  I continued following him and we came back ta the start of the trail. “That’s it! I am done, Da! Yer not going ta find the necklace and I doubt since ya wanted her dead, Aunt Mavis wouldn’t think ta bond ya to her talisman. Have ya thought of that?”

  There was a sinister look in his eyes, one I’d never seen before, well, directed at me, that is. My breath was cut short as he pinned me ta a nearby tree, with his hand around ma throat. “Yer lack of faith in me has grown stale, m’wee daughter. From this moment on, I don’t want ta hear another word.”

  I didn’t let him finish and he didn’t see the wand pointing to his side, as I used a spell on him ta stop his heart. “Rest in peace, ya bloody idiot.” The shock in his eyes was a beautiful sight to behold, as he faced death at the hands of his daughter. After his body collapsed to the ground, I pointed the wand at his head, to ensure his true death as his brain imploded. I left the forest with the intent to look tomorrow since we got nowhere taday. With a grin I envisioned the woodland creatures creeping out at sundown ta make a meal of ma Da’s corpse.

  As Brendon continuously dug in that area, I wondered how deep this necklace was buried, if it even existed. I was beginning to think we were being sent on a goose chase and someone was toying with us, until Brendon said breathlessly, “Sammie, I think I have something.” He didn’t need to tell me, the moment he pulled out the treasure, something wrapped in discarded material, a powerful force knocked me back, into the wall behind me.

  Brendon called my name but it was muffled, drowned out by the annoying ringing in my ears. I braced my head, trying to relieve the pressure caused from the high pitched screeching in my head. If this was something my mother conjured, why was it affecting me this way? A mother would never try to kill her daughter, but then I got an idea that maybe it would go away if the necklace were in my possession, not Brendon’s.

  Wincing, I reached out my hand, “Bren? Hand me the necklace.” My theory was correct. The moment he handed me the necklace, the pain and pressure dissipated. The sweet boy as
sisted me to a sitting position before he moved tendrils of loose hair behind my ear. Talk about a bad time to try and get fresh with me, it was a sweet gesture though. Carefully, I moved the material from the necklace, which was nothing extraordinary. It was a simple gold, heart-shaped pendant and as tempted as I was to open it to see if there were pictures or inscriptions, it would not be in my interest to do so. “What would happen if I opened it now? What's the difference between two years?”

  “From what yer ma said, it could lead ta lethal consequences. I believe either it would turn ya inta a monster like Aisling or it would kill ya. So, let’s not even think about opening it until the time comes.” Brendon advised me of the consequences as he pulled me to my feet. His arm wrapped around my waist and he gazed into my eyes. This moment lingered for too long and I broke from his embrace when discomfort took over the rapture this small gesture brought.

  “I need to know, I can’t wait until I’m eighteen and risk this falling into the wrong hands, Brendon.” I was stubborn, I admit, but I had a valid point, damned the consequences. “I mean, come on, you have to admit, it’s worth the risk - right?”

  Anger was set in his chocolate eyes and he tightened his lips, while he creased his brows into a frown. “Nah, nah, it’s not, Sammie. Yer mother established this rule fer a very good reason and I think ya should obey that. How am I going ta announce yer death ta yer parents? In her time of impatience, Sammie opened Pandora’s box and released the demons which, in turn, took her life because she couldn’t wait two years.”