“There it is,” the stranger said proudly. “Told you there’d be one.”
“Hey!” I screamed, waving my arms. “Hey, get out of the water!”
The people ignored me.
I amplified my voice. “Get out of the water! Shark! Shark in the water!” Hearing me clearly, the people scattered, scrambling up to the beach.
The fin rose again and I scanned the water, my eyes locking on Finn. He was lazily floating on his back, oblivious.
“Finn!” Even with my voice still amplified, he couldn’t hear me.
“Fish food, indeed,” the stranger said.
I dropped his shoes and ran down to the surf. I dove into the water, terrified. Finn was my stepbrother and my charge. This was not his path. It couldn’t be. I used magic to help me swim faster and hoped no one would noticed my speed as I raced to him. “Finn!” I yelled. Closer, he was able to hear me. “Finn, move! Come toward me!”
“Can’t I just get some alone time? I love you all, but I just need time to myself.” He stopped floating on his back and made himself upright.
Reaching him, I grabbed his hand. “We have to go. There’s a shark out here.”
He froze as we both felt it.
Bump.
“Holy shit,” he said, exhaling.
There was no time. I transported us away and onto the beach, near the boardwalk. Finn blinked several times as he took in his new surroundings.
“I need some Erasers out here!” I shouted. “Now!”
“What did you just do?” Finn demanded. “How did we get here? Carmen, answer me!”
The people who had seen us from the beach were running toward us.
“Oh, great, just take your time! It’s not like a beach full of people just saw that!”
“You’re such a drama queen. Keep your voice down.”
“About damn time. I thought you were always nearby.”
The Eraser’s cheeks reddened. “I am, but there was this really hot lady. She really was wearing an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini.” He paused. “You know what? Never mind.” He gently touched Finn’s shoulder. “Are you all right, sir?” he asked. Finn’s eyes glazed over. “You got out of that water awfully fast!”
“I’m a fast swimmer,” he murmured.
The Eraser turned toward the crowd that had gathered around us. “I know you all have questions.” He clapped his hands and a neon yellow wave of light erupted from them, washing over the people. “You saw an amazing feat today, folks. This young man dodged a bullet today with his swiftness from the shark. This is certainly a tale to tell your friends!” He smiled warmly. “Anything else?”
The crowd dispersed, suddenly uninterested.
“I didn’t know you all could do that,” I said.
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “It’s a gift, really.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“I know you didn’t. I would have done the same thing.”
I hesitated.
“They won’t remember this. He especially won’t remember it. He’s going to think that he saw a dark shape coming toward him from far away and he swam back to the shore,” the Eraser assured me. “Trust me, I’m good at my job. You just worry too much.”
I laughed nervously. “I suppose I do. Thank you again.”
“Any time, Carmen,” the Eraser said.
Finn groaned, rubbed his eyes. “Dude, are you hitting on my stepsister in front of me?”
“I would never do that.”
“It sounds like you are,” Finn argued groggily.
“See you around,” I said.
“I’ll keep my eyes off the ladies just in case you decide to be heroic again.” The Eraser winked and walked away.
I helped Finn to his feet and started to lead him back to our family before pausing suddenly. I searched for the stranger that had warned me.
He was already gone.
Finn was quiet the rest of the day. He shuffled his feet aimlessly as he walked out of the garage and toward the back door, his eyes seeing nothing.
“Finn, do you want to talk about what happened today?” I asked gently once we were inside the house.
He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. Still not looking at anything in particular, he replied, “What more is there to say? I saw a shark coming toward me and I somehow outswam it. Everyone’s relieved that I’m safe and there’s not much else to say about that incident.”
“I think ‘incident’ isn’t a strong enough word.”
He shrugged. “It’s the best I’ve got. It’s just…” his voice trailed off. “Never mind.”
“Finn, what is it? You can talk to me. It’s just us.”
He sighed. “It doesn’t seem like it’s real. I think something else happened, but I can’t really figure out what it was.” He cleared his throat. “I think you saved me today, but you were nowhere near me, were you?” He met my gaze and I quickly looked away.
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. “Some weird guy with a purple beard saw a group of fish and said there would probably be something bad nearby. I saw the shark and yelled. That’s probably what you heard and it caught your attention, so you saw it, and you swam away.”
“I don’t remember you yelling.”
“You did just go through a traumatic experience.”
Finn uncrossed his arms and threw his hat on the counter. “I even kept my hat on somehow. Isn’t that strange?”
“I think you need to take a shower, have some of the pizza I’m about to order, and then you need to rest. It’s been a long day.”
He nodded. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Listen, Carmen, I appreciate what you did for me today. Even if I don’t remember everything clearly.” He turned and headed down the stairs. A few minutes later, I could hear the shower running.
I ordered the pizza and went outside to the garage where I quickly vanished to Enid’s living room.
She shot off the couch, startled. She was wearing a black negligée and I turned away, embarrassed. “Holy shit, Enid, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
She grabbed the blanket that hung off the back of her couch and wrapped it around herself. “I could have sworn that there was still a door with a doorbell on my house.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I repeated. “Obviously you’re waiting for someone, so I’ll leave.”
“I’m not waiting on anyone.”
I turned toward her, my eyes trained on the floor. “So you’re just wearing someone’s very sexy secret around your house on a Saturday evening?”
“You can look at me, Carmen.” She sniffed. “Yes, yes I am. I made myself steak and shrimp for dinner and had a few glasses of wine. I took a bubble bath. Now I’m about to watch one of my favorite chick flicks wearing my favorite lingerie.”
“You took yourself on a date tonight,” I said, understanding.
She flashed a perfect, white smile. “I did.”
“I like that,” I replied.
Enid pointed to the other side of her couch and motioned for me to sit. I declined. “You’re not staying for very long, then. What did you want?”
“Enid, your great-grandmother was one of the people who fought for spouses to be able to know about magic. How did she do that?”
“She got a lot of signatures from witches and warlocks and presented her case to the Council.”
“Was it that simple?”
Enid scoffed. “Of course not. She had to do it without them knowing about it.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re set in their ways when it comes right down to it, Carmen. We were persecuted for years and they didn’t want anyone who had no magic to know about us. That’s something that’s very hard to keep from your spouse, though people could take a few notes from your mother on how it’s done.”
“I want to make it so that anyone can know as long as that person goes through a proper vetting proce
ss.”
Her jaw dropped. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Why not? I’m tired of lying to people, Enid.”
“You’re going to need a better reason than that if you’re going to try and change the law.”
I frowned. “Finn recognizes magic. It’s not fair to him and others like him who wouldn’t do anything against our kind if they knew. The Eraser assigned to him is a nice guy, but I hate seeing Finn so fuzzy and unsure of reality. He’s not stupid. He knows something is off.”
“You’ll need an avatar to work for you on your behalf.” Enid’s blanket slipped as she gestured for another wine bottle to fly toward her from the kitchen. She didn’t bother to readjust the blanket as she poured herself another glass. “Something inconspicuous.” A pen and piece of paper appeared and she scribbled a few notes on it. She handed it to me and said, “Use this for your lingo. It’s similar to what my great-grandmother used and it will stick when you pass out the petition and send it on to the Council.”
“Thank you.”
She waved her hand, shooing me away. “You’re welcome. Now go away. I’m on a date.”
I reappeared just as the doorbell rang. The pizza was warm and smelled incredible, its scent wafting downstairs and alerting Finn to its presence. Joining me in the kitchen, he stuffed a slice into his mouth before I could take out two plates for us to use.
“You even got enough so that I could have cold pizza for lunch tomorrow.”
“That’s gross, Finn.”
He raised his eyebrows in mock horror. “You don’t like cold pizza? What kind of American are you?”
“I think it’s a guy thing.”
He grinned. “It might be.”
“I see you’re feeling a little better,” I said, feeling relieved.
“I am,” he replied, wiping marinara sauce off his chin. “Today might be a little foggy, but I did some thinking and I decided that this is going to refresh my focus. I’m going to start looking for another job. I’m not going to quit construction yet, but I just want to see what else is out there and see if anything sounds interesting.”
“That was an awful lot of thinking in the last forty-five minutes.”
“That’s another difference between men and women. You women take forever to make up your mind. Us men? We don’t need to weigh the pros and cons. We make a goal and execute.”
“He said that men ‘make a goal and execute,’” I said, repeating Finn.
Abby laughed. “Women make goals, too, but I guess we do take longer to actually decide on a goal and how we’re going to reach it.”
“That’s what I thought!” I leaned forward, grunting as I touched my toes. Abby and I had just finished kickboxing and were stretching.
She had lost several pounds and I beamed inside as she leaned forward and hugged her legs.
“Show off.”
“I’m not the one who’s been slacking on her stretches she’s supposed to be doing at home.”
“I guess I get a failing grade for not doing my homework.”
Abby put the bottoms of her feet together and leaned forward, her forehead touching the gray mat. “Homework is very helpful and you’re only hurting yourself when you don’t do it.”
“Thanks, Ms. Windsor, for making me feel badly about myself.” I brought my own feet together, but my head came nowhere near the mat.
“I’m just being a good leader,” Abby said cheerfully. “Leading by example is one of the best ways to show others how to do things the right way.”
“Are you trying to tell me you’re my role model now?”
“I am if you’re trying to be as flexible as I am.”
“You’re going to yoga again!” I said with mock accusation. “I thought we quit that months ago.”
“I am not!”
“Abby, you’re a tree!” I rose to my feet.
She got up and struck a pose, her arms bent outward, away from her body. “It’s all about the lightning bolt now.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
She laughed heartily. “I am, but that place is ridiculous enough that they’d probably try to get that trending.”
“You really are stretching at home, then.”
“I do it first thing in the morning. It’s so relaxing, Carmen. I listen to soft music and it helps me clear my mind before I go to school.”
“How is summer school going?” We had grabbed our gym bags and were sitting outside on the grass underneath a small tree. There was a slight breeze that felt wonderful against my damp skin.
“It’s going. The whole environment is different from the normal school year. Some kids are more relaxed because there aren’t as many students around while others are more anxious because they’d rather be outside playing.”
“Don’t you mean inside playing video games?”
Abby scowled. “I still have hope for this generation. The art teacher had them draw a bicycle and the students had to ask her to put up a reference. She asked them to draw their own bicycles and over half of the class said they didn’t have one because they’d never ride it anyway. I had a great bike when I was their age. I loved riding around the neighborhood all day.”
“The street lights coming on were the curfew,” I added. “The good old days.”
“How old do we sound right now?” She laughed. She took a swig from her water bottle and, after glancing around her, squirted a little down her shirt. “I love the South, but these summers can be brutal.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I closed my eyes and enjoyed the breeze that had picked up speed. “Speaking of brutal, how is your nemesis?”
“She’s not teaching this summer.”
“Oh.” I opened my eyes and looked at my friend. She was dreamily looking away, her vision unfocused.
“It’s been nice going to work and not dealing with her.” Her expression darkened. “I get sick to my stomach when I think about August because she’ll be there when regular session begins.”
“You can’t switch schools, can you?”
Abby shook her head sadly. “I am a special education teacher. I go wherever they need me.”
“Is there something else you’d rather do?” I asked slowly.
She bit her bottom lip. “Have you ever heard of a gym specifically for children with special needs?”
“No.”
“There are a few throughout the country and, from what I can tell, they’re great. They’re like a giant playground designed with special needs children in mind.”
“What do you mean?”
She began to speak excitedly, her hands becoming more animated as she described the gym to me. “They have trampolines that are fun, but they’re meant to build leg and core strength. They offer sensory-based toys to help with fine motor skills and auditory processing. Some of the equipment is suspended, like swings, which help with balance. Some have a craft station to help improve hand-eye coordination. There’s so much more to them, but you get the idea.”
Lenny’s words flashed in my mind. Already knowing the answer, I asked, “Do you want to move so that you can work at a gym like that? Would that be more fulfilling?”
Abby was quiet for a long time before she finally answered. “No. I think I want to… I think I want to build a place like that.” She firmly nodded her head. “Yes. I want to build a gym for special needs children. I could be in control of the equipment and activities. I could hire a few more teachers so that the kids could have more attention within a smaller group.” Her eyes were shining. “That’s what I want to do.”
“Then do it, Abby.”
She blinked several times as if returning to reality. “What? Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t just leave my job like that and where would I get the money for that kind of thing? I just bought a house. I can’t afford another loan.”
“How much money would you need?”
“I have done some research,” she said sheepishly. “If I could find a space that was su
itable, it would cost a minimum of two hundred thousand dollars for the equipment. Not to mention the salaries for the other teachers I’d like to hire. I would hope that, after the first year, we would have enough participants so that their fees would pay for everyone’s salary and I could earn enough to pay back the loan.”
“You’ve done more than just a little bit of research.”
“I was curious,” she said simply.
The breeze had stopped and the sun was beginning to set. “I think you should go for it, Abby,” I encouraged.
“What, do you have that kind of money just lying around? A friendly finance plan for me?”
“No.”
“Then it’s going to school for me. Maybe Lauren will transfer one day.” She smiled. “A girl can dream.”
“Always,” I answered. We said goodbye and parted ways. As I slid into my Volvo, Lenny’s voice was filling the silence.
“You can’t just create a gym for her. That’s not what an Influencer does. She has to build this on her own.”
I turned my key in the ignition and blasted the air conditioning.
“How thoughtful of you. Listen, you can’t do that. I know you want to.”
“Why not?”
The passenger seat squeaked as Lenny adjusted himself. It looked like he was brushing something off his stomach. “It’s against the rules. She has to do this on her own. This is her destiny she has to make for herself.”
“If it’s her destiny that she makes for herself, then why am I here?”
Lenny rolled his black button eyes. “I don’t understand the wording. I’m just the messenger. Yes, this is the path that Fate wanted you to encourage her to take. But she has to do it her own way. How was that? Now do you understand me or do you want me to get out some crayons and draw it for you on double-lined paper?”
“I’ll take away your features. Remember, I’m the one who gave you those buttons,” I warned sharply. “There’s no need to be such a rude snowman after I’ve accommodated you. By the way, you better not leave another puddle. Especially not in my car.”
Lenny was already fading away. “Too late.” He cackled.
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