Wish by Moonstone

by Vanessa Haberkorn

  Just where the city began, there was chaos. People were running in all directions, screaming. Buildings were bursting into flames, glowing against the orange sunset. Samantha locked up at the sight.

  Was the city under attack?

  Shirts on display at small merchant stands exploded one by one, like small dynamite. This set off a nearby parked car, causing it to detonate with a terrible boom. Pieces of metal and debris shot off in all directions, hitting a retreating lady. She was sent tumbling to the ground with a scream.

  A large statue of a historic figure suddenly exploded with a flash.

  Buildings collapsed and crumbled.

  "What's doing this?" Samantha cried.

  "I dunno!"

  As a nearby eighteen-wheeler exploded with a thunderous burst, Samantha and Joby clung to each other, backing up only to hear more crashing sounds over their shoulders as another building came down.

  It was everywhere.

  Finally Samantha snapped out of her trance long enough to think. "The beach! C'mon, c'mon!" Grabbing Joby by the arm, she led him through the turmoil and confusion.

  As soon as they reached the sandy dunes, the two friends dived for cover. As Samantha was beginning to notice, the explosions and fires seemed limited to just the city.

  But what was setting them all off? A bomb? But why was it everywhere then, instead of one big spot...? It didn't make sense.

  "It's like the end of the world!" Joby sounded more afraid than excited, for once.

  "Are we at war or something?"

  Sirens began to join the fray, adding their own piercing cries. Blue lights, red lights, flickering flames.

  Joby got to his feet, staring up at the town. "This is crazy..."

  "Don't!" Samantha grabbed his ankle.

  "I ain't going anywhere. Whoa!"

  The remains of a merchant stand bounced by, a fireball. It came to a stop but then, to Samantha's disbelief, it began to move again, tumbling towards them.

  Somehow, a gust of wind was pushing it on.

  "Look out!" Joby heaved Samantha to her feet, taking a step back with her. "Is it coming this way?"

  "It shouldn't..."

  And yet, it did: the rolling flame seemed to pick up speed, if anything.

  "Let's run for it!" Joby started to drag her off.

  "No, wait a sec!" She stared back at the stand. "The wind should be dying off."

  "Wha? Samantha, baby, who cares what the wind's doing! Let's get outta here before..." He trailed off as the stand came to a stop. "Shucks! It did stop!" He eyed it for a couple more seconds before finally laughing.

  "It was just a big gust of wind moving that." Samantha's eyes moved back to the town. Was Evan okay? And Oliver and Bee-Bee, too? The happy couple had said they'd be at the beach, but Evan was last seen cooped up inside a large hotel. Evacuating it must've been a madhouse.

  Assuming it hadn't simply been destroyed first.

  Samantha felt her heart start racing.

  As she took a step in the direction of the chaos, Joby asked, "What're ya doing?"

  "Do you see Evan?" She took a few more steps, hesitated. "What if he's trapped inside?"

  Now Joby hesitated.

  At his lack of a response, she started forward.

  "Wait!" He jogged over, took her arm. "Ya shouldn't go right now."

  "But what if Evan ―"

  "You'll just get hurt!"

  As if to emphasize his point, there was another explosion on the other side of town. More shrieks followed.

  Cringing, Samantha let out a shaky sigh. She knew he was right.

  "They're okay," Joby continued, placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. His hand seemed to tremble some. "They're probably just trying to find us."

  She forced herself to nod. "Yeah." She glanced back up towards the town. "I think the explosions are slowing down... We should try looking for them now."

  Blossom Breeze Island was in shambles. Debris, smoke, and collapsed buildings were everywhere. Samantha felt like she was walking across the stage of a war enactment for a movie. It felt unreal. Seeing people huddled together, some crying, some digging under the mounds of wood and ash numbed her.

  Why did this need to happen?

  Passing by the aquarium, however, Samantha was relieved to find it unharmed. Humans hurting other humans for no reason was bad enough. Animals didn't need to get dragged into it, as well. The thought of the glass shattering, the water gushing out in a tidal rush, and the fish flopping about until finally dying of suffocation made her feel almost panicky, as if she couldn't breathe herself.

  Yet again, she always was more sensitive to animals than to other human beings. She knew firsthand how cruel some humans could be to anything powerless.

  Like a cat.

  Feeling sick to her stomach, she forced away her memories. This isn't the time to get sobby and weak, she told herself. That was a long, long time ago ― probably even fifteen years ago. Focus on now. If she couldn't bear a random cat dying fifteen years ago, how would she survive if her friends were dead? She needed to stay strong.

  Breaking her rather unpleasant thoughts, Joby suddenly said, "Ta-da! Toldja!"

  "What?"

  Following his grin, she spotted Evan, Oliver, and Bee-Bee across the street. Oliver and Bee-Bee looked ridiculous in their swimwear, lime green and pink respectively. But at least they were all alive and unharmed. The three seemed deep in conversation and didn't even notice her and Joby.

  "Evan!"

  Finally her brother looked up. He glanced around for a second before spotting her. "Sam! Joby!"

  She and Joby joined the others. "How did you get out of the hotel? I thought..."

  "She was worried aboutcha," Joby helpfully said. Samantha elbowed him.

  "Oh, well, I'm okay." Evan ran his hand through his hair. "I went out to get a pizza for dinner. That's when it all started."

  "It was some Tranludes," Oliver butted in, a glare on his face. "Those rotten, filthy freaks did it again! Again they're attacking humans for no reason! I heard some police officers saying it was them!"

  "The Tranludes?" Samantha stared back incredulously. "How did they ―"

  "Does it matter!" Oliver threw his arms up. "One nearly caught Bee-Bee on fire! I'll freaking kill them all!"

  "Oliver, calm down," Evan said.

  "The hell I'm calming down! She never did anything to any of 'em!"

  Samantha noticed how quiet Beatrice was being. Standing there with a hand clasped to her chest, the girl looked completely cowed. Even her girly, cheery swimsuit couldn't counterbalance this.

  "Well, uh," Samantha started, "Tranludes can read our minds. Maybe since, you know...she doesn't like them..."

  Oliver's glare had more force to it than a cannon. "Are you saying this is her fault?"

  "No..."

  "Oliver." Evan nudged his way between them. "Peace, man!"

  With a groan, Oliver spun around and stormed off.

  Joby whistled.

  Samantha turned to Beatrice. "I'm so sorry, Bee-Bee. I wasn't trying to say this is your fault..." She sighed. "This vacation has been a disaster."

  "No, it's okay." Beatrice paused. "I can tell you love the outdoors and really wanted a fun camping trip. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I ruined your plans, then it was my idea to come here..."

  Samantha felt a warmth in her chest. "Don't worry about it. Really. Oliver kept saying you grew up in the city. I should've thought more about what everyone wanted." She smiled sheepishly as Evan. "I know the outdoors isn't for everyone."

  Lowering his voice, Evan whispered, "I still think the gnats and mosquitoes were worse than this. Don't tell Oliver I said that."

  Beatrice and Joby started laughing.

  "Uh, thanks for that, Evan." Samantha fiddled with her hair, frowning.

  Chapter 6

  "Man, is she annoying!" Oliver continued to wander back and forth in the living room of their apartment. "She
makes it sound like Bee-Bee deserved all that." He brushed some dust off from the top of their TV. "The nerve!"

  Evan sighed.

  Ever since their vacation had been cut short, Oliver had been going on and on about Samantha. He only did it when she was out and tended to be quiet when she was around, but Evan was tired of it anyway. The last thing he wanted to hear was one of his best friends complain about his other best friend.

  But with roommates like the short-tempered Oliver, the over emotional Samantha, and the overly blunt Joby, there was always the potential for explosions and the usual "he said, she said" drama. It reminded Evan painfully of high school in a way. He hated how immature the others sometimes acted.

  "She didn't even seem sorry for any of those people suffering," Oliver continued in Evan's direction. "She made it sound like all of them deserved it."

  "I don't remember this," Evan said. Clearing his throat, he stuck his face deeper into his book, hoping Oliver would take the hint.

  "Meanwhile when we got those feral kittens homes, she was so concerned about how people freaking picked them up. Yet all those people who could've lost somebody...!"

  Evan groaned. "Oliver, can you let it go?"

  "No! Not until she apologizes or at least shows she cares about those people!" Oliver scuffed at the floor with his foot. "You know if something bad happened to her, she'd be the first one crying. Didn't she cry over her last C?"

  Evan tossed his book across the room. Folding his arms, he leaned back in the couch, glaring in his friend's direction.

  "Okay, okay!" Oliver waited a moment. Then, apparently unable to resist, he said, "But she'd cry over a C, yet not even look sad for all those people?"

  Joby strolled out from their small kitchen, munching away on a cookie. "She don't like people."

  "Peh."

  "But she likes animals though." He finished the cookie and licked his lips. "Mmm! Oh ho ho! She also likes her friends too. But random people kinda annoy her."

  Oliver seemed to consider this for a moment. "Well... Well, of course you'd say that. I know you got a crush on her." His fuming face finally broke as he laughed. "No secret there!"

  "What?" Evan looked up.

  Joby laughed too. "She is kinda adorkable."

  "Adorkable?" Oliver repeated with a smirk.

  "Are you guys serious?" Evan had to ask.

  Samantha was the very image of a mop head, or some kind of vintage ragdoll with ridiculous red waves. How this passed for "adorkable" confounded him, and only made him wonder even more about Joby's mental state.

  Just then, the shutter of the kitchen cabinet made them all jump. Evan remembered how Noodles the cat had been lying in there ever since Samantha had left to play volleyball with some classmates. The curly-haired queen was most likely on the old sweater again, trying to fool herself into thinking she was with Samantha.

  Was the cat protesting the comments being made against her "mother"?

  Judging from their silence, Joby and Oliver seemed to be wondering the same thing.

  After the pause was getting to be a bit awkward, Evan finally forced himself to break it. "Well... I think you should just let it go, Oliver. Bee-Bee's not mad. I think you're harping on this too much..."

  Another bang from the cabinet.

  "The hell's that cat doing...? Ah, whatever. With all these recent Tranlude attacks, at least college has been delayed for another week. So..." Oliver's face broke out into a huge grin. "I get another week with Bee-Bee!"

  "Ya really wanna try this again, bud?" Joby chuckled. "She might get struck by lightning this time!"

  "Oh no. This time, we're going to rent a cabin in the woods." Oliver's eyes glazed over. "Just the two of us..."

  Joby whistled. "You're lucky ya got such a hot girlfriend!"

  "Yeah, I sure a― heeey... Watch how you talk about her!"

  Evan sighed.

  Just then, there was a clang from the kitchen, followed by the scurrying sound of cat paws on the counter. Then a thump later and Noodles was rushing into the living room, tail already up in greeting.

  Soon after this, the front door opened and Samantha stepped in, her shirt sweaty and her hair still up in a ponytail. Her face lit up when she saw Noodles there waiting.

  Are cats psychic? Evan wondered. Or is it their hearing?

  Or maybe it was just Noodles.

  "Hi, Oods." Samantha scooped up her orange-furred baby. She stared Oliver's way for a moment, then her eyes moved from Evan to Joby.

  All three guys promptly looked away, happening to all stare at the same empty wall in their haste to look unsuspicious.

  Still stroking her cat's back, Samantha went to her room without another word, shutting the door quietly behind herself.

  "She mad?" Joby whispered.

  "She knows we were talking about her," Evan said.

  Joby stared. "Really? How?"

  "How not, you idiot! Sheesh!"

  Since he'd been waiting to talk to her, Evan went outside her door and knocked. He heard Noodles give a click in response. "Hey, Sam. Can I come in?"

  "I guess."

  The stifled meow of Noodles apparently yawning now.

  When Evan stepped inside, Noodles trotted over to sniff at him. The room was a disaster, with books, papers, and the occasional stuffed animal scattered throughout the space. Only the desk was organized. Samantha's spiffy black and silver laptop sat proudly here, with a few textbooks nearby. A third of her bed seemed to be a dedicated cat nest.

  Samantha was digging through a clothes pile in the corner of the floor. Evan was afraid to ask if they were clean or not. Soon she chose a purple polo and asked, without looking up, "What is it?"

  "Well, I know you were curious about the Tranludes. I sent Professor Lemmings an email about all the attacks. Since, you know, last time, he was the only one who knew what was going on." At her pause, he asked, "You do remember him, right? Roger Lemmings? Teaches mythology?"

  "Oh yeah. Of course. He was the one you met two years ago. I was in the hospital at the time, right?"

  "Yeah. But he was the only one who knew anything about the Tranludes then, so I figured it'd be worth asking him about now."

  This got her attention. "Does he know how they're doing all this?"

  "Doing all what?"

  "Causing all these fires and explosions. They may be shape-shifters and all that, but I don't see how they can do pyrokinesis too."

  "I'm not sure what he thinks of that, but he did say a lot of Tranludes have been flocking to certain places recently. He thinks they're looking for something." Evan shrugged. "Maybe they need something to make them pyrokinetic? I don't know."

  Samantha scrunched her face in thought. "Maybe."

  Noodles suddenly went flying across the room with a low murmur. It was time for her evening energy peak, when she would fly around the room like a rabid tennis ball and leave chaos in her path. This time, she launched from the bed straight to the curtains.

  But her timing was off, and instead of clinging to the lavender drapery, she flew headfirst into the window with a thud.

  "Noodles! Are you okay?" Samantha asked.

  The cat shook herself off. Then she charged under the bed, where she stayed.

  "I really think there's something wrong with that cat," Evan said. "Anyway, Professor Lemmings was wondering if we wanted to help him. He was thinking about going to one of those places that the Tranludes seem so interested in."

  Samantha studied him. "And you said you'd do it?"

  "Well, no." Evan rubbed at his scalp. "I said I needed to think on it. I'd rather not get involved with the Tranludes anymore."

  "And yet you brought it up with him."

  "I was curious! That doesn't mean I'm willing to sign my life away, Sam!"

  She continued to give him that dry, scrutinizing look.

  "What?"

  "You know...we do still have a week off."

  "Grr..."

  "Oh, come on! Don't play innocent! I kno
w you wanted to tell me all this for a reason!"

  "Alright, fine! But nothing more than just helping the guy look around. I do still want some days to relax..."

  "Okay." Reaching under the bed, Samantha dragged out Noodles. "I'm sorry, Noo-Noo, but we're going to be away for a bit."

  The cat's olive eyes stared back.

  "I know, I know. But it won't be for too long." She glanced back up at Evan. "Or are Joby and Oliver going to be here? She could stay with them."

  "Joby and Oliver? I sort of assumed they'd want to tag along too."

  Samantha seemed to stiffen.

  "What?"

  She sighed. "Do we all have to go everywhere together? They're both just... Joby's okay, but Oliver..."

  "You have been rubbing people the wrong way lately."

  "Me? With Oliver, I just said a reason why the Tranludes might've attacked some people and not others. It wasn't anything personal! And with Joby...er..." She trailed off.

  "I didn't even know you and Joby had a falling out."

  "Well, we didn't! Just, uh... Maybe a misunderstanding a few days ago, but we're okay now."

  The word Adorkable drifted through Evan's head just then.

  Did Joby really find this mop-haired disaster cute? The thought made Evan sick to his stomach. It must've been only a joke.

  At least, he hoped so.

  "Oliver mentioned spending the week with Bee-Bee," Evan said. "He might not want to come with us. And we can ask Joby, if you don't mind him."

  She nodded. "Okay."

  "But you and Oliver really do need to drop this."

  She looked at the carpet. "He's the one always talking behind my back. Go tell him that."

  Chapter 7

  Samantha, Evan, and Joby met up with Professor Roger Lemmings at a diverse but welcoming city known as Ammorite. Located south of a giant forest, Ammorite was also one of the few places where humans and Tranludes crossed paths. Surrounding towns tended to be either majority human or Tranlude, but this was a huge deal in and of itself. Before Professor Lemmings had brought this place up, Samantha hadn't even known humans and Tranludes even lived on the same continent anywhere in the world. It was something that wasn't talked about much.