by Jimi Alan
“Who is it from?” Alice asked.
“Not so fast.” Her uncle played with her. “Come down stairs.”
“Fine.” Alice let out a soft groan.
She tossed her blanket back over her head for just a second. Alice wanted to crawl under the sheets and stay there all day. She wondered, was the letter she read still on her nightstand.
Alice peeked her head out from below her blanket. She looked over at the nightstand, where she placed the letter last night. It was slightly wrinkled from last night, but stood were Alice left it.
Her eyes light up with joy. She felt a burst of excitement rushing through her veins. Alice wondered if the mail she got today was what the letter said would arrive. She felt a strange feeling of sadness for a split second, before pulling the blanket away from her body.
Down stairs, Alice walked into the kitchen. Her aunt Serena stood by the kitchen stove, making breakfast for them. She wasn’t the best cook in the house, but breakfast was her specialty.
Cedric was finishing putting the silverware on the table. He smiled at the sight of Alice, as his eyes shifted to the pile of mail on the table. Alice noticed the pile her uncle gracefully pointed out. She walked up to the table, hoping her uncle wasn’t lying about her having mail.
She saw it. An envelope with a seal keeping it closed. She touched her hand onto the envelope, wondering if it was what the letter spoke of.
Alice flipped the envelope over. She saw her name ‘Alice Corey’ written in cursive on the front of the letter. There was no address and no return address written on it. She wondered how could such a mysterious envelope had found its way to them.
Her uncle Cedric smiled. “I didn’t see any return address on it.”
“Me neither.” She awed over the envelope.
It looked prestened, with not even a wrinkle on it. Alice turned it over, she saw the seal on the back. She looked at it carefully, noticing a G in the middle with two hands cupping below it.
“That’s strange.” Her aunt seemed suspicious as she finished breakfast.
Alice slid her finger across the seal, breaking it away from the envelope. She opened the envelope with her hands nervous of what it might say. Her hands shake as she picked up the letter inside it.
She read over the letter quickly, for her excitement got the better of her. Alice read the important word at the beginning of the letter ‘Congratulations’. Her aunt walked to the table with a plate in each hand. She placed them onto the table, before walking back for the last place.
Alice read the letter to herself.
‘-Alice Corey, for making the first step into Graves Academy.’
She stopped reading the letter. Sitting down in her chair as her aunt placed the last plate in front of her. She noticed the concern look on Alice’s face right away.
“What is it?”
Alice said. “Have you ever heard of Graves Academy?”
Her uncle exchanged a look with her aunt. “Um, yea. That’s where your father attended school.”
Serena said. “It’s a school for gifted students.”
“I’ve been accepted into it.”
Alice placed the letter down onto the table. She noticed a few other pieces of papers had appeared beneath it. Alice never knew her father attended a prestigious school.
“What?” Her uncle reached for the letter. “That’s great. But can we afford it.”
He looked at the letter, analyzing it. “At no charge.”
Muttering those words, the aunt smiled. She placed a hand on her fork, taking a bit of her breakfast.
“You found it.” She looked over at Alice. “Your father’s wand?”
“Um.” Alice felt nervous having her aunt ask her such as question. She wondered if that was what she was holding last night.
Alice placed her hands nervously into her pants pockets. She felt something inside her left pocket. Touching her hand around the handle. Placing the handle onto the table with her mortified expression of shock all over her face.
“That’s what this is.” She had no idea. “I found it on a letter.”
Cedric wondered. “What letter?”
“Yesterday.” She told them. “At mom and dad’s graves. I found a letter in the leaves. It was addressed to me.”
“Oh.” Her aunt seemed shocked. “Someone must of found it.”
The masteries feeling sparked inside Alice. She felt like her aunt knew more than she was letting on about the whole thing. Alice looked down at the letter her uncle placed back down at the table.
“So.” He asked his wife. “You know of Graves.”
“Yes.” Serena smiled. “I attended it when I was around her age. They only accept magical families. By using her father’s wand, the school was notified that Alice would attend.”
“My father’s wand.” Alice looked down at the handle of the wand.
“We have much to talk about.” Serena winked at Alice. “And don’t seem so surprised Cedric. You knew I was a witch long ago.”
“I know.” He admitted. “But I had no idea there was a school for such a thing. Why didn’t I ever hear of it.”
“Because. Your family stopped practicing magic.” Serena took a bite of her breakfast. “We need to get her ready.”
“Um wait.” Alice was confused. “Hold on. You both a witches?”
Her aunt smirked. “Don’t be silly. I hung up my wand when I married Cedric, like any magic user who marries a non-magics.”
“There are many rolls that you're learning about.” Cedric told her. “Some that we should have taught you, and others you're find out on your own.”
“So.” Alice wondered. “If you're a witch. Why don’t you doing a spell to make me pass biology?”
“Like I said.” Serena sighed. “I hung up my wand long ago.”
“Um well.” Cedric explained. “As I’ve been told. No magical user can do spells without a wand. My family lost ours long ago.”
“By marrying Cedric.” Alice’s aunt sighed. “I lost mine as well.”
“No wand, no magic.” Cedric said. “For that’s just how it works.”
“And you my child are a Corey.” Serena smiled. “So you can wave your wand as much as you like. Now let’s finish breakfast, before it gets cold.”
Alice placed her wand back into her pocket. She picked up her fork, wondering why today she was learning about this role. Alice took a bit of her breakfast. She thought about her parents and why she never knew they were witches.
Guessing, Alice assumed her parents both were witches. She wondered why they would give her to her father’s sister, who had no magical powers. Her heart wanted to know what her parents were thinking, but her mind told her that she would find out soon.
Later in the evening, Alice walked down a street with Serena behind her. She never liked going shopping with her aunt, because of the attitude she took with her. Her uncle stayed in the car, keeping it warm for when they returned.
Alice and her aunt walked into a store. She followed beside her aunt, like she was told to do, for walking into the store can be tricky, her aunt told her back in the car. Alice thought it was strange. She walked into the very same store about a hundred times. The ‘Sparkling Cafe’ was a known hangout for those who preferred a good book over socializing.
Walking into the store, Alice felt right at home. Walls lined with bookshelves topped to the ceiling with books of every kind. Alice followed behind her aunt, who smirked at the clerk at the counter.
“Hello misses Lake.” The clerk smiled. “How may I help you today?”
The letter was all her aunt needed. She showed the letter to the clerk with a proud smile on her face. Alice wondered if this letter was the best thing to ever happen to her.
“Access to the back.” Serena demanded in a soft tone. “We need to get some supplies.”
“Very well.” The clerk walked away from the counter.
He gracefully slipped his finger onto a keychain by the end of the bookshelf
behind the counter. The clerk walked like he knew where he was going. He took them towards the back of the store.
They past a few people lounging at the tables, enjoying a cup of coffee to end their day. Alice remembered from visiting the cafe so often. She waved at them with her nervous hands slightly shaking.
At the back, the clerk walked up to a bookshelf. Spending most of her time wandering around the alleys of bookshelves, Alice never noticed the slit in the shelf. The clerk poked the key into the slit, twisting it ever so slightly. The door slide open just a crack, big enough for Alice and her aunt to squeeze through.
Taking the first step, Alice’s aunt told her. “Watch your step.”
Alice looked at the clerk who stood by the bookshelf. He smiled at her as Alice’s aunts hand pulled her away from the store. She blinked for a second, stepping out of the store and into the freezing cold.
She was not prepared for what she saw as the bookshelf closed behind her. Alice opened her eyes to see a cobblestone street with lights along each side. Bricked stores and wooden rooftops covered the edge of the streets.
Her heart skipped with joy as she turned to where the bookshelf should have stood. Alice looked at the wall, full of bricks. She saw a single outline of light in the bricks, were the bookshelf should have been.
Alice’s aunt told her. “We only have a few hours. So we better get started.”
She walked down the street as Alice absorbed her surroundings. Surprised by what she saw, Alice wondered why her aunt was just walking along. Then she realized, her aunt once walked down these streets of cobblestone when she was younger.
“Um Aunt Serena.” Alice wondered. “Where are we going?”
“To Harrings Shop.” She smirked. “It’s just down here.”
Walking down the street, Alice felt like she was in another world. A woman stood on the side of the street with a pigeon on her arm. She whispered to the pigeon as it flew off.
Alice noticed a letter was attached to the pigeon’s foot. She wondered if that was how her letter arrived today. By the whispers of a woman she has never met.
Her aunt stopped in front of Harrings Shop with a smile on her face. She touched her hand onto the door. A soft soothing sound charmed from inside the shop as the door opened. Alice thought the shop was stranger than normal.
She stayed beside her aunt, walking into the strange shop. Alice noticed as few jars on the shelves. She placed her hand up to her mouth, as she noticed a toad was stuffed in one.
Alice’s aunt had walked up to the counter. She rang the doorbell beside the cash-register, hoping to get some service. Alice admired the ship for a little while, as her aunt tapped her shoes on the tiled shop floor.
“I guess Harrings not home.” Alice’s aunt sighed. “That’s a-shame. He has the best of everything.”
Alice knew the tone in her aunt's voice. She was playing some kind of game, to make her seem displeased. Alice knew the tone a little too well, her aunt used it on her uncle when he was annoying her.
“Hello Serena Lake.” A man walked out from behind one of the shelves. “I thought you had your wand removed.”
The man wore a suit with a tie. He looked elegant and poised as he walked behind the counter. A smile on his face as he greeted Alice’s aunt. There was a moment of silence as Alice stared at the man. His eyes where pure white, some kind of demonic appear she only saw in movies.
“What’s with his eyes?”
Alice thought it was rude to ask, but her mouth opened without a second thought. Her aunt smiled at her with a slight grin on her face.
“Harrings in as demosky.” Her aunt said. “They have white eyes because they are always searching for something. They can also not hear anything, unless spoken directly to.”
“So.” Alice wondered. “He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“Nope.” Serena smiled at Harrings. “This is my niece Alice. She’s starting school at Graves this year.”
“Really.” Harrings grinned at Serena. “She needs to speak at me for service. You know the roles, Serena.”
Harrings looked over his shoulder at the window. A sign hung by the door said ‘Speak to clerk for Service’. She felt rude for not asking him the questing.
“Hi.” Alice nervously waved her hand slightly.
“Oh.” Harrings smiled. “She’s a doll. How cute. I know just what your need.”
Harrings walked towards the row of shelves. He looked as if he was lost, trying to search for an item right in front of him. He touched many of the jars on the shelves before heading further in the back.
Alice hoped he wouldn’t give them something creepy. She looked at her aunt, who folded her hands in front of her. She looked patient as they waited.
“How can he see that jars?” Alice wondered.
“It’s different.” Serena told her. “He can see what’s around him. But when it comes to people, he can’t see or hear them unless spoken directly too.”
Alice wanted to get out of the creepy store. “So, what are we getting?”
“It’s a pack.” Serena says. “Full of everything a first year student at Graves will need.”
“Oh.” Alice wondered. “Like that explains anything.”
Harrings said. “Is she your child? You know I can’t supply her with anything if she is.”
“No Harrings.” Serena told him. “She’s the daughter of my brother, Jacob.”
The sound of something dropping echoed through the store. What Serena said scuttled Harrings. He must have not known that Alice was the daughter of Jacob Corey.
“That’s Alice Corey?” Harrings voice with a few curses echoed around.
“Yes Harrings.” She reminded him. “The daughter of my brother and the caster Martina.”
“I know just what to get.” Harrings voice came from behind the shelves further back into the store.
Alice wondered why her aunt called her mother a caster, like it had some kind of meaning to Harrings. She thought about the word for a while.
Harrings came back to the counter. He carried a small sack in his hand, small enough to fit a few coins.
“Com-packed and ready to go.” Harrings passed the sack to Serena. “That will be four thousand mag-dollars.”
Alice never heard of such a thing. She looked at her aunt, who held a card up to Harrings. He smiled at her and nodded his head, slipping the card next to the cash-register.
“It’s been awhile since I used this thing.” Serena admitted.
“Your last purchase was a year ago.” Harrings smiled. “If I do recall.”
“But that will be our little secret.” Serena winked at him.
“I would be out of business,” he told her “if I said everyone who buys items here.”
“Thanks.” Serena took her card from Harrings tavents.
She held the sack in the palm of her hand. Walked away from the counter, Alice glanced behind her. She saw a figure standing behind one of the shelves. She guessed Harrings had other customers.
Alice walked outside of the store with her aunt beside her. They headed back up the street towards the way they came. Alice looked at the walls, hoping to spot the outline of light in the bricks.
Her aunt sighed. “Keep your head down at don’t say a word.”
They walked past a family with a daughter around Alice’s age. They wore white suits with slight red on the sleeves. Alice wondered why her aunt wanted her to stay quiet around them.
Her aunt spoke in a whisper as they reached the outline in the bricks. She placed her hand onto the door. Serena muttered a word to softly for Alice to hear. The door opened a moment later, just a crack for them to walk inside.
Alice and her aunt stepped into the cafe. She looked for the clerk, not spotting him around. Her aunt grabbed the key out of the hole, making the bookshelf close behind them. She rushed down the alley of the bookshelves. Each step they took, Alice felt like her aunt was running away.
She asked her aunt. “Who are they?”
“Why?” Alice asked aunt, expecting her not to say a word.
Her aunt rushed out of the cafe. “They are a powerful magic family.”
Her aunt placed her hand onto the handle to the car door. She sat in the front seat with Cedric giving her a kiss on the cheek as she settled down. Alice looked over her shoulder. She saw the daughter dressed in white with red sleeves in the cafe. Her eyes were bright red, like she just socked them in blood.
Alice reached for the door handle of the car. She pulled up and out, opening the door. Sitting in the car, Alice kept her eyes on the cafe. She thought it was strange that the daughter of a powerful magic family would be watching her. Her uncle drove the car away, careful not to draw any attention to them.
Chapter Two
Graves Academy
Back at the cafe, the girl with the blood red eyes glared out the window. She admired the daughter of the Corey family. The girl grinned as the car drove off with the girl inside. She knew her name from her parents.
A voice whispered from behind her. “Lucia. Where did you go?”
The girl looked over her shoulder at the bookshelves behind her. A woman dressed in white from head to toe walked down past the shelves. She had red on the sleeves of her cloak and dress underneath. Taking a look around for her daughter.
With a calm voice, the woman placed before the girl. “Let’s go.”
“Yes.” The girl nodded her head ever so slightly. “Mother.”
The girl named Lucia walked away from the window. She looked over her shoulder at the street, with no cars along the sides. Lucia crossed her arms gently in front of her. She walked up to her mother, with a smile on her face. Knowing that one day, her and the girl in the car would cross paths once more.
Later in the evening, Alice stepped out of her uncles car. She kept her head up as she walked away from the car door. Her aunt closed the door as her uncle reached the trunk of the car.
Cedric opened the trunk, reaching inside to pull out Alice’s luggage from the back of the car. Her uncle carried her suitcase as her aunt walked inside the station with her.