by T. S. Hall
“Um… Mrs. Ferris?” Dax said as the liquid boiled over the rim of his pot. “I think there’s something wrong with my recipe,” he confessed as an extremely large greenish-yellow bubble grew from the pot.
“Oh no! Don’t touch it!” Mrs. Ferris said, sprinting to the back shelf and extracting a potion from the inner wall.
The bubble grew larger, engulfing the lab station. In mere moments, it ballooned so big that it hit the ceiling.
Mrs. Ferris pulled out a smoky liquid from the potion bottle, like a rabbit from a hat, and magically pushed the contents toward the monstrous bubble. It exploded, covering everyone with a slimy film of greenish goo. “How much lilac powder did you put in there?” she asked.
“Two tablespoons,” Dax replied, wiping the slimy goo from his face.
Mrs. Ferris shook her head and grabbed several towels from a drawer.
“Teaspoons, you moron!” Katie yelled, irate that her nice clothes had been ruined.
Dax apologized profusely, all while trying to stifle a laugh at his sister, who had slime dripping from her bangs.
Mrs. Ferris threw each of them a towel. “It’s all right. You’re not the first to make that mistake. When the lilac powder mixes with dragon blood, it causes a reaction with the slug sauce.”
“Ew! You mean I’m covered in slug boogers?” Katie exclaimed.
Everyone laughed at Katie’s discomfort, watching as she aggressively wiped the green goo from her clothes.
“How were you able to do that?” Allora asked, referring to the potion retrieval.
“I just used a small amount of hadrons to counter gravity and raise the molecular contents of the bottle. It’s simple really.” Mrs. Ferris almost laughed at the confused faces of her goo-covered students, who resembled creatures from a Sonoran swamp. While they waited for the glue mixture to settle, Mrs. Ferris gave them a more advanced science lesson. “A hadron is essentially a wave particle.”
“Like electricity or light?” Tanner asked.
“Well, in some ways, you could make that comparison, but hadrons are far more complex. They grow inside of us as we get older, in our blood, cells, brains, and organs. When we choose to, we can absorb them, move them, focus them, and expel them, depending on our level of ability. Sonoran scientists are still trying to understand what they are, so I don’t expect you to develop a complete understanding. Nevertheless, you should have a general idea of what’s going on inside of you.” She paused for a moment, washing the green goo from her towel. “Human scientists mistakenly refer to hadrons as dark matter or dark energy.”
“So humans know about hadrons, at least to some degree?” Allora asked.
“The humans have been studying them for some time, but they have only a basic understanding at the moment.”
“If humans know about hadrons, how’s come they can’t focus?” Tanner asked.
“I’m afraid someone much wiser than me would have to answer that question, my boy. Humans do possess a small amount of hadrons in their bodies, but they can’t conceptualize them yet. Do you remember when I told you human beings only use ten percent of their brains?”
They nodded their heads.
“Due to that, human minds are not ready to handle hadrons just yet. Some Sonorans fear that if humans do learn to harness hadrons, they will become a threat against Sonora itself. Personally, I think that’s ridiculous; an unfounded fear coming from power-hungry people who do not want to be upstaged or share their unique gifts.”
“Any chance you could use some of those hadrons to get this horrible stuff off my clothes?” Katie said, scrubbing her jeans with a towel.
“You’re such a drama queen,” Dax said.
“These are designer jeans. If I can’t get this stuff out, you’re a dead man.”
Mrs. Ferris ignored the sibling rivalry and inspected the other pots. “Allora, it seems you are the only one who was able to mix a sufficient batch.”
Katie continued to wash her clothes in the sink, while everyone else crowded around Allora’s pot. A soft white, creamy layer had settled at the top of the liquid.
Mrs. Ferris carefully scooped the white foam off and placed it into four Petri dishes. She handed out goggles and gloves and instructed Allora to gently pick up the Tiranis extract.
Allora uncorked the bottle, holding it out in front of her with her arms straight.
“Hold it very steady,” Mrs. Ferris said, unnerved by the rare extract. Then, her fingers magically pulled the substance from the bottle and slowly pulled the weird, thick liquid into four parts. She gently lowered each part an inch from the four foam-filled Petri dishes. With a flick of her fingers, the Tiranis extract dropped into the foam, and four enormous plumes of sparkling smoke exploded up to the ceiling.
Filling the air, the smoke smelled of lilac and skunk, an odd aroma that was delightful and vile at the same time. The thick cloud gradually dissipated, and the four Petri dishes came into view. The liquid swirled around, forming four small white, sparkling balls.
Mrs. Ferris took them and placed one in each of the students’ hands. “Use these whenever you are compelled to discuss anything about Sonora. You never know when someone might be listening in on your conversations. They are reusable, but if you need more for some reason, come find me.”
“Got any more cool things on that crazy shelf of yours?” Dax asked.
“Not for you, young man. Who knows what you’d do with some of that stuff?” Mrs. Ferris said, pushing them out of the classroom and into the hallway. It was a little early, but she had many things to do.
The four of them decided they’d use the extra time to go get costumes for Mondrach’s Halloween party. Even though Allora didn’t really want to go, the prospect of just being average teens for the night was exciting.
Before they left, Allora went to the bathroom. She opened the door and heard crying sounds. Quietly, she peeked around the corner and saw a blonde girl slumped over the sink. The crying girl’s mascara was running down her face in gray-black rivers, dripping into a puddle in the white porcelain sink. She was rubbing her cheeks with a damp towel and raised her head when Allora walked up.
“What are you looking at?” Jenny sneered, still trying to clean the raccoon mask from around her eyes. Allora pulled her head back, unsure about what to say. “I bet you’re enjoying this, huh?” Jenny said, leaning back over the sink. The sounds of her sniffles echoed in the tile bathroom around them.
“Actually, I just wanted to apologize,” Allora said, even though she wasn’t sure why those words came out of her mouth.
“What? You’re sorry?” Jenny asked calmly. “Why the hell would you apologize to me?” Jenny’s mood seemed to change from confusion to anger. She stood up straight, looking defiant.
“I’m sorry because I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.”
At the sound of the sincere and sympathetic confession, Jenny eased back down, letting go of her aggression.
“You mean your uncle,” Jenny said, feeling guilty. Allora gave in to her own vulnerability, unsure why she was discussing one of the most painful times of her life to the one person she hated most. Her eyes began welling up with tears, her body remembering the emotions as if it had all happened yesterday. “Allora, I’m so sorry for what I said earlier about—.”
“It’s ok,” she replied, wiping her eyes. “Water under the bridge.”
Jenny put her arms around Allora, pulling her in for an embrace. Shocked by the oddity of the moment, Allora wasn’t sure how to react, so she allowed the girl to hug her and said nothing. In fact, she eventually gave in and reciprocated the hug, and the two held each other as if they were long-lost friends. After they pulled apart, neither girl said a word. Jenny half-smiled at Allora, an unspoken farewell, then left the bathroom.
Allora stood there for a while, reflecting on the peculiar and unexpected exchange. Shaking her head, she walked out of the school and onto the pavement of the parking lot.
“What took
you so long?” Katie asked.
“I’m fine,” Allora said, walking up to the car.
“Give her a break. She was probably just taking a big Number Two,” Dax said, causing Tanner to crack up laughing. “We can stop at the store if you’re all stopped up.”
“Do you have to be so gross all the time? Grow up.”
“Hey, sometimes I take longer than Allora did, especially when the cafeteria feeds us those tacos with the mystery meat in ‘em,” Dax replied.
Tanner laughed even harder as they jumped into his car.
“You know, sometimes I wonder how it’s possible that we’re actually related,” Katie said to her brother.
The car pulled away and headed toward Ruth’s Costume Shop.
Twelve
HALLOWEEN
Fall had arrived, and the trees were blanketed with a vibrant variety of beautiful, autumn colors. Allora took some time while she fed the chickens to notice the landscape, a nice break from the flurry of activity in her home.
Halloween was in full effect, and the house was covered in decorations. Fake cobwebs were spread across the walls, cauldrons of dry ice boiled in near the fireplace, and plastic skeletal bones were scattered all about. Trays of candy corn, creepy monsters, and other elaborate decorations finished the look. Milly and May had been busy all week preparing the house for their most celebrated of holidays.
“Human Halloween traditions have their roots in Celt and Irish origins from thousands of years ago. Supposedly, on October 31st, the ghosts of the dead would return to Earth.” As Milly told the story, she began to laugh. “Of course, humans didn’t realize those so-called ghosts were just Sonorans, playing tricks on them. Trick or Treat was invented because if a Sonoran wasn’t able to scare the human, they had to give them a treat,” Milly explained. “Over time, humans took it over as their own tradition, and now little ones go out with bags on Beggar’s Night, asking for candy and other goodies.”
“What other influences have Sonorans had on Earth?” Allora asked.
May yelled from down the hall, “Milly, I need your help putting up this large plastic spider.”
“Well, surely you don’t think the Tooth Fairy is human, do you?” Milly said with a smile, and turned to help her sister in the living room.
“I didn’t know fairies live in Sonora,” Katie said, putting her witch cape around her shoulders.
“A tooth-stealing fairy. I knew there was something fishy about that,” Allora said, placing her pointy black witch hat on her head.
“Girls, it looks like Tanner’s here,” Milly yelled, holding up the plastic spider decoration.
Allora and Katie looked in the mirror one last time to review their outfits, identical except for their shirts, a white tank-top for Katie and a purple one for Allora. They both had short black skirts, long capes, and pointy black hats. They’d spent hours working on their makeup, and their thick, black eyeliner in a perfect cat eye made them look even more exotic. After a quick application of lip gloss, they were ready for Mondrach’s party. Allora finished touching up and walked into the living room with Katie right on her heels.
Tanner was standing next to the fireplace, quite literally dressed like a knight in shining armor. He looked comfortable in his costume, a plated metal suit that looked rather authentic. He was carrying the sword he’d received from Aunt May, hanging in a sheath on his back. The outfit was masculine and eerily familiar to Allora, even though she couldn’t understand why.
“You’re smart to bring your sword, Tanner,” Milly said. “You must all be very careful tonight. Halloween is usually off limits when it comes to acts of aggression, but the Royal Guard rarely plays by the rules.”
“We know, Mom,” Allora said, a little perturbed and embarrassed by her mother’s constant worrying.
“I put extra guards out there anyway,” Milly said, then returned to helping her sister with the decorations.
Allora said her goodbyes to her aunt and her mother, assuring them again that she would be careful, and then they all headed out the door to Tanner’s car.
“Where’s my brother?” Katie said, looking around for a guy dressed in a Merlin costume.
“Boo!” a voice said from behind the car.
A man with a fake beard and a blue hooded robe popped around the corner. Katie swung around instinctively and hit her brother on the side of the head, sending him to the ground.
Although he was in pain from the blow to his head, Dax couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess all that training has really paid off. You should have seen your face though. Priceless!”
Katie responded to her brother’s comment by kicking him in the stomach. “Do that again, and I’ll aim a little lower,” she threatened, stepping around Dax to get into the car.
Allora followed, laughing as she jumped into the passenger seat.
Dax slowly picked himself up. The kick had hurt much more than the punch to his head. With the wind knocked out of him, he opened the car door and inched his way into the seat, all the while glaring at his sister.
“Next time, maybe you’ll think before you act.”
“Oh yeah? Next time I’ll use a cattle prod,” Dax replied.
Allora rolled her eyes at Tanner, who had to suppress his laughter as he pulled onto Greenburg Road. The conversation in the back was entertaining and continued all the way to the Mondrach’s house.
There, a multitude of cars lined the driveway. Robert’s parents were in Hawaii and had left him alone for a week, giving him the perfect opportunity to throw a relatively unauthorized Halloween bash with no adult supervision. He’d made a guest list, but he was by no means prepared for the word-of-mouth that led to far more people showing up. Luckily, his house was large enough for everyone, and it was secluded from his neighbors, back in the woods.
The four teens got out of the car to the sound of muffled music, bumping from inside the two-story home. Through the living room window, they could see the house packed with their classmates. They moved through the crowd to find Robert in the kitchen.
“Dude, I thought this was supposed to be a small get-together,” Tanner said, walking up to their host.
“Yeah, well, so did I!” Robert responded, putting plastic cups into a trash bag, obviously flustered by the number of people in his house. “Not so small, huh?”
Truth be told, almost the entire school had shown up for the party. Princesses, comic book heroes, M&Ms, and even a Bigfoot were there. The Bigfoot took off his mask to reveal Brandon. He had a jug of red punch in one hand and playing cards in another.
Mondrach’s parents were wealthy. They had six bedrooms, a game room, a swimming pool in the back yard, and even a weight room. Allora, Tanner, and Katie went to the game room, while Dax made his way out to the pool to shamelessly hit on some unsuspecting sophomore girls. Katie and Robert played on the billiards table, while Tanner and Allora threw darts.
“I think you’ve got an unfair advantage,” Tanner said after losing for a third time. “Maybe you should give me a handicap.”
“I can’t help it if you suck with ranged weapons,” Allora said, jabbing Tanner playfully in the side.
“Maybe you should give me some pointers…in private,” he flirted. When she didn’t answer, he said, “Hey, I’m gonna get a soda. You want anything?”
“Sure, grab me one as well.”
Tanner left the room and worked through the labyrinth of people to get to the coolers where the drinks were held.
Katie came up behind Allora. “Heads up. Crazy blonde just got here,” she whispered.
Allora jerked around to see Jenny strutting down the hallway with Tanya and Nancy trailing behind her. They were all scantily clad in bright pastels, with fake wings attached to their backs. Glitter sparkled on their skin, and their makeup was beyond extreme.
“They look like butterflies on drugs,” Katie criticized quietly.
Robert walked over to his giggling, girly guests and asked, “What are you guys supposed to be?�
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“Pixies,” Tanya said, moving in closer. She’d had a crush on Robert for years.
Since Robert didn’t feel the same, he just smiled and backed away. “Sorry,” he said. “I just don’t wanna get glitter all over me.”
Jenny found her way to Allora and stopped in front of her.
The room fell silent. Gossip from the incident at camp and the soccer tryouts had circulated through the entire student body, and everyone assumed, with eager anticipation, that a pixie-on-witch brawl was inevitable.
Jenny’s cheeks lifted, as if she was breaking into a smile, a rare expression for her. “Thank you for what you said the other day,” she remarked, confusing the curious spectators who’d been eagerly watching, hoping for a dramatic fight. “I didn’t get a chance to apologize.”
“That’s okay,” Allora responded. “You don’t have to.”
Someone in the back began to applaud, and the girls turned to watch as a petite, beautiful brunette slid from behind a zoot suit-wearing gangster. Kim was dressed in skintight, almost painted-on black leather, with tall boots that went past her knees, a long, flowing cape, a pointy witch hat, black eyeliner, and bright red lipstick. “How precious,” she almost hissed, slowly moving toward the center of the room. “You know, Jenny, I think you’re losing your edge. I thought that you were supposed to be queen bitch around here,” she said, now within a foot of Jenny, “but your acting more like… well, not that impressive, if you ask me.”
Jenny was about to take a swing, but Allora grabbed her wrist.
“Go on girl,” Kim dared. “Give it a shot.”
Just then, Tanner walked back into the room. “Did I miss something?” he said to a quiet but giddy crowd that was excited to be getting their drama fix.
Kim turned toward Tanner, placed her hand on his chest, and smacked a long, wet kiss on his mouth. “Nope, you didn’t miss a thing,” she said and sauntered toward the kitchen.