The Elf Girl

by Grabo, Markelle

  “What is your power?” I asked.

  “I have a special way of communicating,” she told me.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Here, let me show you,” she said.

  Addison got up and crossed the room to one of the vanities. She opened a drawer, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to me.

  “Watch the paper closely,” she instructed.

  I set my eyes upon the paper and waited, sifting through the countless possibilities concerning what Addison’s power could be. I heard her take a few deep, even breaths. I looked up for a split second to see her eyes closed, her face expressionless.

  What happened next was truly magical, awe-inspiring.

  Words began appearing before me on the paper, as if someone was writing them with an invisible pen:

  This is my power. Using my mind, I can send messages to anyone I desire. The message can appear on any surface: paper, furniture, and even your very skin.

  “That is incredible, Addison…but also a bit unsettling. I don’t know how I would feel about words on my skin.” I rubbed my arm self-consciously. Then I remembered something. “Did you use your power to send me the message in the book, about the page number?”

  Addison smiled and nodded. “Yes, very good. I also used it to contact Stellan when he was late.”

  I remembered Stellan and my eyes widened. “What’s Stellan’s ability?” I asked.

  Suddenly Stellan was by my side. My hand was in his again. I didn’t know how he had gotten here so quickly.

  “I can go anywhere I want to in an instant,” he said.

  “So you can teleport or something?” I guessed.

  “Is that what the humans call it?” he wondered.

  I shrugged. “I think so,” I said.

  “Then I guess I can teleport. Interesting word, though.” He smiled and closed his eyes tightly.

  Before I could ask what he was doing, it suddenly felt like a huge wave of air crashed over me, and when I blinked, Stellan and I were in the main room again.

  “Holy crap, we just teleported into a different room!” I cried with delight, staring at Stellan in wonder.

  “Nice choice of words,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, a little dizzy. I put a hand against my forehead.

  “I don’t believe any elf in this Realm has ever heard of them before,” he told me.

  “What? You mean the word crap?”

  “Yes, that word.”

  “Oh, well it’s kind of like slang,” I tried to explain.

  He looked at me blankly, obviously confused. “What’s that?”

  “Never mind, it’s complicated. They are just human words, I guess,” I said.

  Still puzzled, he muttered, “Oh, okay.”

  “So what do we do now?” I asked.

  Air crashed over us again.

  I had to sit back on the bed to steady myself. Teleporting, or whatever the elves called it, made me very dizzy.

  “That was so cool,” I said breathlessly.

  “Stop showing off, Stellan! Can’t you see she’s tired?” Addison scolded her brother.

  “Wait, one more question. If you can, um, teleport, why did we walk a million miles to get here?” I asked.

  Stellan laughed and so did Addison. Apparently, my confusion was very funny to them.

  “For one, I wanted you to see the beauty of the Realm; and two, I can use my ability with only one creature. I couldn’t have just left my sister all alone, could I?” He winked at Addison.

  “I guess not. That’s too bad you can’t teleport with more than one elf.” I sighed.

  “Yes, all elfin abilities have certain limitations, like how Addison has to close her eyes when she writes to someone.”

  “Really, Addison, is that true?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Addison confirmed. “But the limitations are worse with other powers and especially worse for Spell Masters…”

  “How is it so for them?” I asked.

  “It’s complicated to explain. Let’s save that conversation for another time. Like, for instance, if you were to become a Spell Master,” Addison said, smiling.

  “Okay,” I gave in, already wondering what my power would be. “Even though there are limitations, I still think your powers are incredibly cool.”

  “Cool.…” Stellan looked confused again.

  “That means great,” I informed him.

  “Oh, okay,” he replied.

  “Now you must go, Stellan. Ramsey needs some rest. I will come along shortly after she is situated,” Addison told her older brother.

  Stellan gave a loud sigh and nodded. “All right, I’ll leave.” He walked over to me and reached for my hand. I gave it to him and he kissed it lightly.

  “See you in the morning, Ramsey.” His smile almost made me melt to the floor, and then he disappeared into thin air. I couldn’t breathe again for a moment.

  “Show off.” Addison sighed and came to sit next to me on the bed.

  “He certainly is,” I agreed.

  “Enough about him. You need to change out of those clothes and get some sleep. I had Blaire stock your wardrobe with proper clothing. I hope everything fits. I used Zora’s measurements from when she was your age.”

  Addison walked over to the wardrobe closest to us.

  “This is your wardrobe. The bed you are sitting on was supposed to be yours after you grew out of your crib. The one next to it was Zora’s. I had all of her clothes moved here from my house, as well as her jewelry and other belongings. I thought it would make you feel closer to her.”

  “Thank you. That’s very considerate of you,” I remarked.

  “You’re welcome,” she replied. “And our house needed some space anyway.” She opened the wardrobe door and pulled out a white nightgown. “Here, put this on. You’ll be more comfortable. I’ll leave you now to get some rest. I still have to change and go to bed myself.”

  I noticed then that she was still wearing her gown from the ball. I couldn’t imagine having to walk in that for so long.

  Seeing her dress made me think of Carmen and my family, and I had to struggle not to cry. I didn’t want Addison thinking I was a baby or reconsidering coming to the Elf Realm.

  “See you in the morning. Try and get some sleep.” Addison gave me a quick hug and then started to leave.

  That’s when the events from the bridge came rushing to the surface, and I couldn’t let Addison leave without speaking to her. I had forgotten all about my near-death experience because of all the excitement, but now I couldn’t seem to get the images out of my head.

  “Addison, wait!” I protested.

  The elfen stopped mid-step and turned to face me.

  “Yes?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Can it wait until morning?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “No, we need to talk now.”

  She sighed and then sat down across from me on Zora’s bed.

  “Go ahead,” she told me.

  “Something happened to me the night I met you at the bookstore. I think it had something to do with my secret, or something to do with Zora. It had to be connected somehow.”

  I could tell my words had sparked Addison’s interest. She leaned forward.

  “What happened on the bridge, Ramsey?”

  “Wait, how did you know something happened at the bridge?” I asked.

  Addison realized her mistake and covered her mouth with her hands.

  “Forget that I said that!” she pleaded.

  “Too late,” I replied.

  She sighed. “Fine, you tell me what happened, and I will tell you how I knew it took place on the bridge, deal?”

  “Deal,” I agreed.

  I told her everything. I told her about the weird water coiling around my ankles, how I nearly drowned in the lake, and the strange man who could make earth with his hands and his strange words of warning afterward. When I was finished, Addison looked at me,
her eyes grave, and nodded.

  “What you experienced was an attack from a highly trained assassin.”

  “What?” I asked. “I’m confused,” I admitted.

  “The water wasn’t just water. It was a being, a creature, called a water fairy.”

  “A water fairy? What’s that?”

  “It’s a type of Element fairy. These fairies have an element they use as their power. Water fairies can create water as well as control it.”

  “Why would a water fairy want to kill me?”

  “Our Realm is at war with theirs. We are fighting the Element fairies, the ones who took your sister. They want you dead because of your secret. I already told you I didn’t know much about it, and I don’t. Whatever it is, it affects the Element fairies somehow, or it affects the war.”

  “And the Earth Man, what was he?” I asked.

  “He was probably an earth fairy, one who can create earth, use earth, and master earth.”

  “Do Element fairies have wings?” I asked.

  “Yes, they do, why?”

  “The Earth Man didn’t have wings,” I told Addison.

  Addison nodded, as though she knew the appropriate response to my statement before I even finished. “He was probably using Glamour. It’s a magical skin that hides a fairy’s true nature to other creatures, like humans, as a way to blend in. It covers up their true form. Every fairy can do it.”

  “All right,” I said, satisfied with her explanation. “But if the Element fairies want me dead, why would an earth fairy save me and then tell me to be careful?” I asked.

  Addison was about to speak and then looked down. “Honestly?”

  “Yes,” I urged.

  She sighed deeply. “I have no idea.” When my face fell, she added, “I’m sorry, Ramsey, but I don’t know much about the war or your secret. All I know is that your sister believed you could find her, so I brought you here. The rest you will have to figure out on your own, or from someone else.”

  I nodded silently, not knowing what to say. I fought back tears, trying to hold myself together, but it wasn’t easy. Addison, who I thought could help me through all of this, had just told me I was on my own. The realization was hard to accept, especially because I had no idea what to do now that I was here. I didn’t know how to find my sister, figure out my secret, or keep myself from being killed by Element fairies. I still had no idea why the earth fairy had saved me.

  I knew absolutely nothing.

  Noticing my despair, Addison took my hand and her voice softened as she said, “Ramsey, I went to the bridge because I detected a heightened level of magical energy there when I left the bookstore. You see, magical creatures can detect that sort of thing. If we are in an area where magic recently occurred, we can feel it. But I didn’t know what had truly happened there until now.”

  “Thank you for clearing that up,” I said, swallowing a lump in my throat.

  Addison nodded and didn’t speak for a few moments. She looked deep in thought.

  “You should get some rest now,” she decided. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, stifling a yawn.

  “I know I’m not much help, but don’t let that get in your way, Ramsey. I know you can do this.”

  “Do what, exactly?” I asked.

  “Whatever it takes to figure out the real you, I guess,” she said.

  Then Addison smiled, although I could tell it was forced, and started walking toward the door again. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and came back into my room.

  “It could have been an elf, Ramsey,” she blurted.

  “What?” I asked. I was exhausted, and I’d had about enough of her vague explanations.

  “The Earth Man,” she explained further. “He could have been an elf. Some elves have element abilities. I go to school with an elfen whose ability is the element of air. He could have been an elf with an earth ability.”

  “Why would he save me? Why was he there?” I asked.

  Addison shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he is someone who knows Zora. Maybe he is one of the Queen’s scouts and he just happened to be in the same area.”

  “How can you be sure?” I wondered.

  “I’m not. But it makes a lot more sense for an elf to save you than an earth fairy, doesn’t it?” She looked at me kindly, but I could tell behind her smile lay just as much confusion as I felt.

  I nodded, totally unconvinced. “I guess.”

  “Okay, well, you should probably just forget about it for a while. It doesn’t make a difference who or what saved you, so long as you are still alive. Zora is the objective now, Ramsey. That is the reason you are here.” She gave me a quick hug. “Good night.”

  “Good night,” I replied, a little dejected.

  Then Addison left.

  Alone, I pondered one thing I hadn’t mentioned to her. I remembered The Earth Man having dark brown hair. Even in the shadows, I had still been able to make out his every feature.

  Since when did elves have brown hair?

  They didn’t. Elves didn’t have brown hair. They had pale blonde or black hair. Addison was wrong. He couldn’t have been an elf. He had to have been an earth fairy. How would I prove that, though, without seeing him again? I had no idea.

  And although I knew she meant well, I also knew that Addison would never have come looking for me if Zora hadn’t been taken. My purpose here, in Addison’s eyes, was to find my sister, not to find out my secret or anything else about me. Or, if she did care about me finding myself, it only came in second to Zora. But I wanted to achieve both. There had to be a way to accomplish all of those things. There had to be.

  I decided just then that I would not forget about the bridge or the Earth Man. I didn’t know why, but I felt it was important to know who he was, and why he had saved me. I wouldn’t rest until I knew.

  And yes, I would find my sister. I would do everything I could to figure out where she was and bring her home safely.

  But that didn’t mean I couldn’t search for other things along the way.

  However, I couldn’t do any of that tonight. Not yet, not after just getting here and learning this much so quickly and suddenly. I needed some time. One night and then I would devote myself to the tasks of finding my sister, learning my secret, and everything else I felt I needed to do.

  Then I finally allowed myself to tear up. I had to relieve the building stress inside me. The tears were silent, washing down my cheeks slowly as I contemplated my situation. I was only crying because I was afraid, overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to proceed with anything, especially with Zora. Where would I even begin? I felt hollow and empty because of my lack of knowledge, but most of all, I felt alone. I missed Carmen, and I missed my parents. I even missed Dina, and that was saying something.

  And yet, I knew that I was home. At least that was some comfort.

  I wiped away the tears, reassured myself that I had made the right choice by coming here, and started to undress. I didn’t know if I should keep my old clothes or not and decided to put them in the wardrobe, where I found clothes of all different colors. But the common motif was obviously green and brown. Skirts, blouses, dresses, breeches, and shoes of all kinds cluttered the space. They all looked so different from the clothes in the Human Realm, but I wanted different. I craved different. This was the one chance I had to start my life over, and I wanted to do it right.

  Wearing the nightgown, I slipped under the covers of my bed. Finally feeling warm and safe, I forgot about my worries for the moment. The one thing I wanted was rest. I needed to recharge before beginning the search for my sister…among other things.

  I was just about to blow out the candle on the bedside table when I noticed something sticking out of one of Zora’s vanity drawers. I rolled out of bed and walked over to investigate, my curiosity getting the better of me. After a slight tug, the paper came free and I unfolded it. It was a note addressed to me:

  When you are ready, come
and see me.

  -Blaire

  I remembered Addison mentioning Blaire earlier and wondered what this meant. She must have left the note while she was cleaning, but what could she mean by ready? Below her name were directions to her home. It wasn’t too far from here. I decided to ask Addison about it in the morning. Right now, I was too tired to decide anything else. I had to sleep.

  When I was once again warm and safe in my bed, I blew out the candle and closed my eyes. All traces of earlier tears gone, I reassured myself that no matter how difficult it was, no matter how long it took, I would accomplish all I set out to do. Somehow, I would get through this. I had been given this second chance for a reason, and I was determined to make the most of it.

  Before sleep overtook me, I prayed silently to God, asking Him to keep Zora safe wherever she was, and to give me the strength I needed to figure out my life.

  ~5~

  Journal

  I didn’t really know how I could tell, but somehow I knew it was just past eleven when I woke up. Still nighttime – I remembered reading in the guidebook that elves only slept four hours each night. Obviously, Addison and the others hadn’t remembered that the rule applied to me as well. Nevertheless, I understood. It was hard enough for me to think of myself as an elfen. I acted like a human. I thought like a human. Except for my looks, I was still very human. I hoped I would become more elfen over time. Maybe then, this new situation would feel real to me, because right now everything still felt like a dream.

  When I woke, I wasn’t fully rested, but I was unable to get back to sleep. My mind was going crazy again, rethinking all I had learned recently like a pop song on repeat. In a matter of hours, my life had changed dramatically, and I still hadn’t become accustomed to it all.

  I tried to pass the night by looking around the house. Using candlelight to see, I began with my room, the one I used to share with my sister. I wanted to find out everything I could about her. If I was to find Zora, I needed to start by knowing her. I decided the best place to initiate my exploration would be her vanity drawers. I walked softly over to the vanity. I knew I was alone, but I felt the need to remain quiet. This place was still foreign to me, and I guessed still feeling cautious was wise. I wasn’t used to calling this my home yet. To me, my home was still back in Wisconsin. It would take some time for me to fully adjust.