The Elf Girl

by Grabo, Markelle

  My breakdown the night before couldn’t happen again, that much I had decided. If I was to accomplish anything here, there could be no room for whining and complaining. I had to be strong, and I had to focus. I had to think of the good things, like how I was finally home. Being negative wouldn’t get me anywhere. It was time to put on a smile and face the world…I mean, the Realm.

  Before I left the house, I shut my parents’ bedroom door. I didn’t need a daily reminder that they were gone, and I would probably never meet them.

  I shut the door to the house behind me as I walked onto the dirt road. The light outdoors was brighter now as the sun rose higher in the sky. The city – more like a small town – was already bustling with elves. As I passed them, each one turned to look at me with questioning glances. I guessed Cass wasn’t the only elf who had found out about my return.

  The city was charming, in a down-to-earth sort of way. Some areas were modern and other sections were not. I decided to walk around a bit before going to Addison’s house. I was in the mood for sightseeing. I wanted to get to know the town, know my surroundings.

  A little shop named Songbird’s Books caught my eye as I walked, and I quickly stepped through the front door. This was my kind of shop. I had already found something to relate to in the Elf Realm. Maybe fitting in wouldn’t be so hard. I had to laugh at myself for that. A bookstore wouldn’t change the fact that I was so weird. But hey, at least I was finally acting a bit more optimistically.

  A chiming bell announced my arrival. I browsed through the books, my eyes widening at the various titles: My Human Best Friend (from the comedy/fiction section), How to Catch a Dragon (from the informational section), and When the Werewolf Calls (from the non-fiction section!). This kind of bookstore would definitely take some getting used to. I doubted that I would find any fiction books on fairies or fantasy, because here, it was real.

  Then I saw a section solely on spells. I remembered Addison saying the only way to open the trunk was with a spell. Could these books help me open the mysterious trunk? I started to look through the books, searching for anything that could open a lock. Sadly, most of the books were guides for Spell Masters, and I was definitely not one of those, at least not yet. I didn’t know if I was going to be a Spell Master or not, because I wasn’t sixteen. I didn’t have a special power yet.

  I wondered if any books could help someone who wasn’t a Spell Master. Maybe elves had more magic than I realized. After all, I was still new here.

  I continued to look, even though I wasn’t very optimistic about finding anything. One, I didn’t know a thing about spells. Two, I had been in this Realm less than a day, so I didn’t exactly know my way around the bookstores.

  I found one book that could prove to be useful. The title was more obvious than I had wished: Unlock Spelled Locks: The Guide to Unlocking Over 100 Different Kinds of Locks. I grinned at how funny the title sounded and picked up the book. Then I remembered I had no money. I’ll ask Addison to lend me some later, I thought. Or, if that doesn’t work out, I’ll ask her advice on how else to gather some money. I couldn’t very well spend my days here in Birchwood without any funds. How would I live on my own?

  My mind set, I quickly left the bookstore and headed straight to Addison’s, eager to buy the book as soon as I could.

  ***

  I knocked three times on the door when I arrived. I wasn’t going to act like Cass, whether it was normal in this Realm or not. I wasn’t about to go traipsing through someone’s house without being invited. It just wasn’t common courtesy.

  Addison opened the door right away and smiled another bright smile. One day her face will stay like that, I thought to myself with a chuckle. I was glad Addison paid no attention to it.

  “Come in, Ramsey, good morning!” she greeted happily. I had never seen a more perky morning person in my life. Even I wasn’t that easy going and cheerful so early in the day.

  “Hi, Addison,” I said, as I stepped through the doorway.

  Aaliyah, Stellan, and to my surprise, even Cass, were all sitting at the dining table. They were happily munching on bread, fruit, and eggs, and sipping juice. I noticed Addison and Aaliyah were wearing similar brown summer dresses, while Stellan wore a white peasant shirt and brown breeches that ran just past the knee. Cass wore something similar, only his pants were black. But it didn’t really matter what they wore, they were still gorgeous, Stellan especially. Looking at him made me feel faint.

  “Good morning, Ramsey,” Cass said, and he winked.

  “Yes, good morning,” Aaliyah said as well.

  I rolled my eyes at Cass and took a seat next to Addison. I didn’t look at Stellan. He hadn’t said one word to me, and I thought it would feel awkward to say anything to him myself. I wondered if the day before had just been a fluke, or if it was how he normally acted with elves he had just met. Maybe he wasn’t interested in me at all and it was just wishful thinking on my part. Still, I was a little disappointed.

  However, at this particular moment my mind needed to be focused on my sister and figuring out how to find her. That meant learning all I could about elves and fairies. Regardless of Stellan’s incredible good looks, I knew I had no time to be drooling over him. I sighed and shook my head to clear away the thoughts.

  Looking at the food, I realized I was starving. I grabbed a roll and spread butter on it before hungrily stuffing it into my mouth. I didn’t think I could ever live without breakfast. Dina had hardly ever eaten breakfast in the mornings. She thought it would keep her figure in shape. To me, that was just crazy thinking, because food was too good to pass up, especially breakfast food.

  “Ramsey, eat more than a roll! Here, have some eggs and fruit and some freshly made apple juice,” Aaliyah suggested.

  “Thank you for being so generous,” I complimented. “I will gladly have some.”

  Aaliyah quickly put together a plate for me and filled a cup of juice. I could hardly wait for her to put it all down before starting to eat again. After walking such a long distance the day before, I was on empty.

  “I found Zora’s journal,” I said, between mouthfuls of Aaliyah’s delicious cooking.

  “She had a journal?” Addison asked. “I didn’t even know….”

  “She wrote it for me,” I explained, noticing Addison’s sorrowful expression. “That’s probably why no one else knew.”

  She smiled slightly and returned to her food. “You must be right.”

  “Why did she write it?” Cass inquired.

  “So I could know what her life was like,” I informed them.

  “Zora was always very considerate to others,” Aaliyah noted.

  Addison and Stellan both nodded. I wondered why he was being so silent today. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person.

  “Did the journal help?” Addison asked.

  “Yes, very much,” I said. “It taught me a lot.”

  I didn’t mention that it had also made me frustrated and confused. I didn’t want to get into that with anyone. I was afraid if I said anything, Addison wouldn’t trust me to find Zora. Even though I doubted myself, I needed all the support I could get, which meant not mentioning my doubts to anyone else.

  “Did you get any sleep or did you read the journal all night?” Aaliyah asked.

  Cass snorted. “I doubt she got any sleep.” He winked again.

  “I slept until eleven and then read until around three. Then I slept for another two hours. Oh, and I had a lovely visit from your…Cass, Addison.” I felt the urge to laugh, but thankfully was able to resist.

  I was surprised to see Cass laughing. Addison hit him in the shoulder. It didn’t look like it hurt him at all.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked curiously.

  “Addison told me not to go over and talk to you. Shows how much influence she has in the relationship.” Cass continued to laugh, and at one point almost choked on his juice.

  “Don’t worry, Addison, it was…interesting to meet him.” This time I wink
ed at Cass.

  Stellan gave me a curious, “What was that for?” look. I ignored it. If he wanted to know something, he had to ask me the question himself. I wasn’t here to interpret his confusing body language.

  “Just wait until we are alone, then you’ll be sorry,” Addison threatened Cass, bringing my attention back to reality. She glared at him, putting her words into effect.

  “Oh yes,” Cass said. “I’m so scared.” He grinned and leaned over to give Addison a quick kiss. She rolled her eyes, but her smile gave away her satisfaction.

  I smiled. No matter how odd it seemed, they were a cute-looking couple.

  Aaliyah took our plates and cups and started washing them in the sink. Cass left for work. I took this as my chance to talk to Addison alone. I wanted to find out more about Blaire and to see if I could borrow some money.

  “Hey, Addison, can I talk to you outside for a moment?” I asked her.

  “Sure,” she replied, and I followed her out of the house.

  When the door closed behind us, I began. “I found a note on Zora’s vanity last night. It was from Blaire. She wants me to come and see her. You mentioned her the night before as an elfen in the city. Who is she really?”

  Addison sighed. “Blaire is a different kind of elfen.”

  “What do you mean by different?”

  “She’s an elfen…but isn’t one.”

  I crossed my arms against my chest. “That doesn’t make one bit of sense,” I told her honestly.

  “It’s easier if you see her yourself. It’s kind of hard to explain.”

  “So you think I should follow what the note says?”

  “Sure. Blaire is the city’s unofficial house cleaner. She cleans homes for a price if you can’t do it yourself. She helps many elves take care of things if their partners are away at war. It isn’t easy for a single elf to raise a family during these times. She has always kept up your house for us. Zora never liked spending time there…even thinking of your home depressed her.”

  I nodded, remembering how miserable I had felt reading Zora’s journal. I couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for her. If I had been in her shoes, I wouldn’t have gone into my house, either.

  “Do you need directions to her home?” Addison asked, jarring me from my thoughts.

  “No, she left them on the note. But thanks.”

  “Sure. Anything else you need?” Addison wondered.

  “Yeah, I was wondering what I should do about money. I found a book that I wanted to buy. Could I maybe borrow some?”

  Addison laughed. “I forgot you didn’t know!”

  “Didn’t know what?” I asked.

  “You are basically very wealthy,” she told me simply.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes!”

  “How very rich am I?” I probed.

  “Your parents left everything to you and Zora. Zora wouldn’t use the money and slowly saved everything she had.” Addison hesitated before adding, “I think she kept it for you.”

  “Addison, I think she knew that I would someday come here.”

  She nodded. “I always thought that also. She talked a lot as if you were coming home any day. I thought it was just because she missed you. But now I do think she knew.”

  “I think she knew the fairies were going to come after her as well. It had something to do with me and my secret, didn’t it?” I admitted.

  “Don’t worry about that right now,” she advised, placing a tentative hand on my shoulder. “Just concentrate on finding Zora.”

  I nodded, both relieved and a little disappointed that Addison didn’t want to spend much time talking about my secret. It was easier to focus solely on Zora for now, but it was also clear to me that Addison’s main concern was for Zora only, and no one else.

  “So how much money are you talking about, Addison?” I asked excitedly, trying to rid myself of any lingering doubts.

  “Well, elf money is a bit different than human money. Our copper coin equals one of your dollars, bronze is worth ten dollars, silver is worth twenty, and a gold coin is worth fifty.”

  “So how many coins do I have?” I asked.

  “About twenty thousand gold coins.”

  “I have one million dollars?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Yes, that’s good mathematics,” she commented.

  “So I really am rich?”

  “Yes,” she reassured me, smiling. “Just go to the city bank and make a withdrawal.”

  “Where is the city bank?” I asked.

  “I’ll have Stellan show you. It’s probably open now considering it’s almost six. Most places here are open by six a.m. each day.”

  “Can’t you show me?” I asked.

  I felt more comfortable around Addison than anyone else here. Even in the Human Realm, I had trusted her. She just gave off a friendly vibe that I gravitated toward. Even though she could be a little controlling at times, her leadership and strength comforted me. She was like my temporary rock until I could stand on my own two feet in this strange new world.

  Moreover, I was still confused about Stellan. He was acting very strange compared to his behavior the day before, and hadn’t uttered a word throughout breakfast.

  “I would, but I have to help Mother around the house, do some quick errands, and then get to school by seven forty-five.”

  “You have to go to school?” I asked, disappointed that I would be on my own during the day…unless Stellan decided to warm up to me again.

  “I’m sixteen, remember? I have to go to school to learn more about my power.”

  “I almost forgot!” I exclaimed. “But wait, it’s Sunday, right?”

  “Yes, we have school every day except Saturday. When you are an elf, you don’t need many days off. We have so much time during the day that work and school aren’t a problem.”

  “You actually like school here?” I asked, dumbfounded.

  “Yes, I enjoy it very much. School is fun and a great way to learn about our individual abilities. At least it was fun…until Zora was…never mind.” She sighed. “Anyway, let’s go see if Stellan can accompany you to the bank.”

  I reluctantly nodded and followed her back into the house. Stellan remained as we had left him, seated at the table. When we came in, he jumped up and walked over to us. I noticed Aaliyah was still cleaning up. A fire burned in their fireplace. It was warm and comforting, and I didn’t really want to leave. However, I was also excited to have money of my own in my pocket. It would definitely make me feel more content in this strange new place. Knowing I could take care of myself in the spending department would help put my mind at ease.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  Wow, he could still speak! I was amazed.

  “Yes, everything’s fine. Could you take Ramsey to the bank? She needs to withdraw some money.”

  “Sure. Let’s go now,” he suggested.

  “Okay.” I took a deep breath and followed him out the door.

  “Have a great day!” both Addison and her mother called to us.

  “And you also!” I called back before the door shut.

  Unenthusiastically, I followed Stellan away from the house, all the while wondering why he had such an attitude and why we weren’t teleporting. Maybe he just didn’t want to hold my hand anymore. I found myself frowning at the thought, and I hoped he couldn’t see the disappointment I knew my eyes were conveying.

  We walked without speaking most of the way. As we walked, elves continued to watch me, study me. I could both see and hear them murmuring to each other. They might as well have just screamed my name aloud. I tried to ignore it, but it was difficult. Even though I had been a topic of conversation most of my life, it was different here because these were my people. They were elves, not humans.

  Unfortunately, they had the same gift of gossip.

  The city’s cool shops and buildings kept my mind off the city folk for a while. We passed the bookshop, the market, a jeweler, a clothi
ng store, and a restaurant. It was nice to see that this city was more modern than I expected but also had a Renaissance Era atmosphere in everything I saw.

  I noted that it was the perfect combination of old and new.

  ***

  The city bank was probably the largest building in Birchwood. It was made of stone and had a large wooden door with a brass handle. It reminded me of an abandoned mansion. However, no forms of the word “abandoned” came to mind as we went inside.

  A large chandelier brightly lit the inside of the bank. Multiple wooden and cushioned couches surrounded a large three hundred and sixty degree round fireplace, making the building surprisingly warm. The back of the building had counters. I guessed this was where I could make my withdrawals. To the right side was a wall of what looked like security deposit boxes, where elves could keep important belongings and money. The left wall housed a large safe. It was less modern than a human bank, but I still knew it was a bank just by looking around.

  I hesitantly followed Stellan to one of the counters, not knowing exactly what to do. Everything in the Elf Realm had some kind of difference from the Human Realm, and I was still unused to it. Behind the counter was a dark-haired elfen with leaf-green eyes. She was wearing a brown dress with a rose pinned to the front. She smiled and greeted us with a hello.

  “What can I do for you two today?” she asked.

  Before I could speak, Stellan was already answering for me, which I found extremely aggravating.

  “We need a withdrawal from Ramsey’s account.” He nodded to me.

  The women took a second to look me over and nodded. “Yes, right away. That’s right; you’re Alanna’s daughter, correct?”

  “Who’s daughter?”

  “Your mother,” Stellan whispered to me.

  I bit my lip and nodded. “Yes,” I said, angry at myself for already forgetting my mother’s name.

  “Such a shame that she left with your father,” she remarked.