Dark Summer

by Lizzy Ford

  “Great. Do I end up getting sacrificed on some altar?”

  No, human. It laughed again. You restore what has been lost.

  “The bridge.”

  Yes. As long as you do not turn Dark.

  Her eyes went to the deer. She rose and sat on the tree root again.

  “I’m not special. I’m a screw-up,” she whispered. “I’ve failed at everything I’ve ever done, and I’ve been kicked out of every school and home I went to. I can’t restore anything.”

  You can. The magick is within you.

  “People keep saying that! It’s nothing but a curse. It doesn’t talk to me or guide me or help me do anything!” she said with more emotion than she wanted. “I can’t make it do anything except screw up my life!”

  You saved this one.

  Her eyes went to her fawn. “I didn’t do anything but feed him.”

  He would’ve died, if you didn’t have the magick of the earth in you. Your magick is there. You just have to talk to it.

  Summer sighed.

  Can you not feel it?

  “No.”

  Not in the wind or when you touch another witchling?

  For a moment, she wondered if he’d seen her dancing with Decker. Her face warmed at the thought, and she ducked her head.

  “Maybe,” she admitted. “I feel it in the wind sometimes. And sometimes, when someone here with magick touches me I feel … alive.”

  You see? It’s inside you. It wants to help you. If you deny it, it’ll continue to mess up your life. It must be set free.

  “How?”

  When it calls, stop fighting it. If the wind makes you feel it, spend more time with the wind. Learn what is inside you and how to reach it.

  “You sound like my dance instructor. She makes us try to stretch and use every muscle in our body, so we can get in tune with them or whatever.”

  Dance is a good way to do it. Meditation. Every human accesses his magick differently. Learn to look inward and feel what is inside you. Then, you can let it out.

  “Do I really want to do that, though? I mean, it’s caused me nothing but pain.”

  Think of it as a creature with its own mind. If you lock it away in a cage and refuse to feed or free it, it will lash out at you. You wouldn’t put my child in a cage like that? Sam motioned to the deer.

  “No, never.”

  You must not do that to yourself. Instead of closing yourself off, you must open up the part of you that makes you special.

  “I’ve never been somewhere where that was allowed.”

  You are here now.

  She was quiet, grappling with his words. Freeing the magick within her still sounded like a bad idea, even if she knew how to do it. She wasn’t sure what to say to the hairy creature that lived in the forest.

  “What else does this prophecy say? Does it say how I learn to use my magick?”

  No. Only that you do.

  “No one here has a how-to manual on anything,” she complained.

  You should go now. You will have a long walk back, and this one needs more rest before he is ready to return to my forest.

  She glanced up at the sky, surprised to see the sun straight overhead. It was past noon. She recalled Decker’s warning about being in the forest after dark. With her luck, she’d take hours to find her way home.

  “Okay, I guess. Thank you, Sam.”

  When she looked down from the sky, he was gone. Summer twisted to survey the area around her, surprised. She knelt and picked up the deer, setting it on its feet.

  “Sam, can you tell me which way to go?” she asked into the air.

  The bigfoot didn’t return, didn’t answer.

  Summer pulled the rocks Amber gave her from her pocket. She held them up and closed her eyes, trying to figure out where inside her the magick was. She didn’t feel anything, except hungry from missing lunch.

  “Please take me home,” she said.

  The magick within her stirred as it usually did before the world around her came crashing down. Her grip tightened around the rocks, and she held her breath, terrified of what might happen this time. The tickle grew in her body until it spread from her toes to the top of her scalp. It was nothing like she felt when Decker touched her that morning, but it was there nonetheless.

  Suddenly, the wind rushed through her again, pushing her in one direction. Summer opened her eyes. She stepped in that direction. It nudged her again, and she took another step.

  Fear made her stomach churn as she let her magick touch that of the wind. The wind guided her gently towards the way it wanted her to go. She didn’t know where it was taking her and glanced back to make sure the deer followed her. An hour later, she emerged onto the driveway leading up to the house.

  “Thank you, wind,” she said awkwardly.

  Adam was on the porch this afternoon, fiddling with his smartphone. Summer approached him. The deer trailed. Its head and tail drooped in exhaustion. Summer sat on the porch while the deer nibbled grass on the front lawn.

  “He’s real neat,” Adam said. “Is he yours?”

  “For now,” she replied. “I rescued him after his mama was hurt. He’s an orphan, like me.”

  “What’s his name?”

  She smiled. “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t call him Bambi. It’s gotta be something better.” Adam’s gaze turned thoughtful. “How about Doug?”

  “Really?” she asked, nose wrinkling. “That’s not a good name for a deer.”

  “Tarzan!”

  Summer laughed.

  “Definitely Tarzan,” Adam said. “Just because he doesn’t live in a jungle or swing from trees doesn’t mean he can’t be Tarzan.”

  “Okay, I like Tarzan.”

  “Did you find out what your magick is? I’m water. Which is weird, because I don’t like being in water.”

  “Air.”

  “So, like, can you make storms?” he asked.

  “I have no idea. I don’t think my magick likes me,” she said. Her thoughts went to the discussion with Sam about how she’d kept her magick caged and starved her whole life. She’d treated it the way the orphanage treated her. “Have you learned how to um, you know, tap into your magick here?”

  “Yes. It’s a slow process. I think, for me, the hardest part was just figuring out that it’s okay to have magick. It isn’t anywhere else.”

  “I know that feeling. That’s what scares me about leaving here.”

  “It’s not bad. Once you learn to control it, you can leave here without anyone knowing. I had no control. Whenever I had bad dreams, I’d flood our family’s bean fields,” Adam said. “It was okay during a drought, but during the rainy season, I ruined our crops.”

  “Oh, that’s rough.”

  He shrugged. “Happens, I guess. We all ended up here because we’re special. I think we all have these kinds of dark stories.”

  Summer leaned her head against the pole behind her. Adam’s gaze returned to his smartphone, and he was quiet.

  “Did you have to choose if you’re on the good or evil path yet?” she voiced quietly.

  “On my seventeenth birthday. All of us do on our seventeenth.”

  “Why seventeenth?”

  “Amber says it’s some ancient rite of passage.” He shrugged again. “Old enough to decide, not too old to keep learning about our gifts.”

  “I’ll be seventeen in less than a month,” she said. “A couple of weeks after the dance.”

  “Hey, um, speaking of the dance. I was wondering if …” He trailed off, his face growing red. “Um, do you want to go with me? Not as a date, if you don’t want. We can go as friends.”

  “Someone else asked me. But if I can learn to dance by then, I’ll dance with you,” she offered. Adam was sweet and kind. She didn’t want to drive him off.

  “That’s cool.” The flush across his face grew redder, and he focused hard on the screen of his smartphone. “If you ever want to go get ice cream again, I can show you some wate
r tricks.”

  “I’d like that,” she replied. “I don’t like to be in water, either.”

  “We can hang out on the beach.”

  “Um, Adam, have you met Sam?”

  “Sam? No. Another new person?”

  “Never mind. I probably got the name wrong,” she murmured. Sam had openly sought her out. He’d said she was special, but she couldn’t imagine being the only person Sam spoke to.

  “Hey, guys,” Dawn said, pushing open the screen door. “You’re such a cute couple! Out here on the porch talking!”

  Adam ignored her, gaze on his phone.

  “You’ll have to come to the beach next time, Adam. We’re both water elements! We can have some fun.”

  When he made no effort to look at her, Dawn’s attention turned to Summer.

  “Where have you been? You always disappear after our morning sessions.” The blond girl sat down beside Summer, bringing with her a cloud of flowery perfume.

  “In my room,” Summer replied. “Reading and stuff.”

  “You have to come out with us. Tonight is movie night. Did Adam invite you?”

  “I’m not going,” Adam said.

  “You should come anyway,” Dawn continued. “We rarely get to leave after dark. Amber is taking us all to the mall, so even if you don’t like movies, we can hang out.”

  “No.” Adam’s response was blunt.

  “Um, I’ll think about it,” Summer said.

  “Oh, I insist. You have to come!” Dawn said. She rose. “We’ll leave in a couple of hours. I can help you pick out some clothes for the dance or something.”

  “I really—”

  “See you later!”

  When the blond girl had left, Adam set his phone down.

  “You can just tell her no,” he said. “She’s a psycho.”

  “She doesn’t seem that bad,” Summer replied. “I can’t afford clothes anyway. I didn’t even think about what to wear to the dance.”

  “You want me to lend you some money?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

  “No.”

  “You can’t go to the mall and let the psycho show you up.” He pulled out two twenty-dollar bills. “How much do dresses cost anyway?”

  Summer shrugged. “We only had handouts at the orphanage. I don’t want your money, Adam. I don’t know how I’d pay you back.”

  “Show her up at the dance. That’s all I ask.”

  Summer’s gaze lingered on the money. She did want to look nice for Beck, and she had less than twenty dollars she’d saved from the travel money the orphanage gave her.

  She took his money. He smiled.

  “My parents are well off,” he said. “They don’t care what I spend.”

  “Must be nice.”

  “Sometimes. And sometimes, it’s a pain, because people always want money or something from you.”

  “Is that why Dawn’s so nice to you when you’re not nice to her?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned.

  “I’ll do my best. She’s like, perfect, though, so I doubt I can look half as good as she does,” Summer said.

  “She’s nice to you because all the guys here talk about you. You’re prettier and nicer. Even Beck says so.”

  “You guys talk about me?”

  “Guys gossip, too,” he said. “We just talk about girls instead of shoes or whatever girls talk about.”

  Beck thought she was pretty. She had to suppress her smile. She thought of Decker and couldn’t help wondering if he thought the same. Would she feel with Beck what she felt with Decker when they went to the dance?

  “I’ve never been called pretty before,” she said. “This place is so weird. I keep waiting for the dream to be over and to wake up in the orphanage again.”

  “It’s real. It’s not all good, but it’s better here than anywhere else for people like us, especially after your seventeenth birthday.”

  “I hope you’re right. I never want to go back to LA. I think I could live here my whole life,” she said.

  “Really? You don’t miss stores and civilization?”

  “No. I want to stay with the forest.”

  “A lot of those with magick stay here. The Turner twins have a cabin on the other side of the lake. Their family comes here to ski in winter and sometimes in summer. I think their parents have magick talents, too.”

  “I didn’t know they were so rich.”

  “Their dad owns a lot of real estate in New York City. They have houses all over the world.”

  “Wow.”

  She couldn’t help thinking Beck would want nothing to do with a poor orphan like her. The idea upset her. She looked towards her deer, which was nibbling at one of the bushes against the house.

  “I’m going inside,” she said and rose. Tarzan followed her up the stairs and into the house. Summer hurried through the house, hoping no one caught them. They made it to her room, and she saw two more notes on the floor.

  The fawn leapt onto her bed and curled up in the middle. Summer sat on the edge, overwhelmed by her meeting with Sam. She’d felt her magick for a moment in the forest, and it led her home. Now, she didn’t feel it.

  Her attention went to the notes. She opened the first, recognizing the handwriting.

  Dearest Summer, I was thinking about you today. Your skin is so pretty, and I love your smile. I can’t wait to dance with you. But please don’t tell anyone we’re going together. I’m breaking up with Dawn that night. She goes crazy sometimes, and I don’t want her to ruin our first dance. Love, Beck

  She frowned, thinking of Dawn. While the girl embarrassed her a lot, Summer still felt bad for her. The second note was all compliments on her hair and smile, and she read it twice, feeling as if she was floating.

  A knock on the door preceded Amber’s entrance. Summer sprang up, surprised. Amber’s clear gaze went from her to the deer.

  “I can explain,” Summer said quickly. “Please don’t send me away!”

  Amber smiled and closed the door. She sat on the other bed. The deer watched her.

  “He was hurt, and his mother was dead, so I rescued him. I won’t keep him, because I know the rule about pets, but I just wanted to make sure he was okay before he went back to the forest. Please, please don’t send me back to the orphanage!” Summer’s head began to hurt as fear filled her.

  “I won’t send you back,” Amber said. “Really, it’s okay, Summer. I understand. Your elements will make you more sensitive to the forest and its creatures.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “I can’t be mad when you’re following your nature. What’s his name?”

  “Tarzan.”

  Amber laughed. “How long have you had him?”

  “A little over a week. I found him in the forest one night when I got lost trying to get back to the house. His mama was killed, and his leg was hurt. Decker …” Summer trailed off, recalling his dark eyes and magickal touch.

  “Found you?”

  “Yeah. He helped me bring Tarzan back.”

  “You’re lucky,” Amber said, growing serious. “You shouldn’t be in the forest after dark.”

  “Why is that? I mean, I didn’t do it on purpose, and Decker warned me not to do it again.”

  “There are a lot of wild animals out at night. Cougars, bears, the like. And, well, those who use Dark magick are in the forest at night training. You don’t want to get caught up in one of their spells. They won’t purposely hurt you, but accidents happen.”

  The way she said the words made Summer shudder.

  “Anyway, I came by to see if you’re coming with us to the mall. Dawn seems convinced you are.”

  “I think I’ll go,” Summer said slowly. “I want to get something for the dance.”

  “Oh, good. Is Tarzan okay in here alone?”

  “Yes. He’ll just sleep. You’re sure you’re not mad?”

  “No, Summer, I’m not. You’re doing what your elements guide you to do. When I said no pe
ts, I meant no dogs or cats, just because you want one. Tarzan is a different case altogether. Okay?”

  Summer nodded, relieved.

  “We’ll leave in half an hour.” Amber smiled again and left.

  Summer released her breath. She got ready and went to the porch to wait. Adam was gone. A white van pulled up long before any of the other girls were ready. Finally Amber corralled them down the stairs and into the van.

  Summer sat in the back, the forty dollars Adam gave her in her pocket. She’d never had forty dollars before, and she wondered if she could really buy a dress that would make Dawn drool. The girls talked the entire hour-and-a-half drive.

  Summer was relieved when they got to the mall and left the confines of the van.

  “Meet back here in two hours,” Amber called as the girls moved away from the van.

  “Summer, come on!” Dawn called over her shoulder. “Dresses!”

  Summer trailed. Dawn always dressed pretty; she had to know where to find nice clothes. The girls ignored her and talked amongst themselves. Summer took in the mall and its shoppers and stores. She’d been to a mall twice in her life. This one looked smaller than the one she’d gone to in LA. She smiled as she walked, enjoying the sight of so many different colors.

  Dawn led them into a store filled with chic dresses and outfits. It looked expensive, which Summer confirmed when she examined the tag of the first dress she came to.

  “Two hundred dollars.” Her mouth almost dropped open. She looked around her, marveling at the dresses but knowing there was nothing there she could afford.

  “Summer, what size are you?” Dawn asked. “I’ll pull some dresses I think you’ll look good in.”

  “No, I think—”

  “Come on!” Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. She disappeared behind a rack of dresses. “Size four? I know you’re not a size zero like me.”

  Summer’s face warmed. She didn’t know what size she was. Her clothes were in all sizes and some were men’s. Dawn didn’t wait for her answer but roamed the store, selecting a few dresses. Summer trailed, arms crossed. She couldn’t afford anything here.

  “Take these and try them on,” Dawn directed. She piled four dresses into Summer’s arms.

  Summer almost refused then caved, admiring the materials and colors. She had to look good for Beck, or he’d regret asking her to the dance. She took the dresses into a dressing room and changed into the first one slowly.