Dark Realms

by Kristen Middleton

  “What are you doing?” asked my sister, walking into the bedroom.

  I quickly folded the bag up and stuck it into my nightstand. I grabbed a book about vampires from inside and shut the drawer. “Uh, just reading.”

  She fell onto her bed and began filing her nails. “Can you believe mom? I’m going to die if Mark comes in here. The kids have practically destroyed the inside of our house, and from what I hear, his parents are loaded. I’m sure his house is immaculate.”

  I wanted to scream at her… who the heck cares what he thinks! But I kept my cool. “So, there’s a little crayon on the walls and some chipped wood,” I said, opening up my book. “It’s better than having to move somewhere smaller.”

  Truthfully, when my dad was still alive, the house had been kept up and in perfect condition. In fact, it had been my parents’ dream home at one time. But that was before he’d died. My dad had owned his own construction company and my parents had designed and built the house exactly the way they’d wanted it. After he’d been diagnosed with cancer and had undergone many months of therapy without success, my mom had used what was left of his life insurance to pay off all the medical bills and then started doing daycare.

  I miss you, daddy…

  I tried to picture my father’s face, with his dark hair and warm, loving eyes the same color as mine and Kala’s, but it only made me long for him even more.

  “You okay?” asked Kala.

  I nodded, blinking back tears. “Yeah, just thinking about dad.”

  “I miss him, too,” she said in a soft voice.

  I knew that for the both of us, nights were the hardest, especially since he used to tuck us into bed, telling goofy stories, and using those corny voices of his. It had been a ritual, even as teenagers, and something we’d taken for granted until it was too late. Now, he’d been dead for only a year and a half, but it already seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “I’m the luckiest man alive,” he used to say. “Three beautiful angels, and they’re all mine.”

  Now my dad was the angel and we were left with only pictures and bittersweet memories of him.

  Life really sucked sometimes.

  “I wish we had our licenses,” mumbled Kala out of the blue. “Then we could just meet everyone at the party and I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but you need money to buy a car and you spend all of yours on clothing.”

  “I’m getting a job,” she said, opening up her hot-pink nail polish.

  I snorted. “Where?”

  She began painting her toenails. “There are a couple of places in the mall that are hiring. I’m going to see if mom will drive me this weekend to fill out some applications.”

  I put my book down and stared at my pudgy toes, which hadn’t shrunk one bit.

  Potion, right.

  I sighed. “Yeah, you know, I’d like a job, too, but there’s no way I’m working in a clothing store or boutique.”

  “Why not? Then you can get discounts on clothing and stuff.”

  “I don’t really care about clothes. You know that.”

  “Well, whatever. Maybe you can get a job at a bookstore or something. What about that shop you visited today? Are they hiring?”

  An image of Tyler and I working together in the shop popped into my head and my heart fluttered. I closed my eyes and smiled. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  Chapter Nine

  I woke up earlier the next morning; a little intrigued about what I’d find when I looked in the mirror. Unfortunately, the same lumpy body stared back at me. I closed my eyes and groaned.

  Come on, what did you expect? There’s no such thing as a magical potion to lose weight.

  “What’s wrong?” asked my sister, walking into the bathroom.

  “Nothing,” I sighed.

  “Mom said it’s going to be really hot today,” she said, putting her dark hair up into a ponytail.

  I pulled out a strappy sundress from the closet that hadn’t looked too bad on me in the store and put it on.

  Kala nodded in approval when she saw me dressed. “That looks good on you.”

  It was black with lime green and white dots.

  “Thanks.”

  “Let me do your makeup?” asked Kala. “I’ll make you look gorgeous,” she drawled.

  I bit the side of my lip. “I don’t know. I usually don’t wear makeup.”

  “I know but maybe you should live on the edge for once, sis. You have beautiful eyes. Why not accentuate them a little more?”

  “Okay, but don’t make it too obvious.”

  She smiled wickedly. “When I’m done with you, the guys will be hypnotized by your sultry eyes.”

  I smiled wryly. “I’d settle for them just shutting their mouths and leaving me alone.”

  “Believe me, when they see you, their mouths will be open and they’ll be panting.”

  Right…

  I sat down and closed my eyes, trying not to chicken out. When she was done applying some kind of grayish-blue shadow, dark liner, and mascara to my eyes, she squealed in delight. “Wow, you look pretty, girl.”

  I looked into the mirror and smiled. My eyes were definitely more… intense.

  “It looks pretty good, thanks,” I said, standing up.

  “Pretty good? You look amazing!”

  I didn’t know about that, but I had to admit, I looked better than I would have thought.

  ~~~

  When we sat down for breakfast, my mom eyed me curiously. “Wow, look at you all dazzling this morning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with makeup.”

  I shrugged. “It was Kala’s idea.”

  “Well, you look very pretty today. Your dress looks nice too, I’m glad I picked it out.”

  “Actually, I picked this one out,” I said. “You didn’t like the dots.”

  She smiled. “Well, I was wrong. The dots are working.”

  “Mom,” said Kala. “Mark’s driving me home again from school. We’re stopping at the library again.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What’s with this new interest in the library? I didn’t think you even liked to read.”

  Kala’s face turned crimson. “Um, we are working on this project for school.”

  “You already have a project for school and have only been there for one day? What kind of project is it?” she asked.

  “Oh, my God, look at the time,” said Kala, pointing to the clock. “We’re going to miss the bus if we don’t leave now. I’ll tell you about the project later, okay mom?”

  “Sure. I can’t wait to hear about it,” she answered with a wry smile.

  I followed my sister outside. “Project? Right. I’ll bet you’re creating your own little project in the back corner of the library.”

  Kala gave me a slow smile. “Actually, we were on the Internet. Mark was looking up stuff about mind control and witchcraft.”

  “Witchcraft? Did he say why?”

  “No, he said it was for a project that he was working on. So, in all reality, we were working on a project together. I was just giving him… moral support.”

  I snorted. “Like he has morals.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You really don’t like him, do you?”

  “He’s a jerk, Kala. He picks on everyone, not just me.”

  “Well, I’ve never seen him say anything mean to anyone.”

  “That’s because he puts on an act when you’re around. He’s a total tool otherwise, ask anyone.”

  She pursed her lips but didn’t respond. The bus rounded the corner and we waited together for it in silence.

  Chapter Ten

  Tyler sat next to me on the bus. Today he was dressed in black chinos and a white polo shirt with the usual dark shades.

  “What?” I asked, his gaze penetrating me right through his shades.

  He smiled. “Nothing, just trying to figure out if my mom gave you the wrong potion.”

  My eyes narrowed
. “What do you mean?”

  “There’s some kind of Makeup Potion, for witches without steady hands.”

  I laughed out loud. I wasn’t sure which was funnier – the idea of a Makeup Potion or the fact that he spoke of witches as if they were real.

  “It sounds funny, but you wouldn’t believe how popular that potion is. And some of those witches need all the help they can get.”

  I was now laughing so hard, tears were forming. I was suddenly afraid my makeup would run, I held up my hand. “Okay, stop already with the Makeup Potion talk or I’m going to bleed eyeliner all over my cheeks and look scarier than any witch that you could imagine.”

  He bit back a smile. “Sorry.”

  “Anyway,” I said, wiping a stray tear, “the Thinner Potion? It obviously didn’t work.”

  Tyler sighed. “You didn’t need it in the first place. You look fine.”

  “Well, not to most of the twelfth grade,” I mumbled. “If I looked fine, they’d just leave me alone.”

  “Kendra, there are more important things in life other than worrying about how others view you,” he said. “Anyone who makes fun of the way you look isn’t worth trying to impress anyway.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I mumbled. “You’re in good shape and are too cute to worry about things like that.”

  Wow, did I just blurt that out?

  He grinned. “You think I’m cute?”

  My face turned red. “No, I mean… you blend in well with everyone.”

  “So, I’m not cute and I look like everyone else.”

  I groaned. “You are cute, okay? Quit teasing me.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

  “Did you ever find the item you wanted to show me in the store yesterday?” I asked, changing the subject.

  His face became serious. “I did, actually.”

  “Where is it?”

  “It’s still at the shop. Can you come by after school again?”

  “I think so. I’ll check with my mom and see if it’s okay.”

  “If you want, I can stop by and introduce myself.”

  I stared at him. “Really? You’d do that?”

  He nodded. “It’s probably a good idea, especially if we start hanging out and everything.”

  Hanging out? Did he mean as in dating or just friends? My mom’s going to love this guy regardless, I thought.

  I smiled. “Sure. That would be cool.”

  “Okay, I’ll just get off the bus with you after school. Then we can walk to the shop afterwards.”

  “Isn’t your mom going to be watching for you?”

  “Nah.”

  “Okay.”

  When the bus pulled into the school parking lot, I was so giddy that Tyler was coming over. It might not be a date, but it was the closest I’d ever come to one.

  Chapter Eleven

  I went to the bathroom before first period and studied my reflection in the mirror. I was still amazed by the transformation that a little makeup had created. Luckily, it had weathered the tears Tyler had created with his potion talk.

  “Wow, what’s the special occasion?” asked Hailey Bates, stepping into the bathroom. She was with the two other girls from our health class. “Look at you… makeup and a new dress? Where’d they find the tent to make thing?”

  The other two girls burst out laughing and I rushed out of the bathroom, feeling totally humiliated. I hurried through the hallway, my face streaked with mascara and tears, trying to ignore the smirks and giggles of the other students.

  Damn, Hailey Bates.

  I hated her more than anything at that moment, and all I wanted to do was escape and go home. As I made it to the exit at the back of the school, someone called my name.

  “Kendra!”

  Tyler.

  I stopped and slowly turned around.

  “What… what’s wrong?” he asked walking towards me.

  I shook my head as he got closer and tried to wipe away the tears with the back of my hand. “Um, nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  He removed his sunglasses and stared into my eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong. Please.”

  I answered without hesitation. “Hailey Bates made fun of me and I lost control of my emotions.” My voice sounded weird, almost robotic, even to myself.

  His green eyes burned into mine. “She’s an idiot. Do not allow yourself to feel belittled by her ignorance. You are beautiful, Kendra, inside and out.”

  A warm rush of pleasure spread throughout my body and I felt tingly all over. My heart lifted and I didn’t care about Hailey’s cruel words anymore. I smiled at him and sighed in relief.

  He thought I was beautiful!

  Tyler put his sunglasses on and took my hand in his. “Now, come with me.”

  ~~~

  “Where are we going?” I asked as he pulled me out of the school.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  My head was beginning to clear as I followed him through the football field. It had been fuzzy before, but now that I was breathing in the fresh air, my mind was racing with questions.

  I stopped walking. “What exactly did you do to me back there, Tyler?”

  He stopped and turned around. “What do you mean?”

  “You know exactly what I mean. You did something to me with your eyes.”

  He shrugged. “Do you feel better?”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t answer my question. What did you do to me, and why are you always wearing those dark sunglasses?”

  “If I told you now, you’d think I was crazy. I’ll explain it all later.”

  “I’m kind of thinking that I’m crazy right now for following you out of this school.” I shook my head. “Especially after what just happened. God, I just know my mom is going to kill me.”

  He began to remove his glasses again.

  “Stop that!” I hollered, pointing to his face. “Don’t you dare do that thingy with your eyes again.”

  He pushed them back down and smiled. “What are you afraid of? Don’t you trust me, Kendra?”

  “That’s just it! I don’t know you enough to totally trust you. Just please, leave your glasses on.”

  “Fine.”

  I sighed. “So, where are we going?”

  “Just a place I found recently. I think you’ll like it. It’s quiet and peaceful.”

  I actually did sort of trust him, but I wasn’t even sure why. For all I knew, he could be taking me somewhere to slit my throat or take advantage of me. Of course, I wouldn’t have minded the latter so much. He was cute and certainly had a way of making me feel good about myself.

  As we walked away from the school grounds and into the nearby woods, I was amazed that nobody seemed to notice us leaving. Not even the gym class that had just stepped outside and onto the soccer field. Nobody even glanced in our direction.

  “Here we are,” he said, stopping abruptly.

  I slammed into him and he steadied me. “Oh crap, I’m sorry,” I said.

  He let go of my elbow. “No problem. What do you think of this place?”

  We were in the middle of the woods in a small clearing. “Well, it’s certainly nice and peaceful.”

  He smiled and then surprised me by grabbing both of my hands. “You’re not that impressed, I can tell. But, I want you to humor me for just a minute.”

  As long as he kept holding my hands, I’d humor him as much as he wanted. “Okay.”

  “Now, I need you to close your eyes, inhale, and take a deep breath of fresh air.”

  I nodded and then closed my eyes.

  “Okay, now clear your mind and think of something that makes you truly happy, whether it’s something from your past or present. Just remember to keep your eyes closed and concentrate. I’ll tell you when you can open them back up.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t forget to breathe,” he said softly.

  I inhaled the fresh air and tried to clear my mind, but all I kept thinking of was his warm hand
s holding mine.

  “I’m going to release your hands,” he said.

  Rats.

  “Kendra? Are you thinking of something that brings you joy?”

  I thought about the half-gallon bucket of cookie-dough ice cream in the freezer at home and nodded.

  “Make sure it’s something that brings you pure happiness. I’m not talking about superficial things, either. Something you really wouldn’t want to live without.”

  An image of my dad popped into my head and my chest tightened.

  “Focus only on your happy memories. Clear your mind of everything else.”

  I thought about my dad and how he used to take my sister and me to the ice cream parlor on Main Street on Sundays. Just like me, he loved ice cream and used to order this gigantic bowl with endless toppings, one that could feed a dozen people. Then, all three of us would grab spoons and eat until we couldn’t stand to look at the bowl anymore. It was a simple memory, but it was one I’d cherish forever.

  “You’re smiling, so it must be good,” he said softly.

  I nodded.

  “Open your eyes.”

  When I opened my eyes, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Part of me had this fantasy that Tyler would somehow produce my father and he’d be holding out a giant bowl of ice cream.

  “Wow….” I whispered in awe.

  The woods appeared to be glowing iridescently and every color of flower, leaf, and rock seemed to be magnified. Even the grass under our feet seemed to sparkle.

  “Watch,” he murmured as a beautiful doe stepped through the woods and slowly edged towards us. Tyler held out his hand and the deer came close enough to nuzzle it.

  “Wow, it’s so beautiful,” I whispered.

  The doe looked at me with her honey-colored eyes and my breath caught in my throat. I could have sworn she was smiling at me.

  Tyler removed his sunglasses and the doe turned to him. “Transform,” he said.

  A bright light surrounded the doe and I watched in stunned silence as it began to slowly change from a four-legged creature to one who stood on two legs