The Pikes

Dear Father,

I don’t understand why you would send me to Aunt Nekes “temple” for the summer. She is CRAZY, I know you know I LOVE magic but this is insane and I haven’t met a single kid.
You said it would be swarming with kids here. I don’t know if you were just trying to make me go ,but I am NOT, and I repeat NOT, having a good time.

Sincerely,
Roniica Maya Astrixx

“Time for dinner!!” Aunt Nekes shouted from the kitchen.

“One sec! “ I said back from my new room.

I have shoulder length blue hair with side bangs that cover my left eye completely, so my hair is always in my face. My eyes are violet and mysterious, not to brag or anything. Today I was wearing purple tank top with a gray hoodie, black skinny jeans with matching purple knee length high tops.

When I got downstairs, Aunt Nekes had her hair up in a bun on top of her head, with an orange flower implanted in her silver hair. She was wearing a matching orange dress with blue flowers on it and matching ballet flats.

I said, “Aunt Nekes you look ridiculous! Why are you wearing that?”

She answered, “We have guests coming over, Mr. and Mrs. Pike with their son Randall. So go change! They’ll be here any second.”

So I trudged up the stairs back to my room and went flying through drawers. Pink top, white skirt? Nope. White tank top, green cardigan and gray leggings? Nada. A dress that matches Aunt Nekes? Never in a million years! I settled on my light purple mini-dress with white leggings trimmed with lace that stopped at me knees and my mother’s old white butterfly clip in my hair. I slipped on my dark purple Uggs and walked down the stairs.

There they were, the Pikes.

This may be too disturbing for children (maybe), but the Pikes looked abnormal to me. Mr. Pike had hair that looked so greasy that I don’t think he has ever heard of a shower! Mrs. Pike was, I’m not going to lie, very overweight and she was wobbling on her six inch high heels with skin bulging from the straps on her shoes which were somehow holding together. Randall had hair so curly it stuck out off every angle of his head; even those you wouldn’t think could exist. He had huge eyes and to make it worse he wore thick glasses that made them look even bigger. His eyes were kind of like the Mona Lisa, always staring at you no matter where you were standing.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs everyone turned to stare at me for a really long time. Then everything seemed to go back to normal, or so I thought. We all went into the dining room and sat down for dinner. I, of course, had to sit next to Randall who kept staring at me, which was starting to freak me out.

“Excuse me, can you please stop staring at me?” I asked.

No answer, just staring.

Then he blinked and turned his head to stare at Aunt Nekes. Most of dinner was silent, until Mrs. Pike burped really loud. I think she had one too many burritos, considering she ate thirteen.

Aunt Nekes said to the Pikes, “Well the reason I invited you here was so you can tell us more about this house since I just moved here three weeks ago and Roniica, my niece, arrived yesterday from New York City. Since you’ve lived here in Western Gate for a who knows how long, I thought you might know the history.”

Mrs. Pike replied in a deep British accent, “Well, an old witch fortune teller, Madame Xullbbe, lived here for the longest time until her dog Nixie died. She put a curse on the house and vanished, well actually she moved to Massachusetts, but that’s what she told us to tell everyone.”

“What was the curse?” I asked before I realized I was even listening.
Everyone turned and looked at me like I was crazy. After a few minutes they all started to talk about Western Gate. After dinner Randall and I went out to the garden.

“How old are you?” I asked, trying to end the awkward silence.

“Fourteen, you?”

“Fifteen.”

“I have a brother who is fifteen,” he said.

“Since when? I thought you were an only child.” No answer, I don’t think he wanted to talk about it.

After a little while we came to a bridge. It looked about 100 years old.

“Should we cross it?” I asked.

"I don’t think so…” he replied nervously.

“Okay let’s go!” I whooped.

“I said I-WOOHAA!!” he yelled in surprise I pulled him across the bridge and stood there for a bit. Then I started to walk into the forest in front of us.

“What are you doing?” he asked as I walked away.

“You sound like my father,” I said a little too harshly. I brushed my hair out of my face (it fell back into place) and walked forward.
I looked back and he was just standing there staring at me, so I kept walking.

A New Friend

Three hours later I was lost. Suddenly something took my mother’s hair clip out of my hair and it vanished. It happened so fast it took me a moment to realize what just happened.

I looked around and saw footprints leading farther into the forest. I walked, following the footprints. After a while I found a hut. I walked up to the door and knocked. A figure opened the door. It was a boy with blonde grass-like hair and yellow eyes. I saw my mother’s hair clip in his hand.

“Give me back my mother’s hair clip!”

“Oh,this?" he said while holding it up "Come and get it!” he sneered.
So I did. I kicked his hand and the hair clip went flying behind him, so I jumped, did a flip over his head and caught it before it hit the ground. I take gymnastics and karate. When I saw his face I laughed. His mouth was open super wide and his eyes made it look like he saw me die and come back to life.

“I got it back.”

“You sure did” he murmured, rubbing his hand.
I started to walk away when he asked, “Is your last name Astrixx?”
Surprised, I spun around. Then I replied, “How did you know?”

“My mother knew your mother, you look just like her, only with blue hair and purple eyes.”

“Violet, I have violet eyes.”
He raised his eyebrows and asked, “Is there a difference?”

“Yes, purple is-“
Cutting me off he said, “I get the idea, they’re different. Why are you here anyway?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“I just wanted to know.”

“First, who are you? Since you already know who I am, by the way, my first name is Roniica.”

“I’m Jaden, but you can call me Jay.” he said, giving me a sly smile.

“I came here because my dad sent me here.” I took a deep breath, “While he deals with all the stuff he needs to about my mother’s death and all.” After I said that I walked past him and out the door. I kept going down the path I had come on. He just stood there and watched me leave.

About half hour later I was where he took my mother’s hair clip. Lost again I thought. Then I saw her, my mother standing, glowing showing me the way.


The next day when I woke up I saw Jaden outside my window. That’s weird I thought, my room is on the fourth floor. I went over to my window and gasped. He had climbed up from the ground.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he said, irritated.

“Trying not to fall” I answered pulling him through my window. Then I realized something.

“Did my Aunt Nekes see you?”

“Who? No one saw me. I think.”

“You think? Well that’s reassuring.”
Just then a voice called from downstairs. “Roniica time for breakfast!”

“Oh no! Aunt Nekes!”

“Roniica I’m coming up there!” I could hear her walking up the stairs.

“Hide! Hide!” I whispered.

“Where? Where!?” Jaden whispered back frantically.

“Uh… My closet!!”

“What! NO way am I-“ I shoved him in my closet so he never finished what he was saying.

“Why are you still in your nightgown?” asked Aunt Nekes with one eyebrow raised.

“I just woke up” I said with a fake yawn.

“Well then, you get dressed. I have breakfast ready.”

“Okay, but I’ll be leaving after breakfast to go look around.”
Aunt Nekes turned a full circle and glided out of my room.

After she left, I let Jaden out of my closet.

“What the heck was that for?” asked Jaden angrily.

“I was saving you from the evil wrath of my aunts BAD side.”

“What do you mean BAD side?”

“Never mind about that, go back to your house and wait for me to get there.”

After he left I put on blue jeans, a red t-shirt and black converse. Then I went downstairs, and to my surprise the Pikes were there.

“Hello Mr. Pike, Mrs. Pike and Randall?” I smiled weakly.

“Hello Roniica darling, Mr. Pike and I are going out of town and Randall is going to stay with you two for a while.” Mrs. Pike chirped excitedly.
Hesitant, I asked, “How long is a while?”

“Two months,” She replied gleefully.

“WHAT?!, two months?!” I cried.

“Is there something wrong with that?” asked Aunt Nekes. Looking at me with surprise on her face.

“No, not at all I was just surprised, that’s all,” I lied.

“Anyway, after you eat breakfast, Randall will go with you wherever you said you were going this morning.” Aunt Nekes said with a big smile.

Oh no, not good at all! What about Jaden? I thought as I was eating. It is too late for Randall to leave since the Pikes already left! I was starting to get nervous. Finally Randall broke the silence,

“Actually, I was hoping I could stay here to look around the house.” Randall sniffed and looked around the kitchen as he spoke.

“That’s a great idea!” I said a little too loud. I jumped up, sprang into the kitchen, dropped my plates in the sink and ran for the door.
Before I got out the door Aunt Nekes said, “Don’t forget your black cardigan!”

“I won’t, I promise!” I raced back inside, ran up the stairs and threw it on. I jumped down the stairs (all of the steps) almost fell over and dashed out the door.

I had trouble finding Jaden’s hut again but after wandering around for a while, I eventually I found it. When I knocked on the door he looked concerned.

“Why are you late?” he asked.

“I had a little problem, but I fixed it.” I said back casually. Walking past him into the hut.

“What do you mean, problem?” Jaden arched his eyebrows as he looked at me.

“Do you know Randall Pike?”

“Yes.”

“He’s staying with me for two months.” I said.

“Why would he do that?” Jaden asked slowly.

“Well… The Pikes are going somewhere, without their son.” I said flatly.

“Like…?” He prompted. I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know where his parents would go on vacation. It was all very strange to me, where could they have gone?

Suddenly Jay and I started rising from the ground. I noticed that there were something like red sparkles around us. Aunt Nekes! I thought She was spying on me and discovered Jay! How could she! I knew she had magic but I didn’t know she would use it on me!

Unknown Talent

Of course you are probably really confused and thinking “magic isn’t real” but it is. My Aunt is a sorceress.
I was starting to panic, but not too much because I have seen it before. But what I was worried about was Jay’s reaction. I looked over at him and my fears were confirmed. He was terrified.
“What the heck is happening!?” He screamed at me.

“Um, it’s the trick of the light?” like he would believe that.

“So you're saying that us floating on red sparkles is a trick of the light!?”

“Uh, yes?”

“WHAT IS GOING ON!?” he was freaking out now. Not good.

“Well - ” then I had an idea, so I closed my eyes and concentrated. I don’t know on what, but I did. When I opened my eyes my hands were glowing violet. Score! my magic was violet! wait, my magic was violet, I have magic! what the heck, why the heck do I have magic!? because Aunt Nekes is not my real aunt. I have no magic in my blood. That I know of. My hands started to glow brighter and get hotter. Then there was a flash of light and we fell to the ground. Jay was on his butt and I was laying on my back. I was so tired, I wanted to close my eyes and sleep right there on the floor, but Jay was too scared for that.
“What just happened?” he said shakily. I struggled to sit up, Jay saw what I was trying to do and helped me get into a sitting position. When I looked up at his face I saw worry, fear and impatience. So I said:
“We just got a taste of my aunts BAD side”

“THAT was your aunts BAD side” He asked, bewildered.

“Yes” I said, trying to hold on to consciousness. He could tell something was wrong.

“Ronnie, are you okay?” I noticed his nickname for me and frowned.

“Don’t call me that...” My voice trailed off. The edges of my vision were starting to blur and get dark.

“Roniica, listen to me, do NOT close your eyes, can you hear me? Don’t close them” he ordered frantically.

I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn’t think of anything to say. Jay’s face started to get fuzzy and get dark. I knew I was slipping and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any more.
Jay said something else, but I couldn’t hear. Then I was surrounded by darkness.

Okay, time for some explaning.

When I woke up I was laying on someone's bed. I knew it wasn’t mine because it had a dark green bedspread that smelled like pine trees. I tried to sit up but a stabbing pain in my head forced me back down. I moaned in pain and closed my eyes. I heard someone running closer to the room I was in. Jay ran into the room and sat by my side, putting his hand on my forehead.
“How are you feeling?” he reached down next to him and then put a damp washcloth on my forehead.
“Besides my aching head and stomach I’m fine” I gave him a weak smile.
“Well at least I know you're not dead” he grinned at me.
“What do you mean?” of course I wasn’t dead.
“Well when you passed out I couldn’t hear your heartbeat or feel your pulse. But I wouldn’t let myself believe that you were dead so I moved you to my bed and have been taking care of you for the past two days”
“Two days!?” Aunt Nekes was surely mad, and Randall. Well, actually I don’t care what Randall thinks. I forced myself to sit up. Then I chuckled at my stupidity. My aunt told me that witches and sorceress's have a special defense that covers our heart and pulse do our enemy's think we're dead so they won't kill use. 
 
 

Impressum

Texte: Lora C
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 27.05.2012

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Widmung:
To my 5th grade teacher and the two little boy's my Aunt babysits, Jacob and Joshua. For letting me write some of this when they wanted to play.