Sally's Bakery Goes Up in Flame

He really was a mysterious man. He came into the little diner every day for breakfast, and always did the same exact things. But I must say, he seems to be extremely kind. I don’t know his name, but he knows mine. Don’t worry – he’s not creepy. I wear a name tag while I work.
The man frightened me when I first started working here. I thought he smiled way too much to be normal. Now, I've just accepted him as a nice, mysterious person who enjoys a good cup of coffee.
“Sir, your breakfast is ready.” I said, setting the plate down next to his laptop. I noticed his coffee, which he had received at least ten minutes ago, had been left untouched. “Sir…” I reached out to touch his shoulder. When my fingers were less than an inch away from his leather jacket, I felt something like being electrocuted and saw a flash of baby blue.
The man looked up at me, and then down at his food. “Oh, thank you. Say, it smells delightful in here!”
I inhaled deeply through my nose. It smelled like seawater. “Yeah, it does.” I replied, and I sounded almost like I was in some sort of trance.
“Tina!” The call from the kitchen snapped me out of that.
I hurried back to the kitchen, where I picked up a plate of food. I delivered the food to its rightful place – a table with a boy that looked to be about my age.
“Thanks.” He said as I set the food down.
“Can I get you anything else?” I asked.
“No, I’m good.” He told me, attacking his scrambled eggs.
Then I remembered to tell him my shift is almost over and someone will be taking my place. “Um…” I started, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
Then it happened again. The zap. The flash of blue light. Only this time, a dark blue was mixed with the lighter shade.
The boy looked up at me. “Did you just…” He began.
“Uh, I’ve got to go.” I interrupted, which was probably rude, but I needed to get out of there ASAP. I ran from the diner.
I didn’t stop until I reached the bakery. It was only open three days a week, but I had a key that opened the front door. I unlocked the door and walked inside, finding the owner in the back room. “Hi, Sally.”
“Is something wrong, Tina?” That’s Sally for you. Always reading my facial expressions and detected my emotions, which at the moment were creeped out.
I didn’t lie or keep anything from my dear friend. “Well…” I began to explain everything, starting with the odd man, and ending with the boy. When I finished, Sally had a dazed, almost scared look on her face. “It’s begun.” She whispered.
“What?” I asked, slightly (and by slightly, I mean extremely) confused.
Sally shook her head. “Nothing. Let me braid your hair. It always looks so nice braided, dear.”
I sat down in front of her and she began to braid my long black hair. The room was completely silent until Sally said, “Tina, you know that man you were telling me about? The one in the leather jacket?”
“Yeah.” I replied.
“If you see any sort of flame in the bakery, run back to the diner and bring him back here. Okay?” She instructed me.
I got really scared. “Sally, what’s going on?”
“Just trust me. The man will explain everything. And remember – I love you, Tina.” Sally pulled me into a hug. And that’s when I saw the flame.

I ran from the backroom and climbed out the window, barely hearing Sally say, “Ignatio! It’s been nearly forever, darling!”
When my feet hit the ground, the rest of the building was being consumed by fire. I ran back to the diner and found the man. “Sir, I think my friend Sally might be in trouble. Her bakery… just caught on fire! And she told me to come get you. Please, help me!” I pleaded, holding back tears. What if Sally got hurt?
He jumped from his chair and looked me in the eye. “Don’t worry – I promise you and your friend will be safe. Come with me.”
Suddenly, it happened again. The feeling like being electrocuted, along with the flash of blue light. The man and I turned around to find the boy, the one that I had last served at the diner. “Is something wrong?” He asked us.
The man looked at me, and then at the boy. “Yeah. In fact, you should probably join us. If you enjoy living, that is.”
The boy’s eyes widened. I expected the man to say, “Just kidding,” but he never did. We ran and ran until we reached a small black car. “Get in.” The man instructed us.
Under normal circumstances, I would never get into a stranger’s car. But these circumstances were anything but normal. In fact, I’m kinda scared that this is life-or-death for Sally. I was mortified when the man began to drive us away from the bakery, rather than towards it as I had expected. “Aren’t we going to help Sally?” I asked, very frightened.
“Getting you two as far away from the bakery as possible is helping Sally.” The man told me.
“How so?” I questioned.
“Just trust me. I’ll explain everything when we stop driving for the night.” The man answered. “By the way, I’m Alexander.”
“Tina.” I said, mostly for the boy’s sake. Alexander already knows my name.
“I’m Peter.” The boy said quietly. “Can someone please explain what’s going on?”
I began to tell Peter and Alexander everything that had happened that day. I finished by saying, “Sally called him Ignatio.”
“I’m… really sorry. I’m sure your friend will be fine. Don’t worry.” Peter was trying his best to comfort me, but it didn’t really work.
“Oh, I know Sally will be fine.” Alexander assured me.
“I didn’t even know that you knew Sally.” I said.
“Sally and I have known each other since we were very, very young. We both grew up in Mackinac City.” Alexander informed me. Like I would ever need to know where he grew up.
“She never mentioned you.”
“I’m sure she didn’t.”
We were all silent for quite a while. I was busy staring out the window, admiring the beautiful sunset. It wasn’t often that you saw something so picturesque. Eventually, Peter interrupted my train of thought by asking impatiently, “Where are we even going?”
“I need to find a place for us to spend the night. I don’t suppose the two of you would appreciate sleeping in the backseat of my car.” Alexander told us.
“And after that?” Peter pushed on.
Alexander didn’t respond for a while. “I don’t quite know.” He finally said. “But we’ll find out by tomorrow afternoon, probably.”
That’s what made me break. “What do you mean, probably? Sally could be hurt! She could’ve burned to death! What if she’s dead? And what did you do to help her? Drive away! Leaving her there in a burning building!” I screamed.
“Tina, just calm down. It’s okay.” Peter put a hand on my shoulder.
“How do you know? Sally is the only person in the world who has ever cared about me! I need her.” I snapped.
Alexander pulled over to the side of the road. I saw a hotel down the street a bit. “Tina, maybe you should walk over to the hotel. Let yourself think a bit and cool down.” He suggested.
I gave them both angry looks before getting out of the car and beginning my stroll to the hotel.

I Dream of Fudge

For the duration of my walk, I only thought about what I had said to Peter. “Sally is the only person in the world who has ever cared about me!” I had said. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was true. Suddenly, all the memories I had flooded my mind.

When I was an infant, my parents dumped on the doorstep of an all-girls orphanage. I was raised there until I was eight. I had never been accepted at the orphanage, so being adopted was really cool at first. But it turned out I was only supposed to clean the house and care for a newborn baby. Any mistake gave me a night spent in the tool shed out back. I spent a lot of time in that tool shed.
No matter what I tried to do, it was never good enough. I didn’t completely dust a tiny glass figure. The baby’s bottle had a smudge. Small, silly things like that. After years of the torture, I was put in a boarding school when I was 13.
School was almost as bad as the orphanage or living with my guardians. The professors were cruel and strict. The other students were no better. They were constantly rude to me. The weirdo. The orphan. Angry at the world, I wanted to stop living. I hated everyone and everything. That is, until Sally came along.
I still don’t know how or why, but Sally became my legal guardian. I came to live with her in the apartment above the bakery. She began to home school me when we weren’t running the bakery together. This summer, I got a job at the diner to save up for college. I wanted to take art classes.
My life finally started to go as I always dreamed it would. I started to learn what love is like. And I’m not going to let that Ignatio take this away from me.

The hotel turned out to be really nice. We got two rooms; one for me and one for the guys. Alexander let Peter and I order pizza while he ate salad (gosh, old people and their health foods!). The two of us were sitting in my room eating pizza and trying to be friends. After all, we were going on a potentially dangerous trip to who knows where.
I was in the middle of telling him about the time I dropped Sally’s favorite pair of earrings in a bowl of cake batter when someone knocked on the door. I answered it, and Alexander was standing out in the hall. “Come in!”
Alexander obeyed. “Now, I know the two of you have a lot of questions. I am here to answer some of them.” He told us. “Hold out your hands, palms up.”
We did exactly what he had instructed. Alexander put his hands on mine and muttered something that sounded foreign. I suddenly saw that flash of baby blue light again. But instead of fading, the light remained. I realized that the light was surrounding me. Alexander did the same to Peter, and soon he was surrounded by a dark blue light. “Whoa.” He said.
“This is your aura.” Alexander told us. “It’s a bunch of energy that surrounds you. Everyone has one.”
“Then why isn’t it better known?” Peter asked.
“Auras are often incorporated with magic, which to most is imaginary. Therefore auras are taken as just that.” Alexander replied. “They are commonly used for healing, creation, divination, and,” A bright blue ball of energy appeared in his hand. “magical combat.”
“That’s cool.” I whispered.
Wisps of bright blue smoke flowed out of Alexander’s hand and snaked around the room. “Yes, Tina. Very cool.” Alexander smiled at me.
Then our auras disappeared. “You must be careful with your aura. If you use it to much, it can literally burn you up.” He warned.
“And what does all this have to do with rescuing Sally?” I questioned.
“Ah, I’d better leave that explaining to her.” He answered and looked at his watch. “I need to get to bed. Peter, you may stay a little while longer.” And then he left.
Peter and I were left together in a silent room. “Can I… can I finish braiding your hair?” He asked, somewhat nervously.
My hand immediately went to my braid, and I realized Sally had never finished. I would’ve said no – to preserve what Sally had done – but I felt bad for snapping at him. “Yeah, sure.” I replied.
His fingers worked quickly and carefully. “You don’t meet many guys that braid hair.” I was trying to kill the silence.
“Well, I learned for my little sister. My dad was always too busy.” He explained.
“What about your mom?” I asked. I could tell by the quietness following that I had probably stepped into forbidden territory. “Never mind, I don’t need to know.”
He sighed. “No, it’s fine. My mom died three years ago.”
I now felt really bad for asking. “I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Well, I’m done. Good night, Tina.” Peter walked out of the room.
So now I sat alone, feeling absolutely horrible. But I put those feelings aside and sat on my bed. I was so tired that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

That night I dreamt that I was in a fudge shop. My mouth watered at the sight and scent of the treat. It also reminded me of Sally’s bakery…
It wasn’t until I few seconds later that I realized Sally was there. “Sally!” I exclaimed.
“Hello, Tina.” She smiled at me, her blue eyes filled with care.
“Are you hurt? Are you dead? Oh, Sally!” I started crying.
“Relax, Tina. I’m just fine. How are you?”
“I’m scared.” I told her. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain everything when you get here.” She told me reassuringly. “Everything will be okay.”
“Where exactly is ‘here’?” I inquired.
“Oh, of course Alexander hasn’t figured it out.” Sally rolled her eyes. “Men.”
I thought about it for a moment. “Mackinac Island?” I guessed.
“You are so very intelligent. Then again, I trained you to be.” Sally hugged me. “Oh, I can’t wait to see you again!”
“Same here.” I replied, wiping the tears from my face.
“Well, tell Alexander to hurry. You can’t sleep forever.” She was right. I could already feel myself waking. “I love you, Tina. Please hurry.” Sally kissed my forehead.
“I will. I love you, too.” And then, I woke.

I Learn How to Properly Extinguish a Flame

As soon as I was fully awake, I went to tell Peter and Alexander everything. Peter was already awake, but we had to dump a bucket of ice on Alexander. “Was that truly necessary?” He grumbles as we handed him a towel.
I told him everything that Sally had told me in my dream. “So, yes. It truly was necessary.”
Alexander and Peter were quiet for quite a while. “That’s really great news. I’m glad Sally is okay.” Peter told me.
“Yes, yes very good. Mackinac Island, you say?” Alexander slapped his forehead. “It was so obvious!”
“Yeah, she wondered why you hadn’t already guessed that.” I told him. “She also said to hurry.”
“And hurry we shall. But first you two need to get ready and get a proper breakfast.” Alexander decided.
“But she said to hurry!”
“Perhaps she did. But I am currently your unofficial guardian and your well-being is important.” Alexander said matter-of-factly. “Sally would agree with me.”
I reluctantly went back to my room and started a shower. I didn’t want to take my hair out of its braid, but I did anyways. I could always ask Peter to redo it for me. He did a good job.
I washed my hair with the little shampoo and conditioner the hotel had provided. For a few minutes, I just let the warm water wash my worries away. When I was done, I dried myself with a towel and got out the hairbrush I had stored in my purse, along with some extra cash, chap stick, and my iPod.
When I was dressed and ready, I went to Peter and Alexander’s room where they had doughnuts. I grabbed one and devoured it, suddenly realizing how starved I was. “You want me to braid your hair again? It looked really nice.” Peter offered.
“Yes, please.” I smiled.
So he did my hair again. While his hands were busy, he was silent. As was Alexander. Alexander did, however, wink at me as though he thought something and wanted me to know it. Then I realized he thought Peter wasn’t simply heart. He thought Peter was flirting. I stuck my tongue out at him, but probably blushed.

In a fairly short amount of time, we were back on the road, travelling to Mackinac Island. Peter and I sat together in the backseat. We were listening to music on my iPod. He was staring out the window; I was staring at him.
For the first time, I really let myself get a good look at him. He wasn’t at all bad-looking – in fact, he was kinda cute. He had messy blonde hair that fell in his eyes. His eyes were a deep blue and had a certain spark of hopefulness I just couldn’t ignore. It was like he knew everything would work out in the end. And I liked it.
After quite a while of sitting in silence, Alexander said, “Well, you two should really be quiet back there. I can’t drive with all that noise.”
I cracked a smile, and Peter was trying to hold back a laugh.
“Sorry. I guess I’m just absorbed in thought.” Peter replied.
“Well, you should try and make some noise. You are teenagers, after all.”
It was kinda ironic how we heard the explosion right after he said that. We pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of the car. I noticed the front of the vehicle had burst into flame.
Alexander cursed. “Not yet, Ignatio! They haven’t even started their training!”
Ignatio! The same guy that brought me into this entire mess. And what training? Ugh, now this trip started to sound like school.
“I’m going to assume this isn’t a normal fire.” Peter said, staring at the flame fearfully.
“Of course it’s not normal!” I told him. “It came from the same guy that tried to hurt Sally and me!”
“What do we do?” Peter asked Alexander, unable to mask the desperation in his voice.
Alexander summoned his aura, and he hurled balls of energy at the fire. The flames died down a little. “It’s not working.” He said.
I could’ve sworn the fire talked after this. “The girl knows what to do.” It hissed.
I suppose I hadn’t imagined it, because Peter then looked directly at me. “Tina?”
“Let me think…” I told him.
I knew what to do? Since when? I remembered what Alexander had told us last night, about auras. And I knew that somehow Sally was involved in all this. Just… where did Peter and I fit in? I realized Peter and I must be important. Everyone had an aura, but what if some were stronger than others? I finally got an idea.
“Peter, give me your hand.” I demanded.
“What?” It might’ve been from the heat, but his face was bright red.
“Just give me your hand!” I repeated.
He held out his hand and I grasped it. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. I could feel that Peter was uncomfortable and scared. I opened my eyes.
“I need you to relax. Stop thinking. Just… breathe.” I told him gently. “Everything will be okay.”
It took a few moments for Peter to stop concentrating so hard. I began to try again. Our auras merged. I felt extreme power coursing through my veins. I tried to shift the energy to my open hand. After a few seconds, a ball of energy appeared in my hand.
Alexander stared, obviously impressed, as I hurled the energy into the flame. It turned into liquid before hitting the fire, extinguishing it. Still clutching Peter’s hand, I dropped to the ground and passed out.

I felt as though I were floating. I was swallowed in complete darkness. “Am I dead?” I wondered aloud.
A glowing figure appeared. Sally. “No, Tina. It’s not your time.” She told me gently.
“Am I hurt?” I asked.
“No, pet. Only tired. Very, very tired. You will wake soon.” She assured me. “I can’t stay any longer. Hurry, Tina.”
She disappeared, and my dream shifted.
I was surrounded my fire. “Hello, Tina.” A deep voice boomed around me.
“Ignatio?” I called out.
“You are intelligent, girl.” The voice told me.
“Why are you attacking me?” I demanded to know.
“Silence, girl. You will find out soon enough.” The voice replied. “You’ve only passed the first test.”
“Test?” I screamed. “Is this all some game to you? Because you’re pretty much ruining my life.”
“I said silence! I’m granting you safe passage to your destination.” I was informed. “Be grateful.”
Then the flames disappeared, and I once again felt like I was floating.

Peter Walks on Water

I woke up with my head resting on Peter’s lap. Looking around, I realized we were at a particularly smelly gas station. I wrinkled my nose at the scent of putrid gasoline. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to sit up. I couldn’t, and ended up resting my head on Peter’s shoulder.
“Well, I suppose the Sleeping Beauty is finally awake.” Peter smiled at me. “Good evening.”
“Evening. Where are we?” I smiled back.
“In the middle of nowhere.” He went on to tell me how after I passed out, Peter had carried me 25 miles to reach this dinky gas station.
“Where’s Alexander?” I asked.
“Over there, trying to get us some decent transportation.” Peter pointed at Alexander, who was arguing with a Hispanic guy. “Any more questions?”
“Yeah. How long was I out?”
“At least three hours. Maybe more.” He replied, looking off into the distance. “Do you realize you could’ve killed yourself? The power of our combined auras was really strong.”
“But I’m still alive, and so are you.” I told him. “You’re welcome.”
“Promise me you won’t ever put yourself in that kind of danger again.” Peter told me, still not looking at me.
I turned his head so that we were looking into each other’s eyes. “I can’t, Peter. Not when it’s life or death for other people. I’m not the kind of person that would save myself and risk hurting others.”
Peter dropped his gaze. “Then, at least not until we get a little bit of training, okay?”
“Well, Ignatio has already granted me a safe journey to the island.” I said. After seeing his confusion, I added, “I’ll explain more once we’re alone with Alexander.”
I don’t know how long the silence following was, but I do know that it wasn’t an awkward silence – it was a peaceful silence. I sat there, still unable to move my head from his shoulder, and I felt… happy. The same kind of happy I felt when I was living with Sally. Yesterday.
Was it really just yesterday that none of this had happened? I woke up in my bedroom, and Sally was taking forever in the shower, just like she always did. So of course, I barely had enough time to brush my teeth and do my hair, but somehow I looked amazing. I wore the same clothes I was wearing now – my t-shirt that says “Eat. Sleep. Bake.” that Sally has made me herself and a simple pair of blue jeans. And I had gone to work.
And then everything happened. Now I’m here. Yes, it was truly yesterday when my life was still as normal as it could be.
I snapped out of my train of thought when Alexander drove up in a tiny black car. “I got us a vehicle. You think it’ll work?” Alexander asked.
“Will it get us to Mackinac?” I asked in return.
“More than likely.”
“Then, yes. It’ll work.”

“So, Ignatio decided to grant you safe passage?” Alexander asked me.
I had just finished explaining everything that I had been told in my dream-visions. “Yes.” I replied.
“What did he mean by ‘test’?” Peter wondered aloud.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. He said that we’d find out soon enough, though.” I told both of them.
It was really quiet in the car until Peter looked at me, and then Alexander, and asked, “Will I be able to go home soon?”
I could see Alexander’s grim face in the rear view mirror, and I realized something. “Peter, I don’t think you’ll be home for a long, long time.” I said sadly.
Peter looked me in the eye, and I saw the tears trickling down his face. “But my family needs me to be home.”
“You’ll go home after this whole thing is over with.” Alexander assured him.
“How long with that be?”
“A month or two.”
I guess it was Peter’s turn to snap. “What do you mean? Won’t my dad realize that I’m missing? And what about my little sister? My family needs me! They need me to be home! I can’t just leave. Not my sister.”
I almost started crying. I held out my arms to him, and he allowed me to wrap my arms around him as he cried. I started to hum the tune of a song that Sally had taught me.
“It’s okay, Peter.” I whispered. “Everything will be okay.”
He didn’t reply, just continued sobbing. I realized he must’ve really loved his little sister if he was going to freak out like this. Then I realized that I had responded similarly after I was taken away from Sally.
I hummed until Peter stopped crying. Gosh. I thought to myself. Emotional guy.
But it was kinda sweet.
We finally made it to the ferry dock, where we were trying to get onto a ferry boat to take us to the island. “What are we going to do about clothes and stuff?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure Sally has something worked out for us. She thinks about those things, you know.” Alexander replied.
The thought of Sally made me excited. In just a while, we would be reunited. I still felt bad for Peter; he didn’t have his family living on the island. They lived far away from the island. “Don’t worry about Peter.” Alexander told me, as though he could read my thoughts. “He’ll be just fine.”
“Well, he’s not alone. I’m here for him.” I told Alexander.
Somehow, we got tickets onto the next ferry leaving. We boarded, going up to the top deck. After all, we were probably going to die soon. Why not have a little bit of fun?
Peter and I sat next to each other, and I didn’t mind when he redid my braid for me. In fact, I kinda liked it. Alexander sat on the other side of Peter. He winked at me as Peter did my hair. Again, with the not flirting. When he was done, Peter asked if he could switch seats with me; I was sitting near the railing.
“Yes, of course.” I smiled at him.
After we switched, something quite interesting happened. A person rushed past Alexander and I and pushed Peter off the ferry. “Peter!” I screamed.
“I think…” Alexander said, watching. “He’ll manage to stay safe.”
And he was absolutely correct. Peter landed safely on the water and began to walk around. “Whoa.” I said, startled.
“Um, guys? A little help?” Peter called up to us. The ferry was moving away at a surprising speed.
“I got this.” Alexander said.
He lifted his hands and muttered something. The water rose with his hands and soon Peter was back on the ferry. “That was… odd.” He commented.
“We won’t discuss this until we are with Sally.” Alexander said with finality.
Peter and I nodded and sat in silence until we reached the island.
When we got on shore, I found Sally waiting for me. “Hello, Tina.” She smiled at me.
“Hi, Sally!” I replied excitedly.
“And Alexander.” Sally greeted. “It’s been a very long time, hasn’t it?”
Alexander nodded without saying a word. “And you,” She smiled at Peter. “Must be Peter.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He replied.
“I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time, Peter.”

A Long Awaited Explanation

Peter and I were led to the shop that Sally apparently owned. I didn’t think she had much money. I guess we’ve got a lot of secrets here. I didn’t think we had any. I was beginning to wonder if I could trust Sally. I mean, I did trust her, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. If she kept this much from me, it’s possible there was more. Way more. And I was determined to find out.
We were sitting in her shop. She told us that she would be closed for quite a while, since Peter and I were there. She had brought some chairs into the little area and we had been sitting there. In complete silence.
“Um, miss?” Peter asked.
“Call me Sally.” Sally replied.
“Will I be able to contact my family?” Peter was still desperately trying to reach them.
“I’m sorry, Peter, but I can’t allow you to contact them quite yet. If you do, you will most likely have to leave.” Sally sounded like she felt really terrible for this. “I’m afraid you can’t leave for a while.”
“Why?”
“We need you here, Peter.”
“Sally, I would really like to know what in the world is going on.” I demanded. “It seems as though you’re keeping an awful lot from me.”
“Tina…” Sally began. “I’m sorry. But I couldn’t tell you. I had to wait until the time was right.”
“And when will the time be right, then?” I wanted to know.
“In just a few minutes, dear.” Sally assured me. “Just let Alexander and me discuss a few things. You two can wait here.”
She left Peter and me alone. It was very quiet, as neither of us wanted to say anything. I was looking out the window. It was evening, and the shop window gave us a view of the sunset over the lake. I’d never seen a sunset this beautiful before. The last time I’d lived even close to a lake was at that stupid boarding school. I was never able to go see it, though. I was always too busy scrubbing the toilets because of something I didn’t do.
“Why is Sally so important to you?” Peter finally asked.
“She’s all the family I got.” I responded hesitantly. I didn’t want to reveal too many of my secrets.
“How are you related?”
“She adopted me.”
“Adopted?” Peter obviously wasn’t expecting that one.
I really didn’t want to give him the whole sob story about poor little abandoned Tina. “Please don’t make me talk about it.”
“Okay, I won’t.” Peter smiled at me. “I won’t make you talk about anything you don’t want to.”
I sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” He gazed out the window and sighed. “I want to go home, Tina.”
“You will someday, Peter. I promise.” I assured him. “I’ll make sure that you go home soon.”
“Thanks.” He mumbled.
Then Sally called from upstairs, “Hey, you guys come up here!”
Peter and I obeyed. We walked wordlessly up the stairs. “Oh my…” I gasped when I saw the room we entered.
Everything was amazing. From the floors to the windows to the walls… everything. The floor wasn’t normal, to begin with. It had bumps and hills and was sand colored. The corners of the room were decorated with shells. The walls changed colors from a baby blue all the way to a deep ocean blue. The windows didn’t show a real view, or at least that is what I’m assuming. There was one window on each wall. One showed a coral reef, with colorful fish and plants and shells everywhere. Another had a view of a river running through a field. A waterfall crashing down past rocks. A creek running through a forest. I got the strangest feeling that everything I was about to experience was magical.
“Welcome.” Sally said, her voice somewhat distant.
And then I looked at Sally. She looked different as well. Her blonde hair fell to her waist and was decorated with seashells. She wore a dress that fell to her knees. With every movement she made, it appeared as if the fabric moved with her. White-capped waves move over the ocean blue dress. The final thing I noticed was that she wore no shoes.
“Sally?” I was astounded.
“Tina. Peter. You may have noticed that this room is a tad bit… extraordinary. This is because it has taken you from the mortal world to an entirely different realm – Aquarum.” Sally told us.
“Aquarum?” Peter repeated.
“Yes. It is considered the realm of water itself.” Sally replied. “What I am about to tell may be a bit surprising.”
“We’re ready.” I informed her. Peter nodded his head in agreement.
“You two are very special. One of you will one day control the element water.”
Peter and I looked directly at each other. “Excuse me?” Peter asked.
“There are four elements.” Sally began. “Water, fire, air, and earth. Each has two properties – warm or cold, and dry or wet. The combination of those two properties is what makes the element unique. This structure of the world was first discovered by Aristotle.
“Each element has one master, and each property has two masters. I am the master of Water. Alexander and I, like you two will do, had to compete to become the master of Water. I won.”
“Sally?”
“My name is not truly Sally, Tina. It is Sarila.” Sally – Sarila – told me.
“Why Peter and I?” I asked.
“Every 25 years, two very powerful blue auras are found somewhere, anywhere.” Sally – oops, Sarila – continued. “You two are the most powerful we’ve found, and my time as master is ending.”
“How much longer do you have?” Peter questioned.
“No longer than one month. After that point, one of you will take over as the Water Master.” Sally smiled at us.
“We have one month? That isn’t long enough!” I protested. “We won’t be ready by then!”
“Do I need to remind you of all you have done today?” Alexander stepped in. “Tina, don’t forget what you did with that fire. You were smart enough to figure out that you needed Peter’s aura as well as yours to extinguish it. And you lived through something that should’ve burned you to a crisp.
“And Peter. You walked on water. That’s pretty remarkable. It’s taken plenty of other blue auras years to master that.”
“Are we… are we really that special?” I questioned.
“Yes, Tina. You are rare. The last two people that came up as strong as you two are Alexander and I.” Sarila told me. “You two have the power to save the world.”
“I think that brings us to the next subject.” I raised my eyebrows.
“Ah, Ignatio. Not much explaining to do about him. He is the fire master.” Alexander said.
“Figured.” Peter said.
“Ignatio can be unstable. He can be a bit power hungry. He’ll do anything to remain the fire master.” Sarila said. “When his competitor, Lily, died, he was assumed a murderer. But he had to be granted the element of fire. He was the only person eligible.
“Now it’s been 25 years for him. He doesn’t want to give up his power. I’m afraid he’s gone a bit mental about it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Ignatio is trying to upset the balance between the four elements. Fire is meant to be hot and dry. Those are the two properties. Air is also hot, and Earth is also dry. If Ignatio upsets the balance, then he will gain control of those two properties as well. Air and Earth will weaken. That leaves Water the only element strong enough to fight Fire.” Alexander continued to explain.
“So? Water can extinguish fire any day.” Peter said.
“It’s not going to be that simple, Peter.” I told him. “Fire can evaporate Water as well.”
“So, how do we stop Ignatio from becoming powerful?” Peter inquired.
“We need help from the other elements. It won’t be easy, but you two are going to save the world.” Sarila informed us.

I Find Out How Weird This Place Is

Peter and I were led directly to our rooms. Mine was filled with baby blue. “How did you know…” I started to ask.
“The girl’s aura has been baby blue since the beginning of time. As has the boy’s been dark blue. It’s just how this pattern has worked.” Sarila answered before letting me finish.
“That’s kind of weird. So your aura is baby blue too?” I asked.
“Yes.” Sarila smiled. “The odd difference has always been the scent.”
“Scent?” I repeated.
“Along with an aura, a human gets a slightly unique scent. There are others out there that will have the same fragrance, but not everyone will have the same.” Sarila explained. “Allow me to show you.”
She touched my shoulder and my aura surrounded my body. I noticed hers really was the same color. In the air, I could smell seawater and coconut. “That smells… good.” I commented.
“Yeah. You smell like seawater, Tina.” Sarila told me. “I’ve always loved coconut, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. I did work in the bakery with you. And live with you.” I said.
“I should’ve taken you on vacation more often. I suppose those two trips to Florida really influenced you.” Sarila sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Sally!” I coughed. “I mean, Sarila.”
“It’s going to take us all a while to get used to that, isn’t it?” Sarila smiled. “I haven’t been called Sarila in 14 years.”
“Why so long?”
“At that point, I started searching for the next master.”
“And you found me. And you adopted me.” I realized. “Only because I would be the next master?”
“Because I wondered if you had the potential.” Sarila admitted. “But that was because you had the right personality and attitude for it. I really did adopt you for you, Tina.”
“And what will happen after all this?” I asked. “After one of us takes over.”
“You will still be mine, Tina. You always will be.” Sarila assured me. “If you win, then I’ll stay here with you, or wherever to choose to go. If you don’t, we go back to the bakery. That’s always been my favorite home.”
“Yeah, I’ve grown quite fond of it myself.” I mumbled.
“Tina.” Sarila put a hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Ha. What’s wrong? Is she really that stupid? My entire life with her has been a lie. Just a big lie. And she thinks that’s okay? She’s crazy. Insane. That’s what she is.
“Nothing.” I lied.
Sarila clearly didn’t believe me, but didn’t ask again. “Well, you rest up, take a shower. I’ve got clothes for you in the closet, though I’m afraid you won’t be too fond of them. We’re having dinner in the main room – that’s the first one you saw – at 8. Just keep an eye on the clock.”
“Am I still in Aquarum?” I asked her.
“Oh, sorry. I almost forgot.” Sarila sighed. “I’m losing it. Yes, you are still in Aquarum. Things are going to be a little different. Just don’t fight anything.”
“Different? Is that good or bad different?” I inquired.
“Tina, not everything can be labeled as “good” or “bad”.” Sarila said sharply. “That must be understood.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I said.
“And please don’t call me ma’am.” Sarila begged. “It makes me feel old.”
“Well, you’re over 25 years old… Hey! Wait a minute!”
“What?”
“How old are you?”
“I’m turning 41 in 2 months.” She replied. “Why?”
“You don’t look that old at all!”
Sarila rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s nothing. If you win as master, you are granted with looking young for 25 years. No wrinkles, no grey hairs. I also can’t feel old. That way I can stay as powerful as possible for 25 years.”
“That’s not normal.” I stated.
“Tina, nothing you are about to experience is normal. You must understand this.” Sarila replied and walked out of the room.
I was extremely lost. This world wasn’t normal. Nothing was normal. I guess that made abnormal… normal. I walked around the room. There wasn’t much to it that I noticed at first. Just a bed, a bookshelf, and three doors – one led to the bathroom, another the closet, and finally a door to leave the room. It would lead my back to the main room. And I could just walk down those stairs and go back to my world. It would be that simple.
But Sarila needed me. Alexander too. And I couldn’t leave Peter alone. That would be too much. And where would I go? My home is with Sarila. Or Sally. I wondered if it would be acceptable to still call her that. That’s who she was.
Then I started examining the room a bit more. The bed had my old blanket on it. The one Sally had bought me and put in my bedroom back at the bakery. The pillows were different, or at least the cases were. They were baby blue silk. The bookshelf was covered with all my favorite books, along with my notebooks from back home. And my diary, the one that Sally had given me my first birthday with her. The closet was filled with dresses like the one Sarila wore. She was right; I didn’t like them all that much. I’d always preferred jeans and t-shirts, maybe with a few sweatshirts. But what’s this? In a box, in the closet, were my favorite shirts and sweatshirts and pajamas. This place felt perfect for me.
I went into the bathroom to find my favorite shampoo and conditioner. There was even my bathrobe from when I lived in the bakery. And my toothbrush was there, along with my old hairbrush and my toothpaste. In the medicine cabinet was the vitamins I took every night. I realized that this place had been designed for me.

I entered the main room wearing a dress. It was the color of the sky on a cold morning, and the cloud pattern moved over the silky fabric. I was barefoot as well. My hair had been done almost magically. It was soft and fluffy, like a cloud. I realized it had been done to match the dress I wore.
I noticed that Peter was wearing a t-shirt and pants. Lucky. They had the same pattern, a bunch of little waterfalls tumbling down through rocks. His hair looked normal, though. “You look nice, Tina.” Sarila smiled at me.
“Yeah, I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders.
I sat down on the floor. I hadn’t expected to be eating like this. There was a bright blue blanket on the floor that was covered with food. There was a lot of blueberries, I noticed. And kiwi. That had always been my favorite. There was also peanuts and coconut cake.
“This is… our favorite foods.” I noted.
“Aren’t you bright, Tina.” Alexander nodded his head. “Yes, we’ve got your favorite foods here.”
“Blueberries…” Peter smiled. “I lived on a blueberry farm when I was younger.”
“My parents always gave me peanuts as a snack when I was in school. I’ve become quite fond of them.” Alexander told us.
“I just like the taste of kiwi…” I said. “And Sarila, you’ve always loved coconut. That’s what your aura smells like.”
“Yeah…” Sarila replied, her voice distant.
Then she snapped up her head. “We aren’t safe! Nobody’s safe! Ignatio will win! FIRE WILL BECOME THE ELEMENT.”
She took in a deep breath and all four windows exploded. I grabbed Peter’s arm and used our auras to form a shield around us and the food. I then passed out.

I was back in that dream where I was surrounded by fire. “I let you go to the island safely, Tina.”
“Ignatio! You will not win this!” I yelled.
“And are you going to stop me?” Ignatio chuckled. “Naïve girl, you can’t win. You haven’t been trained, and I’ve already begun to take over.”
“I’m not alone.” I said fiercely.
“Oh yes, the boy. He’s not nearly as strong as you, and you’re already weak.” Ignatio mocked.
“That’s not true. He’s just as strong as me, if not stronger.” I told him. “And we are going to defeat you.”
I fell into deep blackness and Ignatio’s laughter rang in my ears.

I Make the Most Dangerous Decision Ever

I woke up on my bed. I was completely alone, but next to my pillow I found a note. It read:

Tina –

When you wake up, come see me. I’ll be waiting in my room.

- Peter

I got up and checked my closet for some clean clothes. I was still wearing my dress from earlier, and I figured a late night visit to see Peter wasn’t dress-worthy. I opened the box in the bottom and selected my Winnie the Pooh pajama pants and a random sweatshirt. I then pulled on a pair of socks and went to Peter’s room.
Peter’s room was located directly across the hallway from mine. On the other side of it was Alexander’s room. I walked across the hall and knocked on the door. There wasn’t a response, so I opened the door a tiny bit and peeked inside. The light was on, but Peter wasn’t in the room. I then heard running water coming from the bathroom and realized he was in the shower.
I walked inside and glanced around the room. It was dark blue, just like his aura, and was quite similar to mine. There was a bookshelf and a bed just like in mine. On the bed was simple dark blue blanket. But next to the pillow was a little teddy bear. I smiled at the idea that Peter had a stuffed animal that he had to keep with him. Then I realized I would die without my blanket.
I went to examine his bookshelf. You can tell a lot about a person from the books and trinkets they keep on a bookshelf. On his was a bunch of historical fiction books, along with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I approved. On the top shelf, however, was a camera alongside a bunch of pictures. A handful of blueberries. A cute little girl with blonde pigtails and her front teeth missing.
A heard a cough behind me, and I spun around. Peter was standing there. “So, you decided to wake up?”
I blushed. “I was just coming to see you, like the note told me to… And I saw you were in the shower and then I was just looking at these pictures.”
Peter released a breath. “You like them?”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “You took them?”
“I love photography.” Peter said, and I would’ve known from his voice. It was quiet and calm, like mine is when I talk about baking.
“Really? How’d you get into it?”
“My mom… She went to college to be a photographer. She had to drop out, though, because she didn’t have enough money.” Peter replied. “But she always took pictures of everything beautiful. Lots of pictures of Dad and me. Emmy too.”
“How old is she? Emmy?”
“She’s 7.” Peter smiled. “And I love her to death. Since mom died, Dad has to work a lot to support us. I’ve tried to take pictures to earn a little money, but nobody’s interested.”
“That’s upsetting.”
“What do you like to do, Tina?”
“I like to bake. Sally taught me how.” I laughed. “We did run a bakery together.”
“I heard.” He said. “So you guys were – are – really close, huh?”
“Well, like I said, she adopted me.” I sighed. “She’s all I’ve really got.”
“Tell me your story, please, Tina.” Peter asked. “I’m really curious.”
After a long pause, I took a deep breath and began. “My parents abandoned me when I was a baby. I lived in an orphanage until I was eight, and then I was adopted. The people who adopted me were complete jerks. I got sent to a boarding school. And then somehow I ended up with Sally.”
“How much do you wanna bet something magic was involved with you being with her?”
I thought about it. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Peter and I sat on the floor. “My iPod magically appeared here, ya know.”
“So did my blanket. And my pajamas.” I said.
“Wanna listen to music?” Peter suggested.
“Yeah, sure.” I smiled.
We went and sat on his bed and listened to music. We sat in silence for quite a while. “You know, you’re really nice, Tina.” Peter said softly.
“You are too.” I replied.
“I wouldn’t want to be in a near death situation with anyone else.” He smiled at me.
I took a shaky breath. “I’m scared, Peter.”
“I’d think you were crazy if you weren’t.” Peter said. “After all, you are only human.”
That was the deepest thing I’d ever heard a person say. It was true. I was only human. I couldn’t be expected to be perfectly brave and honest all the time. If I was, then I would be supernatural.
“And look at it this way. Ignatio is human just like you.” Peter began. “So, he’s gotta have some sort of weakness.”
“He’s a human with years of experience.” I sighed. “I doubt we’d be able to find a weakness.”
“Maybe we should just ask Sarila.” Peter suggested.
“Ask me what?” Sarila was standing in the open doorway.
“Does Ignatio have a weakness?” I asked. “We’re trying to find a way to defeat him.”
“Like I said, he’s power-hungry.” Sarila said. “Tina, get to bed soon. Training starts tomorrow morning.”
“Sorry. I just…” I began.
“Bed.” Sarila interrupted. “You need it.”
“Right.” I leaned over and kissed Peter’s cheek. “Good night.”
What did I just do? Why would I do that? I should know that a love life right now is completely out of the question. I guess… it just felt right.
I walked back into my room. I hadn’t noticed Sarila following me. “What was that?” She inquired.
“I… I don’t know!” I admitted. “I mean, it just…”
“Felt right?” Sarila asked.
“Yeah.” I was ready to cry.
“Tina, I’m sorry. But right now, love can be dangerous. It is distracting. And when one of you takes over as Master, everything will be destroyed.” Sarila informed me. “So, try if you want, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“How do you know all of this?” I questioned.
I could see the hurt in her eyes. “Just trust me.”
I wondered if she and Alexander had loved each other. They had known each other since they were young. Maybe… maybe before they were even discovered as being the next two, they had fallen for each other. It made me sorta sad to think that something had happened between them. Maybe after all this was over, they could finally love each other again. Maybe when Peter and I were torn apart, they could be put back together.
I can’t let this come between me and my feelings. If I am falling in love with Peter, which I hope desperately I’m not, I can’t let a stupid aura stop me from it. I will fight this. And that was my final decision.
I lied down on my bed and pulled the blanket up to my chin. As I dozed off, I wondered if I could do this. If I could love Peter.

Alexander Almost Dies (And I May be to Blame)

“Okay, training begins immediately after breakfast.” Sarila informed me after waking me.
“Are you training me?” I asked.
“Actually, Alexander has asked to train you.” Sarila replied. “And I’d like to get to know Peter a little better.”
It didn’t surprise me. Alexander had given the impression that I was his favorite. “Oh, alright. How much time do I have before breakfast?” I asked.
“Half an hour. Starting now.” Sarila exited the room.
I sighed and took a quick shower. I was really stressed out. There was so much going on, and so much that I had to do. If I messed this up, the world was pretty much over. Can you imagine knowing that you could be the cause of the end of the world? It’s difficult to comprehend.
I only really knew one thing – I was strong. I didn’t know how, or why, but I was very powerful. I’ve done things that would kill a normal person. I was also smart enough to know what to do in certain situations – with out any training whatsoever. I couldn’t wait to start my training and see what I really could do.
After my shower, I grabbed a new dress. It looked a lot like the one Sarila wore yesterday, with waves moving over ocean blue fabric. My hair was magically done, again, braided with seaweed. I still had ten minutes before breakfast started, so I grabbed my journal and wrote down:

Things I have done that are somewhat strange:

Extinguished a fire using my aura
Used the power of both Peter’s and my aura – combined, twice
Almost died

When I was done with that, I went out to the main room for breakfast, even though I still had 4 minutes. I found Alexander waiting there. “You’re early.” He informed me.
“I had nothing else to do.” I sat down where I sat yesterday at dinner.
“Better than being late.” He replied. “Or being dead. That would be very bad.”
I laughed. “I think I should be.”
“I would’ve been.” Alexander sighed.
“You’re strong, just like I am, right?” I asked. I’d assumed he was if he was able to compete against Sarila for Master.
“Not as strong. I… I think you might be stronger than Sarila.” Alexander admitted.
“I wish.” I said.
Then, Peter walked into the room. “Where’s Sarila?”
“Getting ready, I suppose.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe she had to get something ready for your training.”
“She’s not training you?” Peter asked.
“I asked to train Tina.” Alexander told him. “And Sarila wanted to get to know you a little better.”
“Oh.” Peter said. “How’d you sleep, Tina? Any dreams?”
I shook my head. “Fortunately, Ignatio decided to leave me alone all night. How did you sleep?”
“Like a rock. Alexander had to pour ice water on my head to wake me up.” Peter laughed, and I joined him.
He sat down next to me as Sarila walked into the room. She shot us a somewhat sad glance before taking her seat. “Well, eat up. Training is going to drain a lot of energy.”
I grabbed a slice toast and spread butter on it. Then I took a few pieces of bacon, and some eggs. When I was content with the portions I had, I attacked the food. I hadn’t realized how famished I was. I suppose it was using my aura yesterday.
“So, what will training be like?” Peter questioned.
“It’ll be pretty basic today. Learning how to activate your aura and how to control it. If you’re a quick learner, you’ll probably get to practice some magical combat, if you’d like.” Sarila explained. “I don’t think today should be to difficult, especially for Tina.”
“Yeah, Tina seems like she was born for combat.” Peter smiled. “You should’ve seen her yesterday fighting that fire!”
I might’ve blushed a little. “Maybe tomorrow we’ll get to walk on water.”
Alexander smiled. “And you guys try denying that you are capable of defeating Ignatio?”
“Yes.” I responded. “He’s strong, too.”
“He’ll start losing his power, soon.” Sarila said. “The closer it gets to the end of his time of Master, the less power he will have. I’d love to meet those two kids, if he’s done any searching at all.”
“What if he hasn’t?” I asked. “What if he stops being Master, and there’s nobody to take over?”
“I suppose the Property Masters will have to find them.”
“Property Masters?” I asked.
“I told you, each element has two properties. Each property has two Masters.” Sarila explained. “They’re like the head assistants to the Master.”
“Does that mean you have two assistants?” Peter questioned.
“Yes. They’re supposed to visit soon, to meet you two, but I’m not sure they will. They have their own competition going on.” Alexander told us.
“I’d let them help you defeat Ignatio, but they’re still searching for the two.” Sarila rolled her eyes. “Not that they’ve really been trying. I have somewhat lazy assistants.”
“That’s upsetting. Some help would be really nice.” Peter said.
“We don’t need it.” I said confidently. “If one of us is destined to be the Water Master, then we should be able to take on the weakening Master of Fire.”
“That’s the spirit, Tina.” Sarila smiled. “You’re right, you should be able to. It may not be easy, but it’s possible.”
“Possible is good.” I nodded my head. “Can I get back to eating now?”
“We have five more minutes to eat, than we need to begin.” Alexander answered.
So the next five minutes were spent in silence as we devoured the food in front of us. I was upset when the time was up; this food was great! “Come on, Tina, let’s go.” Alexander stood up.
Peter grabbed my hand. “Good luck.” He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before I followed Alexander down the hall.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see.”
He opened the door and we entered a black room. He flipped a light switch and blue light faintly lit the room. The lights streaked through the walls, ceiling, and floor. Everything else was completely black. “Let us begin.” He smiled at me.
“About time.” I grinned. “I’ve been dying to start.”
“Almost literally.” He joked.
We laughed for a moment, but the room felt so serious that it seemed slightly forced. “Let’s start by learning how to activate your aura.” Alexander suggested.
“I’m ready.” I said.
“Everyone needs a trigger. A word or thought that has a lot of meaning to you.” Alexander said.
“What’s your trigger, then?” I asked.
“The name of someone who meant a lot to me when I chose it.” Was all he said. Not very elaborate.
I felt like asking who, but I had a feeling that I should just leave it alone. “So, I have to choose a trigger?”
“Is there anything that means a lot to you? A person or place? A possession?”
“Sally.” I began. “And baking. My blanket. One time, for Valentine’s Day, someone sent me an anonymous rose. I don’t know who it was.”
“Why don’t we use Sally?” Alexander suggested.
“Yeah, okay.”
Alexander said something I couldn’t understand – I think it was Latin – and a glowing blue circle appeared around him. “You’d better step inside my circle, dear.”
I obeyed. “Tina, what is your last name?”
“Johnson.”
“What are your parents’ names?”
I struggled to remember the names the orphanage director had told me, years ago when I had asked. “Uh, Tony and Kate.
“You are the only child?”
“As far as I know.”
“Tina Johnson, only child of Tony and Kate Johnson, do you agree to obey every command I have to give?”
“Yes.”
“Do you promise to not abuse the power of your aura?”
“Yes.”
“Tina Johnson, what is your aura’s trigger?”
“Sally.” I gulped.
“Tina, until you or your competitor has taken over as the Master of Water, I am your teacher, mentor, and guide.” Alexander put a hand on my shoulder, and my aura reacted to his.
Now I was surrounded by a bright, baby blue light. “Cool.”
“We will begin your training immediately.”
The blue circle flickered out. “Say the word. Just whisper it.”
“Sally.” I whispered.
My aura glowed brighter. I focused my aura into my hand, making a baby blue ball of energy form on my palm. I hurled it at Alexander. He used his aura to deflect it. “Tina, this is very impressive.” He praised me. “But I must tell you how to control your aura.
“If you lose control, then it’ll burn out quickly. If your aura burns out, you will be drained of all energy”
“So, how do I make sure I have control?” I asked, ready to learn. This would be useful.
“You have to keep control of your emotions, first off. Any strong emotion can easily trigger your aura.” Alexander reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue necklace. “And you can wear this.”
He put the necklace into my hand and I examined it. It was made of seashells and little blue stones that seemed to glow faintly. “The stones are magical; they keep your aura under control. Not everyone gets one of these, but I happened to have one for you.”
I smiled and put it around my neck. The stones glowed brightly for a second, and then turned a soft baby blue. “They reacted with your aura. Now, as long as you wear that, your aura will be kept under control.”
“Does it always glow?” I asked.
“Only when it’s dark.” He replied. “Okay, I guess we’re ready for a little bit of combat. Ready?”
“I’ve been waiting for this.” I grinned and activated my aura.
Alexander did the same, and we took to hurling balls of energy at each other. I threw a tiny orb at him, and just before Alexander could put up a shield, his aura flickered out. “Tina!” He screamed as the orb touched his chest, which must’ve sent electricity pulsing through his body.
“Alexander!” I rushed over and checked to make sure he was still breathing.
His chest was still moving, but only slightly. I screamed and tried to move him into his room. I got him to the door. Sarila seemed to just appear at the doorway, with a worried expression on her face. “What happened? I heard you scream…” She looked at Alexander. “Oh no!”
She picked him up and struggled under his weight. I helped her carry him to his bedroom. “I promise, he’ll be okay.”
“I killed him!” I screamed. “I killed him!”
“Hush, Tina. He is fine.” Sarila assured me.
Crying, I stumbled back to my bedroom and fell asleep on my bed.

We Might Have a Plan

When I woke up, it was about 5:30. I looked in a mirror to still find my hair looking near perfect, but my eyes were red and a little puffy. Someone knocked on my door. “Come in.” I called.
Sarila entered my room. “I thought you’d like to know Alexander is perfectly fine.”
“Where is he?”
“Resting in his room. You should go see him.” She suggested.
“Where’s Peter?”
“I think he’s taking a nap in his room.” She replied. “You’ll see him in a half hour for dinner, Tina. Just leave him be.”
“How’d he do today? In training?”
“He had a lot of trouble picking a trigger. He finally settled on Emmy.” Sarila said. “Other than that, he did really well.”
“I did bad.” I sighed.
“That’s not what Alexander said when he woke up.” Sarila smiled. “He said that you’re better than he was. I think you might be better than me.”
“I’ll bet Peter is better than me.”
“I suppose I should mention he wouldn’t stop talking about you all of our training period.” She grinned at me. “He thinks you’re really cute and pretty and nice.”
“He’s sweet.” I smiled dreamily. “I think I like him.”
“If you do, I approve.” Sarila sighed. “You’ve never had a boyfriend, have you?”
I shook my head. “There was never a guy that left an impression.”
Sarila smiled and put an arm around my shoulder. “You’re growing up.”
“Yeah, so?”
“I may be the Water Master, but I’m also your official guardian. Remember when I found you?” She sighed, almost dreamily. “You were almost fourteen and you hated everything.”
“I hated you for a while.” I admitted. “But that didn’t last long.”
“You were a miserable girl, you know that? But I saw something else in you. You had been strong enough to survive everything you had gone through. And there was a slight spark of hope in your eyes that made me think you were the one.” Sarila looked me in the eye. “I’m really proud of who you’re becoming.”
“I’m not really all that special.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Yes, you are.” Sarila insisted. “You may not be able to see it, but I can. You are perfect for this competition. Even Peter will admit that you will most likely win.”
“Maybe I don’t really want to win.” I snapped. “I just want my life back.”
“Tina, this is your life. Can’t you see that?” Sarila said softly
“I don’t want this.” I shook my head. “I never wanted this.”
“Destiny isn’t your choice.”
“Leave me alone.” I told her.
“Tina…”
“Get out!”
Sarila left me alone. I had another twenty minutes until dinner. I spent it all sobbing.

When I went to dinner, my eyes were very red and puffy and my nose was slightly runny. It was very evident that I had been crying. Peter didn’t say anything when he saw me, but he gave me a very worried look.
I smiled reassuringly at him, but didn’t utter a word. In fact, I didn’t speak for the entire duration of the meal. As soon as I was done, I left without being dismissed. As I was leaving, I realized Alexander had not been there the entire meal.
When I was back in my room, I grabbed my notebook and added:

Almost killed Alexander

I carefully set the notebook back on my bookshelf. I picked up the only picture I had in this room and examined it. It had been taken the day Sally had become my legal guardian, just outside her bakery. Sally had her arm around me and we both were smiling. I could remember that this was the first day I had smiled in a long time. It was the first day I actually felt like I was alive.
Someone knocked on the door. “Come in.” I said.
Peter came in, closing the door behind him. He didn’t say anything, just held his open arms out. I didn’t hesitate to enter them. “You okay?” He whispered.
“I will be.” I assured him. “Don’t worry about me.”
“I’ll worry anyways.” He said. “What’s wrong?”
“It was just a hard day.” I sighed. “I mean, I almost killed…”
“Tina, that’s not what’s wrong. You’ve been upset ever since we got here.” Peter interrupted.
I took a deep breath. “I feel like everything has been a lie. My life was finally worth living, and now it’s all gone.”
“I kinda like it here.” Peter led me over to my bed and we sat down.
“What about Emmy?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about her. I’m needed here.” He put his arm around me. “And so are you.”
“I wanna go home.” I murmured.
“I don’t want you to.” Peter looked me in the eye. “I need you here.”
I probably blushed a little, but I doubt Peter noticed. “I still think you worry about Emmy.”
“I do.” He admitted.
“Then why don’t you say anything?”
“Talking about it doesn’t make it better. If anything, it’ll just make it more miserable around here.”
“Talking will make it better, Peter.” I smiled at him. “Tell me about her.”
A cute grin formed on Peter’s face. “Like I said before, she’s seven and I love her to death. She’s got these big blue eyes, and really soft blonde hair. She’s sweet and kind. She’s the kind of person that could find good in the most evil person alive.”
“Does that include Ignatio?”
“Yes.”
“You know, he’s gotta have some sort of weakness.”
I sighed. “We just need to find out what, am I correct?”
“What was that Sarila was saying earlier about the Property Masters?” Peter wondered. “I’ll bet they’ll know some stuff about Ignatio.”
“Maybe we’ll have to find them, Peter.” I suggested.
“Maybe we will.” He agreed.
“Tomorrow, we’ll have to somehow find where they are…” I thought aloud. “And we’ll probably have to sneak away.”
“Maybe we should just go to bed, and then discuss this first thing tomorrow?” He said.
“Yeah, okay.” I concurred.
Peter leaned in and kissed me. “Good night, Tina.”

-

Ignatio chuckled when he saw the boy kiss the girl. “They are at a weak spot. Soon, we’ll be able to take over.”
His two apprentices nodded their heads. “That’s good, Master Ignatio.”
“Very good, indeed.” Ignatio grinned evilly.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 24.10.2012

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