Looking for a Story

Gracy was helping her grandfather clean out the attic. It had taken a few years of discussions, but Grandpa was finally ready to move in with her and her parents. She was looking forward to having him close by. He had the coolest stories and had always been a great help on her school assignments. Sure, hanging out in a dusty attic wasn't every high schooler's idea of fun on Saturday. But she didn't mind. Her grandma had been a collector and now Gracy got first dibs on anything she wanted. As she sorted and labelled boxes, she would occasionally find things she wanted and sent them aside in a box to keep for herself. She had made fast work; her grandma had been very organized. Soon she was working on the last box. Out of it, she pulled a faded crown, with green gemstones. "This is beautiful." She slowly turned the crown in her hand. Then she gasped and it clattered to the floor. There was a name engraved on the crown - her name…. Had her grandmother bought this for her and not told anyone? She picked it up again and walked over to the old mirror, then carefully put the crown on top of her head. As soon as it touched her head, Gracy saw in the mirror a girl that looked like her; but she was in a ball gown, standing tall, backed by an army prepared for battle. The army looked like they would die for her. And that girl seemed to be reaching out to her. Gracey panicked, threw the crown off her head, and heard it crash on the attic floor. What was that…? She stared at the crown, breathing heavily. Slowly she picked it up again and left the attic. She found her grandfather making steaks in the kitchen. "Oh good, you came down. I was just about to call you." He looked over at her. "My child, you look like you've seen a gho…. Oh. You found it, did you." They each took a seat at the kitchen table, and she set the crown in front of her. "What is this? Why is my name on it?” Her breathing was still unsteady. 'It came with you." Her grandfather spoke softly. "With me?” She spoke in a tight, hoarse voice. "Yes, with ya. You came through the mirror that you found upstairs. The crown was in your wicker basket. We had no idea where you’d come from, you were just given to us." He looked at her with sad eyes. "So I'm not your granddaughter!" Her voice was tight and tears burned her eyes. "No, no, no, my dear." Grandpa stood quickly and moved to hold Gracy. "I have never not loved you. The moment I saw you, I was ready to fight for you." "Did mom and dad know?" She let the tears fall. He shook his head. "We never told them. We told them you showed up on the porch." "What would you have done if something had just taken me? Back through the mirror?" She was horrified - how heartbroken would her parents would have been? "I would have told them then. But your grandmother and I looked for answers and we couldn't find anything.” He looked at her, defeated. She took a breath. “Grandpa, when I put it on, in the mirror I saw another world. I had on this royal gown, and an army around me, like they were ready for war...." He looked down. "Makes me wonder why you were sent to us." Gracy sat there, still in shock. "I need space." She stood up and got ready to leave. As she got to the door, she stopped. "Bring the mirror to my house, I might need it." She left the house and went for a walk. Growing up she never felt like she didn't belong in her family. But she wasn't even a part of it? After an hour or two she walked back home and up to her room. Her parents didn't bother her. She assumed her grandfather had given them a call and told them some story. The crown and mirror were in her room when she got home. She was so spent, she just lay down and went to sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in that same thrown room. She was in a royal gown, with an army staring at her. To her right stood a man in armour. "My queen, we need you to return. You are our only hope." He bowed to her and the army followed suit. She looked at him. “What's happening?" she whispered. “You are the Queen of this world, my lady, and your parents are weakening. If you don't come, we could be lost." He looked up at her from where he knelt. She looked around…. “But I have not been raised to be queen. I didn't know this existed until today.” She knelt by him, her voice still soft, her hands shaking. "Your crown - it holds the wealth of our Kingdom. When you come here and put it on, you will understand." He stood up and offered Grace a hand. "My Queen, come back to us." As she stood, she woke up. "What!” he sat up, panting. She looked around her room at photos of her parents, her friends, her whole life - it wasn't supposed to be hers. She should have been in some palaces somewhere else, with a royal family, probably servants, and whatnot else. What all had she lost compared to all she had gained? If she left - which felt silly to think of - but if she left, would she be able to come back? Or would she never see her parents again? This King and Queen might be the ones who gave her life. But her parents - the ones who loved and raised her, the ones she loved…. But clearly, she had to do something…. She had to go. Gracy walked downstairs and found her grandfather sitting with her parents at the table. She paused for a moment and watched them. She was about to change everything. She stepped in view of her family. Her dad saw her first. "Hey sweetheart, ya feeling better?" With tears in her eyes, Gracy shook her head. Her mother rushed up and pulled her into a hug. "Sweety, what's wrong?" Gracy locked eyes with her grandpa. "Grandpa and I have something to tell ya." Her grandpa sighed heavily, then started with the true story of her parentage -where she came from and all the details he could remember. Gracy then told them of her visions and the land in the mirror. Tears were still rolling as Gracy looked at them. "So if you leave, will we ever see ya again?” Her mother blinked away her own tears. "I don't know, Mom. I don't know." Gracy took her mom's hand. “But I think I have to go." She looked at her dad. "It's what you would do.'' She smiled softly. Her dad shook his head. Since she was a little girl, people had always told them she was her father's carbon copy of her mother's smile…which was funny to think of now. "Yes, sweetheart, it is what I would do." He paused, taking a shaky breath. "I just wish you didn't have to…." The family hugged. "One more night?" Her mom spoke softly. Gracy nodded. So they spent the night playing games, watching movies and being a family. The next morning, with tears in everyone's eyes, they put the crown on her head and everyone hugged goodbye. Then, Gracy walked through the mirror. Glancing back she could see them, but they could not see her it seemed; she waved anyway. Then she kept walking, and soon she could see clearly. She was in a royal gown and the crown didn't feel as heavy. But this didn't feel like home. She fell to the floor crying at the thought of all she had lost. She heard soft steps coming nearer, but she did not care and her tears kept flowing. A handkerchief was offered to her. "My Queen, Lady Grace, you have come back.'' That voice was familiar. She looked up. "It's you…from my dream! Sir James, you are the commander of my army." “I knew you would remember!” He smiled at her and helped her up. “Come, I’ll take you to your parents.” He offered her an arm. “Right away? I’ve only just arrived. I’ve barely wrapped my head around this….” She felt the fabric of her dress; it was the nicest thing she’d ever felt. “We can take the long way around, and I can show you around the palace. But we really can’t wait.” He started walking. Grace took deep breaths and looked around. It was a beautiful place, and as she walked through the palace, she started to just know things about the Kingdom. “They sent me away because they were under attack, and the other king wanted to steal me away…. He wanted to raise me to be his son's wife…. And use me as leverage against my parents.” Sir James looked at her. “Yes, my Queen, that’s right. I see the crown’s knowledge is working.” “James, will I forget my life outside of here?” She didn’t want to forget them. “I’m not sure, my Queen. Maybe one of the mages can make sure you don’t forget. Maybe when we get the kingdom back to a sense of peace they can come to visit you. But I can’t promise anything….” He slowed as they approached a door. “My parents are in there?” She whispered. “Yes, they are. They have been waiting a long time to meet you. They are not as strong as they once were. The war has taken a lot out of them. They hope your return will bring peace again.” He stopped before he knocked, and looked at her. “I was afraid of that.” She fidgeted with her hands, then stood up tall. She was the Queen; she could be brave and do this. Her mom and dad had raised her to be a strong, kind girl. She would be the best queen she could and bring her people peace. “Open the door, James.” “Yes, My Queen.” He opened the door and bowed. She walked in, ready to face her future.

Penny loved her life. She and Trevor had been together ever since that day at the gallery. Being heroes only made them stronger. Graduation was only a few months away; soon she and her friends would start college. They had talked their parents into letting them stay close to home rather than leaving Arcadia. They couldn’t leave until they defeated Metallic Owl. Then they would go on a long trip; it was going to be great. The group often wondered if the city would ever lose faith in them, but nobody was calling for them to give up their Elements so they kept up the fight. As Penny walked to school she couldn’t think of how life could get any better. Trevor was waiting for her when she got to the front door. "Good Morning, my flower!" He hugged her quickly and kissed her hand. "I missed you this weekend. Sorry, mom needed me at that event; I tried to get her to let me bring you… but well….” Penny sighed. “I know she doesn’t think I’m good enough for you, I’m just some waiter girl.” Penny rolled her eyes. “It’s like she doesn’t realize I have a relatively successful business for someone who has no real training.” This conversation right here is where most of their problems came from. Her family welcomed Trevor with open arms; his, on the other hand, shut the gate in her face and barred her from their home. Trevor had taken her to meet his dad as he was in the hospital; he was fighting a terminal illness that Penny didn’t understand. He had liked her but that didn’t seem to matter. Trevor’s driver also seemed to like her, but his mother hated her. Penny worked hard not to envy Andrew and Sophie, who were loved by both sets of parents. It didn’t seem to matter how well Sophie’s parents spoke of Penny to Trevor's mom; she wouldn’t change her opinion. Trevor pulled her from her spiralling thoughts and squeezed her hand. “But I love you, no matter what Mother says.” She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it trying to ignore the thoughts gnawing at her. Trevor smiled at her softly, then spoke again, “Hey look - there’s Sophie and Andrew, let’s go say hi and talk about our next post on the website.” He led her over to their friends, and she was grateful for the distraction. The group did their handshake, swapped weekend stories, then walked to class together. They were lucky enough to have their first class of the day together. "So ladies, it’s Friday and double date night. What’s the plan?" Andrew asked as he fished his notebook out of his bag for this class. "Assuming a battle doesn't mess up homework." Penny stuck her tongue out at her childhood friend. "Aww come, Rose, have some hope!" Andrew tossed a ball of paper at her. "Whatever, Spark." Penny caught it and tossed it back. "Eash, you two and the nicknames." Sophie laughed. "Eh, Sunshine? Makes you wonder what these two besties would have done without us?" Sophie winked at Trevor. "Probably caved and started dating," Trevor stuck his tongue out at the other two who made faces at the idea. "But ya, date night ideas - who’s got one?" "Zoo?" Sophie suggested. The group all shrugged; they just had a battle there not too long ago. "Video games?" Penny teased. The others shook their heads; Penny would beat them all and they knew it. "Movie?" Trevor offered. They briefly looked through the movies at the theatre, but no one seemed impressed. "Star gazing? It’s finally nice enough for that," Andrew suggested, and the group looked at him with smiles. "Want to come to my house and use the roof? Then we could go for a 'run' when we are done star gazing," Pen winked. The group reached an agreement by the time the teacher walked in and the school day officially started. By the end of the day, there had still been no battles, so the group gathered on Penny's roof. The smell of the restaurant was faint in the distance and recordings of Andrew’s piano track played in the background. The four lay on the roof, pointing at different shapes in the stars, and Penny enjoyed being held by Trevor. Trevor smiled and pulled her closer. "Someday, my flower, this will be our life - relaxing under the stars every day if you want." He whispered so Andrew and Sophie wouldn't tease him. "That sounds amazing; will you always read me one of your stories, Raven?" She giggled in her whispered tone. "As long as you never grow tired of them." Trevor sighed with contentment and pointed out different stars to her. Penny looked over at Andrew and Sophie, who also spoke in whispered tones. She was so happy for her best friend; they had both found people who made them happy and made them better people. After an hour of enjoying the stars, the group agreed that a run around the city was a great idea. Each of them stood and double-tapped their elements, enjoying the warmth their costumes gave them in the cool night air. "Alright, last one to the mayor’s statue is a rotten egg!" Ice Raven yelled as he darted away. Mighty Mage quickly jumped after him. "Hey, no fair!" "Well Rose, look like they forgot again." Flint walked over to Rose Thorn. "Every time, Spark. I'm sorry your element doesn't give you the ability to fly," she laughed. "Eh, it means I get to fly around the city with my childhood best friend, and my girlfriend can't get mad because she abandoned me to chase a bird." He couldn’t help but laugh. "Fair point." Rose Thorn put her arm around his waist, and Flint wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They swung through the sky above the city. "Hey, slowpokes!" Ice Raven teased. "Hey, it's not our fault you two routinely forget Flint can't fly or swing like the rest of us." Rose Thorn walked over and poked Ice Raven's goggles. Suddenly an explosion was heard in the background. "So much for date night," Flint sighed. "Come, Fire boy, I'll give you a ride this time. The faster we start, the faster we end," Mighty Mage teased and pulled him over to her. "Raven? A lift if you please. Elements, link up!" Rose Thorn walked over and held on to her boyfriend. “Looks like the explosion happened near the ice rink.” The linked-up elements explained to them. The four heroes nodded to one another and headed off, each holding on to their partner. Unlike Flint, Rose Thorn could keep up with the other two, but her night vision wasn’t as strong so she felt better flying with Ice Raven when they needed to move in a hurry. The heroes saw the Owl's newest victim and landed where they hoped they would be just outside of her line of vision. "Alright, Elements, what do we know?" Rose Thorn took charge as per usual. "According to the web, there were figuring skating team tryouts tonight,” the Elements offered. "I'm betting this one didn't make the team," Flint sighed. Suddenly they heard the screams of young girls running for the rink, followed by the all-too-familiar silver metal-covered victim. She couldn't be any older than 22 and was still in her skating uniform. Her arm was glowing like she was charging a new blast. "Come on heroes, I know you’re out here. Come face Jaded! If they are going to split me from my partner for some new young thing, then I will rob the young of their youth! Then they will give me my partner back." Jaded struck the girl who presumably had taken her spot, and the girl became an old woman. "Oh no! I can't lose my looks!” Ice Raven sighed dramatically. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Raven" Rose Thorn teased. "Alright, we need to gather more info, but we also need to get the skaters out of here. I’m going to take a shot in the dark that your ice powers are not going to be helpful, Raven; so either use your water skills or just fly around and be a distraction.” Ice Raven nodded and leapt in the air. “Mage, Flint, I need you to move the rest of the skaters out of here." "And you, my flower?" Ice Raven beamed with pride, floating in the air. "I'm going to figure out how to trap her from higher up before we waste our energy on failed traps." Rose Thorn winked and the group fanned out. She swung to the top of the skating rink to watch her friends. Mage and Flint had quickly gotten the skaters out of the way. Flint was now heading up to help her. Ice Raven was being himself, dodging beams with the help of Mighty Mage. "Any plans, Rose?" Shield out, Flint stood next to her. "Notice how Jaded can't shoot if she’s moving? She probably has to be balanced." Rose pointed to Jaded’s lack of shooting as Ice Raven danced around her and dodged through Mage's wind gust. "She’s about to get all twisted up, isn’t she?" He teased. Rose Thorn rolled her eyes. "Just cover me, Spark; as soon as she sees my vine coming she’s going to know I’m here." He stuck his tongue out and held up his shield. Rose Thorn threw her vine lasso to wrap around Jaded’s arm and started growing vines around her legs. As predicted, as soon as the lasso wrapped around her hand, Jaded looked behind her and saw Rose Thorn. Jaded used the last of her balance to aim a hit toward at least one of the two heroes on the roof. Flint moved quickly and jumped to tackle and shield Rose Thorn. As the blast hit, there was a bright flash of light, and when it faded… Flint and Rose Thorn were gone. Only their elements remained. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? 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Suppose you had been born in a world of soulmates, where everyone had a timer on their wrist. If you meet your soulmate, your timer runs out and turns to a green zero; sparks fly and you understand what love means. However, if your soulmate dies before you can find them, your number stays at a red zero; but you can still marry, find love, and live a happy life without your soulmate. Alice had been born in this world of soulmates. Nobody could tell her why, but she had been born with a negative number. Not a zero, but a negative number. All the research her parents did gave her no help. So they hid part of her number with makeup or long sleeves. As Alice grew up, the growing number on her wrist made her wonder why people put so much work into finding their soulmates. It seemed to her there must be more to life than that. Keeping her number a secret, she joined support groups and wrote articles about finding yourself without a soulmate. She had made quite a name for herself and, for the most part, was happy. She, however, wasn’t the only one who had become somewhat well-known for their unique view on soulmates. There was a man named Joey who seemed to make it his life mission to help people who lost their soulmates find peace. Many articles had been written pinning the two against one another, because of their seemingly different views on soulmates. In truth, the two had never met and didn’t hold hard feelings against one another, so when they were asked to do an interview together they gladly accepted. A few weeks later, she flew to the big city to film the interview. She sat across from the two hosts, and a man who looked to be about her age sat next to her. "Hi! I'm Alice." "Nice to meet you, Alice. I'm Joey. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your approach - I've read some of your articles." "Hi Joey, I’ve heard good things about the Council Hearts Foundation. Some of the people who come to my seminars have spoken of your work." "Thanks! I've been helping people for about as long as you have. Even recommend your seminars to a few people." His eyes flicked to her wrist. She noticed and felt self-conscious, and started fidgeting with her bracelet. Then she observed that he wore a watch over his timer. She couldn't help but wonder why. Before they could talk more, the camera crew started the countdown - "Three, two, one…." With a point of the finger, the hosts began the show. "Good morning, Viewers!” The host Dani started. “Today we have two special guests here! They have two different approaches to life without soulmates." "Yes, and I for one am so excited to see the difference. Why don't we start with you, Alice? Tell us about your approach.” The other host Andi gave her the floor. "Thank you.” Alice smiled and told her well-rehearsed story, the one she’d been telling for years. “My soulmate died shortly after I was born. Being in a small town, I quickly got tired of all the sad looks. So I hid my timer and made a point to live my life to the fullest and never let my lack of sparks stop me from sharing love with those around me. I didn't plan on making it my brand. It just kinda happened.” She shrugged. "So your choice is to sort of forget about your soulmate altogether?" Dani asked. Alice touched her bracelet. "When you grow up in a small town and lose a soulmate so young, kids can be quite mean. So rather than fighting the bullies, I lived like soulmates didn't exist, and was happier for it. So I encourage people to find love outside of a countdown. Whether that is singleness or finding love on their own. It's freeing." "Joey, I assume you disagree?" Andi brought him into the conversation. "Well, ‘disagree' is too strong. I also lost my soulmate young, and I wondered if there'd be a benefit to meeting my soulmate's family. But I never did anything with that thought. Then one day my best friend lost his soulmate before they met. So I became determined to find them for him. “I'd become quite good at random research. My friend had experienced some pain when his soulmate died, so I had a date. And I learned that most death records hold the number that the timer stopped at. So using what I could, I started digging. And even though lots of people die in a day, you have facts that help shrink that number. Eventually, I found a match for my friend, I had the family send me information to bring their child's soulmate peace." Joey took a breath. "Seeing the peace that it brought my friend when I handed him a photo of her - it was amazing. And the red of his runout timmer faded, looking more like an old couple that left at different times. He got to feel the spark and could move on. So I encourage people to have faith in finding their soulmate's family and then they can find the freedom that comes with that." Dani smiled. "Seems like two different views of the same side of the coin, if you ask me. We'd love to hear the story about you finding your soulmate Joey, but I'm afraid we are out of time! See ya next time on the Morning Minute Show!" With that, the show ended. Alice and Joey were thanked and the two headed off. As they left the building, Joey stopped her. "Hey, we know that some of our clients end up using both of our services…. Would you like to go out for coffee and discuss a partnership?" She paused. "That would be great." They found a coffee shop and soon sat down with drinks in hand. "So, did you find your soulmate? I don't think I've ever heard that story…?" "Oh, I couldn't. My parents didn't catch the day or time I lost mine.” He fidgeted with his watch. "But hey, as a way to announce our partnership, I could find your soulmate, and we could do a story and air it on the Morning Minute." "I don't think you could." She fidgeted with her bracelet. "Oh ya? Try me." He seemed confident. So she slipped off her bracelet and showed her -136 timer. Joey nearly dropped his coffee. "No way." "I know, it's strange; that’s why I hide my number." Alice went to put her bracelet back on. "Wait, you don't understand." He pulled his watch off. "Look." His wrist had the same number as hers. "How is this possible?" She looked at his number, "I didn't think...." "I know, me neither, but maybe together we can find them." She saw his wheels turning. "How? It was forever ago…." She didn’t think it was possible. "Well, it's true that was a long time ago. And we don’t have an exact date, but in all my years of doing this, I've learned some patterns in soulmates. One: they tend to be geographical, so odds are our soulmates lived in our geographical area. Two: we have the same number so odds are it was the same tragedy that took them." He seemed to get excited. "So you're saying there's a chance they knew each other or at least lived in the same town?" She couldn't believe all this. "It's a possibility. It couldn't hurt to look, right? It could give us closure and maybe a reason as to why this happened." He gave her a small smile. She took a deep breath. "Alright, let's give this a try." Joey and Alice became quite close over the next few months, helping each other with their clients. They learned they only lived about an hour apart, so they started spending Saturdays together, researching their hopeful soulmates’ location. They looked into different tragedies and natural disasters that happened in the year 1886. They really only had one option to go off of - the Great Vancouver Fire. It only killed about 30 people but it wiped out the buildings of the town. There was a small history museum just outside what was now a major city. Seeing it as their best shot, they took a road trip together. As they drove, Alice voiced a question she'd had since they planned this road trip. "What happens to us if we find them?" Joey took a breath. "Well, I'd hoped we would keep meeting up as we have been, but…." he offered his hand to her. "But, as more than just friends." She smiled and placed her hand in his. "I'd like that. I've enjoyed the last few months a lot and we make a good team." They drove in silence for a while. "What if we are wrong?" "Then we are wrong, and we choose whether to keep looking or to let it go and move on. Still a good story." He gave her a smile. Soon they pulled up to a little museum that they would have missed had they not been looking for it. They got out, joined hands, took a breath, and walked in. "Why, hello! Welcome to my little museum,” an older woman greeted them with a smile. “Its main focus is the Great Vancouver Fire." "We're so glad we found this place! I almost missed it." Alice dropped their donation in the box. "Ya, most people breeze by my little museum. What brings you two here?" she paused. "You're not big city folk, so you made my little museum a stopping point?" Joey took this one. "Research project. This is the only museum that gives extensive notes on the fire. We were hoping you had info on the people who died. There were only 30 or so, correct?" "Yes, that's true, and I have names, pictures and a few momentos from all of them. Their family members gave them to my mother when she started the museum." "Why did your mother start the museum?" Alice was hopeful they had the right place. "To tell my great grandmother's story. She and my great-grandfather have a love story to rival all others. But I'll let that story tell itself." She handed them a guide. They walked through, learning about this family, its ties to Vancouver, and the role they had played…but then they found what they were looking for. On a wall near the back of the little museum, there was a display called ‘Two People Without A Soul?’ There they found out about a different Alice and Joey who had been born with timers over 100. Alice of the past had put an ad in the paper looking to find someone else whose number was that high. Joey from the next town over come to show her his number; they were the same. Knowing they would never meet their soulmates, they planned to wed. Some people were livid, believing they should have stayed single. The two even had to petition the local government to let them marry. "Wow, can you believe how much has changed?" Sure, Alice hadn't planned on getting married, but having to get her local government to let her marry was crazy to imagine "Ya, that would be hard." They kept reading the wall. "They did get married, they had 3 kids before the fire," Joey pointed out. "Do you think there was a mix-up or somethi…." Alice paused. "Joey, look at this." Displayed along the wall in a glass case were letters to soulmates. Alice and Joey from the past had written them letters. "We should read them, I guess." Joey looked over the letter that Alice from the past had written. Alice took a breath and read the one that Joey of the past had written her. My Dearest, I know we will never meet and at times that breaks my heart, but then I look at my beautiful Alice and my heart hurts less. I may never get that Spark I've learned so much about, but I will die knowing what love means because I have her. Don't give up on love, my dear. Search for it, and when you find it doesn't let love go." Alice looked at present-day Joey with deep joy in her heart. She couldn't wait to see what would come next.

Forgotten on the back of a shelf, I sit waiting for someone to pull me out of the darkness. Suddenly, light fills the dark corner of the shelf. But before I can enjoy the warmth of the light...I am falling off the shelf with all the other books. I land face-down, pages open; I hope none are bent. "Danny! What are you doing?" a woman's voice calls out. A little boy giggles. "Looking at books, Mama!” He stands tall like he's proud of the mess he made. "But Danny, these aren't storybooks…. These are Mama's photo books. They hold photos from the past." "Oh! I wanna see!" The little boy picks me up. His small fingers are sticky. He bends my covers back, and I feel my spine crack. His mother quickly but carefully pulls me from his hand. "Woah! Danny, you need to be gentle. This book is older than you!" She gently closes the book and runs her hand over my cover. The little boy points with his sticky fingers> "Who's that?" He points to the faded photo that is my cover. His mother smiles. "That, Little One, is mama when she was little." "You were little like me!" The small boy looks at his mother with eyes as wide as saucers. "Woah…. Can I see more?" His mother giggles and sighs at her little boy. "Yes Danny, just like you. And sure, we can take a look." She pulls her son into her lab and sets me on top of his lap. "But we must be gentle." Slowly, she opens my pages. It's been years since these photos have seen the light of day. I listen as she tells her son about the little house she and her parents lived in. I smile as the little boy is shocked by how young his grandparents look. Then suddenly he hits a page hard with his still-sticky finger. "Mama, look! It's me!" His mother seems to choke on the air and coughs. "No baby, that's me. I hadn't realized…." "That's you, mama? You looked like a boy." "The little boy giggles, looking up at his mother. She smiles at him. "Or you look like a girl," she teases her son. The little boy sticks his tongue out at his mother. Poking his nose, she comments, "I'll need to send that photo to your Granny." They keep turning pages and looking at more photos. The little boy laughs at his mother's silly photo from her older years. "Mama, what's that?" The boy points to a photo of his mother and a very messy-looking creature. "Oh…. " Her voice is sad. "That's Mo, he was my parent’s dog. He'd followed me into a mud puddle." She gives a sad chuckle. "He was a good dog…." She smiles, seeming to get lost in memories. "Mama? Can I get a puppy?" The little boy has turned the page and is looking at other photos of his mother and the dog Mo. "Ah! Well, you’ll have to ask your father." She quickly turns the page. "Oh!" She seems surprised by the photos she sees there. "I didn't know Mom kept these.” She laughs at something - but boy, wasn't nice to hear the sounds of laughter. "What is funny, Mama?” The boy didn't seem to understand what made his mother laugh. "When I was a little girl, your grandma had the prettiest dresses. I loved looking at them and touching them, but…" she pauses, seemingly for effect. "I was not to wear them." "You wore them, didn't you?" the little boy giggles. "Oh, I did more than wear them." She chuckles. "I tied the dress in knots and ended up ripping it, but I was so proud of myself and felt so pretty. So your grandma, rather than getting mad at me, took out her camera and did a photo shoot with me." "So you didn't get in any trouble at all!" the little boy exclaims, in awe of his mother. "Oh no. I was lectured later, but that memory stuck out to me more than the lecture did." She gives the boy a long hug, then he wiggles out of the hug and turns the page. "A baby! Who's that Mama?" His mother giggles. "That's your Uncle Bill. " The little boy touches the photo with his dirty fingers again. "You don't look so happy in this photo, Mama." "I wasn't happy about having a baby brother. I wanted a sister so badly. “ She sighs. "But he grew on me…." she giggles. She turns the page and tells stories of her and her brother's escapades of tree forts, pillow castles and movie nights. "Even though I wanted them to send him back, he ended up being my best friend." "Can I have one Mama?" He looks at her. Her hand went to her stomach. "One what, Little One?" "A baby! Boy or girl, I don't care, I just want one." His mother hid a smile. "Maybe soon, my little one." She turns the page, and they look through birthday parties, family trips, and school days. Then the boy stops his mother. "Mama, is that you? You look like a princess!" His mother giggles. "That's my grad dress." "Who's the boy in the picture?" The little boy once again touches my pages with his sticky hands. His mother laughs. "That's your dad! He was my date to grade." The little boy bursts out laughing. "He looks so silly!” "I guess we all did back then." She ruffles her son's hair. “Were you and Dada in love in that picture?" He looks up at his mom. She pauses for a moment. "Yes and no. He was my best friend. But we went to different colleges so we didn't date until we were done. And about six months later…." she flips the page. “He asked me to marry him." The little boy looks at the picture. "Woah, that's a pretty garden!" His mother giggles. "Yep, he picked our favourite spot in town. He wrote me a letter and got me flowers and this ring." She shows her son her ring. "Woah! It's pretty!" "Your daddy has good taste,” she chuckles. "And then….” She turns the page one more time. "Your daddy and I got married." She had filled two pages of all the photos of the wedding day that I'd been keeping safe for her. Her son giggles and laughs at all the funny pictures and talks about how nice his mother looked. Then they reach the end of my pages. "Where's the rest, Mama?" She points to the other book on the floor. "Our other pictures are in these books. Or on mommy's laptop or phone." She giggled. "We can look at more later; for now we should clean up this mess." The little boy stacks the other album on a pile of books next to his mother. She carefully puts all the others back onto the shelf. I wonder for a moment if I will get forgotten again. I've been pushed to the back of the shelf before. But rather than putting me back on that shelf, she carries me to the table and takes pictures of the memory she found. Then she moves me to a different shelf. Will I be forgotten on this shelf? Maybe. But I don't mind because I helped someone to remember things today; what more could I want? Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

“Link-up complete.” The four heroes shared a look, and suddenly they each knew the other’s names and what element they represented. “We don’t have much time; you need to put a stop to this to fix what has gone wrong. You need to stop him from going on a rampage; then either get him to give up the power the Owl has given him, or take it from him by force. After that we will teach you to undo the damage you and he caused. What have you learned about him that you can use to trap him?” Flint spoke first. “He was afraid of the fire; maybe I could make a circle of fire that would at least keep him from running away again.” “I can always freeze him in place too, once we get him to stand still.” Ice Raven suggested. “Alright team, and then let’s save our city!” Rose Thorn took charge, and as Flint watched her, he couldn't help but notice how much she moved like Penny. It couldn’t be…could it? He looked to Ice Raven; his joking tone and confident movement couldn’t belong to anyone else but Trevor. And the self-reliance of Mighty Mage couldn’t be anyone but Sophie. Flint was sure he was looking at his friends behind the superhero masks. Before they took off to fight Heart Breaker, he had to test it. So he offered the group a high five; all three looked at him skeptically and high-fived him. Then he lowered his hand, and they all gave him the low five; at that, they started to laugh and locked pinkies. Knowing they were fighting as a team of friends, they surged in confidence and jumped into action. It didn’t start terribly well. Mighty Mage quickly learned that her fan could be used to more concisely control the wind and that if she threw it, it could grow like a glider to help catch someone from falling. She had to use these wind powers to catch Flint, as he lept like his friends without thinking. He was momentarily distracted by her help, making him misdirect his first attempt at the fire circle, which in turn knocked Ice Raven down. Thankfully, Rose Thorn was fast on her feet and caught him with a flower. Flint caught her blushing at saving her crush, but she shook her head and got the team back on track by calling out orders. She was used to moving people around in photo shoots, and her friends easily followed her lead. Soon Flint had a semi-circle of fire ready, waiting for Mighty Mage to lead Heart Breaker into the trap. Ice Raven made ice barricades to keep the crowds back. And Rose Thorn blocked the path away from Mighty Mage with vines, so there was no chance of escape. Soon Heart Breaker was entrapped in the fire ring, and Ice Raven quickly encased his feet in ice. The boys kept their focus on the fire ring and ice trap because, even though it seemed like magic, the fire needed constant attention and the ice was melting from the heat. The girls tried to talk to Heart Breaker. Might Mage started, “Look bud, we know this isn’t you; you’re hurting and someone took advantage of you.” “We want to help you, but you need to help us first.” Rose Thorn swung down from her vine Lasso. “You need to let go of the power she gave you. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?” Heart Breaker fought against the ice around his feet. “No, I don’t; but when she left me, it made me so mad! And I just want her to hurt as much as I do; she can’t be okay, can she?” Mighty Mage looked to Rose Thorn. “Sorry girl, I don’t think he’s going to give it up voluntarily.” Rose Thorn sighed and wrapped him in the vine. Mighty Mage used a gentle wind tunnel to pull the metal from his body, and as the metal left his body it formed a solid ball of metal again. Flicker’s voice came to Flint while he was tending the fire. “You need to burn it to ash, Flint.” Flint noticed that Flicker’s voice is slightly different than the Elements combined. He turned his focus to the piece of metal floating on the wind platform that Mighty Mage had made. Once he started lighting the metal on fire, Ice Raven kept Might Mage’s wind platform cool to avoid creating some kind of fire-wind tornado. While they did that, Rose Thorn helped the poor boy out of the mess of vines and water that he had found himself in. He was sobbing; she felt for him so she gave him a flower which, if nothing else, made him smile. Soon the metal burnt red and faded to ash. The four heroes stood together. “Alright Elements, tell us what to do,” Rose Thorn called out. “The method is simple - each of you holds out a hand.” They stacked their hands on top of each other. “Good, now each of you uses your power.” They did and, within seconds, lights of pink, blue, purple and orange came shooting from their hands. This caused the puddles, leftover ice, charred marks from buildings, vines, and any other damage done by Heart Breaker to disappear. As the four friends shared a confident smile, they were quickly bombarded with questions from the public. The group looked to Rose Thorn. Rose Thorn looked to Mighty Mage, who winked at her. “Alright, everyone, back up!” The crowd did as Mighty Mage said. “Give our friend here some room to breathe; just like the rest of us, he has gone through a lot today. Can we have the paramedics look him over? We have no idea what damage Crazy Owl Lady can do.” Once that was taken care of, Mighty Mage gestured for Rose Thorn to come and take charge. “Look, we know you have a lot of questions, but so do we. This all just happened to us too. Let us go and learn more about this, and we will give a press conference in a few days. If you want us to give these to the police we will, but if you choose to trust us and let us work as a team to fight for you, we will do that.” Rose Thorn stood tall and strong. “We love Arcadia; it is our home too, and we want to help to keep it safe.” Flint offered his hands to Ice Raven and Mighty Mage, who stood on either side of him. “We clearly were chosen for this job, so let us help you until we have proven we can’t anymore.” Ice Raven took the hand he was offered and offered his hand to Rose Thorn. The four heroes raised their hands in unison, then carefully took off, making sure to balance Flint so that he didn’t fall. After a short distance, they landed on a roof. “We gather that the four of you already know each other, so we can skip the whole ‘keep your identity a secret even from each other.’ But you must keep the rest of the world unaware of who you are; it’s too great a risk. And never let the public know that you know each other’s identities.” “That would make sense,” Flint responded. “Sorry, I had a hunch and had to test it, and I think it worked for our best. We are quite the group.” Everyone nodded and agreed with him. “So we saw. You did quite well, but we will need to train to make you even better. For now, here is what you need to know: the piece of jewellery you were given holds your element; tap it twice for your costume to come on and off, and tap once to talk with your element. We will start training later. For now, you need to go eat something; your elements will drain you of your energy. Always remember to eat after a battle or after training sessions. Maybe even carry a small snack with you if you can.” The four friends jumped down from the roof in different directions, and they all tapped their new elements twice and returned to their normal street clothes. As they met back up, Trevor looked at Andrew and Penny. “So when were you two going to tell us you could dance like that? It was amazing!” “I guess we just didn’t think about it, we’ve been dancing since we were kids.” Andrew shrugged. “Everyone in our class knows, so we never need to bring it up.” “Oh! That explains the class shipping you two - I’ve been trying to figure out why since I moved here!” Sophie’s eyes lit up with revelation. Both Andrew and Penny burst out laughing, “Yep, that’s a big part of it. That and the fact that our families are so close. And that likely won’t change until we find real dates,” Penny explained between laughs. This gave Andrew an idea. “Say, Trevor, you could help Pen out with that…. I would happily give up my Thursday with Pen if you wanted to take her out on a date.” Andrew winked at Penny, who stared at him in shock. “Oh! Well, that would actually be great. What do you say, Penny? Will you let this bird take his favourite flower out on a date?” He blushed; maybe he noticed Penny the same way she had noticed him. “I really would, Trevor…. But the pun - really?” She giggled blushing immediately. “Hey, puns are the best part of writing!” He acted offended, but he was too happy to really be upset. “Hey now, if Trevor and Penny are going to go on a date, then….” Sophie walked closer to Andrew. “Hey fire boy, wanna go on a date on Thursday?” Trevor and Penny laughed at Sophie’s direct approach. Andrew dumbly grinned. “That would make me so happy.” The four friends shared a laugh and awkwardly stared at each other. “Well, for now, let’s just hang out and have some fun. We can work out date details later. Come on, the gallery has a coffee shop inside, so we can get our snack and still check out the exhibits and get some inspiration.” Penny locked arms with Sophie and led the way. She just knew they were in for a great adventure. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

Most children hate going to bed, but not Joey. Bedtime couldn't come fast enough for him. He would speed through his bedtime routine, pick the shortest stories for his parents to read to him, say the shortest prayer he could, and then drift off to Dreamland. "Good evening, Joey!" A boy made of clouds floated down to him. "Louis!" Joey ran to give his friend a hug. "Good to see you made it safely, my friend." Louis took Joey's hand and led him deeper into Dreamland. "Where are we going tonight?” Joey asked excitedly. "I had two ideas - we could ride dragons or battle aliens in space?" Louis smiled as they drew close to the dream portal. "How about…dragon rides in space!" Joey flipped, smiling brightly as he did. "This is why we are best friends." Louis pulled them through the dream portal, and soon they glided on the backs of dragons through space. They were in an army of well-trained fighters. Then a man's voice called out, "Men, we are nearing the target! Be ready for landing." Louis and Joey quickly guided their dragons toward the planet they were to attack. "Now remember, men, we are here for the treasure, nothing more.... If they give it back peacefully we leave; if not, we fight!" The men cheered as they landed and left the backs of their dragons. They watched as the aliens left their mushroom-like palaces and walked toward the group. "You have something that does not belong to you." The general looked down from his noble dragon. "We do not intentions on returning it, so leave or we shall be forced to defend our home from the likes of you!” The small alien sneered. "Ha! With our best, we shall easily reclaim what is ours!” The men cheered on the general. No one was louder than Joey and Lou. The aliens sneered and soon formed together as one, becoming a huge beast, and making the dragons look small. “Men! Battle positions!" The general called. "Louis. Joey. Find the treasure! Then sound the retreat!" The boys saluted and then flew off, getting lost in the slew of dragons and men so that the aliens did not notice their departure. "Where to, Joey?" Louis asked as they snuck farther behind enemy lines. Joey scanned the land below them. "Look, there is a group of aliens over there, while the rest are in battle. Think they are hiding something?" So the two boys flew the dragons low and let the dragons breathe fire, not to kill the enemy but to warn them. It worked - they scared the aliens and they scattered. Joey and Louis landed and their dragons guarded them while they looked around. The aliens tried to attack the dragons, but the dragons’ skin was thick and, alas, weapons seemed to be too weak to do any real damage. The boys found a secret entrance to a cave. As they went deeper and deeper, they found so many other planets' treasures…. "They’re Space Pirates?" Joey asked Louis. Louis gave him a smile and a slight nod. "Aww, Louis, this is a great dream!" They found earth treasure - two jewelled coins. Not only did the coins look cool, they were also powerful. Placing them into Joey's bag, the boys raced out of the cave, jumped on the backs of their dragons, and took to the sky, flying back to the battle. Louis and Joey reached the battlefield. "Joey, there!" Louis pointed to the general. Joey flew close to the general. "Sir, we have them!” Joey carefully gestured to his bag. “Good work, my boy!" The general sounded the alarm, hoping the aliens wouldn't notice they had the treasure. “Men, take to the skies!” The men quickly flew out of the battle, and soon they were cheering the success of the mission as the word spread about what Louis and Joey had done. The boys moved to their spot on the edge of the group. They were busy celebrating their win when suddenly Joey's dragon cried out in pain and threw Joey off his back, and Joey found himself falling. The world of Dreamland started to fade, and fire and coals started to take their place. "I got you!" Louis called out as he and his dragon caught Joey. "This is Dreamland; nobody gets hurt in Dreamland,” Louis stated as he flew his friend back to the crew of dragons. "Louis, what was that?" Joey looked at Louis with eyes full of fear. Louis gave him a smile. "Don't worry, my friend, it's just the Land of Nightmares trying to claim one of mine." Louis smiled and flew past the rest of the men following the general home. Louis opened the portal back to the mainland of Dreamland. They landed safely on the clouds. "Land of Nightmares?" Joey looked concerned. Louis patted his head. "Don't worry, my friend, nightmares only have power if you let them. So have no fear." Louis opened the portal and Joey found himself back in his room. The next night as bedtime came, Joey’s parents were shocked by his behaviour. He made bathtime take as long as they would let him, picked the largest book he could, and prayed for everyone he could think of. His parents tried to find out what was wrong, but he refused to tell them. When they finally said goodnight, Joey fought to keep his eyes open. He tried to stay awake, but soon his eyes got too heavy and he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in his room in Dreamland. He was somewhere new; it was dark but also on fire. If he’d been afraid before, he was terrified now. Too scared to move or scream, he just stood frozen in fear. Then, the lava-like ground came together and made a huge monster. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the dreamer finally come to visit me!” The monster’s voice made the ground shake. Joey quickly fell to the ground, his body shaking from fear. "What, too weak to fight or even scream?" Joey looked at the beast - he had rarer shape teeth and eyes that looked like they could see right through him. And the beast was huge! The monster threw his head back and laughed. "This is going to be so fun!" His smile was wicked as he came closer to Joey who was still frozen in place. The beast opened his mouth, revealing a portal like the ones in Dreamland, only this one didn't look like any fun. In a flash, Louis came breaking through the sky. "Leave my friend alone!" Louis has wings?! Joey had never seen wings on his friend before. Louis also had a sword drawn, ready to battle. "Oh look, it's one of Dreamland's little games!” The beast laughed again. “Ha! Look at him! You can't stop me when the dreamer is weak like this!” The beast's voice seemed louder now. "Be quiet, you!" Louis charged at the beast, trying to stop him from taunting Joey any longer. "Joey! I need your help! We can beat him together! You are brave enough - I know you are!" Louis threw Joey a sword. It hit the ground with a horrid sound. "Joey, please! I can't do this without you!" Joey blinked. He looked at the sword, then at his friend fighting against his nightmare beast. He blinked again, forced his arm to move, and touched the sword; but he couldn't lift it. Louis looked at Joey. "Joey, have no fear! Your nightmares only have the power you give them," Louis called to him again. Joey tightened his hand around his sword. He raised his arm high above his head. "Hey! This is my dream and you're not in charge here!" Louis's light shone brighter. "Ya, you heard him - get lost!" The beast shrank a bit…. But he still laughed. Joey's arm dropped a little. Then…. "No! I'm not afraid of you! You can't rob me of my fun time with Louis!" Joey yelled so loud that he shook the Land of Nightmares. The beast fell to the ground, and parts of the sky started to fall, showing the blue sky of Dreamland. "Wah! Louis what's happening?" “You're beating your nightmare! Keep it up!” Louis offered Joey his hand, Joey took it, and the two flew through the sky. As they flew, more parts of the nightmare fell away. Joey felt braver, and he knew that with Louis on his side he too could defend Dreamland. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

Rose sat shackled to the wall of the home her ‘mother’ kept her locked in. Sure, she had more freedom than she had had ten years ago, but she was still held captive. She thought back, over the last ten years, to the men who had come into her life and had tried to save her, to free her, and yet they had all failed…. Rose remembered that day…. She was sitting at the only window in her tower like she did every day. Her sixteenth birthday was just around the corner. And like most days, she was lamenting the fact that she was still stuck in the tower. Her ‘mother’ always told her that the world was too dangerous and the tower was for her own safety…. But Rose had memories of life outside the tower, so distant that she was almost convinced they were a dream, yet so vivid that they couldn't be. She remembered running through fields of flowers, wearing fine clothes, enjoying her father's warm hugs, and hearing her mother's soft laugh that was so different than that of the women she lived with now. As a young girl, Rose had trusted her ‘mother,’ but now as she got older she no longer believed that the woman she called ‘mother’ really was her mother. In her heart, she believed she had a family that was still looking for her. But why hadn't they found her? Just as she turned to leave the window, she saw him - a knight, coming from the kingdom! Had he come to save her? When she waved he did not seem to notice her, nor when she yelled. Then she sang because her ‘mother’ always made her sing a goodbye whenever she left for a trip into town. Wasn't she lucky that her ‘mother’ was out today! The knight seemed to hear her song because he stopped and looked around. "Hello?" "Hi! I'm so grateful you have come!" Rose looked down at him. "Won't you come out from hiding?" He seemed to not see her tower. She wasn’t sure how he could miss it though…. “Can you not see my tower? It's rather tall…." Rose leaned out the window. "Fair lady, I see no tower. But I have an idea." He walked towards the base of her tower and reached out his hand. As he did so, the view from the window vibrated like something had shattered. "Just what I thought, hidden by magic!” He started to climb up her tower. That day had changed her life. Not only had the knight been the first person she had seen other than her ‘mother,’ but she had also learned that the tower had vines. Whenever she tried to step down, these vines grew sharp spikes, preventing her from leaving the tower. The knight, determined to be the hero, had tried for two years to free her from the tower. In that time, she had fallen in love with him, and he had learned that she must be the daughter of the King's seamstress and Head Chef. She was supposed to become a lady in waiting for the princess. He had also learned that everyone was sure she was dead, but no one would talk about what had happened. He had not been able to get anyone to believe him that there was a tower in the forest. However, all good things must come to an end…. One day as the knight was leaving the tower, Rose's ‘mother’ saw him climbing down. Rose saw her ‘mother’s’ hand glow red as the knight climbed down the tower. Her ‘mother’ moved her hands and the spikes came from the vines. He screamed in pain and fell from the tower, landing with a sickening thud. Rose’s scream caused all the birds to flee the forest. Rose’s ‘mother’ called up to her, "I told you, daughter, the world is dangerous. You should have listened; that was a test and you, my dear, have failed!” Rose watched helplessly as her ‘mother’ took away the body of the only person she'd ever loved. Then she curled up in her bed and cried until her ‘mother’ came into her tower. "I told you, Rose, not to let anyone in your tower. Now," her mother moved her hands and they glowed again, "tell me, how long has he been coming to see you…?" Rose was scared. She'd never seen her mother mad. She hummed a tune without knowing why she remembered it. And slowly the world went dark. She woke up with a headache and burning eyes. "Shh, Darling…. A mean man broke in and tried to steal you from me. I got here just in time." But Rose knew what her ‘mother’ said wasn't true. She shook her head now at the memory…. It had taken her weeks to recover from the grief, and adjusting to her lonely life in the tower had been torture. She avoided thinking of what few memories of the knight she had left. Nothing her brought her joy anymore, not even singing. Her next visitor had come just after her nineteenth birthday. He was a clergyman. She had tried to get him to stay away but he hadn’t listened to her. He kept coming, so she stopped fighting for him to leave. When he did visit, he told her about the Kingdom and about the royal family. He even told her about the servants who worked in the palace. It was amazing to hear about everything. The memory pained Rose…. After much time together, he finally asked the question she'd been dreading. "Won't you leave with me, Rose? Your mother shouldn't keep you here forever.” “No, I can't. The tower won't let me. It's enchanted. I'm… I'm happy here." She tried to make it sound convincing. He started to argue, even trying to force her to leave. But her mother burst into the tower. "My daughter said no!" Using some kind of spell, she made him vanish. "Thank you, Mother." Rose hung her head. "He…he wouldn't leave." Her mother stroked her hair. "I know, my dear. Don't worry, he won't be back." Her mother's smile was almost cruel. Rose avoided thinking about the clergyman. The guilt of what happened to him ate away at her. She had just turned twenty when a mage came, looking for the answers to find out what had happened to the clergymen… He saw what she knew looked like a pile of rocks and laughed. As he moved his hands, the tower almost shook and he floated up to her at the top. She simply stared at him. "So, he said, “those two weren't lying about a girl in a tower. I told the king he should let me come investigate….” He paused and looked at her. "Rosie?" She looked at him for a moment, willing her mind to remember, but she couldn't. "Rosie, you're alive! I can't believe it!" He hugged her, and for a moment she felt safe. Then he looked into her eyes. "Oh, Rosie, you have no idea who I am, do you?" The mage and Rose had been best friends growing up. He had used his magic to lessen the power of her ‘mother,’ whom she now knew was Lady Addison. A former kingdom mage had used magic to wipe her memory. And while he wasn’t strong enough to undo all of it, he did give her more clarity. He was able to fill in the gaps that she was missing from the others. The knight had been right about her parents; apparently, when she was six she had started to show magic abilities, and the King had insisted she join Lady Addison in training. She apparently took to it too well and Lady Addison grew jealous. During training there was an accident, Rose had died, and Lady Addison had been banished. “Wait, so if she tried to erase my memories, why did I still have faint memories?” Rose looked at the mage. “Your own magic would protect you. But you weren’t strong enough to stop her.” The mage gave her a sad smile. “And the reason you can’t use magic now is that she’s broken your childlike spirit. Childlike wonder makes magic easier. And you had it in spades." He shook his head. "That makes sense… but you clearly are magical; can you get me out of here?” She felt more hope than she had in years. He looked down. "No, after your death, the king limited what mages could do. Lady Addison shouldn’t be able to do what she does….” "Oh… So you can't free me either." She sat on the ground, feeling defeated. "No, but here…” he handed Rose a small book. “It’s a book that will show you anything you want if you simply ask. Use it to learn more about your magic.” She slipped the book into her pocket. “Lady Addison is back, I can feel it. I must leave." He floated out of the tower and landed right in front of Lady Addison. "Lady Addison, you think you can get away with this? If Lady Rose hadn't been so under your control I would have taken her with me. I will be telling the king. And you will truly be gone." He stood ready to take a hit for Rose. "Oh you foolish boy, you won't remember me or Lady Rose when I'm done with you." Rose watched Lady Addison shoot at her oldest friend. She knew she couldn't cry. After that day Rose had convinced Lady Addison that she wanted to help her make money by learning about magic too. After some lessons, Lady Addison moved her from the tower to a house in the town a few days' journeys away from the kingdom. Lady Addison read fortunes and healed people…for a price; she even sold spells. Rose’s voice was where her power came from. She could use her voice to fill her listeners with joy or peace or whatever she chose. After proving that she wouldn’t run, Rose was given the freedom to walk around in the garden, and she felt herself growing stronger. When she was twenty-one, while she worked in the small house with Lady Addison, a painter became a regular at her shows. He would paint while she sang. Under Lady Addison’s watchful eye she became his friend. They talked about nothing too deep, but she loved watching him work. He even made a painting for her of lights dancing in the sky. She started to fall for him - he was so kind and sweet. Then one day he made a mistake. "You know, Miss Rose, I would very much like to take you home to meet my mother. She is ill. She lives in the kingdom a few towns over. I could have you back in a week, and maybe then I could seek your hand from your mother?” His smile was so gentle; he had no clue what he’d just done. Rose never did learn what Lady Addison did to him. He just stopped coming around, and her heart ached for him. She was so lonely and once again was losing hope. She had more freedom but she was still trapped, and she didn't trust her magic enough to leave on her own. She felt desperate for help. The last man who tried to free her was a bard. He had started coming by, and after her shows, he would tell her about the world he’d travelled. He started to lift her spirits, and maybe that’s why Lady Addison let him play music with her. After all, Lady Addison needed the money Rose brought in, so she needed to have some joy…. Soon the two of them plotted for her to escape and how they would travel the world together. Rose was hopeful this would work. They'd been careful, they’d saved up money, and it was time to flee. They made it out of the house, then out of the town. Rose couldn't believe it! She'd never made it this far before…. Then Lady Addison descended from the sky in a fiery rage. Hands flaming red, she burned the bard to the ground in seconds. Then Lady Addison took Rose home."I gave you more freedom, I let you chat with the townsfolk, I even trained you in magic! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME!?" Lady Addison's voice echoed into the night. "Since you want me to be your nightmare…" With hands glowing red, a chain was wrapped around her ankle. "There! You can't leave this house. If your voice wasn't so loved by the people, I would keep you only in this room." That is why Rose sat there, shackled to the wall. She had never felt so low. She couldn't even practise her magic. She sang, but it took more out of her, leaving her weak. Even if she found her strength again…. She looked at the chains; her magic was likely too weak anyway. She was twenty-six now. She almost wished Lady Addison would kill her. But she knew the chances were low. Tonight, however, she noticed a loose panel in her roof. Looking up through the gap, she couldn’t see stars but rather bright white light. She reached out and climbed onto the roof…. And Rose found herself in a space she didn’t recognize. She was standing in a fancy room with brightly coloured furniture, and the white light she had seen came from some kind of box made of small tiles with letters on them…. What was this? She was afraid to touch it. She ran out of time because someone walked into the room. "Oh!” She looked at Rose and then at the lightbox. “You must be Rose. I'm Ally, the author of your story." "Author? Meaning, you write my story? Why am I still stuck at twenty-six?!” Rose was furious. “Because I am stuck." Alley sat down in her chair. "When I started your story, I was sixteen and in love; now I am alone and debating love. I used your story to deal with the boys in my life." "But I have literal magical powers. Surely I can get away! Do you need a man to do things for yourself?" Rose snapped at the girl responsible for her life that had always been trapped in rooms. Ally sighed. "I was just coming to that realization. Here, I'll fix your story. While also fixing my own." The girls shared an understanding smile, and Rose closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was back in her room. She had an escape plan. She sang a song that made her feel brave and strong. She then looked at the chain on her leg. As she sang, holding the chain in her hands, it shattered. She quietly walked through the house and found Lady Addison sleeping. She sang a song that put her into a deeper sleep. Then, using the same song, she erased Lady Addison's memory of Rose and of all magic. She'd be in ruins tomorrow morning. Rose slipped out of town, book in hand, ready to face whatever came next for her in her newly-found freedom. Maybe she would find her family, or maybe she'd find a new life all her own. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

For a moment everyone stared in horror at the boy-turned-Heart Breaker. “Everyone, scatter!” Andrew yelled. He reached to grab Penny’s hand and make a run for it, but she was already gone, helping a young mom and daughter get away. The monster was looking right at them. Andrew had to help them. Think, think! What can you do? He asked himself. Then he saw it - the candle display at the front of the art gallery! It was supposed to stand for something like eternal hope, but right now it was his only hope to save his friend. He ran over and broke the candle free. “Hey, Lover Boy!” This got his attention. “Leave the ladies alone!” The monster charged at him. “I have no use for love!” Heart Breaker called out. He was ready to pounce when Andrew revealed the candle, wielding it like a sword. “No, keep that away from me! I can’t go near the flame! I’ll melt away!” Heart Breaker stayed back but soon started looking for a new target. Andrew wasn’t sure how to distract him again when suddenly a wave of water came crashing down and landed on the metal-covered monster. Trevor had no idea where it had come from, but he took the chance to run and hide in an alleyway, make a new plan, and hopefully find his friends. As he tried to form a plan, an orange light wrapped around him, and a bracelet with a silver flame appeared on his wrist. “What in the world?” He tapped the bracelet, and…. his street clothes had been replaced with a costume? It felt like his dance nylons, fitting his body nicely without making him feel uncomfortable. The main colour was what Sophie would call charcoal grey, and it had orange stripes that spiralled around each of his legs, turned into straight lines at his waist, and then crossed over his shoulders. Across his shoulders sat a cylindrical shield that reminded him of something he’d seen firefighters use. He also had a helmet with a tinted visor. “What is all this?” he wondered aloud. “Hello, new hero! You are the holder of the element fire. It seems the heroes of the elements are needed now, so we will train as we go. But one thing - one never uses their real name, so you need a hero name.” A voice came from his helmet. “I guess I’ll be Flint - seems to fit.” He looked own amazed at the suite “Wise choice. Your power comes from your hands. I apologize, but the fire element will not give you the ability to fly. However, using your heat will help you jump higher and farther, and you can levitate for a few minutes. Your suit is made from fireproof material, so your flames won’t burn you and it won’t burn others; you might char a few things around you but not people. But we should go meet your team; you will learn more as we go.” Andrew felt a bit silly, but he jumped up and found himself rising. He grabbed the windowsill and leapt again; this was going to take some getting used to. “What do I call you? I would hate for you not to have a name.” “Call me Flicker.” the voice said. Andrew simply nodded and looked over, trying to spot Penny. He saw her helping that young mother and daughter, with the monster right behind them. Maybe whoever had poured the water down could help him save her. And how could he not tell her about this… *** “Quick! In here!” Penny guided the mother and little girl into an alleyway. The monster was close behind them, now soaking wet. Looking around, Penny saw a small potted plant. She grabbed the pot and tossed the flower and dirt at him, blinding him with mud. “Here.” She boosted the mom up to a window, then handed up the daughter, and the two quickly disappeared from view. Penny immediately hid behind the building, “Now what? I can’t just hide here.” She wanted to get back out and be helpful, but what could she do? Suddenly, she found herself wrapped in pink light and felt a cold metal landing on her ear. She reached to grab it but as she did, something like vines wrapped around her. Penny looked at herself in the window reflection; she was in a dark brown suit that reminded her of her dance leotard. It went from her shoulders to her feet, leaving her arms exposed. A green vine pattern wrapped around her body, red rose patterns sat at her ankles and wrapped around her waist, and a vine lasso was attached to one of the roses on her hip. Her hair was up in a bun with roses tucked at the base. Two vines came from her bun and were attached to a green mask that made her eyes and freckles pop. She noticed her ear cuff was also a rose and wrapped around the top of her ear. She kind of liked this; she felt good. But what did it all mean? Before she could speak, a voice came from her ear cuff. “Greetings, new hero. You are the new holder of the element earth. The heroes are needed now so I will train you as we go. But first, you need a name; you can’t use your real name.” Penny’s mind raced. She, a hero? Sure, she wanted to help, but to wear a costume and be a hero? Could she do this? Suddenly, someone screamed in the distance. Penny needed to help, so she was going to do this. “I’ll be Rose Thorn.” “I like it. You can call me Shrub, and I’ll be your guide. To start, as the holder of the element earth you can move the ground and make plants out of nothing. Your vine lasso won’t break, but if you try to throw it too far you could fall. However, you can make flowers to land on. You will have to trust your instinct. It will guide you. We must meet the rest of your team.” Rose Thorn took her lasso and tossed it to the top of a building as she glanced around, hoping to see the rest of the team. While she glided through the sky, she noticed Trevor fighting off the victim with a bucket of water. She smiled. He really is brave; I wonder if he will get to be a hero too… *** Trevor tossed his third bucket of water at the monster. He had found a hose and bucket near the community garden, and while it wasn’t much, it gave the people being chased by the monster a chance to get away. But he couldn’t keep doing this. After one final toss, he jumped into the garden shed to catch his breath before going back out to help again. While taking a moment to breathe, he was wrapped in a blue light and felt something like cold metal land on his hand - a ring with a glacier engraved on it. He carefully touched it. He found himself being covered in a suit, dark blue on one side and white on the other. Down the centre, the two colours made jagged lines, matching the glacier design on his ring. His eyes were covered by what reminded him of ski goggles. Across his back, he had a sword made of ice, like the ones he wrote about in his stories. “Whoa! This is so cool!” “Glad to hear you are so excited, new hero! You are the new holder of the element water. You control water and ice. We don’t have time to train right now, so I will explain as we go. But first, you need a name. So, new hero, what shall it be?” Trevor liked this voice; it seemed to be funny and puny just like him. “Hmm, well… the villain calls herself the Metallic Owl, so I shall call myself Ice Raven.” “Clever! I knew I liked you. As I already said, your powers use ice and water. You can use the vapour in the air to fly. I will teach you the rest as we go; you seem to catch on quickly.” Trevor noticed that the window in the shed was open, so he jumped through and found himself flying! “Best day ever!” He’d never felt so free! As he did loops in the air, he called out, “Hey random voice in my head, what should I call you?” “Call me Talon.” Ice Raven nodded and smiled. Feeling the wind through his hair, he wondered, Is this what freedom tastes like? He saw Sophie leading the monst - he stopped himself - the victim, from chasing after some children. Her father would be proud. If only his mother would be just as proud, but his muddy clothes would only get him scrolled tonight. *** Sophie was tired of running. Didn’t this monster have someone else to chase? She wanted to get back and find her friends so they could make a plan to stop this guy. She dug through her purse and found a container of craft glitter. Quickly opening the container, she threw the glitter over her shoulder, hoping the wind would carry it and monetarily blind the monster. She heard him grunt in anger, so she dove between two buildings. It was a space small enough that she could just fit through. She noticed there was light on the other side, so she slowly walked between the two walls, hoping for a place to breathe before going back and dealing with the monster again. She found herself on the other side of the community garden. As soon as she stopped moving, Sohpie found herself being wrapped in purple light and felt something cool wrapped around her neck. It was a necklace with a charm forming a straight line with two curls at the end, going in opposite directions. She touched it. “What is this?” As she spoke, her clothes changed into a high-low dress that was purple and so flowy! She had black leggings under the skirt, and her bell sleeves were translucent and sparkly! She didn’t have a mask but rather fantastic eye makeup that hid her facial features well. She felt amazing in this outfit; as a designer, she knew that the right outfit can change everything. A fan sat on her hip, and she wondered how she could use that. “Hello, new hero. You are the new holder of the element wind. We don’t have much time; the battle is already happening. I will explain as we go. But first, we must choose your hero name. Your real one cannot be used in the costume.” Sophie paused and gave it some thought. “Mighty Mage.” Sure, the name didn’t completely match her powers, but her colours reminded her of her favourite superhero comic! “Ohh, that’s different, I like it! You control the wind. You can make wind tunnels or even platforms from the wind. You can also fly, so have some fun with it while we go find your new team. Once there, the other elements will link up and we will talk as a team. Also, call me Gale.” Mighty Mage smiled and lept into the air. Starting to fly, she couldn’t help but laugh at this freeing feeling. She headed toward the top of the museum, where she saw the three other costumed heroes standing, and landed with the group. What new adventures awaited them? Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

"But Mother, the last place I want to be is at Leigha's glorified tea party,” Princess Candance huffed as she sat at the breakfast table. "Now Candance, you need to get used to calling her High Lady Leigha. She is Crown Princess now and will be queen in a few months. And, it isn't just a tea party, it's a celebration of her engagement. We are lucky to be invited." Her mother wasn't wrong. She was from the Kingdom of EL, one of the smallest Kingdoms in the League. They had managed to remain a separate Kingdom through marriage licences and trade deals. High Lady Leigha came from the largest and most important Kingdom in the League. "But Lady Leigha shouldn't even be crowned Princess! She never showed any interest in the ruling. She actively avoided that part of tutoring. It should be Lord Theo. He's been properly preparing his whole life." Her mother sighed, composing herself. "Candance, you know that's not how this works." Her mother was clearly trying to stay calm. "Rules are simple: The first child to wed after 18 will be King or Queen. Lord Theo had a whole year on High Lady Leigha and he didn't accept any matches his parents offered or were offered; he has no one to blame but himself." "High Lady Leigha took the first match she was given with no regard for who he is or what he stands for!" Cadance was angry. Theo would be a far better king than Leigha would be Queen. "That's how it should be, dear. Marriage isn't about love or even compatibility, it's about duty; you get married and learn from your parents and how they made it work. Like your brother and his wife have done, and like Leigha and her husband will. You should take notes. You and Lady Leigha are the same age; it's time we find you a lower-level prince or a general or an adviser...." Candance stopped listening to her mother. She knew why Theo had said no to every offer his parents had made him. He was in love with her. The youngest daughter of the smallest Kingdom of the League, she already had older siblings who had helped maintain the alliances they needed. So her parents decided they didn't need to find her a high-ranking match. She could marry anyone who wanted her. Except for the Prince, whom she wanted most. She was considered below his rank and he above hers. But they loved each other. Like all royal children in the league, they grew up going to balls, parties, and league meetings. The two of them would often sneak off together to get away from the crowds…. "Candance!" Her mother's voice was stern. "Sorry, Mother, I was distracted!” Candance shook her head, hoping she wasn't blushing. "I'll say. Now, enough of this foolishness. Go put on the dress I picked out for you. I want us to be on time, maybe we can impress some of the mothers who have sons available." Candance gave no argument. She was met by her maids in her room, ready to help her dress. "What dress did mother pick this time?" "Ah, she picks one, miss. She said the colour would match the spring theme." The maid was new; evidently, Candance had gotten too close to the other maids. "Ah, she knows I despise that pink dress. It's icky and so gaudy. No, I'll wear the pastel pink one instead. It's bearable. And if I have to go to the ridiculous tea party I'm going to be comfortable." Lord Theo would laugh at her in this dress, knowing she had made the switch. Her mother called this dress simple. She smiled to herself. "Of course, miss, I'll grab it while the other girls help you change." The maids made quick work of getting her ready. Within forty minutes she was all done up and dressed up. She was grateful they had done her make-up before breakfast. They had pulled up her hair, which she hated, but that was the way of the royals at parties like this. She'd rather wear hers down but she'd already switched dresses on her mother. No need to fight about the hair. She joined her mother in the carriage. Her mother's face fell, but she composed herself quickly. "I've been thinking, and you should try to impress Queen Lucy. Her nephew is here for the upcoming season, and she is tasked with finding him a wife since her brother can't find the time. He is a suitable match. Last in line for the throne, but providing him with a match would put us in favour with the northern kingdoms of the League. " "Yes, Mother."Candance didn't really want to, but she didn't have a choice. At least life in the northern kingdoms would keep her from watching Lord Theo marry someone else. "I received a letter from your brother. He would like us to come home soon. He needs your father's help getting ready for the transition of power. I need to go with him to help his wife with celebration prep. So all three of us will leave the Heart of the Ledge and go help. Then you and I will come back for the social season. Just like I did for your siblings. Understood?" Her mother gave her a firm smile. "Yes, Mother. I look forward to the social season." Candance hated the idea, but maybe she and Theo could share a few dances during the season. Soon they arrived at the tea party. High Lady Leigha was greeting her guests. "Welcome, Your Majesty, Lady Candance." Leigha bowed to her mother and offered Candance a hug. "My brother is waiting near the garden to say hello,” Leighas whispered while sharing the hug. “I'll do my best to distract our mothers." The girls were not close, but Leigha did love her brother. "Lady Candance, that rose bush you love so much is in full bloom.” Leigha waved Candance off and turned to Candance’s mother, “Your Majesty, you must see my ring; Nathalie did an amazing job. We can catch up with Lady Candance in a moment.” Candace headed to the garden, hoping to meet with Theo. But she was stopped by Queen Lucy. Her heart sank when she saw that she would have to talk to her. She watched Theo slip away from his hiding spot, knowing that their moment was gone. Disappointed, she walked with Queen Lucy and they entered the ballroom. Yep, a glorified tea party. She did her best to mix and mingle with all the people that her mother would want her to. After what felt like forever, Leigha approached her, mouthed, "I'm sorry," then promptly tripped into Candance, spilling her drink all over the pastel pink dress. "Oh my! I must have had too much wine!” Leigha exclaimed. “I insist on giving you one of my dresses. Come to my room, my maids will help you." Candace was too stunned to speak; she just followed Leigha. "What?” She whispered. “Why?" Candance's mother would be livid about the dress; if only she'd worn the dress she'd been told to wear. "You think my brother only had one plan?” Leigha whispered back. “Please, he wants to see you. And," she opened her bedroom door, "he wanted to give you this for your birthday, but my parents forbade it." Leigha handed Candance a box. Candance sat on the bed and slowly opened the box. Inside was a simple but elegant baby blue dress. "Oh, it's perfect! He remembered...." She pulled the dress close to her heart. "Yeah! Yeah, it's amazing. Change quickly and slip onto my balcony. I can buy you two like 20 minutes before your mother gets worried." Leigha gave her maids a look and they simply nodded. "Meet him on the balcony." She smiled and headed back to the party. The maids moved quickly, and within minutes Candance was on the balcony. "Darling." Theo was leaning against the railing. "Dearest." She did a spin, showing him that she loved the dress. "I see I made the right choice." He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Oh my, how I missed you." "I missed you too. I'm sorry my status keeps us from marrying, Theo." She didn't let go, not yet. "Candance, what if we weren't worried about our status?" He slowly relaxed his embrace but kept her close. "Dearest, you know we can't think like that. We would be days away from our wedding…I would have been promised to you as soon as I was old enough." She didn't look him in the eyes, staring instead at his feet. "Darling, please." He gently lifted her face. “Run away with me?” She looked at him. Was he serious this time? "Where would we run? You know none of the Kingdoms in the League would take to run away Royals who simply want to break tradition and wed." "Well, not none…." He took a breath. "My uncle is ready to pass on his throne, and he knows many families are ready to fight for it. Or, to marry their young daughter to him so they can wait till he dies and then fulfil a different marriage contract." "I know how all this Theo, what's it got to do with us?" She was running out of time, he needed to get to the point. "Since Leigha has taken my place as a ruler, he has asked me to come and take his place." Theo reached into his pocket. "I told him I would only come if you could be my Queen. He'll protect us. And just imagine walking into this social season as a Queen." He handed her a box. Inside she found a ring on a long gold chain. "Theo... " She paused. "This could cause so many problems. What if…?" So many what-ifs. This could cause war…. Was it worth the risk? She could turn around right now, go win over Queen Lucy, and live a pretty settled life. No one would blame her. Or, she could… "Yes. I'll go with you." "You will? Oh, Candance!" He spun her around. "I'll make plans." She wasn't sure how they would run away without starting a war, but she knew at that moment she was going to be with the man she loved. For now, that was enough. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

Suit Up 1 A few months had gone past and the group had already grown close, creating a website together to share their talents. Since Trevor was a writer, they would make his stories come alive with Andrew’s music, or Penny and Sophie would do a photoshoot to match the story. The group had so much fun learning together! Penny and Andrew even taught Trevor and Sophie to do their special handshake, high five, low five, and lock pinkies. The four friends were a consistent conversation topic amongst their classmates, who even had bets on which set of friends would end up together. The four were vaguely aware of this but often were too focused on whatever project they had on hand to care. Their current project was making little headway and causing them no end of trouble; they needed some inspiration. “Hey, my dad was telling me there’s a new display at the art gallery; we could check it out and see if that kills the creative block!” Sophie shared excitedly. “Let’s do it!” Andrew quickly agreed. And soon a plan was made, that they would meet up next week. On the set day, Andrew and Penny were waiting outside the art gallery for their friends…who were running late, which wasn’t surprising. Their parents often delayed them with lectures about being good examples and representing their parents’ brands well. Pen chuckled. "Think they’ll make it?" "I bet we have at least fifteen minutes." Andrew laughed, then took in Pen’s newest outfit. “You dressed up a bit for the occasion….” “Yeah….” She blushed. “I was kinda hoping Trevor would notice.” Andrew laughed. “I knew you liked him! Well, maybe I’ll distract Sophie for you.” He winked. Penny's blush deepened and she hit him on the shoulder. She wanted to argue with him, but a young girl came up to them. "Are you two Miss Elle’s star students?" "Yes, little lady, we are! But we are just her showcase students at this point," Andrew answered proudly. "Would you dance for me, please?!" The little girl begged. "You wearing your clip-on heels, Pen?" Andrew asked, already knowing the answer. "With you around, they're always in my bag," she teased. She pulled the heel attachments out of her bag and clicked them on. "Alright, little lady, you take a seat." Andrew stood, first pulling his phone from his pocket. Unknown to both Penny and Andrew, Sophie and Trevor had finally arrived and were confused, watching what was going on. Turning his phone to max volume, Andrew chose their swing dance song. Might as well put on a show, he thought to himself. As the music started to play, he did a little move and helped Penny up from her seat, and they improvised their way into their choreographed routine. The little girl clapped and hopped to the music. Trevor and Sophie came closer to get a better look at their friends’ dance skills. Just then, the song ended and a loud clap of what sounded like thunder rang out. Atop the Art Gallery stood a woman who looked to be made of metal. When she lifted her arms, wings formed; and she glided down screaming, which is where the sound of thunder came from. Her voice was so shrill that it broke several windows nearby. She landed on the ground in front of them. “I am Metallic Owl. I am looking for the other four elements of magic. In exchange for them, I will let your little city stand and be my headquarters, and you will all serve me! Won’t that be fun?” She clapped her hands like she was clapping for a servant. No one moved. Penny looked around at all the scared faces. She had to do something. “We don’t have these elements you’re looking, for so leave us alone!” “Ah! So someone in this group is bold.” The woman tapped the glasses she wore. “But no, according to my chip they have to be here. But if you all insist on being difficult, I’ll take matters into my own hands!” Moving her hands, she created a ball of liquid metal, then looked around. “You!“ She pointed to a rather angry-looking teen. “You look like you have someone who made you upset; I can work with that.” The ball of metal moved toward him and covered him in a shiny liquid. “You could try to fight it, but you will cave to my help.” “I am Heart Breaker and will remove all love from this world!” The boy had turned into a monster and started looking for any kind of love to destroy. “Good little pet! I won’t set him free till you bring me the elements. Good luck!” She laughed and disappeared into the sewer system below. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!