Continued from The Curse

Grandmother continued the story:
Eleanora hesitated and then spoke: “I have come to you hoping that you can help me. You see, I seek a very powerful spell, maybe you know of one, a spell that will transform me into the most beautiful woman ever known to human-kind.” Leeona eyed the young woman standing before her. An air of silence fell over the two figures, undisturbed. Eleanora lost track of the time that past while she was waiting for Leeona to reply. It could have been several hours, she did not know. But when Leeona finally broke the silence her words disappointed Eleanora.

“I can not help you, child,” she said. She spoke in a creaky voice, as if she had a sore throat.

“But, surely you can…… There must be some spell-- please! It means the world to me! Please, I beg you! There must be. There has to be something! Search your mind!” Eleanora begged.

Leeona stared at Eleanora, looking her up and down, as if she where taking her in.

“Well, there is one spell. But…. I warn you, child, it is not advised. It is very dangerous. And the consequences would be…… severe. It is against the Ancient Laws Of Magic. Not only that, the transformation would be very, very painful. The payment, well, you would be in so much dept that your descendants well be paying it off for the next nine hundred years, at least. Unless of course, The Swear is broken,” Leeona told her, slowly.

Eleanora didn’t stop to think at all. “Yes, of course whatever it takes! Please,” Eleanora agreed eagerly.

“Are you sure, child?” Leeona asked.

“Yes. Positive.”

“Fine. But remember, I did warn you,” Leeona agreed regretfully.

“Let’s get started then?” Eleanora replied eagerly.

Leeona sighed and shook her head. “As you wish,” she said and gestured towards the entrance of the shack.

Once Eleanora was inside the shack Leeona locked the many bolts on the shack door and lit tall candles all over the small entrance room. Eleanora looked around and saw nine black cats, each with different features. Some as fat as pumpkins, others as scrawny skeletons. A large wooden shelf towered over the room. It held a ton of dusty leather bound books and a globe golden with age. It was an odd looking globe with tiny stars sketched in certain places. A telescope with all sorts of peculiar looking knobs and handles on it.

But the strangest thing on the shelf, was by far, a skull. This wouldn’t have been so unusual if it hadn’t been for the marking painted on to the skull. With paint (at least Eleanora hoped it was paint) as red as blood itself, etched on to the skull were hands. One on each cheek bone, the hands seemed to reach out for Eleanora, they had long finger nails and together, they held up no more than nine fingers.

On the walls of the shack Leeona had framed a few wrinkled and aged star charts. Other than that the room was bare expect for a elderly grandfather clock, a burning fireplace and a frayed gray lounger chair in which the all but one of the cats were sleeping in. The one cat who wasn’t sleeping was instead crouched in front of the wide fireplace as if ready to pounce any moment. Leeona beckoned to him. “Come Gracelord, it’s time,” she whispered. The skinny but fierce tomcat jumped to his feet and rushed to Leeona’s side. Leeona walked across the room towards the fire place. She swiftly put out the fire and, moving the scorching coals aside with only her hands, revealed a sort of handle, a trap door.

“What…..? How………?” Eleanora stuttered in surprise.

Leeona simply gestured toward the door. She pulled the metal handle up and the cement gave away uncovering a number of steep wooden stairs leading down into complete darkness. Leeona lead the way, deep down into the under ground chamber. It could have been light outside but the seemly endless twisting staircase remained pitch black. Eleanora had no idea how much time had passed. It was cold and damp, the steps slippery.

The chamber stairs alone, gave off an eerie sense of doom and menace. Feeling her way along the clammy walls Eleanora stumbled her way along, following Leenoa. After a while, Leeona stopped abruptly in front of a bare wall at the end of the staircase. Eleanora bumped into her, slipped and landed on her butt. “Oh!” Eleanora gasped softly, surprised, since she usually found herself being praised for how graceful she was. Leeona let out an almost inaudible scoff as she reached into one of her deep pockets and pulled out what looked like a key. Eleanora picked herself up and again felt foolish when she realized that the bare wall was actually a door. Leeona unlocked the door.

The tomcat, Gracelord, whom Eleanora had forgotten until now, strolled into the room behind the door as if he owned it. Leeona followed reaching into her deep pockets once again, bringing out a candle and a wooden box of matches. She light the candle and circled the room, lighting the lanterns which hung evenly spaced on the walls. Eleanora entered after them, forgetting the reason she was here in her awe. The chamber room was quite large, and oval shaped. The walls were smooth and painted a royal dark blue. Under each lantern, hung a painting.

Each painting was encased in a dark wood frame. The paintings seemed to tell a story, each one continuing where the other had left off. Eleanora observed them.

The first painting, the one closest to the door, showed a girl no older than ten in a blood-red dress with her dark black hair falling down her back under a red headband which matched the shade of her dress. She appeared to be trending through a meadow full of wild flowers, her eyes staring straight ahead at something the painting failed to reveal. Her skin was the color of chocolate, only a shade lighter. Clutched between her long fingers was a basket, it’s contents covered by a blood red cloth.


The next painting showed the same girl and was only slightly different. This time trailing next to the girl, with the same determined look in his eyes, was a black cat.

The third painting, showed an entirely different scene. It was night in this painting. The sky shone with a million tiny stars, each one sparkling like diamonds. Centered in the night sky was a half moon. Below the sky the painting showed nine women, standing in a circle. None of the women shared a trait with the next. Some where so old they looked like they would drop dead any moment, others looked no older than sixteen and others still different, each one of them varying in age. But age wasn’t the only difference between the women. Their hair, the color of their eyes and the color of their skin. The only thing they shared was the color of their blood red gowns.

The fourth painting, revealed the girl again, only this time she and the cat approached the women. The two women standing closed to her had dropped their hands so that the girl and the cat could enter the circle.

In the fifth painting, the girl had seated herself in the center of the circle. Her basket balanced on top of her crossed legs, her hands lay flat on either side of her. The black cat crouched next to her, it’s tail curled up towards the night sky. The women of the circle stared at the girl and the cat.

In the sixth painting, the girl had removed the cloth covering the contents of the basket. The cloth lay as a blanket over the cat. The basket sat on the other side of the girl, and perched between her hands, was a skull. Eleanora recognized the skull by the hands painted on either side of the cheekbones holding up nine fingers. It was the same skull she had seen in Leeona’s entrance room.

In the seventh painting, the last painting, Eleanora couldn’t tell how it was any different from the sixth painting. The girl still sat in the middle of the circle with the skull in her hands and the cat by her side. Then Eleanora looked up at the night sky. Instead of the millions of stars and half moon, the sky only showed nine stars. The stars seemed to arch over the girl and the circle.

Eleanora was immersed in the paintings she didn’t notice Leeona standing next to her.

“There’s a lot of history about my clan in those paintings,” Leeona said.

Eleanora jumped. “Really? Could you tell some about these paintings?” she asked.

“Don’t you think your asking enough of me child?”

“Yes. I’m sorry……” Eleanora struggled to keep the disappointment out of her tone.

“Well….. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if I did tell a bit.”

She was silent for a while studying the paintings, as if she was deciding where to begin.

“You see,” she said, gesturing to the seventh painting. “When the stars line up like this it is called Stars Of The Nine. My clan finds strength in these rare miracles. So we are The Stars Of The Nine clan. We are one of the most ancient, powerful witch clans around. The girl seated in the middle of the circle in this picture is called a Xena. It means chosen one, the girl who can speak to the stars. A Xena can predict when the next Stars Of The Nine will occur and where. Sometimes they fall as far apart as five hundred years, sometimes only nine years apart. A Xena poses other powers as well, such as speaking with trees and other plants, glimpsing the future, hearing the voices of deceased Xenas and creating things with her mind,” Leeona explained.

“What? There is so much I don’t understand! I have so many questions!” Eleanora cried in confusion.

Leeona hesitated. “Alas, this is not why you’re here. Why don’t we get on with your spell. I trust you haven’t changed your mind?”

“No.” Eleanora turned reluctantly away from the paintings and shifted her attention back to the present.

Eleanora examined the rest of the room. The chamber floor was covered with a thick gold carpet filled with intricate designs of deer and other woodland animals. A high glass pantry reached up to the ceiling of the chamber. The pantry was filled to the top with a number of skinny glass bottles containing different colored liquids. Other than that, the room was bare.

Leeona reached once again into her deep pockets and pulled out yet another key and with it unlocked the pantry door. She ran her fingers along the ends of a few of the shelves, before selecting a bottle filled with a musky purple liquid.

“Gracelord?” she asked. The cat rushed to her side. Leeona leaned down and plucked some hairs off the cat and dropped them into the bottle. Leeona turned back to the pantry and pulled out an emerald green goblet. She poured the liquid into the goblet before chanting:

“I call forth the my past Xena sisters, Oh, Mother of The Stars Of The Nine hear me chant, give me the power of the Stars, help me when I call on you, give me wisdom, show me the path you once showed my sisters, Oh, Mother of The Stars Of The Nine, I seek your help, come forth on behalf of me as a Xena, hear my chant!”

A gust of wind blew open the chamber door and chilled the room. It fanned Leeona’s white hair behind her, undoing her bun. Gracelord purred loudly as the wind brushed through his fur. Eleanora gasped as the wind blew through her as well. Leeona made her way across the abruptly windy chamber, Gracelord at her side chanting:

“Stars of The Nine, hear my call, come to my aid, I call forth the past Xena sisters, curse Eleanora Callaway and her descendants, for if they ever cut their hair, they will pay, pay for breaking their swear to me, as a Xena. Unless their curse is broken.”

Eleanora shivered as Leeona repeated her methodic chat over and over, as she made her way across the room.

Now Leeona stood only inches from Eleanora. She raised her arm holding the goblet, never failing to break her chant. Eleanora took the goblet and, in her horror, drank.
The room was spinning. Eleanora felt as if she where being squashed between two metal walls, she couldn’t breathe.

“Make it stop! Please! I beg you!” Eleanora screamed.

Leeona repeated her chant for the third time.

“NO!!”

The fourth time.

“STOP!!”

The fifth time.

“PLEASE!! I CAN’T BREATHE!!”

The sixth.

“I BEG YOU!!”

The seventh.

“YOU MUST!!”

Eighth.

Eleanora crumpled to the ground in pain. She thrashed around the rug, screaming until her lungs burned. Eleanora could feel herself changing. Her body didn’t seem to belong to her anymore. She couldn’t control it. It was as if she was clay, being molded into perfection. Eleanora let out the loudest scream she could manage, hoping maybe someone would hear her and take her pain away. But her scream sounded like it was no more than a gasp, even in her own ears.

Leeona chanted for the ninth time, stressing every word. Then it was over. And everything was black.


* * *

That was the tale of our great-grandmothers’ great-grandmothers’. So you can understand why I thought Maggie was crazy.

“You can’t cut your hair, Mag.”

“Fair, didn’t you ever consider that maybe, just maybe, that curse is no more than a scary story?”
I was dumbfounded. It was just impossible! I had known about the curse my whole life and I’d never even considered that. But what if Maggie was right?

Mother entered our bedroom then. She examined Maggie’s face. Mother has a talent for that. She can look into someone’s face and read through any mask they’re trying to pull off to hide their feelings. She sat down next to Maggie on her bed.

“What’s wrong, love?”

Maggie hesitated. Then all of her words came out in a jumbled up rush.

“I want to cut my hair! I know about the curse and all of that but oh, Mother! Genny and Sara both cut their hair to their chins and it looks great! Please, do you think I could?”

Mother sighed. I guess she could see what was coming. Maggie was going to throw a fit. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister. But when Maggie really wants something she doesn’t give up on it. Father says Maggie’s a real go-getter and that someday she’ll make a great business woman. Mother says Maggie’s just plain spoiled.

Mother looked up at me.

“Fair, why don’t you go out and ride that horse of yours? I have to talk to Maggie about something.”

“Okay!” I loved riding my horse, Haystack. I grabbed my hat from the bedpost where it was perched and practically flew outside. My Mother is a seamstress and owns a little shop down the street. My Father is a violinist and is always off somewhere playing at a wedding or something like that. We live in a two-story wood house. Our house was once a large barn before it was remodeled. When Father and some of his friends where fixing it up they decided to leave the horse stable. Fortunately, Father was playing at a farmers daughters birthday at that time. The farmer was poor, so instead of paying Father in coins, the farmer traded four horses, one for each of us.

Once I was outside I cut through the garden towards the stable. I looked over the fence and spotted my neighbor and friend Nikoli on his porch.

“Hi Nikoli!”

As Nikoli crossed the yard to lean over his fence he seemed glum.

“Hi Fair.”

“I was just going to go ride Haystack. You want to come?”

“Can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Mother says I’m not allowed to leave the house. It’s dangerous. I can’t go anywhere by myself anymore.”

“But you’ll just be at my house. What’s dangerous about that?”

“Fair, haven’t you heard? About the disappearances? And the robberies? Every place they rob or kidnap they burn. They burn the place down.”

I frowned. “The Guard hasn’t caught them yet?” The Guard caught all of the thieves and trouble makers.

“No. They’ve been mostly taking girls and robbing houses. No important buildings.”

I felt my frown deepen. “The Guard has?”

“No, stupid! The robbers. People have been calling them the Burners.”

“But why? Why would they be taking girls and robbing houses?”

“I don’t know. But Desmond says they’re after somebody.”

I shuddered. Desmond was Nikoli’s older brother. He was one year older than Maggie.

“Where were they last?”

“Cavera Village, I think.”

I turned pale.

“Cavera Village?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Father’s playing at a wedding in Cavera Village……..”

“Uh, oh…..Maybe you should…….”

I never heard the end of Nikoli’s sentence. I sprinted back inside the house. I had to find some way to warn Father.




Two: The Burners

When I got back inside Maggie was sulking. This comforted me. The curse was real. The only reason this was a comforting thought was because now I wouldn’t have to worry about Leeona coming to make us pay. I had enough to worry about.

“Where is Mother?” I asked Maggie.

“Kon’t low. Fo raray, Air,” she grumbled. At least that sounded like what she said. She had her head stuffed in her pillow so I couldn’t be sure.

“What?”

“Fo raray, Air!”

“Come, Mag, this is important!”

Maggie sighed. She turned herself over so that her face was up right.

“I said I don’t know, Fair. Why is it so important anyway?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you later. Are you absolutely sure you don’t know where Mother is, Maggie?” I asked, trying to keep calm.

“No clue.”

I rushed out of the room we shared, Maggie on my trail.

“Fair!”

I peered into Mother’s sewing room, her and Father’s bedroom and Father’s study but she was nowhere to be found. I flew downstairs.

“Fair!” Maggie called, huffing as she tried to keep up.

Downstairs I found Mother sitting in the dining room with her chin in her hands mumbling to herself.

“Mother! I was talking to Nikoli and he told me about The Burners. They were last in Cavera Village and that’s where Father’s playing and what if he gets hurt or robbed? We have to warn him!” I burst.

“Fair, calm down! There is really no need to get all worked up about this. Your Father is on his way home now. He can take care of himself. Besides, I’m sure the Guard will catch The Burners in no time.,” Mother reassured me as she took me into her lap.

“That’s all this is about?” Maggie scoffed.

“Maggie, please?” Mother said, sighing.

Maggie huffed and returned to her sulky mood as she slugged up the stairs.

I was still tense as I waited for Father to come home. But after a while Mother’s ever cheerful mood made me wonder if I was just being silly. I helped her make dinner to keep my mind off it.

“Fair, would you ask Maggie to come down and help us?” Mother asked before returning to her humming.

“Sure.”

I made my way up the stairs wondering if Mag was still sulking.

“Maggie, Mother says to come down and help us,” I told her.

Maggie grunted.

“You’re really ruining everything by acting like this!” I snapped.

I was at my wits end with her!

“Fine, Fair. I’ll be right down,“ she said lifting herself off the bed.

I decided not to wait for her. I was eager to get back to Mother and her cheery mood.

When I got back downstairs Mother was standing in the doorframe talking to Nikoli’s mother.

I stopped mid-way to hear what they were saying.

“It’s getting awfully serious,” I heard a voice say.

“Yes,” Mother replied. I could hear the frown in her voice.

“They’re getting closer to town, Celeste. I haven’t been letting Nikoli or Desmond out of the house, I’m so worried!” Nikoli’s mother fretted.

“I don’t want to worry Maggie or Fair about it. I haven’t been telling them how serious it’s getting,” Mother said.

“I can’t believe the Guard hasn’t caught them yet! It’s getting out of hand!”

“I know. Who do you think they’re searching for?”

“A girl. Only heavens knows why!”

“An hour ago Fair came home worried about her father. I think she was talking to Nikoli. I had to struggle to keep from showing her how worried I was.”

“I’m sorry Nikoli told her. I’ll tell him to keep his worries to himself.”

“It’s fine, Jane. She’s not that worried anymore. I just wish Benjamin was home already,” Mother said.

“Oh, Celeste! Come over anytime if you or the girls ever need anything.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it, Jane. I just wish The Burners would stop advancing toward our homes!”

“The Guard is bound to catch up with them sooner or later.”

“I know. But I don’t think I’ll be able to relax until they’re behind bars.”

“I know how you feel.”

“Yes.” Mother sighed.

“Thank you for coming over, Jane. I’ll see you soon,” Mother said.

“Yes. Keep safe. And remember my offer. Come over anytime.”

“I will.”

“Goodbye, Celeste.”

“Goodbye, Jane.”

Then Mother closed the door and went on with her humming. Her cheerful act.

I followed her into the kitchen.

“Was that Nikoli’s mother?” I asked.

Mother raised her eyebrows in fake confusion.

“Was that Nikoli’s mother, who came over just now?”

“Yes……” Mother answered warily.

“Oh,” I said. I moved around the kitchen chopping things for dinner.

“What did she want?” I asked again, trying to seem innocent.

“She was just stopping by. Is Maggie coming down soon?” Mother said, rushing to change the subject.

She was talking to fast. She was trying really hard to hide this from me.

“What where you two talking about?” I questioned, ignoring her failed distraction about Maggie.

“Nothing, really. She was telling me about Nikoli’s new pet.”

Mother frowned. “I think I’ll go remind Maggie she was supposed to come help us with dinner,” Mother said, leaving the kitchen.

“Wait just a minute! I didn’t know Nikoli had a new pet.”

“Oh. He does. A ,um, dog. Yes, that’s it! Nikoli got a dog!”

“Mother. Is there something your trying to hide from me?”

Mother let out a deep sigh. She recognized defeat.

“You where eavesdropping again, weren’t you?”

“Um……”

“How much did you hear, Fair?”

“Enough.”

“I didn’t want you and Maggie to worry,” Mother said, somewhat defensively.

“Too late.”

Mother opened her arms and I rushed into them.

“Oh, Fair,” Mother whispered, rubbing my back.

She released me when Maggie finally came in.

“Sorry, I took so long Mother. I was deciding what to wear tomorrow!” Maggie said in a singsong voice.

That was another thing about Maggie. She has her fits but then she gets over them quickly. Little things made her happy sometimes.


Dinner was a tense affair. At least for me and Mother it was. Maggie gushed on and on. I was dying to catch Mother in private to ask her about The Burners and to get some information on just how serious it was.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Maggie asked after a while, when she finally noticed she was the only one chattering.

“Nothing, Maggie. It was just a long day, darling. Fair and I are tired,” Mother said.

It amazed me how good of a liar Mother was. I would have to look out for that in the future.

“Oh,” Maggie said. Then she went back to her mindless chatter.

A few minutes later Maggie broke her trance again to ask Mother another question.

“Shouldn’t Father be home by now?”

This time Mother couldn’t hide her worry.

“I’m sure he’ll be home soon, Maggie,“ she answered, doing her best to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

This time Maggie didn’t go back into her trance. She remained as tense and quiet as Mother and I were.

The three of us moved like zombies while we cleaned the kitchen and got ready for bed. We did our best to keep normal, stick to routine, but it was almost impossible when Father should have been home hours ago!

We sat around the living room for almost an hour just waiting to pounce as soon as the door opened.

“All right girls, I think you should be off to bed now,” Mother told us.

Maggie and I threw her pleading looks.

“Mother…….,” Maggie began.

“Hush, Maggie. I know you girls are tired. I’m sure there was just some sort of hold up. Your father will probably be home tomorrow when you wake up.”

We couldn’t argue with her. We kissed Mother goodnight and headed upstairs to bed.

Later, as Maggie and I lay in our room in the dark we whispered.

“Fair?” Maggie asked.

“Yes?”

“I feel like there is something you and Mother are keeping from me. Is there?”

“What makes you think that, Mag?” I asked, not sure how much to tell her. I knew so little myself. All I knew was that The Burners where getting closer to town and that the crimes where more serious then Mother had let me know at first.

“Well, you and Mother where acting so odd at dinner and……….” Maggie let the sentence hang there struggling to explain her feelings.

“We’ll talk about it in the morning, Maggie. I’m tired now.”

“Okay.”

I was glad Maggie let it go.

“Goodnight, Fair.”

“Goodnight, Maggie.”

I lay in bed wide awake with fear, trying to sort out my many thoughts and worries. I heard Maggie snoring in the bed across the room. Downstairs, I heard Mother open the front door and go out. She was probably going to go talk to Nikoli’s mother, Jane, again.
My thoughts wandered to Leeona. I didn’t dare peer out my window! I snuggled down under my blanket but sleep wouldn’t come.

After a while, I crept across the room and climbed in with Maggie on her bed.

“Fair……” She moaned.

“Please, Maggie? Just for tonight? I’m too worried about Father, I can’t sleep,” I told her, deciding not to tell her about Leeona.

“Oh, all right.”, Maggie said.

Then she hugged me close to her and in the safety and comfort of my sisters arms, I let sleep have me.


* * *

The next morning Father still wasn’t home. Mother was very worried, though she tried not to let it show. Jane, Nikoli and Desmond came over to wait with us.

Mother and Jane whispered nervously in the dining room while Mag, Nikoli, Desmond and me were sent to the living room. But instead the four of us stood by the dining room door listening.

“I don’t think it’s The Burners, Celeste. They’re only after young girls. He probably just got caught up somewhere. No need to worry,” Jane said, reassuring Mother.

“But, what if he was hurt or burnt to death in some place that they robbed?” Mother asked, close to tears now.

“I’m sure it’s nothing like that. Don’t get yourself all worked up over nothing.”

“Yes. Your right I’m being silly.”

Maggie let out I deep sigh. “I hope everything’s okay,“ she whispered.

Then there was a loud rap at the front door. We all jumped as Mother and Jane opened the dining room door abruptly. Mother scowled at us. “I hope you children weren’t listening to things you shouldn’t be.” There was another rap at the door. Mother pushed pass us, with Jane on her tail.

Mother swung the door open. Standing there in the thresh hold was a woman in a light blue suit, with her hazel brown hair pulled into a tight bun. She wore light brown boots and a robins egg blue hat with a feather sticking out. Her brown eyes peered out at us through her glasses. She had a brown bag strapped over her shoulder. On the top right corner of her suit she a pin with the image of a bow and arrow crossed with a sword and the words GUARD printed in large letters arching above the symbol.

“Hello,” the woman said. “My name is Naomi Faris and I work for the Guard. Today I’m going around the neighborhood to tell families that as a safety precaution we would like to ask everyone to stay inside their houses until further notice.” She smiled but the worry was clear on her face.

“May I ask why?” Mother said.

“You have heard about some trouble makers who have been recently called ‘The Burners’. Well, as a safety precaution we ask you and your family to stay inside you home with your doors bolted. The Guard will be keeping an eye on the neighborhood for now. ‘The Burners’ have been advancing toward Ara Village.”

“Oh, dear. My husband went on a business trip to Cavera Village and was due back yesterday. I’ve been worried about him. Do you have any reports about attacks in that area?” Mother asked, her voice cracking at the end.

The woman’s face turned somber. “Yes. As a matter of fact, we have. May I have your husbands name, please?” she asked as she pulled a couple of long lists out of her bag.

From my position behind Mother and Jane, standing next to Maggie, Nikoli and Desmond I felt everyone become immediately tense. I held my breathe.

Not Father, Please not Father, I thought as hard as I could.

“His name is Benjamin Callaway,” Mother answered, struggling to compose herself.

I squeezed my eyes tight shut. I heard Maggie take a deep breath next to me.

“Benjamin Callaway……..” the woman said. I could hear her shuffling through her lists.

Not Father, Please, Not Father, It can’t happen, It can’t, Please, Not Father…………….

“No. I don’t see him on the list of the dead or dying,” she finally confirmed.

I let out a big sigh of relief. Father was going to be okay. I could feel Maggie relax next to me.

“But…….” she continued.

Oh, no, not , Father, no, no, no

“He is on the missing list,” the woman told us.

Mother let out a little gasp. Oh no! He wasn’t dead but he was missing, he could be dead. That was even worse……

“I wouldn’t worry about it. We get people on the missing list all the time. He probably just snuck off before we could count him,” she reassured us.

“How…..when…… When did it happen? How? Which accident?” Mother asked.

The woman checked her list again. “We aren’t exactly sure……. We first notice he was missing about three days ago. The last he was seen or heard from was when he was riding his horse, not too far from here.” She frowned down at her list again.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t worry about him. He most likely took a detour.”

“But….do you think you could send out a search party? I would make me feel much better,” Mother pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Ma‘am. We can’t afford to lose anyone on such a minor case when we have so much more to urgent affairs to take care of. Give it a few more weeks. Then we’ll intervene.”

“Weeks?!” I gasped, unable to keep to myself anymore.

Mother turned to the four of us children as if she remembered us for the first time.

“Maggie, take Fair back into the house,” Mother ordered.

“Come, Fair,” Maggie said, gently pulling me back to the house.

I followed reluctantly. Mother closed the door behind us. The four of us sulked in the living room.

“He’ll be all right, won’t he Maggie?” asked quietly.

Maggie couldn’t speak.

“Of course. He’ll be fine, Fair. You heard what the woman from the Guard said. He just took a detour,” Desmond comforted me.

I nodded.

“It much more serious than Mother let us know, right Fair? That’s what was bothering you and Mother last night, wasn’t it?” Maggie asked softly.

Once again, Desmond answered. “It is serious, Maggie. Girls are going missing. Houses have been burned down. But I’m sure it has nothing to do with your Father.”

“Why have girls been going missing? Why only girls, Desmond?” Maggie asked, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

“Nobody knows, Mag. I think they’re searching for some girl. They want her really bad. Bad enough to get in big trouble with the Guard. And they’re good, too. Very good at what they do. I don’t know why they burn places down nor do I know why they’ve been taking only girls. I do know that the Guard is closer to finding them every day. It’s stupid, really. Like they want to be found. The way they’ve been leading the Guard after them, burning down where ever they cause trouble, leaving a trail of bread crumbs behind them, almost.”

Maggie shuddered. We where all quiet after that. We just sat there waiting and worrying, waiting and worrying.

When Mother and Jane finally came in from talking to the Guard they looked even more anxious. They even bolted the door behind them. I didn’t think that was possible. I jumped up, eager for news.

“Did you find anything out? Any good news?” I screeched. Mother smiled warily.

“Everything is going to be just fine, Fair.” That was it. All she said. Then she and Jane just turned and went back into the dinning room, closing the door behind them.

A few minutes passed. Jane came out of the dinning room.

“Why don’t you children play some sort of game? We aren’t allowed to go outside at the moment but I’m sure you could find something to do in here,” she suggested.

We stared at her. Jane smiled “Aw, I see. Ten, eleven, thirteen and fourteen too old for games, huh? Is that the case?” she asked playfully, misreading our silence.

“Mother. Do you honestly think, that we could play games at a time like this?” Nikoli retorted, his tone annoyed.
Jane’s playful smile quickly faded.

“At a time like this I expect, no, demand that you all behave and not make this out to be any harder than it already is. Celeste is very worried. I want all to always remember this: what ever life throws your way, you make the best of it, there’s always someone who has it much worse than you. Do you all understand? Always remember that,” she told us her tone strict. We all had our mouths slightly open, our eyes wide, surprised at how seriously she had taken Nikoli’s rude retort.

Jane glared at us. “Do you understand? Maggie, Fair, Nickoli, Desmond? Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” we all answered quickly.

Jane’s lips became a tight line. “Good. Now stop moping around and make yourselves useful.”

And with that she left us, slamming the dinning room door behind her.

“I suppose she’s right. Lets do something. Keep ourselves busy,” Desmond decided.

And so we did. We went upstairs. Nikoli and I kept ourselves busy by reading one of Fathers’ big dictionaries, laughing at some of the hard to pronounce words. Maggie and Desmond looked over us, intervening when we needed help with a word we didn’t know.
We were all having a great time laughing and sitting on Father’s little couch having fun. But if someone happened to pay a bit more attention they would notice that our laughs sounded somewhat forced, our movements tense.

Deep down inside, under our well faked fun I know we were all feeling the same way. Worried, ready to step into action at the next bad news. There was no question that bad news was on its way. It was only a matter of time. I knew that much. I felt as if right now my life was balanced on a much too high stack of blocks. At the slightest movement, the slightest sound, my whole life, my tower of blocks, would come tumbling down to the ground. Down, down, down. It was only a matter of time.