Elect II—17 Closing the Door, part 3 of 3

February 1, 2017January 4, 2017M G Kizzia Leave a comment

No one found any sign of orcs over the next week and a half. No one found any spiders or ghouls either, so overall things were fairly quiet, if one did not count midterms.

Gertrude Pennyfeather from Boston, an elderly elect who was rich beyond reason, sent Lisa enough spare change to buy a whole new house. Lisa accepted the help toward the hotel stays and for the repair of her house, but returned the rest. Ms Pennyfeather sent it right back with a note saying, use it to help those youngsters, that college girl and the little black girl. Emily was grateful. Latasha and her mother were astounded. Now Latasha had the money for college so she had to get good grades.

Courtney Chase, Channel 5, Eyewitness News caught up with Lisa at her house. Lisa told Courtney they had to fight off alien monsters or maybe they were remodeling, the latter of which sounded reasonable by comparison. It didn’t make the evening news despite the social media imagination of the guy at the pizza place.

Sara got a room in the campus center for a small celebration, Thursday night after midterms. The whole tribe gathered, Greta and Hilde being fully healed by then, thanks mostly to Maria. When Emily arrived last, her first words were, “Where are the boys?”

“Brinkman already left for spring break,” Jessica shouted across the room.

“Bill is still trying to figure out how the archives got fixed so perfectly,’ Mindy mumbled. “And so am I.”

“I didn’t know we could invite guys,” Diane said.

“I left Paul to a night of legal briefs,” Sara admitted.

Emily looked around and spied Melissa. “What about Robert whom I never met?”

Amina took Emily’s arm and spoke softly. “Melissa and Robert broke up.”

“Oh?” Emily offered her sympathy through her eyes, but Melissa seemed okay with it.

“I was never a fan of girls night out,” Maria said.

“People.” Sara raised her voice and tapped her shepherd’s crook against the table to get everyone’s attention. “Before we all go wild on orange soda; I could use your help.” That was unexpected.

“Priestess?” Amina took her proper seat at the table and everyone slowly followed. Emily was last again as she had to pace before she took the seat at the table head.

No one asked, “What is the matter?” They all waited patiently until Sara spoke. Sara only hesitated, not because it was unimportant, but because she knew it would take the rest of the night. She took a deep breath and looked down at the table. “It’s just, I never killed anyone before.” It turned out she was not the only one struggling with that problem.

Jessica started with the hard line. “Orcs are not people.” But they ended with the understanding that orcs were people of a sort, or at least they were before they went into rebellion. Jessica cried a little.

“But it all happened so fast,” Natasha said. “There wasn’t time to think.”

“It was kill or be killed,” Hilde added and touched the place where her leg was cut. But with that, Sara pointed out that they did have a choice and they all chose to live.

“It wasn’t like the rifles,” Diane said, referring to the orcs they faced on the parade ground. “That was different, somehow.”

“That wasn’t personal,” Mindy said.

After a long conversation in which Sara offered most of the comfort and counseling, Sara spoke her own thoughts again. “The thing is, I feel we have all been in denial. We need to reach the point of acceptance to move forward.”

“Like grief,” Greta said. She was the psychology major and everyone nodded.

“The thing is,” Emily spoke at last. “This thing isn’t over. We need to know that we can count on each other to do what must be done.”

The women looked at each other, and Jessica spoke first. “I’m still in,” she said and placed her hands flat on the table.

“And me,” Maria added her hands, and the others all followed.

“We still have apples to find and a scroll with the recipe,” Amina said.

“And a mystery to solve,” Melissa added in her quiet voice.

Sara tapped her nails. “And Lord help us find and stop whoever it is before they succeed in making Ambrosia.”

Everyone agreed as they heard a voice from the end of the table facing Emily and wondered how long the young woman had been sitting there. “I don’t understand why you did not ask for our help.” The young woman pushed her glasses up, and Maria mirrored the movement. Emily countered by running her hand through her hair.

“Riverbend. Because this is not your job. Zoe did not ask you to do this. She asked me and these women through me. We are supposed to be Amazons like of old, and that means we have to defend our place and our people from night creatures, orcs, or wicked men and women or whoever might want to steal, kill and destroy.” Emily stood, her face red with emotion. She was silent for a moment before she softened her tone. “Besides, what would I tell David if I got you killed. Seriously, this is our job. It wouldn’t be right to ask for your help every time we got in a tight spot.”

“Oh,” Riverbend let her voice fall silent and she looked down at her hands and worried her fingers. Sara had to ask.

“What is it?”

Riverbend looked at the Sara and spoke into the eyes of the priestess with utter honesty. “Because I need to ask for your help.”

Emily stood. Everyone waited. She asked Riverbend to stand. When Riverbend got up and a look of uncertainty crossed her face, Emily spoke. “You need to show yourself, the way you really look.”

Riverbend hesitated and played with her glasses.

“Sister, everyone needs to know what you are asking.”

Riverbend smiled on the word sister, and consented. Her glamour vanished and she stood, an unmistakable elf. People gasped. They had seen her with their own eyes in the gymnasium first semester, but that was a very brief encounter. Emily had told them about her protector over Christmas break. They had even seen her emerge from the bright light in the archives, but she came as a human, and the mind can play tricks and tell itself lies. Elves were something out of fantasies and fairy tales. They were not real. Yet, here she was. It was Sara who stood at last, and stuck out her hand.

“Captain Riverbend. Wonderful to meet you at last.”

Riverbend grinned and shook the hand but looked at Emily as she spoke. “And I did not even start it this time.” Then the room filled with so many questions and comments, Emily had to shout for silence and quiet everyone to ask her own question.

“What do you need us for?”

Riverbend put on her serious face. “To come with me to Avalon. There are men who are trapped there now that you have closed the door. I need your help to fetch them.”

“Your troop?” Emily asked.

“A dozen are ready, but Commander Falcon will not allow more, and only women. Right now things are quiet, and his spies watch the orcs, but he will not provoke them to war.”

“I assume the men are behind enemy lines,” Jessica spoke up.

“Very much.”

“And how many orcs are there?” Maria wondered.

“There are three hundred rebellious ones. They have claimed a small territory and they are mostly left alone.”

Emily nodded, and looked around the table as every eye shifted to her. “Some of you have plans for spring break. This is above and beyond the call of duty, and I won’t think less of you if you don’t come.”

“Shut-up,” Jessica said. “I’m spending spring break on Avalon.” She turned to Riverbend. “So where is Avalon, exactly?”

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Next Monday, The Elect II-18, Spring Break will take Emily and her Amazon tribe for a wild ride into the jaws of danger. Don’t miss it, and Happy Reading

Elect II—16 Night Creatures, part 3 of 3

January 25, 2017January 3, 2017M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Lisa heard the sound of a baby cry. Her drooping eyelids sprang open and her head jerked up to attention. Her mom-sense kicked in. It was not one of her babies. Pictures of her own babies flashed through her memory and made her smile. Her head began to droop again until the baby cry rose up the scale and became an unearthly wail. Her eyes opened wide.

Lisa heard the crash downstairs. Her watch said eight o’clock. She almost went to sleep sitting there, but the crash brought her fully awake. She strained her ears and heard a sizzling sound. A moment later, she could smell the burning hair. She did not know if any of her other traps worked, but she thought she better not wait around to find out.

“Quickly. Up the stairs,” Lisa shouted. Though unclear how intelligent the night creatures were, Lisa felt that even if they did not understand the words, they might think she was talking to someone. She stood on the attic stairs and closed the door behind her. She made running sounds on the steps until she heard a crash against the door and the door developed a wicked crack. “Enough. Out.” She shouted to herself. She ran and another crash came, followed by a growl.

Lisa reached for the bicycle handle bars even as she heard scratches scrambling up the stairs. She went out the window and slid down the rope hoping only that she stayed inside long enough for the rear guard to catch up. Lisa landed just behind the line of firs and found a surprise. There were people there with high powered rifles. Emily and Heinrich were also there. She smiled briefly for Emily and felt glad for the first time to see Heinrich. Without a word, she picked up the box she set at the base of the rope that afternoon. Then they all waited, but they did not have to wait long.

The night creatures burst out the side window with such speed and ferocity, the entire window frame got wrenched from the side of the house. There were four on the lawn, roaring, but hesitant, as if they sensed the danger. Lisa dared not wait.

“Everybody get down!” she yelled over the roars and pushed the red button. The entire side lawn of the house exploded. It became impossible to see for a moment as dirt, grass, snow and stones flew everywhere.

The trees protected the people for the most part. Sergeant Holmes got a deep cut in her arm as a shard of rock whizzed past. Rob Parker took a stone in the leg, but that did not prevent his fingers from pulling the trigger when Heinrich yelled at full volume, “Fire!”

Bullets filled the air like rain. Most put holes in the house, but there was no place for the night creatures to hide. They charged. One had been blown to pieces by the explosives. A second looked crippled in three of four legs, but it still dragged itself forward, growling and snapping its terrible jaws. A third had a gash in its side that poured out blood, but that did not impede its mobility. The fourth appeared only stunned by the explosions and it went straight for Lisa.

Lisa got her knives out, but the creature was on her and leapt. She had no choice but to fall to her back to avoid the outstretched claws and teeth. Her knives went up and cut along the underbelly of the beast, using the creature’s momentum against it, but the creature was so full of muscle and cartilage, little of the guts spilled on her. Her knives got torn from her hands.

Heinrich swung his broadsword up from the throat, having surmised the spinal cord might be stronger than his steel. The blow, not as hard as one would have been from above, caused the broadsword to slice through most of the neck before it hit the spine and snapped in two. That creature collapsed and trapped Lisa under its hind quarters.

The one with the terrible gash leapt at Emily who was barely quick enough to step aside as Riverbend’s arrow penetrated the creature’s eye. Mitzy held tight to the spear despite the sweat pouring from her palms. When the creature opened its mouth to roar, and just before it twisted to follow Emily, Mitzy rammed the spear in that open mouth. Again, the creature’s momentum drove the blade deep into its throat until Mitzy got lifted from her feet and driven back through the air. The creature snapped its jaws shut and easily broke the shaft of the spear, but it could not dislodge the blade down its throat. Mitzy, driven wildly to the earth, broke her wrist. Her ribs cracked on the side where she clung tenaciously to the spear.

Emily stabbed with her sword, and all the strength she had. The sword entered the creature’s side and pinned it to the oak tree. Officer Scott stepped up and riddled the creature with bullets until the creature stopped moving.

“Look out!” Heinrich let out his own roar. The crippled one had nearly reached Lisa’s feet where she was pinned beneath the back side of the beast that she gutted and Heinrich beheaded. With another roar, Heinrich pushed the creature off. Lisa pulled up her feet and rolled away. Ashish and Millsaps came up and filled the creature with enough bullets to make its body bounce on the ground. It, too, eventually stopped moving and everyone sighed relief. Until Margaret Holmes shouted.

“Another one.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the front of the house where a figure stood in the dark and a night creature sat beside it like a faithful puppy dog. The figure wailed an unearthly sound and pointed, and the night creature started toward the group. No one had a weapon left. The rifles had been emptied. Knives and pistols were pulled, but everyone imagined they might not survive this encounter.

Just before the creature charged, a bright flash of light shone at the end of the trees. The creature became a pincushion of arrows. It roared but did not deviate from its path. A second volley of arrows, and the creature staggered. Pistols fired as Emily finally yanked her sword free of the beast and the oak tree as a third volley of arrows sent the creature to its knees.

Half of the elf troop charged the figure in the dark who wailed again and vanished. The other half charged the creature with swords drawn, even as Emily charged. Emily sliced the creature’s throat. The elves cut elsewhere until the creature finally stopped moving forward.

Heinrich, Riverbend and Lisa arrived at the same time, along with one of the elves who turned back from following the vanished figure.

“Ghoul,” that elf reported.

“Damn!” Heinrich swore.

Riverbend turned to Lisa. “And where there is one, there are ten.”

Heinrich finished the couplet. “And where there are ten, there are a hundred.”

Riverbend got their attention with her next word. “Empress.” She spoke to Lisa, and Emily grinned. “This is Lieutenant Aurora. She and her troop are assigned to you until this crisis is passed.”

“What?” Lisa looked uncertain.

“Do not turn down the help. Ghouls are terrible to face alone.” Heinrich still looked in the direction the ghoul had escaped. He did not see Riverbend and Aurora both bow their heads.

“Lord,” Aurora breathed.

“No,” Emily spoke up and still had the grin. “I think she is objecting to the title, Empress.”

Lisa turned to Emily. “Queen,” she said, but she grinned too before she turned to her house and shrieked. “My house! My yard! Josh is going to kill me!”

“Hey! Who are you?” Margaret Holmes shouted and every eye turned. The Pizza delivery man had his mouth open. No one could tell how long he stood there, or if maybe he saw the whole battle. He did have one thing to say.

“Wicked!”

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Next Monday, the Amazon troop begin to set about their Zoe assigned task in the Elect II-17, Closing the Door. Happy Reading

Elect II—15 Spiders and Webs, part 3 of 3

January 18, 2017January 2, 2017M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Latasha, Harmony and officer Dickenson spent the morning doing some hunting of their own. Latasha cradled her axe the whole way as they tried to follow the trail back to the spider lair from Latasha’s house. It petered out on the back streets by the University.

“Pavement is very difficult,” Harmony admitted, and the others agreed.

They went to officer Dickenson’s lodgings. He was broken up about his landlady, but there was nothing he could do. When they found the house empty, apart from webbing everywhere, he called Mitzy back at the station. The investigators had already been there and found nothing, and for the record they told the news reporters it was an ordinary break-in. Dickenson had no doubt the investigators would catch up with him when he got back on duty. He hoped the news reporters would leave him alone. He asked Mitzy to continue to try and get in touch with detectives Schromer and Moussad and hung up. He was not expected back on duty until evening. He worked the graveyard shift, but he knew he would not sleep until this matter got settled.

Curiously, the big police officer felt much safer with this skinny high school girl around. He was not entirely comfortable with this Harmony girl, but thus far she had been a help. She was certainly a better hunter than he was. She said the trail from the house should be fresher and it should lead them right back to the lair. They would not have to try and follow it backwards. He had not considered that.

“I would feel better if Fiona was here. She is our hunter.” Harmony spoke to Latasha and it appeared as if she was asking permission. Latasha took a long look at officer Dickenson before she agreed.

“She will have to have a glamour to look human,” Latasha said, and the officer took one step back.

“I will tell her.” Harmony pulled a small flute from some unknown pocket in her coat. The tune was nothing to speak of, but at once, a shimmering of light appeared beside them. Latasha barely had time to think it was a good thing they were in the back yard and mostly hidden by bushes before the light became a hole between there and somewhere else. A half-dozen elves jumped out with their bows in hand, ready for action.

“I need Fiona, and she needs a glamour to appear human.” Harmony spoke right away with her own glance at officer Dickenson’s amazed face.

The elves straightened up and the one who spoke might as well have saluted. “Yes, mum. I will fetch her.” They went back into the hole and a moment later one came out looking like she was ready to go to a seventies disco to dance the night away. As the hole or light snapped shut, Harmony helped Fiona shape her clothes into a more sensible soft T, Jeans, running shoes, and a plain winter coat.

“What are we hunting?” Fiona asked with a flip of her long blonde locks and a not entirely innocent look at officer Dickenson.

“You will have to excuse her,” Harmony apologized. “Her last visit to earth was a few decades ago.”

Fiona looked at Harmony, clicked her tongue, made a face, and repeated her question.

“Spiders,” Latasha answered and used her hands to show the approximate size of the things.

“Spiders?” Fiona asked with a look at Harmony.

“Not spiritual creatures,” Harmony answered.

“Not native to earth,” Officer Dickenson interjected.

“A mystery,” Fiona genuinely smiled and began to look around. It took a moment before she started off. The others followed and only stopped now and then when Fiona squatted down to check something close to the ground.

By three, even as Lisa sat down on her attic step, and Jessica assigned the Amazons their various tasks, Fiona brought them to the same warehouse Latasha and Dickenson had visited before.

“I guessed,” Officer Dickenson admitted.

Latasha just nodded her agreement. “But this time we go in more carefully.” The door was still unlocked. Latasha opened it a mere crack and they listened. They heard a voice, and it did not sound human.

“I was just getting ready to eat him. Males can be very tasty.”

“Okay, but look. We got a deal.” Latasha recognized the voice of Carlos.

“So you say,” the other voice responded, and Latasha heard enough. Harmony and Fiona had their bows out and ready and Dickenson had his gun out when Latasha kicked the door wide open. They saw the spider. It looked enormous, being a good three feet from mouth to abdomen. Given its bulk, though not quite as tall, it appeared to dwarf Carlos. But it was Carlos who saw them and yelled.

“Get them!”

Some thirty or forty little ones began to run toward them. Both people and elves froze for a second. It took long enough to hear a shout come from a walkway above their heads.

“Get out! Get out!”

They heard the gunfire before Latasha got the warehouse door closed. She did not recognize the rapid fire sound, but officer Dickenson had heard an AK-47 before. Latasha heard the voice of Bobby Thompson before.

Harmony got out her flute and in short order there were a dozen elves at their backs. Arrows were notched and knives were ready to come to hand when they went back in. The gunfire had stopped. Twenty-seven spiders littered the floor, but a dozen still needed killing, including the five that drained Bobby Thompson dry. The big spider, the one Latasha now guessed was the mother, was not there. Latasha and Jessica had killed the father, the tasty male. She hoped the babies were now all dead, but there was no telling. Some spiders produced huge egg sacks.

“Carlos is gone,” Latasha said out loud.

“The drug dealer?” Officer Dickenson wanted to be sure. She said yes even as one of the elf troop found the back door.

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Next Monday brings us to a showdown. Don’t miss the Elect II-16, Night Creatures. Happy Reading

Elect II—13 Christmas Too, part 3 of 3

January 4, 2017January 2, 2017M G Kizzia Leave a comment

The following day, Emily got packed and Riverbend pulled her carpetbag out of the closet. They went to the airport where Riverbend, not surprisingly, had a ticket to New Jersey. She also had the required identification to go through the TSA checkpoint and to the gate, so they said good-bye to the family, Riverbend lingering on hugging David, and David looked like he did not want to give her up either, but after that, they walked to the plane. They had an hour.

They sat quietly for some time until Emily finally spoke. “So do you really love him?’ Rivebend nodded. “And does he really love you?” Riverbend just got that elfish grin on her face. “You know you neglected to return that dress.”

“I’m going to keep it. David likes it on me.”

Emily sat up. “What? You showed it to him? Well no wonder.”

“No wonder what?” Riverbend sounded innocent. The truth of the matter was not always easy to discern with an elf.

Emily did not answer right away. Her plane was pulling up to the gate and would board as soon as the luggage was aboard. “I wish I knew what that felt like,” Emily said wistfully.

“What what felt like?” Riverbend asked. She was eating ice cream. It was about the only thing she ate apart from salads.

“Love.”

“Oh. I think it probably feels the same. Maybe I’m an elf and he is human, but I think love is just love.”

“Not what I meant.” Emily said as Marion walked up from security and sat on Emily’s other side.

“They were hired guns,” Marion said without preliminaries. “The FBI figures they were hired by one Ferdinand Franco who runs a drug syndicate out of Atlantic City, but there is probably no way to prove that.”

“Franco? I’ve heard that name. Where have I heard that name?”

“The question is; why would they be gunning for you? I thought you told me your friend Latasha was fighting the drug people with your Detective Schromer.”

“That is a good question.” Riverbend leaned into the conversation. Marion had tried to whisper but Riverbend had elf ears.

“All I can say is you better keep your eyes open when you get back to school. I don’t know what all you are into, but if they think you are getting close to whatever it is, they will probably move the kill Emily plan to Trenton.”

Emily nodded. She knew that, but she had apples to find and a door to close and a mystery to solve. She did not see that she had much choice. She was thinking, Marion was sipping her latte, Riverbend was flipping through a magazine when a little person in overalls with a clipboard stepped up.

“Miss Emily Hudson?” The man asked.

“Yes?” Emily looked up as the man looked down at his clipboard.

Marion stopped in mid slurp. “Friend of yours?” She looked over at the elf.

Riverbend looked up from her magazine, squinted and spoke up. “Mister Picker. I didn’t expect you.”

The Little Person squinted in the same way. “Why, Captain Riverbend. It is a small world after all.”

“Please don’t start,” Riverbend put her hand up as if fending off disaster. She confessed to Emily and Marion. “Danna, the one you know as Zoe, accidentally sang that song about three-thousand BC when she was around some fee, that is, fairies. They say for the next two thousand years you could not go anywhere on the planet without hearing fairies, dwarfs, imps or some others singing. It must have been maddening.”

“Report,” Mister Picker coughed and frowned at the interruption. He got to business as he checked his clipboard. “Airplane has been checked left to right, top to bottom, front to back, round and round, wing tip to wing tip. No explosives or other potentially offensive materials found.”

“You checked the baggage?” Riverbend asked.

“Of course.” Mister Picker looked offended. “All is fine. You should have a smooth, safe trip.”

“You checked my bags?” Emily sat up.

“Of course, with all the others. How do you think you got your sword back and forth this year and last without the TSA stealing it?”

“Don’t you mean confiscating?” Marion asked.

Mister Picker grinned for her, and it was a startling face. “I am an imp, if you don’t mind. I know stealing when I see it. I’m not bad on lying and cheating, too.”

“Could use you on the force,” Marion said as she sat back and returned to her latte.

Mister Picker pulled two business cards out of his pocket and handed one to Marion and one to Emily. “Picker, Block and Bluetooth. Reconstruction and restorations are our specialty.”

“Poor Block,” Riverbend said.

“Yes,” Mister Picker said. “Died in 1973 along the Jersey Central when the Kairos was disarming that atomic bomb.”

“What? Marion sat up again.

“Kairos?” Emily asked.

“The one you call Zoe,” Riverbend answered quietly, and then they called to start boarding the flight.

Riverbend did not board. When Emily was away and Mister Picker had blended back into the background, Marion turned to the elf.

“What now for you?”

“I will meet her there, but disguised. She won’t know me, but I have been told to shadow her. I know it is ludicrous to think anyone can guard an elect, but a second pair of eyes never hurts.”

Marion just nodded as a shimmer of light appeared in an unused corner of the terminal. She was getting used to that kind of coming and going. “Hope to see you again.”

“Oh, I hope so. I mean I plan to.”

“David?”

Riverbend wrinkled her brow. “How did you know?”

“I’m a detective.”

“I’ll have to remember that.” the light flashed when the hole between here and there closed. Two TSA agents came running. Marion just showed her badge and walked passed them as she finished her latte.

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Next Monday, everyone is back at New Jersey State University in Trenton, and it seems despite the snow and cold, things begin to heat up in the Elect II-14, Creatures Strike Back.

Happy Reading

Elect II—13 Christmas Too, part 2 of 3

January 3, 2017December 8, 2016M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Lisa paced. “Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!” It was the only word she said for the last two days. Every lead, substantial or remote was followed, eagerly, by anyone who witnessed the bloody mess the night creatures made, but they turned up nothing. It seemed like the historians might be right. The creatures of Set did not actually exist,

“Maybe the night creatures are taking a break for the holiday season,” Ashish suggested. Lisa frowned, but did not respond. Ashish got glib when he was frustrated.

“Nothing!” Lisa spouted and slammed the papers down on her desk.

###

Latasha rolled her eyes. Preston Caine was even on the cartoon channel. Mama stopped cooking to watch. James, who was home from the marines paid attention. John and Leah, of course, stared dumbly like it was still their favorite cartoon. Even Latasha’s older brother, Leon, stood by the kitchen counter and watched.

“There is one white man even I would vote for,” Leon said.

“Why should his being white matter?” James asked as the cartoon came back on.

Fortunately, for Latasha, the doorbell rang. It was Mini and Wendy, and they brought Keisha with them. Keisha shuffled inside and looked at her feet as she spoke softly.

“I heard it was a spider that killed Janet.”

“That’s right,” Wendy said. “The city medical examiner confirmed that.”

Latasha reached out and hugged Keisha. “Merry Christmas,” she said. Latasha and Keisha both found some tears, and some of those tears were for Janet.

###

There was no more trouble after the mall because Emily only went to Molly’s house for lunch with Molly and Cathy. They refused to go to the bowling alley, and Emily could not blame them. Otherwise, she hardly went out at all, and mostly because Riverbend wanted to stay home where David was. It got sickening. If Riverbend was not following David from room to room, he was following her.

Emily finally retreated to the back step, cold as it was. She could not stand to watch them dance anymore and she did not know what she could do about it. Riverbend came out after a short while and sat beside her.

“You shouldn’t disappear like that,” she said. “I was worried.”

“I thought you were busy,” Emily responded a bit sharply. She was jealous, truth be told. She had not found a man attractive since Pierce, and it was beginning to frustrate her. “I thought you and David were playing some kind of game.”

Riverbend looked away and spoke frankly. “We eat and sleep and fall in love the same as humans, only I don’t know how you humans do it.”

“What, eat or sleep?”

“No, love.”

“Well, how do elves do it?”

Riverbend grinned a very elfish grin. “If I was home and he was an elf I would just walk up to him and tell him I love him.”

“Do you, love him I mean?”

“Yes. Very much and I can’t seem to help it, though Lady Alice, the one you call Zoe would be very angry with me if she knew.”

“Isn’t she like your goddess or something?”

“Yes, goddess of all the little spirits of the earth, air, fire and water.”

“So what makes you think she doesn’t already know?”

Riverbend’s elfish grin got even bigger, if that was possible. “But how do you do it?”

“It is always different, but I would say it would not hurt to try it your way. But what if he doesn’t love you the same?” Emily had to ask.

Riverbend looked upset for a moment. It was the first time Emily had seen the elf upset. “That is why I haven’t said anything,” she said. “He isn’t an elf. I can’t tell what he is thinking or feeling, exactly. The human body reads differently.”

“Everything okay?” David stuck his head out the back door and then he stepped out to stand on the top step.

“Just fine,” Emily said as Riverbend stood up beside David. Emily thought they looked like a very fine couple, despite her misgivings about the whole thing.

“I was just wondering if Captain Riverbend needed help keeping an eye on you.” He gave Riverbend a little salute.

Riverbend stomped her foot and looked up. “David,” she said. “I don’t want you to salute me.” He needed no other invitation. Riverbend’s left foot stomped the ground several more times after that, but it was softly. Emily got up and went around front to get back into the house.

Elect II—13 Christmas Too, part 1 of 3

January 2, 2017December 8, 2016M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Emily’s obligatory trip to the mall with her rich friend Susan started out well, but Riverbend seemed determined to touch everything. “The fairy weave,” she whispered when she had the chance. “It imitates shape and color just fine, but I have to have a feel for the dress for it to imitate texture.”

“Uh-huh,” Emily said and then she decided she was saying that way too much. She ran a hand through her hair and decided not to say “Uh-huh” anymore. It was then that Riverbend picked the skimpiest designer outfit off the rack.

Emily followed her into the dressing room, went into the booth next door and stood on the bench to look down on Riverbend’s head. She watched the elf finger the super mini-dress, one that was so short it came with pants. When Riverbend hung up the dress without taking it off the hangar, Emily watched the elf’s fairy weave clothing shape itself into a perfect replica of the dress. Even from that angle, Emily could see Riverbend had the legs for the outfit, and as for the outfit being low cut, Riverbend had nothing to be ashamed of there either.

“Don’t let Susan see. She will die of jealousy.”

“What? Let me see.” Susan’s voice came from the third booth.

“Too late,” Riverbend said. Her fairy weave was already turning back into the jeans and shirt she had been wearing. “But I am going to buy it.”

“What?” Emily was surprised.

Riverbend looked up. “I know how this game is played. A girl finds the sexiest, most expensive outfit she can that she thinks makes her look super good and sexy. She buys it and takes it home to her closet. After a week, she returns it because it is not something she would ever wear in public.”

“Time honored tradition,” Susan shouted from the next booth.

“Don’t forget your glasses,” Emily said and she got down.

They went to the food court when they were good and tired. “Last time we got shot at,” Susan told Riverbend. “You do know that Emily is dangerous to be around.”

Riverbend nodded and only got a salad. Emily had her usual burger and fries. They were laughing this time when they heard the shots fired.

“Damn!” Susan swore when Emily pulled her under the table. “I was just about to snitch a french-fry.” Emily was not listening. This time there were five men with guns, and they were moving out to encircle the food court so Emily could not escape. The sound of a different kind of gun rang out and one of the men caught a bullet in the shoulder. The others returned fire, but Marion had already moved.

Everyone stopped when there was a shrill, loud whistle followed by a brilliant flash of light. A hole formed in the air between the Chinese and Italian food places. A dozen elves poured out of the hole. They were all armed with bows and they came firing. The people in the food court were already down or running away so the five men stood out. Two elves were wounded, neither badly, but all five men were finished. The elves could hardly miss at that range.

Marion was on her hand-held when Emily crawled to her, Riverbend and Susan on her heels. “Back-up?” she asked. Marion nodded.

“Captain,” one elf raced up, and it was one that made Susan gasp. The elf wore no glamour so there was no denying what this young woman was. “How else may we be of assistance?” She did everything but salute.

Riverbend looked at Emily. Emily spoke right up. “We have police coming. It would be best if you went back to Avalon or wherever you came from.”

The elf looked at her Captain. “Do it,” Riverbend said, “And thank you Lieutenant.”

The Lieutenant turned and waved to the others. The bright flash came again and they were gone before Lieutenant Anthony burst through the mall doors followed by all sorts of police.

When Emily and the others got up, Emily went straight to the dead men. She tore the sleeve of each one, and Lieutenant Anthony did not stop her, but there were no tattoos of a circle and three squiggly lines.

“So who are these jokers?” Lieutenant Anthony asked at last, after being assured that Riverbend was with Emily. Susan he remembered.

“Some New Jersey goons,” Emily shrugged.

Lieutenant Anthony put his hands to his hips and tapped his foot. “That narrows it down to what, six or nine million people?”

“We will run them for Identification,” Marion assured Emily.

“So what killed them?” Lieutenant Anthony was looking closer.

“Arrows,” Susan spoke up and Lieutenant Anthony frowned as he went to one knee for an even closer look because the arrows were no longer there. “You know,” Susan turned to Emily. “If it wasn’t for you my life would be so dull I cannot tell you.”

“Glad to be of service,” Emily responded.

Elect II—12 Christmas Break, part 3 of 3

December 21, 2016December 6, 2016M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Emily and Riverbend went for a walk while it was still light out. It was cold, but Emily felt she had to school the girl quickly in certain human behaviors before they got too far along.

“Don’t worry,” Riverbend said. “I showed up an hour before we came to the airport. I told my sad little tale and your mother asked if I would like to come and fetch you since Tyler was not home yet. That was all.”

“Good, now about the lying.”

“I know. Humans don’t lie, unless they have to.”

Emily could not really argue with that. “Good, then you understand it would be best not to talk about you being an elf. You must try to appear human as much as possible. I think we can use the idea that you were raised in rural china to our advantage, but even that can only go so far.”

“I understand.”

“Of course, I have to think who I might share the truth with, and I have to watch out for Tyler. You realize he will probably follow you around.”

“I think he is cute.”

Emily’s eyes got big before she squinted at the elf. “You are not allowed to encourage him. He is at a very vulnerable and impressionable age, is that clear?”

Riverbend lowered her head for a second. “Yes, majesty.”

Emily paused on that word majesty, but decided, “Good.”

They were coming back to the driveway when a car raced up to a stop across the street. A man got out of the passenger side and a woman out of the driver’s side. She shouted, “Emily.” Emily blinked and Riverbend was thirty feet away with a bow and arrow pointed at the man and one eye on the woman.

“These are armed,” Riverbend said.

“Captain Riverbend!” Emily shouted. “That is my brother David and My friend, Marion.”

“Oh,” Riverbend straightened out and the bow and arrow appeared to vanish. “Pleased to meet you,” she said and held out her hand for David to shake.

“Pleased to meet you, Captain.” He saluted before he shook her hand.

“And pleased to meet you,” Riverbend stuck her hand out again for Marion.

“And you,” Marion shook the hand but looked at Emily. Riverbend also turned her head as Emily walked up.

“I practiced that,” Riverbend said, proudly.

“Uh-huh,” Emily responded as she gave her brother a big hug. “We didn’t really expect you.”

“I didn’t either,” he said. “I saw Marion at the bus depot and she kindly brought me. So who’s your friend?” He could not take his eyes off the elf.

Emily did the introductions. “My big brother, David. My friend on the Columbus Police Force, Marion. My assigned by Zoe protector, Captain Riverbend. She is an elf.”

“Really?” Marion was excited. David just stuck his hand out again.

“And pleased to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Riverbend said and shook his hand again while she managed a slight curtsey in her slacks which was surprisingly graceful. They lingered in the handshake and looked eye to eye.

All Emily could say to Marion was, “I don’t think that was supposed to happen.” Then she tried for Riverbend’s attention. “David is in the real army.”

The hands separated with a bit of awkwardness on both sides. “National Guard, not the real army,” David said. “But I have been deployed oversees so much it might as well be the regular army. In fact, I am thinking of a career.”

“Were you in actual battle?” Riverbend sounded interested.

David nodded. “But behind the lines. I work in surveillance.”

“I’ve done some of that work,” Riverbend responded with a smile. “Of course, it was a while ago. Back in the Second World War, in fact. Doctor Mishka, the one you call Zoe, needed some help with a delicate situation in London.”

“Riverbend, you’re babbling.” Emily said.

“Oh, sorry. I never knew humans could be so gorgeous.” David turned red, but recovered nicely.

“I was just thinking the same thing about elves.”

“Were you?” Riverbend looked up into his eyes again.

“Alright soldiers,” Emily said. “Now is not the time for fraternization. David, into the house. Hug Mom and Dad and beat up Tyler.”

“Yes, ma’am,” David saluted, picked up his duffle and started toward the house.

“Riverbend, no one said you were dismissed.” Riverbend, started to follow David, but turned to face Emily just as David took one last look back.

“But I like him.”

“I can see that.”

“A real elf?” Marion asked, not that she doubted it.

Riverbend lifted her hand and her glamour fell away. She was skinny, though not terminally so, and still carried her attributes well. She also had the pointed ears and the long legs, arms and fingers one would expect. “Do you think David will like the way I really look?” She raised her hand again and the glamour returned.

“I’m afraid so,” Emily said.

“Not my department.” Marion grinned. “Though I would not mind another look at that Roland fellow.”

“Oh, no,” Riverbend said. “Sir Roland is very married, and to someone who was once human.” She looked again at the house.

“Coffee?” Emily looked at Marion.

“That would be nice, thanks.” Marion said as they got Riverbend between them with the better hope of keeping an eye on her.

************************

Next Monday, just a single post for the week, an addendum to chapter 12, Christmas Break. It might be called Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch… In your meanwhile, enjoy the holidays and Happy Reading.

Elect II—12 Christmas Break, part 2 of 3

December 20, 2016December 6, 2016M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Emily’s Mom and Dad picked her up at the airport and had a passenger that was not her younger brother Tyler. “Sweetheart,” Mom yelled and embarrassed her with all the hugging and kissing. “Your room is all clean and waiting for your return. I decided your friend could sleep in the spare bed in your room rather than in David’s room since David might come home, you know.” David was in the National Guard and had been deployed overseas twice in the last thirteen months. There was talk his unit might come home for Christmas, but as far as Emily could tell it was only talk.

“My friend?”

“Cassandra. Cassandra Riverbend,” Mom said and whispered, “I feel terrible about her having nowhere to go during the holidays, what with her mother being away and all.”

“Riverbend,” Emily repeated the name and turned her head to see a beautiful girl in jeans, a plain top and a purple winter cape which was altogether too formal and out of place. She had black hair down to her belt. As she returned the look, she pushed her hair behind human looking ears, and straightened her glasses, which Emily thought was an odd touch.

Emily carried her bag to the bench where her dad and Riverbend were waiting. She hugged her dad and then turned to the girl with the word, “Riverbend,” and gave the girl a hug while she whispered in the girl’s ear, “What is this all about?”

“Later,” Riverbend whispered back as she straightened her glasses again, much like Maria might have done. Emily picked up her bag and they walked to the car, Mom and Dad out front, but Emily decided she could not wait until later.

“Captain Riverbend?” Emily wanted to be sure.

Riverbend nodded and got a big elf grin. “You like my disguise? I thought of the glasses myself.”

“Lovely,” Emily could not help returning the smile, knowing she was walking beside a real live elf, and one who seemed friendly enough.

“I thought of Clark Kent, but that would be a boy’s name.”

“Uh-huh. Cassandra?”

“An ancient name for my goddess, the one you call Zoe.”

“Uh-huh. And why are you here?”

“To help, if I can. Sir Roland told all about the bogy in August, and the attempts on your life over Thanksgiving. Lady Alice, the one you call Zoe said you should be watched while you are home. I volunteered.” Riverbend got that elf grin again.

“Like you volunteered to come storming into the gym that afternoon.”

“Yes, Emily. Can I call you Emily or do you prefer your majesty?”

“Better make it Emily,” Emily said. “In fact when we get home you better tell me exactly how much time you have spent on earth among people.”

“Oh, almost none,” Riverbend happily admitted. Emily was afraid that was true. She decided she might end up spending more time watching out for Riverbend than the other way around. They walked in silence for a minute until Emily could see the car up ahead. “You know we will be going to church, probably several times.”

Riverbend stiffened a little. “I am prepared for that.”

“Girls?” Mom tossed the word over her shoulder when they reached the car. “What are you girls discussing.”

“Going to church,” Emily volunteered, and thought to add, “Riverbend is not a Christian, you know.”

“Oh?” Emily’s mom looked at the girl as if trying to discern what she was.

“Taoist,” Riverbend offered. “I was raised in China, but I am familiar with the Christians and Christian teaching. I won’t mind going to church.”

“How interesting,” Emily’s mom said as she got in the front and Riverbend got in the back. Emily put her suitcase in the trunk which her dad slammed shut, and then they got in as well. Emily looked at Riverbend again. She was not worried about her claiming to be a Taoist. She knew someone else might try to convert the poor heathen, but Mom was a true Presbyterian. She was only thinking about the feather in her cap for bringing a Taoist to church and would not dream of trying to change her. Mom lived for words like multi-culturalism and diversity. She believed anything else would be intolerant.

Emily just stared at the elf until Rivebend became uncomfortable and hid beneath her hair. When they got to the house, Emily got to ask another question before they went inside.

“How old are you?”

“One hundred and seventy-seven,” Riverbend answered. “That should make me appear twenty-four or so in human terms, but I have always looked young for my age. I could be nineteen if you like.”

Emily frowned. The girl offered to lie with such frank ease, Emily knew she would have to be extra careful with this one.

Elect II—8 Thanksgiving Break, part 3 of 3

November 23, 2016November 14, 2016M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Emily paced in her room. It was Saturday evening but she dared not go out again. Wednesday and Friday had resulted in attempts on her life, and her friends Molly and Cathy were seriously injured. Clearly someone wanted her out of the way, and she suspected it was someone at the school since the bogyman last summer said as much. The thing was, she had no idea why. All she knew was Zoe asked her to find a door on the university side of what? And she was supposed to solve the goddesses’ immortality mystery. What did she mean the apples are missing from Avalon? Emily read all about King Arthur, but it did not help. As for creatures, now she had met several. And how was the world going mad, blah, blah, blah. It did not make any sense.

Cheeky goddess, Emily thought. But according to Mindy, that was the way the ancient gods and goddesses worked. They set up the impossible tasks and then sat back and watched the humans stumble. One thing was certain, Emily now had a greater appreciation for the Odyssey than ever before.

The smart thing would be to stay home and maybe transfer to a different school. But Emily was not going to do the smart thing. She was going to bank on the fact that the attempts on her life occurred in Columbus and not at the school. It was like whoever wanted her to leave the school was not going to tip their hand by attacking her on school grounds.

Emily’s little brother Tyler came to her door. He seemed worried about her. Emily thought it was a sign that he was growing up, but she would never say that. He would have been insulted if she had.

“Are you pacing for a reason, or just concerned about Molly and Cathy?” he asked.

Thus far Emily said nothing about the attempts on her life. She certainly detailed nothing about the bogyman last summer, or mentioned the attempt at the mall. The news portrayed that as a random act of holiday shopping violence. The incident at the bowling alley was a bit harder to explain except to say some maniac came in shooting up the place and they don’t know why.

“No reason,” Emily answered. That was not entirely dishonest. She was simply repeating the same thoughts she had a hundred times. A search for alternatives, she imagined, but she did not find any. Zoe and the others all expected her back at school. She promised Pierce she would finish her schooling at New Jersey State. She was just going to have to be careful and keep her eyes and ears open.

There was a loud crack and something scraped Emily’s arm before it lodged into the wall. Emily threw her brother to the floor and yelled, “Stay down,” as she crawled to the stairs where she rushed down to the front door. The man in the trench coat was out front near the streetlight. Emily turned off the lights in the front hall and went out to the darkened porch, hoping she might not be seen. She heard Marion’s shout.

“Police. Drop your weapon and put your hands up.”

The man turned and started to run in the opposite direction. He pulled his gun back out as he ran. He fired once to his rear and once toward Emily’s house when he saw her. Then at once he arched his back and without a sound he fell to the ground and the gun fell from his hand. Marion and Emily arrived at about the same time. The man had an arrow sticking out of his chest.

Emily looked up at the shadows down the street. There was a figure in the dark, and she called out. “Elf. Show yourself.” The figure slowly moved into the light, and it was unquestionably an elf, and not of this world. “What brings you here?”

“You, and my wife,” the answer came. “Boston and I still work for the Lockharts. I believe you met Katie.”

“Of course, how is the baby?” Emily hardly knew where that thought came from.

The elf shrugged. “Human.”

“Of course. Your wife?” She had to ask.

“Elfkind, but she was born human. She presently acts as Liaison between Avalon and the men in black.”

“Men in black? No, please excuse me?” Marion had her hand up like a school girl. “Who are you?”

“Roland. And I came with information.”

“I thought you came to save her,” Marion said and Emily hushed her.

“It is a message from Avalon. Several of the golden apples of youth have been stolen from Avalon by the rebel faction. They made their way to the doorway that leads to your university. That is all we know except to tell you that the apples are very dangerous in the wrong hands.”

“How so?” Emily wondered

“One big bite might delete a hundred years of life, and if you are only sixty,” Roland shrugged.

“Younger than your birth?”

“You would cease to exist.”

“And someone at the university has some of these apples?”

Roland nodded. “Lady Alice, that is Zoe said find that door and close it, and if someone offers you a big bite of a delicious, irresistible golden apple…resist it.”

Blue police lights came roaring up as Roland stepped away. A hole formed in the air—a hole to another place altogether where the stars were brighter than Marion or Emily had ever seen. Lieutenant Reese Anthony stepped out of the police car as Roland stepped through the hole, smiled for Emily and waved at Marion. Then the hole slowly closed until it winked out of existence like it was never there.

Lieutenant Anthony watched the elf disappear. He looked down at the dead man with an arrow sticking out of his chest. He shook his head. “I don’t want to know.”

“One good thing,” Marion said. “You will find this man’s gun killed the other two men.”

Emily nodded, but then had a thought. She bent down and grabbed the dead man’s trench coat by the sleeve. She ripped the coat sleeve, suit sleeve and shirt sleeve in one pull. The man’s arm had a small tattoo—a circle with three squiggly lines.

“What is that?” Marion asked. “A fastball?”

“No one knows. A secret society. Mindy says it has something to do with immortality.”

“The apples of youth,” Marion took Emily by the arm. “You can’t go back to that school.”

“But that’s the problem. I have to.”

************************

Thanksgiving has come and gone for Emily, and far from solving any mysteries, they just keep getting more complicated, and more intense. Be sure to return on Monday for the Elect II-9 Clues, to see what turns up.

Happy Reading

Elect II—5 Stab from the Past, part 1 of 3

October 31, 2016October 4, 2016M G Kizzia Leave a comment

Latasha stayed after school. It was Halloween, and she had something very Halloween to share with Ms Riley. It was a copy of a picture Jessica drew. It was based on the descriptions Emily and Reverend Michaels provided. It looked like a drawing of a goblin she saw in one of Leah’s fairy books, but somehow she imagined Ms Riley would know what it was. She knew she had no one else she could ask.

Latasha sat on one of the lab stools in the biology room and shuffled her feet as she thought about Emily and Emily’s friends. She knew Jessica and Maria, and liked them. She liked Amina too, but Amina scared her a little. She met Mindy a couple of times and Melissa once. They both seemed nice. And now there was Reverend Michaels. Latasha had always been taught to have a deep respect for her elders, and especially for her preachers. She could not call the woman Sara no matter what, but the woman was nice, like Detective Lisa. She could not call her just Lisa either.

Latasha put her hands under her thighs to keep her fingers from nervously drumming and to lift her legs a bit so she could shuffle them better. Detective Ashish said she was a bundle of nervous energy. Maybe she was. She was five-eight, almost as tall as Jessica, but she was only sixteen and maybe still growing. At the same time, she was skinny, and that made her feel like a fence post. She was not terminally skinny, but like one still waiting to fill out. That would have to happen soon if it was ever going to happen.

Thoughts of her own friends finally surfaced in Latasha’s mind. There were four, but as of last year there were really only two. Keisha was a joker who never took anything seriously, especially school. She was not stupid, just lazy. Latasha never noticed it before, but she was sure that Keisha would throw her life away on doing nothing and dragging down everyone around her besides. Janet, on the other hand, was not very smart, but she had a good heart and was good to people. Sadly, that meant she was also easily manipulated and right now Bobby Thompson, the drug dealer had her in his orbit. Presently, Janet and Latasha were not on speaking terms.

“Latasha?” Ms Riley came in holding a stack of copies she had run off in the office. “I thought you would be home getting ready to trick or treat.”

“I’m a bit old for that,” Latasha said.

“Not going to dress?”

Latasha shook her head. “But I probably should be home helping Mama get John and Leah ready to go out. My younger brother and sister,” she explained and Ms Riley nodded while she set down her papers.

“So why are you here? Need help with the chapter?”

“No, not biology. I wanted to show you something.” She held out the paper and Ms Riley took it and stared, mouth shut tight for a second or two.

“This is very good. Did you draw it?”

“No. Jessica at the university. Do you know what it is?”

Ms Riley shook her head. “Sorry.” She handed back the paper.

Latasha took it, but looked disappointed. “Maybe they were making it up,” she said, though she knew better.

Ms Riley stopped what she was doing. “Who was making it up?”

“Emily and Reverend Sara, the university chaplain. They saw this, or something like it on the campus in the dark and described it for Jessica to draw. I thought it might be a goblin.”

Ms Riley paused and the two stared at each other for a long minute before Ms Riley spoke. “It looks like a troll or ogre, but one turned orc. I know there are no such things as orcs. Tolkien just made them up, but that is the current term in use.”

“Orcs?”

Ms Riley reached her hand out again and took the paper. “It isn’t a dark elf, or what you call a goblin. They can be much more frightening, but this looks bigger and distorted in some way, and in pain. That is the look of an orc.”

“What is an orc?”

“It is one of the little spirits of the earth, like light elves, dwarfs or dark elves, that has turned against their god. A spirit in rebellion, you might say. They get all distorted looking. The distortion is an unavoidable process, a thing our god has done so we can tell each other apart.”

“What?” Latasha took a step back. “What do you mean, we?”

Ms Riley handed the paper back with a smile. “I said they, didn’t I?”

Latasha shook her head. “You said we, and you said our god.”

“You should think about wearing a Halloween costume.” Ms Riley never lost her smile. “I always dress for the occasion. Would you like to see my costume?”

“No. Yes.” Latasha quickly changed her mind.

“Promise you won’t scream?”

Latasha nodded but thought she had better sit down. Ms Riley raised her hand. That was it. Something stood in front of Latasha that was still recognizably Ms Riley, but she was not human at all. She was too skinny, as skinny as Latasha. Her fingers were too long and her ears came to clear and definite points at the top.

“Elf.” Ms Riley said the word in Ms Riley’s voice.

“But you said you were born outside of Boston,” Latasha remembered what Ms Riley once told her.

“I was, and I was born human, too,” Ms Riley said. “How I came to be an elf is a very long story, but let’s just say my husband likes me this way.” She grinned, and Latasha suddenly understood what an elfish grin was really all about. “I wear a glamour, an illusion, but to be sure my natural form is a bit too much even for Halloween.” Ms Riley raised her hand again and most of the more extreme and inhuman bits went away so she looked more human again. She kept the ears, though. “I’ve been practicing. Would you like the illusion of being an elf?”

Latasha got off the stool and took a step back. “It would just be an illusion, not real, right?”

“Oh, don’t be afraid. I don’t have any such power to change you for real. I’m not even sure I can do the glamour. It is hard enough doing the glamour on myself.”

Latasha changed her mind and smiled. “Leah loves fairy stories. My baby sister.”

“Come here,” Ms Riley said. She took something like dust out of her pocket and sprinkled it in Latasha’s direction. She chanted something too soft for Latasha to hear, and then threw her hands out and Latasha felt something.

“Let me see,” Latasha said, but all Ms Riley had was a small mirror in her purse.

Latasha had the pointed ears. Her nose and chin were a bit more pointed and she had that grin on her face. Her hands also looked more narrow and with longer fingers. She looked up again. “It is just an illusion.”

“Just an illusion,” Ms Riley said. “It will wear off at midnight, or when you say, “No more illusion. Illusion go away.”

“No more illusion,” Latasha started to repeat the phrase and Ms Riley clamped her hand on Latasha’s mouth.

“Don’t say it now. I’m not sure I have it in me to do that again.”

Latasha nodded. She picked up her paper with the drawing. “Orc,” she said.

Ms Riley mirrored Latasha’s nod. “Right now there are little ones in rebellion. That has only happened a couple of times in all of history, but they were bad times for all of us. There are not many rebels, but we detected some activity in this area. That is why I had to stay for another year of teaching. And you better do your homework if you expect to pass my class.” Ms Riley shook her long and skinny finger.

Latasha looked at the woman with big elf looking eyes. Ms Riley still looked more elf than human, even if her features, apart from her ears, were within human range, but at the same time she was still Latasha’s teacher. Being an elf had nothing to do with that.

The door to the room opened and Principal Wearing came in. He spoke as he looked down at a sheet. “Mary, I have a question about this.” He looked up and stopped.

What could Latasha and Ms Riley say, but, “Happy Halloween.”