The Lightening Field

5

Maggie gasped at the sight of the scarred man, while Bryan turned his hands into fists. "Can't you just die already," said Bryan through his teeth. "I thought you got hit by a car." The tall man walked forward and looked at Bryan in the eye. "You underestimate our power, boy!" said the man. The man's fist began to glow and he hit Bryan in the stomach, making him fly into the wall where he was pushed. Bryan lay on the floor unconscious as the tall man walked toward Maggie who was on the stairs. Maggie watched in horror as the man crept in on her. "Get away from me!" Maggie screamed as she back up toward the second floor. The man crept even closer to the girl until he was standing an inch away from her. The tall man slapped Maggie as hard as he could and she fell to the floor. She cried. The man then grabbed both of her legs and dragged her down the steps. She bounced up and down until she hit the bottom. The man laughed horridly. Other men began to swarm the house and one of them picked up Bryan. "What are you doing?" screamed Maggie. "Let go of him. You can't take-". The man delivered another blow to Maggie's face and she blanked out.

....

Maggie awoke to a vast field with stalks of corn all around her. Her hands and feet were tied behind her  to a wooden pole. She heard voices in the corn. They were whispering about something. Then, one of them mentioned a scrawny girl and Bryan. She assumed the scrawny girl was her. "Who's there?" screamed Maggie. "I know you're out there." The voices ceased. Maggie looked around and didn't see any movement. Twenty minutes passed and there were still no sign of life. Then, a figure with a black coat and a dim green hat emerged from the stalks. "Hello Maggie," said the figure. "I'm so pleased to meet you, although, I hate the circumstances." Maggie squinted at the figure, but could not make out his face. "Allow me to introduce myself," he continued. "I'm Reginald Bornsborrow. But, everyone calls me Reginald." The figure removed his hat and looked at Maggie. The figure had purple skin, with tall ears and yellow eyes. Maggie looked in horror at the sight of the purple man. "Who are you?" asked Maggie in a quivering voice. The man rolled his eyes and started walking towards her. "Even though I hate to reiterate, I'll make an exception to your lost soul. My name is Reginald." He gave Maggie a unique smile that was dazzling and at the same time terrifying. Then, a crowd of people came out of the corn stalks and got into a row of three and stared at Maggie. "Maggie, I'd like to ask you a series of questions," continued the purple man, "with the supervision of these fine men. I hope that isn't a problem?" Maggie stared at the crowd and noticed how they didn't move or murmur anything. Reginald stepped in front of her and looked into her face. Then he snapped his fingers and all the noise of the world stopped. Like in a strange pause. "Quick," said Reginald, "we have to get you out of this rope." Reginald went behind her again and started to untie the rope. "What are you doing?" asked Maggie, perplexed by the purple creature's actions. "I'm helping you escape Ms. Stutton," replied Reginald.

"But why?" said Maggie.
"Because, you must go on and finish your training."
"But why are you helping me, aren't you evil?"
"You must not always rely on your eyes."

Maggie was relieved to be free of the rope, but wondered why no one stopped the creature. "Why aren't the others saying anything?" questioned Maggie. "They're just standing there, watching us." Reginald half smiled and continued to untie her feet. "They're not moving because I paused them. One of my natural gifts is being able to freeze time and anyone in it." Maggie awed at his magic, but was also terrified. "But, how am I-" stopped Maggie. Reginald raised his hand. "I can't give you a proper explanation because I can't pause them that long." Reginald ran over to Maggie and grabbed her shoulders. "Listen," said Reginald, "you must follow my exact instructions. You run through that area of corn and keep going straight." Reginald pointed to the west side of Maggie. "Then," he continued, "you run until you get to a large field. You must run in a zig-zag fashion until you reach the other side. Then, you must a take a right down a stone-brick path and there, you will find your companion." Maggie began to speak again but Reginald stopped her. "We don't have time. You must go." Maggie ran to the corn and stopped to look at Reginald. "I'll be fine," said Reginald in a soft voice. "And remember, not all are who they seem." Maggie nodded and continued through the corn. She dared not look back. Maggie ran forever until she heard a weird noise. The noise was between a pig squealing and a woman shrieking in terror. She waited for three minutes until the noise finally stopped. Maggie then continued. After running for thirty minutes, Maggie came into a clear of the corn that was both wide and long. Maggie looked around and saw that it was vast and green. The field had a thin coat of grass with a few patches of dirt. It looked as if the grass was attacked by huge rakes or rods. Ignoring what Reginald had told her before, Maggie walked forward into the field. She had noticed the sky grew dark over the field. And then, the sky turned to a dim gray and a rumbling sound erupted from below her. Suddenly, as Maggie took another step, a strip of white yellow came down from the sky and exploded in front of her.

...

Maggie fell back and looked up at the sky. The clouds grew dark. It looked as if it would be a storm, but there was no rain or thunder. Then, a few yards away from Maggie, another lightning bolt tore the ground apart, like a knife to flesh. Suddenly, white strips bolted from the sky all around her. She was surrounded by lightning but with no way to move past. Then, Maggie remembered the advice Reginald gave her and prepared herself. She stooped down in a racing position and darted out in the field. She ran back and forth and from side to side, just like Reginald told her. The lightning bolts continued to rampage while she raced to the other side. She screamed repeatedly and cried to herself in fear of being killed. Maggie's feet moved swiftly along the ground like a horse on a dirt road. She was fierce and graceful. Suddenly, the ground exploded just two inches from her foot, which made her foot lift up and catapult her into the far right side of the field. She landed on the ground on her stomach and felt a pain shoot up her nose. She put her finger on her nose, as if to test out its workings, and felt blood ooze out her nostrils. She then blacked out. She woke up to a wild lightning storm, even crazier than before. Lightning grazed the field only two seconds apart. Realizing that she could not just lay there, Maggie got up and shot across the field. She was even more graceful than before. She passed back and forth across the field. She went from the left to the right and then to the left again. She only had one yard left. The lightning sprawled across the grassy field, but it was no match for Maggie. She ripped across the field and finally passed to the other side. She looked behind her at the demolished field and smiled. She made it through. She took a right down the stone-brick path and ran. She ran through a narrow path until she came into a large opening. On her left, there was a medium sized cage with blood splattered on the bottom. She saw a toe through one of the cage's squares and looked into it. She peered down further into the cage and saw a shadowy figure. It came to the side of Maggie, and she knew it instantly. It was Bryan.

Information

4

Maggie was astonished. She couldn't believe what she just said. How could her last loving thing in her world be taken? Why would this happen to her? Why did she have to be the Trial? Maggie went over this over and over in her head. "I'm very sorry," said the woman. "This is very difficult, I know. But, this hasn't been the worst news I've ever given dear." Maggie looked onto to her with disgust. Just the thought of the woman's face made Maggie sick to her stomach. "What. Do. You. Mean. My. Mother. Is. Gone." said Maggie through her teeth. The old woman sighed at Maggie and closed your eyes. "Look child," said the woman,"some men aided by a man with a long scar on his face came to your house yesterday looking for you. However, they found your mother and took her." The woman opened her eyes. "I guess they thought taking her would make you go after them. As a trap. However, I want to talk to you about something else. You see, earlier, the Elder advised me-". Maggie held up her hand and covered her mouth. She sobbed slightly. "How could you just go on like that without even addressing the issue!" screamed Maggie. "My mother has been taken for God sake and you want to talk about something else. What kind of woman are you, you wicked old bat." Maggie continued to sob into her hands. Bryan watched the two from the corner of the living room.

"What would you want me to do?" asked the woman in a quiet tone.
"You're the Prime so tell me what's going to happen!"
"Child, I am a guide not a storyteller. I can't tell you exactly word-for-word what happened to her and where she is. The path is not yet clear to me." Maggie continued to sob into her hands. The woman tried to console her but Maggie pulled away. Bryan went into another and room made a loud noise. Maggie began to wipe her face and position herself respectfully again. "Please," said Maggie, "tell me what I need to do to get my mother back." The Prime smiled and handed her the plate of sandwiches. Maggie took it and started to eat one. "Child, in order to get your mother back you must first receive training. You can't just go out there and try to save her without some real powers. Those quick swipes at that scarred Reaper won't work on the others." Maggie's eyes poked out so hard that it looked like they were balloons being inflated. "I know dear," said the woman, "you'll get used to it. Remember I can see beyond." Maggie dropped the sandwich from her hand back into the plate and stared at the woman for a while. Then she spoke.

"So, if you can see 'beyond' than will I be able to save my mother?"
"Child, I can see beyond but I cannot see past one's own choices."
"So then why did we come to you?"
"So that I can help you. I'm a guide, remember? Or did you forget who you were talking to just back then? I don't have to be a guide to you Ms. Stutton, that's one of the things you don't get. I've been sitting here telling you things and you keep interrupting and getting an attitude. Check it, Ms. Stutton." Maggie looked down. "I didn't mean to offend you or be rude," said Maggie apologizing. "It's alright child, I knew you would do it," said the woman. For a while it was quiet. Bryan came back to the room.

...

It started raining outside and the house was quiet. The Prime put some sandwiches in a plastic bag while Bryan went to the bathroom. He washed his face with warm water and looked at himself in the mirror. He was bleeding on his right leg. That guy hit me harder than I thought thought Bryan. Then that show off had to get that guy right when I was about to attack again. Meanwhile, Maggie sat by the window and thought about her mother. The thought of her being dead gave Maggie a shiver. I hope you're okay Mom thought Maggie. The Prime came back into the living room with the sandwiches and handed them to Maggie. "You're going to need them soon," said the woman. Maggie looked at the sandwiches and saw they were Peanut Butter and Jelly. "I know your scared child," said the woman. "But you just got to make due with what you got. There are no other ways this could have happened Maggie and believe me, I tried. But I couldn't see any other outcome. But anyway, just remember what I told you honey." Maggie nodded her head. She understood what she must do when they left the place. Bryan came out of the bathroom all refreshed and ready. Maggie then said goodbye to the Prime and her and Bryan took off on the road again.

"So, where are we going?" asked Bryan.

"What do you mean?" replied Maggie.

"Look I heard you and the Prime talking about some place that you must got to and face your inner fear. So where's the place you must go?" Maggie rolled her eyes and stared out the car window. "How do you know it's somewhere that you can go literally?" said Maggie with a superior tone. Bryan sucked his teeth and just stared forward. "Fine, forget I asked," said Bryan. Maggie knew she could not ignore this duty because she was scared. Many other Trials had made unbearable decisions and it could not stop with her. So she broke her silence. "Bryan, I need you to take me to my house," said Maggie. Bryan looked over at Maggie and saw that she was serious. He looked back at the road and nodded in agreement.

 

...

 

 

The two arrived in front of the modern duplex and Maggie got out of the car. Bryan hopped as well and grabbed Maggie's arm. "Why do you want to go back in here?" said Bryan. Maggie yanked her arm out of his grab and straightened her shirt. "I have to get a few things out of here," said Maggie frustrated. She then turned around, swished her at Bryan and went up to the door. She stared at it for a while, like it was unfamiliar. Despite her fears of what was inside, she unlocked the door with a hidden key around her neck and went inside. Bryan followed. Inside, the two were looking at what looked like an aftermath of a hurricane. Chairs were thrown around the the banister to the stairs was broken off. The small chandelier from the hallway ceiling was on the floor broken. Maggie sobbed to herself and Bryan put his arms over her shoulder to comfort her. "Come on," said Maggie, "I have to get something from upstairs." The two started up the stairs when a loud crashing sound came from the front door. The two turned around to find the door on the floor and the tall, scarred man standing there. Their jaws dropped.

"Well, isn't this a surprise!" said the man.



Unexpected News

3

The old came to sit at the huge, oval table in the kitchen to eat dinner. Bryan cooked spaghetti with mozzarella cheese and chile peppers. The smell filled the quiet house. Maggie positioned herself at the dinner table and said grace. "I hope you all are hungry," said Bryan sounding enthusiastic. "I really put my foot in this spaghetti." Maggie was too distracted with the old man's announcement to get excited about the meal. Once they started eating, an array of questions popped into Maggie's head. It happened so quickly that she almost fell out of her chair. She looked over at the other two, eliminating the spaghetti.

"Elder, I have some more questions," said Maggie
"I told you you may ask me any question," replied the man.
"How does the Trial learn all of their powers?"
"It usually comes natural to them once they know," said the man in a monotonous voice," however you have Bryan to teach you the basics, if you desire."

Maggie looked back down to her plate and ate a little more of Bryan's masterpiece. "But," said Maggie surprising the others," what if I have already done something like the Trial would do?" The old man and Bryan dropped their forks and looked up at Maggie. "When did you do something?" asked Bryan. Maggie was shocked at the two men's expressions and thought they wouldn't have cared about this as much. "Well," started Maggie,"when Bryan ran out of the house to go get the car, the tall man in the suit grabbed me from behind." The Elder looked over at Bryan menacingly, then turned back to Maggie. She decided to continue when the focus was back on her. "Then, I broke out of his hold and tried to push him away to escape. But when when I went to push him, something blue came out of my hand when I touched his chest. Then, he flew into the kitchen wall and slid to the floor." The old man and Bryan looked like they had seen a ghost. The man then turned to Bryan and slapped him on the back of the head. "Why didn't you make sure she got out of the house!" screeched the man. "She could have been killed." Bryan rubbed the back of his head and opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it.

"Look, I didn't know that would have happened," explained Bryan.
"Well you should have known, you were dealing with Reapers."
"Look, I'm sorry alright."
"This is the exact kind of recklessness that made your mother not stand here before me today!"

Bryan then stomped out of the room, still holding his head. The man turned back to his plate and mumbled to himself. Maggie looked in awe at the old man. I wonder what happened to Bryan's mother thought Maggie. "Sorry for raising my voice," said the man apologizing. "It's just that Bryan doesn't think sometimes and I see so much of his mother in him. He doesn't even realize it." "Who was his mother?" asked Maggie. The old man didn't look up at her. "Her name was Athena, like the Greek god. She was an amateur sorcerer just like Bryan. She was so....beautiful." The old man started sniffling as if he were crying, but he kept his head down so Maggie couldn't see. "What happened to her?" asked Maggie. The old man kept his head down, but it seemed like he had stopped crying. He didn't bother to answer her question. "Look Maggie," explained the man,"there are things you would not comprehend at this decimating time. But, what you should know is that you are more powerful than any of the others. No one has ever showed some kind of power before they were told they were the one, not even those who have been attacked like yourself." Maggie took in the information and her eyes bulged out of her head. She had never been stronger than anyone else, ever. Not in a fight, not in an argument, and not in life. Never. Her mind raced to comprehend the new information, to understand it. "What about my mother?" asked Maggie. The old man finally lifted his head, but looked confused. "What about her?" replied the old man. Maggie got up from the chair and stood up straight. "My mother came back to the house hours ago. What is she supposed to think when I'm not there or what if she's  hurt or something?" The man looked back and forth and thought about the situation. "Now you really should go," said the man. "Go get Bryan and you two can head out and go see her." Maggie put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "But it's in the middle of the night," argued Maggie. "She's probably not up and what if those Reapers are out there just waiting to get us." The man grinned and murmured something to himself. He looked back down again and put his hands together.

"The Prime does not sleep, but you're right about the Reapers," said the man.
"I am?" questioned Maggie.
"Yes, you are."

"You can sleep on the couch until the morning. Reapers are less likely to attack at that time. Thank you for pointing out my mistake Ms. Stutton." Maggie was astonished at the man agreeing to her argument. "Are you sure?" asked Maggie. The old man smiled again and stood up from the table. "Yes, you're the one who didn't want to go," said the man. "You may start on your journey tomorrow." The old man went through the door in the living room and disappeared into another place in the house. Maggie went over to the couch and laid down. Goodnight mommy thought Maggie.

...

Bryan packed the car for their long trip with a silent feeling of disgust. He didn't look up at the man when he got into the car. The man waved his hand at Bryan but he just sat looking forward. Maggie got into the car hesitantly, fearing that the Prime would deliver bad news. "Bye," said the old man, though no one heard him. He waved, but at an instant Bryan jerked the car into gear and drove away. The car made its way to the highway and continued for some hours. Maggie never asked Bryan a single question. Bryan started to sigh really loud and kept glancing over at Maggie. Maggie still did not say a word. "So what did you think about him?" asked Bryan. Maggie looked over in amazement that Bryan was starting a conversation. "About who, the Elder?" replied Maggie. Bryan sighed heavily again and hit the steering wheel.

"Yeah, the Elder. Did you think he knew all or did you think he was an arrogant old man!"

"Well, I thought he was nice and gentle."

"Oh, of course you would think that. You're so naive."

"I don't believe I like your tone."

Bryan started to laugh at Maggie. "My apologies Ms. Stutton," said Bryan sarcastically. Maggie stared forward again and crossed her arms. Why is he being such a jerk though Maggie. I never did anything to him. Bryan begun to relax in his seat. Maggie noticed, though, how he kept looking in his rear view mirror. Two cars behind Maggie and Bryan was a black sedan with a rather odd hood ornament. "Hey, they've been behind us for a while," said Bryan. Maggie pursed her lips and pretended to look at her fingernails. "Oh, I guess you want to get on my back for that," retorted Maggie. Bryan noticed that the car drifted into the next lane and pulled up beside them. Suddenly, the rolled down its tinted window, and a familiar face peered out. The tall man that attacked Maggie at her house peered out and out of his hand came a fire like substance that hit into the front-right tire of Bryan's 2004 Ashton Martin. "What's going on?" screamed Maggie unaware of the attack by her previous attacker. Bryan tried to get the car to go, but it wouldn't move without its fourth tire. "That guy at your house just hit us with magic and now my car, my beautiful car, is not starting," exclaimed Bryan. Maggie looked out her passenger window with horror at the man stop the car and get out. Bryan began to get out too.

"What are doing?" asked Maggie.

"I hate to do this in front of people but I have no choice," said Bryan with a slight grin.

"Wait, you'll get yourself killed going up against him."

"You hit him without any Trial-training, I think I can handle myself."

Bryan walked toward the tall man while Maggie was just getting out of the car. She watched in horror. "The last time we saw each other you ran away," said the man. "I recall me hitting you before I left, however, after this you won't be seeing me again," said Bryan with confidence. The two's fists and feet started glowing red and blue and they began to fight. The cars swept by as the two fought in the street. Bryan swung at the tall man's face but he ducked and kicked Bryan in the stomach. At that instant, Bryan flew into the Ashton Martin. Maggie peered from behind the car and saw Bryan getting up. "Just run away," Maggie whispered, "you'll have another chance but now we need to get to the Prime." Bryan looked ahead in disgust. "I can beat him." Bryan ran back towards the man and continued fighting. Bryan threw some punches every which way and he dodged them. The tall man also threw punches and Bryan blocked them. Then, the tall man aimed for Bryan's cheek only to be blocked by his arm and hit in the chest with his glowing blue fist. The man flew back and landed on his back. "This needs to be ended," said the man as he got up from the ground. The tall man ran up to Bryan and before he could do anything to stop him, the man kicked him hard in his lower stomach and he flew into the air. Bryan crashed into the ground with a thump and spit out blood. "Bryan!" screamed Maggie as she watched from the back of the car. The man walked up to where Bryan lay and raised his foot. "You see boy," preached the man,"you can't beat me." But I can thought Maggie as she ran up from behind the car. Maggie stopped when she was right beside the man and punched him in the face. A red light omitted from her hand as she lowered it. The man flew across the wide highway and was hit by a passing mini-van. Bryan looked up at Maggie amazed and disgusted. "You know," explained Bryan," I could have taken that guy out." Maggie grinned and folded her arms. "Oh sure you were, you were just too busy getting off the ground." Bryan got up from the cement paved road and dusted himself off. He went over to the broken car and leaned on it. "Man, I just got this car fixed," said Bryan. "Well nothing a little persuasion spell can't fix. Hey, Maggie, what time do you have on your uh, watch." Maggie looked down at her wrist. "It's nine-thirty," she told Bryan. Bryan put his hand over his head and fell to the ground. He sighed.

 

"Alright, I didn't want to have to do this but since we have no car, it's my only choice," sighed Bryan.

"What are you going to do?" said Maggie curiously.

"I'm going to use the Warp."

"What's that?"

 

Bryan didn't answer Maggie. She stood impatiently while he got up and went to the car. "For once, can you stop worrying about your precious car," Maggie said frustrated. Bryan opened the back door and pulled out his backpack. Then, he pulled out a round metal object and placed it on the ground. "Stand over here by me Maggie," ordered Bryan. Maggie walked over to Bryan hesitantly and stood waiting patiently for something to happen. Then, a car headed towards the two at high speed. Maggie tried to move out of the way but Bryan held her back in front of the metal. "What are you crazy?" screamed Maggie. "So I just killed that guy so we could get ourselves killed."

"It just needs some time to load," explained Bryan.

"And by that time we'll be dead," replied Maggie as she tried to break free of his grip.

The car was right in front of them now, not slowing down, and Maggie said a prayer to herself, asking God to forgive her for her crime of killing a man. Then, a mist pulled around them and they disappeared from the impending doom. Maggie only blinked once while they were being transported to the house.

Maggie then looked around and saw a door in front of her and found that Bryan's arms were no longer around her.

 

"Where are we?" said Maggie in a scared voice.

"We're at the place of the Prime," responded Bryan.

 

Bryan reached out for the knob and opened the door. There, a woman resembling such a person as Maya Angelou awaited them with some cut sandwiches. "Hello Maggie," said the woman. "I've been expecting you."

 

...

 

The woman guided Maggie and Bryan through the small house into a small room with a couch, table, and two other chairs. "I'm so glad you two decided to use that metal machine to get over here," said the woman as she sat on the couch. She acted very poised and polite, like someone would do in the old times. "Because if you two didn't use it, I would have ate all of those sandwiches and the cookies I made sitting on the counter." Bryan smiled at the statement, but Maggie just sat. She stared around at the small house and remembered her two-bedroom apartment her and her mother moved out of when she was eight. It was a small apartment, but after staying in it for some time, she got used to it. She even missed it now. "How rude of me," said the woman,"where are my manners? As you probably have guessed, I am the one and only Prime, who most would argue is a future-teller." Maggie said hello to the lady and introduced herself. "Oh I already know who you are Ms. Stutton," said the Prime. "I foretold you were the new Trial. That's how the Elder was able to send Bryan to your house. But anyway, we have to get our 'hellos' out of the way and get to the real news."

"Oh, sorry," apologized Maggie. The woman sighed and looked down at her feet. "Oh no Ms. Stutton," said the Prime," it should be me who's apologizing." Maggie sat up straight and was concerned about what she would say. "I'm afraid I have some bad news dear," said the Prime in a low voice. "They have your mother."





Visit to the Elder

2

The cars whirled past and it had started raining again. Maggie looked up at the sky and saw how groggy it was outside. It's so dreary thought Maggie. She looked over at Bryan who was driving at a rather slow pace. His eyes were bloodshot and he smelled like ember. Maggie couldn't help looking at his discoloration in his hair.

"What happened?" asked Maggie.
"How many times do I have to say it," replied Bryan," those were Rea---"
"No, not that I mean your hair."

Bryan looked distressed and continued steering the vehicle. "I can't talk about anything that relates to what you're going to find out. So just wait a sec and he'll explain everything." Bryan sighed heavily and looked back at the road. Maggie felt irritated at the fact that Bryan could not tell her anything about her situation. "Don't you think it's strange that I'm sitting next to a person who could be a murderer in a car that could be going to my final destination?" questioned Maggie. "I'm going to some place with some guy to go see another person who's as strange as what just happened. I think that it's wrong to just sit in this car and pretend that everything is okay when we both know two people just tried to kill me. So we're just going to drive in this car to some random place and ignore the problem until we get there?" Bryan felt the anger in her voice and sighed. Maggie began to speak again. "What about my mother? What is she supposed to think when she finds an unconscious man on the floor in front of her kitchen, a dead werewolf in front of my bedroom, and me not there?" Bryan got frustrated again and pulled the car to the side of the road.


"Look Maggie, I can't explain everything to you because I don't know how and I don't have the answers," shouted Bryan. "The only thing I can tell you is that those men were Reapers and that you can ask all of these questions when we get to the Elder!" Bryan put the keys back into the ignition and pulled the car back onto the road. It was quiet for the rest of the way.


The car went on for hours until it got in front of a large townhouse. The house had a wide cobblestone driveway with bushes lined up on each side. In front of the house lay a lavish garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes on one side of the walkway, and a few daisies and tulips on the opposite side. Maggie noticed a tall old man with a cane standing on the steps leading up to the house. The car came to a stop and Bryan gathered some things from the backseat. "Get out," commanded Bryan. Maggie stepped out of the car, longing to be at home with her mother watching television with a big cup of hot chocolate. The man stared at Maggie for a while and the went inside. Bryan ran up to the door just to go inside slowly. Maggie followed with bit of hesitation. As she walked through the front door, Maggie awed at the beautiful corridor. From the door, there was a long, narrow hallway with white walls. At the end of the hallway, there led two rooms on opposite sides. On one side, there was a big white kitchen with black appliances and black counter top. On the other side of the hallway, there was a huge living room with beige carpet and a white sofa. Across from the sofa was a flat screen t.v. sitting on a light brown television stand. Breaking off from the living room was a room that Maggie could only see at an angle. She assumed it was a bedroom. Then, Maggie looked over at the sofa and saw the old man she saw outside sitting there. "Hello Ms. Stutton," said the man with a rather deep but suave voice. "As you might have assumed, I am the Elder." Maggie stared at him breathless with a shocking expression on her face. She thought it was rude to just stand there with her jaw dropped so she stiffened up and tried to look respectful. "Hello, Elder."

...

Maggie sat down on the sofa, only two feet away from the old man. The man sipped on hot tea in an ancient China teacup. Then, he cleared his voice and looked up at Maggie. "You're probably wondering who I am, correct?" Maggie was astonished at how he spoke, seeing that he was old. She didn't expect his voice to be so clear and understanding. "Yes," Maggie replied. The old man pursed his lips and sipped tea. "Before you start asking random questions, let me start telling you the world that you were just brought into." The man cleared his throat and began to speak. "1000 years ago, before King Henry and before Christopher Columbus 'discovered' America, disgusted with the sins of men I conjured up a spell that would release the evil from man. However, the spell rebounded and soared into my body. From that moment on I have been, as you humans call it, immortal. On that day, I created a magic that could ruin kings and balance out this world. And in fact, I'll show you." Maggie looked confused, but amazed at the words that emitted from the man's mouth. "Keep looking at the fireplace, but notice my hand," said the man. He flicked his hand twice and waved it mystically. Then, the man's hand started to glow red and he motioned it forward. In the blink of an eye, the fireplace was lit and smoking. Then, the man waved his hand and it was if the fire had never existed. Maggie was in awe. She had always saw witch craft and magic in movies, but never thought it actually existed. She was so surprised that she almost fell off the sofa. "And since I was from then on immortal and the father of this fantastic new world, I was awarded the name Elder, or as you say, the Elder," said the man with a slight grin. "But, in order for this magic to have a pupose and balance out, an opposite was created. Now, I don't know how this happened or what caused this, but the opposite started to possess the weak and give them evil, but affective powers. And because so many people were infected with this evil, I had to create Protectors, or people who witnessed and practiced my magic. Essentially, they would go out fight this evil, which has now been given the name the Inomilous. And the young man who brought you here is also indeed an amateur sorcerer close to finishing his training and becoming a Protector." Maggie looked to her right at Bryan, who stood in the corner and listened to their conversation. He looked troubled and worried. "Now, this is where you come in," says the Elder with an unfamiliar tone. "I couldn't see how far this war with the Inomilous would continue, and so I had to create someone who could. I created a woman who could see before it is seen named the Prime. She has guided many of my followers over the years through their paths and helped many others." The man took a sip of his tea and got ready to talk again.


"Even though the war was partial to us, it didn't seem that we were getting anywhere with the Inomilous. So, I had to take matters into my own hand. I took a part of me and infused it with a specimen of the Inomilous. The outcome was a human who could balance out the war by controlling both sides. But, I found out that this warrior could be wounded while they were helping out in trying to change the tide in the war. Once, I saw for myself that this hero could pass away, I made a spell that created life cycles for this man. Because of his rebirth every few decades, my Protectors called him the Trial. After a while, I got used to the name myself." The old man laid back on the sofa and looked around the room. "And now," explained the man, "you may ask me any question you see fit and I will try and answer Ms. Stutton." Maggie was surprised at the way the man wold refer to her. Only her mother would be referred to as Ms. Stutton. She tried to find a time through her mind when she was referred to like that. She couldn't find one. "But before you ask me any questions, I have a question of my own," stated the old man. "What's the state of your father?" Maggie looked down at her lap and frowned. "When I was four, he left and never came back. At least, that's what my mother told me." The man sipped his tea again and looked disappointed.

"Has he made any contact with you in any recent years?" asked the man
"No, he hasn't," replied Maggie.

The man sat upward again. "Now, ask any question you'd like." Maggie looked up at the man and spoke. "Okay first of all, who were those people who tried to kill me?" The man had an epiphany and licked his lips. "Ah yes, I forgot. Those men who were sent to your house were called Reapers. They are men who are created by the Inomilous to track down any creature of our magic and destroy it." Maggie looked confused.

"But why were they after me?" asked Maggie in a questioning tone.
"Because," said the man, "you are believed to be the next Trial."

The Beginning........

Prologue 

Long ago, a magic was created to control this world and put everything into place. But in order for this magic to be contained, it had to balanced by an opposite. However, this opposite got out of hand and turned most of its sorcerers into horrible creatures who went to crush this world and everything in it. Then, a person was created to balance out both substances and put order into this universe. However, after finding out this powerful human could meet their doom, the man who put together this whole dilemma created cycles for this human to be reborn again throughout time. This is the story of Maggie Stutton and her journey throughout this mystical world.

1

She sat staring out her window watching all of the cars fly by down her street Towner. Maggie had just turned 16 yesterday, but it felt she was still five with a whole life to look forward to. She then looked around her light brown room. The oval mirror hanging from her door had been acquired on her sixth birthday.She had came into contact with her ebony dresser on her seventh birthday. It held all of her clothes, lip gloss, fingernail polish, and six different purses she had acquired over the years. On her eighth birthday she was given a somewhat golden hairbrush with a million bristles and a funny blue diamond at the bottom of the handle. She had always thought of it as weird.  Then on her ninth birthday, Maggie was given a pearl necklace that shined brightly throughout the night. As a child she would use that instead of a nightlight. That was the last thing her Aunt Rose gave her before she drove off of Mangum Field. She had only been 36. That was the last thing Maggie could remember about her aunt. No previous get-togethers or no previous birthday presents that were given to her by her aunt. Only that. She glanced back out at the dark sky as it rained throughout town. Her mother had been out running errands and wouldn't be back until three and it was only 12 o' clock. As Maggie stared out her window hopelessly, she noticed two men approach her walkway. They both had black hats and grayish colored suits. They looked like the police or maybe some higher government enforcer. The taller man looked at his watch and said something to the other. The other man just looked forward and stared at Maggie's front door. He looked bewitched. He then looked up and saw Maggie staring out at the two them almost questioning. The two suited men then started approaching the door. Maggie noticed the shorter one had a slight limp. Suddenly, there was knocking at the door. Maggie ran to the door hoping nothing bad happened to her and that she was alright. She opened the door and gasped at the taller man's face. The man had a mark that ran over his left eye. It looked like he was attacked by a knife or a sharp claw. "This is her," said the tall man with a deep menacing voice, "this is the Trial."

Maggie dashed upstairs, passing the rose-colored wall paper on the stairwell, and went into her room. Before the men could to the door, Maggie closed and locked it.

"We just want to talk," said the tall man.
"No, you don't," said Maggie in a startled tone.
"We're not going to hurt you, we just want to ask you a couple of questions."

Maggie thought the situation over in her head, and thought it was silly of her to just run away from the man before he could say anything. She opened the door about two inches. The man threw his hand through the door and onto her neck. She struggled but didn't have the strength to remove it. She began shutting the the door on his arm and hoped he would stop. After shutting it for the ninth time, the scarred man pulled his arm away and Maggie shut the door again.

"Maggie, open this door right now!"
"How do you know my name?"
"You'll find out if you open this door!"
"No."

For a minute, it was really quiet and it felt as if nothing had happened at all. Maggie stared at the door startled and worried. Then the tall man spoke. "Fine, if you won't come out, Larry will give you a reason." Then, it was quiet again. Then suddenly, a ripping sound began and Maggie started running to the other side of her bedroom. She feared the men would break the door's lock and capture her. But she was totally unprepared for what happened next.

...

 

 

The door burst open with a loud pounding sound and Maggie saw the tall man and a furry beast beside him. There was no sign of the quiet shorter man. The beast walked forward until it was standing half a foot from Maggie. Maggie began to dash to the side but the beast grabbed her by the hair and began dragging her to the other tall man. As Maggie tried to break free, a blue light flashed through the hallway and the tall man flew into the wall. A boy with light brown hair and a lanky figure came into Maggie's sight. The beast dropped Maggie's hair and went for the boy. As the beast ran to the boy, the boy pulled a spear and got into a pose. The beast leaped and the boy pointed his weapon to the sky. As Maggie emerged from the floor, she saw the beast lying on the floor, presumed dead. "Come on," said the boy with a slight urge. Maggie hesitated for a moment and then ran to the boy's side. The two ran to the stairs and jumped to the bottom. The boy went to the front door and jetted outside. As Maggie began to step through the door she felt a hand from behind. Something grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her to the floor. She turned around to find the tall man standing over her grimacing. "Where do you think you're going?" Maggie saw blood dripping from his lower leg. The man kicked Maggie into the wall near the door and prepared to get something out of his pocket. Fearing that the man would essentially end her, Maggie jumped up in a flash and flew into him. As she began to push the man down so she could make an escape, a blue light emitted from her palm and flew into the tall man's chest. The man flew across the living room to their right into a white wall. As he lay unconscious, Maggie rushed outside and looked around.
"Get in," yelled the boy in the driver's seat of a 2004 Ashton Martin. Seeing that there were no other alternative, Maggie dove into the passenger's side and the car took off.


"What's going on?" asked Maggie as the car darted onto the highway. "Those were Reapers Maggie," said the boy in a light voice. "They came to take you to their field and ask you questions. We have to move you to a secure---". Maggie waved her hand and put her fingers to her temples. "Wait a minute. Who are you and how do you know my name? How did you find me? Why did they just try to grab me?" Maggie dashed through thousands of obvious questions while the boy grunted. "Okay, just take it down a notch," said the boy frustrated. "My name is Bryan and I was sent here to rescue you. Those people who tried to grab you are called Reapers and they're part of the Inomilous." Maggie looked straight ahead at the road and began to go over the situation in her head.

"You only answered part of my questions," said Maggie.
"'Thanks for saving me' would be nice."
"Thanks for saving me, now what's going on?"

Bryan jolted the car left and right and darted through traffic. "Are you even old enough to drive?" questioned Maggie. Bryan put his hand over his face and murmured something to himself. "Look, I'm seventeen and I'll be eighteen in 4 months. I got my driver's license a few years ago." Maggie looked over at Bryan and noticed his hair was discolored in a tiny circle on the side of his face. The spot was a darkish brown and looked like a piece of candy. "I'm sorry I'm a little bossy," said Maggie,"I've just been through a traumatic experience." Bryan nodded toward Maggie as if saying message received. Maggie looked down in her lap and begun to speak. "Who are the Inomilous Bryan?"

"Everything will be explained when we get there."
"Why can't you tell me know?"
"Because it and all of your other questions will be explained when we got to him."
"I guess you won't tell me who that is either."

Bryan then pulled onto another street and stopped the car in dirt patch on the side of the road. "Look, just tell me what your problem is. Don't you have some patience?" Maggie glared at Bryan and pursed her lips. "Look, I don't even know who you are and I got into a car with you. I believe you owe me some answers. How can I know that I can trust you? Huh?" Bryan put his hand over his face again and sighed. " You can trust me, all right?" replied Bryan. " I just can't tell you any real details about our dilemma because you won't understand them yet until you've met with the Elder. Now, you can't ask me who that is either because it will also be explained when you meet with him. Now can you please stop pestering me until we get there?" Maggie put her hand on her arm where the man kicked her and she nodded her head toward Bryan. "Now lets get you over there so you can find out more about what you want to know." Bryan put the key into the ignition and started the car back up. "Where are we going again?"
"We're going to see the elder."