Lightning Flashed
By Summer Ross ( 2012)
Lightning flashed. I saw his face in the rigid outline of the grey sky. His eyes searching the field, I ran. I would be at a huge disadvantage if he kept using tricks. Wizards, ha! Cheaters more like it. I dashed into the forest. My heartbeat rushed gulping breaths from my lips. My thighs burned with use, the muscles constricting as I willed them in place. If he caught me, the competition would be over.
I probably shouldn’t have agreed to the contest in the first place, but Gregory pissed me off. I mean really, just because he’s a wizard, doesn’t mean he has the right to speak to me like I’m the scum suckling his precious toes. Of all the things he could have called me, it had to be witch.
I pushed my hands together and laced outspoken words with runic magic, gathering the spell inside my hand to a ball. When I felt the prickling on my fingertips, I opened my hands and looked into the glowing orb. Gregory was perched on a limb just inside the forest, about three big oak trees away. His body crunched up like an owl, his head twisting around his body looking for movement. If I find him first, I win. I crushed the ball in my hand.
I took my time moving around the broken tree limbs and through parting oaks until my body slinked up to the tree he sat in. I looked up, his head still rounding his body, waiting.
I whispered another spell. My heart hammered in my chest. I prayed to Odin he didn’t see me. The familiar tingle spread across my middle finger. I pointed it right at him and flicked and a light blue streak shot out towards Gregory. Lightning flashed. He was gone.
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The Magic Box
By Summer Ross (2012)
There are only two reasons in my world a box would magically appear: a summons to magical court, or a death threat. No matter what I did, the box kept coming back. It showed up on my kitchen table the first day of February. Sure, I was curious, but why open something when I had no idea who it came from. I threw it in the trash the first day.
One week later, I had came home from the overnight shift at the Rune shop. I wanted two things, a hot shower and sleep. I turned on the water, stripped, and the minute hot water cascaded down my petite form the box appeared. Face to face, hovering. I tried to ignore the damn thing. I closed my eyes and washed my body. I turned my back on the box. Suddenly I felt something tugging on my hair. I turned to see the box had tangled itself in my black tresses. I think it actually whimpered at me.
I turned off the water, pulled my hair around my shoulder, and held on to the box. Thank Odin I didn’t have to chop it out of my mane. I set the persistent thing on the counter, dried off, and dressed. I grabbed the parcel, stormed to my backyard, and threw it down into my burning barrel. Believe it or not, It screamed when I lit it on fire. I watched as it turned to ash before I headed into the house.
The very next week, when I woke up, I crawled out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. The damn box tripped me in the hallway. A sharp pain scurried through my foot. Pissed I kicked the intruding object. It disappeared and my foot went right through the wall. I landed on the floor. As if mocking me, it reappeared. Exasperated I ripped open the top. A note lay inside, folded in a perfect heart.
My friend Ginger, Odin guide her, received a box while we were sipping expresso in her apartment last month. I tried to warn her to let it alone, but her curiosity always won. She opened the damn thing as if it were Christmas morning. A gleam in her dark brown eyes and a small smile on her lips. Inside the box was a note. The second she read it, she disappeared.
My fingers trembled as I carefully opened the heart shaped note.
I love you was written on the inside. I flipped it over and over, but found no name. A tingle spread from my fingers up my arms faster than I could think of what to do. In a heartbeat, I lay on a marble floor. My ears rung as my vision settled on a tall man. His broad shoulders rested on the back of a bright red chair. Only the strap of a bow graced his ripped hairless chest.
Tight black pants crinkled as he leaned forward and said, "Greetings, Anna. I'm Que Pid."
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The Exchange
By Summer Ross ( 2011)
"Snow White, you just lie back and rest. Remember don't answer the door for anyone. We will be back in the morning." Said Doc.
Snow White nodded. Her little men were so sweet and kind to her, they only wished to protect her. She watched each one leave the house. Small foot prints followed each other in the falling snow outside. The minute the door shut she rushed off the bed to grab all the presents she hid. She made a gift for each one. She embroidered a hand towel for Doc, a new hat for Happy, a new shirt with sleeves the right size for Dopey, a handkerchief for Sneezy, a blanket for Grumpy, a pair of pants for Bashful, and a pillow for Sleepy. Tomorrow was Christmas morning and she wanted it to be the best Christmas she could ever give them. As she folded the wrapping around each special gift she heard a soft knock at the door.
"Hello, Snow White? I have something important to tell you," an old woman's voice croaked. Snow White looked out the window. A hunched over old lady stood on the step. She held a small basket covered in a red cloth and her outfit was all white with red hems. A cute little red cap sat on her gray hair all turned up in a bun. Her cheeks were rosy from the falling snow outside. Poor thing. Snow White knew she had to let her in or she'd freeze. The door opened and the old woman took a step in.
"Do I know you?" Snow White asked leading her to the fireplace with seven red stockings hanging on the mantle above.
"You should know me," the old woman said as she sat on a lone chair.
"Here let me get you a nice cup of warm milk. I have cookies too if you're hungry."
"Oh, that won’t be necessary." The old lady pulled the red cloth from her basket and she had cookies and milk tucked inside. "I brought these for you, dear."
"How very sweet of you." Snow White picked a little gingerbread man with green frosting. She took the first bite and it tasted so wonderful with sugar and spices she scarfed the whole thing down. "Didn't you say you had something to tell me?"
"Yes dear...would you like some milk before we talk?"
Snow White drank a cup of the old woman's milk. It was warm and sweet going down. She briefly wondered how the milk stayed warm. Suddenly the fireplace split into two as her vision doubled. Her knees shook and she landed hard on the floor knelt beside the old woman.
"Ah, now we can talk. You see you have taken my husband Snow White. You took Mr. Claus away from me and I just can't have that."
"I don't understand..." Snow White slumped to the floor watching the old woman turn into three old women. Her heart sputtered next to her rib cage and the fire was hot on her back.
"Your "little men" are all my husband. He saw you and used his Christmas magic to turn himself into dwarves. Every day when they went to work, he turned back into Santa Claus and headed to the factory at the North Pole. He calls me every night to tell me how he will be working late with so many new children coming every year. But you see I followed him and that's how I found you." All the Mrs. Clauses rocked back and forth in their chairs smiling down at Snow White.
"What have you done to me?" Snow White's upper lip began to sweat and heat overwhelmed her like a hot flashes.
"Oh, don't worry dear, it’s just a little potion. In a little while, you will forget everything, and we will trade places. I'll thank you as you walk out the door to go back to the North Pole." Mrs. Claus snatched a piece of hair from Snow White’s head. She placed it in a glass of milk then drank it all in one gulp. Snow white watched as the old lady turned into her right before her eyes. The next thing she remembered was looking at Snow White standing in front of the door.
"Thank you for the cookies Mrs. Claus," Snow White said.
"Oh you are very welcome dear." Mrs. Claus shuffled out the door with her empty basket. She knew she had to return to the North Pole to help Mr. Claus get ready for Christmas.
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