The Author’s Apprentice

I can move things with my mind.

I know, I know, it sounds insane. Trust me, I didn’t believe it either.

It started slowly. Every once in a while, if I waved my hand or gestured too fast, something would go flying across the room. I chalked it up to a coincidence the first time. The second time I figured I had been being clumsy without realizing. The third time I just ignored it.

After about five instances of objects following my movements, I finally accepted this wasn’t just coincidence. In my room one night, I tried doing it on purpose for the first time. I placed a pencil on the floor about three feet away from me, then extended my hand and breathed out slowly. I moved my hand up, and to my shock (and dismay, if I’m being honest), the pencil followed my movements.

It was official. I, Stormi Griffin, was telekinetic.

No one knew about this but me. I realized the day it started that it would have to be kept a secret. I’d learned that most people don’t respond well to things they don’t understand. I wasn’t about to risk being locked up in a lab somewhere.

Thankfully, I didn’t have too many people to hide it from. It was just my mom and I at the time. My dad had passed before I was old enough to remember him, and my mom started working to take care of the both of us. Recently, she had found a new job opportunity in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, so we packed up what little we had and moved.

We settled into our new home fine. We arrived in the summer, so I didn’t have to worry about going to a new school just yet. I spent most of my time in the library, trying to forget my worries by diving into worlds of fiction and fantasy. I never used my newfound ability if I could help it, and stifled any involuntary reactions to the best of my ability.

Things were going well. For a brief moment, it seemed like everything was going to be okay.

And then I went and ruined it.

* * *

“Morning, Stormi.”

I yawned as I lumbered into the kitchen and plopped down at the table. “Morning, Mom,” I murmured.

Mom set a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me with a smile. “Sleep good last night?” she asked. There was a suspicious lilt in her voice, and she seemed to be peering just underneath my eyes.

Not wanting to admit I had been up until one in the morning reading again, I simply responded with, “Mhm.” I then quickly changed the subject to distract her. “You going to work today?”

Mom smirked, clearly onto me, but playing along. “Yep, I’m actually about to leave. I picked up an earlier shift today.”

“Aww, boooo,” I complained. “I needed to return my book to the library today.”

Mom laughed, rolling her eyes. “You’ll be fine. You have a house key, right? You can go on your own.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes. Just be extra careful, and be home before I get back.”

I nodded and gave her a firm salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

Mom shook her head at me, smiling despite herself. She gathered the dishes from breakfast and placed them in the sink, then grabbed her purse. “Oh, and wash the dishes before you leave, please.”

“You got it.” I hopped up from my seat to give her a hug. “Love you.”

She hugged back and kissed the top of my head. “Love you, pumpkin.”

I waved as Mom pulled on her shoes and headed out the door. “Bye Mom! Have a good day at work!”

After washing the dishes (the most tedious chore known to man), I grabbed my backpack and headed outside. The town library was only a short walk from our house, about a fifteen-minute trek. I arrived at the library and walked up to the front counter to return my book. The librarian, Emily, was sorting through books, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Emily was a kind woman in her early twenties, and pretty much my only friend so far since the move. She was very smart, and very observant—which was bad news for me. I had to be extra careful about controlling my powers around her.

“Hey, Stormi,” she said with a smile as I handed her my book. “Good read?”

“Considering I stayed up all night finishing it, I would say yes,” I said sheepishly.

Emily chuckled and put the book away. “And I’m guessing you’re here for another book to keep you up all night?”

I grinned. “You know me so well.”

I scampered off to the shelves and began scanning the rows of books for a new story to delve into. I pulled out an interesting-looking sci-fi novel and started reading the blurb on the back. It sounded intriguing enough, so I sat cross-legged on the floor and began to read the first chapter.

That was my first mistake. I let myself get distracted.

I was brought back to reality quite suddenly when I heard a loud bang from behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin. By the time I realized it had just been Emily knocking over a ladder, it was already too late. There was no stopping the jittery feeling of energy flowing down my spine and through my limbs.

Then the books started floating off the shelves.

Encompassed by a soft, light-blue glow, they floated around the room like they were haunted. I began to panic—which, naturally, only made things worse. They started floating around faster, zooming in a circle around me. I waved my arms around in a panic.

No, no, no! Stop!

And just like that, they did. I took a deep breath, regaining my focus. The books obeyed my thoughts, floating back onto the shelves—just as Emily walked over to me. I grabbed the sci-fi book out of the air and clutched it to my chest before she could see.

“Is everything alright, Stormi?” she asked. There was concern and curiosity in her dark eyes, fixed on me from behind her glasses.

“Yep,” I chirped, giving her my best attempt at an innocent smile. “I, uh, I think I might check this one out—it’s really good so far,” I added, trying to change the subject so she wouldn’t ask me any more questions. I nearly cringed at how terrible a liar I was.

Emily offered me a smile. “Alright,” she said, not sounding fully convinced. “Come up to the counter and I’ll get you checked out.”

I exhaled softly. We began walking toward the counter when Emily froze. My heart stopped when I saw her peer at one of the shelves that the books had floated off of.

She knows, I thought, horrified. I put the books back out of order, and she noticed. She knows what I did.

As I watched her, stiff as a board, Emily simply shrugged and said, “Guess I missed these.” She rearranged the books in the correct order and moved on.

I relaxed a bit. Maybe she didn’t figure it out after all.

But someone else did.

As I turned the corner, I spotted a boy with disheveled black hair and porcelain skin. He looked about my age, around sixteen years old. He was sitting in a lounge area directly across from where I was, and he was looking right at me. He turned his head quickly, but not quick enough. I saw him staring at me, his wide dark eyes full of shock.

Oh, great. He definitely saw me.

“Stormi?”

I gave a start. Right, the book. “Sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “Tired.”

Emily checked out the book for me and placed it inside my backpack, which I guess I had left at the counter. “You’re all set,” she said with a smile. “You gonna stay here and read?”

I checked my watch. “It’s getting late,” I said. “I should probably head home. Mom will kill me if I’m not there when she gets back.” I took my backpack from her gratefully. “See you later, Emily.” I waved to the librarian, who waved back as I started to leave the library.

But when she turned away quickly and held up a phone to her ear with urgent haste, I stopped. I knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but I had to make sure she hadn’t figured out my secret.

I cocked my ear toward her as she said into the phone: “May I speak to Author Jonathan Chambers please?” She paused for a moment, then continued. “Author, you remember that girl I told you about? She’s one of us.”

Getting the impression I wasn’t supposed to hear any of that, I silently stepped away and slipped out the door. I pulled on my backpack and started to head home.

My thoughts raced as I paced down the sidewalk. Not only had Emily possibly caught onto me, some random kid had actually seen me using my powers. Who even was that kid? What if he told his friends? Or worse, the authorities? What was I gonna do?

My chest tightened as panic began to seize me. I inhaled deeply, counting the seconds between breaths, trying to steady my nerves. It’ll be fine, I told myself. I didn’t believe it.

My spiraling thoughts were abruptly interrupted when I saw something out of the corner of my eye—a shadow, moving quickly out of sight.

I paused, glancing around in confusion. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just my anxiety playing tricks on me, I thought. I shook my head and continued walking.

Another movement, this time on my left. I stopped dead in my tracks and whirled around, searching for the source of the movement, but again saw nothing. I sighed. Get a hold of yourself, Stormi.

I resumed walking, slower this time. My eyes darted around in search of movement. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. After a few more minutes of walking, I relaxed a bit. I must’ve just been seeing things.

A flash of movement behind me, this time accompanied by the sound of thumping footsteps. This time, the shadow didn’t disappear—it remained, lurking in my peripheral vision.

I stopped walking. The hairs on the back of my neck raised and my whole body went stiff. I bit my lip, waiting for the shadow to go away. It didn’t.

Trembling, I slowly turned to face whatever was creeping up behind me. I hoped with all my might that it would be nothing, that I was just imagining things. Surely I wasn’t being stalked by a mysterious shadow, right? That would be ridiculous.

But when I turned around, I was out of luck.

I wasn’t quite sure what I was seeing. It was a large, pitch-black silhouette, shaped like a human but with limbs much too long and thin. Its only features were a large red eye in the center of its face and two pointed horns atop its head.

I blinked several times. It didn’t go away. A deep rumble emanated from its throat, and it began to lean closer, its claws outstretched.

I didn’t think twice. I bolted down the sidewalk, clutching the straps of my backpack. Something like a roar sounded from the creature behind me, and I heard it start to run after me. I didn’t dare look behind me.

I dashed down the street, weaving my way between buildings in an attempt to lose the monster. It only seemed to get closer with each second.

I pushed my legs to go faster, nearly leaping with each step I took. My legs and chest began to ache.

After several minutes of running, my foot caught on a bump in the sidewalk and I was sent tumbling into the pavement. I winced as I felt the rough concrete scrape against my skin. Panicked, I scrambled to get to my feet before the creature caught up to me—but it was too late.

An enormous clawed hand pinned me to the ground. The monster leaned in, its enormous red eye inches away from my face. Its slitted pupil expanded and it raised its free hand, talons poised to strike.

I squeezed my eyes shut, terror gripping every bone in my body.

Then…the weird got weirder.

All I remember was thinking of escaping, of being anywhere but where I was. I clenched my fists and saw a flash of blue light from behind my eyelids. Suddenly, the weight on my chest was gone, and the sensation of rough concrete beneath me was replaced with that of soft grass.

Tentatively, I opened my eyes. I had vanished from the monster’s grasp and reappeared in a forest in the middle of nowhere.

Well, that was new.

It took a moment for my heartbeat to slow down as a wave of exhaustion crashed over me. Nausea swirled in my stomach and crept up my throat. I lay flat on my back in the grass, staring up at the endless blue sky. I placed a hand on my chest as I attempted to steady my breathing, feeling my chest rise and fall and counting the seconds between breaths. After a few minutes, the knot of anxiety in my chest loosened, and I was able to get oxygen in my lungs again.

I lay there for a moment, watching the clouds drift lazily overhead. I could barely process all that had happened today—first I expose my powers to two people, then I get chased by an actual monster, and then I teleport away somehow? None of it made sense. Was it a dream? A hallucination? An anxiety-induced psychotic break?

Real or not, it didn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. So…what now?

My stomach growled. Food it is, I thought. I rummaged through my backpack for a snack, when a metallic glint caught my eye. Curious, I reached for it.

It was a large bronze key. It was about the size of my hand and it reflected the evening light, nearly blinding me when I looked at it directly.

“Huh…”

As I held the key, it began to warm up in my hands. Before I knew it, the key was gleaming with a bright blue light, so bright I had to shut my eyes. I felt the wind pick up around me, and there was a sudden lurch—then everything was still.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes.

I now stood in front of a giant set of bronze doors embedded in the rocky face of a hill, mostly hidden by a curtain of vines and branches. Patterns of stars and swirls were etched in the gleaming metal.

I stared at the doors in awe and pulled out the key. I held it up to the doors; it matched perfectly. I inserted the key into the lock and, my heart pounding with curiosity and anticipation, I turned it.

The doors swung open to reveal a stairway leading deep into the earth, lit by lanterns with blue fire flickering inside them. I eagerly headed down the stairway. It went on until the doors were no longer in view. When I finally reached the bottom, I stood in front of a smaller door that looked similar to the one outside, except this one was silver. It was already unlocked. I gingerly pushed it open, revealing an arched hallway with a wood floor and star-swirled paintings on the walls that were reminiscent of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

I ambled through the hallway, marveling at the beauty of the paintings, when I heard voices coming from the end of the hall. I immediately froze, then silently crept forward. I stopped at the end of the hall, peeking out where it opened up into a large room shaped like a figure eight. A curved couch sat in the center of the room, along with some comfy looking chairs and ottomans. The walls were all bookcases, filled with the most books I had ever seen in one place. In between the bookcases was an open entryway leading to another twisting hallway.

I tore my eyes from the beautiful room and focused my attention on the conversing voices. I couldn’t see the speakers from where I hid, but I could hear their voices clearly.

“You’re sure you saw this?” a deep male voice asked.

“I’m sure,” replied a female voice that I almost instantly recognized.

Emily.

“But I wasn’t the only one. There was a boy there—one of Kenneth’s sons.”

“Oh dear,” the first voice said. “She’s certainly in danger now… You gave her the key?”

“Yes,” Emily confirmed. “I put it in her backpack.”

The key? I looked down at the bronze key still in my hand.

Oh shoot. They were talking about me.

“Then there’s no time to lose,” said the deep voice. “As soon as she gets here, we’ll start her training right away. She’ll need it to be able to defend herself. They’ll be after her.”

Lovely. I slipped up one time and now I had a target on my head. How could I have let this happen?

“We should let the others know,” said Emily. “Come on.”

A thousand questions raced through my mind. Who was this guy that Emily was talking with? What was this place? Who was after me, and why?

I heard footsteps retreating from the area. I peeked out again just in time to see Emily and a man I didn’t recognize turning down the hall and out of sight.

My common sense was screaming at me that this was a terrible idea. I had no idea what was going on and I could be walking right into a trap. But what else could I do? I had no idea where I was or how to get back home, and I had so many unanswered questions. There really wasn’t any other choice.

I scanned the room quickly to make sure no one else was in there, then set out after the two. Staying well out of sight, I trailed Emily and the man through the halls of the strange place. I was beginning to realize that in all the rooms, except for the hallways connecting them (which were painted like the hallway I’d walked through earlier), the walls were all bookshelves. This whole place was like one giant library.

Finally, Emily and the man entered the largest entryway I’d seen so far and disappeared from view. I waited a few moments, then followed them in. I caught my breath at what I saw.

It was the tallest library I’d ever seen. The room was cylinder-shaped with a ceiling so high I couldn’t see the top—it just seemed to fade into darkness. There were ladders and winding balconies, all made of dark wood, that allowed access to each shelf. And in the center of the room, there was a giant portal.

At least, that’s what it looked like. It was a huge, bulky metal ring propped up on a metal platform with steps leading up to it. It was old and rusted, yet gleamed with a blue-tinted light. It felt out of place in the warm glow of the room.

I turned my eyes away and examined the rest of the room. Four people sat at a table on the right side of the portal. Upon further inspection, I realized they were all…kids? Teens, to be exact. Strange—although not stranger than anything else that had led up to this point.

They looked up as Emily and the man approached them, and I ducked behind the doorway. I waited a few seconds, then peeked my head out and studied the strangers. The man Emily stood next to looked about fifty, with neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper hair and a short beard. The four teens looked expectantly at Emily and the man, appearing tense. The most peculiar thing that struck me about these people was that they all wore silver bracelets with blue pendants embedded in the center. As I looked closer, I noticed they all had their own unique designs.

“So, what was it you guys needed to tell us?” asked one of the teens, seemingly the oldest.

“Emily says she’s found us a new member,” said the man.

“A new member?” another kid asked, a young girl with blond hair.

Emily nodded. “I gave her the key to the base. She should be here soon.”

“We could definitely use some help around here,” said a third teen, adjusting his olive-green beanie. “’Specially since Brad almost, y’know, nos mató on our last mission.”

The older boy punched him in the arm. “That was on you, Logan.”

“Rude,” the second boy said, rubbing his arm and frowning. “It’s not my fault you’re losing your touch.”

The fourth teen rolled her eyes at the boys, tossing back her short, vibrant red hair. “Dimwits.”

I started to step forward, about to demand to know what the heck was going on here, when my whole body stiffened.

A shiver ran down my back and I went limp. I collapsed on the ground, capturing the attention of Emily and the others, and their shouts of surprise were the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

* * *

The boy rushed through the dark halls as fast as he could. He turned a corner and barged into a room where a man in a dark cloak was sitting at a desk. The man jumped as the boy threw the door open.

“Kievan!”

“Good grief, Kai, did you ever learn to knock?” the man grumbled.

“I saw a Storyteller,” the boy said, ignoring the man’s comment. “At the library. I tried to follow her, but a monster attacked and then she disappeared—”

“Kai, I told you to leave these things to me.”

“But you know what this means!” the boy continued. “They have a base somewhere around here. If we could just find it—”

“That’s enough, Kai,” the man said sternly.

The boy opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. “Fine,” he groaned, then stormed out of the room.

The man put his head in his hands and sighed. “That boy…” The man paused, looking down at a map on his desk with charcoal X’s scribbled all over it. “He may be onto something, though…”

The man placed a finger on the map where the town library was drawn. He narrowed his eyes, a vengeful look crossing his face. “Your days of hiding are over, Storytellers.”