Magic.Inc

Do you believe in magic? The sign caught John’s attention when he stopped to tie one of his shoelaces. it was rather unusual, just a piece of cardboard with big handwritten letters, it looked as if the writer had been in a hurry. Mrs Brown, Johns schoolteacher would have had a thing or two to say about the handwriting. She would, with her usual sarcasm, claim that the letters had been thrown at the cardboard instead of being written. John looked at the sign once more, he had not known that this store had been opened; the sign over the old door was beautiful, made from carved wood. Magic.inc it said, with huge Gothic letters. He had not even known that someone had bought the old book store; it had been closed for as long as he could remember.

He scratched one of the mosquito bites on his arm before he took a few steps closer, what kind of shop was this? He knew of a magic shop in the big city east of this one and that shop sold all kinds of fancy stuff. He knew that Pete in his class had bought himself an illusionist kit there, and he had used it to entertain the class on someone’s birthday. He had actually been good too. John looked at the windows and sighed, this was not a shop he would visit; the things showed there told him that. This shop did not sell false teeth or bags that made farthing sounds when you sat on them. He could see a lot of boring things, like one of those weird Russian Tea makers and such stuff that adults seemed to be crazy about. John was ten years old, and a smart kid. He wondered why they had a sign like this in their window if antiques were all they sold. He could not see anyone on the inside, the store looked dark and he started walking again, forgot all about it.

He knew what was waiting for him back home and he knew the outcome too. His mother would first be irritated, then angry and then he would be told to go to his room and stay there the rest of the evening. (No TV for you tonight young man!) His father would agree with her of course, he always did, and it did not matter if John told them what had happened. He sighed and grabbed his bag, pulled it closer towards his chest. The bottom was torn out, and he had big stains of mud all over his clothes. His mother would go haywire when she saw that! (Do you think love washing your dirty laundry? Ha?! Can’t you boys ever stay away from mud!! It’s got to be something genetic!!)

John looked down as he was walking and his pace slowed down as he approached his home, He did not look forward to this! He gathered all of his courage and entered, tried not to make much noise in case his father was resting. Everything that could help him now was appreciated. His mother was washing the floor and she saw the stains immediately. She dropped the mop and stared at him like he suddenly had turned green or something. «John! What in God’s name have you been doing! «John knew his face looked like that of a criminal who’s just gotten his sentence read out loud. Still he tried a last attempt to free himself. «Mom, it’s not my fault, it was Henry, he pushed me! And he stole my lunch box again! «

She put both her hands on her hips and John knew what was coming, she looked like a thundercloud! «How many times have I told you not to play with that kid ha!? And you never listen to me! «

John swallowed hard, wanted to speak. (I am not playing with him mom, I try to avoid him but he never leaves me alone! ) She noticed his bag and her face turned red. «That’s it young man, you are grounded! «

She pointed towards the stairs and he started walking, this had turned out to be worse than he had feared. «And don’t you dare show your face downstairs before dinner! «He stumbled into his room, threw himself at his bed. This was not fair; they had never treated his older brother like this.

Johns brother George had left home, he was at college and Johns mom and dad were bragging about him day in and day out, George has finished the exam as best in class, George has become member of the football team, maybe he’ll go professional. Still John missed him, things had been much better when he was at home. He had played with John and called him buddy and allowed him to play with his old toys. And he had of course protected him against the school menace; nobody had dared to mess with John as long as George was there; because George was above six feet tall and terribly strong and tough.

John felt how his stomach was hurting, he had liked school but now he feared each new day, leaving the house felt like leaving for his own execution. He had complained to his dad several times but it did not seem like his father understood how serious the problem was. «If somebody is causing you problems son, just avoid them. «

That was easier said than done, Henry knew just who to bother, and how! John knew that he wasn’t the only victim; there were several others, from all grades. Henry was twelve but a huge kid and some thought he was about seventeen when they saw him first. He was the fear of the entire town, he had a small group of loyal servants who tried in every thinkable way to please him, and they were just as mean and vicious as their master.

They would do things so serious that the police was involved but they had never been caught. John knew that Henry and his friends had hanged poor old Mrs Sawyers cat from the flagpole, they had broken the wind shields on every car parked on the main street one night and they had caused several fires and accidents. John knew something else too, and that was worse. Every kid in school had to pay Henry fifty per cent of their weekly income, unless of course they were very rich, cause then their families were among the friends of Henry’s dad and they were safe from his malice.

John knew that if his tormentor had been anyone else than Henry the problem would have been solved a long time ago. John’s dad would have told about the problem to the other kid’s parents, and things would have been sorted out. That would not happen, not as long as Henry was the mayor’s kid. Mrs Brown had tried to complain about Henrys behaviour once and she almost lost her job. They claimed that she had been stealing money from the schools bank account and everybody knew that was not true. It was the same reason why Henry never had been caught by the police, nobody dared to oppose to his reign of terror. If Henry was the fear of every kid in town then his dad was the terror of all the adults, not openly, oh no, but hidden. He had his hands in everybody’s pocket and John knew the meaning of the word corruption.

The mayor of Oaksdale was a bad man, he could understand that. He had heard his parents talking with their voices low and it was true what they said, that man had the entire city in his grasp. There were rumours about him cheating at the elections, that people were either bought or threatened to vote for him. The rumours never reached the open; there were lots of people who were Mr Jones spies. John knew that nobody could get a job unless Mr Jones got his fair share, that he decided almost everything that happened within this place. If you did not agree you’d better move, or else nasty things could happen. ( What about it Mrs Smith, would be a pity if your son lost that scholarship hu? ) Mr Jones had something on everybody, no matter how small or big and he had no conscience. He did not care about people, only about money, and his son of course.

Old man Smythe down the road had once said that young Mr Jones was like an untamed colt, his father was spoiling him beyond words and his mother did nothing about it. Henry had never felt the hands of discipline, he was allowed to do exactly as he pleased and that ruined his character. John did perhaps envy him in a way, he wished his parents could give him some more freedom, but then again, he loved his parents and Henry did not love his. He had heard Henry speak about them in a terrible way and there were no respect. Henry’s dad thought that he could buy himself his son’s affection, and clear his conscience the same way, for never being there with him.

John’s mom had once said that he should pity Henry but that was hard to do, John did not even think that Jesus himself could have done that. Henry was evil, no doubt about it and his parents had only made it worse. John knew that Henrys mom was an alcoholic, he was not quite sure what that word meant, but he knew it was bad, and his mom had said that she was a bitch too. John was not allowed to use that word about anyone so it had to be really awful. Sometimes his mom said that Mrs Jones was a tragic destiny, that they should feel sorry for her too. She acted like she was the first lady and got all the luxury she wanted, but all the ladies in the town knew that her husband despised her and that he often beat her or used psychological terror. Perhaps she was trying to hide her misery behind a perfect mask. She ruled the social life of the town just like her husband ruled the business and nobody wanted to be the target of her vicious gossip. One word from her and anyone could become a nobody just over the night.

John had often dreamt that things were different, that the Jones family suddenly had to move or something like that. That they just disappeared, all of a sudden. Things would be so much better then, for everybody. If someone just could make them disappear, by magic! He felt sick every day because he knew that Henry had some new mean ideas he wanted to test on some unfortunate being, and quite often that unfortunate victim was John. Henry had once pushed his head down underneath the surface in one of the school toilets; he had almost drowned and missed an important test. At some other occasion he had forced John to walk butt naked through the school yard in the middle of January. Nobody had dared to say anything, not even the principal and John had gotten pneumonia and had to stay in bed for two whole weeks and was almost bored to death.

John did not notice that he had fallen asleep; he woke when his mother was calling to him, from down stairs. «Dinner! «

He got on his feet, found some clean clothes and hurried downstairs. His father was already sitting by the table, he appeared to be in a good mood and John managed to make a small smile. «Hi there kid, how was your day? «

John felt that his smile turned his whole face stiff and unnatural. «OK, as usual”

His father just mumbled something in return and continued reading the news. «Look Sandy, there’s a new store opening tomorrow, where the old bookshop used to be! «

John’s mom turned her head, he could see genuine interest in her eyes. “Really? I thought they were going to demolish that building? «

John’s father shook his head. «Doesn’t seem that way now, Magic.inc, that’s the name of the place, weird name”

John looked at his mother. «I saw it today”

She smiled at him, appeared to have forgotten everything about the dirty clothes and the torn bag. «Did you see anything sweetheart? What kind of shop it is for instance? «

John nodded his head. «Mhm, they sell old stuff, I think. «

His mother got something dreamy in her eyes. «That sounds exciting; I think I’ll visit someday”

John’s father looked up from the paper. «Don’t spend all of our money now honey, you know times are hard! «

She just continued smiling and seemed to have forgotten everything about John being grounded. It was weird but it seemed like new shops had a strange effect on women, they apparently forgot about everything else until they had checked things out for themselves.

John had not entirely understood the mystery of women, his brother seemed to be obsessed with them and so did all the other guys too, as soon as they reached a certain age. John hoped he never would act so stupid, his brother had once payed ten dollar for a picture of a naked lady he claimed was a famous movie star, he had to be out of his mind! Henry seemed to be very interested in females too, they had caught him sneaking around the girls shower with a camera more than once and rumours said that he had the biggest collection of obscene magazines in this town, perhaps within the entire county. Some of the elder guys seemed to admire him, John could not understand why, not at all!

The evening went by as normal; John went to bed and was fast asleep well before ten and the next morning he got up and left for school with the usual shiver within his heart. Only God knew what horrors Henry had invented this night. He was walking in his usual pace when he passed the new shop, the clumsy sign was still in the window, and the building seemed to be dark. It was early and the shops did not open yet. He suddenly heard voices, laughter and the sound of feet. He recognized the voice of Henry and could clearly hear that he was in the mood for fun, that meant that he wanted to find someone to torture, John froze, tried to find a way out of this trap. The road behind him was empty but he was not a fast runner, they would catch him, and there were no places to hide. He could hear the voices getting closer, they would turn around the corner any second now and spot him and he seriously feared for his life.

He suddenly heard a new sound, the sound of a door being unlocked behind him. He turned around, could see a dark figure behind the front door of the shop and he could see the new sign hanging from the door handle. Open it said with big letters. John gasped for air and found himself leaping towards the door like he was drowning and the door a life-belt. He shot through the old door and slammed it shut behind him, tried to remember breathing. He was saved, for the moment. He took a look around, his eyes got big. The window exhibition had lied; this was indeed a weird place. He could feel some strange smell that somehow reminded him of foreign restaurants and the whole shop was filled with shelves. All apparently completely covered with stuff. He could see a stuffed out rat on one shelf and on another something that looked a lot like a shell from some old-fashioned canon. It had to be empty; un-else it had to be both dangerous and illegal. There were jewellery and cosmetics, pictures and furniture, all with something extraordinary about them, something that made them appear special even if they looked kind of ordinary.

He looked out, Henry and his mates had stopped just outside the store, he could not leave yet. He took a few steps forward; a picture on a low shelf caught his eyes. It was a girl and she was dancing in a field of flowers, the weird thing was that she was very tiny and had beautiful butterfly’s wings. It looked so real, but John knew that you could make fake photos like that with a computer; George said it was really easy once you learned how it was done.

He was going to turn around when he heard footsteps behind himself, he froze. The owners of shops like this used to be grumpy old ladies with moustaches and thick glasses or scary old men who seemed to accuse any customer of being a thief, without saying a single word. «Good morning young man, our first customer? »

John turned around, very slowly. He looked up at the person behind him and found himself gaping. This was not at all an old scary hag; she was the loveliest woman he had ever seen, much prettier than his brother’s poster girls. She was quite tall and she had long golden hair and the most sparkling green eyes he had ever seen. John had to swallow, he suddenly felt like his knees had turned into jelly underneath him. He had never even imagined that something this wonderful existed. «N...no ma’am, I’m no customer, I ...”

He could not finish his sentence; her deep green eyes seemed to drown him completely. Outside he could hear Henry laughing, apparently at the sign, and the woman turned her eyes away from him, looked out. He saw something sad in her eyes for a swift second and that almost crushed his heart, he did not want to see sadness in those wonderful gemlike eyes. «Oh, I see, you wanted to hide here right? A very reasonable reaction, and mature too. Always avoid trouble whence you can, my father told me that. Has that boy caused you problems for a long time? «

John could feel his feet shiver with relief, she could understand him, he could feel it with the very core of his heart, and she really truly understood his problems and he almost felt like crying. There was so much compassion within her eyes, so much understanding. «Yes ma’am, a long time! «

She smiled at him and rubbed his head. «What a pity, you seem to be a nice boy. «

She suddenly shook her head and smiled. «Oh dear, I am such a fool, I have not introduced myself yet. You are the first to visit this place so I should be more polite. «

She grabbed Johns hand and he could feel strange warmth pass into it when she touched his skin, it felt... good!

«I am Nianh, I own this shop, and you are? «

He felt himself blushing. «John ma’am, John Drake! «

She smiled and it was as if the sunshine suddenly had filled this room entirely. John felt happy! «Welcome John Drake, you know that your name means dragon? I am sure you have the courage of one; I can see that in your eyes! «

John did indeed feel terribly brave right there and then; there were nothing he would not do for her. If she had asked him to go out and beat the crap out of Henry he would even if that would be certain suicide! She smiled again. «What do you think of this place John? Do you think we’ll get many customers? «

John blushed again, she spoke to him as if he was an adult and that made him feel mighty proud of himself, in a good way. It made him feel important.

«Oh, I don’t really know, I’m only ten years old, but you have a lot of strange stuff here! «

She laughed; the sound was like that of silver bells. «Indeed I have, but I think that the most important thing we sell is dreams. You see, people seem to find some sort of connection between things and their own wishes and desires. «

John was thinking hard. «You mean like people who buy themselves a fancy car when they start feeling old and so on? «

She made a happy grin” Just that, you are a clever boy John! «

She waved her hand at the shelves. «So, is there anything here you want? Anything that will fulfil your inner wishes? «

John lowered his head. «No ma’am, there is only one thing I want and that won’t happen; at least not with the help of things from this place”

She bent down; there were sadness in her eyes again. «Really? Nothing is impossible young man, you see, you just have to believe! «

John looked at her again, he felt a strange urge to tell her everything about Henry and his dad but he couldn’t. «Believe in what? «

She straightened herself up again, smiled. «In magic my good lad, believe me, it can do wonders! «

John shook his head. «Magic is not for real; it’s just tricks and illusions! Like those shows on TV with that Copperfield guy and others”

She was not offended, she continued to smile. «You are right, that is not real magic, I am talking about the true magic that people has forgotten. «

John looked confused. She grabbed an item from a shelf; it was a piece of rock. «See this? It’s a piece of a meteor, just a piece of rock you might say but to some this contains cosmic energies. They believe that they can do great things with it and as long as they believe they can! It’s all in your head kid; magic is about breaking the barriers of so called science and common sense. «

John swallowed. «Is that why the shop is called Magic.inc? «

She nodded her head and he was thrilled by the way the light was shining in her hair, it looked like red gold. «That’s right kid, all of these items are special, all of these things can change lives if you only let them do it, if you allow yourself to believe they can. «

John felt a weird eagerness.

«Ah, well, there is something I want to ask you about? «

She sat down in a huge chair, crossed her legs at her knees with a cats elegance. «Spit it out young man”

He looked down. «The kid out there, Henry, ah.. Is there any way I can stop him from harassing me? «

She smiled gently. «Of course, but that will require some big magic, nothing a kid should be messing with. «

John sighed, he had suddenly gotten such a belief in the things she said, he had hoped that.. She closed her eyes. «I think I can help you John, yes I do. It will require a little help from you and others but as I said, nothing is impossible! «

John felt kind of silly, he was standing there, talking about magic with a grown up lady, and he knew that magic was just something they wrote about in fairy tales and such fantasy novels. It was just that he could feel, deep deep inside, that she was right, and that all other people were wrong! «What... what kind of help? «

She smiled again, a friendly smile with a little waggish twist. «He is a problem to more people than just you right? What I want you to do is to get an item from as many of his victims as you can, the more you get the more powerful it will be, and it has to be something that he has touched. OK? “

John felt dizzy, his head was spinning, if that was all that was needed then he would do it today. Most of Henrys victims were his friends and he could easily persuade them into giving him a small thing or two. «OK, and then? «

She smiled again. «Bring the things to me, and I will do what I can! «

John looked down. «How much do I have to pay you for this? «

She laughed again. «Not a cent my dear lad, not a cent. It’s not for sure it will work at all, and I do enjoy helping people. But if you will, you can paint the fence outside, it looks terrible. I’ll even pay you a little for the job”

John grinned, he felt happy again. «It’s a deal ma’am! «

He thought for a moment. «The thing you are going to do, is it like voodoo? «

Nianh smiled and laughed. «Perhaps a little, but don’t worry. None will even know that there has been a spell at work! «

John turned toward the door, the street was empty and he sighed with relief. Suddenly the sound of feet filled the room again; someone was walking down the stairs. He looked at the door and it flew open, two huge dogs ran out and started licking Nianhs hands before they turned their attention towards John. They looked like huskies, or perhaps malamutes but they were so big. John did not feel scared though, their golden eyes were friendly and they licked his hands very gently and so he scratched them behind their ears and they made small whimpering noises with delight.

A man entered the room, he would have made any movie star look puny and ordinary. John knew he was the kind of man that gave the ladies a strange look upon their faces, like they were hungry or something. John had seen a few basketball players who were a little taller and wrestlers who were a little wider across the shoulders; but this guy had to be the most perfectly trained man John had ever seen. He looked like a Greek God or something, handsome but not feminine at all, elegant and powerful like a tiger.

He carried a huge armchair, put it down and got some of his long dark hair out of his face. His eyes were blue and very gentle. He grabbed John hand. «Hello there, our first customer? «

Nianh answered. «No, our first friend here in town, meet John Drake, a very clever young man”

She smiled at the man and he bent down and kissed her cheek. «John, let me introduce Kieran, he is my husband”

John sighed, of course, the perfect woman had to be married to the perfect man. The dogs continued sniffing him and he laughed, they were tickling his armpits. «They like you, that’s great. They like good people. The one with the white spot is Gere, and the other is Freke. «

Kieran had a very deep soft voice, it felt comforting listening to it. «Weird names! “

Kieran smiled. «Yes, from the old Nordic mythology, they were the wolves of Odin, the God of wisdom and death. «

John looked at his watch. «Oh ##... I ’ve got to go, or else I’ll be late for school!«

Nianh looked at the clock on the wall. «You are right! it’s late! if you want to the dogs can follow you, you’ll be safe then! «

John stared at the two dogs, they were indeed huge and he knew that Henry feared dogs. «Will they find their way back by themselves? «

Nianh nodded her head. «Of course they will, and don’t forget our little deal!«

John smiled and opened the door, the dogs looked at him and waved their tails like mad. «OK, see ya! «

He ran down the street and the dogs ran with him, one on each side. it was strange how safe he felt with them there.

Nianh sighed and Kieran sat down beside her, he caressed her hair very lovingly. «Can you help that kid dear? I sensed so much fear within him! «

She smiled, and there was something sad within her smile. «i guess i can, but this problem requires a more grand solution, i think this entire city has a huge problem and the boy is only a small part of it. «

Kieran nodded his head with a thoughtful grimace. «You are right, but we can do something right? «

She got on her feet, and there was something dangerous shining in her eyes. «Of course we can, that’s why she sent us here in the first place, this place is so filled with fear it’s choking everyone. i could sense it from afar my dear, it is terrible. With her help we shall cleanse this place, once and for all; and we’ll start with young John and his problem. «

Kieran smiled. «That is great, then i guess the snowball has started rolling?«

She nodded her head and played with the small piece of meteor rock.

«it has, now you go and do your part of the job. i’ll gather all the information i can from the local ladies and you do the same with the men, so off to the gym you go, right now! «

Kieran smiled and kisses her again. «Yeah, would not look good if i was late for my first day at work”

She got up, looked at him with a pleased expression on her face. «They’ve never had a trainer like you before so be gentle with them! «

He grinned, it was something malicious in his eyes. «You know i can’t promise you that my dear! «

She just giggled and pinched his butt «Yeah right you big tease, off you go!”

John made it to school just in time and he found his seat without problems. He felt excited, nervous and thrilled. it was such nonsense really, magic was not for real but he had to hope. At least it gave him something else to think about. He met several of his friends during the day and soon he had quite a collection of small items Henry had touched. He had gotten a handkerchief from Pete, a pen from Joe and a broken wristwatch from Henry. Mark and Hank had given him two small books Henry had stolen once and Linda, the only girl among his friends, had given him her juice bottle. He had also gotten a couple of socks from some guys gym bag, and a towel he had filched from Henry’s own bag, which he always just left in the wardrobe. A deed he never would have had the courage to do the day before. He just hoped that they all swallowed his excuses and little lies, it would be hard to explain why he really needed those things. Henry did not show up at school that day, that was far from unusual, and John was just happy about that. When the day was through he had quite a nice collection of things and he hurried towards the store to deliver them to Nianh.

John mom had actually visited the place during the day, she had seen a collection of teacups in the window which she just could not resist. They looked exactly like the ones she once had broken at her aunt’s home and she knew that her ant never had fully forgiven her for the accident. Now she could give her aunt these and perhaps things would be better between them. She was thrilled by the nice owner, she had really felt welcome and Nianh had become like a long lost friend to her.

They had been sitting there chatting for hours and she had told everything she knew about the town and its inhabitants. After all, it had to be hard arriving at a new place like this, and Nianh had only wanted twenty dollars for the cups even if they were worth ten times that much. She did not realize that she had been questioned about the Jones family remarkably often, after all, they were the most important members of this society if power was the same as importance.

John went indoors, Nianh saw him and smiled, pointed towards the back room and John went in. Nianh was obviously trying to sell a painting of a horse on a mountaintop to an old lady who seemed thrilled by it. ( i could swear it is my husbands old horse Wanderer, he loved that horse so much) John saw that the back room was an ordinary room, just a few chairs, a table, a tea can and some biscuits in a bowl and a bowl of water on the floor, probably for the dogs. it smelt like ginger there and he sat down and looked at the pictures on the wall. One was of an old ruin, and another of a castle.

There was a painting there too, of a woman on a huge silver grey horse and a man on a big black one. They both wore armour and looked like warriors and they did look a bit like Nianh and Kieran. Nianh entered the room, she smiled. «Now, have you got anything for me?”

John nodded his head, opened his bag and pulled out the stuff he had managed to gather. Nianh smiled gently. «That’s just perfect John, now i’ll see what i can do! «

John felt excited. «What will happen to him? «

Nianh looked like she had a lot of ideas. «You’ll wait and see, i can promise you that whatever happens, it will put an end to this reign of terror! «

John nodded his head, felt strangely important. «Good, when do i paint the fence? «

She rubbed his hair. «Whenever you like kid, tomorrow would be great! «

John got up and walked out through the store, he waved good bye at Nianh and almost collided with Kieran who was entering the place. He got a friendly smile from the big man too and started walking back home with hope in his heart.

Kieran dropped his bag on the floor, his long dark hair was wet and his skin blushing. Nianh looked at him and shook her head. «You look like you have been fighting an army of orcs! «

He smiled and stretched his arms towards the roof. «Yeah, i wish. A good old-fashioned war would have been to prefer, these guys are pathetic. A few rounds around the room and they look like they are ready to lie down and die! A cave gnome could have slain them all with a spoon! «

Nianh snorted with laughter.

«Well, a good thing that the chances of them ever meeting something like that are as close to zero as you’ll ever get. This world is among the most boring ones i have ever visited, but also definitely among the most dangerous! «

Kieran nodded and pushed his bag underneath one of the chairs. «You are right about that. What’s next?”

She got a concentrated look upon her face. «i’ll close for the day, then i’ll do whatever i can for poor John, i guess Henry will get the surprise of a lifetime. She knows how to find the ultimate punishment”

Kieran sat down, there was expectation in his eyes. «i learned a lot from the guys, they all tried to learn my «secret” and i told them about healthy food and lots of exercise while they complained about almost everything between heaven and earth. This Mr Jones has a lot to answer for. «

Nianh disappeared into the other room, returned with a few items. A broken comb and something that looked like a broken embroidered lamp-shade.

«Yes he does, and so does his missus too. You will not believe the chaos she has caused here, it’s like a nest of angry rattlesnakes. The women are talking behind each others backs and they are fawning up to her, it makes me sick! «

Kieran laughed. «i thought ladies always did that! «

Nianh made an ugly grimace and almost broke the lamp-shade against his head. «You know what i mean you big dork, come on, put up that silly closed sign. We got work to do! «

There was a basement underneath the shop, everybody had forgotten all about it and now nobody would have recognized it. A strange light seemed to flicker between the old rocks and the floor had been brushed and cleaned. Strange symbols had been drawn across it and if you listened really well you could perhaps hear a distant almost whispering noise. in any case, everybody who entered this room without being prepared would leave at an exceptional speed, probably screaming. Nianh had put all the things John had gathered in the centre of the circle and she had placed some strange looking candles on the outside.

Kieran stood in the background and looked kind of nervous. «Will this really work dear?! «

She just smiled, with a nervous twitch around her eye. «Of course it will darling, i am no novice! «

Kieran made a kind of smile. «i know but sorcery like this is not the same thing as decapitating an orc or leading an army into battle! «

She turned her back on him, tried to concentrate. «i have never said it’s the same thing! «

She raised her hands and closed her eyes. «And now my dearest, please shut up! «

She started singing, strange words none else would have been able to understand. The song soon filled the room and Kieran remained standing in the back of the room, looking rather uncomfortable. When she stopped the song there were absolute silence.

«Great mother, sister of the moon, sister of the stars. Hear my prayer, answer my call! «

There was a new sound there now, distant howls from a huge pack of wolves. The light seemed to fade and suddenly the centre of the circle disappeared. A huge black wolf, a female, stood where the different items had been placed. Her eyes were deep golden and her fur shining, she lowered her head and her teeth were unbelievably white. «My child, my chosen one. What is your wish? «

Nianh swallowed. «Justice mother, to those who can’t seek it for themselves. This town is in agony.”

The wolf smiled, no other word could describe the grimace. «i know my child, i will help. The brat will have his just punishment, don’t you worry about that!«

Nianh smiled but her smile was nervous. «You will not kill him i hope?”

The wolf shook it’s head. «Of course not, but let’s say that he’ll regret he ever was born. «

The wolf faded and the circle was empty. Kieran wiped some sweat from his brow and let go of his breath. «it is done? «

Nianh smiled with relief. «it is! She will do the job, don’t worry about that and his parents will soon be next! «

They both left the basement, with a feeling of anticipation.

John was feeling thrilled the entire evening, it was like his head was filled with hot air, like a balloon. if this really did work then it would be a miracle and a miracle he longed for with all of his heart. His mother was in a very good mood too, she was singing while she cooked dinner and he could not remember that she had done that in a long time. John was allowed to stay up and watch TV and he wondered if the magic already had started working.

The next morning everything seemed like normal, John left for school and Henry was already there, he was collecting money from some poor kids in the first grade, and John had hoped that he somehow had changed already. Nianh had told him that it might not work but still he felt disappointed. That was, until the biology class. Henry always made a mess, he was well aware of the fact that Mr Strezelek, the biology teacher, was afraid of him and he used it for all it was worth. This day they were going to look at the anatomy of snakes and the teacher had, against common sense, brought a few dead ones for the students to dissect.

Henry had of course already scared a few of the girls half out of their wits and caused a true chaos. He was running around with one of the dead snakes wrapped around his arm when he suddenly froze. John could for a second have sworn that the dead animal was moving, that it somehow had been brought back to life. it was of course impossible, but Henry obviously thought that it was true. He started screaming like a maniac and everybody thought that he was fooling around as always; but they soon realized that he was terrified. He was screaming like mad, almost roaring like a scared calf or something while trying to get rid of the dead snake.

The snake appeared to have got stuck unto his shirt and he was running into chairs and tables and making a real mess. People just stood there, looking at him with disbelief and confusion. At the end he collided with the blackboard and knocked himself out. The room was silent, the teacher took a few steps forward, removed the dead snake and looked down at the unconscious Henry with a weird look upon his face.

«Uh, as you all know, the fear of snakes is a genetic heritage from our ancestors. Down on the plains of Africa there are many lethal species and the great apes have different methods of avoiding them. i must say, i have never heard of any species of great ape, except this particular specimen, who knocks themselves out to avoid being attacked”

The class was silent for a second, then everybody started laughing, hysterically. Everybody laughed until they had to sit down and some sounded like they were close to being suffocated. John would never forget that moment for as long as he lived.

The school nurse came for Henry and for a few hours everything went back to normal, although the whole school soon learned about the incident. The last thing on the schedule was in fact cooking. They had cooking two times each week and it was a lesson the boys tried to sabotage every time. Henry was back, he had a bandage on his forehead and looked quite grumpy. He did not speak and nobody spoke to him, they did not dare. The teacher, miss Emerett was a nice girl, about twenty years of age and half of the boys had a crush on her. She was tall and slender with a sweet face and dark hair.

This day they were going to bake a walnut cake, and miss Emerett was showing everybody how to mix the dough when John noticed that Henry didn’t pay attention. He had found an unopened can of nuts and he was eating like he had never seen food before. The exercise and the shock had perhaps boosted his combustion. Henry was always eating something when he wasn’t harassing anybody, it was a habit of his. Miss Emerett did not care about Henry and neither did the rest of the class. The girls tried to learn and the boys were staring at her blouse, one of the buttons were gone and if you looked really well you could get a glimpse of her bra.

it was not until little Sophie McGuire called out that all heads turned and discovered what had happened with Henry. He stared back at all the huge eyes, not understanding anything. Miss Emerett stared and she was pale as a clean sheet of paper. «Henry! You... your skin... ! «

Henry grabbed a tin plate from a shelf near by, it worked like a mirror and he screamed like a scared little girl and.. fainted! His head seemed to have swollen to twice its normal size and if that was not bad enough his skin had turned bright purple. it was a deep and disgusting colour and the sight made a couple of the girls retch. Miss Emerett looked terrified. «Dear lord, someone, call 911, he’s got to be allergic to nuts! «

The day ended in chaos, ambulance, doctor and gossip enough to fill the whole winter with interesting chats. John had never felt better in his whole life, he was walking back home like a lifetime prisoner who’s suddenly been pardoned. At home his mom had heard about Henry from one of her friends and although she said things like «Poor lad, what an awful experience” and so on, John knew exactly how she really felt. Henry had killed her roses just one time too many.

Later in the evening the phone called and he could hear his mother rush to answer it, it was quiet for a while, then he could hear her raise her voice. «Really? When? Oh my sweet Jesus, is that true? At the hospital!? Dear lord how terrible, and there is no other alternative? «

John felt himself laughing, not loud, oh, no. This laughter was silent and more satisfying than any laugh he’d ever had before. After a few moments his mother knocked on the door and entered the room. Her face looked funny. «Ah, in case you’d like to know. Henry’s in hospital, a mental hospital. He turned completely nuts when they were treating his allergy, claimed that there were monsters everywhere. «

John yawned to hide his laughter. «Oh, when will he be out? “

His mother was kneeling down, her face was twitching like she did not know what to feel. «Well, eh.. the thing is, he attacked one of the doctors, with a scalpel. According to the law he will have to spend at least five years in hospital or prison before they can release him again. He is too young for jail so they will probably place him in an institutional home for young criminals. «

John had seen pictures from places like that, the key word was discipline, not even military school was that tough. There was some wonderful irony here. «Perhaps that will teach him how to behave? «

John made an innocent smile and his mother rubbed his hair. «Maybe, oh it must be terrible for his parents, i have to call Mandy, perhaps she knows something?«

She left and John no longer tried to hide his laughter. No one would respect nor fear Henry if he ever returned, not after the snake and nut incident. John was free, at last really truly free and so were the rest of the kids too. This was a day of blessing!

Back at Magic.inc Nianh and Kieran was relaxing in the couch, they were both smiling and Nianh seemed to glow with a rather reckless energy. «This was beyond my greatest expectations, i had never guessed that something like that would happen!”

Kieran nodded, he was smiling too. «And now Mr and Mrs Jones is next i suppose? «

Nianh poured some wine into a couple of cups. «Oh, yes they are. Whence i have gathered enough items from the ladies it wont take long, they are soo eager to show me the stuff she has given them or pushed them into purchasing. «

Kieran took a sip of his cup. «Hmm, it will be tougher with him, but maybe you can use your charm? «

Nianh made a grimace like she’d suddenly tasted something awful. «Yack! Well, i’ll see what i can do, a thing he has touched just recently is of course more powerful than things others have touched too. i think i will pay his office a small visit, and recommend my store. There has to be something there i can steal, without him ever noticing it. «

Kieran kissed her hand. «Then be careful my dear, i do not like the things i have heard about this man. «

She made a wide grin and her eyes got narrow. «Do not worry my dearest, if he tries to be rude i know what to do, i always wear a dagger you know! «

Kieran shook his head and put his cup down. «i don’t think stabbing a guys.. ah.. privates.. is appropriate in this world, just punch his nose, that will be enough, of course without pushing the nose bone into his brains! «

She just looked at him. «Of course not! «

The whole town was buzzing with gossip the next day and nobody had anything else on their minds than the bizarre incidents the day before. The Mayor was of course upset, his son had never behaved like that and he would use all of his power to get him out of that terrible place. A sensitive kid like him could not stay in one of those horrible institutions. As a loving father he would pull all the strings he knew and get his beloved son back home where he belonged. He knew just which people to contact, the hospitals management would certainly not refuse a small donation and if they did not react fast enough, well, he knew some guys who would make them react!

He was rather grumpy when his secretary called and told him that the owner of the new antiques shop was there to speak with him. He had not made an appointment and felt like asking the person to leave but then he could spot a tall woman through the window of his office and he changed his mind in a flash. The lady who entered the room was wonderful, no other word could describe her. She had such lovely blue eyes and her hair was as golden as a field of wheat ready for the harvester. She had curves and shapes that almost made him drool and he sat down and tried to look important while she introduced herself and started talking about her shop with a lovely girlish voice. She had even brought him a present from her store, a small bottle of ink. She claimed that a bottle like that made any desk look perfect and he agreed while he was watching her chest. She had to work out, she had muscles too, he wondered if he should invite her for dinner, just to talk business of course.

She continued talking and he felt almost hypnotized by her eyes and movements, he did not at all notice that her slender hands stole both a pen and some other items from his desk. He kissed her hand when she said goodbye and she promised him that she would consider his offer of a business meeting. As he said, such fragile new shops could sometimes need a sponsor, a protector. He was left with a feeling of having seen a Goddess in the flesh and he did not think of anything else the rest of the day.

After a few days things seemed to go back to normal, John came and painted the fence and did a great job. Nianh gave him ten dollars and asked him not to spend it all on candy and she saw how the fear suddenly had left him. His eyes were shining and she saw several other children too who held their heads up high. it was such a good feeling. Stage two of the process was ready to begin now, she wondered what the Goddess would do with the parents, it should be something of exceptional splendour.

Nianh was not disappointed, nor was the rest of the city. Once a year the city council held a huge charity ball, it was only for the most important members of this society; the upper class, and they invited people from the other cities in the county too. Of course just the rich and famous. There were movie stars and millionaires and all kinds of celebrities and the money they gathered should support some hospital somewhere in Africa. The Mayor of course got most of it. The Mayors wife was the hostess of the evening and she was truly doing her best. She acted like a true lady and charmed everybody, her smile was sparkling in competition with the diamonds around her neck and she had spent several hours at the hairdressers earlier that day. The result was glamorous and she enjoyed having her photo taken together with the big names from stage and screen.

it was during the second dance it happened, a TV camera was following the Mayors wife who elegantly danced a waltz with some famous reporter. Several of the women there had asked her how she managed to stay so slim, elegant and tanned and suddenly the secret was revealed, to everybody on national TV! They could hear a strange noise, like something was torn apart. The sound got louder and everybody turned around with surprise on their faces. The Mayors wife was standing in the middle of the dance floor and she was suddenly screaming.

The tearing noise came from her dress, an expensive creation from one of the most famous designers. it was falling apart in front of everybody and underneath she wore a corset, a hideous thing with straps and strings and as the guests watched her, all flabbergasted, the strings started to break. She screamed again, even more terrified as the corset suddenly opened completely and revealed that she was neither as thin nor as tanned as she had appeared to be. The day after the headlines all shouted things like” Moby Dick spotted on Oaksdale dance floor! «

The scandal was complete, and a lot of broken hearts and wounded pride was restored that day. Now she was the one everybody was laughing at.

The whole city was ecstatic, she had been bitching around with everybody and probably caused at least one suicide, and now she could no longer show her face outdoors without people shouting” Ship O hoy, beware, the white whale! «

Nianh looked like a cat who has spotted a big fat rat and she was waiting with huge expectations for the grand finale.

it came a week later. The Mayor had of course been terribly ashamed of his wife’s miserè. He had not showed his face in public the entire week but he tried to act like nothing had happened on radio and in meetings. He had invited a camera crew from a big TV channel to his home, they had a «The homes of the rich and famous” TV show and they had wanted to see the mayors lovely 18th century house from the inside. The Mayors housekeeper met them and guided them through the building, the mayor would join them in a while, he was in a meeting. One of the girls suddenly needed to use the bathroom and she got lost. By accident she entered the mayors own room and the things she saw there made her call the police. They came right away and this week the Oaksdale police served as a practice area for some fresh officers from the academy. The Mayor had not yet been able to buy them and soon the local cops found themselves overrun by strict agents from the FBi.

The house was searched and they soon found evidence of several crimes. The Mayor had embezzled money from every fund he controlled, he had even been stealing money from the city bank. He was of course corrupted and he had placed his own loyal people in all the important jobs. He had a lot of servants who had been working almost for free and they were all illegal immigrants.

They found lots of drugs there and he had contacts within several criminal organisations. The cops found the final evidence in some murder cases too, and they suddenly had enough on the man to put him away for the next two decades. The thing that made people laugh, the thing they all enjoyed the most was the photos that was found within a drawer in the Mayors private desk. A rookie had made some copies before delivering the photos to the agents, and they were soon spread everywhere, also on the web. They revealed a side of the mayor that was somewhat unusual.

On almost every picture he was wearing king size baby clothes, diaper s, socks and such, and he was drooling and crawling around like a baby. it could have been cute, but it seemed completely insane and sick. On a couple of the photos there were lots of teddy bears and other toys around him, and he was playing happily with them like an overgrown infant. if his future cell mates were told about this they would probably tease him to death. The mayor himself claimed that the whole thing was a set-up, that he was innocent He had never seen those photos before and he almost made people believe him. His despair and confusion was quite obvious. it was just a shame that you clearly could see some of his tattoos and a mole on his thigh and if the photos were fake, as he claimed they were, then they should not have been there.

The Mayor was completely destroyed and his wife made quite a scene. She accused him of having ruined her life and her son, and she actually managed to get some sympathy from the people. it was quite obvious that her bitchy behaviour could be blamed upon her husband, he had made her life a hell and her dental records showed how severe the beatings had been. She walked out of it with her head held high and her honour restored and hopefully her son would face a better future too, than the one his father would have offered him. The whole city could draw their breath again, the elections would be fair, without cheating. They would get their payment and nobody had to live in fear again. it was as if a huge boulder had been lifted of everybody’s shoulders.

One evening John was walking around the neighbourhood, he had gotten a new bike and in his mind he was racing down the hills. He suddenly saw two figures he recognized on the road and ran towards them. Nianh smiled when she saw him. «Now young John, how are you today! «

He smiled and petted the dogs. «i am fine, thank you, thank you for everything! «

Nianh laughed. «Don’t thank me John, thank the magic, thank the ancient powers. «

John continued to smile. «But you had a little to do with it right? «

She agreed. «A little, so things are better now? «

He petted the animals again and they sniffed his hands and waved their tales. «Everything is much better, i am not afraid any longer. «

Kieran nodded his head. «i can see that, you do no longer look like you expect to face your death behind every corner. «

John looked down. «is it true what they say, that you are leaving? «

Nianh nodded her head. «Yes John, we are leaving, our work here is done!«

He sighed. «You came to help us, did you not? “

Nianh caught his eyes and he saw that her eyes changed colours within the street light. From green to blue to golden and back, it looked strange but right too, in a way. «Yes we did, there are powers around you young John, powers who wants to protect all that is good. it is just a pity that very few believe in them any longer. «

He smiled. «i believe now! «

She rubbed his hair with a huge grin. «i am very happy to hear that John, maybe even this world contains some hope. «

Johns face got serious, he swallowed. «Who are you, really? «

Nianh sighed, looked at her mate. «Shall we?”

He nodded and pushed his long hair away from his ears, they were pointy and Johns eyes got huge. «Elves! «

Kieran nodded and smiled. «Just don’t tell anybody, let it be our secret. «

John nodded his head like mad. Nianh was kneeling down beside him. «You see, there has to be a balance, between darkness and light. if the balance in one world is wrong it will influence other worlds too, and it is our job to keep the balance right. Sometimes we manage to fix what is wrong and sometimes we fail but this time i am very happy we got it right in the end”

John blushed. «Me too, is Nianh and Kieran your real names? «

She shook her head. «No, and our real names are quite difficult to pronounce so just remember us by those names. «

John bit his lip. «Are there really other worlds? «

She smiled and got up again. «Many my friend, hundreds of them, and they are all wonderful and magical, just like this. You just have to look deep within to find the magic, and then it’s there, everywhere. «

John suddenly looked very mature. «Then i shall look deep, always! «

Kieran grabbed his hand and shook it. «The words of a wise man my friend. We leave tomorrow so i guess this is farewell lad. Keep your head up straight and never let anybody break your spirit again! «

Johns nose suddenly felt strangely clogged, he sniffed and looked down.

«i won’t. What world are you from? «

Nianh laughed. «You have never heard of it, but imagine a place with dragons, and mighty castles. A place with unicorns grazing on meadows, bathed in the silver light of two moons. A place where adventure is real, and magic alive. «

John closed his eyes. «it sounds wonderful, i wish i could go with you! «

Nianh embraced him, her eyes were shining. «i am sorry, you can’t go there in the flesh but you can visit in your dreams, and we will always welcome you. «

John hugged her in return. «i will visit you, often, i swear! «

She smiled and kissed his forehead. «Be blessed John Drake, i am sure we will see you soon. in your dreams you will be whoever you want. «

The dogs licked his hands and he smiled with sadness in his eyes and sat down to hug them too. «They’re not really dogs right? «

Nianh laughed. «No, they are wolves. in our world they seek out the guilty ones and hunt their souls when they’re dead. They can be rather cruel but now they are on vacation you might say. «

John got a funny expression on his face. «i still like them, i really do. «

Kieran got a weird smile on his face. «Really? Then ask Mrs Jackson for one of the pups her dog will have in about two months time. Nature was stronger than the rules of good behaviour for poor old Freke here, a few days ago! «

Nianh looked at Kieran with shock in her eyes. «Kieran, you really let him...?! Oh, we are going to have a looong talk when we get back home, a looong talk!«

Kieran blushed and looked guilty but the expression in his eyes told John that he found the whole thing hilarious.

John grinned. «i don’t know if my mom will let me have a dog, i have never asked her though! «

Nianh giggled. «it will be OK, i promise you. i’ll see to that, a boy needs a good dog, it’s good for his character. «

Kieran rubbed Johns hair one last time and John suddenly felt like crying, it was strange but he felt like he had known them all of his life. «Will i ever see you again? «

Nianh nodded her head a few times. «i guess you will, we sometimes return to check things out. We might not look like this then, but who knows! «

John had to wipe his eyes. «That’s good”

Nianh shook his hand and let go, and they started walking again, John waved his hand and continued watching them until they disappeared behind a corner. He was still not sure what had really happened but he knew one thing for sure, he would never forget about them, ever! They had returned the sunshine to his life and he would always be grateful.

A few days later the city was invaded by voles, they were everywhere and there were no way to get rid of the little rodents. People tried poison, cats, traps and everything and Johns mom was in despair. Her roses were in jeopardy and she was actually thrilled when her husband suggested that they needed a good dog. A dog could perhaps keep them away, the cats were too small to chase the bigger ones. They would be safe from burglars too, and it could look after the kid. John made them aware of Mrs Jackson’s dog and they asked her and she was just thrilled when they told her they wanted one of the pups. She had not even known that people knew about her dog’s pregnancy yet, because the beautiful German shepherd looked quite slim. She had not expected that poor Silky ran away from home and who could possibly know who the father was, but again, she was soo grateful.

Silky had her pups right on time and John was lucky, she only got two. Two huge pups that both looked like their dad. He picked the one with a small white spot on its nose and Mrs Jackson wanted to keep the other one. He named the pup Wolf and his dad thought it was a great name, John never told his father the truth, he would probably not have believed him if he had. The voles disappeared again just afterwards but now everybody was in love with the cute little rascal and so he stayed.

A few weeks later John got a postcard, it only said” Good luck from you know who”, and on the front there was a beautiful picture of a castle. The weird thing was that there were a dragon in front of it and it looked so real. There were a lady on it too, next to the dragon and she looked a lot like Nianh. John’s father thought it was a fake, and that the castle was somewhere in France but John knew so much better! He knew that his new friends were thinking about him and that made him very happy and proud too.

John had lost his worst enemy and gained a true friend and one day he passed by the now empty house where the store had been. The sign was still in the window. «Do you believe in magic?” John made a salute like a soldier would. «Yes sir i do, i do believe in magic! “