Magic in the Mist

Chapter One

          Hazel pushed the small boat into the water, jumping into it right before a wave crashed against the hull of the small boat. Smiling to herself, Hazel used the paddle inside the boat to get out to the ocean, where she could just sit there in the boat, and gaze at the clear ocean water that stretched out for miles.

Underneath her, Hazel could hear the noise of an animal that she had heard often. It was a soft nickering noise that seemed to echo in the water below her, making the small fishing boat vibrate with the powerful noise of the creature. Leaning over the boat, Hazel could see the figure of a mythical creature, the hippocampus. The scales of the ancient creature shimmered in the setting sun; this hippocampus was a beautiful sea-green color with extra blue. Hazel reached her hand down into the water, stroking the muzzle of the majestic horse.

The hippocampus whinnied, the noise once again echoing through the water, breaking the silence that seemed to stretch out forever. The hippocampus dove back underwater, its tail flicking water into Hazel's face. Hazel smiled, sitting back on the boat, watching the sun set. The sky was bright with reds, oranges and yellows, and the clouds were a bright pink color. A blue hippocampi jumped out of the water like a dolphin, its scales shining with a rainbow light.

Water droplets shone like tiny diamonds in the sky, and for a moment everything was perfect; the sun set a beautiful reflection on the water like one of Hazel's mother's paintings, the hippocampus was mid-air, water droplets shining around it like magic. Hazel blinked; her mother used to say that when you blinked, you took a visual photograph in your mind so that you could remember that moment forever. Just then, light sparked from Hazel's folded hands, and golden magic flowed from her palms, lighting up the space around her as the sun finally sank below the horizon.

'Yeah,' Hazel whispered to herself. 'Once again, I'm reminded. . .' she paused; it was too painful to say aloud.

Of my mother. She thought.

Hazel's mother had died when she was only seven, but she still had so many memories. Bright blue, purple, red, and golden magic floating from her mother's hands.

'One day you'll have this too, firefly.' she would say.

Her mother would always call her firefly. Hazel's mom said her favorite animal was a firefly, even though it was an insect.

'One day you'll have to save us, too.' her mother's voice sounded in Hazel's mind, the sweet sound echoing around her whole body, and Hazel could swear that she could smell the faint scent of strawberries that always accompanied her mother wherever she went.

Sighing once more, Hazel picked the ore back up from the fishing boat and turned the boat around, gently rowing back to shore, the waves slowly pushing her forward. The sound of waves crashing against the shore slowly came closer and closer as Hazel pushed the boat further through the water. Finally, the boat hit the sand, and Hazel jumped off, her feet splashing in the water as she pulled the boat ashore.

Leaving the boat on the sand, Hazel walked back, slipping her hands into her jean pockets. Hazel was wearing a white shirt that was tucked into her light blue jeans, along with black buckle-up boots. Her dirty blonde hair blew into her face, and she pushed the hair out of her face as she walked inland. Soon she came across the small neighborhood that she and her father lived in, walking along the sidewalk as the moon slowly but steadily rose above her, stars shining in the night sky.

Shivering, Hazel opened the door to the house, taking a peek inside. The first room was dark and quiet, a desk pressed up against a window with a lamp sitting atop it as moonlight shone through the window and onto the floor. Closing the door behind her, Hazel slipped off her boots as quietly as she could, placing them near the left side of the door. Tip toe-ing through the house, Hazel walked through a short but wide hallway that led to a staircase where Hazel and her dad's room was. Hazel got up the stairs with no trouble, but it was when she walked past her dad's room when she knew she was done for.

She thought she was in the clear for a moment, but her dad's door opened, and his voice called out to her.

'Hazel Brie Martinez.' her dad said. His voice was ringing with anger.

Shoot, Hazel thought, but she turned around with a smile on her face.

'Yes?' Hazel said in a sweet voice.

'Don't "yes" me!' Hazel's dad said angrily. 'It's past dark! Where were you?'

'I was at the beach,' Hazel said. 'To watch the sunset.'

'I went to the beach! You weren't there!' her dad roared. 'Don't tell me that you went out again on that boat,'

'Mayybe,' Hazel murmured.

'Hazel! I told you not to go out again! You could get hurt! You could drown!'

'But dad—' Hazel started.

'No, I'm done with this. First thing tomorrow morning, I'm going down there and getting rid of that boat.'

'What? Dad, no!' Hazel said, fear pulsing through her. That boat had been her mother's—she would always take her out on the ocean. . . that was before she died.

'I'm tired of you going out there without telling nobody,'

Knowing Hazel couldn't win this battle, she whirled around and stomped off to her room, slamming the door behind her.

'Great,' she said, her eyes watering in the darkness in her room. 'The only place that I could be myself. . . gone.'

Blue magic sprouted from her shaking hands, swirling around her. Hazel couldn't control her magic when she was feeling strong emotions; anger, sadness, even joy. Hazel sat on her bed, rubbing her legs to distinguish the baby blue sparkling light. Hazel leaned back onto her bed and looked over to her dresser where a huge cage sat on it, holding a rare, blue cockatiel. Hazel sat up, walking over to the cage and opening it.

'There you go, Bri.' Hazel whispered to the bird, who gratefully walked out and flew around Hazel's room.

Hazel sat back on her bed, playing with a stray string coming from her pillow. Her bird, Bri, sat on Hazel's shoulder, pecking her hair. Hazel brought her hand up, stroking Bri as she tweeted in happiness.

Hazel didn't understand her magic. All she knew is that she got it after her mother had died, and no one else knew it existed, nor did they have it. Her dad told her it was unnatural; so was seeing mythical creatures like hippocampi and pegasi. Hazel sighed, opening her hands and letting out peony pink magic that swirled around her room, lighting it up. Bri tweeted in happiness, flying around the pink shimmering light.

'Do you know why this happens?' Hazel whispered to Bri as she landed on Hazel's pillow, nuzzling her hand as if she was saying, 'more pink lights, please.' Hazel smiled a weak smile, picking up Bri and placing the bird in her cage. 'Nighttime,' she said, locking the cage and lying back down on her bed. Hazel closed her eyes and let darkness flood over her as she fell asleep.