The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 1: The Pendant of Life

Chapter 14: The Four Elements of Magic

Chapter 14

"What is that thing supposed to be?" Rain Fox asked. She pointed at the dilapidated, rusty, rickety piece of junk that was sitting on four wheels in the Bus Circle.

The students all stared at it. It was a double-decker bus. Or, at least, it used to be one. It looked as if it had been spliced with parts from a Winnebago in sections, along with the bed and liner of a flatbed truck. None of the tires matched. There were wood panels on the sides, and the snub-nose front had all types of things holding it together: Spell-o-tape, duct tape, even rope. It shook as it sat in idle, and the doors were opened by a hand crank. Some of the windows were missing and there was a couple of raccoon tails tied to an antenna on the driver's side. The combination of dirt, mud, grime, exhaust, and old rubber had accumulated on the lower portions of the bus' sides. It was multi-colored, but it was mostly the color of rust and wood. A rude sign on the side of it appeared to say something like "X-Press" but it was old and barely visible.

"That's the Caterwauler," Sam told the others. "Oldest hunk o' junk in Salem."

"You've traveled in that thing?" Ignatia asked.

"Well, yeah, darlin'," Sam answered. "That's the only way into town on the weekends for visitin' the shops 'n stuff."

"You've got to be joking," Rain Fox said.

"Why do you call it the Caterwauler?" Ignatia asked Shade.

"Oh, trust me," Shade answered. "When that thing starts up, you'll find out."

As they approached the bus, a few students from the school arrived behind them.

"Sis?" Sky Heart asked, "What are you doing here?"

Sky Heart was carrying a large fashionable purse and wearing sunglasses. She had three girls behind her, just as fashionable and wearing girly smiles. Dev followed behind them, carrying his broomstick, which seemed to have a crack on the handle.

"We're going into town," Rain Fox said. "You going into town, too?"

"Well, yeah, what does it look like, silly?" Sky Heart laughed, and the three behind her laughed as well.

"Who are your friends?" Rain Fox asked.

Sky Heart turned to the three girls. "This is Bella, Jess, and Miley," she pointed out. "They're all in Putnam Ward with me. We're goin' to do some shoppin' in Witching Way."

The three girls gave Rain Fox a dirty look.

"You goin' to do some window shopping?" Dan asked them.

"Don't be daft," Sky Heart told him, dismissively. "We're going to see what is new at Reverend's Robes and see a few shops in town."

Rain Fox looked at Shade with a perturbed look. Shade shrugged back at her.

"Well, are we waiting for Jinx and Star to show up?" Echo asked.

"No, let's get on board," Shade told her. "Jinx probably came on broom. She's got a two-passenger broom. She'll take Star on the broom."

Dev got closer to the bus and laughed. "Niaise moi! We have to ride in that thing?" he asked.

"You afraid to get something on your pretty little robes, rich boy?" Echo told him.

"Not at all," Dev said to her. "I can always wash the robes. Or just not wear them."

Echo grinned. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? A chance to show off to the girls?"

"Not really, petíte," he replied to her, "I'm more a one-girl guy. And that spot is still open." He grinned back.

Echo blushed.