In the Valley

Warmth

I kept my distance from the people who stared at me while I was walking around. Which is understandable, considering the small valley town obviously didn't have tourists around. But the sights were incredible. People of all shapes and sizes walked about. Some children were showing off their magic. What was most impressive was a child with starry eyes bragging he was learning his skills from 'the master herself.'

"I'll need someone to help though," He said, but the others were doubting his claims.

I walked up to him, and he looked down at me, saying, "I've never seen you before... Oh well. Just extend your arm." I promptly did so, and he lightly put his hand on my arm. Afterwards, I felt drained, but I opened my eyes to see him conjuring fire. "See? I can convert the energy that we use into heat energy, which can do this!" He shot another fireball, narrowly missing a house. He looked overworked though. Afterwards, it was silent as I gave the idea a thought.

"But can I use magic?" I had asked. It seemed like the people of this world just picked up magic.

He looked at me, dumbfounded and then had a sympathetic look, "I thought the people who couldn't use magic died out or something... But to answer that question, probably not. It's all luck, so if you're lucky and try hard enough maybe you can, I don't know, float two centimeters from the ground." I always dreamed of using magic, but I guess those hopes were crushed.

"Hey, don't start crying or anything. That's only if you don't have somebody to help." He laughed, but his voice dropped quiet. "Where did you come from? We haven't had anyone new in... um... years." He coughed over his sentence, like it was a secret.

I pointed my finger in the direction I thought the cave was. "There..." I said, changing my mind, "No, it was west of here... or east."

"So you come from nowhere in particular... Cool. Hey, you came from east, didn't you? Did you see the lab?" He asked, struck with wonder. I didn't know what it was with the lab, but everyone was so interested in it.

"Yeah," I said, "I followed a lady there... What's so special about it?"

He shook me, trying not to yell, "The lab's been boarded up for years! That lady must have been one of the scientists!" I still was confused, but he answered my unasked question. "Right. You don't know why it's boarded up. Well, it all started when our queen asked the scientists to build a machine to transfer magic, since she couldn't use any... She was still cool... and crazy... So after a few months, when she came around the check on it..." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, "The thing like, exploded! I think. So most of the scientists and guards were wiped out... But she survived! Isn't that neat?! And she got the magic from it!"

I felt like my eardrums were going to explode if he continued the rant on this queen.

"I always have wanted to meet her! But my parents say I can't, 'cause I have chores to do. Wouldn't it be cool if I could go though?" He stared at me. "You can take me! I've been saving up for a train ticket there, but I don't have enough for two... And I don't like the thought of going alone. Can you take me? I promise she'll find you a way home. She's such a just and good queen, except..."

I interrupted with a quick, "What?" This world was already brainwashing me, I jumped at the mention of the queen.

"Well... she's crazy, remember when I muttered that silently? I still like her, though! But she doesn't take criticism well... And she always thinks her decisions are the best for us... Don't tell anyone I said that!" He looked around cautiously. I only saw one guard around though. "So anyway, will you take me?" he asked. I nodded, unsure of what I just agreed to.

He jumped and yelled around for a solid few minutes before he calmed down. "Oh, I haven't said my name or anything yet," he muttered. "I'm Jamie!" I liked the name. It sounds so clean and simple, yet so fitting.

"Alex," I replied. "...So where are we going?"

He answered by pointing up, "Nobody common really knows or cares about the queen's castle is, but I heard a rumor that she had a castle built near the lab... Or maybe they said there was an underground tunnel... We'll just ask the lady you met there." I waved my hands, trying to convince him not to, but it was too late. He dragged me by the arm across the snowy town. When we reached a fork in the road, I sighed and told him to go left.

He asked me a lot of questions along the way. "How do you get by without magic? Do you have a queen? Do you have monsters? Is your world supposed to be normal? What's it like there?" I just kept quiet, he never gave me enough time to answer anyway. I stopped him with my arm, spotting the tall, metal building. This time, the door was boarded up.

Jamie stared at me, willing me to open the door. I knock once or twice. It seemed like a miracle that the same scientist from before opened up saying, "Read the sign!" She looked down and saw us again. She groaned, "You again? This lab's boarded up."

"Can we have directions to the castle?" I said. She looked over me, a shocked look in her eyes.

She then gets out a large metal case, twice the size of me. "Listen, if you can deliver this to the queen... and this..." She tapes a letter onto the case. "I'll let you off the hook. Anyway, here's the money for the train."

I was ready to leave, but then she interrupted, "A kid your size can't carry such a thing, what was I thinking? Hold on..."  I found a few floating cups and notebooks following her. One notebook, which for not having eyes felt like it was staring into me, proceeded to trip me. M.D. turned around, surprised. "I've never had that happen before..." She grabbed a pen out of the air and wrote down a few notes on her hand, even though the nearest piece of paper was a foot away from her.

I was expecting some sort of apology, but she grabs the green gem I had kept in my pocket that stumbled out, "Interesting, did you find this? It's a very rare gem..." She shines the gem with a wipe, and dusts it. "Keep it." She seemed like a nice person.

"Wait, how are we going to defend ourselves?" Jamie asked.

M.D. sighed, "If you must." A small pocket knife floats towards her. She grabs it and gives it to Jamie, with a worried look at me. She stops, blinks, and says, "I have to make a call." The door slams again. I didn't know what was with her, but I decided to focus on the task ahead.

I muttered to myself, "What is up with these people?"

Jamie shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe we're all crazy?" Sounds about right.

I ran the paths with Jamie, who was guiding me to the station. Something told me that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out all right.

~

Where in the world have I been? In a desk for four hours straight taking life-sucking standardized tests. Sad, I know, but tomorrow's the last day.

I don't know how I should say bye to you guys, so see you later.