Fantasy

10-Abby

Vilipend had radiated from the older woman's brown eyes and it's still making me shaky. They were different from her daughters, which were scared, but kind. No, the older woman's eyes were afraid and angry, mean and scary. "Are you okay?" Randy asks while driving and texting.

"Yeah, fine, but, um," I suddenly remember that Randy said his mother's maiden name was Worldd, and Bert said that Heather had a power like Randy's. "What is your mom's first name?" I ask, changing the subject. He sets his phone down.

"Heather, why?"

My eyes widen. "She was a World Defender! Bert was telling the truth," I mutter under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, just, could you please, um, give this locket permission to open?" Yes, I am well aware I sound like a crazy person.

"Okay, I think you have a few screws lose." Though, thanks Randy for putting that out there.

"Look, a long time ago, I guess predating the CMRA, there were two other organizations of magicians. One was trying to basically take over the world; the other was trying to protect it. The latter put all their powers in this locket to protect them from the former. The members of the group that did that were your mom, my dad, and a bunch of other people with the last name Worldd. In fact, my dad's shop was the headquarters. Don't you see? All the extra powers are in here; it even has your mom's name on it. To open it I just have to get every member, or one of their kids, to tell it it's alright to open."

"Wow," Randy says, and for a second I think he believes me, until he says, "You have a very good imagination, kid. For your creativity, I'll let you keep the locket with my mom's name on it that I have no idea how you got your hands on. Now, it's your stop," he says, parking 30 yards away from my house so my parents don't see him

"But."

"Out." I am left standing in the road as he speeds away. Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought.

Later that night the phone rings. I pick it up and am surprised to find Levina on the other end.

"Is this Abby?"

"Yes."

"Do you have paper?"

"Uh, hang on a second...yeah," I tell her, grabbing a pencil and a pad of paper.

"I found the names of agents, soon-to-be agents, and one person who used to be an agent who have or have a parent who has the last name Worldd."

"Great, who are they?"

"Ready? Jayce and I, Randy Hall, you and your sisters, Jessica and Kevin Anderson, Jenna and Taylor Howard, Lucy Green, Nicholas Worldd, Beck Worldd, Zahmir Worldd, and Brice Worldd, the former agent."

"Um, okay, I know you, Jayce, Randy, my sisters, Jessica, Jenna and Taylor, and I met a guy at the CMRA who said something about a lady named Brice. He also told me that the parents with the last name Worldd were part of this old organization. All the members had extra powers and, to protect the powers from falling into the hands of the people they were fighting, they put them in the locket and sealed it with magic. I have to talk to at least one person with each of the extra powers, or at least who had it, to open the locket. They have to give it their permission to open."

"Really? Wait, so don't your parents, or at least your dad, know about magic? Even if his powers are in the locket? "

"You'd think he'd recognize the locket, but I guess not. The man, Bert, said that all the Worldds had their minds erased."

"Eh, maybe, but, anyway, how about I give you the addresses of everyone on this list?"

"That sounds great."

"Okay, ready?" she asks before she reveals the addresses. I copy what she says onto a piece of paper and soon I have a list of addresses. "Got 'em all?"

"Yes, thanks," I tell her.

"Oh, should I call Jessica and give her these, too?"

"Go ahead."

"Great, well, I've got to go, bye Abby, and good luck," and with that she hangs up. The only problem now is how to get out of the house, again, without my parents noticing. As if on cue my mom calls me down to the living room.

Once I get down there she smiles.

"Your father, Marie, and I are planning a trip to Alabama to check out a college. We're leaving Monday and will be gone for about a week. We were wondering if you wanted to come along or stay here with Jenna. We'd hate to bother her again, but Sarah already said she's staying, so it's your choice."

"I'll stay here," I tell her. Yes! The next move I make is to go call Jenna and tell her my plans to meet all the Worldds, starting Monday. She then calls Jessica and we work out all the details. Once Jenna has arranged for plane tickets, chauffeurs to drive us around, hotels for us to spend the night in, and even passports to visit Lucy Green, we're all set.