Witch

Algizwood

*********** Photo is of Mila Thorne. ************

Have you ever had one of those moments where everything felt perfect and that nothing could ever go wrong? Perhaps maybe it was when your parents told you something amazing, like going to Disney Land and/or buying you a new car. Yeah, not me... I have never had that moment. In fact when my mom said he had good news, I expect something like we have cable now or J.K Rowling wrote another Harry Potter book. But no, it was the opposite of good news. It was terrible new. This news landed me in the front seat of a moving van, driving for several hours. My mom thought it would be a genius idea to move back to her home town. Apparently Chicago was just a dangerous place to live. After the school caught on fire, my mom started to panic. She went full on crazy.

    “Gangs! Gangs everywhere!” She'd shout out.

    So here I am. Sitting in the front seat watching miles and miles of country go by my window.

    “How are you able to read like this?” My sweet mother asked me as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

    I flipped my page and answered her. “Ma I don’t get car sick. It is fine.” I replied.

    “I meant how is it you can read the book upside down.” She stated.

    I shrugged and continued reading.

   

    Ma drove the rest of the way in silence. When we arrived in the new town, I stared out the window funny. The town looked like it was out of some strange movie. I saw the sign that welcomed us.

    ‘Welcome to Algizwood.” I read aloud. “What kind of name is that?” I asked.

My Ma chuckled. "Coming from the girl who wants to live in a town named Hogweed." She scoffed as if it was outlandish. I rolled my eyes at her incorrect statement.

"It is Hogsmeade, Ma and how awesome would it be to live in a town full of Wizard’s! I want a wand and some cool robes." I told her with a smile on my face. Awe man, to live in the world of Harry Potter... I would just die. And not because of the abracadabra spell but because I just wouldn't be able to contain myself. I'd spontaneously combust.

Ma pushed her frizzy red hair out of her face and smiled. “Only the best towns have strange names.” She told me as we passed the sign. “When I was younger, I had such trouble pronouncing that name. I had to sound it out. Awl-gh-eeze wood.” She told me as she chuckled to herself.

Looking back out the window I noticed just how strange the town was. It seemed so old: dusty little shops, Victorian buildings and none more than 3 stories. There was a small white church with a bell tower. Cute, but it wasn’t my thing. There was a soda fountain and a small park in the center of town. I looked around at the town's center and smiled when I saw the library. Thank god. I said to myself as I took into account where it was for future reference.