summary
I was named Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider. I was told Aethelthryth meant noble, strength, all knowing and understanding. Rachelle meant loyal, caring, prefers to fight her own battles but will always aid others in need. So I stuck with Audrey when anyone asked me my name. I knew my parents loved me and meant well but they really were kinda weird at times. When I was born it had to be a blue moon or the dark of the moon or something for them to drop that moniker on me.

Faeries and Such

Copyright 5/2/18
Barbie Lee

FAERIES AND SUCH

Many of those who know me think of me as a mature attractive woman. Some believe I am possibly a young beautiful girl. And then there are those who think of me as the perfect example of a vicious, vindictive, wicked, ugly hag. My life wasn’t always like this. It started out simple enough as my mom gave birth to a perfect, healthy, happy baby. I heard stories later on as friends, relatives, and of course my loving parents, said I was cuter and prettier than any Gerber Baby. Of course I didn’t mind at the time. I was too young to know what problems came along with being called pretty and cute. There were other disasters on the horizon in my life. None the family knew about. Of course how could they know?

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He had tracked her kind for many years. He didn’t know what they looked like. They had many disguises but one could tell. They were practitioners of the dark arts. They were spell casters, witches. It was by the god’s intervention he had chanced upon her. Even witch hunters must eat. He had left his horse behind in the area he designated good enough for a camp. Sheltered to one side by a small rock cliff, another side by lake, the thick growth of trees provided cover against any eyes unless they happen to walk upon his camp. By that time any bandits would be dispatched back to the gods. His accuracy with bow and arrow would make sure of that.

As he stealthed through the forest he kept an eye for game trails along with any movement of any game. It was only moments later when he saw some movement. Silently he notched arrow to bowstring without drawing it and crept closer. Best to bring down game with one arrow rather than wounding it and having to track it down as it fled. He wasn’t prepared for what his eyes showed him after he got past the last dense brush.

There were animals there alright, deer and rabbits in abundance. The trees were adorned with birds of all kinds. A figure was down on its knees digging roots up from the ground. She started singing in the most beautiful lilting voice he had ever heard.

“Your gifts of love fills my heart and soul.” She looked up and smiled at the animals and birds.

“Your gift of bounty for my needs carries me through the years.” She made some kind of sign across her face and breasts

“Your gift of giving me the knowledge of wisdom is more than I deserve.” She looked up to the sky and smiled.

She turned her attention back to digging up small tubers and bulbs of some sort as she kept singing.

He slowly stepped into the open area where the witch was digging. The animals and birds melted back into the forest. He readied his bow.

“Are you going to shoot me in the back?” Came from the woman kneeling on the ground.

“I take witches however I can. There is no dishonor in killing a witch.” He was disturbed she knew he was there. It didn’t stop him from drawing his bow and letting the arrow fly.

The arrow sped through her cloak and on into the ground. She stood up and turned to face him. “You are an evil misguided man Sir Bertand du Basaul. You are neither worthy of the title of Sir nor are you worthy of being a man. The eight women you have killed in the past were neither witches nor sorceress. You took them from their villages when you murdered them. Their wisdom and the arts of healing were no longer available to the villages they served. Many more have died because of that loss. Sickness spread in some villages. Others died because their wounds became infected and no healer was there to treat them.”

“You see me with all my friends around me and you immediately believe I am a witch. Thus in your mind I am automatically guilty of witchcraft and my death is justified, as were all those innocent women you have already murdered.”

“LIES, ALL LIES, IT IS NO USE WITCH. I KNOW THE TRUTH. I HAVE SAVED MANY FROM THE EVILS OF WITCHES. I WILL BE REWARDED FOR MY VALIANT EFFORTS.” Sir Betrand tossed his bow aside and drew his sword. This witch might dodge an arrow but his sword would end her witchcraft quickly enough.

She held up a wooden staff. “And if I beat you what would that prove besides in your own mind you were right before you bled out on the ground. No woman could ever beat you but a witch could because she is not really a woman but an evil demon in disguise.

He swung at her fully intending to cut her head off her body. Sometimes it was the only way to kill a witch and make sure they stayed dead.

She blocked with her staff as she ducked and spun out of the way. Her staff was cut in half. Dejectedly she looked at the half she held in her hands. “Darn, that was my favorite staff too.”

“Okay, you miscreant bastard of a poor excuse for a man. I’ve tried explaining to you how wrong you are. Your stupidity seems to be ruling whatever you have for a brain.” She pulled a long slender sword out of a scabbard on her left side.

Sir Bertand had to laugh. Did she honestly believe that wisp of a blade was going to stand up to his broadsword? He came down with an overhead strike intending to bend or cut through her sword and her all at the same time.

Steel upon steel clanged through the forest in which only peace and bliss reigned before. She didn’t try and match his strength but deflected his blow off to her left as she moved right. Her sword tip was whipped back across his left thigh. His was too heavy to match her speed and useless in blocking against her quick slash.

She was fast as she kept moving to his left. His sword in his right hand was having to make the arc and the distance as he was turning and trying to block her next slash which cut across his left wrist. Blocking his flat swing she rolled her blade over on top of his and pushed down as she reversed direction and moved to his right. He had stopped his sword from digging into the grass. She was already to his right as he was bringing his sword back up. She slashed across his right bicep, ducking as he was bringing his sword back around and up as he tried to cut across her chest or face.

She slashed the tendons in his right wrist as his sword and arm was out to his right side before he could stop the swing. His sword fell from his grasp. He reached for his dagger on his left hip with his left hand. He didn’t have a good grip on it as it was pulled from its sheath. She slapped it out of his hands with the flat of her blade. Then she held up her sword aimed at his throat.

“Kill me witch. What are you waiting for? I’ll not beg for mercy from a witch.”

“I’ve already killed you. You’re bleeding out and haven’t got a clue. Know this before you lose your life. I am not a witch. I am blessed with powers you will never understand. All those bastard children you left behind in your hunt for witches? The seed will not be a boy for many centuries. Only girls will be of your linage until the evil that is in your heart which you left behind will be washed out by the caring, love, and motherhood of each succeeding generation. Then and only then will a boy be born. He will inherit all the gifts of mine as a reprieve for the punishment I have placed upon you and your linage. And maybe the gods will forgive me for what I have done for it is not our way to do this thing you have laid upon me. It’s not a punishment to be a girl. It isn’t right to take away the choice they could have had to be a boy or a girl.

Wiping his blood off her sword on his shirt, she slid it home in the scabbard, turned her back to him, went over and picked up her pouch where she had been placing the items she had been digging up and was walking away. “Goddess of life, I beg your forgiveness for what I have done. If I am to be punished, let it begin for I can not exist with a wrong in my heart and soul.

Bertand knelt down to pick up his sword with his left hand. He would chase down the witch and kill her. He was watching as a woman in flowing white gossamer robes appeared beside the witch and was walking with her. Now there were two witches he needed to killing.

She reached over and caressed Illana’s cheek. “Daughter, I do not hold you guilty of a crime for taking of this one’s life. The many innocent lives he has taken or caused, have grieved me sorely. He has received his reward for his evil. I will return his soul to the birth of the girls you have cast upon his linage. In time he may become of a kindred spirit and nurture as those he has killed. As a female, each time he returns to mortal he will become a healer. If in time he learns to love and forgive then and only then will he be allowed a choice if he wants to be a boy or a girl.”

Illana reached up and pressed the other woman’s hand to her cheek. “Thank you, Vetra. Your kindness is a blessing. Your love I cherish always.”

The other woman disappeared. Bertand tried to get up off his knees. He couldn’t. He drove the sword into the ground and tried to use it to help push himself up. It was no use. He held on refusing to give up to the witches until his world grayed out. He fell over begging death to come quickly.

My sixteenth birthday was coming up and dad had offered to help me find a set of wheels I could call my own. He also lay down the rules I was responsible for all the associated cost of owning and driving said freedom mobile. My school grades in Lakewood Junior High? No problem as I was straight A and a possible shoo in for Valedictorian or Salutatorian. I didn’t play football as it was a demanding sport taking time away from scholastics and serious study. At five foot eleven inches I tried out for basketball. The end result was a lot of bruises and pain. The jocks liked to run over the tall skinny kid. I didn’t have high enough shooting average for the coach to care about me so he ignored the intentional fouls as I was used for a tackling dummy in basketball. Maybe I should have gone for football? At least I would have padding. Their passing the basketball was line drives to my side or my back. Coach said I needed to stay focused on where the ball was at all times. The last straw was when the jocks stuffed my school clothes into the wastepaper basket and took turns defecating and urinating in it. Of course I still had my gym shorts and tee shirt. Or not as I was in the shower when all this took place and those items were also in the wastepaper basket. All the towels in the bathroom had magically disappeared at the same time. There was only one item of clothing left in the shower, locker room. A blue and white cheerleader uniform from one of Lakewood’s most hated opponents, the Eagles. Sighing I had few alternatives. I could stay in the locker room until school closed for the day. Maybe later find some of the custodians and get them to call my parents and bring me more clothes. Or I could put on the dress and go register a complaint with our coach and the principal. They were thoughtful enough to leave the panties that went with the uniform so my privates would be hidden. I doubted very seriously if that was the intention. It was always a good idea to take advantage of another’s mistakes. I learned about using opponents mistakes while playing baseball, chess, tennis, and a few other games. After stepping into the dress I found it hard to get the zipper up as my body was still very wet and that dress wasn’t allowing that much movement for me to get my fingers on the back zipper. The panties smoothed out all my manhood after I tucked and pushed things back into places they don’t normally reside. I had watched programs on the net on how to do this. I tried it a couple times to see if it really worked or was another liars game.

After slipping on the sneakers they left me, I headed to the coach’s office. I knocked on the door once and walked in without waiting for an invite.

Coach Walker looked up at me and smiled. “You look really cute Audrey.”

Yes, my parents went pretty far out giving me a name. They told me my name was shortened from Aethelthryth which meant noble, strength, all knowing and understanding. I figured that was far as it went until I saw my birth certificate which stated I was named Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider. I was told Rachelle meant loyal, caring, prefers to fight her own battles but will always aid others in need. So I stuck with Audrey when anyone asked me my name, promising myself I would change it when I reached twenty one and was my own man. My name would change to John or Sam or Jake or…, any name with a lot of testosterone attached to it. I knew my parents loved me and meant well but they really were kinda weird at times. When I was born it had to be a blue moon or the dark of the moon or something for them to drop that moniker on me. If they had to get inventive with names why didn’t they drop one on my sister who was a year older than me? Sandy Louise Rider must have not been born under the dark of the moon or a full moon?

Smiling sweetly I gave Coach Walker my best female voice with a deep southern accent as I reached up and patted the side of my long hair, giving it a flip with my fingers. “Why that’s awful sweet of you Coach. I hope you still think of me like that when I file a complaint with Principal Brown. If this doesn’t stop I’ll move it up to Superintendent Hays and possibly the school board.” I didn’t tell him I also intended on contacting a law firm I had found on the net who specializes in these types of situations and does it pro bono.

Coach Walker stood up clinching his fists. “Why you fucking faggot. Your kind is destroying all our schools The whole damn country is turning into a bunch of fairies.”

“And exactly what right do you have to tell anyone how to live or dress or what they desire to be or not be? You think you’re the fashion, morality, ethics, police? Who appointed you? Or did you appoint yourself? You are claiming the right to judge how people should dress and act while you deny others that same right. Coach, you’re a bigot of the darkest kind. You hide behind your education degree passing judgment on all those who you don’t personally approve of as testosterone jocks or meek little submissive females.”

GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE! DON’T YOU EVER COME BACK TO THIS CLASS! YOUR GRADE FOR THIS COURSE JUST BECAME AN F MINUS! NOW GET OUT YOU FUCKING FREAK!” His face had gone beet red as he was waving his hand and pointing at the door. His feet were slowly moving him around the desk toward me.

I figured if I didn’t flee I was going to get a beating I probably wouldn’t recover from. Sometimes the best part of fighting is to know when to run. I put that knowledge into action. I was happy the guys had left sneakers. When I hit the gym door, Coach Walker wasn’t that far behind. Nor did I slow down in the hallway which was full of kids between classes. Coach Walker had murder in his eyes when I fled. From the sounds of shouting and feet pounding the floor behind me, I figured he was still trying to finish what he was thinking in his office.

Making it to the principle’s office, I didn’t stop and ask the secretary if he was in as I charged on into an empty office. My fate was sealed as Coach Walker ran in five steps behind me. Backing into a corner I brought my hands and arms up to protect my face and front of my body before he started hammering me with his fists. The left side of my head took a blow I couldn’t cover. Backed into the corner facing someone with massive strength, I was not going to escape.

Jennie had watched as the Eagle cheerleader ran by her into Principal Brown’s office. She was too surprised and not quick enough to stop her. Then Coach Walker ran past her into the office. Immediately she heard sounds of someone beating another person. When she was growing up she had heard it often enough as she passed through the school grades. She knew exactly what it was. Jumping out of her chair she ran into the office and stopped in shock as Coach Walker was beating the poor girl with his fists.

“COACH, STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! STOP! GET AWAY FROM THAT GIRL!” She grabbed his arm to pull him back.

He threw Jennie across the room as he kept pounding the girl in the corner. Jennie struggled to her feet, grabbed the largest book she could find on the bookshelf. She baptized Coach Walker with all the conviction of a southern revival preacher at a hallelujah meeting. He went down to his knees and then toppled over backwards on the floor out cold.

Jennie looked at the girl still trying to cover up her face with her hands. Blood was all over her hands, her dress. She grabbed her wrist. “Come with me. I’ll get you to safety while I call security.”

She led the poor girl out of the offices and down the hall to the nurse station. Ann looked up when she heard them walk in. She sucked in her breath. “My god, what happened?”

“Coach Walker has gone nuts. He was trying to beat her to death. See what you can do to help while I call security and Emergency Medical at Mercy.”

Ann wet a cloth and was trying to wipe some of the blood off to find where it was coming from. “Honey, what’s your name? Where do you hurt? Do you have someone we can contact? Sweetie, what’s your name?”

“Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider.” It was so heavily French accented both women had trouble with the name.

“Honey, I didn’t catch that. Tell me again, what is your name?” Ann leaned in real close.

“Illana, j’ai retourné a tort pour rectifier ce mal . Le batard n’a pas appris rien, même après six siecles” (Lllana, I have returned to right this wrong. He has learned nothing even after six centuries)

Ann looked over at Jennie. “Did she say her name was Rider? Is this Audrey Rider? What is she doing in an Eagle cheerleader uniform? Why was Coach Walker beating on her?”

Jennie shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m sure it will all come out when we get to the bottom of this. I have security headed to the office to pick up Coach Walker. An ambulance is on its way to pick up Audrey.” Jennie wanted to hold the girl but she was bloody. She hoped Coach Walker didn’t figure out where Audrey went if he regained his senses before security found him.

“Ce corps mortel doit se reposer jusqu’a ce qu Aethelthryth soit complete” (This mortal body shall rest until Aethelthryth is complete.)

Jennie was shaking her head. “Honey, we don’t understand what language you are using. Can you repeat it in English?”

Audrey closed her eyes and leaned back on the table. She couldn’t be woken even as Ann tried her best to get a response out of her. Both women feared the worse, a hemorrhage. She was leaking blood in the cranium putting pressure on her brain. When waiting on an ambulance minutes seem like hours. It was only eighteen minutes before Emergency Medical was there in the nurse’s station with their gurney and their life monitoring equipment. Six minutes later they had Audrey hooked up monitoring all her vitals. If anything, every thing was a tad low. Her heartbeat was so slow she could be in a zen trance. Her blood pressure on the bottom of the spectrum. Her oxygen level was good. Of course she was breathing through her mouth as her nose was smashed. By now the EM personnel were starting to worry. Everything was too normal. A brain hemmorhage was suspected to be shutting everything down.

She was transported.

In the Emergency Room Dr. Linda Clark was busy checking vitals and ordered X rays of the young woman’s head as her clothes were cut off so they could check her whole body. She was no longer bleeding from her nose and ears. The bruising on her face, shoulders, chest, and sides seemed to have run its course as they weren’t darkening. Quite contrary to expectation, they seemed to be diminishing.

“Pictures, the police will need proof she was attacked.” Dr. Clark checked the girls hands. No broken skin, bruising, or broken fingers. Looking under the nails they were all clean, no blood, no tissue. She hadn’t fought back to defend herself.

X Ray personnel came into the room with the machine. “I want to know what is going on inside her skull. Give me frontal and sides. Give me pictures of her body. I want to know where this girl is broken.” Dr. Clark and all the others stepped out of the room for the five minutes it took the X Ray team to do their job.

Dr. Clark was studying the pictures along with Doctor Allison Sharp. “I don’t see anything.”

“Neither do I.” Dr. Sharp leaned in for a closer look. Were they missing something? The girl was in a coma and couldn’t be awakened. What was causing it? “What’s her vitals, Linda?”

“Good, all good. If I gave a diagnosis on her condition, I’d say she had a bloody nose, bruising and that was it. Damn Allison, I just came from Intensive Care. I swear she has less bruising on her body than when they brought her in.”

“Her parents show up yet.”

Linda shook her head. “No one seems sure what her name is. They are walking on egg shells out there trying to get a name, afraid of calling up someone and telling the wrong parents we have their daughter. The report the school nurse sent in with her, she could possibly be Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider and everyone called her Audrey.”

Allison chuckled. “I wonder why they call her Audrey? Okay, it’s up to admin to figure out the legals, let’s focus on the girl’s medical. Why the coma? I haven’t a clue. I know you well enough to not ask if you checked for spinal injury.”

“I did, only so much can be done until we have a responsive patient. If she was awake I’d go through the whole test of feeling in the feet, toes, fingers. Hell Allison, I’m grasping at straws trying to figure out what is going on inside that girl’s mind and why she doesn’t want to reconnect with us.”

“I wish I had an answer for you, Linda. Like you, I don’t have a clue.” Allison tapped the screen showing the X Rays. “There isn’t a damn thing there. I suggest running her through an MRI. Maybe getting your answer there.”

“I ordered an MRI when I left her room before asking you to meet me here. I have a beat up, normal healthy girl, who refuses to wake up. This is one we never studied in pre med. Thanks for giving me your opinion on this one, Allison. I was praying I wasn’t missing anything.”

Allison smiled at her friend. “Linda, if they ever bring me in on a gurney, it is you I want in the ER room waiting for me. There isn’t a better, more caring, conscientious doctor in this whole hospital. In the whole city. In the whole state.”

Linda was waving her friend down. “Thanks for the confidence booster but my patient isn’t getting any better.”

“She isn’t getting any worse either. Remember hon, we make them stable, then we make them healthy. You have her stable. Give healthy a chance to come at its own pace. I know you’re frustrated with this one. Maybe you just need to find treating both the patient and her doctor with a prescription of patience is what is needed.”

Linda looked at her friend and nodded in agreement. “I hear you. Mind if I call when the MRI comes in?”

“I’ll be there, you know I will.”

I was awake but I wasn’t. Had to be one of those dreams where they are so real one is caught on both sides of living and dreaming. She was by my bed. It was a hospital bed and room from the looks of things when I scanned the room.

“Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, your time to awaken has been pushed forward by circumstances I had not foreseen. I was going to give to you your gift of all my knowledge on your sixteenth birthday. You are of my blood. You are of both human and faerie. You have been watched long before the day you were born. I am very pleased with you. Understand this, only females may carry the arts of knowledge, healing, strength, and caring comfort of a woman. As male you had these. Not strong enough to show up in measure to attract attention. As female you are now gifted with my gifts. Accept this change as a gift and the blessing it entails. Understand why children look at you, come to you as their lives have yet to be blinded by the ignorance of mortals.”

“There is so much more. You will understand it all for the gift of knowledge is yours.” She reached out her hand toward me.

“Your name?” As I held out my hand to accept hers.

“You know it already.”

When she took my hand I felt an euphoria the likes of which I doubt mankind has ever known. I was born again into a world of the knowledge and magic of faeries. “Thank you, Illana. Mother.” My arm dropped to the bed as I fell back asleep.

Another woman appeared beside Illana. “You have chosen your daughter well. I sense in her all you are. She is kind, caring, and yet a force of nature to be reckoned with.”

Illana turned and looked at her friend. “Vetra, I test the jealousy of all the other Gods when I say you are the best of all of them. Thank you for sparing my daughter’s life. I pray you stop me from finishing off that wretched man who beat her to death. You did not let her die. I am eternally in your debt.”

“Yes I saved her life. It is your gifts she is blessed with which will allow her to flower into a woman and healer the likes this world has lost over the centuries. I ask you to not kill the man who beat her. His punishment is coming and it will be long and harsh. He will wish for death a thousand times a thousand before my enemy will be allowed to claim him.”

“The Grim Reaper always has wanted to shorten the waiting period. Thank you for making him wait. My kindness was sorely tested as I truly wanted to kill him.”

As the nurse came running into the room she thought she saw two women standing beside the young girl’s bed. She was mistaken as she took a second look no one was there. The patient stirred and opened her eyes. “How bad am I?”

The reason the nurse had run into the room was all the monitoring equipment had been turned off. As she looked at the patient, all of it had been disconnected from the young girl.

“Who did this?” She stepped up beside the bed, picked up the girl’s arm and checked for her pulse.

“Did what? How ugly am I?” Reaching up with my right hand because the nurse was holding my left one, I felt my face to check for bruising and bandages.

Cassiopeia stared at the girl. It was as if a different girl had been substituted for the one she had checked a little over an hour ago. Ugly? The girl was a raving beauty and that was without any makeup. Must be the effects of that possible concussion listed on her admittance records. Cass was caught in a quandary. She needed to notify her doctor the girl was awake and yet she needed to be hooked back up to her monitors. She left to go back to the nurse station. Karen could call her doctor while she hooked her back up.

Dr. Linda Clark was there in less than ten minutes after she had been told her comatose patient was awake. When she walked into the room she stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and checked the room number. Right room, wrong patient. “Where did they move my patient?”

“Doc, I don’t know what to tell you. This is your patient.” Cass was waiting for the storm she knew was brewing in Doctor Clark’s eyes.

Linda walked closer to take a look. Where was all the bruising, the cuts, the swelling? “What’s your name?”

“Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, everyone calls me Audrey. How long have I been here? Have mom and dad been notified? I’m not going back to school if Coach Walker is still there. He’ll kill me next time. I’m surprised he didn’t do it this time. Someone must have pulled him off of me.”

Linda shook her head. All the answers and questions fit with what she knew when her patient was brought in. A recovery this quick was impossible. “Listen to me Audrey. You’ve been in a coma since the time you were brought in. I need to ask you some questions and have you answer me as truthfully as you can.”

“Okay.” My attention strayed from the doctor to the sheet covering me. I had bumps in the sheet on my chest. I was smiling when I looked back at the doctor. My dream wasn’t a dream. I felt complete, I was truly me for the first time in my life. I promised myself I’d have no regrets trying out the boy side first but this girl side was the right fit.

The doc asked a whole lot more than a few questions. When everyone was positive I was the boy…, girl registered as Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider in Lakewood school system, they called my parents and told them I had been taken to the hospital. The police and the school were notified I was awake and speaking intelligently without any apparent harm to my cognitive ability.

My parents were the first to arrive. Sis of course was still in school and didn’t come. Mom skidded to a halt when she stepped inside the door. She was staring. “Aethelthryth?”

“Hi mom.” I gave a small wave.

Dad was standing there with his mouth open. “Audrey?”

“Hi daddy, it’s me.” My problem was, I had no idea all the changes that had been made. I had yet to see myself in a mirror.

Mom closed in and took my hand. “This is going to take some getting use to.”

“I’m sorry, mom. How ugly am I?”

“ugly?” Mom had to cough that one out as it caught in her throat. “You don’t know?”

“None of the doctors or nurses will tell me. Coach worked me over pretty good until they saved me. It’s okay mom. I won’t freak out. I know it has to be bad.”

Linda touched my mother’s arm. “Mrs. Rider, we took pictures for our records and for the police files when your daughter was brought in. Of course you and your husband will be allowed copies. She was in bad condition. I was examining a girl who had been subjected to one of the most savage beatings I have seen in a long time.”

She pointed at Audrey. “I can’t explain this. No one can. It isn’t in any medical books because it isn’t possible. She’s made a full recovery and we, the hospital staff and myself, had nothing to do with it.

“daughter?” Janet was staring at her son. He was still her son although the soft feminine features he always had were now long gone. There was absolutely not a smidgen of doubt he had changed. He had the prettiest face she had ever seen. She noticed the tent in the sheets on her son’s chest. Doubt crept into her mind along with all those family tales told down through the ages. She didn’t remember the whole story but had something to do with fairies.

“When can he go home?” Janet wanted her son home before family stories were questioned.

Linda winced as the girl’s mother kept referring to her daughter in the masculine. “I’m going to keep her overnight to make sure what we are experiencing isn’t a fluke. I’m going to request another MRI to check for abnormalities. If nothing shows up you can take her home tomorrow afternoon.”

My dad walked over to the uncrowded side of the bed and took my right hand. He noticed the long sharp nails, long fingers, and delicate hand he was holding. How long had it been since he had paid any attention and held Audrey’s hand? “Son, how you holding up?”

Dr. Clark winced again. What was wrong with this girl’s parents?

“Pretty good, considering, dad. I’m sorry to be so much trouble. It all started in the gym. I let my mouth say things I shouldn’t have said.”

Kevin gave a soft gentle squeeze to his son’s hand. Audrey always did have a soft almost feminine voice. Now there was no doubt. His voice was lilting, musical, calling everyone to listen to the voice of an angel. “You have never been a burden. If you said something, I’m sure it needed to be said. We’ll get to the bottom of this and straighten it all out. Don’t worry about it.”

A man and woman walked into the room carrying notebooks and recorders. “Detective Anders. My partner is Detective Johansen. We were told the patient was awake. We are here to ask the young lady some questions if her primary physician gives the okay.”

“I’m her doctor and yes you may question her if she says it is okay and her parents give their approval. These are the young girl’s parents.” Linda pointed at Janet and Kevin.

Kevin looked at the detectives. “Does my son need a lawyer?”

Linda cringed. This was ridiculous. She felt like shouting at her parents to call the girl a she but she held it back.

Detective Bonnie Johansen looked at the girl lying in the hospital bed. She had dealt with fathers like this before. They kept trying to project their daughter into their son. “Not necessarily. We have all the information from the school nurse, secretary, security and other personnel at the school. Your daughter was chased down and beat by a very disturbed individual. We think it might have been related to her wearing an Eagle cheerleader uniform which set off the individual who beat her. A lawyer is yours or your daughter’s choice of course.”

“Eagle cheerleader uniform?” Janet was trying to wrap her mind around Audrey wearing a girl’s cheerleader uniform. This was going to take some explaining when they got home. Seems as if the explanations needing to be told were starting to stack up.

“Son?” Kevin looked at his son to see if he felt he needed a lawyer or not.

Linda gritted her teeth and almost growled as she hissed. “girl, she’s your daughter.”

Janet coughed as her and Kevin’s eyes snapped down to look at Audrey. “Daughter?” She whispered.

I nodded my head. I didn’t need a mirror to confirm what I was any more than any girl needs one to check with her eyes what her body was telling her.

“Honey, you take over. I need to go sit down someplace.” Kevin was headed out the door.

That caused me to smile. No matter what society thought, women always were the strongest of the sexes. Guys might have muscle. That wasn’t true strength. It was what was inside where the real strength resided. Women had that in abundance.

Janet brushed the golden blond hair away from Audrey’s face before she looked at the detective. “I’ll agree to the questioning if my daughter consents.”

It was over in less than an hour. Everyone besides my mother had left us alone. Mom was sitting on the side of my bed holding my hand and studying my face. “I can’t begin to imagine what it is like to go from boy to girl in a matter of a day or two. How do you truly feel?”

“Everything matches now. I can’t explain it in words, knowing I am complete inside and out. Did you ever question why you were a girl or have doubt you were one? I’m a girl. I have no doubt I am one and it is right for me.”

Taking both her hands in mine I held on tightly. “Mom…, and you always will be my mom. Nothing will ever change that. I will always love you and respect you as my mother. I can see and feel things I never could before. I can feel in your soul when you gave birth to me. Promise you will never doubt me when I tell you something for I can not lie. That was part of the package she gifted me with.”

“She?” Mom was waiting for an explanation.

“My other mother was here before you and dad came. She is a Faerie of health, strength, courage among many other things. She gave me her gifts along with the gift of becoming a female. Only as female am I able to use the full extent of the gifts she has blessed me with. I accept this with a burning desire I have never felt before.”

“Mom, I am a healer. She healed me so I could live and heal others in need. I can’t heal everyone in the world of all their problems. I can heal those who are kind and deserving. I can sense that in people now. Doctor Linda Clark who was in here is a kind and caring doctor. She’s one of the best. She has cancer in her left breast, squamous cell carcinoma. I could smell it and feel it. Tonight when she comes in to check on me, I’ll ask her to hold my hand. I can kill and remove her cancer. A block will be placed on her DNA. No cancer will ever get a start in her body for the rest of her life. She will save thousands before she is through practicing medicine. I can sense all this. With one tiny little gift to her, thousands will live.”

Janet was softly crying as she studied her daughter’s beautiful face. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Thank you for giving me life. My other mom, Illana saved it and brought it back again. I love you both with all my heart and soul. I always will until the end of eternity.”

“Go home and rest, mom. You’re tired. I’m freshly minted and don’t have a whole lot of reserve to be sharing or I’d remove your tiredness. I’m saving up for Dr. Clark tonight. That will drain me but it will be okay. I’ll be recharged before daybreak. Each following day I’ll keep getting stronger until I no longer have a need to stop sharing.”

In the wee hours of the morning, Illana and Vetra were watching their young charge sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face.

“She is blessed to have you as her mother, Illana.”

“It is I who is blessed, Vetra. She is a gift to us all, mortals and Faerie alike.”

The goddess reached over and hugged her friend. “I am blessed to know you both. How many gods have friends such as you? None, absolutely, none.”

Illana returned the hug and then her attention turned to Aethelthryth. She will need us both for she treads in a mortal world where her kind and magic is hated by many.”

“Then let us not be laggards and shirk our duty. I promise a goddess’s wrath upon any who ever touch her again in anger.”

“Thank you Vetra, our daughter could not ask for more. Nor do I suspect with her kind and forgiving spirit she would even think to ask.” Before they left, Illana placed a white gossamer gown on the foot of the bed.

Vetra softly chuckled. “Illana, she’s mortal. She needs more than just the gown. Proper modest under things and all.”

“Oh? Of course, I forgot.” Girl panties, half slip, and bra lay on the bed beside the gown.

Vetra was almost laughing out loud. “Illana…, oh never mind. Your daughter is going to have the attention of everyone, and I do mean everyone, who sees her as she leaves the hospital.

That morning I cleaned up with a washcloth as good as I could in that small bathroom attached to my room. The underclothes and gown were on my body shortly afterwards. I was wishing I had makeup and perfume to complete the picture but…

Mom made a trip in with jeans, shorts and shirt by ten that morning. She stopped and stared when she walked into the room. Laughing, she tossed what she was holding into the trashcan. “I forgot I had a daughter. Well not really but it didn’t register in my mind my son’s clothes weren’t appropriate for my daughter. My god Audrey, you are beyond beautiful. I take it your other mother dropped off the dress?”

“Yes. Please don’t be jealous. I love you both.”

“I never could be jealous of someone who loves you as much as she must. Please ask her if we can meet sometime and talk. I’d love to meet your other mother.”

“She’s a Faerie, mom. She would be feared, loved, hated all at the same time if she appeared in public. I know what you are thinking and no she doesn’t have wings. God, where did our society get all those stupid fairy ideas anyway? One Peter Pan movie and all Faeries are tiny little things like insects with wings.”

Janet studied her daughter. “You’re so beautiful yourself. Are you now a fairy?”

“That is Faerie not fairy, mom. And yes, I’m one too now. It came with Illana saving my life and changing me so I could use the gifts she blessed me with. Mom, I don’t love her more or you less because of who or what I changed to. I love you both equally, please believe me.

“Of course I believe you. You never lied to me before. I don’t think you can lie to me now. I want a hug from my gorgeous daughter.” Janet held out her arms.

By one that afternoon my mother was back with makeup and perfume. She told me I only needed a touch of each as I was already exotic and attractive enough. I didn’t need to raise the bar any higher with makeup.

Dr. Clark was there along with a lot of the hospital personnel as they wheeled me across the atrium where people check in and out as friends and relatives wait for the good news or bad. She gave me a hug. “Never in my life have I seen someone recover like you have. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t personally sen it myself. I’m sure no one else will believe it either. Hospital records will be amended after they try that son of a bitch who tried to beat you to death. The records will be needed in a trial as they were when you were admitted.

I hugged her back. “Thank you Doctor for all your kind and caring attention. I certainly appreciate what you have done for me.”

Linda giggled. “Done for you? Hon, this is all yourself and who ever and whatever else connections you have out there. I’d like to talk to you about this sometime but I’m almost afraid of what you will tell me. Take care Audrey and don’t get into any more fights.”

“I promise I’ll behave from now on. No more fights.” Looking around as the doc stood up I spied a little girl lying limply in her mother’s arms.

Quickly before they could stop me I was out of the wheelchair and standing in front of the woman. “Please, may I hold her.” I held out my arms.

Security was closing in. Dr. Clark waved them off. “Wait.”

The lady handed me her little girl. Holding her to my breasts and kissing her on the forehead, I softly sang a song playing in my mind.

Every sound in that huge room was turned off. No one spoke as they all looked at the young woman holding the little girl and singing with one of the most beautiful lyrical voices anyone had ever heard. The words and sounds weren’t any anyone had ever heard but it was all beautiful and soul soothing.

Four minutes later I kissed the little girl on the forehead and gently lay her back in her mother’s arms. “She will grow up to be an outstanding lawyer and judge. The world is blessed to have her among us.”

Dr. Allison leaned over toward Dr. Linda Clark. “What did I just see? Tell me something didn’t happen medical science won’t be able to explain.”

Dr. Clark looked around the room. Everyone was staring at the young woman as she walked back to the wheelchair. “Allison, I think we all just witnessed something none of us will be able to explain. I hope someone thought to record her voice and her song.”

Allison slowly shook her head. “I never thought about it. Who would? We were all mesmerized by what we were witnessing.”

“Linda, I didn’t happen to just stop by. I want another look at your left breast.”

Linda felt chills run down her spine. “What did you see?”

“Dr. Clark, you of all people know better than to speculate on what is or isn’t before it’s confirmed. I want another MRI and X Ray.”

“How bad is it and how far has it spread?” Linda had been through this too many times with her patients to know this wasn’t just a follow up. Allison had seen something.

“More tests, Doctor and don’t try and analyze the data before we have something solid.” Allison reached out and pulled Linda’s hands into hers. She felt for her friend. The dreaded unknown and possibly the Big C was a scary monster no one wanted to face, doctor or not.

Tears escaped Linda’s eyes as she knew it was going to be bad news. She looked up to see her young unexplainable patient get in the van. Did she just smile and wink at her? Last night when Audrey asked to hold her hand she was singing so softly it was hard to hear her. Strange feelings spread through out her tired body while the girl was singing. Did she…?

Linda grabbed Allison by the arm. “I have to know. If I’m right those X Rays and MRIs you have from two days ago are not going to match up with what the next ones will find.”

Allison looked at her friend. “Something you aren’t telling me, Doctor?”

“Just a hunch, Doctor, just a hunch.”

Faeries and Such
Knowledge and Magic

Kevin and Janet Rider had contacted several lawyers to file a lawsuit against Lakewood school district, Coach Adam Walker, and the Lakewood boys basketball team as John Doe. There was a problem as every lawyer they had the initial meeting with, which was free, wanted anywhere from forty thousand to two hundred thousand up front to take the case. Of course the Rider’s were assured it was an open and shut case of assault against their son…, daughter, Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider. Truth be known, every single one of the lawyers they spoke with was thinking it was a slam dunk case alright. There was no way in hell the Rider’s and their uh, son, daughter, whatever it was would ever be able to make a case of bullying and mistreatment. The Riders and their girl or boy or whatever it was had misled the school and broken a whole bunch of legalities when they enrolled their daughter, son as a boy. How she or he or it could keep up the deception as long as it did was a non starter. Legalities were broken, lies told and the Riders were probably looking at a multi million dollar lawsuit from Coach Walker. Then there were all the boys and their families on the basketball team, Lakewood School District, possibly some teachers, and other school teams she played on. The lawyers wanted their money up front so when the Riders went down they were already paid. Every single lawyer the Riders talked to had the same opinion. Sell the idea the Rider’s wouldn’t have any problem winning a legal case, collect the fee up front, and then watch the Riders sink in a sea of court filings and lawsuits.

Friday night, my sis, Sandy, and I were fixing supper. It was a chef salad; Sandy was busy chopping up the lettuce while I was busy peeling the boiled eggs when she cried out.

“OWW!” She dropped the knife and grabbed her left hand. She was already starting to bleed, blood dripping into the bowl of lettuce she had been working on.

“OH HELL IT’S DEEP!” She was squeezing her left wrist with her right hand trying to slow down the blood flow.

“Sis, a blood offering is not required for a simple chef salad. If I want your blood, I’ll come and visit you at night when you are asleep. A bite on your neck and you’ll never know how much you gave me.”

Sandy looked halfway shocked I’d even say such a thing.

Mom and dad had been in the living room discussing how they were going to get enough money together to make that initial payment to any of the lawyers. When Sandy screamed they both came rushing into the kitchen.

Mom blanched when she saw how bloody Sandy’s hand was and it was still leaking pretty badly. “I’ll call nine one one.”

“Mom wait. Sandy, give me your hand.” I held out my hand toward sis.

Sis hesitated and slowly held out her hand toward me still unsure after that really bad joke I told about drinking her blood.

“Awww, come on Sis, you know I was pulling your leg.” When I took her hand a song immediately filled my mind. I started softly singing as I cupped her left hand between both of mine.

Janet and Kevin had heard Audrey sing when she held a little girl before leaving the hospital. Still, they were spell bound by their daughter’s pure voice. For Sandy, this was the first time she heard her sister sing. The words, the melody was nothing any of the family had ever heard before. Peace, contentment, love, feelings of well being enveloped all three family members. For Sandy there was also a feeling of calm healing flowing from Audrey’s hands, washing through every fiber of her soul.

A couple minutes later the song in my mind was finished. Letting go of Sandy’s hand, I backed up to give her a chance to readjust to the present. Sis was staring at me, looking straight into my eyes. “That was beautiful. Your words, your voice…, I felt it more than I heard it. The words, I didn’t understand them, I felt them. Aethelthryth…,”

Sis closed in and wrapped her arms around me, and laid her cheek against my cheek. She closed her eyes. “Aethelthryth, what did you do to my brother? Where is he? When I hold you like this and close my eyes, I can feel him. When I look at you, I see an exotic beautiful girl, not Audrey.”

With my arms around sis, I hugged her close. “If you can feel me then you understand it is still me. Nothing has changed. What you see now is what was there but you couldn’t see it. Our eyes deceive us a lot of the time. When you are with boys or girls, stop long enough to close your eyes and let your feelings tell you what kind of person they really are instead of letting your eyes make that decision. Most people are like fake gold, impressive to look at but not real friends or anyone you can trust.”

Tears were leaking out of Sandy’s eyes as she turned lose and slid out of my embrace. “You’re not fake gold. You’re the real deal. I can feel it. Mom said you have a fairy mother too and she wants to meet her. I want to join that meeting.”

That caused me to giggle. “Sis..., as I told mom, she is not a fairy. She doesn’t have wings, she isn’t two or four inches tall. She is a faerie and like mortals they come in all sizes. Illana happens to be around six feet the best I could estimate while I lay in a hospital bed and was talking to her.”

“Janet is our mother.” I pointed to our mom on the other side of the room. She had tears running down her cheeks too. “She gave birth to us, kept us diapered and fed and taught us right from wrong among a billion other things. I can’t love one mom any more or any less than the other. My heart and soul is double filled with love for two mothers “

Sis at five ten was no also ran in the beauty department. Before, I never gave it any thought our mom, and Sandy, was a little more gifted in the arts of magic than anyone knew. Now I could sense it. There was no doubt it was there, very low level, and mom didn’t even know she had it. I always thought the women in our family were above average in beauty. Mom at thirty nine was still beauty queen pretty with a wow figure, even if she was my mother. Grams at sixty was still able to turn young men’s heads. I couldn’t wait to visit Grams again. If I was a betting person, I bet she carried some magic in her also.

Before the change a couple days ago, there was no jealousy or desire on my part to be as beautiful as the women in my family. Up until I was eight, the teasing I received from other kids calling me a girl or pretty was nice and a compliment. That year things changed as the hormones started to kick in for all of the kids. Girls started noticing boys and boys noticing girls. Kids decided boys were tough, gruff, and definitely not supposed to be pretty. Girls were pretty. The teasing took a mean vindictive turn from most of the boys. Only a few girls sided with the boys. Most of the girls left me alone, pretty enough to be one of them but yet I wasn’t. I was caught in between the gender divide. My parents naming me Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider and calling me Audrey was the icing on the cake. Deep down mom must have known what was to come even if she didn’t consciously realize..

The past couple of days everything our society drives home to young impressionable minds became more than crystal clear. Men are supposed to be big, tall, tough, masculine, muscle bound hunks. The better one filled that picture, the easier they went up the corporate ladder. The easier they were accepted in all walks of society starting at the last couple grades of grade school and on through high school. From colleges, to fraternities, social clubs, politics, businesses, and even their pick of women, those who were the perfect picture of the masculine male, almost automatically were pushed to the top of the social structure.

I’d have to ask Illana if I could tell sis, mom, and Grams about the magic they carried. Sure it was low level. Even that could be useful if one knew it was there and could conscientiously tap into it.

It was a Thursday when the jocks in basketball messed with me in the locker room and Coach Walker subsequently attacked me. Since I was in Junior High and Sis was in High School the rumors about what had happened were impossible to tell from what really happened. Even in high school Sis had heard a lot of rumors. Among them was I had gone off the rails and attacked the faculty. She didn’t learn the truth until Thursday night when mom and dad clued her in. Friday was really rough for her as a lot of kids were blaming me. Sis was getting blamed by association and for Coach Walker getting arrested by the police. The school went into full blown damage control hoping to duck the lawsuits. They put Coach Walker on paid administrative leave by a special meeting of the school board. What built a fire under everyone was the Junior High basketball team was put on detention. Every single player was sent to detention hall as the basketball program was suspended until further notice. Forty one irate parents were threatening lawsuits. Exactly what the school administration and board members had hoped to squelch by their actions. The parents were supported by dozens of kids who disliked me before. Now they hated me. Whatever happened, whatever the reason, in the majority of minds, I was to blame for all of it.

Several situations were playing out all at the same time. Mom and dad were searching for a lawyer while I kept deep sixing everyone they talked to. Dr. Linda Clark as the primary Emergency Room attending physician when I was transported into Mercy was questioned several times over the days as to what condition I was in when she examined me. It wasn’t only the police but the school lawyers who were asking. The fly in the ointment for the school and their lawyers were the supposed pictures of a young girl beaten to a bloody pulp when she was admitted to ER. The other gotchu was Dr. Clark kept referring to the patient as female. She was adamant and signed a sworn notarized statement, along with two nurses, and two X Ray technicians, the girl they admitted was a female who had been severely beaten. She had a concussion, contusions, bruising, cuts, and bleeding from her nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. The lawyers demanded copies of hospital records, photos, everything the hospital had on the patient named Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider and went by the name Audrey. The hospital lawyers put up a brick wall. There would be absolutely no release of any patient information without a written, notarized, witnessed, and legal release from the patient and her legal guardians performed in a court, in front of a judge. The hospital lawyers could see a multi million dollar lawsuit headed their way if they gave out private patient information without consent of all involved. The school lawyers could file for discovery in court if and when lawsuits started being handed out to everyone who got close to the girl.

The police had their report because they had talked to me in the hospital. Although, they too were having a hard time justifying the person they saw in the room with the hospital’s records and photographs. The school lawyers were bird dogs on the hunt when they found out I had been discharged. They wanted to talk to me, telling me I had to come in for a hearing and a deposition. Mom was the one who handled that phone call. She flat out told them no. I wasn’t going to meet them without a lawyer beside me. Which we didn’t have of course.

The school board was pushing hard for a meeting. I knew why. They wanted to get statements and signatures on their description of what happened while the opposition party, me, had little time to think and supposedly would be willing to agree to almost anything. The military has a name for it, battle shock. Accident victims go through the same emotions. We had yet to get a lawyer when mom and dad had set up an appointment for us with administration in the school conference room for Wednesday. Superintendent Hays, Principal Brown. Jennie Parker the secretary who witnessed the altercation in the principle’s office, Ann Sherfield the school nurse who initially treated me, Neal Bishop my baseball coach, and all my teachers were going to be there. To make sure they had the right student show up, they also asked Dr. Linda Clark to be there to identify the boy she admitted in ER.

Dr. Clark was grinding nails between her teeth when she looked at the request. What in the hell was the matter with those people? At first she wasn’t going and then she decided she wouldn’t miss it. With fire in her eyes she gathered up the hospital admittance records she could share. GIRL! A YOUNG FEMALE! Was admitted to ER that evening at two sixteen. She managed to get the hospital to send the two ER personnel to the meeting. They were the ones who picked up the girl at the school and transported her. There was no time lapse, no changing of patients, the same person delivered to Mercy ER was the same person they picked up from Lakewood Junior High.

Jerry Berman, one of the school security guards, was waiting when dad parked the van in front of the school. After dad got out of the van Jerry greeted him and shook hands. “Mr. Rider, I’m to escort you and your son Audrey to the meeting.”

Mom got out of the van and walked up to stand beside dad. Mom was dressed in a really nice, aqua blue, polyester dress. Her makeup and her long copper tinted auburn hair were impeccable. With her matching shoulder purse and three inch heels, mom was more wow than any movie starlet or model would ever be. Her three inch heels put her at six foot one. Both mom and sis were five ten in stocking feet. Neither one tried to hide the fact they were above average height girls.

Jerry’s eyes kept getting bigger as mom closed in beside dad.

Dad wasn’t outdone by any means. In his brown suit, white shirt, brown silk tie, I thought he was the most handsome dog on the planet.

I was just getting out of the van when a white Lincoln pulled up beside my door. She grinned as she looked over in my direction. After she got out she pulled me into a bone crushing hug. “My God Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, I didn’t think you could get any more beautiful than when I last saw you. I was wrong.”

“Thank you doctor. You look really nice yourself.”

She pushed back and held onto my shoulders to look me in the eyes. “Thank you for what you did.”

“What I did? Dr. Clark, I have no idea what you are talking about. Unless of course you are talking about all those overtime hours you put in taking care of me, and you received a big bonus in your paycheck.”

Linda’s eyes were dancing as she nodded. “That must be it.”

She took my right hand in her left and turned around. She pointed at the man and woman who had droiven up in a pickup and parked the other side of her car. “This is Belinda and Nick. They are the team who picked you up from school. I figured we might need their testimony. She pointed to the well dressed woman getting out of a red Cadillac further over. That is Morgan Custman. She’s an attorney for the hospital. I figured we might need her too. From the letter I received from this bunch they are going to hold an inquisition instead of trying to figure out what happened. Everyone around this fiasco smells blood in the water and figure lots of money to be had.”

I shook my head. “Doctor…”

“Audrey, I’m Linda. Please, I want to be your friend first and your doctor later if you ever need one again.” Her eyes were begging as she looked at me.

“Okay. Linda, I don’t want money and neither does mom or dad. What I want is for Coach Walker to never get in a position to influence kids ever again. He could have and should have put the brakes on the basketball team from harassing and bullying me. He didn’t. He encouraged it. I want a restraining order placed on him so he can’t ever get closer than a thousand yards from me.”

“That’s all?” Linda looked kind of surprised.

“No, there’s more. I want them to set up a way for students who are being bullied can tell someone and not be punished for it. For that information to be investigated and if true remedial action taken so the bullying stops. I want to go to school. I want to learn everything my teachers have to share with me. I want to graduate from high school. I want immunity from any action I take if someone tries to hurt me or bully me. I don’t intend to be expelled or punished if I defend myself from physical harm. Linda, what that man did to me did more than damage my body. He stole my innocence. I failed to believe there were people like him among us. I shook hands with the Grim Reaper before my two guardians pulled me back to life. Next time, the Reaper will collect the souls of the ones who attack me.”

Linda felt chills run up and down her spine. If this girl could pass out health and cheat death, there was little doubt she could pass out pain and probably death. She turned her attention to Morgan who had walked up beside them. “Morgan, this young lady is Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, everyone calls her Audrey. Were you listening?”

Morgan held out her hand. When I shook hands with her my eyes flashed open for the briefest moment in time. Linda noticed and gave me a questioning look. I slightly shook my head hoping she didn’t ask.

If Morgan noticed she didn’t mention it as she continued. “I heard. Audrey if you’re serious about not wanting money I have a friend who will probably take your case. You let Linda or me know and I’ll ask her. What you should ask for is the school pays for the medical bills and all related expenses you incurred. They will also need to pay any legal fees you incur.” Morgan held out a business card. “I’m not here to represent you today. I will take notes and record this meeting for my friend if you decide you want her to take your case.”

Taking her card, I gave her a smile. “Mrs. Custman, I’d be pleased if your friend Charlotte Isenberry took my case.”

Morgan looked surprised, confused. “You know Charlotte? I didn’t mention her name. Linda did you…?”

Linda had a smile. “Morgan, you just received a taste of what this unbelievable, amazing, young lady is capable of. Don’t try and rationalize it, you will only become more confused.”

She pointed toward the school doors. “Shall we? I think it is about time for the meeting to begin.”

Jerry had been talking to mom and dad, he missed the conversation we were having. When the rest of us started toward the school he held up his hand. “Wait, where’s Audrey? He is the reason for this meeting. I was told he has to be here.”

Linda let out her breath in a hiss as she shook her head. She looked over at Morgan and the EM people. “See what I have been dealing with.”

The soft peach colored dress, four inch stiletto pumps, diamond necklace, earrings, eye liner, and peach lipstick was mom’s idea. Wearing four inch heels put me at six three. Mom knew what she was doing. She wanted to drive it home with a tank, maybe a pink tank, I was girl and all female. It didn’t hurt I had been slowly developing in the curves department from the time I was admitted to ER six days ago. I now had as much female form as my mother and sister. Linda had noticed but didn’t say anything about me filling out. I think she put it down to whatever unusual was going on with me wasn’t really unusual.

I gave a half hearted wave to Jerry. “I’m here. Shall we go talk to those who set up this meeting?”

Jerry looked at the exotic beauty wondering what she was talking about? “Yes you are but it is Audrey who needs to be here. So where is he?”

“Jerry, I’m Audrey.”

Jerry looked like he had turned to stone as his mouth dropped open and he stared. He finally managed to sputter. “I don’t believe it. I’ve met Audrey, and lady, you ain’t him.”

“A little change in clothing.” I waved my hand down in front of my body. “A few accessories.” I reached up and touched my earrings. “A little lipstick and a dab of perfume. Different shoes.” I pointed down at my heels. “A change in the way I wear my hair.” I brushed my wavy hair that cascaded over my shoulders and down my back with my fingertips. “And you judge me the same way Coach Walker did? Do you want to beat me like he did because I’m not the picture of the person you had in mind?”

“NO! I mean…, Damn Audrey, you’re beautiful. I just didn’t expect…, I mean…, Damn girl, you always were pretty but you acted and dressed like a boy.” A smile spread across his face from ear to ear. “Come on, let’s go in. I can’t wait to see the reaction of everyone when you walk into that room.”

He looked over at Linda. “You’re the doc who treated her?”

“Yes.”

“Glad you came, doc. I do believe hell is fixing to erupt in that meeting room as soon as Audrey announces herself.”

Jerry turned his attention to my dad. “Mr Rider, stay on her right, I’ll be on her left. If anyone tries to attack her they will have to go through me first. I put in my thirty years as a Seal before I retired. I took this job because I got bored fishing all the time. I’m going to be pretty tough to get past if it comes to that.”

I gave a nod in agreement. “Thanks, Jerry. You never did say any of the nasty things others were saying to me.”

Morgan looked at the others. “Linda, Nick, Belinda, don’t get involved in anything physical. You’re Mercy personnel, that makes Mercy legally liable for anything you might do. The Riders have a parental right and obligation to protect their daughter against physical and verbal abuse.”

“Oh what the hell.” She turned her attention to my dad. “Mr. Rider, you don’t plan on suing the hospital or any of the staff?”

That question got daddy’s and momma’s attention. “No Ma’am.”

“Okay, in that case there is no conflict of interest. I can’t tell you I will represent you and your daughter without you asking me.”

Daddy looked kind of confused. Momma wasn’t though. “Mrs. will you represent Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider and us as our legal counsel?”

Is this Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider also known as Audrey?” Morgan glanced at Linda out of the corner of her eye.

“Yes she is.”

“Then we have a contract of agreement between myself and Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, also known as Audrey, and her parents. Linda, you, Belinda, and Nick are witnesses to the agreement.”

Jerry kinda halfway raised his hand. “Can I be a witness?”

“You are employed by the school. Yes, you may be a witness but are considered a hostile witness.”

Jerry gave a wicked smile. “Damn right I’m hostile. What happened to that girl never should have happened. I’ll guarantee it won’t ever happen again even if I have to follow her step for step and sit in every single one of her classes for the rest of the year. I was off last week. Best all the way around since she survived.”

Walking up to him, I took his hand. “Thanks for the support, Jerry. Promise me you won’t ever mention anything like that ever again. I’m going to ask everyone here to forget what you said. When something happens to Coach Walker you will be high on the suspect list if your remark becomes known.”

Jerry motioned toward the door. “Best let me go in first into that meeting room. Audrey, walk in with your mother, doctor, and lawyer. Mr. Rider, right behind the ladies. Nick, you and Belinda are going to be safe from any fireworks so just kind of blend in.”

Morgan was eyeing Jerry as our group headed for the school. “Something tells me this isn’t your first Rodeo.”

“No Ma’am, but it probably will be my last at Lakewood School District. If this goes as I suspect, then it will probably be my last at any school. Fishing everyday wasn’t that bad, I guess.” His eyes shifted in my direction for a split second. “Some values are worth fighting for no matter what the odds are, or what one must pay in order to keep their own self respect.”

I could hear a lot of voices attached to a lot of emotion coming from the meeting room when our group stopped at the door. Jerry opened it and stepped into the room. The talking stopped like a water spigot was cut off. Mom walked in. I was one step behind her. Everyone around that conference table had their heads turned giving us their full attention. Morgan and Linda came in followed by daddy and then Belinda and Nick.

When everyone stopped filing into the room Superintendent Hays gave dad a frown. “I take it you’re Mr. Rider, Mr. Audrey Rider’s father?”

“Yes I am and it would probably work out better if we all introduced ourselves. He looked at mom. This is my wife, Janet. To my right is Dr. Linda Clark. To her right is Morgan Custman. Behind me are the two EM personnel who transported Audrey from the nurse’s station to Mercy Hospital ER.”

Hays started at Kevin for a few seconds. “Mr. And Mrs. Rider, this meeting is about a young boy enrolled in this school who is registered as your son. Coach Walker says your son put on a cheerleader dress and attacked him in his office and then ran. Coach Walker followed your son down to Principal Brown’s office where he wanted to ask your son why he attacked him? He claims your son started attacking him again as soon as he walked into the room. Because this meeting is about that attack, it was necessary for your son to be present for us to question why he assaulted Coach Walker?”

Mom and dad were staring at Hays with pure hatred. Linda, Morgan and the others glanced in my direction. I barely shook my head no. My hands down by my side I gave a flat motion hoping they all understood they were to stay calm. Reaching out, I took mom’s right hand and dad’s left. “Deep breath, this is not the time to get angry as it will only hurt us.”

Stepping forward of our group, I gave each person at the table a focused look. Most of them looked like part of a lynch mob. They had the trial before we arrived and I was already convicted.

I recognized Jeannie Parker Brown’s secretary. I had run by her that fateful day. She looked shell shocked, and disgusted. Even though I didn’t see what she had done, It was then I realized she was the one who stopped Coach Walker from killing me.

There was Ann Sherfield. She flat out looked like she was ready to jump up and leave. I gave her a little wave. “Mrs. Sherfield, if you would, take a deep breath, a drink from the glass in front of you and relax. This isn’t your fight. You’re here to tell these fine people what you saw that day and nothing more.”

Neal Bishop had met Audrey’s parents many times at the baseball games he coached. He knew them well. The tall girl in that group who had arrived hadn’t been introduced. Something about her felt familiar although he was positive they had never met. He would certainly remember someone as beautiful as her. It wasn’t Sandy Rider, Audrey’s sister. Neal had met her too. Something keep telling him he knew her well and yet…?

My baseball Coach Neal Bishop was staring at me so hard I though his eyes were going to drop out. I gave a little wave with my right hand. “Hi Coach.”

He almost fell backwards out of his chair. “I’ll be jiggered. Audrey? You’ve changed some since I last saw you. For the better I should add. And you’re a lot taller.”

That elicited a giggle. “I’m wearing heels.”

Coach and my chatter really put the pot to boil as everyone at that table were staring at me. If looks could kill I’d be dead ten times over.

“A damn fairy.” Hays coughed out.

That certainly put the icing on the cake at this meeting! Morgan took over instantly. “My name is Morgan Custman. I’m an attorney representing Mercy Hospital and the Riders. Especially the person everyone knows as Audrey Rider. Anymore slander directed at my client and this meeting is over…, FINISHED! I don’t need my client’s permission to file a complaint with the state ethics commission, the state education department, and the Federal Government fair laws and anti discrimination branch.”

She scanned the room and then focused in on Hays. “You Sir, are a disgrace to not only this school system but the whole school system. I’ve already taken a deposition from everyone connected to the Rider incidence who are staff or employed by Mercy Hospital. That includes the ER personnel who picked her up and transported her. Everyone in this room connected to this school who has Miss Rider in her class and that includes the administrative personnel will most definitely receive a summons to appear for a deposition before Judge Wynell. He normally doesn’t sit in on depositions but I can convince him he most certainly needs to sit on all those summed from this meeting.”

A man in a suit and tie stood up. “Mrs. Custman, I don’t believe there is any need for such measures. Mr. Hays was shoc…, surprised by the appearance of the young person calming to be Mr. Audrey Rider.”

Morgan turned her attention to the man speaking. “And you are?”

Attorney Jerret Ballock. I’m representing the Lakewood school district in their lawsuit against Mr. Audrey Rider.”

Morgan got an amused look on her face. “I thought I recognized you Mr. Ballock. I hope you are joking about that lawsuit. However after the first couple minutes in this room and seeing what the attitude is, I strongly doubt it. I’m not an ambulance chaser Mr. Ballock. My clients informed me earlier they didn’t wish to advance toward a financial settlement other than medical and legal fees. I can feel it in my bones one of them has changed their mind. I’m going to melt this school down and have it for lunch if that feeling turns out to be true.”

“For the record, Miss Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, also known as Audrey Rider was picked up from this school and transported to Mercy Emergency Room by two Emergency Response personnel. She was listed as unresponsive and critical suffering massive trauma. All this information is saved as matter of record by the medical devices which record each action taken by ER Rescue Response team. That includes voice conversations of the ER Response Team and of all those in the vicinity of that team. ” She indicated Nick and Belinda standing at the back of the group.

“The attending physician, Dr. Linda Clark, was the initial contact at Mercy.” Morgan gave an indication toward Linda. “The patient’s condition was listed as potentially terminal at that time. Physical condition of Miss Rider was preserved by individual photographs and video. All action taken in an ER room is preserved by several video cameras in that ER room.”

Morgan gave each person seated at that table a predator smile as if lunch was about to be served. “I have a copy of the police reports concerning this fiasco. Mr. Walker was arrested at this school in Principal Brown’s office. He was transported to Eljin Hospital for examination due to blood on his clothes and his person, most notably his knuckles. His knuckles also had human tissue on them. Samples of said blood and tissue were collected and preserved for DNA analysis. I am not going to speculate as to the person or persons where that blood and tissue came from. I bet every one in this room knows already.”

Jerret sat back down without saying anything. He had heard other lawyers talk about Morgan Custman. She was a tiger and a brass plated bitch when it got down to the legals. She had the respect of them all, even those she beat in court.

Hays wasn’t to be derailed. “Your client who you claim to be Mr. Audrey Rider broke several laws by claiming he was male and now masquerading as female.” He pointed at Audrey. “Is he going to claim he wants to be a female now?”

Linda gritted her teeth. “I can assure you…, Mr. Hays is it? This young lady beside me is one hundred percent female, which no less than seven X Rays will confirm along with five MRIs.”

Morgan picked the conversation up from there and continued. “Mr. Hays, as an administrator, you more than anyone else should know Federal Laws prevent schools from discriminating against those who wish to be identified as other than what may or may not be on their birth certificate. Miss Rider broke no laws, no matter how she presented herself while attending classes at this school. There is no law which states she must tell everyone which gender she is. It is a ‘request’ on admittance records. If she wishes to claim she is male that is her right. By law I might add.” Morgan was actually having a little fun with this bunch. Their initial push to claim Audrey had attacked Walker and now claiming she broke any laws enrolling and dressing in a specific gender was almost amusing.

Coach Bishop pushed back from the table and stood up. “I’VE HEARD ENOUGH! I’ve coached Audrey for two years. I pray this spring she comes back for her last year in junior high. Last year we were at regionals, Fox Creek had us down three runs to nothing in the ninth. Half the crowd had left already. Everyone knew we were beat. Brad Dawson was the Fox Creek pitcher. The kid was a fastball powerhouse. The bases were loaded, we had two outs. Audrey was up at bat. Everyone was screaming at me to send in Billy Martin, our best hitter, as a switch hitter for Audrey. Actually I intended to do exactly that when I walked over to tell her my decision.”

Coach focused in on me with the kindest look he could muster. “If I live to be a hundred I’ll never forget what she said to me before I ever spoke. Coach, I’ve got this one. It’s your decision. I’ll do whatever you want and think is the best for the team.”

Bishop looked around the room. “Audrey was, and always has been, a team player. Something everyone else on the baseball team never practiced. I thought about it and decided we were going to lose anyway so I let her go to bat. You see, I had no faith either. I was as bad as that bunch I was coaching. Audrey, by her example, opened my eyes that day to something I had lost as a coach.”

“Brad threw an inside pitch just clipping the corner of the plate. The next two pitches he threw at Audrey driving her back from the plate. In baseball it is done to make the batter fear the ball. It should be illegal but is a physiological tactic. The next pitch was another inside pitch just cutting the corner on the plate. Those left in the stands were screaming for Audrey’s head for not taking a swing.”

Again Bishop focused on Audrey. “None of you know what she told me after the game. She said she didn’t hit the ball because it was too close to her hands and there would be no power in sending it back out. Maybe one of our runners might get in from her hit but no more. We would lose the game if not nothing to three then one to three.”

“Brad’s next pitch was at Audrey again to make sure she stayed away from the plate. It was now a full count, three balls, two strikes. Audrey was too far from the plate just as Brad intended. He turned lose with a sizzling fast ball just as Audrey stepped up to the plate when Brad was coming forward with his pitch. The ball would have touched the outside of the plate. Brad figured whether Audrey did or didn’t swing at the last ball, we would lose the game three to zero and he would have a perfect game for his resume. Audrey connected with that ball on her sweet spot. The place where every batter wants to hit a ball. Right toward the end of the bat and full contact of ball and bat. She hit one of only six balls ever slammed out of that ball park.”

“We won regionals that year though we lost at state. Every game is supposed to be team effort. They aren’t, except for that one game which we won because of one person who plays as a team player. It was all Audrey’s talents winning that game for us. Everyone on the team was congratulating Joel, Ted, and Rocky for bringing in the winning runs. Not a single player congratulated Audrey for what she did for the team even though it was her home run giving us the forth and winning run. We lost state because the guys still didn’t understand team effort.”

“I told the team I was treating all of them at the Dairy Queen. Audrey pulled me aside and said she wasn’t going. Everyone would have more fun if she wasn’t there. Does anyone beside me realize that was all Audrey still being a team player? She was going home with her parents because she didn’t want to be a shadow over the others at a celebration party.”

I noticed momma wiping her eyes. Linda wasn’t doing any better. Daddy was hanging in there…, barely. Morgan had a look like she could burn the place down and be happy.

Bishop pulled three jump drives out of his pocket along with a recorder which had a forth one in it. He place them on the table. “Mrs. Custman, I believe you will be interested in what is on these. After noticing the animosity toward a certain individual, I began recording conversations in the teacher’s lounge this year and at this meeting before your party arrived.”

Jerret jumped to his feet and slammed the table with his hands. “Those are illegal. You’ll go to jail for recording any of the personnel here without their knowledge and agreeing.”

“Not true Mr. Ballock, any party to a conversation can and may record as long as it is not being done to commit a criminal act. No permission, disclosure or consent is necessary from the other party or parties to the conversation.” Morgan shifted her attention from Jerrett to Bishop. “Mr. Bishop, did you or do you intend to use those recordings in any fashion that could be construed as a criminal act?”

Coach Bishop shook his head. “No Ma’am. Not unless one believes bringing out the truth is a criminal act. There is talk about changing school records and grades for one individual. Also discussions about back dating and filing remarks and complaints against said individual for threatening teachers and bullying other students. I’ve sit in on some basketball practices. There are recordings of bullying by the team and encouragement by Coach Walker to keep it up. Sadly, there is some of the same going on in the baseball locker room when the kids know I’m not there. If I had to be present for those conversations to be a legal recording, I may have broke the law in those instances if they are used in a court of law. I could care less. I didn’t cherry pick what is or isn’t recorded. That is there also.”

“Audrey can show up in a dress and heels or uniform and cleats. If I’m still coaching baseball, she will be an active player on my team no matter what anyone thinks. I want her back for her last year in Junior High. I pray I’m still her coach, which after this will probably be doubtful. I’m not tenured. The other factor is one would have to wonder why Audrey would return to Lakewood school district considering how she’s been treated by students and staff alike.”

The meeting collapsed after that. Accusations and threats of lawsuits flew back and forth across that room like confetti. I was expelled for fighting, breaking the law for misrepresenting and lying about my gender, and bullying. I was sure I heard something about school dress code in those accusations. Lakewood didn’t have a dress code. I guess they made up one the past couple days. Hays and Brown had their plans mapped out before the meeting. In order to protect Coach Walker and the school I was painted as the aggressor and trouble maker. They weren’t going to be derailed.

When Morgan told them we were finished. Three of my teachers rose up to leave also. Jennie Parker the secretary, Ann Sherfield, the school nurse, and Coach Bishop joined them. All of them knowing they probably signed their own pink slip.

As we were leaving the school, I pulled Linda off to the side. “You must call me back in for a follow up. Morgan has to be there also. It has to be sooner rather than later.”

Linda was watching Morgan get into her car. “She is going on a two week vacation in three days. You can talk to her when she returns.”

“Doctor, if Morgan goes on that vacation she won’t be coming back. Get me some time with her.”

Linda’s eyes opened up as she stared at me. “Audrey…, what do you know you aren’t telling me?”

She’s too good of a lawyer and takes her cases personally. She is closing in on a massive heart attack.”

Linda caught her breath as her left hand came up and cupped her left breast. She had no doubt what Audrey had done for her when she asked to hold her hand that night. “How bad is it?”

“You’ve heard of the Widow Maker? Even if one is in the hospital and that happens, most of the time it is impossible to save them. Get your friend in a room alone with me. You can be there too if you choose. Linda, this can’t be public. Too many will think I can help fix all their ills. I can’t. It isn’t physically possible even if I wanted to. In the hospital, most believe I was a nice girl singing to another little girl. The little girl had Tay-Sachs. I didn’t make it up. She will grow up to be a very good lawyer and a fair and impartial judge.”

“Tay-Sachs is always fatal.”

“Not in Amanda’s case. Everyone will believe she was misdiagnosed.”

“I’ll get Morgan into my office if I have to send security after her and drag her back in chains and handcuffs. She tries to get most of the hospital paperwork for the day laid out by five. The next morning she responds to all those who are suing us or threaten to sue us for a real or perceived wrong they feel we did. How does five to five thirty this afternoon sound to you?”

“I’ll talk someone into driving me over there. I’ll be there by four thirty in case your timing doesn’t work out. Will the front desk and security let me go to your office?”

“I’ll make sure they do.” Linda pulled a personal card out of her purse. “This has my office, and my unlisted private number on it. For some odd reason I feel I can trust you with it.” She touched her left breast with her fingers again. “I wonder why that is?”

“Sounds like a personal problem you need to work out with your counselor, Sasha and your husband Corey.”

Linda giggled as she shook her head. “Audrey, are there no secrets around you? I really didn’t need to give you my personal card for you to know all my phone numbers, did I?”

“Doctor Clark, I have no idea where you get all your funny ideas. We better go. Morgan and the ER team are waiting to follow you back to the hospital. My parents have ants in their pants hoping to get home and forget this day ever happened.”

Linda pulled me into a hug. “Audrey, until you came into my life I believed I knew all there was to know. What I didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing. I feel like a little girl all over again, dreaming of growing up to be a nurse or a doctor because everything I wanted to know was ahead of me. You have restored that desire, that drive. Thank you.”

As she turned loose and backed up, I winked at her. “You won’t be able to save them all, Doctor. Don’t ever fault yourself because you thought you could have done more. Those you do save will make their contribution to the world making it a better place, the same as you.”

Grabbing her hand, I pulled her off toward the cars and the parking lot. “We gotta go. I’ll see you and Morgan this afternoon in your office. If you want proof, run her through one of those atomic dye, blood flow markers your hospital has.”

“Before or after the meeting?”

“Your decision. If this goes to plan, there won’t be any there after.”

That afternoon when I told mom and dad I had an appointment at the hospital with Dr. Clark mom offered to drive me over. When Sandy got home from school and heard about it, she offered to drive me.

We were at the kitchen table discussing it. “Mom, Sis, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. You’re going to have to make a decision between yourselves. Sis, mom gets first dibs because she offered first and she has priority as our mother.”

Mom gave me that question look. “Audrey, what is the appointment for? It isn’t a physical exam for you is it?”

Her magical sense was locking into mine now since Illana gifted me. When I glanced at Sis she had that same look. It was going to be impossible to get anything by either one of them any more. “Don’t repeat this to anyone. Sis, don’t tell anyone at school. Morgan has weakened and clogged arteries next to her heart. If the problem isn’t taken care of she will die.”

Sandy came over wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. “You’re going to heal her. She held up her left hand and looked at it. We know what you can do. If you don’t mind, we would like to watch as you heal someone else.”

Mom had closed in beside sis. “Audrey, I’ve watched you heal that little girl and your sister. Each time something seems to be awakening inside me. I don’t know what it is but it feels right and I want more.”

I wanted to tell them I thought their own magic was awakening when they heard me sing the magical songs of the healing gift of the faeries. I didn’t have permission. There were laws, rules, and precautions for all gifted who walked in the mortal world. The danger of just living became a hundred times more dangerous because of the hate users of magic would draw from mortals. I needed to talk to Illana and ask her if I could tell mom and sis they had magic hiding inside them. My problem was, I was bleeding magic even when I wasn’t using it. Kinda like a car that is parked. Even when the engine isn’t running and it isn’t moving, it is still a car. One doesn’t have to be told it is a car. That was my problem. Those with magic inside themselves could sense it in others even if their own was so little they had no idea what was going on. I was wrong about mom and sis having a little magic. Their magic had never been turned on in any significant way. Being around me, especially after I healed sis, both were powering up. Illana definitely had to be told. Either one of them turning lose a magical burst in public would not turn out well.

Looking at my watch, time was growing short. “I need to be at the hospital and I need a driver. One or both, I don’t care but we need to go.”

Both decided to go. Checking in with the registrar at the front desk. I was told to wait when I told her my mother and sister were accompanying me. She was on the phone while looking at me. “Dr. Clark cleared Audrey Rider not your whole family.”

“But this isn’t my whole family.” My protest fell on deft ears.

She talked for a minute on the phone…, well one of those little ear bud, phone things. “Who is accompanying you?”

“My mother, Janet Rider and my sister, Sandy Rider.”

“Did you hear that, Doctor? It’s okay? Thank you. I’ll send them up to your office.”

She pointed down the hallway. “Take the elevator to the sixth floor. There is a directory on the wall to your right as you exit the elevator. Dr. Clark’s office is to your right. Her name is on the door. Her secretary is expecting you.”

“Thank you. You’ve been most kind and helpful.” I turned toward the hall motioning for mom and sis to catch up. We found Linda’s office in short order. Cindy, her secretary, asked for names.

“This is my mother, Janet, my sister, Sandy, and I’m Audrey…, Rider.”

Cindy was giving me a serious look. “I’ve heard some stories about you. The whole hospital has been talking about a girl and her amazing recovery. If you are that girl, I can understand where the amazing comes in. I saw some of those pictures they took in ER when you were brought in. After the school lawyers became involved they locked down all the information about you. Morgan Custman sent a hospital wide memo. If anyone released any records, pictures, or files about you; they would never work in the healthcare industry again as long as they were alive. That would be AFTER they served time in prison for breech of patient privacy laws.”

Giving a shrug I played it off. “I’m probably not the one they are talking about. Besides, splatter a little blood on someone and they usually look worse than they are.”

Cindy gave me a ‘you’re lying like a dog’ look. “If you say so Miss Rider. Dr. Clark gave the okay for you and your family to wait in her office.” She pointed to a door off to her left.

“Thank you.”

We were in the office less than five minutes when Linda walked in. She gave mom and Sandy a serious look before she focused on me with a question in her eyes.

“I’m not old enough to have a license yet, They came along to drive and wanted to observe.”

“I’m not sure Morgan will be comfortable with this. I didn’t tell her why I wanted to see her, just that it was urgent.”

“Leave everything up to me after she walks in.”

“Okay. I better warn you, Morgan isn’t going to like being ambushed. I seriously doubt she will believe you when you tell her she is headed for a deadly heart attack.”

“Then I guess I will have to ambush her.”

Everyone gave me the look wondering what I was up to?

It was only moments later Morgan walked in. “Linda you wanted to see me?” She looked at mom, me and then sis wondering what we were doing there. “If this has anything to do with school business it will have to wait.”

Softly singing, I walked over to her and took her left hand in my right. Still singing, I unbuttoned her suit jacket, her blouse, and slid my left hand in on the top her left breast.

Linda was carefully watching, stunned Morgan would allow herself to be subjected to such measures. Audrey’s voice was beautiful, lyrical, and mesmerizing but…

Mom and Sandy could feel the energy flowing about the room. It was worse than an overdose on caffeine high. Slowly they both approached Morgan from behind. Mom put her left hand on Morgan’s right shoulder, Sandy put her right hand on Morgan’s left shoulder. Seconds later they were both singing in perfect pitch with Audrey, words and a melody they didn’t know but could sing.

Linda felt goose bumps race up and down her spine as she stared in fascination. As sure as she knew the sun would rise every morning, she was positive these women were healing Morgan.

Out in the front office, Cindy’s heart was racing a mile a minute as she listened to the pure voices pouring out a song from Linda’s office.

With mom and Sandy pushing in healing on Morgan it only took a couple minutes. Stopping, I backed up from Morgan as mom and Sandy did the same.

Morgan was staring at me. “What did you do? I feel…, You fixed something inside me. I feel as if I rose from the dead. What did you do?”

“Me? I didn’t do anything besides sing a little song. Mom, sis, let’s go.” I headed for the door herding mom and sis ahead of me.

We were out the door and it was closing behind us.

“Linda, what did she do? I feel different.”

“She saved your life. You were going to die, Morgan. You had…” The door closed cutting off all conversation.

Cindy watched the three women as they walked across the room and out the door. All three of them seemed to have a glow around them. She knew without a doubt Audrey Rider was the girl the whole hospital was talking about making a super natural recovery. The girl had enough beauty for ten women. Her mother and sister were almost as bad. Why couldn’t she have been born with some of the DNA those women possessed?

I needed advice from Illana. Things were going to go from bad to worse in a hurry if people believed I could heal them and started sharing that belief. I couldn’t stop after I was given the ability to draw magic for healing. Soon that would turn around and bite me as my life became swamped with people asking or demanding I heal them. I’d be forced to flee taking mom, Sandy, and daddy with me in order to protect them. We would spend the rest of our lives running because I did something I knew was right.

Morgan was better than good at what she did. That evening and next morning she only had time to listen to a little of the recordings Coach Bishop had supplied. She went to work with a vengeance. Friday afternoon Superintendent Hays, Principal Brown, Jennie Parker, Ann Sherfield, and the school board as John Doe(s) had been served with a subpoena to give a deposition as to any knowledge they had about Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider, AKA Audrey Rider. They would pass on all knowledge they had concerning any confrontation the student known as Audrey Rider had with Coach Walker. They also had to give testimony as to any knowledge they had witnessed or heard about bullying toward Audrey Rider. Any first hand experience they had of any incidents of threats or otherwise Audrey Rider may have pointed toward any of her teachers and include the dates of same.. Everything was going to be sworn to and notarized. Lying meant potential criminal charges could be filed and prison a real possibility. Even though she was primarily the attorney for Mercy, Morgan was determined to drive a stake in the heart of the beast which permeated the mental attitude of staff and students alike at Lakewood School District. With the legal charges she was going to hit them with, they would be paying for their own demise.

An additional piece of legal paperwork was handed to Superintendent Hays and Principal Brown. A temporary court order immediately reinstating Audrey back into the school until a court hearing could be scheduled between all parties at which time Lakewood School District could present any testimony or documents as to the purpose and reason for Audrey Rider’s suspension. Then there was the third piece of legal paperwork. No teacher or coach could be fired or terminated from this day forward without a court order. Lakewood School District would need to furnish to said court any and all documents pertaining to any termination of instructors, teachers, or coaches.

The last piece of legal paperwork didn’t come directly from Morgan. It did come about because of the data and complaints she filed with the state. It came from the State Educational Department putting Lakewood School District on notice a special advisory committee had been formed to oversee all administrative departments, all activity departments, and all teachers classes. Lakewood could expect to see members of that committee in the coming weeks. They would be there to monitor classes, evaluate staff and administration.

Superintendent Hays knew the committee didn’t have the power to terminate anyone. They did have the authority to report back to state. If Lakewood received a bad evaluation, state funds could be cut back.

When I heard about all that had transpired the past couple days I was glad Morgan was working for me and not against me. She had to have a ton of political muscle and know a lot of people in high places to get things moving this quick. She was a force of nature.

Morgan cancelled her vacation. She had a favor to return. There was no way she was going to turn this job over to one of her lawyer friends.

In the old days before cell phones, school rumors took time to spread. At least an hour through the whole school. After the digital age arrived rumors didn’t even need to wait for kids to gather before spreading like wildfire across the social network. Among the dozens of rumors running wild without any sign of slowing down were those with anything mentioning Audrey Rider after her run in with Coach Walker. The juiciest one was Coach had killed Audrey. It was the reason no one had seen her after that day. The hottest rumor after that one was Audrey Rider was returning to school on Monday. Much to Administration’s and several of the teacher’s chagrin, someone had posted pictures of Audrey on a web site that was the favorite watering hole for the school kids to post memos, pictures, and share gossip. They were pictures of her the day she and her parents met with the school administrators. Ninety nine point five percent of the kids didn’t believe that was the boy, Audrey Rider, they had been going to school with. The point five percent wondered who Audrey Rider was? Despite that, ninety nine percent of the kids hoped or prayed that exotic looking chick was actually going to Lakewood school and wasn’t someone’s idea of a joke. The traffic begin to build as kids texted called others telling them about the picture of the girl on the social chat site. The traffic to the web page almost took it down. It wasn’t just the kids going to Lakewood but also included a couple dozen other schools in the area and across the nation, trying to download pictures of the girl.

Rumors or fact, Monday morning at seven o’clock kids started arriving at the school. There were only five to start with that early. When time was creeping close to eight and classes would begin, soon there were over four hundred kids at the front of the school, refusing to go in until the first bell. A boy who had been beat to death by the Coach and returning to school was worth watching for. Others were there because the boy wasn’t a boy but a girl. Or more likely the boy is coming back to class as a girl so the Coach wouldn’t beat on him again. Truth was, despite everyone denying it; they were all waiting for That Girl.

Some of the more hormonal boys recognized Audrey’s hot foxy looking sister Sandy as she drove into the drop off area in front of the Junior High. They might not have ever gave Audrey a second thought but his sister was another thing entirely. To a single boy, the testosterone driven jocks never considered the concept their abuse of Audrey gave their chances of dating Sandy an absolute zero chance of happening. The passenger wasn’t two things. She wasn’t Audrey nor was she a boy dressed as a girl.

That morning I slipped on a denim skirt, white polyester blouse and a denim jacket. I was wearing white sneakers and a light touch of peach lipstick. As I did my makeup I noticed my eyes were slowly beginning to change shape, hopefully not noticeable to anyone but me. Were my ears a little more…? I shook my head and smiled. I was probably imagining things. My ears were sporting small diamond pierced earrings. An extra thing I acquired as mom and sis took me shopping the past weekend. After that trip shopping with mom and sis I decided next time, I’d go alone and wear a hoodie. We couldn’t go anyplace without people staring. I knew mom and sis were male magnets but it wasn’t only the males who were staring. I needed to ask Illana if there was a don’t look at me or I’m not here spell?

Sliding out of the seat after Sandy stopped, I pulled my backpack off the seat and slipped it onto my shoulders. “Thanks Sis. Appreciate the ride.”

“I wish you had taken mom and dad’s offer to go in with you this morning.” She checked for wayward jay walkers and other traffic. “I’ll pick you up at four thirty.”

“I can walk home.”

“Ten blocks. Heck no you aren’t walking home. No only because of the distance but you’re a girl. It isn’t safe for a single girl to walk by herself. Not that far.”

“Okay, I’ll wait on you. Go Sis, you’re blocking traffic.” I noticed cars starting to pack up behind Sandy. A few seconds later she had made the street out in front of the school. It was a mile over to her high school. Seems in their wisdom authorities who dictated school policies didn’t want grade schools close to junior high and neither one close to high school. In order to separate gangs or such it was said.

Walking toward the entrance I could hear the chatter around me. “New girl.” “Student Teacher!” “Boy she’s hot.” “Wonder where she transferred from? I might want to transfer to that school if there are more like her.” “She’s blonde, typical, exceptional beauty and dumb as dirt.” “Why did you say that?” “Look at her, denim is out of fashion now. Probably a welfare child.”

Saturday, Morgan gave Linda a note to pass along to me. I was surprised when Linda stopped at our house to visit Saturday close to nine P.M. She gave me the note with instructions. I was to hand the note to the front secretary when I arrived at school Monday. And then I was to go onto my class just like normal. If anyone tried to remove me from any class I was to call her number. I didn’t need to say anything, just dial her personal number. I put her number on one button dialing.

Nancy was behind the desk when I walked into the front office. Principal Brown’s secretary Jennie was nowhere to be seen. I was hoping she hadn’t been fired. I held out the envelope.

She took it. “What’s this?”

“Honestly I don’t know. I wasn’t told what it was about. Only to hand it in first thing and then go to class.”

Nancy was looking at the extremely tall girl. She knew without a doubt she hadn’t seen her before. If her height didn’t make her stand out already, her exquisite beauty would have. There was no way this young woman belonged in a junior high class unless she was a student teacher?

“Have you registered with the school? I haven’t seen you before. We don’t allow anyone to wander into our school due to safety regulations.”

“I’ve been a student here for two and a half years. I’m Audrey Rider.”

“You’re…? Just a minute.” She picked up the phone and pushed a button. “Security, a young lady is standing in front of my desk claiming to be Mr. Audrey Rider, one of our students.”

I should have followed Linda’s instructions. Hand over the envelope and go to class without saying anything. Looking down the hall, security was hurrying our way. It brought a smile. He stopped in front of me. “Helo Jerry, I see you still have a job.”

He was grinning ear to ear. “Thanks to your lady lawyer. They can’t fire, terminate, or put me on administrative leave any more without explaining their reason before a judge. Right now and for awhile, I’m safe.”

“oh..., I forgot.” He turned his attention toward Nancy. “You called for security?”

She didn’t know what to say now. The way Jerry and this young lady were carrying on a conversation they knew each other. Nancy pointed a finger at the girl. “She claims to be Mr. Audrey Rider.”

Looking at Jerry I gave him a wink. “No I didn’t. I never claimed I was a mister. I handed Nancy an envelope and said, I was Audrey Rider.”

I didn’t think Jerry’s grin could get any wider but it did. “Nancy, this is Miss Audrey Rider. This was all hashed out at a committee meeting Thursday evening. That meeting ended with total meltdown.”

“May I see the envelope?”

Nancy zipped it open with a letter opener and handed it to Jerry. He took a couple minutes reading the information inside. He handed it back. “You should read this.”

As Nancy started reading her eyes kept flashing to me and reading some more. When she finished she looked stunned. “I’ll give this to Mr. Brown.”

“Come on Audrey, I’ll walk you to your first class. You still in American History first hour?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’ll be in the halls close by when you move between classes. Better to make sure problems don’t start rather than trying to understand and fix them afterwards.”

“Thanks Jerry, always nice to have a man…” I had reached over to wrap my hand around his bicep which didn’t happen. I didn’t have large enough hand. I wouldn’t be able to wrap my hands around his bicep if I was using both hands.

“When did you say you retired from the Seals and what exactly was your rating?” I was positive Jerry picked up tanks for dumbbells.

“I try and keep what I had when I retired. After this school season is over I may go to work for Wheat Importers. Don’t repeat this. Not every black ops tries to come up with the scariest name they can think of. The company does a lot of behind the scenes operations overseas as security for companies, corporations, their staff, and their clients. It gets in your blood when you have done it as long as I have. I’ll probably die over there but that’s okay. I’ll be doing what I’m good at if it happens.”

“Don’t be surprised when you find that special woman, get married and have a little girl and a boy. You’ll realize they are the most important things in your life as you settle in owning your own security firm.”

“Hah!” Jerry laughed out loud. “I’m too old to start a family and have kids.”

“Hang onto that thought. This is my classroom. Thanks for the escort.”

“My pleasure, Audrey.”

Only in Mr. Breenan’s Algebra class were students assigned designated seats. He assigned in alphabetical order, front to back, starting on the right side of the room. All my other classes students sit down in groups among their friends. As the favorite whipping boy of the school, I was basically a leper. Someone everybody else steered clear of in case they got tainted also and become harassed or worse, bully targets. Around the fifth and sixth grade hormones started gradually kicking in among the students. The four boys who weren’t part of anyone’s special group had tried to be friendly to me and pull me into their outcast group. It didn’t turn out well for them as the school jocks and bullies turned their attention on the Outcasts. Lockers were broken into. Lost text books, homework came up missing. Dog poop was left in lockers. Two of the boys were physically hurt.

I was disgusted and mad anyone who tried to befriend me was treated like they were. The one trick administration never found out about was the marijuana left in one of the lockers. Tommy found it behind all his books in the back of his locker. It was sent down the toilet forty minutes before an unannounced locker inspection by the police and drug sniffing dogs. I only knew about it because I was in the bathroom when Tommy came in and flushed it. Of course the dogs alerted on Tommy’s locker. Everything he had in that locker ended up out in the hallway with two police officers searching through every book and all his notes and papers.

I had no idea who set Tommy up. It would have tainted him for the rest of his life if drugs had been found. If I ever found out who did it, I promised payback. They were going to destroy Tommy’s future because he and his friends were willing to accept me. It was then I warned the Outsiders off when I passed by their table at lunch that day.

They started to protest but it was only halfhearted. They knew as well as I the jocks and bullies would only keep ramping up the harassment and pain. I could only hope once they distanced themselves from me they would no longer be a target for those kids. As the school year ground on, my hope turned out to be a lost cause. After finding the Outsiders fun to torment, they were never going to be left alone.

“Guys, you need to stay away from me. I saw what they tried to do to Tommy. I know Joel and Carl have ended up with bruises after being trapped in the bathroom. This will only get worse.” With my lunch tray containing something only God and the school cooks knew what, I headed for the jocks table where I parked.

“No one invited you to sit down, looser.” Jeff was the first to speak up after their astonishment I would do such a thing.

Poking with my fork at what was on my plate I knew I was pushing back, but darn did it feel right. “Didn’t know lunch tables were reserved. You guys seem interested in me or anyone I talk to so let’s talk.”

“Get lost, bitch. This table is for real men not fairy princesses.” Mark was looking around after he said it and was receiving laughs and grins from the others.

Five of these jocks were in basketball, the same as me. Three of them were football jocks. “We never can seem to find time to talk when practicing or playing a game. What about now? You guys want my attention when we are on the court. Otherwise you wouldn’t keep throwing the ball at me.

Ron reached over, took my milk carton, opened it and poured it into my tray. “We’re talking now, bitch. Like the way the conversation is going?”

“It’s…, interesting. I think I’m finished with my food. I’m sure this discussion will continue another time.” Sliding back from the table and picking up my tray, I turned and slopped half that milk onto Ron.

He jumped up and was trying to brush off what milk hadn’t already saturated into his clothes. “You skinny bastard. You’re going to pay for that.”

“OH! I’m terribly sorry Ron, accidents happen. You know all about accidents? You had one a second ago yourself.” I knew I had set myself up for retaliation from these guys. But what the hell! One way or another they had been making my life miserable for the past two years. I was tired of it. Their attack on the four boys who were willing to accept me was the last straw. I could tolerate personal attacks on myself. Ones against others because of me was taking it past the forgive and forget limit.

All this happened on a Monday. That week I was extra careful checking my locker, looking to see who was around if I had to use the bathroom. Of course I couldn’t avoid them in basketball practice. They were taking extra hard shots at me with the ball during practice. It served a purpose. I definitely was keeping an eye on the ball at all times. They managed to trip me a couple times that week. It was Thursday when they pooped on my clothes and left me the cheerleader uniform.

That was a week and half ago. Some things had changed. There were only three boys and four girls in the history class room when I walked in. Maria was the first to notice. She gave me a half hearted wave. “Hi, you substituting for Ellen Loma?

“Student.”

“Excuse me?” The others were looking now.

“I’m a student in this class.”

Norma took a hard look at the new girl, double glad she didn’t belong. With her exotic beauty there wouldn’t be any boys left for the rest of them. She was too old to be a student here. “Hon, I think you missed the schools. This is junior high. The high school is twelve blocks that way.” She pointed off to her left.

“I know. It’s not a mistake. I belong here in this class, first hour history.”

By now half a dozen more students had come in. “Kyle undressed me with his eyes. “Substitute teacher?”

I couldn’t help smiling. He was in basketball and had seen me naked before. Hope he remembered because he never would again. “And you are?”

His oily grin spread ear to ear as his evil tongue touched his lip. Oh yes, making points with the sexy substitute teacher was a great way to start the day. “I’m Kyle Moore. You need any help with anything, you can ask me. I’m here for you.”

“wellll…, I did miss last week because some boys dumped my clothes into a waste paper basket and then defecated on them. I might need a copy of all the work we were supposed to turn in last week. Other than that, I think I can keep up with the lessons. Your offer to help is appreciated though.”

Kyle’s eyes turned to squints. He stared at the new girl. She had heard stories is all. She was messing with him. “Hey babe, that’s pretty good. You had me going there for a minute. That freak deserved everything we did to him. Because of that asshole the basketball team was suspended. You come by our table at lunch and I’ll fill you in on the low life you don’t want to know.”

Rolling my right hand over, I curled my fingers and looked at my long peach colored nails before looking at him. “Kyle BABE, I already know all the low life in this school. And you, sweetie, are one of the bottom feeders along with many of the other muscle brained jocks. Oh, I’m sorry, how thoughtless and rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider. Everyone calls me Audrey.” My comment took Kyle and all of the others in the room by surprise. It registered in Kyle’s eyes he didn’t believe me.

The rest of the students were starting to pour into the room along with Mrs. Loma who gave me a questioning look. “May I help you?”

“No Ma’am, I’m good. I’m one of your students.”

The room fell silent as all the kids were looking at the fresh girl. The ones who were there earlier were thinking the you know what was about to hit the blender. Let this girl lie to Mrs. Loma and she would find security escorting her out.

Jerry was outside across the hall. I could see him past the open door. “Mr. Berman, would you please be kind enough to step in here a moment please.”

Jerry had a good idea what the problem was. A smile spread across his face. I was beginning to think Jerry was enjoying himself way too much.

“Yes, Ma’am how may I assist you?”

Ma’am? Assist me? Come on Jerry that’s a little deep even for a Navy Seal. “Yes Mr. Berman, I believe you were about to be called anyway by Mrs. Loma to escort me out of her class. Would you please be kind enough to witness to who I am.”

Jerry had to swallow a couple times as he stifled his laughter. “Yes Ma’am, I’d be most pleased to inform Mrs. Loma and this class who you are. Mrs. Loma, this is a student you had in your class since the beginning of the school year. I understand it is a little difficult to believe but this young lady is Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider. You probably call her Audrey Rider if you think of her name at all.”

Mrs Loma was staring at me. “This is…”

“Yes Ma’am, Audrey Rider. I understand everyone thought of her as a gay, effeminate, boy. She was in an accident a week and a half back. I was told her doctor may or may not have had anything to do with her presentation as herself today.”

Ellen was staring at an exquisitely exotic, beautiful elfin face. The girl had a to die for figure. There was no way this was the boy Audrey Rider. She dialed the principle’s office. “Nancy, I have a young woman in my class room claiming to be Audrey Rider and…”

Ellen was staring at me and nodding her head. “Yes, that describes her. Security? He’s here too.”

“She is? Does Principal Brown know? Court order? I see. I still don’t believe it. Okay, she can stay until someone tells me otherwise.”

She closed her phone. “I really don’t believe you are Audrey. However, Nancy says she has a court order in her possession which states you are him…, her. You are to be allowed to return to all your classes except basketball. Miss Rider if you will find a desk, I will do my best to bring order to this classroom.

“Yes Ma’am, thank you Ma’am. Thank you Jerry.” I headed to the rear of the room. It was where I normally sit. Today it would serve a purpose. The rest of the class would have to turn around in their seats to watch me.

Mrs. Loma, was still watching me, Jerry had yet to leave when a new girl came through the door, walked up to Mrs. Loma and handed her a letter. Along with everyone else, Ellen was giving the girl a serious look before she read the note.

“Well class, it seems we have another new student in our class today. This is Shla De Costa, a transfer student from Venezuela. Miss De Costa take a seat. Any empty desk is yours.”

“Gracious Madam Loma.” Shla looked around the room, spotted an empty seat at the back and headed for it.

The girl had a magical aura around her. She had a natural brown skin tone, was attractive in the face, had enough female curves to pull in all the boy’s eyes and a couple of the girls also. The thing that was off about her, she also had bulging muscles most of the boys wished they had. In her short white skirt and tan shell her muscles were more than obvious. Her brown hair held in a ponytail was long enough it touched her butt. I heard gymnast whispered around the room. I was thinking female body builder and knew both were wrong. Pulling her ponytail around front, she sat down in a chair opposite me and gave me a serious inspection as I was giving her one. She pulled out her history book and notepad binder from her backpack.

“I hate history. They have it all wrong.”

It was said soft enough I was the only one who heard her complaining.

History class was a wash that morning. Everyone was more interested in the boy turned girl and the new sexy gymnast girl. I heard some of the boys making bets as to if she was as strong as she looked? Others were saying dating her could be a death wish if her date tried doing things she didn’t like. Before I left class I managed to get Mrs. Loma to give me all the assignments I had missed from and up to a week and half ago. Shla stayed until Mrs. Loma advised her where the class was in the text book.

Kyle must have sent a text to the other members of the basketball team. Kyle plus four others were waiting in the hall as I left the history class. Jerry was also waiting. He closed in on my right and casually looked at the boys never saying a thing. I noticed the absence of hall monitors. The teachers must have been told to let the basketball team deal with the boy as punishment for the whole team receiving suspension. There were lots of kids further along the hallway. They weren’t moving though. They were waiting, watching to see what the boys were going to do to Audrey. Most knew with security there the show was over before it started.

Shla came out of the classroom behind me, let her backpack slide off her shoulders and caught it with her hands. She slipped an emery board out and let it down to the floor. She shoved the backpack against the wall with her foot, leaned back, and started buffing her nails.

Because she was behind me, I didn’t catch what she was doing or the smirk on her face. She never looked up or took her eyes off her nails. “Security, why don’t you go find out if they need you in the teacher’s lounge. I haven’t been sent to detention in…, nine days. I didn’t do all them things they claim I did on that report they sent along with my transcript. I didn’t kill that kid they tried to blame on me. Besides, there are only five of them. Not enough to share.”

That got Jerry’s attention. He turned around to see who the voice belonged to. If she was as strong as she looked, there were a few operations he wished she had been along on when he was in the Seals. “I don’t recall seeing you around before.”

Shla never looked up. “That’s awfully observant of you because I wasn’t around before an hour ago.”

She bent over and picked up her backpack. “As interesting as this Mexican standoff is, we need to get to our next class. The boys wanted to discuss a date with a girl not security and two girls. Security if you would sit out the rest of the day, maybe the boys will call in some more manpower and find enough courage to talk to two girls.”

“Audrey, our next class is English clear down at the other end of this building. Tell these nice boys they can find us later. We have to go if you don’t want to be caught in the hall when the bell rings.”

I didn’t ask if she had the same class schedule as me. That was a given. My question was who assigned her as my bodyguard or did she volunteer on her own? I was also curious how much magic she had and what kind it was? Some of that download I received from Illana told me most Faeries carried a specific type of magic. Shla could have strength, or speed, or a host of other magical abilities but probably not more than one or two. Whatever she had it was intensely strong. Magic was flowing around her like a dynamo.

“Next time, bitch.” Kyle hissed at me.

“If anything happens to Audrey, you’re going to be top of my list.” Jerry was looking at Kyle.

“Awww, that’s so cute everyone. Threats and counter threats are always so meaningful. Now with all the hard feelings out of the way, Audrey, we are late hon. Security, please be considerate enough to find something else to do besides ogling this young maiden.”

For the second time, Jerry’s head snapped around to look at the girl. There was something about her screaming at his survival senses and sent chills down his spine. Something he hadn’t felt in years. Was she really that dangerous or was he getting too old and reading something that wasn’t there? “I’ll give it some thought.”

What he was really going to do was go down to the office and check on the records she signed in with. With a name he would call some people he knew. This girl had to be on someone’s list.

The rest of the morning was pretty well a repeat of first class. The kids in Shla’s class wanted a look at the new fresh chick. Most of the girls dismissed her as competition as soon as they saw her. No boy would want a muscle builder for a girl friend. Most of the boys were thinking of the potential and possible danger in dating a beautiful girl like her.

Audrey was an enigma to most of them who remembered him. As to those who remembered him at all they knew him as a tall, skinny, weird, effeminate boy. The kid was a loner, a whipping boy for the bullies in the school. The girl calling herself Audrey was definitely not him. Or was she? Most of the kids never paid any attention to the boy with the girl name. Ninety percent of them didn’t even remember what he looked like.

Jerry was still guarding the hallway as Audrey and the new girl transferred between classes. The basketball team watching between classes was growing in numbers. Jerry knew if he hadn’t been there they would have attacked Audrey. That new girl seemed to be in the same classes as Audrey. She was beside her or behind her every time Audrey left a classroom. He also noticed the absence of teachers monitoring the hallways. Come lunchtime he would see if he could contact Audrey’s lawyer. Despite the warning Audrey handed in that morning from Morgan, administration was going to look the other way, giving someone the opportunity to send the girl to the hospital or worse, the morgue.

Shla followed me through on the lunch line. I had gathered up from the buffet what I thought I could choke down. Ronnie, stepped up beside me and was coming up with an underhanded swing to knock my tray out of my hands. At that instant two things happened so fast no one could follow. My tray wasn’t there. The edge of Shla’s hand came down across the top of Ronnie’s wrist. I definitely heard a crack as contact was made.

My tray was back in my hands. Shla was behind me holding onto her tray with both hands. Ronnie never completed his upward swing. It took two and a half seconds for the realization his wrist was broken for the pain to reach his mind. His eyes goggled at the sight of his wrist starting to droop at an un natural angle to the rest of his arm.

Several members of the testosterone club had already started laughing as they were listening when Ronnie told them what he was going to do to the freak.

‘AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Ronnie went to his knees screaming in pain as he reached to hold his right wrist with his left hand.

Shla and I turned to look at him. We had our hands full holding onto our trays. We backed away when teachers and the jock crowd started gathering around.

Mrs. Jordan was the first to ask. “What happened?”

Ronnie nodded toward me. “The bitch broke my wrist. She attacked Coach Walker. She is a threat to everyone in this school. Who the hell allowed her back on campus? She should be expelled.”

Mrs. Jordan pointed at me. “YOU, DOWN TO THE PRINCIPLE’S OFFICE. YOU WON’T GET OFF THIS TIME!”

“I didn’t touch him.”

Jerry had followed us into the lunchroom and had been watching the whole time. He had no idea how Ronnie broke his wrist. The one thing he was sure of, Audrey didn’t do it. That new girl behind her didn’t do it either. They were both holding onto their lunch trays the whole time. He came up to the girls. “Mrs. Jordan, Audrey didn’t touch the young man. I was watching and the whole time she was holding onto her food tray. Look at her hands. Do you honestly believe that girl could break anyone’s wrist?”

“She probably did it with the food tray.” She wasn’t giving up the idea Audrey didn’t belong in this school. The girl was a freak of nature.

Jerry shook his head at the stupidity of the accusation. “With her food tray? That would be a real neat trick. She has food on it. I don’t think slapping anyone on the wrist with a food tray is going to break it. If she did manage to do the impossible and break his wrist with said food tray, there would be food scattered all over both students and the floor.”

She glared at me. “She did it. Ronnie said she did. I was watching when he grabbed his wrist. She was right there.”

Jerry sighed. “Yes she was right there in line getting food. And the young man was advancing toward her.”

He looked at me. “Audrey, do you mind going down to Mr. Brown’s office to get this straightened out? It seems we are disrupting the whole lunch room.”

Turning his attention toward Mrs. Jordan, he indicated Ronnie. “Take the young man down to the nurse’s station. I’ll escort Miss Rider. We wouldn’t want her to escape now would we?”

Mrs. Jordan glowered at Jerry. “Just do the job you were hired for Mr. Berman.”

“Yes ma’am. I’d love to do exactly that but things keep getting in the way.”

A couple jocks helped Ronnie up. “We’ll go with you man. We saw it all. The freaking bitch attacked you. She’s a psychopathic bitch attacking people.”

Carrying my tray back to the disposal belt, I wiped my hands on a napkin. Looking at Jerry I gave him a smirk. “Best meal I’ve ever eaten in this lunchroom. I’m gong to have to start watching my weight if I keep eating like that or I’ll get fat. Maybe smaller portions next time.”

Jerry nodded in agreement. “Good idea. Are you able to call that Attorney of yours? I’m thinking she should be in on this meeting.”

“Jerry, I swear, I didn’t touch Ronnie.”

“I know that. He must have broke it earlier and figured out a way to blame you. He walks up beside you, his wrist is broken. You’re the guilty party. End of inquisition, no need to gather the firewood to burn her at the stake. We did that earlier. There are two of us who know you didn’t do it. You and me. I’m not sure how much that is going to count with Mrs. Jordan and the others claiming you did.”

“Three of us. I was right behind her, remember?”

Jerry turned around and was looking at the new girl. “You saw what happened?”

“You bet. That boy walked up beside Audrey, dropped to his knees and started screaming. As you said, Audrey had her hands full holding onto her food tray. She didn’t touch the boy, I’ll swear to it.”

“Don’t how much good that will do since Administration wants her hide nailed to the wall after Coach Walker tried to beat her to death. This place could stand a good house cleaning. Come on you two let’s find out what they have already decided.”

“Taking my cell out of my backpack, I pushed the number Morgan wrote down if I needed her. It rang once and Morgan answered. “I’m in court. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Don’t know what it is but stall until I arrive. Don’t confess to anything.”

The connection was lost. Jerry and Shla were looking at me. I was looking at the phone and shaking my head. “She was busy, said she would be here as soon as she could. To not say anything and stall them.”

“Sounds like the same advice I gave our guys when we were knee deep in shit with the enemy all around us. Good advice when anyone wants your head on a silver platter.” He pointed off down the hall. “Come on, let’s go stall although we will probably have to say something to keep them from lynching us on the spot.”

I glanced at Jerry. “Us?”

He nodded in agreement. “Us. Audrey, I’m with you all the way. Remember when I told you they would have to go through me to get to you? I meant every word.”

“Thanks Jerry but I don’t want you to lose your job because of me.”

“This job as you call it, is the last thing I am worried about. I have a retirement cushion under me, and a savings that I’ll never be able to spend if I live to be a hundred. I told you I took this job because I was tired of fishing. That part was true also. You gave me a reason and a purpose for sticking around. I’m staying until they run both of us off.”

“Thanks Jerry, you’re the best. I’ll remember this when I’m shopping for your wedding gift.”

Jerry started laughing. “You just aren’t going to turn lose of the idea I’m getting married are you kid? Well if you’re so sure I’m getting married, what is her name? This wonderful woman my heart fell so deeply in love it pulled me in too.”

“Charlemaine, O’Day, her father is Irish, her mother is French. Everyone calls her Charly.”

He was laughing even harder now. “I tell you what. If I meet a girl named Charlemaine I’ll ask her on the spot to marry me.”

“Good, I’m glad we finally got that one out of the way.” We had arrived and were standing before Principle Brown’s secretary, Nancy.

She was glowering at me. “What do you want now! Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

“I guess not. Mrs. Jordan ordered me to come down here and report to Principal Brown.”

“Well, she isn’t here so you can take a seat and wait to see what she wants.” She stared at Jerry and Shla. “What do you two want?”

Jerry pointed at me. “We’re with her.”

Shla nodded in agreement.

“Take a seat then.” Nancy focused on the papers in front of her.

The only problem with school is when one has to wait, unlike doctor’s offices there aren’t any magazines to read.

“What kind of fish do you normally fish for?” I decided I wanted a conversation rather than sitting there with my hands in my lap saying nothing like I was guilty.

We talked about fishing and fishing rigs for over twenty two minutes before Mrs. Jordan graced us with her presence. She was glaring at me.

“I hope you’re happy. Ann thinks it is a compound break. He was sent to the hospital. I gave permission for David to drive him. You can thank me for saving you the cost of an ambulance picking him up.”

Shla was on my left. I literally felt the heat radiating out from her. Reaching over I put my left hand on her shoulder. “Reste ta main et ne tire pas ton epee ce n’ est pas le lieu ni le moment.” (stay your hand and pull not your sword, this is not the place nor the time)

“What did you say to her?” Mrs Jordan demanded to know what was said.

“It was a private conversation and personally none of your business. And while we are having this talk, my attorney advised me I didn’t need to say anything until she arrives. If you would like to confirm I’m sure Nancy will be happy to look up the number for you. Her name is Morgan Custman.”

Divide and conquer. Mrs Jordan turned her attention to Jerry. “Mr. Berman, you are no longer needed here. Leave and take this…” She pointed at Shla, “Girl with you.”

Jerry grinned, “No I don’t think so. You accused Miss Rider of an attack on another student. I was there and so was this young lady. Since you persist in claiming Miss Rider did something I and this young lady…”

He turned his attention to Shla. “What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t but it is Shla De Costa.”

“ah, okay, Miss De Costa was standing right behind Miss, Rider. She was closer than anyone else and in a better position than all of us to see what happened when Mr. Thruwin claimed Miss Rider broke his wrist. Would you repeat what you told me?”

“Audrey and I were standing in the serving line when the kid walked up. I was looking at him wondering what he wanted? As soon as he got close to Audrey he fell down to his knees and started screaming she broke his wrist. Audrey didn’t touch the boy. He’s a liar and so is anyone else who says they saw Audrey strike the kid.”

Whoa, that put the fat into the fire. Shla called Mrs. Jordan a liar.

Jordan turned beet red in the face as she clinched her fists. She was sputtering. “I will not tolerate disobedience and disrespect in this school. You, Miss De Costa, are expelled as of this moment.”

Shla jumped to her feet.“Et vous madame excédez votre autorité. J’ai été envoyé ici par la déesse Vetra elle même. J’ai le droit vous couper le cœur si vous me tentez.” (And you madam exceed your authority. I was sent here by the goddess Vetra herself. I have the right to cut your heart out if you try me)

“Shla je t’en prie, c’est mon monde en ce moment. Je devrais fuir si tu commences a tuer des mortels” (Shla, please, this is my world at the moment. I would need flee if you started killing mortals)

“Comme vous demandez Aethelthryth. Les mortels testent les limites de ma patience ne rien faire, quand ils abusent de vous." (As you request Aethelthryth. The mortals are testing the limits of my patience to stand by and do nothing when they abuse you.)

Mrs. Jordan was seething as the girls spoke in a language she didn’t understand. “Talk in English. Any more of this and you Audrey, if that is really who you are, will be in detention for a week.”

I couldn’t help myself as I pushed her a little further. “And Shla, receives detention also?”

Mrs. Jordan was slowly going into meltdown as the girls were defying her. “She has been expelled!”

“J’espère que nous nous rendrons bientôt au principal Brown. Mon téléphone envoie tout cela a mon ordinateur dans la maison. Je ne me souviens pas, si j’ai chargé le téléphone la nuit dernière ou non. Il se peut, que la batterie ne vas pas tenir.” (I do hope we get in front of Principle Brown soon. My phone is sending all this out to my computer at home. Don’t remember whether I charged the phone last night or not. Battery might not last.)

“That’s it, Miss whoever you are. If you’re truly a student here you bought yourself a week of detention. You keep it up and I’ll double it.”

Jerry decided to stay out of the conversation. The girls seemed to be holding their own. For whatever reason Audrey was not intimidated. But then she had already been thru this kind of abuse at the committee meeting last week. Mrs. Jordan was one of those there at the time. Both obviously came away with a different learning experience. Audrey isn’t going to let the haters get to her. Mrs. Jordan had to be thinking she can ruin Audrey or run her off by running over her with demands and punishment. It was obvious Jordan had a hatred for the girl.

These two girls reminded him of some men he had been in battle with. Quiet, reserved, a hidden strength no one knew was there until they turned lose. They even scared him a little. They were holding something back, especially that new girl. The enemy is coming at her with a knife and she has a gun, behind her back, tucked into her belt.

For the next forty minutes Shla and I kept taking in a multitude of languages, Chinese, Mongolian, Viking, Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese…,” We were switching every little bit. It didn’t surprise me Shla knew all the languages. What did surprise me was I did too. I was thinking it would be great to take an accredited class in foreign language.

“Vous avez dit que vous avez ete envoye par la deesee de la vie, Vetra? Je vois une forte aurore magique autour de toi. Un peu trop de pouvoir pour dire la verite. Pendant que nous attendons, parlez-moi de votre maison des Faeries.” (You said you were sent by the goddess of life, Vetra? I see a strong magical aura around you. Kinda over powering to tell the truth. While we wait, tell me about your home of the Faeries.)

Jerry noticeably stiffened.

“Notre monde, ta monde maintenant aussi,qu’Illana t’a donne sa magie pendant Vetra t’a ramené a la vie, n’est rien comme ce monde mortel des humains. Nous ne l’avons pas détruit comme ils ont fait avec le leur. Je suis votre gardien qui vous protégera contre tout mal causé par les mortels et tous les autres. Je suis la pour vous apprendre tes dons. Tu as partage ta guérison avec les mortels. Ça n’ est pas mauvais. Mais tu dois jeter un sort d’oubli quand tu guéris ou tu seras obligé de fuir alors que des millions descendent sur toi pour exiger d’être guéris.” (Our world, your world now as Illana has gifted you with her magic when Vetra brought you back to life, is nothing like this mortal world of humans. We have not destroyed it as they have theirs. I am to serve as your guardian protecting you from any more harm from mortals and all others. I am to mentor you about your gifts. You have been sharing your healing with the mortals. It is not wrong. You must cast a spell of forget when you heal or you will be forced to flee as millions descend on you demanding to be healed.)

Jerry’s self survival training and experience kicked in. He kept his composure, his actions and his face neutral. He had heard and experienced a lot of unbelievable shit in his lifetime. Nothing compared to this!

“Unsere wahnsinnige Lehrerin hat ein persönliches Problem mit Schülern, die sich nicht beugen und ihr in den Arsch kriechen.” (Our demented teacher has a personal problem with students she doesn’t like not bowing and kissing her…, um tush.)

Jerry coughed and then started laughing out loud. I guess he knew German. “Audrey, du bist voller Uberranschungen. Oh, nebenbei, ich verstehe auch Franzosisch.” (Audrey, you are full of surprises. Oh, by the way, I understand French too.)

“Oh crap, busted. German and French? Any others Shla and I don’t want to use to keep this conversation personal?’

“Nope, German and French are it unless you count English.”

“Think anyone else knows German?” I wondered how many secrets had been spilled already.

“Est-ce que cela fait une difference si vous pouvez oublier tout le monde?” (Does it make any difference if you can cast forget on everyone?) Jerry questioned.

I shook my head. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“And I can’t. That is not a common gift among us. I understand the casting spell. I will teach Audrey how to manifest it and control it so she doesn’t turn everyone around her into mindless zombies. It is a very dangerous spell.” Shla added her two cents since Jerry had been listening to us and already knew.

“Healing is also not a common gift but not uncommon either among our kind. Healing of mortals is so unusual only a few were known with such power. The last one passed centuries ago and is no longer among us. The ancient ones were consulted when Audrey healed her doctor. This knowledge was spontaneous, not taught to her. She mentioned my aurora, hers consumes this room. Illana gifted her with her own magic. What Audrey has grown into and now controls is astounding, even among us. No one foresaw any of this which is even more rare. Even the goddess Vetra didn’t foresee Audrey controlling as much magic as she does.”

Mrs. Jordan and Nancy had been listening. Jordan snickered. The girls were talking make believe. How infantile! Fairies and magic were nonsense.

Morgan walked into the office breathing fire. Immediately she took in the situation. “Why is Audrey here in the principle’s office? Do you people not understand a court order!”

She didn’t wait. “Mr. Berman, clue me in with the short explanation.”

Jerry wasn’t sure as Morgan’s eyes were figuratively sending streams of fire everywhere she looked. “Uh right. Audrey and the young lady with her were in the lunchroom getting their food. When Ronnie walks up beside Audrey, falls down claiming she broke his wrist. Mrs. Custman, I was there and watching. I’ve been keeping an eye on Audrey all morning since there seems to be so much hatred toward her in this school building…”

Jordan was furious. “I saw her break his arm and ordered her to come to the principle’s office for disciplinary action while I took Ronnie down to the nurse’s station. His wrist was broken. I sent him onto the hospital with another boy.”

Morgan turned her focus on Jordan who wilted under the stare. “I’m glad you got your opinion in on this discussion. Now stay out of it!”

She looked back at Jerry. “Did Audrey break his arm?”

“No Ma’am. She didn’t touch the kid. It was him that approached her not the other way around. And like I said, when he got close he fell down and started screaming Audrey had attacked him. She didn’t! I watched the whole thing from the beginning. Mrs. Jordan was on the other side of the lunchroom. In my opinion, she couldn’t see what happened as there were a lot of bodies between where she was, the two girls, and the boy.”

He pointed at Shla. “This girl was in line right behind Audrey. She’ll tell you.”

Morgan focused on the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Shla, de Costa.”

“Miss de Costa, tell me in your own words what you saw.”

“Miss Rider and I were putting food on our trays from the serving line. The boy walked up beside her, fell down and started screaming Miss Rider had broke his wrist. I was watching when he closed in on her. I’ve only been here since this morning and already found out Miss Rider is the focus of a lot of hate in this school. So I was watching real close as to what the boy intended. She was holding her tray. She never touched him with her hands or her tray.”

“You’ll swear to exactly those words?”

“Yes Ma’am, I most certainly will.”

Morgan looked at Jerry. “Will you swear to what you said is the truth?”

“With pleasure, Mrs. Custman, with pleasure.”

Morgan turned her attention on Jordan and Nancy. “If Superintendent Hays or Principle Brown failed to inform the rest of the staff and teachers in this establishment, let me now inform you. None of the staff or teachers, and I mean absolutely no one may harass or charge Miss Rider in anyway, shape, or fashion without filing those accusations in court first. Even if she had murdered the boy, you wouldn’t be able to bring her to the office or touch her without going to court first. You could call the police and let them take her in. No one in this school has that authority any longer. Mr. Berman and others who are officially appointed as security are the only ones who are allowed to detain Miss Rider. Next time this happens, someone is gong to be spending time in jail. I will have everyone arrested and I mean everyone.”

“Miss Rider.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Your mom linked me into the phone conversation going to your computer. I also understand German, French, Italian, and a few others. We are going to have a long talk young lady.”

I gulped. “Yes Ma’am.”

“This business is finished. Take your friend and go back to your class or wherever you belong at this time.”

“Wait, you can’t dismiss her. She attacked that boy. Disciplinary action will be taken.”

Morgan shook her head. “MR. BERMAN, you are security at this school are you not?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“My patience has been broken. Hold this woman here in this office until the police arrive to take her downtown for booking.

Jordan looked shocked and then mad. “You can’t do that.”

“Yes I can and I just did. You are now under restraint for failing to follow a court order. When the police arrive that restraint will change to an arrest.”

“Miss Rider, Miss de Costa, go now wherever it is you are supposed to be at this time. If any of your teachers question why you are late to class, have them call the office. If that doesn’t satisfy them, you call me. If I must come back to this school today I will be bringing the police with me.”

Shla and I slipped out of the office. I didn’t think this was going to stop the testosterone jocks. I bet it put a big damper on any of the administration or teachers harassing me once word spread through the system. All I wanted was to get an education and grow up. Was that so hard for any of them to understand? Why had so much hate been turned against me? I never hurt anyone, I never harassed anyone, I never took anything from anyone. Yes I had got taller and some said more effeminate. I wasn’t what most of the jocks thought boys should be as I never changed into looking like a knuckle dragging Neanderthal. I didn’t ask to be what I was or wasn’t. Why couldn’t everyone accept me or leave me alone?

Shla and I missed lunch, thank you very much Mrs. Jordan. We missed Algebra. When we arrived at Computer Programming, it was half over. I headed straight for Mr. Reed when we walked into his classroom.

“Sorry Sir, Shla and I were taken down to the office because of a complaint by another student.”

He was looking at the girl standing beside me. “Shla?”

“Yes Sir, Shla de Costa, transfer student. My first day.” She handed Mr. Reed an admission slip.

He scanned it and then looked up at us. “He looked at the other girl. Do you have and admission slip too? Did you ladies bring me a tardy slip also excusing your absence from this class?”

“Mr. Reed, I’m Audrey Rider, I’m enrolled in your class.”

James Reed took a hard look at the exotic young girl. He had heard the school grapevine was on fire with rumors Audrey Rider had changed since the altercation a week and half ago in the principle’s office. Audrey was his quietest most diligent student. He assumed Audrey was a boy with a girl’s name. The girl standing in front of him was the right height but nothing else matched. He knew makeup could change a girl’s looks but this? “I’ll take your word for it, Miss Rider.”

“Thank you, Sir. We didn’t bring any absence slips with us. Things were getting more than interesting after my lawyer Mrs. Morgan Custman arrived. We were ushered out of the office at that point and told to go to our normal class.”

“Your lawyer was called in? I’d love to hear that story, Miss Rider. This is not the time nor the place. You ladies find an unoccupied console. Audrey you have missed a week and a half. Sometimes my students know more than what is in the book or what I can teach them. I’ve noticed you have been coasting through this class, I don’t think you will have any problem picking up where we are now.”

“Miss de Costa, I haven’t seen your transcript. Are you computer literate enough you feel comfortable in this class? If not, study hall or another class might be more your thing.”

Shla looked around the room at all the computers and the kids logged in. “Personally, I hate computers. They are a waste of time. They lose valuable information when one needs it most. They are prone to giving away one’s personal history to unscrupulous third parties. And the information one seeks is seldom easy to find and hardly ever correct.”

“Then why are you taking this class?” Mr. Reed was curious.

“Because it is here and I’m here. To answer your first question, yes I do understand computers and programming. The cursed things have been my nightmare for…, awhile/ I am forced to stay current with what…, calls progress due to the type of job I have. I assure you, no matter where this class is in computer programming; I am proficient and up to date.”

“That’s bold talk Miss de Costa. Let’s see if you are as good as you claim. There is a spare workbook on my desk. Get it and find yourself a computer terminal. We are on lesson fifty seven in the work book. The class is already half over. I’d like to see how far your skills takes you when the bell rings.”

“Miss Rider, the same goes for you. Don’t disappoint me. Show me you are as smart as I believe you are. Ladies, you are wasting valuable time up here talking to me. Find yourselves a computer and get to work.”

Shla and I found vacant computers side by side. I sat down and opened up the preloaded program. We were supposed to debug a financial program for an imaginary bank. I dug in knowing with only thirty minutes I’d never get it done. Ten minutes later I looked over to see how Shla was doing. The darn girl was reading computer language and two thirds of the way through the program. If she wasn’t using magic to do the job for her, she was PhD grade. I wondered what Shla’s job description really was? She was more than just a bodyguard. The girl was serious hard case in more ways than one. One thing I was certain of. She wasn’t sixteen. Try a couple thousand years, if not more.

My swelled head thinking I was some sort of computer expert was dashed by the end of the class. Mr. Reed had walked to the back of the class and was standing behind us before the end of the class. I had found six errors in the program where there were supposed to be seventeen. Shla found nineteen. The two she found not in the workbook, defaulted back to correcting its own code. Kinda like a bank robber guarding the bank.

Mr. Reed was studying Shla’s printout. He was almost positive she made an error in the two the workbook didn’t list. But then the girl had completed what should have taken two days in…? He looked at his watch, twenty six minutes.

The bell rang, most of the kids were looking at their dismal efforts for the hour. After the two girls walked into the class it was hard to concentrate on a computer program. Mr. Reed was still studying Shla’s efforts. “Miss de Costa, I’m going to ask you again, why are you taking this class? I have a very strong feeling debugging programs isn’t your only talent with computers. May I have your word you will not be hacking into any computers while you are in this school?”

She turned her computer to standby. “You have my word I will not be hacking any computers from this classroom.”

“I guess that will have to be good enough then. Miss Rider, I expected more. Tomorrow when you come to my class bring your mind and your attention.”

“My apologies Mr. Reed. Today hasn’t been a very calm day for me. I’m sure you will hear of it later. Some of the kids believe it is my fault the basketball team was suspended. I was accused of breaking a kid’s arm in the lunchroom. That was the reason we were detained in the principal’s office until my lawyer showed up.”

“I see. Hopefully tomorrow won’t have all these distractions. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Shla and I picked up our backpacks, we were the last to leave. There were three basketball players waiting in the hall. Shla stepped up ahead of me. “This is getting old real fast. You want to beat Audrey’s ass bad enough she won’t return to school? Use a little logic. You probably won’t be able to get it done here in the hallway. You would get expelled yourselves. After school maybe? Nope, again fighting on school grounds.”

“At Ryan and Staple there is an old boxing gym which is mostly a hangout for losers. Very appropriate for what you wish to do. Audrey and I will meet you there this afternoon at six. It will be sanctioned. The school and the law authorities can’t complain. Unless you’re too chicken shit to face two girls in a cage match, free form fighting.”

If those kids didn’t want to kill me before, I was positive they were determined to do exactly that now.

Shla turned away before she turned back and looked at them again. “I forgot. Bring all your buddies who want a piece of our ass.” She walked off rolling her hips in a rhythm most girls would have been jealous of.

I couldn’t believe she taunted these guys and then left me there alone. Maybe her idea of bodyguard and mine were two different concepts? Wasn’t the idea the bodyguard was supposed to keep their client from getting killed, not encourage someone to do the job?

The guys were switching their attention from the retreating form of a perfect female figure to glaring hatred at me. Jacob decided he liked the idea of mopping the floor up with two girls. “We’ll be there bitch.”

I didn’t say anything as I headed down the hall to American Business class. I was positive Shla had signed my death warrant. I spent my life avoiding confrontations. Fighting was a skill I never learned and had no desire to learn.

When I got to class Shla was there talking to Mrs. Word who looked at me as I walked into her class. “Audrey, I was there in the lunchroom. I’m happy to see the problems were resolved in the principal’s office. Welcome back to class.”

“Yes, Ma’am, thank you Ma’am.” I headed toward the back of the room and a desk feeling like this was my last hours before the executioner.

“What were you thinking?” I stared at Shla as she sat down beside me.

“Stop hiding, Audrey. You have a life, live it like you own it. Stop letting someone else control your life because you don’t want to prove they can’t scare you into doing what they want.”

“But I am scared. I’ve learned to be a good little rabbit and run when things get rough. It worked for me so far.”

“Until Coach Walker chased you down.”

“Yeah, there is that.” I conceded.

“Survival doesn’t mean you need to be stronger or bigger than anyone who attacks you. Be smarter, quicker than your opponent. You’ve been running from those guys for years. In their own demented way they are as conditioned to attack you as you are to run from them. It is time for things to change for both parties. An intelligent conversation is not going to stop this nonsense.”

“Know this Audrey, if you don’t understand anything else, I will not let anyone hurt you. There are two people who would skin me alive if I let that happen. Personally, I’m a little attached to my skin and wish to keep it.”

By last hour, the school telegraph had spread the word Mrs. Jordan had been arrested. There were dozens of rumors why she was arrested. The one top of the list was she took Audrey Rider down to the office and spanked her or hit her. Kids and teachers alike were giving me a wide path. All except the basketball members. When the school day was over, nine of them had gathered around my locker waiting for me. Shla’s offer to meet them later hadn’t deterred them in their desire to give me pain before I left the school.

Coming down the hall to gather books from my locker for homework, I saw the boys. The hallway was eerily empty as others didn’t want to get caught up in the feud and get detention, expelled, or arrested. Stopping, I was thinking about forgetting the books, going through the gym and out the side door.

Shla walked past me and up within a couple feet of the closest ones. “Guys, this is not your smartest move. I made a tentative offer of meeting all of you in a place where a fight isn’t illegal. Audrey and her parents will sign a hold harmless contract the same as me.”

She reached behind her back and pulled a sheath of papers out of her backpack. “In order to be fair, you also need to get your parents to sign a contract along with your own signature and get two witnesses to sign who are adult age.” She held out the papers to the closest boy.

He took the papers. Even though the girl looked like a gymnast or body builder he was sure he and his friends wouldn’t have any problem giving her a beat down. “Just the two of you?”

Shla smiled. “Just Audrey and myself against all of you or how ever many show up.”

He pointed at me. “It’s a deal. Bring the fairy princess and an ambulance. He is going to find out it isn’t smart to get the team suspended. Wearing a dress isn’t going to protect him. Faggot!”

Shla walked with me out to the parking lot where I would wait on Sandy to stop by. Sandy told me she would give me a ride home. “Shla, you don’t need to wait around. My sister will be by in a few minutes. I’ll be okay.”

“Audrey, you and I, are joined at the hip until your education matures a whole lot more.”

“Matures? I’ll be in high school in five months. Are you saying we are together until I graduate high school or possibly college? If I switch to another school and there isn’t any one who knows me, the teasing and bullying will probably stop.”

Shla looked around to make sure we didn’t have any eavesdroppers. “That education is important. It wasn’t the one I was talking about. Illana blessed you with knowledge and magic. For some strange reason you took to the healing magic like a duck to water. You’re able to manipulate it in a way that was a surprise to everyone. Yet, your other magical skills you seem to be ignoring although Illana can sense them in you. Most faeries have one or two magical skills they can use. I have three. Your mother, Illana has more than any other present faerie is known to possess. She says you have all of hers as she can sense them in you. Your problem is your lack of training or education using your magic.”

“Those problems you faced today should have been a ho hum situation as you made the boys forget why they hated you. Or you could have made them forget you existed. The teacher problem could have and should have been handled the same way. The forget spell is a very useful magical spell. It is one I wished I had and one you better learn to control sooner rather than later. You keep healing mortals with them remembering they were sick and got better because you were there is a coming nightmare for you and your family.”

I was disgusted and ashamed Shla would tell me to stop healing mortals when it took no effort and those I healed would make great contributions to the rest of the world. “They were good, kind people with the potential to give so much back. I don’t regret healing Dr. Clark, or Amanda Lasky…,”

“The little girl?”

“Yes, she is going to make a difference in so many lives which would be ruined if she didn’t grow up and become a lawyer and a judge.”

“That is another one of your gifts confusing everyone. Do you see the future so clearly or are you guessing to salve you conscience as a reason you healed them?”

“I’ve only seen the future of those three. I can’t see your future, my sister’s future, my dad, or my own. It isn’t something I can call up. It happened, I was meant to heal them because I could.”

Shla sighed. “Know this, Audrey. A butterfly when it takes to wing, a flower when it blooms, a grain of sand blown across the beach changes the future because they were. The smallest most insignificant things in life make changes in our future, everyone’s future as they move or are moved. Everyone may or may not notice the small things. The big things like a volcano erupting, a tidal wave washing ashore, or earthquakes bringing down buildings they notice and may or may not realize it is changing the future. The little things do that too. I have no idea what you are doing to the future. Neither does anyone else. Most everyone is taking a wait and see attitude.”

Sandy’s van turned the corner headed our way. “Am I doing something I shouldn’t? Have I made the world worse instead of making it better? Will thousands, millions die because I healed Dr. Clark, Amanda, or Morgan? Please tell me it won’t happen.”

“You claim you see the future of those people so clearly. I don’t doubt your conviction nor your ability. Yet, only a couple of the most ancient can foresee the future with any small hope of what they foretell isn’t going to change. The future is not a stable event. A butterfly died splattered against a car windshield instead of mating and laying eggs setting in events for a total crop failure in Mongolia. Is the crop failure real? Yes. No one knows what chain of events caused it.”

“You are not responsible for changing the future but then you are. There is no right nor wrong to the actions you take or the things you do. Live your life Audrey, do what you feel is right. Don’t try and manipulate the future to your will. You can’t. No one can. Not even the gods have that ability.”

When Sandy pulled up to the curb, I got in the front, Shla slid into the back. I figured introductions were in order. “Sis, this is Shla, she checked into school today.” I pointed at Sandy. This is my sis, Sandy.”

Sandy looked in the mirror at her, nodded and pulled away from the curb. “New girl huh? Where did you transfer from? Don’t need to make up something or try and hide it. You are giving off serious vibes. You’re a faerie.”

Shla was looking back into the mirror at Sandy. “You’re a surprise. To know what I am you must be sentient. I looked up the registry of everyone in your family history. You aren’t even listed as a low level faerie. It takes a medium level to be sentient. Your sister was a surprise at how quickly and easily she could work the healing spell. The possible explanation is there is a second bloodline in your family’s past linage. Although making assumptions is truly fruitless. Word has been passed back to the record keepers so they can refresh their research. Audrey has already turned all rules of magic upside down. There is no way she can possibly be doing what she’s doing. The songs of healing haven’t been used in several thousand years. The blended power is in essence a dozen…, nay, a hundred times more powerful than the art of healing by itself. A renewed interest has begun in magic and song. So far no one has been able to repeat Audrey’s magic. For those who are trying the words add no strength. That is the reason it was discontinued and forgot. I am told Casta was the last of our song weavers. She was very beautiful and gifted with a beautiful voice beyond all others. Her ability to weave magical spells was unmatched. She was the last to use songs to enhance her magic.”

“I’ll explain further when we get to your home. Illana along with four others will meet us there. They are going to do some spell casting to see if this blending of ancient magic comes from Kevin or was a hidden seed in Janet. Not all the aura spreading out around Audrey is due to Illana’s gifts. To say your sister has shaken the Faerie Realm to its very foundation is an understatement.”

As Sandy turned the corner to our street and house, it looked like mom and dad were throwing a party as there were four cars parked in the street in front of our house. I never was very comfortable around a lot of strangers. “I’m not sure I want to go home.”

Sandy didn’t take the hint as she pulled into our driveway. “I can sense more faeries. Let’s go see who all is here.”

As the three of us entered the living groom I noticed Illana immediately as she was standing next to mom.

Mom (Janet) motioned me over. “Audrey, I have had a very nice visit with your mother Illana. We have been talking about you.”

Slowly walking over to them, I had no idea how I was supposed to handle this, finally deciding to use their given names. “Janet, may I give Illana a hug?”

I thought both of them were going to laugh at me as their smiles got so big. Janet gave a slight nod of her head toward Illana. “Of course you may and you shouldn’t ask me if it is okay. She is after all your mother.”

“Yes Ma’am, and so are you…, mom. This is so awkward.”

I leaned in and gave Illana a heart felt hug. “Thanks for everything…, mother.”

Illana gave me a warm hug back. “It will get easier with time, Audrey. Janet and I are willing to share whatever you will share with each of us. She is really a special person in her own right. She had to inherit my seed from a long line of women in order to give it to you when you were born. What we didn’t expect was being around you would awaken your mother’s, your father’s, and your sister’s abilities.”

“Dad?” It was then I turned my attention on him and could sense the faerie magic in him. As a male it was not much but it was there.

Janet took my left hand and Illana my right. Illana pointed to a woman and a young girl quietly sitting on the couch. The rail thin, anorexic, girl looked like she was seventeen or there abouts. She had a scarf covering her head. “Audrey, this is Colleen and her daughter Samantha.”

The room had suddenly gone quiet as everyone was watching me. Colleen squeezed her daughter’s hand. The clock in the hallway was ticking loud enough it could have been Big Ben. A minute passed as I stared at the girl.

Illana squeezed my hand. “Audrey?”

“I.., I’m sorry, I don’t feel anything.” Even a blind person would suspect the girl had cancer if she was hiding a baldhead with a scarf.

Tears leaked out of her mother’s eyes. And yet the only sound was the ticking of that stupid hall clock getting louder and louder. “SHUT UP!” I screamed at the clock.

A couple people sucked in their breath and all sound ceased to exist. Except the heartbeat of the girl. It wasn’t a strong beat. The chemo they were dumping into her along with the radiation was taking its toll on her young body.

Walking over in front of her I lifted her right hand and held it to my heart. “We are one, you and I. My heart beats for your heart. Come, join me in the glen with the flowers, the birds, the animals.”

Standing in a meadow I was surrounded by Mother Nature’s beauty everywhere I looked. The birds were in full song in the grasses and trees. Flowers of all kinds and colors carpeted the meadow. Bunnies, deer, bears, wolves, badgers, animals of all ages surrounded me looking on.

“Samantha, come, join me for this place is your place of healing. I was holding onto her hand, but her form was only a transparency so thin she was almost not there. She looked around. In her enthusiasm to see it all she spun in a circle turning loose of my hand. Quickly she reached out and grabbed it again. She was becoming more solid by the second now.

“You see your own healing place don’t you, Samantha?”

She vigorously nodded in agreement. She was solid now, a very beautiful girl with polished brown eyes, long sleek auburn hair down to her waist, ruby red lips, beautiful arched eyebrows and to die for long lush lashes. The girl was a heart stopping beauty.

“Come, I want you to see yourself in the pool.” I was singing as I led her by the hand over to the small pool. The water was glass smooth. She could see herself perfectly, even better than if she was looking into a mirror. Her hands went to her mouth as she turned to look at me. I nodded without stopping my singing the song in my mind. I knew it had to be sung until it was finished so she would be too. The birds were adding their own chorus to the song, blending in beautifully.

The song was finished, the birds weren’t as they kept singing their joyful melody in the meadow. I have no idea how long we stayed but it was awhile. “Samantha, we must return. This place is yours and you can come back to it anytime you feel you want. I don’t think you can bring friends with you as they wouldn’t understand. It takes a special gift inside your heart to come here and only you have that gift.”

She pointed at my heart. That caused me to giggle. “Well, let’s just say I have an insider’s track on these things and the flowers, the birds, the animals invited me.”

Samantha threw her arms around me and hugged me like there would be no tomorrow. That was how we were when the room and everyone else came back into focus. Samantha had returned as the beautiful girl she was in the meadow.

Everyone in the room was staring, some with their mouths open. Colleen looked like she was about ready to faint.

Oh SHIT! I didn’t say it out loud but I knew I had stepped into the proverbial shit up to my eyeballs. Sam was taking the full regiment of cancer treatment. Her walking back into her doctor’s office looking like she does now was going to explode on all the news around the world. I would be fleeing for my life when my name was mentioned.

Shla was the first to assess the situation. She walked up beside me. “The forget spell, Audrey. You must cast the forget spell on her. No one else can do it since you were the one who healed her. Magic is kind of persnickety about keeping things going from the same person when it’s this deeply cast. You must cast a forget spell and make it contagious so all who come in contact with her don’t remember her cancer.”

Turning, I glared at Shla. “ME! I told you I can’t cast any spells. I don’t even understand what I’m doing when I heal someone. This one sure wasn’t the same as any of the others.”

The corners of Shla’s mouth curled up as her eyes took on a mischievous gleam all their own. “Oh, you mean you don’t normally carry sick people off to only you and them know where, heal them, enhance their beauty, and then bring them back? You mean you never did that one before?”

“we were gone…”

“Totally. Not even a wet spot on the carpet to indicate either of you had been here.”

“wet spot…”

“Small joke. It has happen when someone with no experience tries to teleport and…, Nope, better left unsaid.”

“Why didn’t you stop me?”

“Stop you? Hon, no one knew you were capable. When we finally got our collective minds working again it was too late. You were gone. I don’t think it would have made a whole lot of difference. I don’t think anyone here is capable of rerouting the magic you are using. We don’t know what it is or where you’re drawing it from?”

She pointed at Samantha. “Back to the problem. And only you can fix it. A forget spell about now would be nice.”

Samantha stepped back. “You’re telling her to make me sick again?”

“No hon, but the problem is people who know you’ve been sick and see you now will not let this situation quietly disappear. They will want to go over you with a fine tooth comb and demand who did this for you. Audrey has to cast a forget spell on you so everyone will not remember you were sick.”

“Oh, I guess that would be for the best wouldn’t it?”

“Most definitely. Audrey, you’re up darling.”

“I can’t. I have never done a magic spell much less a specific one such as a forget spell.”

“Illana, a little help here. We are in a hurry up and learn lesson on this one. While Audrey is watching cast a forget spell on me.”

“Okay.” Illana came over.

Shla held up her hand. “Don’t get carried away. A little one takes the same spell as a mind eraser does.”

She nodded in agreement. “What do you and Audrey both know if you forget, she will remember?”

Shla thought for a couple seconds. “There was a problem in the lunchroom today. Audrey was accused of breaking a boy’s wrist. She didn’t do it. I know because I did it.”

Illana held up her right hand, her palm toward Shla’s face, or maybe her brain? She began chanting. “koala du bl sora uc doo, nuba isst ca astaw”

As I watched there was a micro thread of energy, magic, or what evers between Illana’s hand and Shla’s head. And then it was gone.

Shla was still waiting. “Well?”

“Well what?” Illana looked like she was going to giggle but she didn’t.

“When are you going to cast the spell?”

Illana turned toward me. “Audrey you wanted to ask Shla a question?”

“Of course. Shla, in the lunchroom today a boy claimed I broke his wrist. Did you catch his name?”

“When did that happen? No boy claimed you broke his wrist. For some odd reason you were called down to the principle’s office. We missed lunch because I went with you. That must have happen before I transferred in. You forget I’ve only been with you since this morning?”

“Illana, I’m not sure I can do what you just did. I saw all the mechanisms you used to get it to take effect. I haven’t used magic that way and not even sure I could if I wanted. Are you able to remove it?”

“Sure. Since I cast it, all I need to do is retrieve it. An incantation isn’t needed for that.” She waved her hand. “Done.”

Watching that one, I understood why it was so simple. As Illana said, she cast the spell and could recall it even easier. “Shla, remember the boy in the lunchroom who claimed I broke his wrist?”

“Dumbert, I watched him walk up beside you and knew he was up to something. Why, what has that got to do with you casting a forget spell?”

“I have the basics of how it works now. Everyone, if you don’t want to forget Samantha had cancer and what she looked like when she arrived, you need to take that memory and pull back from her. If you don’t, you will forget and wonder what a pretty girl like her is doing here at this time.”

“Samantha, you need to send your thoughts to your special place so you don’t forget what you and your mom have been through the past two years. Colleen, take my hand and don’t let go until I tell you or you will lose all memory of Samantha’s sickness. You won’t be able to understand where all the money went. That will be removed from your mind.”

“Shla, you said we couldn’t alter the future from what is as it has its own course. You’re partially right. The memory of Samantha’s sickness are little spots in the past like little mailboxes where anyone with access may retrieve the memory. I’m gong to blank out those mailboxes. When anyone tries to retrieve the memory of her sickness it will disappear. In return those memories as they would have been generated in the future are no longer there either.”

“Samantha, you need to go to your place now. Colleen, take my hand and don’t turn lose. Everyone pull back. I think I have this.” Pulling in the memory of what Samantha looked like I started pulling that in and enclosing it. Maybe a better description is, I was pushing it back into a black wall of nothing. Slowly the picture of her as the sickness ravaged her was slowly sinking into the darkness behind it. Other memories of her started flowing into that same black wall. The first ones matched the emancipated girl. As they kept coming they started changing into a more and more healthy girl. It was a reverse kaleidoscope of her as she changed from a sick girl to a healthy girl.

I stopped when the doctor said, “You have cancer.” The memories of her and the cancer had been put away. I wasn’t sure if they were erased or just pushed out of the past? What I failed to notice was the room had got dark. It was now starting to lighten up again.

Colleen was still clutching my arm. With a death grip I might add. “Colleen, it is done. You may turn lose. Do you still remember your daughter being sick and the many trips to the hospital?”

She turned loose and looked at Samantha, a beautiful healthy girl. “Yes, it wasn’t a nightmare was it? Sam and I really did fight for her life for a couple years.”

Reaching over I touched the girl. “Sam, you can come back now.”

She blinked a couple times and turned her head to look around the room. “It is so beautiful.”

“Yes, but it isn’t your home nor your life. Don’t start thinking you can stay there. This here and now is your life. In it’s own way it is even more beautiful and peaceful. Enjoy both, Sam. They are yours now.”

“That…, was interesting.” Illana was looking around the room. “I believe all of us had enough of an introduction to Audrey’s way of using her gifts. Did anyone follow what she was doing and think they can perform it themselves?”

“Sho?” Illana looked at one of the four women in the room I had yet to be introduced to.

“From what I can only guess, she is using Casta’s magic. How would we know? We only have records of what Casta could do. No one has been able to repeat her magic. Did anyone else hear Audrey, humming while she cast the forget spell? The black wall she created felt like I had a vacuum cleaner hose stuck to my head trying to pull out the memory of Samantha.”

Everyone in the room looked around in agreement. Alish answered for all of them. “She was humming a melody. She uses sound, harmonics, resonance to enhance what she is doing. It must be in perfect pitch or it wouldn’t have any effect…, would it?”

Another woman kinda waved her hand. “Since no one introduced us. Hi Audrey, I’m Murses. I agree with Sho, you seem to have inherited Casta’s magic. Toss that in with Illana’s gifts and I can’t wait to see what else you are capable of. That’s besides restoring a mortal’s health and beauty.”

She glanced at Samantha, “I know Audrey didn’t give you or your mother a forget spell. She took extra effort to protect you both. You mention any of this and you probably condemned Audrey and her family to death. There are people out there who won’t hesitate to take control of her. Holding her family hostage would be one way to accomplish that. They wouldn’t need all of them. One would work or none if Audrey was convinced they were being held even if they were all dead.”

“It is another reason none of us try to help mortals in any way. We want to remain as fairy tales told to young kids as parents tuck them into their beds. Besides…” Murses laughed. “None of us besides Audrey can heal mortals. I don’t think it has been done in a thousand years or more.”

“Samantha, you and your mother were invited here with a partial truth. We aren’t here only to start a fund raiser to help pay for Samantha’s medical bills. We needed someone to test Audrey’s ability to heal. Some of us have been around long enough and smart enough to stay away from the ups and downs of nations rising and falling. To put it another way, we have done quite well in the financial affairs of the mortal world. An amount equal to the money your parents have already spent on your medical will be put into a college trust for you. Don’t squander your chance to have a higher education, Samantha.”

The happy look on Samantha’s face got even bigger. “Ladies, you gave me a second chance at life. I’m not going to waste it. I’m going into medical and get a doctor’s degree.”

Shla looked happy. “Now you have a handle on a forget spell, we’re all ready for the fight tonight.”

“Fight? What’s this about a fight? What kind of fight? Audrey?” Dad was staring at me.

Looking back a dad and then around at the others in the room, dad seemed to be the only one out of the loop. That is besides Sam and her mother. I pointed at Shla. “She told the whole basketball team I would meet them in some kind of arena at six for a fight. I think the idea is when I get my butt kicked by all of them they will leave me alone from now on.”

“That isn’t what I said nor did I give that impression.” Shla looked indignant. “I said WE would meet them in the arena. The idea is for Audrey to lay forget spells on them.”

“And I told you I didn’t know how to do that. I’m still not that sure I can do it. I have no idea what I did nor how I did it. Don’t you think it would be a lot safer if I had time to practice? Like a hundred years or more?”

Illana was beside me. She took my hands into hers, looked me in the eyes, and then closed hers. I felt her magic, she was trying to give me knowledge on how to use it.

“Illana, you already blessed me with your gifts. I have them. I have your knowledge of magic, your knowledge how to use it, how to cast it. Illana…, mom, what I don’t have is experience. You gave the Lamborghini car keys to a b…, girl who has never driven before. Do you really believe I could use all the knowledge and talent you know and understand when this is what you acquired over a…, time?”

“I feel your gifts inside me growing stronger. I could kill or vanquish those who tease and bully me. I could destroy the schools where I’ve been bullied for the past five years. Can I be positive I have absolute control over what I unleash to know I’m not hurting the innocent who may be close by?”

“What I’m saying, I use the forget spell in an arena. Can it be controlled enough to not affect all those in there who came to watch? What about the forget spell itself? Can I make them forget they dislike me without wiping out their minds completely?”

“Ladies, you were born and grew up around magic and those who teach it, use it. I don’t have that experience. From what you are telling me, none of you understand the way I’m using magic. You THINK, maybe Casta used magic the way I am. What I think is I’m in way over my head with this magic stuff and shouldn’t be doing it.”

Janet stepped up in front of me, wrapped her arms around me and gave me a serious hug. She backed up and looked me in the eyes. “Audrey, do you have fire in your magic spells?”

“I haven’t tried one. Why?”

Mom pointed to one of her decorative candles on the cabinet by the door. “Light the candle without setting the house on fire.”

“What will that prove?”

All the faeries were smiling now.

“It will prove two things. One you have fire in your magical gifts and you have total control over your magic.

“Fine, does dad have fire insurance?” I looked at the candle and pictured a cute flame dancing on the wick.

Sandy was the first to question. “Did she do it or is she casting an illusion? That isn’t a normal flame.”

Mom walked over and passed her hand over the flame. “It’s real enough as it is giving off heat and light. But it isn’t real. The wick isn’t burning nor is the candle melting next to the flame.”

“A fire without a fire? Some can cast illusions of a fire. They certainly don’t give off heat. Janet, pick up the candle next to it to test if the flame will light the other candle.” Illana was curious what kind of fire Audrey had created.

Janet did as directed and was quickly holding a second candle with the wick burning and was starting to drip. “It is a real fire. It isn’t consuming what it is sitting on though.”

“AUDRERY!” Janet glanced back at her daughter who was now holding a ball of fire in her right hand and poking it with a finger on her left hand.

All eyes focused on Audrey and what she was doing. Shla held her hand out toward the flame in Audrey’s hand. She didn’t need to touch it. “It’s hot.”

“I don’t feel it. I wonder if I can make it hotter?” I instantly had a picture of fire changing from red to blue. The flame in my hand changed to a blue flame.

Shla took a step back. “It’s definitely hotter. I can feel the heat on my face.”

Poking it with my finger, moving it around on my palm I still didn’t feel the heat on my hand, my arm, nor my face. I pictured a flame that was white hot and I was holding it in my hand.

“AUDREY! YOU’LL SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE!” Janet was screaming as everyone else was backing up from the heat.

Slapping my left hand on top I covered it up. “I don’t feel it. Why does everyone else?”

“You created it, Audrey. Fire created by magic doesn’t burn its creator. At first. I’ve never seen anyone able to hold onto their fire for more than a few seconds. They either need to cast it or cancel it before it burns them. The majority of fire casters only create a red flame. Very few can create a blue flame. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone creating a white flame. Illana was staring at Audrey’s hands. “Is it gone?”

“It is now.” I opened up my hands.

“You were holding it all this time?” Sho looked doubtful.

I was studying the floor as I hung my head. “Yes Ma’am. I can bring it back if you like.”

Alish started laughing. “Sho is a hard sell. Don’t mind her Audrey. The rest of us believe you. I could still feel the heat escaping between your hands.”

“Illana, ladies, I’ve seen enough. I don’t believe Audrey is using magic that has been around in thousands of years, if ever. I also agree with Audrey in she is capable but needs experience and training. I don’t think anyone wants to see what can happen if she really cuts lose in this mortal world. It could turn into a major catastrophe we wouldn’t be able to cover up.”

“I won’t…,”

“Audrey, we know you wouldn’t do anything foolish on purpose but everyone gets mad at some point in their life. Hon, a little flare up from you could mean people die, buildings destroyed. There are really bad faeries and mortals out there. What if you run into one of them and they decide to kill you and those you are with. What are you prepared to do? Nothing is an option I don’t believe you would take. Not now you have had a taste of casting magic.” Janet walked over and hugged Audrey. “I love you hon but you have been given some very powerful gifts. Not all of them comes from your other mother, Illana.”

“Audrey, you need to think about dropping out of school and coming with us back to our Realm.” Illana moved up beside Shla. “There are really bad people there too. The thing is though, when you defend yourself if someone attacks you the laws are pretty cut and dried. One is allowed to use whatever force is necessary to stop an aggression. Magic is not something to be trifled with. I feel all of us are in agreement you need more time, more practice with the magic you have tapped into.”

My life and things around me were changing too fast. “I’d like to hang onto a little normalcy for a little while. There are only a couple more months for this school year. I’d like to finish it if possible. The fight Shla arraigned this afternoon might change all that. If it doesn’t I’ll return to school. I want to have at least that. I can’t see my own future. I don’t need to see it to understand this is probably the last public school I’ll ever attend. Events are moving toward me I won’t be able to stop.

By five O’clock Colleen and Samantha were sent on their way. Everyone else decided they were going to the gym. All of them, including Shla, thought I could lay forget magic on the boys and everything would be good. I knew better. Their hatred toward me was from many boys, other kids, and teachers. I was the focal point. Just as Samantha had been the focal point for her cancer history. There were many points of hate directed toward me. In my case I would need to work on each one not the collective. There was a second problem. I had no idea how the magic I used work. What I did know was the magic I had been using required singing or harmonics to give it a push. Singing and pushing magic while being pummeled didn’t seem like a viable plan.

My whole life seemed to be spiraling out of control since the locker room incident. I was starting to think being a rabbit, a coward, getting shoved around and beat on wasn’t that bad of a life. Problem is, there was no way back. Life was like a one-way street, we could only go ahead.

One would think with a house full of Faeries someone could conjure up supper. Dad ordered four large pizzas, bread sticks, and cheese sticks. He sent Sandy to get sodas and ice. I didn’t wait for an invite as I was in the van before Sis opened her door.

She didn’t hesitate as she was quickly backing out of the drive. “I guess you decided to ride along?”

“Yeah, all those people there were stifling. I felt like I was in bed and under the covers. Not bad at first but eventually it seems like I was running out of oxygen.”

She took a quick look in my direction. “Because of the auras around them? I know it is different than what mortals have. You think that is it?”

“Probably Sis, that and a whole lot more. They are pushing magic around even when they aren’t. I mean Illana, Shla, and those four women have been using magic for so long it kinda swirls around them all the time.”

Sandy pulled up in front of the quick stop. “And me? Does mom and dad have that now?”

“May I?” I held my hand out toward Sandy.

“Sure.”

I was positive anyone looking at us would think I was patting the air. “This is the boundary of your aura. It has grown five or six inchs in diameter since you picked me up at school. I can see it, I don’t even need to be near you to sense it. I can’t control what comes to me about the future. It’s spontaneous and frustrating as hell. When you asked me about you just now I got a glimpse of your future.”

“When you picked Shla and me up at school, she said you had to be a medium magic user to sense she was one also. You aren’t there yet. Sis, I love you, mom, and dad. I would have been happy if we had been the typical neighbors next door in our neighborhood. We, all of us, passed that when I was attacked by coach Walker. Illana blessed me with magic, I brought it home. This caused the magic in all you to begin surfacing. Dad is a one magic user. He has reached his full potential. Mom…, Janet, is a three magic user. She will reach her potential in a few more months. As little as mom and dad have, their combined magic given to you at birth became a hybrid. Not only the best of both but far better than the strong magic my other mom, Illan has. You’re between a one and a two in magic. You sensed Shla as you’re already drawing more powerful magic even though you can’t feel it or use it yet.”

“I can’t see the future. At times it comes in running over me like a truck. Magic users are rated on a grade one to ten. Ironically the same way mortals grade women isn’t it? You’re not going to become a ten, you’re going past that in handling magic. Don’t wait any longer than the end of this school year to go to the Faerie Realm. You need serious training in handling the different magic spells you’re gifted with.”

Sandy was studying me. “And you? Audrey, I grew up with you. We played tag and climbed trees together. You have always been my best friend…,”

She held up her hand to stop me. “I know the past couple years I shoved you away so you wouldn’t embarrass me with my girlfriends and boyfriends. I forgot one of the most important people in my life who was always there for me no matter what. I traded that person for parties and dates not understanding how much I was hurting her. And yes, looking back, you always were more of a girl than many of the genetic girls. You were my little sister until you played dress up with me on a Sunday. It was your birthday. My gift to you was letting you wear one of my nicest dresses, styling your hair, and putting makeup and jewelry on you. You were such a beautiful sister. I was so proud of you I wanted to take you to the mall with me. That day you went a hundred and eighty back to being as much of a boy as you could. Looking back, I realize you never felt what I saw. Did you believe I was trying to embarrass you when I asked you to go to the mall with me? You worked real hard at hiding any feminine actions after that. You were very good at it.”

She leaned across the seat and pulled me into a hug. “Audrey, I’m so sorry for what I did. Until now I never realized how much I hurt you.”

Hugging sis, we were both tearing up. I pushed back and wiped the tears off her face with the back of my hand. “I was too scared to go to the mall even though I wanted to more than anything I had ever wanted before. It wasn’t all your fault, Sis. You gave me one of the nicest birthday gifts I have ever received. There was no way I could do it again. The pain of not being your sister every day was not something I could handle. It was best to shut it down and never bring it back again because it would only bring more pain.”

She reached over and wiped my eyes. “I bet I look like a raccoon now. You weren’t wearing makeup so you escaped that. God Audrey, you’re beautiful. I’m so proud and jealous at the same time.”

“Sis, you’re a late bloomer. You’ve always been pretty. Don’t be shocked by how beautiful you become in the months ahead. Magic users end up with a real strong dose of it working on themselves whether they call for it or not.”

Looking around outside there were a couple boys standing by the store watching us. They were too far away to notice what I was going to do. I started softly singing. It only took about fifteen seconds. Sandy’s makeup was even better than the best professionals could accomplish. All her natural beauty was brought out in abundance.

Sis had quietly listened when Audrey started singing and then wondered what it was for. Audrey’s voice was so captivating and beautiful. It was impossible to do anything but listen when she sang even when the words were nothing she could understand. “What was that for?”

I noticed the boys had turned goggle eyed as they stared at my sister. “Your makeup has been repaired. It is magical makeup and won’t smear or wear off. The catch is when you get tired of it you need to ask me to remove it. Sorry sis, some of the magic I’m using can’t be changed or altered by others.”

Sis turned the car mirror so she could see herself. “OH GOD! I need to learn that spell. That is so amazing. None of the girls are half as good at makeup. That is just so…, unbelievable. I must learn that spell.”

“We better get the ice and drinks. We have been gone long enough they probably decided to eat pizza without us.” I slid out of the van.

In the store everyone was staring at Sandy as we gathered up the goodies. One young woman closed in. “Excuse me Miss, have you done any modeling, acting, theater or movies?”

“Uh, no, nothing more than school plays.” Sandy was trying to understand why the lady asked?

“I thought someone with your beauty would already be snatched up by some talent agent. What’s your name? Do you live around here?”

“Sandy Rider, and yes I live here. Why do you ask?”

“My name is Gale Dawill, I’m from Los Angeles. I’m here visiting some friends. I’m a talent scout for Apache Properties. I’d love for you to come out to our studio for a screen test.”

“That’s a long way to go for a job interview. I don’t suppose your company up fronts any money for these screen tests?”

“No, afraid not. They put a lot of money into studio, equipment, labor, and other things for each person they test. All the potential actresses and actors are thrilled to be standing in front of movie cameras for an hour.”

Sandy looked at the woman wondering how many hopefuls made that trip thinking it was their big break for a chance at the movies? “Ms. Darwill, I’m not interested in traveling all that way for a job interview no matter what it might be. Now if you’ll excuse us, my sister and I are supposed to be bringing the ice and drinks to our own party.”

Gale held out a business card. “If you change your mind, my number is on the card.”

Sandy took the business card as a courtesy instead of telling the woman she was not interested.

The pizza had been delivered by the time Sis and I returned with the ice and drinks, When we walked into the kitchen heads started turning as everyone noticed Sandy. Trying her best to ignore everyone staring, Sis put the ice in the kitchen sink. She turned around. “Who wants ice in their cup?”

No one responded as Illana walked over and put her hand close to Sandy’s face. “Magic. There is enough magic glamour pushed into the makeup to…,”

She turned and looked at me. “I feel this is your doing. Audrey, I’m no longer surprised at what you are capable of. You need to be very very careful. Sandy is a pretty girl. You turned her into the Helen of Troy whose beauty launched a thousand ships.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I was supposed to practice?”

“Yes hon, however none of what you have done so far is low level or beginner’s magic. This…,” She pointed at Sandy, “Is four or six level magic although I’d call it a ten on the quality you did. There are levels within levels. I’ve seen some girls get their face really messed up by those who thought they could handle makeup at this level. In some cases it took days and weeks for the health practitioners to get the girls faces resembling something other than a hideous beast.”

As the pizza was devoured by all the time was closing in on six o’clock and that dreaded scheduled fight with the basketball guys who seemed to hate me. I had an idea. I quietly headed to my bedroom. Fifteen minutes later I came back into the living room where everyone had congregated after eating pizza.

Everyone turned to stare at me. Shla the hardest. She slowly closed her eyes and opened them again. What she was looking at was still there. “That is an interesting choice of what to wear to a no holds bared fight.”

“If the boys are going to hand my unhuh to me, why not? You ready to go?”

Everyone headed for the door. I swear Illana was laughing as she walked beside Janet. “Our daughter is a very entertaining and interesting young lady. I have no idea what she has planned. I wouldn’t miss this for all the chocolate in the world.”

Janet took another look at Audrey. “I hope she doesn’t get hurt. Audrey has never said anything but Sandy has been telling me some of the things the boys have been doing to her over the years. I’ve sent letters to the schools hoping they would stop the abuse. It didn’t seem to help. I’m ashamed to say I never went to the schools and filed a complaint in person.”

Illana reached over and took Janet by the arm. “What is in the past is done. It can’t be changed. Don’t regret what we didn’t do. Look at what we might do to rectify the problem now.”

Janet laughed. “Like turning the Super and Principle along with the school board into toads.”

Illana laughed along with Janet. “That sounds like a plan except I’m not able to cast that spell. If you can then be my guest.”

Janet’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “I can’t cast it either but I think I’ll work on it.”

Illana shook her head. “Be real careful with any spells you aren’t proficient with. They can go horribly wrong if not done perfectly. Those around you while you’re trying could be caught up in the spell unintentionally. If you don’t understand what you did, you won’t be able to remove it.”

Janet got serious as they reached the van. “Since you gifted Audrey, all of us could use some lessons and practice from those who are learned in the arts.”

Illana and Janet got in the back seats where they could carry on a conversation, leaving Kevin up front to drive. The others got in their own cars while Sandy, Shla, and me got in her van.

The parking lot at the gym was overflowing along with vehicles parked up and down the street. It looked like the whole Junior High along with the High School had shown up. Probably pulled in a few kids from other schools also. Sandy pulled up in front and stopped. “Get out. I saw a church parking lot a couple blocks down. I’ll park down there if there any spaces left.”

“Nothing doing, Sis. I’m not letting you walk back alone. The makeup I placed on you is still there and you’re a magnet for attention. Some of that attention is from the worst kind of animals who are two legged.”

Sandy looked in the rear view mirror as Shla and I were both in the back seat. “And you’re going to protect me? Who is going to protect you?”

I nodded toward Shla. “Meet our bodyguard. The girl could wrestle a six hundred pound grizzly and come out on top.”

Shla grinned. “Well not quite true but I’ll take that as a compliment. Maybe a three hundred pound grizzly.”

True to her word, Sandy found an empty spot in the church parking lot although the parking spaces here were pretty well taken up also. As we got out, Shla gave me a second look. “You’re serious about going in like that?”

“Dead serious. Which is what I’ll probably be by the time this is over. Come on, let’s go. We are late already.”

There were others who had parked in the same lot still leaving their vehicles. Most of them were staring at my sister. Even if she wasn’t looking back at them she could sense them staring. She glanced in my direction. “Your help on my makeup was much appreciated. It was fun for awhile but.”

“But?” I knew what she wanted to tell me. “It’s wearing kind of thin now as the novelty has worn off. Sis get use to it because sooner rather than later, the attention you draw will be your natural beauty. Your natural beauty will be just as eye catching as you are now.”

Sandy hesitated. “Audrey, are you looking at the future again?”

“Sis, I can’t control it. It comes at me as unexpectedly as it does to those around me. To answer your question, yes I saw you a year or less from now. You are a very beautiful woman, no longer a young girl but a young woman. All the magic you start handling changed you. I’m proud of you, Sis. You, mom, dad have always been what I wished I could be.”

Sandy leaned over and pulled her sister into a hug as tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. “Oh Audrey, I’m so sorry for the way I have treated you. You never retaliated against any of the times I told you to butt out when I had girlfriends over. Looking back it breaks my heart to know and understand now how much you wanted to be with us girls.”

Pulling Sandy in, I squeezed her tight. “I understood, Sis. A little brother at an all girl party is an embarrassment. I don’t hold these things against you, when it was impossible for you to understand. Believe this with all your heart and soul, I love you and nothing will ever change that.”

Sandy pulled back and wiped her eyes. “You aren’t my little brother. Looking back, you never were, you were always my little sister. I don’t know why mom and me couldn’t see it at the time.” She wiped her eyes again. “I guess I smeared my makeup. Do I look like a raccoon now?”

That caused me to smile. “Sis, the makeup is magic. It doesn’t smear nor run. It looks as fresh now as it did when it was created over a couple hours ago. The only thing is when you kiss a guy you won’t leave lipstick on his lips nor his shirt. That can be amended if you like.”

Sis looked amazed. “You can create transferable makeup? My god Audrey, you’re so amazing in understanding how all this works. I hope one day I’m a tenth as good as you.”

“You’re going to be one of the best in your own right. Remember, Illana dumped a full load of her magic and knowledge into me. She gave me a cheaters head start.”

Shla closed her eyes and shook her head. “Audrey, I hate to burst your bubble. What you are doing with magic did not come from Illana. All those women you met earlier are over a thousand years old and they haven’t a clue where you’re pulling all this up from. None of us do. All of us are trying to figure out where and how you’re pulling all this understanding of what you’re doing. It’s the same with those flashes of the future you keep telling us. I’ve been with and trained by some of the best and personally girl, you frighten me a little. There is magic flowing around you none of us have ever seen or experienced.”

People were getting close enough to hear our conversation as we got close to the entrance. When we got to the door a couple guys were charging admission. I didn’t bring any money with me. I knew Shla didn’t. Sandy stepped up front. “Why are you charging people to get in? This is neither an advertised nor sponsored event.”

That got their attention. “Are you talking about the kids contest? That may be so, the thing is if anyone gets hurt, which they will, this is an open contest event. Someone always gets hurt. Someone has to pay the medical which the contestants usually don’t have coverage for even though they claim they do.”

“Does that mean you charge the contestants to get in also? If they don’t show up, you’d need to refund all the money you collected.”

“Well, no, we don’t charge the contestants. If you’re going to claim you’re a contestant I ain’t buying it.”

Sandy pointed to Shla and then me. “These two girls are contestants.”

Both men laughed as the one who had been doing all the talking gave us a hard look. “Nice try lady but I ain’t buying that one either. Now pay up or get out of road, you are blocking the door.”

I stepped up beside Sis. “Would you believe my sister if Shla bounced your butt out into the street? We are contestants. I’m Audrey Rider and this is my friend Shla De Costa. We agreed to meet the Lakewood Basketball team in the ring or cage or whatever you call it. If you don’t let us in you’re going to have to refund everyone’s money.”

The two guys stopped everyone from entering as they both stared at Shla and me. The first one found his voice again. “That story is good enough to get you ladies in. Go ahead and enjoy the show.”

The place was pretty well packed as we walked in. For the first time I saw what we were supposed to be fighting. It was an area in the center with a wire cage enclosing it. Looking at Sis I nodded toward the cage. “I guess that is it. Mom and dad might be in here. You can sit by them if you find them or I guess you can stand by outside the cage. I see most of the basketball players are outside. I guess they decided the whole team whipping two girls was a little over kill.”

Sis pulled me in and hugged me. “Audrey, don’t do this.”

Her desire and fear for me gave me strength. “No, it ends here and now tonight one way or another.” Pushing back I headed for the cage where four boys were inside.

Shla took Sandy’s hand. “There are only four of them inside. If that is the number they decided was going to kick our asses, they made a terrible error in judgment. I won’t let anyone touch her and four are not even a challenge.”

“Shla…,” Sandy shook her head and wiped at tears. “Keep her safe, please.”

When I walked into the cage all of the boys stared and then started laughing. “You think wearing a dress is going to keep us from kicking you girls butts?”

Shla had walked in behind me. I held out my arm to keep her from stepping in front of me. “I don’t know how this is supposed to work. Do they ring a bell or shout go, or what?”

Jimmy, the tallest one stuck out his chest. “The announcer gives out the names of who is fighting whom and then they sound a buzzer. This isn’t wrestling or boxing, there are no breaks. It is over when one side is too beat up to get up.”

“Or dead.” Michael tossed into the conversation. “They have given us free reign in here and anything goes. And what you are wearing isn’t going to stop me from beating you into a puddle in the middle of the floor.”

“I see. Beating up a girl proves you are a big brave man? Okay, bring it on. I’m not going to fight you, any of you. I want the whole world to see what all of you have been doing for the past several years. Abusing me anyway you could because you knew you didn’t have to fear detention or getting kicked out of school.”

All of them looked kind of stunned. Even the ones outside the cage. “You got to fight. That’s what you agreed to.”

“No, I didn’t agree to anything. Shla said we would meet you in some arena. I’m here, you’re here so why wait.” I held out my arms. “Look, you can beat me up, kick me, slug me, push my face into the wire, kick me in the ribs and stomp on my stomach, arms, and legs while I’m down. It hasn’t stopped you before because I didn’t offer to fight back. What’s stopping you now?”

They were looking at each other in confusion trying to decide what to do. The boy was wearing a dress and heels and…, there was no doubt everyone in the audience would think they had attacked a girl. A girl who wasn’t going to fight back.

“You bastard! When we get back to school I’m going to kick your ass so hard you won’t be able to come back to school…, ever.” Jimmy was glaring at me.

“Jimmy, all of you are the biggest cowards there ever were. You won’t do all that now because you don’t want anyone to see how big, tough, macho all of you are. You aren’t brave enough to prove to everyone you’ve been beating up a girl. Instead you’ll wait until it is only you guys and me alone in a hallway, bathroom or locker room? Or maybe you’ll do it as you corner me leaving school? Does that mean you won’t fight me here in front of all these people?”

Jimmy closed in and gave me a real hard push in the chest shoving me back against the wire cage. “FIGHT ME YOU BASTARD!”

I didn’t answer as I waited. Shla was about to go postal. “NO! This is my fight. I want everyone to see how these big tough boys are able to beat up a defenseless girl.”

Jimmy closed in and slugged me in the face half spinning me around. “FIGHT ME!”

Those outside closest to me could see a busted lip and blood trickling down my chin. One of the girls jumped up out of her seat. “Leave her alone you asshole. You proved your point. You can beat up girls. I bet your daddy is so proud of you.”

“SHE’S NOT A GIRL!” Jimmy realized his mistake but it was too late. He called Audrey a she, a female. He tried to clear it up. “This is a boy dressing up as a girl. Why can’t all of you people see that?”

“OH! And that gives you the right to beat her up by claiming she’s a boy. You’re one sick bastard and so are all your buddies. Is this the same girl your coach saw wearing an Eagle cheerleaders uniform and decided to beat her to death? Damn, that whole fucking school is nothing but a bunch of ball less pricks.”

“THIS IS A BOY!” My back was to him but that didn’t stop him. He grabbed the back of my dress and ripped it off flinging it toward the other side of the cage.

I wasn’t wearing a bra and only thong panties. My breast had been filling out ever since Illana visited me in the hospital. I had bigger breasts than any of the other girls in my grade. If I was on a beach and the panties were part of a bikini that much would be acceptable. I put my hands on my breasts to hide them as much as possible.

The only thing those closest to me could see was a girl whose face was bleeding and had her dress ripped off by some sick pervert. A pervert who ran with a gang of perverts as the whole basketball team was now painted with the same brush.

“YOU SICK BASTARD! I KNOW THERE ARE RULES TO THIS STUPID FIGHT WHERE EVERYONE GIVES UP ALL THEIR RIGHTS! THE POLICE BETTER KEEP A RECORD OF ALL THE NAMES OF ALL YOU PERVERTS. I HOPE THEY PULL ALL OF YOU IN ANYTIME A GIRL SNEEZES. ALL OF YOU ARE SICK SEX DEVIENTS.” The girl was clutching the wire, her eyes blazing.

I was positive if she had been inside she would have attacked the boys.

Someone passed a robe in through the door. Shla took it and put it around my shoulders. “Audrey, that was brave and stupid beyond belief. Now it’s my turn. I pulled the robe around me as Shla stepped off to the side.

She looked around at the crowd and held her arms up in the air. “Is it alright if I take out a little of my frustration on these…, animals?”

“YOU GO GIRL!” Someone called from up in the top tier of seats.

She looked at the boys and smiled. “I believe the agreement was Audrey and I would meet as many of you as you wish inside this cage. Do any of your buddies want to join in or is that asking too much?”

Jimmy smiled. “You’re willing to fight? You’re not going to run like that freak?”

“Kid, I was right here. Audrey most certainly is not a freak and she didn’t run. You proved what a macho asshole you were by slugging her and ripping her dress off. I probably ought to warn you and your buddies, I’m not as forgiving as she is. There will be some broken body parts before I leave this evening.”

“Yeah, all yours.” Jimmy looked at the others. “I get her first while she’s still fresh. If there is anything left one of you can take your turn.”

This was too easy. He ran at her swinging a round house right intending to turn out her lights first thing. Shla went down horizontal on her left side, her legs coiled up as Jimmy had committed himself. Her feet connected with Jimmy’s ankles. I was positive I heard a snap as Jimmy’s feet went left and his body fell right. His round house right resulted in his right arm being in the wrong position to stop his fall. His head bounced on the floor as he hit hard his right side. I was positive I heard another snap. He had a broken leg and a broken arm, although he didn’t know it. He was out cold after hitting his head.

The other three were too shocked to instantly attack. Shla was back on her feet in less than a heartbeat. All three charged. Shla met them before they had even taken two steps. The one on her left, she grabbed his right arm and used it as a pivot swinging herself around behind the boys. She was horizontal, her legs coiled again as she let loose on the one in the middle. He went sailing across the cage where he face planted into the wire. The one she used as a pivot flung to the side and into the wire.

The third one stopped and turned intending to stomp Shla while she was on the floor after kicking Arnie into the wire. While he was bringing his foot up and down to stomp her she had back flipped onto her feet. As his right foot stomped the floor where she should have been she did a full spin pivot on the ball of her left foot and planted a solid kick with her right foot in his face. He fell over backwards.

I knew his nose would need to be aligned and his jaw wired back in place.

The fight was over in less than seven seconds after Jimmy launched his attack. The two who had met the wire at high speed, needed nose, cheekbone, possible chin stabilized. Both were sitting on the floor not yet realizing how bad of shape they were in as the pain factor hadn’t kicked in yet. They were finished.

Shla put her arm around my waist. “Come on Angel. We’re finished in here.”

Some of the others in the basketball team were moving toward the door from the outside as Shla and I walked toward it. Shla steered me over to the side of the cage. “Wait here for a few seconds.”

She looked at the six who were headed our way. “Guys, no fighting outside the cage as no one is covered in a hold harmless clause and insurance won’t pay for damages of life or material. You need to step inside the cage if you truly believe all six of you are enough to get the job done.”

They hesitated outside the door. They could only get in two at a time which didn’t seem like a good idea. The girl had taken out four of their own. Three who were now crying in pain as the pain receptors kicked in from the damage that had been done. Jimmy was lucky he was still out cold. All six realized the little girl inside the cage, with all the muscles, was more than some sissy gymnast. Not a single one wanted to be the first to step inside.

A look of disgust crossed Shla’s face. “Guys if you aren’t coming in then Audrey and I are coming out. If any of you decide to attack us it will be self defense if I accidentally kill you. I probably ought to warn you, I’m terribly accident prone.”

They probably never logically figured it out but their basic survival instinct covered it. If that girl wasn’t afraid of stepping out into the middle of six boys, she was not someone to trifle with. As one, they started backing up.

Shla nodded in agreement. “Not very brave but really smart. However, after the four are removed from the cage, if all of you want to go in and challenge me, I’d be happy to oblige you…,” Her smile held a predator’s look. “If you still want to beat up a poor defenseless little girl, that is.”

Eugene shook his head. This girl was anything but defenseless. He had watched a few martial arts fights on TV and had even gone to a few classes himself. As good as those he had seen fight were, he didn’t think any of them could match this girl. The muscles the girl had didn’t all come from gym, provided she was even in gym. If the others got into the cage with her it, was their own fault for being stupid. They couldn’t drag him into that cage if that girl was in there.

Most in the crowd didn’t know whether to be pleased or demand their money back. After that one boy slugged and then yanked the dress off one girl, the fight which really wasn’t a fight was over if one blinked. Besides, anyone could see that much flesh by going out to any beach on Sunday. Although most everyone was thinking nothing that shapely ever showed up on the beach. The girl had seriously dangerous curves.

The speakers came on. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you will hold your seats our regular contests will resume after the boys are removed from the cage. I’m positive you will be delighted to see our first match is Hammer going up against Speed. Both men have won several regional tournaments. They are serious competitors.”

By that time, Shla and I had reached the entrance as we were leaving. The two guys were still there. The one to my left looked me over. “She isn’t much of a fighter but she sure is hell in looks.” He grinned as Shla looked questionably at him. He pointed at a TV in the booth behind him. “They pump the fights out on closed circuit TV. Pays more than what we collect from people wanting to see the fights in person. We also hear everything anyone says inside the cage as parabolic microphones are in use by our teams.”

He gave a slight shake of his head as he focused in on the girl with the bleeding lip. “If you’re that girl that coach tried to kill a couple weeks back? Lady, you’ve got bigger balls and more courage than anyone I’ve ever met. You were more than brave to get into the cage with a bunch of testosterone driven animals who wanted to finish the job.”

“Ladies, when you filled out the hold harmless paperwork to get into the cage, you gave us your address. A CD of the fight will be mailed to each of you. The fighters use them as training aids to figure out what they did wrong or right.”

He pointed at me. “I don’t think you will be reviewing it for that reason. I could be wrong but I doubt I’ll ever see you back in the cage again.”

He pointed at Shla. “Funny but I get the feeling you don’t need a review. Lady, that was some of the finest take down I’ve ever seen in my life. Working here I’ve seen a lot. The payout for advertised fights is ten thousand. The finals the winner gets two hundred thousand. Would you be interested in coming back again in a sanctioned match? Provided we could find some idiot brave enough to get in the cage with you?”

Shla smiled sweetly. “Who wouldn’t want to get in the cage with cute cuddly little me?”

Both men blinked and then started laughing. I took Shla’s arm and was pulling her out the door. “We’re blocking traffic. I wonder if Sandy has made it back to the van yet?”

“She’s your sister, can’t you sense where she’s at? Some siblings can although not that common.”

“I…, I never tried. How do I do that?”

“Seriously Audrey, I haven’t a clue. Hon, you are way out in Faerie Land ahead of all the rest of us in your gifts. I figured it would come naturally to you like so many other spells have.”

Shla gave me a serious look. “Speaking of spells. Why didn’t you lay a forget spell on the boys instead of refusing to fight them? What do you think you achieved?”

“Think anyone still believes those boys haven’t been bullying me for several years? Or possibly anyone else they wish to bully? Will everyone wonder why the school staff has been letting this go on? Think anyone will let this get whitewashed and shoved back into the closet? Jimmy as well as confessed he had been attacking me because I don’t fit the boy mold. Those guys back there said the whole thing went out over the air. Our governor is going to get an earful from a lot of sources. Our education department is going to feel the heat for not getting on top of this before it became a public embarrassment.”

I winked at Shla. “I hope you had fun in there because I bet they never ever let a boy fight a girl in any of those matches again. They don’t want to see a boy beating on a girl who refuses to fight because he’s bigger, badder, and meaner. It will give all males a bad image no one wants. Instead of big strong males being the protectors of the fairer sex they are the ones brutalizing them.”

“Shla, this has been a win win for us and a beginning nightmare for every bully in every school in this state and possibly beyond. The State Board of Education is going to go through every school with a fine tooth comb making sure no one is being bullied whether they are a boy or a girl.”

Shla stepped up in front, turned around, and was walking backwards as she stared at me. “You let him strip you naked.”

“Yes, to get the results. I wasn’t totally naked though.”

“Don’t start splitting hairs. As a girl you were naked. That little piece of fabric you had covering your…, didn’t leave anything to the imagination. What if he had killed you?”

“It still would have been worth it if giving up my life saved others from being bullied and terrorized until they no longer can stand it any more. Then it usually comes to a really bad solution as the kid they bullied finds a gun or they kill themselves. Bullying and terrorism is the same thing. Only when it’s kids they call it bullying so it doesn’t sound so bad.”

We had reached the van and Sandy wasn’t there. Shla looked around. “How long do you think it will be before she shows up?”

“Why ask me? I haven’t got a clue. She might even be waiting on us back there.”

Shla took another look to make sure no one was watching. “Can you teleport us back to your house?”

“NO! I haven’t any idea how that works and I do NOT want to end up with three heads.”

“Three heads? That would be a new one no one has managed to make happen…, yet.”

“Well if it could happen, I’m sure I’d be the one with the three heads. Illana and Vetra are the only two I have seen teleport.”

“You’ve seen Vetra?” Shla looked surprised.

“Sure. She and Illana visited me a couple times in the hospital. They thought I was asleep. Well, I was but I wasn’t. Even when I’m asleep I still see and hear everything going on in the room or in the house.”

“Are you doing an OBE?”

“What’s an OBE?”

“Out of Body Experience. You’re asleep but your can astral project to anyplace you want and see everything just as if you were there in the flesh.”

“So that’s a different kind of teleporting?”

“Kinda except your body is left behind not projected to another place. Only your ability to sense and see is projected to another place.”

“No, I don’t think that is what I do when I sleep. I just sense and see everything around me not some place different than where I’m sleeping. Illana is probably still in the gym. Why don’t we call Vetra and ask for a lift?”

Shla was looking google eyed at Audrey. “Hon, one doesn’t ring up a goddess and ask for a lift. It is best if one keeps a time and distance from them. They do have tempers and have no problem changing people and faeries into toads or worse.”

I focused on a very beautiful woman in a beautiful teal colored dress, standing behind Shla. “Vetra, would you change us into toads if I asked for a lift back to the house?”

“Of course not, Sweetie.” Came from behind Shla.

Shla jumped forward, spun and took up a defensive before she froze. Threatening a goddess did not lead to a long life. She dropped to a knee. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Vetra. Please forgive me.”

Vetra giggled. “Shla, were you not charged with the duty of protecting our young Audrey?”

“Yes, your highness.” Shla bowed her head. “I am sorry I did not do more before the boy approached her.”

Vetra reached out with her right hand, put it under Shla’s chin. “Stand Mighty Warrior for you have done nothing wrong. Did not Audrey command you to not interfere?”

Command? I told her no but no way could be construed as a command…, could it?

“She did, your highness.”

“When you turned to attack me before you knew who it was, were you not protecting Audrey?”

“I would protect her with my life, your highness.”

“Then you have nothing to be sorry about. Now about that trip to ‘the house’.”

There was a mist and I was looking at big, beautiful, log wood house in a glen in tall towering trees. There were animals of all kinds around us and birds singing in the trees. Larger birds were in the grass making warbling sounds. The robe I had been wearing was replaced with a soft, sleeveless, brown dress cut daringly low across the bust, a hem four inches above the knees. “Vetra, you made a wrong turn. This isn’t my house.”

“I know. You asked for a lift to ‘the house’. You didn’t specify which house. This is my home.”

A black panther walked up and started sniffing me as she looked me over. I started scratching her behind the ears, under her neck, and along her broad chest. “Hey thee beautiful, what’s your name? Mine’s Aethelthryth Rachelle Rider. Everyone calls me Audrey.”

Cougars, bobcats, a lion, wolves, a badger, along with deer, rabbits, and other animals started closing in. A Cardinal landed on one shoulder while a Bobwhite landed on the other as more birds settled on the backs of the animals or landed in the grass.

Shla backed up beside Vetra. “I’ve never seen such a thing. What are they doing?”

Vetra smiled as she watched the gathering before them with Audrey in the center. “They are welcoming the Princess to her new roll as protector of all life.”

“Audrey!” Shla had to cough that one out.

“Yes, our Audrey. We all wondered where she was…,”

Audrey started singing in that beautiful lilting voice she possessed. She smiled and the world became brighter as she began walking and gently touching all those who had gathered around her.

The world became silent except for one beautiful voice as the young girl shared love, compassion, a desire to protect and fight for the life of all who were not able to fight for themselves.

Vetra’s smile got even wider. Audrey had now embraced her Rachel., protector of others who could not defend themselves. There was no doubt the fight in the cage had ignited that part of her soul and her magic.

It was over fifteen minutes later before Aethelthryth stopped singing. All the birds began chirping or tweeting their own songs, the large and small cats were purring. All the animals and birds were adding their own to the harmonious symphony. Audrey held out her arms and looked at all around her. “Your voices are so beautiful. I wish I could sing as beautifully as any of you.”

“Come, let’s leave her alone with those she loves and those who love her back.” Vetra took Shla’s hand and led her into the house. “Were you paying attention when Audrey was attacked today?”

Shla hesitated. “She told me to not interfere.”

“We have been over that already. You were right to not interfere. I find no fault with what you did or didn’t do. I’m asking because I wanted you to understand what she was doing.”

“She was taunting the boys so they would attack her. Yet she refused to fight them. She explained it to me afterwards. I thought it was a stupid way to fight or not fight. Encouraging someone to beat one up and then not defend one’s self doesn’t seem too bright to me. The problem is, Audrey is anything but stupid.”

“Were you paying attention when the boy ripped Audrey’s dress off?”

“uh…,” Shla didn’t know how to respond. Obviously there was more to this than she suspected.

“Think, Shla. What was unusual about that whole scene?”

Things were quiet as Shla replayed the whole thing back in her mind. She looked at Vetra, her eyes two egg whites. “It ripped off too easily. When the boy grabbed the dress and pulled, Audrey should have been yanked back onto the floor. No cloth material rips that easily.”

Vetra nodded in agreement. “I believe our young Princess has a lot more going on than any of us suspect. I don’t know if she planned it all in advance or if she adapted as it happened. Think about what she told you afterwards. A forget spell would only stop the boys picking on her. What she did will have repercussions for every school. Rachel is a protector of those who can’t protect themselves.”

“Can’t you see what skills and powers she possesses?”

Vetra laughed. “Hon, I’m a goddess. Even we have limited abilities and gifts. What Audrey has been doing has caught the attention of all the gods and many are not happy. Even for the abilities of a Faerie, she is showing too much skill in using and handling magic. Most of which Illana never gifted her with. If you’re thinking I gifted her with magic, think again. The magic of gods and Faerie magic is not the same thing. She isn’t using our kind of magic.”

“She isn’t using Faerie magic either.” Shla shook her head.

“I think she is. I feel she is using ancient Faerie magic long lost or forgotten.”

“How can that be? Our stories and records go back millions of years as yours must.”

“And before that?”

“There can’t be any before that…, can there?”

Vetra laughed again. “How would anyone know if there are no records going back that far? All of us believe there was a beginning. Again think, what was before the beginning? None of us happened to spring up out of nowhere. I don’t think. Audrey is pushing the impossible in all directions so what we believe is probably wrong in every respect.”

“What should we do?”

“Watch and learn. Illana and I asked you to be Audrey’s bodyguard. Do you want to keep doing that or would you like to go back to the Faerie Realm and the idyllic life you had.”

Shla smiled as she gave it some thought. “Aethelthryth has been an interesting challenge from the first moment I met her. I’m not sure she needs a bodyguard. I’d like to stay if possible.”

“Oh you can bet your barrel of nectar she is going to need a bodyguard. Those who would attack a young, innocent looking, beautiful looking girl like her always have second thoughts when there are two instead of one. There is evil out there which set all those against Audrey long before she became gifted. Illana and I have been searching for those who planned against her, without any luck. We believe they were hoping to destroy her before she found herself. They would have succeeded if the secretary hadn’t stopped coach Walker from beating her to death. How and why they found and focused in on Audrey before Illana gifted her is a mystery we will not let go unsolved. Yes, she most definitely needs a bodyguard. Beware, you may pay with your life by being close to her.”

“Audrey told me after the fight she would give her life if necessary to stop the bullying in schools. Someone like her who has such kindness and compassion in her soul deserves to be protected. With my dying breath if need be.”

Vetra laid her hand on Shla’s shoulder. “Then I gift you with the ability to talk to me or request my help no matter where you may be. For I also promised a goddesses wrath upon those who would harm her.”

Shla dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “Your Highness, I do not deserve your gift. If it will help protect Audrey than I accept with an open heart.”

“Rise Brave Warrior, for the path ahead will most likely be wrought with danger. I wish you well on this path you have accepted.”

As I walked into the house, Vetra and Shla were both smiling and looking at me. “What?” I looked down to see if the dress I was wearing was torn or dirty? Was my face dirty?