Abracadabra

Jack is a young wizard looking to finally complete his disappearing act but at what cost?

 “Abracadabra!” I slowly walked towards my mothers mirror and hoped for the best, however there I was, 5’1, short brown hair, same hazel eyes. Nothing had changed, I let out a sigh of great disappointment. I faintly hear the front door shut close and rush to hide all of my potions and enchantments. My parents don’t know that I am a wizard, they wouldn’t understand.

 My father is a very busy game developer that means I get all the cool games before they’re even out and even get to play all day with my dad while my mother is a top chef and makes the best spaghetti! We’re really the best family ever like one of those kind that you see in a post card, or the ones that come with the picture frame.

The shrilling sounds of a woman’s scream fills the entire house. I rush to my room with my bag of incantations and lock myself in. They weren’t supposed to be here so early.The loud noises then move closer to my door, to the point where there’s banging on the other side so that I would open it. I close my eyes and start saying my incantations so that the monster would go away. It was mid in the after noon when everything went black. The monsters had won.

 The next morning I woke up with no recognition of what had happened yesterday, the most I remember is me failing the disappearing act and then later on everything going black. School would be starting soon, so I quickly changed into a fresh pair of clothing and just as I was leaving the room I noticed the blood sprawled across my sheets, and the fresh bruises around my face specifically my lip and nose. I was already running late but I had to get rid of this. Mother didn’t like it whenever I didn’t clean my room, and this was no exception.

 No one asked about the bruises at school, its not the first time I go to school with bruises and everyone has just gotten used to it. I guess I’m just really clumsy. School passes by like a blur, the dull voices of the teachers explaining echo in my head. I only have one real friend here, his name is Tim. Unlike me, Tim is a normal human. He’s only been to my house once, his mother never lets him come over. Last time he was there the monsters came, and even though I made him hide under the bed and protected him by giving myself up. His mother still won’t ever let him go again, which is fine because I can go to his house and there are no monsters there.

“Jack!” Tim runs towards me.
 “It didn’t work...” Tim looks at me funny, trying to recall what it was I was talking about.
 “The disappearing act, it didn’t work.” I repeated.
 “Oh...I’m sorry.” I could tell he felt uncomfortable by it, he never understood my magic.
  “What I wanted to tell you was that my mom said you could come and sleepover today!” I really like sleeping over Tim’s house, his mom is always super nice and we get to eat brownies as a treat.
  “Great, I just have to stop by my house and get a few things then.” Tim’s house was just a few blocks away from mine.

  When I arrived to my house both my parents cars were gone, I would leave a note for them to read later. I started to pack the essentials, toothbrush, underwear, pajamas and my book of magic with a few potions and enchantments to show Tim. He is still doubting of my power. I leave a small magical guard dog in the door of my room to make sure the monsters don’t go in.

  I grab my bike and take off towards Tim’s house, while riding I see the water tower being encircled by grayish clouds. It suddenly hits me, the reason why my disappearing act never worked was because it wasn’t under the direct moonlight on a full moon! I start peddling faster towards Tim’s house excited by this great new discovery.

 I soon pull up to his house, white picket fence, blue shutters and a red door. I’m greeted by Tim’s mother, a tall, elegant woman with gentle blue eyes.

  “Jack what happened to your face!” She exclaims as she takes a look upon last nights incident.
   “I..slipped.” She isn’t convinced but that’s the only explanation that I can give her. She leads me inside to the kitchen while Tim comes downstairs.
   “Jack I want you to know that you’re always welcomed here, if things in your house ever get too rough just come here okay?” She looks at me with a worried face.
   “Thank you Mrs.Jones, but why would things in my house ever get too rough? I slipped while running down the stairs. My parents both love me with all their hearts, even when they make mistakes...” I look at her and I can see this isn’t what she expected.
    “Of course.” She sighs.

   Then as if by clockwork Tim walks in the kitchen looking curiously at his mother, he too could tell the worried look on her face.

   “Is everything okay?” Tim asks
   “Yes dear, nothing to worry about here, I was just telling Jack if he ever needed a place to stay he was always welcomed here.”
   “Oh okay then. Jack lets go upstairs I want to show you something!” Tim and I both run upstairs.

I carefully place my bag on top of the spare bed in Tim’s room. His room is a lot bigger than mine, he has almost every toy imaginable, even though his dad doesn’t live with them anymore his mom works extra hard to make sure Tim has everything he needs or wants. Tim then pulled out two red pieces of fabric.

“I was thinking we could make our own capes, like the ones superman and batman have you know?” I did know, but I would never be superman or batman, I was a wizard.
“Yeah, I could make mine look like the ones magicians and wizards wear!” Tim gives me a funny look, but I just stick out my tongue at him and laugh.

   Once we finished our capes, we wore them all day playing pretend. He was superman and needed help with defeating one of the bad guys so he came to me for help, the most powerful wizard alive who could destroy anyone with just one look!

 By the time we finished playing pretend, Mrs.Jones was calling us to dinner. We were having roast beef and mashed potatoes. I loved eating here, there was always so much food. You’d think that with my mom being a cook and all she would actually cook more often. We each talked about our day and made simple small talk. I was so hungry I ended up having a second plate of food.

 Tim and I after eating went up to our secret tree house, no one but us was ever allowed up there. It was the perfect time to tell him about my discovery. I told him everything, about how the reason why I could never disappear was because I never did it under the full moon.

“The next full moon is tomorrow night.” Tim says.
 “I know that is why I cannot waste time, tomorrow when I go home I have to get everything ready if I want to make it in time.”
“Make in time for what?”
“I’m going to do it on top of the water tower, since its so high up and close to the moon it will definitely work, the power will be increased by double!” I start to get excited with just the mere thought, I cannot contain my excitement any longer.
 “Jack what about your parents...they won’t let you leave.” At the mention of my parents Tim looks down and avoids my face.
 “My parents will be busy with other things, dad has to review that game and mom is working at the restaurant.” I say proudly. Nothing can go wrong.
 “Jack...Why do you always say that your mom and dad are a game reviewer and a top chef?” Now he looks up at me.
 “Because they are silly.”
 “Your dad hasn’t reviewed a single game since the accident and your mom can’t even cook.” I remain frozen with fear. The thought of the monsters start creeping in my brain. I didn’t want to think about that and Tim could see it in my face. We both ended up sleeping early, but the damage was done I couldn't help but think about that day, the accident.

  There was an accident once, the same way that I once had a sister. Her name was Lily, she was 3 and I was 6 at the time. My parents had gone out to buy a cake that day, it was her birthday. I was practicing my magic tricks, while Lily was with the sitter outside by the pool playing. Out of nowhere the babysitter leaves to take a call and tells me to watch Lily. I started to play hide and seek with her, when suddenly a car passes by and I can’t hear anything because of the engine. I waited for what seemed forever, when suddenly I heard a scream. I slowly came out from behind the bushes to see Amy, the sitter crying over something wet. It was Lily. She had slipped and bumped her head on the concrete and had fallen into the pool, there was blood everywhere, Lily’s golden curls were tinged with the scarlet blood. My parents came home that day and everything changed or better said they changed.
   The days passed by when one day...one day that would have been Lily’s fourth birthday the monsters came into my house. Mom started drinking that day and blamed me for what had happened, she never loved me the same way since then. And dad, the worst monster of all took over him, he just snapped that day. Never had I before been beaten by my father until that day. Things kept getting worse, what used to be a loving family was now filled with monsters. I read once that if a wizard can achieve the disappearing act then he can do anything. Even destroy the monsters inside his parents.

 The next morning I woke up before Tim and everyone else in the house, I slowly crept out of the room, leaving Tim a note.

     Dear Tim,
             By the time you read this I’ll be gone. I need to finish this, I need to achieve the power given from the moon and do the disappearing act. I have to destroy the monsters in my parents. You won’t see me for a while because when I disappear I will have to learn all the hidden magic spells and secrets in the shadow world, that’s the place where all things that have disappeared go to, but don’t worry I’ll be back before you know it. Thank your mom for everything and tell her again that my parents do love me.
     Sincerely, Jack

I walked in my house expecting both of my parents to be asleep. Just as I was closing the door my mother appeared behind me furious.

  “Where the f**k have you been! Your father has been looking for you! Because of you he gave me this!” She showed me the bruise around her eye.
  “I left a note. I was at Tim’s house.” She didn’t care.
  “I don’t want you ever going there again you hear! Now where the hell did you put all my vodka and pills? I know its you who has been taking them all into your room doing god knows what!”
   “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I have to stay firm, this isn’t my mother but one of the monsters.
  “Then I’m sure your father will, lets go ask him. Steven! I found Jack!” She starts to yell my dads name while going up the stairs and pulling me by the hair.

 My dad is in my room, going through all of my secret spell books. I quickly throw myself at him but he just knocks me down with a single push.

 “What the hell is all this junk? Do you see this Martha? Our kid thinks he’s some sort of wizard, as if he would ever be special enough!” Both of the monsters start laughing hysterically. I fight hard in not letting a single tear fall. 
 “Steven, Jack says he hasn’t seen my medications or the vodka. He is lying and I know it! And I don’t want no liars in my family.” My father turns to me with a vicious look in his eyes.  

 “Is this so Jack? Why don’t you be a nice boy and give that junkie/alcoholic her precious things back, and avoid me having to punish you.” My mother gives my dad an awful look but remains quiet she knows if she speaks now he will punish her and not me.

 I stay silent, the monster then picks up my bag and takes out one of my spell books and begins to rip the pages out one by one.

“Still not going to talk?”  He continues ripping until there are none, then takes one of my potions, sniffs it and throws it against the wall causing the glass to break into a million tiny pieces.

“I know where all the vodka has been going now and probably your pills too! This little s**t has been wasting it in all in this piece of crap!”

  He picks up a shard of glass, bringing it up close to my face. He presses it against my cheek, I feel it slowly puncturing my skin, once it was in he pulls it down slowly, with every movement a burning sensation spreads itself through my body. The blood from the violent gash on my cheek trickles down my face, tiny drops of blood fall on my shirt. Everything begins to feel hot.

 He starts beating me, slapping my face not caring that there is an open wound on my cheek. I begin to see feel myself fading in the background. I close my eyes, feeling tiny tears form, hoping it will all end soon.

 I wake up to find myself in a pool of my own blood. I drag myself slowly to the mirror, the gash on my cheek is starting to form a crust of blood, my lip is swollen and so is my nose. I have new bruises across my body. I walk to the bathroom and begin to clean myself up. Making sure to disinfect each wound. It was then soon time to go to the water tower. I packed the things I would need in my bag and left a note in my room for my parents. Luckily enough I still had one potion left to help with the disappearing act.

 I had to walk to the water tower because it would hurt too much to peddle. I slowly climbed up the ladder, already feeling the power of the full moon take over me. Once up there, you could see everything! It was beautiful. I took out the last potion from my bag, drinking it in one whole. I took a few deep breaths, calming myself and focusing all my power. I then spread my arms like a bird and jumped. At the top of my lungs I yelled  “Abracadabra!”

 For a brief second it felt as if I were flying, everything just started to disappear all of my thoughts and worries, and soon enough I myself began to fade, by the time I hit the floor there was nothing there.

Reviews

[nightriter]

It was a sad story. All the time, I was hoping that it ends with a happy ending, but I knew it was not going to happen :)
However, it was quite well written and I really enjoyed it.

[Marie]

At first I thought it was just a children's story about magic. THen the undertones began to creep in, and I was reading it on a deeper level. Yet you so captivated me with the idea that I hoped up till the very last the monsters really could be destroyed. Good job.