Born In Flames

  A clerk appeared from out of her windowed office and beckoned for the next customer. The man in front of us stepped towards the clerk, making us the next in line. I was nauseatingly anxious and ready to get this over with. I had never been good at waiting, and it wasn’t proving helpful at this moment in my life.

  “You’re so close yet so far away,” said Fenn, matching my thoughts and playing with my hair at the ends, weaving them in and around his fingers. He often played with my hair in this manner. It was comforting at times and annoying at others. I leaned back letting him do as he pleased. This was a comforting time.

  A man who looked to be in his mid-twenties with a Guido hairdo and bronzed muscles motioned for the next in line.

  “Let’s go,” I said grabbing Fenn's hand. Now more than ever I would need support.

  The agent smiled at me and recited lines that I'm sure he’s said on more than one occasion.

  “Aloha, welcome to Bank on Third. My name is Joey, how may I help you today?”

  So polite he was, I thought in my Yoda voice.

  The smell of warmed paper and orange blossom cleaners wafted through the air as I handed Joey the key and said, “I’m here to access my security deposit box.”

  “Okay, we can surely do that,” he said, his fingers moving a mile a minute on his keyboard, a skill that I had yet to acquire even in this day of technology.

  “And what's your name, Miss?” he asked, never looking up from the computer.

  “Aurora, Aurora Megalos,” I said, trying my best not to fidget. I slid my ID towards him and waited as he glanced at it. He typed some more, making me spell my last name out loud even though he had my license in front of him. He looked up at me as his fingers stopped their dance.

  “This was set up for you in December of 2000 and hasn’t been touched since, correct?” he asked, handing me back the key. That was the month and year I was dropped off at Mily’s. Fenn and I both looked to each other.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking off the brief moment that I spaced out. “Yes, correct. Umm, do you have a name of who set it up?” I asked, hoping that I didn’t sound suspicious.

  “Actually, yes, one second,” he replied as he went back to typing. “It says here, Soothe, no last name. That’s odd, right?” He looked up at us with a smile.

  “Soothe?” I mouthed to Fenn. He shrugged.

  “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the back room where you can wait for your security deposit box.” He came around the counter and took the lead. Fenn put his arm around my shoulder as we followed, giving me the extra support to face what was up ahead.

  The hall we walked down was very narrow and led to a door that required a card swipe to pass through. Joey took the badge from around his neck, and we soon heard the approving beep as the little light turned green.

  I leaned into Fenn and whispered, “Who do you think Soothe is?”

  He shrugged and said, “Maybe whatever’s in the box will say.”

  The space we now stood in was like a massive closet with three potential doors. Joey unlocked our door with another swipe of his badge. The room itself had to be the size of a broom closet. There was just enough space for two chairs. Fenn and I took a seat as Joey explained that a box would slide through the opening in the wall—a wall covered in poker green velvet. I ran my hands along it, enjoying its textured smoothness.

  “When you’re finished, just push this button and push the box back through the hole, Miss Megalos.” I nodded and he shut the door behind him, leaving us alone.

  “Boy, this just keeps getting crazier by the minute,” Fenn mused. The level of my anxiety had skyrocketed and the muscles in my legs started to quake, making it hard for me to sit still.

  I sighed. “Tell me about it. I just hope this is the beginning of figuring things out,” I replied nervously. A clicking sound caught our attention and then a small door opened up in front of us. Chapter 8

  The Ring

  MOMENTS LATER, A SMALL BOX appeared through the opening. I sort of felt like Alice deep inside Wonderland, only without the rabbit. Maybe Fenn could be my rabbit?

  We both popped upright in our seats. I put the key into the lock and looked over at Fenn in anticipation. The sound of the key clicking through was music to my ears. Fenn leaned in, putting his arm around my chair, and we both held our breath as I slowly opened the lid.

  Another aged piece of parchment with my name on it was the first thing I saw. I lifted it up and found a tri-folded, faded piece of hide. Handling it very carefully so as not to damage it, I was about to open it when I noticed a silver ring on the purple suede at the bottom of the box. The ring caught the overhead light, glinting and sparking my curiosity. “Cool,” said Fenn in a daze, the light reflecting off his eyes.

  My hands shook as I picked the ring up. The stone set inside it was as blue as the infinite sea with specks of white and gold streaking through it. Like seagulls flying above the sun-kissed ocean. Three tiny symbols wrapped around the band: a swirling infinity sign, a five-pointed star, and a crescent moon with a small circle just off the right side.

  “Maybe this is like a family heirloom. I bet we could google this, or maybe even visit the historian in town to see if we can get a time period on it. He’d probably know about this,” Fenn said, taking the ring out of my hands. How was his head already full of ideas? He was the energizer bunny reincarnated.

  “Third of three, protection to the progeny,” he read looking up from the ring. “It’s inscribed on the inside of the ring.”

  “Maybe it’s yours,” I guessed.

  “But this box was set up for you,” he pointed out.

  “Yea but Mr. Creepy said…”

  “I know, I know, just keep it for now until we find out for sure.” Fenn handed the ring back to me as if it were a poisonous snake.

  “Okay.” I grabbed the letter, hoping that it would give me some sort of understanding. I coughed to clear my throat and unfolded it as carefully as I had with the first letter.

  Aurora,

  Of dragon born a conqueror prevails—words of a prophecy set in motion. You shall come to understand soon

  enough.

  The ring I have enclosed will help

  unlock what is deep inside your heart

  and is a source to one of the keys. You will also find a map that will

  guide you to the hidden keys. You must

  find the portal in which you crossed over

  in order to undo the spell that has been

  cast to protect you. The locations will be

  found under the light from the second

  sun.

  Now the hard part—you must choose. For your protection, the keys have been placed in three different locations on this island. If you choose to return home, you will find the scattered pieces using the map.

  There is a catch. The spell will seal the portal off forever should you choose not to pursue the keys. Your time is limited. You have until the coming full moon. Once the portal is shut, it must stay closed. The choice is yours. I trust you will make the best choice for you.

  I'm sorry I cannot explain more. My words are crucial to your fate. As before, I am with you and send my protection.

  May love and protection guide you…

  Just as before, the tiny flame lit up on the corner of the paper and within seconds, had completely ignited, ashes littering my legs.

  “I guess this creates a slight detour from your plan of finding Mr. Creepy. The full moon is like a week away, or maybe less,” said Fenn.

  I frowned.

  “That’s an understatement,” I replied with a sigh. Then I looked at him, realizing something. “Fenn, the letter mentioned you by name. You really are a part of this, like Mr. Creepy said.”

  “I figured as much, considering my strange abilities.” His tone fell flat.

  “And…?” I let hang.

  “And what?”

  “How does that make you feel?”

  He huf
fed. “Well if you must know,” he said in a rush, “then I guess I feel reassured.”

  He avoided my gaze. I’m sure he could feel the smug smile that beamed on my face.

  “Told you,” I declared. I couldn’t help myself.

  His face darkened. “To be honest, I definitely would feel crappy if I wasn’t a part of your life in some aspect.” He looked up at me, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. “So I guess it feels good to know that we can continue on together.”

  “Definitely so. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  We both smiled as I picked up the map, rubbing the texture of the grainy hide, feeling a faint hum of magic.

  “This map is practically unreadable,” I commented as I handed it to Fenn. I leaned over him to point out the problem. “It looks like a treasure map, but the outline of the island is off, like the lines are overlapped or something. Or like the person who drew it was drunk or had unsteady hands.”

  He nodded, turning the map in his hands to see if we were looking at it wrong. No matter the direction he turned it, it still was unreadable. “Why would whoever gave you this letter, give you a map that’s unreadable?” He scratched his head, still turning it every which way.

  I huffed. “We’d probably understand it a little better had Mr. Creepy been able to tell us what he wanted to say,” I said, my tone full of accusations.

  Fenn’s back stiffened. He put the map down on the table, shoulders slouched over in guilt.

  I threw my hands up, shaking my head in dismay. “Maybe he would have explained all of this. I mean, besides following the instructions here, we really have nothing to go off of,” I admitted blatantly.

  He grabbed my hand, his eyes pleading. “I know, Rory. I messed up. But at least we’re back on track, right? We know we have a time limit and we know that we have to use this map to find three keys. It’s a start.” I sighed, knowing he was right. He leaned forward, his tone gentle. “And we can still look for him. This is just like an added bonus or something.” His eyes searched my face, waiting for me to fold.

  “Yeah, I guess so. This is all so much to take in. I think I may be leaning toward your desire to be normal now.” I rubbed my temples in angst.

  “Explain?”

  “I mean, I just feel like there’s something I need to live up to. Like I’m supposed to be doing something with whatever my ‘powers’ are, and I’m severely failing. And now we have this map that we can’t read. I just feel like it’s one step forward, six steps back.”

  His lips turned up as he tucked a fallen strand of hair behind my ear. “Well, before you go into freak-out mode, let’s finish up here. This tiny box of a room is suffocating me.”

  “Sure,” I managed, sounding pitiful.

  Defeat poured out of me as I closed the lid on the box then slid it back through the hole and pushed the button. Fenn rubbed my back in an attempt to soothe my current frustration. It was appreciated.

  I slid the ring on my middle finger and noticed that it fit a little loose. Sighing with discontent, I took the letter and the map and offered Fenn a thankful smile.

  He kept that “I don't know what to say” look on his face as we both stood up. Then he said, “Just remember, we don’t have to make any decisions tonight.” I nodded and followed him out. Chapter 9

  Name Calling is Not Nice

  STEPPING OUTSIDE UNDER THE HAWAIIAN sun, I let out a pent-up breath and watched everything around me. People walked to and fro, in and out of shops, naively going about their lives. And there I stood, confused and oh so doubtful.

  “So matey,” Fenn jested in a pirate voice, “we best be on our treasure hunt.” He laughed and finished with an “ARGGG!!”

  I frowned. “I have to make a decision, Fenn,” I replied, ignoring his joke. “And I don’t know if I should be mad, or sad, or happy, or confused. I just don’t know anymore. I mean I don’t even know what these keys look like and who has hid them. What would you do?”

  He shrugged his shoulders as we started walking back towards our motel. “I don’t know, Rory. I mean, I’d want to know who my parents are and more importantly where my abilities come from. But in the same breath, to live a normal life without any worries, I just don’t know what I’d choose.” He looked over at me. “What if they aren’t what you expected?”

  I shrugged dismissively. “I expect anything with the hand I’ve been dealt so far,” I replied, slumping along the way. “Seriously though, this is so ridiculous. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I’m not sure if I’m crazy or whoever is writing this stuff is crazy!” I could feel the anger brewing within.

  Fenn was trailing behind me, head down as he listened.

  “This is getting weirder and weirder by the minute. Not only do I control fire and you heal at super speed, but we have some crazy guy following us around, speaking of dragons and prophecies, and then this,” I groaned, holding up the letter, “this comes and adds another iron to the fire.”

  “Aurora,” I heard faintly, but I was too far in my vent to stop and ask Fenn what he wanted.

  “Not to mention that we have to figure out who Soothe is. What kind of a name is Soothe anyway?” I looked back at him. He kept quiet. “And,” I indicated with a finger, “and now we have to go on a hunt with a map that’s practically unreadable and we have to find these hidden objects within the week or making a choice won’t even matter. Pinch me, Fenn, please, because I must be sleeping.”

  “Aurora,” I heard again, as soft as a whisper. Well if he’s going to whisper to cut me off then whatever, I thought.

  My hands were flying at this point. I was spewing my every thought, determined to rid myself of this confusion. “I mean come on…who gives someone a map and tells them they have until the next full moon to find everything? No pressure, right?” I sneered.

  I heard Fenn chuckle behind me.

  I groaned and continued, “I just wish someone would give me some sort of answer. Like someone would help me out a little bit and not make this so complicat-”

  “Aurora,” my name came again, interrupting me mid-thought.

  I quickly spun around. “WHAT?!”

  Fenn’s brow furrowed as he innocently replied, “What?”

  “What do you mean ‘what?’ You’ve called my name like three times now, and I’m trying to vent to you to find some sort of peace of mind. What? What is so important?”

  He started laughing. “I never called your name, Rory,” he said sincerely.

  “Okay then who-” I began.

  “Aurora,” the voice called again. This time it was a distinct female’s voice.

  “You had to have heard that, it was plain as day,” I insisted, glancing around.

  His brows knit in confusion. “Rory, really, I don’t hear a thing,” he tried to assure me.

  “Aurora, come,” the voice commanded. I turned in the direction it came from. No one was there. “Aurora,” it said a bit louder.

  “Someone’s messing with me, Fenn. Are you in on this?” I started walking in the direction the voice came from, not waiting for his answer.

  “Aurora, come here,” it said again. I glanced back at Fenn, eyebrows up, asking if he heard it yet. He shook his head no. I let out a stifled moan.

  “Yes, come here, Aurora.” The voice got louder in my head. It was an older woman’s voice, a stern sounding voice.

  Fenn was jogging to match my pace. “Rory, seriously, I don’t hear anything. Are you absolutely positive it’s your name?” I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to him, putting my finger in his face.

  “Do not call me a liar. Someone is calling my name, okay? If you don’t hear it, well I’m so sorry. Maybe you need to get your ears checked with as loud as you blast your I-Pod.”

  He was dumbfounded.

  I turned from him and continued on my quest. I was going to find that voice and ring her neck.

  We passed shop after shop, my name coming quicker and more prominent until we reached the end of the s
idewalk.

  “Almost here, Aurora, I have something for you,” she teased once more. I knew where it was coming from now. The light-pink, wooden house was in plain sight, and although no one was on the porch, I knew that was where the voice wanted me to be. It was pulling me towards it, urging me on.

  Crossing the street, we paused in the middle to let a car go past, and then ran across, stopping in front of the grungy, blue steps to glance up at the illuminated sign on the front of the building.

  “Really, Rory, Madam Pomphry’s Palm Reading? You could have just said ‘Hey Fenn, why don’t we go check out a psychic?’ You don’t have to pretend to hear voices.” He was laughing now, so sure of himself. I let my elbow fly backwards right into his stomach. “Hey,” he exhaled sharply, his laugh ending abruptly.

  “I thought this place was on the market,” I commented, whispering. “I didn’t know someone had opened up a new business.”

  “You want to check out the new business? That’s your excuse?” he snickered.

  I rolled my eyes and started up the creaking steps. As soon as my foot touched the first step, the sound of my name swarmed my mind. “Aurora, Aurora, come…yes, Aurora, Aurora, AURORA!” it yelled. My hands went to my ears defensively, but the voice didn’t disappear.

  I reached out and touched the brass doorknob. Instantly, the door opened and an older woman appeared in my direct line of sight.

  “Hello, Aurora, we finally meet.”

  The voices ended.

  Chapter 10

  Psychics are for Believers Only THE HOUSE WAS MADE OF weathered, pinkpaneled wood. In the front window a neon light hung in the shape of a hand. All five purple fingers lit up separately, creating the illusion that they were moving. Next to it sat an OPEN sign in red, blinking rapidly.

  Typical, I thought cynically.

  “Come in,” the woman summoned, stepping out of the way for Fenn and me. I looked back to him and then at her. Her face seemed to tense at the sight of him. When she looked at me, the tension left, replaced by a stern smile.

  Weirdo, I thought to myself.

  We followed her into a dimly lit room, a majestic energy pulsing through the air. Black and white pictures of women adorned the sparkling gold walls. Some of the photos looked old enough to have been taken when they had to use a light bulb every time they took a picture. Scarves hung over the deep scarlet and exotic purple lamps stationed throughout the room. She had Victorian style furniture—love seats with floral print outlined in mahogany wood and a chaise lounge sitting underneath a window with a black silk curtain.