LJ Idol 9, Week 2: The Missing Stair
Janny’s nose had been stuck in her book since she sat down in the bus to go home. Her parents had installed a keypad lock, so instead of fumbling for keys at the front door, Janny simply transferred her book from right hand to left, without so much as glancing up, so she could punch in the combination, and switched hands again to take off her backpack just inside. She went through the living room, into the kitchen, and to the freezer, dodging furniture and stepping around her little sister’s toys as though she had second sight. She cut open the package of her pocket sandwich with scissors so she wouldn’t need two hands.
When the microwaved dinged, Janny didn’t wait two minutes for her snack to finish cooking; she grabbed it and a paper towel and went back through the living room. She rounded the corner to the staircase, and lifted her foot up to the first step.
A moment later, she tumbled down onto a field of grass.
***
Tel did a quick headcount to make sure no sheep had wandered off while he was intent on his spell. Then he returned his attention to the shimmering square of light before him. He couldn’t make out much beyond it, just dim shapes that didn’t look too different from the boulders dotting the pasture. He waited for something else to happen.
“Stupid Spellmaster thinks I ‘don’t have enough potential to train’,” he said to a passing ewe. “He’ll see. He’ll come back for his stupid spell book, and when he sees what I can cast, he’ll have to take me away from here.”
He watched the portal intently for several minutes, but nothing happened. Tel flung the stolen spellbook on the ground, scowling at a lamb nudging him for attention.
Then he heard a high-pitched “Oof!” and the sound of someone hitting the ground. He turned back toward the portal, but it was gone. In its place was a girl, a little older than Tel, wearing strange clothing and a startled expression.
***
“Where am I?” Janny said, raising herself to a sitting position.
Tel shrugged. “You’re here.”
Janny raised her eyebrows. “Here,” she repeated.
Tel nodded.
“Okaaay. How did I get ‘here’?” Janny picked up her book and frowned, picking at a bent corner of the cover.
Tel grinned. “I summoned you!” he said. He picked the spellbook. “Well, maybe I didn’t summon you. But I made the opening that you came through!”
“Like, with magic?” Janny’s face lit up as she asked, book forgotten again.
“Yup!” replied Tel. “I’m a Spellcrafter! Or at least I would be, if Master Rilta had picked me to train.”
“Do you have a name, Spellcrafter?” Janny asked.
“Telna. Tel for short.”
“I’m Janice. But everyone calls me Janny.”
“Hey,” said Tel, “aren’t you going to ask me how to get home?”
Janny looked at Tel for a long moment. “You said there’s magic here. Why would I want to go home?”
When the microwaved dinged, Janny didn’t wait two minutes for her snack to finish cooking; she grabbed it and a paper towel and went back through the living room. She rounded the corner to the staircase, and lifted her foot up to the first step.
A moment later, she tumbled down onto a field of grass.
***
Tel did a quick headcount to make sure no sheep had wandered off while he was intent on his spell. Then he returned his attention to the shimmering square of light before him. He couldn’t make out much beyond it, just dim shapes that didn’t look too different from the boulders dotting the pasture. He waited for something else to happen.
“Stupid Spellmaster thinks I ‘don’t have enough potential to train’,” he said to a passing ewe. “He’ll see. He’ll come back for his stupid spell book, and when he sees what I can cast, he’ll have to take me away from here.”
He watched the portal intently for several minutes, but nothing happened. Tel flung the stolen spellbook on the ground, scowling at a lamb nudging him for attention.
Then he heard a high-pitched “Oof!” and the sound of someone hitting the ground. He turned back toward the portal, but it was gone. In its place was a girl, a little older than Tel, wearing strange clothing and a startled expression.
***
“Where am I?” Janny said, raising herself to a sitting position.
Tel shrugged. “You’re here.”
Janny raised her eyebrows. “Here,” she repeated.
Tel nodded.
“Okaaay. How did I get ‘here’?” Janny picked up her book and frowned, picking at a bent corner of the cover.
Tel grinned. “I summoned you!” he said. He picked the spellbook. “Well, maybe I didn’t summon you. But I made the opening that you came through!”
“Like, with magic?” Janny’s face lit up as she asked, book forgotten again.
“Yup!” replied Tel. “I’m a Spellcrafter! Or at least I would be, if Master Rilta had picked me to train.”
“Do you have a name, Spellcrafter?” Janny asked.
“Telna. Tel for short.”
“I’m Janice. But everyone calls me Janny.”
“Hey,” said Tel, “aren’t you going to ask me how to get home?”
Janny looked at Tel for a long moment. “You said there’s magic here. Why would I want to go home?”