Lightning Strike Part 3

Dad was specific about how he was raised. He and Grandfather were meticulous on his schooling. Not only did he attend a top-notch private boys’ school full of humans, but during the breaks his time was full of Magical History, Magical Talents, Magical Balance, Magical Elemental Skills, Magical Herbs, and anything related to Magical Creatures one could fathom. He was the only person alive who had a childhood that consisted of only learning. Not that it didn’t pay off. He’d gained a full ride to Magical/Human World College, the top-notch college in the world. Upon exiting, he held a position in the Magical/Human Revelation World. Or he did. Who knew where he’d be in a few minutes thanks to his Dad? The job he worked hard to gain over the last three years might be washed down the drain before he got a month into it.

“Do as you were told by me, boy. I taught you long before I left this world. Listen to what I taught you, no one else and you will do find.”

The voice came to life from the depths of his mind, creating shivers across his arms. His father, not dad, but biological father, who along with his mother, and three other siblings had been wiped out by the Orgs when he was eight. The man he referred to as Dad and Grandfather had been his nanny and his father’s right-hand man. The fateful night his family met their demise his father ran into the room with his grandfather and ordered his grandfather to get him and his dad out. The next thing Jeffery knew he'd been shuffled into a dark, musky-smelling secret passageway behind his iron-posted headboard. He never saw his birth family again. He knew his grandfather went back for them after stashing him and his dad at some safe house on the outskirts of the family land that was tucked some miles deep in the woods. Upon his return Jeffery’s grandfather told his dad in hushed tones and where he thought Jeffery couldn’t hear that the Orgs left only bits and pieces behind. His dad’s response had been Orgs and their damn axes all be to the Elemental Pits of Effery Cove. Jeffery knew even back then what it meant, he was a child king to a kingdom that no longer existed. The Orgs had been demolishing every kingdom they came across for years upon years, most putting up a fight and causing a hardship on themselves for years before they lost the battle to the Orgs. His father had been no different. Him and the Orgs had been in a constant state of battle for over twelve years, as long as he and his above-him sister had been alive. The two of them knew nothing different than the results of a day’s battle, but they knew their father came home to them each night and read to each of them. Or he read to his four eldest daughters and to his young son, his heir, the future king of the Kingdom of Effery Cove, he taught lessons of what his life would be like. It was those lessons that Jeffery retold himself night after night for the first five years after losing his family. After that time frame, his anger for retribution faded into a desire for a life of his own and he began to work towards that goal since he knew there would be no kingdom for him to rule. No one knew him to be alive and no one knew his true identity.

“It is time they do. Elder Summar knows who you are, son, and he will make sure your position is restored. Now, do as you are told.”

“Fine, young King of Effery Cove. We will do this the hard way.” The old crumpled-looking man snapped his fingers and chains wrapped around his wrist as a man appeared to hover over him.

“Who . . . Where did you come from?”

“I’ll take the Futurity Teller,” he reached behind Jeffery’s back, snatching the foolscap from his hands. “And as for you,” The burly, well-built man who reminded him of how his grandfather looked when they first fled his castle, faced his dad and touched the top of his forehead.

His dad slumped to the side, landing with a thud.

“What did you do? Is he hurt?”

“The Stealer of Life’s Future is perfectly fine, just subdued for travel. He is unlike us.”

“What’d that mean?” Dad was as magical as he was.

Lightning Strikes Part 2

His dad uncurled the paper and held it up in the air, smiling at the paper. “Come stand beside me, Jeffery. Hurry, we don’t need to stay here long.”

He moved so he stood beside his dad, who lowered the paper down to waist height. “You need to study this and remember what it says. It is important to your history and your life. It will save it or . . .” Dad’s hand shook, causing the paper to waver. “This is what we’ve always taught you about your entire life.”

Jeffery rested his hand over the side of his Dad’s and took the paper from him. He stared down at the foolscap wondering where the fancy writing was. He’d been told day after day for ten years by his father and grandfather that their family history was written on some ancient sheet of an unusual-sized piece of paper. He never believed a word of their stories, it all seemed make-believe to him because they held no proof of such paper. Oh, he’d heard of the paper and saw them in books, but why would some Magical Beings family history be written on a foolscap? Dad swore to him only the Old Ones wrote on an 8 X 13 size paper with quill and ink. Okay, that part actually made sense. How else would someone back from George Washington’s time write? He guessed he was lucky and it wasn’t on a clay tablet in picture form. Still, there was nothing on the paper, so what was he supposed to be looking at? From what he’d been taught and what his dad just told him he was supposed to learn his family history and where he came from since the Orgs took out his entire family before his entire fifteenth. Birthday. 

“Can I help you with something, young man?”

Jeffery spun to find a crumbled-in-, on himself, long, whited-haired man leaning against a wooden walking stick that stuck a good foot above his head. A voice he’d not heard in over six years came to mind.

“Elder of Summar, you must kneel, boy. Now!”

Why had his dead father’s voice sprung to life inside his mind? He’d not heard it since the day before the Orgs attacked. It put an intense, deep ache in his bones, but he did as it said, yet he tucked the foolscap behind his back. Whatever his Dad had stolen, Jeffery was sure he wasn’t supposed to have it if his birth father, King Effery of the Effery Cove told him an Elder of the Elemental Gods stood in front of him.

Jeffery clenched the ancient sheet of paper, praying the Elemental God failed to notice how his hands were stashed behind his back. Luck was not on his side. The Elemental God pointed at him and crooked his long, hair-covered dart-tipped-like finger at him.

“Stand and extract the Futurity Teller the Stealer of Life’s Future has taken from its protective case.”

Jeffery took a huge breath and told himself to puzzle through what he’d been told to do by the old fool. Not that he’d even call an Elemental God an old fool to his face. The only paper he. Could extract was the one behind his. Back, which meant it had to be the Futurity Teller. The name itself led Jeffery to believe it had to tell the future of something, but what? And since his father took it from the case, he had to be what the old wisen man referred to as the Stealer of Life’s Future.

What was a Stealer of Life’s Future? Dad would steal nothing. He’d rather cut his hand off than do so. He wore my rear-end out when I stole a candy bar.  What was going on?

Free Write Story - Lighting Strikes

Lighting Strikes

Part 1

Jeffery crept through the hallway, holding his breath. The least bit of sound or air would set off the magical detectors placed around the Historical Sector of the All-American Supernatural Museum. His dad’s mission didn’t seem all that unheard of when they left the house, but the closer. The two of them got the worse the idea seemed. His dad had been in a hell of a lot of trouble lately and never explained what he’d been up to. Jeffery never pressed him for a reason either, nor did he ask for an explanation for this little excursion of theirs. He feared what his father might say. The guy was getting older and forgetful, as hard as that was for them both to admit.

His dad pointed ahead of them, grinning like a loon.

Jeffery’s stomach clinched soon as he took in the large glass case enclosed by felt red ropes like they use in theaters and casinos, as well as, well museums to rope off the secured areas. No way the two of them would get past them without setting off any kind of alarm. And the only thing his father made prevalent before they left is they’d be returning with an item of great value. Guess that should have clued him in on how tight security would be. Stupid him.

He grabbed his father’s shoulder, halting him before he reached out and grabbed the rope. He lifted both eyebrows at him.

He got a shake of the head back in return and his father shook his hold off only to snatch the rope and unhook it from its clip.

Jeffery held his breath, but no blaring filled the room. No flashing lights cut through the air. He all but released a huge breath, but halted before he did. Such an act would have indeed set off an alarm of some kind. Father gave him that warning.

Father snatched his arm and dragged him closer to the glass case, tapping the edges of it. He mimed lifting the lid and setting it aside. Jeffery nodded at his dad and then helped him remove the lid. His dad snatched the item and rolled it up tucking it under his shirt then rushed back the way they came.

They were back outside the museum before Jeffery blinked. His dad walked them over to a well-lit area and extracted the stolen piece of paper.

“What is it, dad?”