Magic

• Riley Threlfall, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2013

Sweat crept down her brow irritating her eyes as it passed over it, from the exertion of concentrating of manipulating her physical energy into a small green orb in the palm of her open hand her finger extended outwards and lightly curling towards her palm.

“Concentrate Emily create it in your mind first, then give it a physical form!” A loud booming voice rang in her ears.

Her eyebrows furrowed as the green orb in her palm brightened slightly lighting up the dark room she stood in illuminating an old man that paced around her in a circle. His shoes clacking against the cold ground, before the orb dimmed eclipsing the room in darkness once again, it pulsed a dull green as a vague outline in the air with small wisps of green mist snaking away from it.

“Almost girl, try again this time put more power into it!”

Her face started turning red from the pressure of forcing the power out from within her until like a dam bursting the entire room exploded in green light, the orb in her palm flaring brightly as a large gust of wind erupted from around her pushing the old man back into a stone wall. His black flowing robe pushed against his body while his long grey beard slapped him in the face.

More sweat broke out on her forehead rivulets of the liquid trailing down her skin, her face turning from the absolute concentration she held to keep the orb in check. The orb started to spiral spitting out small misty globs of itself that disappeared before they touched the ground.

The old man looked on in amazement as the orb started to float into the air rising up too almost touch the ceiling of the chamber they were in. It grew in size briefly before suddenly turning in the head of a horse, letting out a neigh. It reared back and shook it’s main small green dust that lightly sparkled falling from it’s hair. And as suddenly as it had appeared it just as soon disappeared into nothing simply vanishing from the air and letting the darkness seep back into the room.

It was eerily quiet until a candle was lit the old man holding it firmly in one hand as he approached Emily. “My girl you have a natural talent that I have never seen before. I will gladly take you as an apprentice” He spoke in a solemn tone of voice with Emily beaming a large smile at him.

“Thanks granddad” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug making him let out a small chuckle as he rested a hand on her back returning the hug.