Excerpts – S.N.Arly

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The cabin had been quiet for a long time. Laura pulled on the dark clothes she’d stuffed under her pillow before going to bed. She pushed aside her blankets and slipped off her bunk. She crouched there, her bare feet sticking to the floor and her shoulder level with her mattress, and listened. Over the pounding of her heart, she could hear the three younger girls breathing, but that was all. She reached under the bed for her shoes and socks, but carried them as she took baby steps toward the door.

She made it to the hallway without bumping into anything. She took a slow breath and tried to relax. She’d never woken anyone up while going to the bathroom. Why was she worried about it now? And why did everything seem so loud? She crept to the couch. Kaveh looked like he was asleep, and she was half tempted to go back to bed and forget about the whole thing. She could say she’d fallen asleep. But then he would think she was a wimp. Besides, how else would she find out what happened at magic camp? As she reached for his shoulder, he rolled over and looked up at her.

The gravel crunched under Laura’s feet as she crossed the road to the old logging trail. Faint shadows of mist clung to the low spots. The trees were spread out, so there was plenty of light, and the area had been logged out in the past, so there were no enormous trees. Her passage startled a Broken Window bird, who crashed and clinked at her as it sought a higher branch. The grass was long and thick, and Laura’s canvas sneakers were quickly soaked.

Before swapping charms yesterday, Laura and Kaveh found a spot in the woods, where they could practice without being seen. He’d said they should practice magic in preparation for school, but it was such a secret she suspected they weren’t supposed to be doing it by themselves. Instead of deterring her, it made their trade more exciting.

Category: Excerpts

Accidental Magic – Sneaking Off – Part 2

Accidental Magic – Sneaking Off – Part 1