PROLOGUE

Massachusetts, Governor Sir William Phips had a secret. He didn’t

know how, he just knew. He knew that witches were not real. And he
also knew that the good people of Salem had no clue. They were
innocent. They had been put on trial for witchcraft. They were tried and
were about to be burned at the stake.
As Governor he knew he was the only one that could stop it. And so here
he was, on his way to Salem, to stop the confused citizens of
Massachusetts. Mr. Phips was a powerful man, and maybe he could use
that power to save the innocent people about to be murdered that day.
But he was not powerful in the way people thought him to be. He had a
power.. The power few possessed that was for the good of mankind. But
it also had to be hidden from those he protected. It’s the burden that
Mr. Phips knew only too well. He had kept his secret hidden his whole
life and would die keeping it if necessary.
CHAPTER ONE
“Umph!”
Haus landed on top of me, all 200 pounds of him. A loud boom shook the
room. The storm outside was now raging now at full force. An
illuminating flash let me see the outline of my massive dog’s face only
inches from my own. “Haus, get off me!” I moaned tiredly. His
quivering form only seemed to move closer. For such big dog, he really
was a wimp when it came to storms. Seeing he hadn’t obeyed, I pushed
back the huge dog till his back paws hit the wooded floor. Although his
front paws remained on me, I could now fully breathe. I patted his huge
head. His thoughts were panic stricken and filled with fear.
Yes that’s right, I said thoughts. I don’t know why, but I can read
people’s minds. And apparently animals, although all that I can hear is
just emotions. Haus is a good dog, except for the occasional thunder
storm crazes. He is also my only friend. I raised him since he was only a
few weeks old. Our old neighbors in Kentucky gave him to us for free.
The mother was our neighbor’s rottweiler, Duchess, and the father is to
this day a mystery. Mr. Jinks, our neighbor, said he saw a huge black
dog leaving the pen where he kept Duchess. He had at first mistook the
massive black dog for a bear. “Biggest dog I’ve ever laid my own two
eyes on!” he’d said when he had handed him to me.
It took me a while to find a name for him, since he was so unique. He
looks like a rottweiler, except for his sheer size and full black coat. But
he got his name soon enough when my mother spilled a whole gallon of
milk on the floor.. She had gone to grab a mop to clean up the milky
mess, only to find that the puppy had beaten her to it. “My Haus.” she’d
said. When I had questioned her about the word ‘Haus’, she told me
that it meant hero in Hungarian. And so from that day on, he was Haus.
Now, sitting on my bed with his gargantuan paws in my lap, the ‘hero’
was cowering. “Come on, Haus,” I said, “lets go get you to your room.”
We didn’t really intend to let Haus have his own room, but we have so
many extra rooms since the move. Haus plopped his front paws on the
wooded floor and waited for me to join him. I hopped out of bed, pulled
on my slippers, and walked to door. I still get lost every time I walk
around in the new house, with all its new hallways and doors. Even my
dad, who has just the about the sharpest memory in my family, walks in
my room from time to time with his newspaper thinking it’s the
bathroom.
Another loud boom got Haus running down the hall towards his room,
with me walking slowly behind him. After a good minute of searching, I
found the door labeled ‘Haus’, and stepped inside. Haus’s mind was no
calmer than it had been before. He went and laid down on his huge
cushion and started shivering in fear. A flash of lightning lighted the
room. The room was originally used as a sitting room, or maybe a
reading room. It wasn’t quite as large as some of the bedrooms, but it
was not closet sized. It was bare apart from Haus’s cushion and small
table in the corner. On the table was a blanket. I had put it there for
nights such as these, when Haus needed some company. I grabbed the
blanket and eased myself down next to Haus on the cushion. He put his
head in my lap, and I ran my hand over his smooth fur. Gradually, his
mind started to calm down, and soon enough, the 200 pound dog was
snoring.
Boom! The house shook and creaked. Haus twitched in his sleep. The
house continued creaking even after the thunder had died down. Well of
course it would creak! The house was built in 1691 after all. That was
probably the only reason we moved into it. You see, my father got a job
at Harvard as a history professor. That’s why we moved from Kentucky.
My mom, who is always traveling anyway because she is a best-selling
travel book author, was ecstatic about moving. It took a while to find a
place to move to, since my dad was looking for something with a little
bit of history to it, but then we found what he labeled, “the perfect
house”. Actually, the house was really named “My Island” by the
Governor who built all those years ago. Anyway, when my dad found
this house, he was thrilled. He quickly offered to buy the house, only to
find that someone else had beat him to it. The real-estate lady was real
nice about it and apologized several times, promising that if things
didn’t go well with the other people, that we’d be the first she called.
But that was unlikely.
But then the unlikely happened. She called. A week later, the real-estate
lady called. And just like that, we moved into 219 Brimmer Street.
Through all of this, my parents didn’t ask for my opinion much. I’m not
a talker, and I prefer to be alone, and my parents respect that. I hadn’t
been devastated by the move, not at all. In fact Hauss’s thoughts had
more anxiety about leaving than I did. I just simply went along, did my
part. Adapted. But if my parents had asked me my opinion, I would
have told them I wanted to stay in Kentucky. I was not attached to any
people there, but I loved the country-styled fields and open blue skies.
Now, here in Salem, I am going to be attending a school for the first
time, since I have been home schooled in my previous years. I already
went this afternoon, since school starts tomorrow, to meet my teachers,
get my schedule, and find my locker. Everything sounded great except
for the ‘meeting the teachers’ part. I just don’t like talking to people.
The teachers were very teacher-like, with their straight backs, beady
eyes, and in some cases, balding hair. My locker number was 202, and it
was on the end of the row of lockers, which means less people to be near.
My schedule was very simple: math; English; science; P.E.; lunch;
history. They said there was a free period in there somewhere, but it
failed to show on the paper.
I didn’t see many people, just a few stuck-up richies, a couple of nerds,
and some jocks. I was about to leave, and that’s when I saw them. A girl,
about five foot in height with dark brown hair and olive skin, and a boy,
about six foot in height with shaggy, blonde hair, tan skin, and broad
shoulders. The boy was towering over the frail-figured girl, taunting
her, teasing her. The girl’s thoughts were racing a mile a minute; she
was very scared. I hadn’t been able to make out the words he used, but
the tone was clearly not pleasant. And neither were his thoughts. That
was all I needed to hear. I had needed to stop it.
Now, see, on any other day I would have just ignored the two, no matter
how uneven the odds are. I’d have just stayed where I was, remain
invisible, and move on. But today was different; it was just something
that had to be stopped.
I had walked right up to the boy and girl, who both looked like they
were about my age, despite the varying heights. I grabbed the boy’s
shoulder. He started to turn his head towards me, and says harshly
“What do you…!” he never did finished. I stared at him right in the
face, into his deep, blue, eyes. And he just stared right back. We both
just stared. His face had contorted then into a playing field of mixed
emotions, all unreadable. His mind was going far too fast for me to even
hope to read. The girl’s mind was filled with relief, but also a whole new
fear. She feared for me. That was a first.
The boy was not in his emotional stupor long. What now played on his
face was shock and confusion. “Who are you?” he’d asked.
I had answered him without skipping a beat, “The name’s Dani Beth
Phips.” I had then put my arm around the small girls shoulder, turned
my head, sending my braid swinging around, and led the confused girl
away.
I did not need to look back to sense that the boy- no the bully- was
staring at me as I made my retreat. His mind was still in turmoil, so I
hadn’t been able to read it then. Well, that had suited me just fine. I
didn’t want to read his mind anyway.
And now, on the floor, dwelling on my horrible day with my Haus’s
heavy head bellowing in my lap, I realize I have to face the girl and the
boy in two days. Great, Dani, just great.
I have made enemies before the school year even started.
I sighed, lifted Haus’s head off my lap, draped the blanket over him,
and made my way back to my room slowly. Wandering through the
creaking halls, I examined what was now my home. It didn’t feel like
home. Kentucky didn’t feel like home either. Where is home? Well,
Dorothy was right about one thing. There’s no place like home. Because
there is no such place.
I found my room after a couple of turns, and crawled into bed, too tired
to care that my slippers were still on my feet. This was only one of the
many sleepless nights I’ve had since we moved here. But if I hurried up
and fell asleep quickly, I could get about four hours of rest.
I nearly slid into oblivion the second my head hit the pillow.
Dream-like thoughts and conversations filled my head.
But one voice, among the other dreamy voices, stood out to me, even
though it was whispering:
“You have been chosen…”
CHAPTER 2
I woke to what sounded like a dying animal.
BEEP BEEP SHREIK! BEEP BEEP SHREIK! No its just my dang
alarm clock. A great start to the last day of summer. Just peachy. I
checked to see what time it was. 12:34. Well, I slept half the day away.
Apparently my alarm clock isn’t working properly. I slipped out of bed
and went to get ready for the day.
My mom and dad were up. I know this because my dad’s thoughts were
on where he last put his car keys while my mom was wondering if she
should have a tuna or ham sandwich. I threw on my favorite gray shirt
with an old pair of jeans and headed down the halls toward the kitchen.
When I entered the kitchen, I found Haus staring very intently at my
mom’s ham sandwich.
“Hey honey. How’d you sleep?” she said. Mom has been asking me that
every morning since the move. Her mom-instincts have been telling her
I haven’t been sleeping well. Either the mom instincts or the black
circles under my eyes.
“Fine. Is there ham left?” I replied as I sat down at the table. “No, but
there is just a bit of tuna left to make a tuna sandwich.” she answered.
Did I mention how much I hate tuna? I scowled at the little can with the
overly happy fish on it. My dad walked into the kitchen. “Has anyone
here seen my car keys? I have to get to Harvard before one.” Dad’s
thoughts were trying to retrace his steps from the time he walked into
the door last night. He knew he had his keys when he walked in, but
after he saw dinner for him in the microwave, he lost track of where he
put them.
“Try looking in your pant’s pocket. You know, the pants you wore
yesterday?” I suggested. Remembrance dawned on his face. “Thank you
Dani!” he turned to my mom, “Do you know where my pants are?” My
mom took a minute to answer. “Oh! There in the washing machine.”
Dad ran in the direction where he thought the laundry room was. By the
time he returned, my mom had a finished tuna sandwich on a plate for
me.
He held up the remains of what was his car keys. “Do you think it will
still work?” he asked. I tried to stifle a laugh. “The key will.” my mom
answered. “At least its clean now.” I said. He frowned and headed out
the door to his car.
“Now I have to walk all the way up to the car to unlock it.” he thought.
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. My mom joined in and we
laughed for a good bit. Men are just so lazy sometimes.
“Well that was an interesting lunch break.” Mom said after a bit.
That confused me a bit. “Wait, you’re on your lunch break?” I asked.
She walked over to the sink and started to wash off her dirty dish from
lunch. “Yes, I had the morning shift at the store today. I get an hour
break and then I have to go back. Becky is sick, and I have to cover her
afternoon shift.” She said.
Apart from writing travel books, my mom works at Go Global
Traveling Agency as her day job. She hadn’t been working there long,
only about a week, so I’m surprised she is on a first name basis with
some of the employees. My mom looked at me sadly. “I hate leaving you
here like this.” She chided. And she really meant that. The only reason
she let me keep Haus was so that I wouldn’t be completely alone all the
time. “Mom, I’m sixteen. I’ll be fine.” I said.
She started to gather her purse and her car keys. “No wild house parties
while I’m gone.” She joked. As if I knew any people that would willingly
talk to me, let alone party. I smiled and played along, “Guess I’ll have to
call all those people to tell them my mom is on to us.”
She laughed and headed for the door. “I’ll be home around nine. Bye.”
“And that tuna sandwich better be finished by the time I get back.” she
thought.
“Don’t worry, it will be gone.” I said, eyeing Haus. Wait a second. Oops.
My mom looked at me real funny for a second. Her hand was on the
doorknob. So close, all she had to do was walk out the door. “What?”
she asked. What to do! I decided to do what I do best. Frame Haus.
“Um, Haus still looked spooked from that thunder storm last night. I
was simply telling him it would be gone. Why do you ask?”
Mom looked doubtful at first, but then thought, “She does talk to that
dog a lot…”
“No reason. I’ll see you later, sweetie.” she finally said. She turned the
doorknob and she walked out the door.
Whew! She bought it. There are reasons why I don’t like to talk much,
and its because my big mouth can get me in big trouble. I turned to
Haus. “Looks like it’s just you and me, boy.” I got up from the table and
was about to leave the kitchen, until I saw what caused the close call this
morning. The tuna sandwich. I walked over to it and rattled the plate.
Haus’s eyes never left the sandwich. I set it on the corner closest to him
and turned away. Haus is smart; he won’t eat anything off the table
unless no one is watching. I heard his big claws click against the kitchen
tile, then stop. I heard a shift of weight and paws thud on the table. And
finally I heard a chewing sound and satisfied thoughts. I turned back
around, and sure enough, the plate was empty of both sandwich and
crumbs. I took the plate and put it in the dishwasher.
Now what? My parents are gone and it’s the last day of summer. I
walked out of the kitchen until I was in our living room. The TV had
been left on, and it was talking about the upcoming 2012 presidential
inauguration. Not one for politics, I switched it off. I glanced around the
room. This is were we have all the other boxes we haven’t unpacked yet.
My mom, being such a neat-freak, had labeled ever single box. There
were three small boxes labeled “attic” that were pushed in a corner.
Well, there is nothing else to do, and I can carry boxes.. So I put two and
two together and went over to inspect them. They were small boxes, so I
could carry them all at once. I grabbed the boxes and started to walk
towards the stairs. The downside about carrying boxes is that if you
stack them up to carry them and you can’t see well. So I made the trip
up the stairs, tripping over every third step I took. By the time I reached
the top of the stairs, I could have sworn that the boxes were full of
rocks.
I walked around the halls, looking for anything that looked like it would
lead to the attic. Haus loped up the stairs and found me, and then took
his usual place at my heals. The boxes were now getting heavier with
every step. I looked at Haus (hard to do with boxes in you arms) and
said, “You could help you know.” He just wagged his tail and pretended
to know what I just said. His dark eyes seemed to laugh.
I turned the corner and saw a rope hanging from the ceiling.. The attic.
I set the boxes down and hopped up and down until I caught the tip of
the rope. I pulled down, and with a loud creak, a set of ladder/steps
greeted me. Now I see why these boxes had been left for someone else to
put up. How do you carry a box full of unknown crap up a ladder? Very
carefully, that’s how. I grabbed the first box and ascended up the ladder.
It was dark, and I couldn’t see a thing. I felt my way to the wall, and set
down the box. I walked around, slowly so I wouldn’t trip over anything
that might be up here.
Something cold and string-like brushed my forehead.. I reached out and
blindly found it. Curious, I gave it a tug, and a naked light bulb
illuminated the attic. The whole interior was made of wood. It was like
being on the inside of a ship or a small abandoned cabin. There was a
very old chair in the corner. At closer inspection, the chair looked like it
might have been bright red, but let’s just say the years haven’t been
very kind to it. Next to the old chair was a small reading table. If the
lighting was any better, this would be an ideal place for me to read!
There were ancient boxes everywhere. Even with the small light, I
couldn’t see everything about the room. And the smell! It smelled as old
as the place looked, with about a pound of dust coating everything. I
walked around, looking in some of the aging boxes. Some boxes had
books in them, some had old cloths, while others were just empty. A
large box caught my eye. It was in the corner, and it was barely visible. I
worked my way around the room, focused on that one box. A stupid idea
when there is stuff everywhere just waiting to trip you.
My foot got caught on what looked like the oldest box in there. I fell
head first onto the hard floor.
THUD!
When my head hit the floor, I saw black and red stars dance
everywhere. Haus, hearing my clumsiness, was barking as loudly as he
could. I tried to call out to him, but between the dust coating my mouth
and the breath getting knocked out of me, I remained silent. I sat on the
floor for a minute and then stood up. I continued on toward the big box.
Extra carefully this time though. When I got to it, I blew the dust of the
top. I place my hand on it and lifted the lid…only to find that all that
was in there was a dead mouse.
Great, I trip and hit my head for a dead rodent? Happy last day of
summer to me!
Disappointed, I walked over to see what I had tripped over. The
contents of the box were flung around it. There were lots of papers, all
elegantly written by hand, and journals. Well this is a cool find! Making
sure there was nothing under me, I sat down next to the box. I picked up
an old journal and flipped through the pages. Most of the ink was faded,
but I was able to make out a few sentences:
“…an evil that must be stopped at all costs…”
“”The citizens of Massachusetts are confused…”
“…the mission is far more….may God help me”
Wow, this guy had an interesting life! I wonder who’s this is? I flipped
through the journal, looking for the owner’s name.. I found a promising
signature on the last page: Sir William Phips.
Phips. He has the same last name as me! Are we distantly related? I
flipped through the journals to see if there was anything that could give
me a clue. I couldn’t find anything, so I set the journal down. As I did, a
small white envelope caught my eye. “What have we here?” I
murmured to myself. The envelope hadn’t been open before, since the
red circular seal was still intact. I picked it up and looked at it.
It was very old; so old that I felt that if I dropped it, the envelope would
shatter into many small pieces. I carefully turned it over. It was
completely blank. Should I open it? Or should I not? For all I know, it
could be report on how crops were doing back in the day. Or worse, a
love letter. But that’s just the thing. I don’t know.
Curiosity killed the cat, I guess.
I fumbled with the seal, trying to get it open without shredding the
paper. But despite my caution, I tore right through to the letter. Oops.
Even more carefully than before, I unfolded the fragile letter.
And nearly dropped it.
“That’s not possible!” I whispered.
It was addressed to me.
CHAPTER 3
“My dearest Dani,…”
I read the line over and over again. It felt like time had stopped. There
was a strange silence, creepy and maddening at the same time. Even
Haus had stopped barking and the house seemed to put off the creaking
for now. It had to be some kind of coincidence. It couldn’t possibly be to
me. I mean, it was written in the late 1600s! It’s not possible!
But it felt possible. If I can read minds, I think it could be possible.
Ok, let’s just think for a second here. The only way I could ever find out
if it is addressed to me is to simply read it. So I forced my widened eyes
to leave the first line, and read,
“My dearest Dani,
You have questions that have been unanswered. There are differences
from you and others. You have a gift, Dani. A powerful gift. I hope that
you will receive this letter as the answers you have been searching for.
Dani, you are a Magician.
You are called to help mankind in some way. That is your mission. Your
mission will be apparent. It will be a passion that you feel you must
complete. And you must.
I do not know exactly what you will accomplish. I only know of you.
When the world is about to go through some of its darkest times, we are
born. Always to our family and always on February 2nd. It is a
Magician’s job to bring light to the darkness. It is not a simple task, I
know from my own past experience.
I do not know who is in control of the hardships to come, but I know
that without your help, things will go very wrong. It is my
understanding that what I did was to save freedom. I guess that
happened after I was gone. I know what I did was impossible without
my gift. Let you instincts guide you, and trust them blindly.
You will not be alone through all of this. You will be meeting someone
new. This person is to be you Guardian. Their mission is very clear. To
keep you safe so that you can finish your mission. You must trust them
with your life, for they will gladly give up theirs.
Dani, you will be finding new abilities. They will come quickly and
naturally. Forget all that you know about magicians. You will never see
a real magician on a stage. A real magician lives by a code and for a
cause much bigger than themselves. It is never about them, but about
the mission.. It is there purpose in life.
By tomorrow, you will know who your Guardian is. Things will not feel
right at first, but you will grow accustomed to them. Remember to trust
your Guardian. This person will have the passion, strength, and skills to
take up the task of protecting you. Let this person into your life.
Dani, this is a secret that you must keep. Don’t give it away to anyone
whose intentions are wicked. For to know this secret without being
endowed with the gift and passions it takes to protect them, could cause
the whole world to parish.”
Signed through love,
Sir William Phips
219 Brimmer Street
Boston, M.A.
October 14th, 1692”
I was dizzy. I felt like I was about to pass out. Breathe, Dani, remember
to breathe. It could be another Dani, right? I folded the letter, even more
carefully than before and slid it into the envelope. Not a simple task
when your hands are shaking.
He couldn’t have been talking to me. It’s not possible. I’m just not
‘Magician’ material. But part of me hoped he was talking to me.
Because either I’m a Magician, or I’m just slowly going in sane. I looked
down at the envelope in my shaking hands. The seal was now broken, its
secrets now revealed. I flipped it over to the back. It was still blank.
Don’t get you hopes up. You’ve read way to many fantasy books. It’s
finally getting to your head. He wasn’t talking to me.
But then the impossible happened.
The blank envelope was no longer blank. On it, in big fancy letters,
words were being written. I watched in awe as it wrote my full name.
Dani Beth Phips
That’s when I had what you would call a ‘wow moment’. I think I
stared at the no-longer-blank-envelope a full ten minutes. Haus, who
had been patiently waiting for me, woke me from my ‘wow’ stupor with
a loud bark. I jumped as the loud bark echoed in the attic. It seems that
Haus’s patience had worn off.
I stood up slowly, my bones making little snapping noises from sitting in
one position for so long, still clutching the envelope. I walked over to the
square hole in the floor and looked down. Haus seemed to be attempting
to find a way up the ladder/steps. When he saw me he literally started
jumping up and down, trying to get up in the attic. I smiled down at
him. “Look who’s laughing now!” I said.
Revenge was so sweet.
After hearing my voice, he decided to try a new tactic. He went all
‘puppy-eyed’ on me. He sat still long enough to look at me and whimper
pathetically like a newborn puppy. Smart dog. He knew I could never
resist the puppy face. I climbed down the ladder even more carefully
than I had with the boxes, clutching the envelope to my chest. He
wagged his tail triumphantly as my feet hit the hard floor. This time I
glared at him.
“Enjoy it now, Haus. One day I will find a way to ignore that face of
yours.” I said. That just made him wag his tail all the more. He shoved
his nose into my hand, wanting me to pet his head.
You just can’t stay mad at a dog forever can you?
I patted his head all the way to my room. When I got there, I started to
look around to see where I could put a 320 year old letter. I examined
possible hiding places. My room was always neat. My bed with the miss-
matched colored comforter with an old tattered blanket was made army
style, with all the sheets and blankets tucked into the mattress. The
dresser was un-cluttered and had a small stack of books to read on top..
The small outdated tv that refused to work no matter what I did sat next
to it, My reading table was barely fitting a small fan, a lamp, a clock,
and a book. But it looked neat the way it was set.
The messiest part of my room was the desk. It had a computer, a large
can of pencils, paper scattered on top, and little speakers for music.
There were drawers full of useless crap. This was probably the best
place to hide the envelope. I walked over to the desk and pulled a
drawer completely out of the desk. In the spot where the desk drawer
had been was a flat surface where the drawer sat when it was unopened.
I placed the envelope there, and put the drawer back in its place. No one
ever takes out a drawer, so the letter should be safe.
Now that the letter was safely hidden, I could actually think about what
it said. Apparently, something big was about to happen. Something very
big. And I had to stop it. You can call me crazy all you want, but after
reading that letter and seeing my name written on the back of the
envelope, as if by an invisible hand, I’m gonna believe every word that it
said. So what was a Magician? What powers are there? When am I
gonna get these powers? Will they help me get an A in math this year?
That would be a miracle in itself!
At least I don’t have to do this on my own. I have a Guardian. Now I
just need to figure out who this Guardian is. The letter said I’d know by
tomorrow. Well that’s good for me, because I prefer quick results. There
is too many questions that are unanswered.
I sighed and sat down at my computer desk. I clicked and found myself
of an internet search page, where I typed in the word ‘magician’. A
bunch of websites came on the screen, and I randomly clicked on the
first one I saw. It had a picture of a tall scrawny dude on stage pulling a
rabbit out of a hat. I didn’t even bother to read anything on the page. I
went back and clicked on another website. This one had stars shooting
out of wand. It didn’t look promising. I decided it was worthless to try
to just look on other people’s websites. I went to an online dictionary
web page and typed in the word ‘magician’ as I had before. There were
two definitions.
The first one said: an entertainer who is skilled in producing illusion by
sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc.; conjurer.
The next one wasn’t any better: a person who is skilled in magic;
sorcerer; witch or wizard.
Well, I’m sure not a witch, that much is sure!
The sound of protesting springs reached my ears. I turned around in my
chair to see that Haus had made himself very comfortable on my bed.
“Haus, how many times do I have to tell you…” I stopped there because
when I turned around, I had gotten a good glance outside my window. It
was already dark. Dang it..
I don’t wear a watch because I hate numbers, so I checked the time at
the bottom of the screen. 8:35. Mom would be home any minute now.
How long was I in that attic? It couldn’t have been that long, could it? I
guess I was starring at the letter a bit more than I thought. Oh, well.
A high pitched whining caught my ears. I turned around for the second
time. My TV was making the noise. Haus’s ears went back. He clearly
didn’t like the high pitched noise as much as I did. I turned away from
Haus and looked at the TV. It was just a fuzzy haze of black and white
specks. I got out of my chair to go investigate. The closer I got, the
better the picture was on the TV. And I know it had nothing to do with
my vision.
The whining had now turned into audible words. It was the news
channel, talking about the 2012 presidential election. The screen was no
longer fuzzy, but had the perfect picture. I was now close enough to
push the off button, but I hadn’t seen who had actually won the election.
A sharply dressed man that looked to be in his late fifties came up to a
podium. The bottom of the screen said that the man’s name was Charles
Vallend. He adjusted the microphone and let his gaze go around him,
posing for cameras and paparazzi. He smiled one more time and spoke
up in the microphone, saying, “I speak to you for the first time today, as
your next president.”
So this was the new guy in charge. I knew he was important because of
the not-so-inconspicuous body guards hovering in the background. But
now that he said it on screen, you can tell he played the part well.
Behind Charles, a group of political-looking people were crowded into
seats. The only sign that showed they were still breathing was when they
nodded. Or in other’s cases, shook their head.
Suddenly, a handsome man who looked to be in his late twenties came
up to the podium and whispered into Charles’s ear. Bit young for
politics isn’t he? Apparently no one else thought so, because Charles
turned to the man and nodded. He continued on with his speech. But the
camera was no longer focused on Charles, but on the handsome guy. I
got a good glance at him before the camera switched back over.
He had a full head of black hair, slicked back. A hard look to pull off
without looking greasy, but with that face, he looked fine. Dark eyes
seemed to match his dark hair. He wore a perfectly tailored suit that
looked like it cost more than my house. He wasn’t scrawny, but he
wasn’t well built either. At the bottom of the screen, the name Edric van
Raphen was being displayed.
You could tell this man was powerful. Just at the first glance. He just
radiated power. I think it was the way he carried himself, with grace
and confidence. Edric was now on his way back to his seat, and the
camera adjusted back to Charles. The speech was still going strong, and
my curiosity over the new leaders had worn out. I reached out and
pressed the ‘off’ button on the TV.
But it wouldn’t turn off.
The button had done absolutely nothing to the picture on the screen. I
pressed it a second time. Nothing. A third time. Zip. I was now getting
frustrated. Well, if your TV wasn’t responding to you, you’d be
frustrated, too.I’d had enough of the I’m-broken-now-I’m-not TV. I
walked around my dresser until I could see the wires and pulled the
plug. The screen went black.
Thank God.
I heard a rustling on the bed behind me. Haus was sitting up with his
head
cocked to the side, listening to something I couldn’t hear. Then he
jumped off the bed, shaking everything on that wasn’t more than his
200 pound bulk, and ran out the door.
Mom was home.
I knew this because of Haus’s behavior and also from my mother’s tired
thoughts. “Dani! I’m home!” she called up the stairway. I got up,
glanced warily at my TV and headed downstairs. When I got to the
bottom of the stairs, the hallway split into two directions. I stupidly took
the left and ended up in the living room. Well, I took the long way, but I
can get to the kitchen if I go through the door on the other side of the
room. I took a step to cross over to the other side.
And the living room TV came on with a high pitched whining.
I looked at the TV. Charles was finally finishing up his speech, and an
old lady in a stiff blue suit stepped up to take the mike. But none of this
concerned me. I just want to know how the TV came on. The remote
was lying on the living room’s coffee table. Glancing around to make
sure that my mom wasn’t coming in, I walked over and picked up the
remote. After a minute of looking for the “off” among the many buttons,
I slowly pressed “off”.
It didn’t turn off. Again. Even after I pressed the button multiple times,
it would switch off.
“Dani, where are you?” my mom yelled from the kitchen. Crap.
“I’ll be there in a minute!” I yelled back. I didn’t want to unplug the
living room TV like I did with the one in my room. This was the TV that
my dad used to watch

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Below is a totally unedited part. Sarah Beth will be editing and
expanding it. She will chose what it looks like later.
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Lights on. What a mess. She had never seen anything as old as the
contents of the box. As she started rearranging the boxed items
she saw something about a man named Phips. Governor Sir William
Phips. Her last name. She being more curious than most sat down
and started reading. She read about how the Governor was smart
and kind. About how he saved so many from the Salem witch trials.
She even read a speech he gave in Salem in 1692 about equality and
how these people were just victims of the fears of the clergy. What
a brave man he was. Was he a relative from the past? And why did
reading about him make her feel almost warm and comfy. She knew
she needed to know more, much more.
That night Dani was getting ready for bed after dinner. Dad do we
have anything on our family history around here? Why he asked ?
Why the sudden curiosity about your family tree ? She told them
about her experience with the box today and about how it felt to
read about Mr Phips. She said she couldn’t think of anything else all
day. Her father asked her if anything else was going on with her ,
anything different ? Her mom was traveling abroad gathering idea’s
for a new book.
Dani began by saying. Dad its like I know things that I shouldn’t
know. And things just work out for me. Its just strange. Other than
not having a lot of friends Dani enjoyed life so much. She always
found what she was looking for ,she had been denied nothing. But
why does she always have in the back of her mind the feeling that
she has a calling ? A purpose unlike her peers. So many whys and not
so many answers. Her dad led her to a very old family Bible. Dani
this has our family tree going back to the middle 1600’s. The ink has
aged from a few older pages and can’t be read. Read it just be very
careful with it. Its very old.
She couldn’t wait to get started. Her favorite thing to do was read
anyway.
Sir Phips sailed to the Caribbean, finding substantial treasure in the
sea in 1687 when he and his ship, the James and Mary, came across
the wreck of the Spanish ship, Conception. The crew took between
205,000 to 210,000 English pounds of treasure, an incredible
amount of money for the day. One tenth was given to the royal
crown and Phips profited by 11,000 pounds, and thus gained a good
amount of fortune and fame in London.
In recognition to his loyalty to the Crown for returning to England
with his booty, Phips was called to Windsor Castle and was knighted
by King James II on June 28, 1687 at the age of 36. This was truly
a remarkable achievement for a young man of no nobility, born in the
backwoods of New England. Phips returned to Boston as New
England's new provost marshal general, a legal position for which he
had no experience. He did not remain in Boston long and returned to
London giving up his post. Before this trip, he befriended the
President of Harvard College, Rev. Increase Mather, and his son the
Rev. Cotton Mather, a relationship that would prove to be politically
helpful.
He commanded military expeditions against the French colonies of
Acadia and Canada. Saving the first light of true freedom. The very
freedom we enjoy today was started by my family Dani mused, What
a legacy. Every free country in the world is free because my great
great great grandfather was brave. I like that, she thought. Reading
some more about Sir Phips .He resided in London, petitioning for the
Massachusetts Charter . When the new charter was granted in
1691, Mather used his influence to nominate Phips to be the first
Royal Governor of the Colony under the new charter. He was a
bigger than life superhero of sorts.
Turning to a blank page she started to go to the next. But at that
very moment words started coming to the page. Strange thing is, it
felt natural to Dani. As if this strange phenomenon happens to
everyone. The first few words caught her eye. “If you can read this
, you have been chosen”. She couldn’t go on from these words for
quite a while. Chosen for what ? Was this a joke ? She continued
down the page. Sir Phips was not just a great man. He was a great
magician. What did that mean ? What exactly is a magician ? The
words Mr Phips wrote were not those of a pious ,famous, braggart.
They were as if her grandfather was writing them directly to her.
As a magician he writes, my last duty to mankind is to write you this
letter. I know so much about you and know that your powers will now
come fully alive in you as this letter will awaken them and a mission
will be born anew. I’m so enjoying my new home. I built it myself. I
named her “MY ISLAND”. As I sit with my desk facing downtown
Boston .A town I helped birth. A town I’m sure will have many
events in the future. I write the most important words I can for
the future of mankind. And I write them for only one person. You.
He wrote
DanI
You are a magician. Your mind has had enough questions about why
you are so different from others that this will be received as
answers rather than mysteries. I know that because that’s what
happened to me. DanI you are called to help mankind in some way. I
do not know your mission I only know you. Every time something is
important to the world that stands a chance of being beaten or
terminated a magician is born. Always to our family and always on
February 2nd. I do not know who is in control of this but I know
without the magician’s help things will go very wrong. Its my
understanding that what I did was to save freedom. I guess it all
happened after I was gone. I know what I did was impossible
without my powers. Let your instincts guide you. Trust them blindly
for they are always right from this point forward. You will meet
someone new. This person will be your guardian. Their mission is
clear. To keep you safe to finish your mission. Trust me. The mission
will be apparent and will be a passion that you feel you must
complete. And you must . The world as you know it depends on you.
DanI you will be finding new powers. They will come quickly and
naturally. Get rid of all you ever thought a magician was. You will
never see a real magician on a stage. A real magician lives by a code
and for a cause much bigger than themselves. Its never about them,
its always about the mission. Its their purpose in life.
DanI we are a family originally from Hungary . We have a long
History. You need to know this because there will be many things
that will make sense when you look at our country of origin. I will
leave those mysteries for you to explore. By tomorrow you will know
who your Guardian is. It will not only feel right but other things will
be proof. Trust this person with your life. This person will have the
passion, strength and skills up to the task of taking care of you. Let
him into your life. It will be an adventure you can’t share with
anyone else. For to know these secrets without being endowed with
the powers and passions it takes to protect them. It could cause the
whole world to parish.

Signed through love,

Sir William Phips
219 Brimmer Street
Boston, MA
October 14th 1692

I do know that Sir Phips was called back to England by the King in
January 16th 1693 . He caught a fever and died February 13th. “A life
well lived ” was engraved on his tomb‘s door.
Thinking about the letter he wrote her. Realizing that he wrote it in
this very house while looking at the city he helped give birth to.
This made her feel so connected. You see her room had the only
view of Boston and her desk sits in the same position, looking at
Boston. Whoever or whatever is in control of these missions must
have a sense of humor. I wonder if 300 years from now someone
who knows they are different and is related to me will sit in this
room and read a letter I wrote to them. I wonder where it all leads.
Well time will tell I suppose.
Waiting for tomorrow will be tough. Powers, the guardian, a new
mission, a passion, the secrets, along with all the changes that
naturally afflict a girl DanI’s age will be overwhelming. But
tomorrow will come and I can’t make it come faster if I tried she
thought. Then again does she want tomorrow to invade her life.
Everything she thought about life has changed and changed forever.
So much for someone like me she said almost out loud. Tomorrow,
yes tomorrow. Try to sleep and wake to tomorrow. Mental overload.
Must rest now.

Up early for school. DanI Thinks about yesterday. Was that real?
I don’t feel different in any way. She gathers up her thing, her
project, and the rest of her homework. Maybe things will start
becoming a bit more clear after today. Maybe my mission will
become known. Who will be my guardian ? Do I know this person ?
Will we get along ? All questions that according to a letter
addressed to me over 300 years ago assured me I’d know today.
DanI was wondering if saying that sounded a little crazy. Just for a
moment she wondered if she could be insane. After all she had all
the tell tale signs. Enough of that, she thought. DanI was excited
about the day ahead. A little apprehensive but mostly excited. How
would today change her life ? Indeed How ?

As she arrived at school in the courtyard just outside she

saw her friend . She came over to Dani and said, thank you
for what you did yesterday. That was very brave. He’s been a
bully for about the last two yearsa. Funny thing is, he was
the nicest boy until then. Something must have happened to
change someone so much. My name it Anji she said. Dani
here, lets compare classes and see if we are in any of the
same ones. Anji how long have you been in this area ? DanI
asked this because it was obvious Anji was from India. She
even had the accent. Anji was very transparent and easy to
read. DanI thought “I guess I’ve made a friend”.

Homeroom was hectic as expected. DanI had never been

in a public school before. Assigned seating seemed a little
childish but she thought why not just go with it. As she took
notes and looked over her schedule for the day she noticed a
class on French. She had studied French before but only for a
few days at home school. Only a few days because it was
very difficult and she asked her mother to change her
language to Spanish. That was quite a bit easier. So French
huh. I’ll see if I can change it to Spanish so I can at least
pass.
DanI’s first class was History. She loved History. Especially
now that she discovered her family was a big part of the
local History. She couldn’t wait to dig in. That hour went fast.
Lots of homework though. We are going to start on the
French Revolutionary War. That will be new. But promised to
be exciting. DanI’s second class was math. Anji was in this
one with her. They set next to each other and chatted a little.
Anji had led a really full life even for someone her age. She
was born in India, lived there for four years until her father
was transferred to China. He’s an aeronautical engineer. And
must be a very smart man. From everything he could tell so
was hi daughter. They moved from China to Japan when she
was eight years old and to Boston at age ten. So she has
been here a little over five years. I could tell we would be
good friends.

As the day moved on DanI was entering her last class.

French,ugh! She was dreading it all day. Tomorrow she would
ask to change it. She sat in the very back hoping to not be
called on to do anything. Just get me out of here she thought
to herself. Great, in walks in the bully from the courtyard.
DanI was confused. He came in staring at her agin. He said
nothing. And she couldn’t tell anything about what was on
his mind. Why was that. Will my guardian have to protect her
from this guy she thought. And what is a caveman like that
doing taking French. She vainly thought that maybe he
wasn’t capable of coherent thoughts. Maybe that’s why I
can’t read what he’s up to. At any rate she could try to dump
this class tomorrow. As her French class went on and on she
was amazed that it was coming so easy for her. That was
new. Is that a power ? Are languages part of being a
magician ? All she knew was she felt she could speak French
any time she wanted. The bell rang and DanI headed
outside. She was a little confused about what didn’t happen
today. She found one of her powers, languages. Not much of
a power she thought but a big help in school.

DanI took her doubts and the day home. Three of her
teachers had given her homework. Why couldn’t math be
one of her powers. She hated math. Her father always said.
DanI math is a science. How can you not like math. There’s
only one answer and that makes it easy. Her father was also
a professor and things like math were second nature to him.
She settled in to do her homework. Ther’s enough here to
last all night she thought. What happened to the day she
thought she would have ? Oh well.

Lucky for DanI the homework only took a couple of hours.

Dinner time at the Phips home was chaotic. Everyone
grabing food and going back to whatever they were doing.
Her father sets at his computer with the plate over to the
side, DanI in front of the tv trying to dodge Haus with her
food. This really had been a long day. But what didn’t happen
concerned her. Was it all real or not ? Did Sir Phips get some
things right and some things wrong ? At any rate it was
bedtime and she was beat. DanI showered and jumped into
bed ready for some well deserved sleep.It was a very long
day.

DanI fell asleep in about a minute. She was in the deepest

sleep she had ever been in. The colors and sounds were so
vivid. She felt like she had past into another world. It was
just her and a shadowy figure following her. To her
amazement the fact that she was followed didn’t bother her
at all. Its like she had no feelings about it either way. All she
knew was she was in a place, maybe another dimension
even . She had never seen such vibrant color and felt such a
clarity that could never be there in the world she lived in. It
was exciting & fun. She felt lighter than air, like she could fly.
She thought to herself, can I just stay and live here ? It was
magical. That’s the only word that worked where she was.
Taking in all the sights, sounds, and even smells so pure she
was far to lost in the moment to notice the shadowy figure
was getting less shadowy and coming into view. It was of all
people, the bully. Why would he invade my most wonderful
dream she queried ? Why is he here ? As he came towards
her their eyes were locked on each other as if they could see
each others souls. For DanI this was a very new sensation.
Not scary but surreal . It was a letting go of sorts. What did
this mean ? and why in my most wonderful dream ? She just
couldn’t stop wondering why.

The alarm went off louder than usual . The dream had
ended and the day crashed in on all of DanI’s wonderful
thoughts. That was the strangest dream she had ever had. I
do not have an imagination that good she told herself out
loud. At any rate its time to have breakfast and get ready
for school. The day was just another day to DanI. Everything
was dull when she compared it to the dream. That’s sad she
thought. I don’t want anything dull right now. Oh well off to
school.

The day went on as though it was a carbine copy of the

day before until her third class. Math and sitting next to Anji.
Math was still tough. She wished that could be a power so
much. Sitting next to Anji turned into a real score. She was a
whiz at math and very helpful. She seemed to know math
like I all the sudden knew French DanI noticed. As the bell
rang DanI thanked Anji for her help. How did you get so good
at math she asked. I just came to me. Math is just easy for
me. As DanI went on with her day she thought, how can
math be easy for anyone ? Ugh !

Another day in the books and DanI started heading for the
courtyard to see if Anji wanted to walk with her. Well a voice
said. We should talk. I turned around. The bully. DanI was
impressed that he didn’t sound as stupid as she had
supposed he’d be. And why is that she asked ? He said, my
name is Daniel. She said I’m DanI. Then she said what was
on her mind. Daniel after the way you picked on Anji why do
you think that I would think about having a conversation with
you ? Daniel said quickly. I’ve changed since then. It was two
days ago. That’s a little hard to believe don’t you think. She
grabbed her backpack and headed towards Anji who had just
stepped into the courtyard. He followed closely behind her. I
know who you are DanI . DanI thought for a second, turned
around and said “of course you do I just told you who I am” .
and she walked away again. I was in the dream too. She
froze. What ? DanI things are moving a fast for me . A lot has
happened in two days. She stood there still frozen. I tried to
speak to you in the dream. You were focused on the sights
and sounds but I was focused on you. DanI felt like running
but could not. Did you read an old letter too ? He asked her.
She was speechless. Daniel we need to talk (at least that’s
what her mind was telling her lips to say but nothing came
out). DanI turned and ran away very confused and not sure
what had just happened.

DanI walked into her home saying nothing to anyone.

Rocked by the events that happened today. Is Daniel a part
of all this ? Is he my guardian ? Why ? What just happened ?
DanI was still so confused. She looked at her homework and
dug in. She wanted to lose herself in it for a while. It took her
the rest of the night till bedtime. Haas jumped up in bed
waiting for lights out. She laid down and drifted. Unlike the
night before her dreams were dark and confusing. Very old
artifacts and thoughts swirling and unmanageable. She did
not like this dream which seemed to last forever.

A loud ringing alarm and DanI set up in bed ready for the
dark dream to be over. Breakfast and off to school again. In
the courtyard was Daniel. He had been waiting for her. She
approached him. Good morning Daniel. Morning DanI. I’m
sorry if I scared you yesterday. I wasn’t scared she said I was
confused. How do you know about the dream ? And why ?
Daniel looked into her eyes and smiled. It was the first time
she had seen him smile. It was a wow moment. Collecting
her thoughts she said. Tell me what happened. He said. I
read a letter addressed to me a long long time ago. I think
that you understand how long ago. It was from a member of
my family in the late 1600’s. It was addressed to me. He
even knew my name. Its all pretty confusing. All I know is I
have been chosen for something that has everything to do
with you. I don’t like any of this but I am compelled to do it. I
said we need to talk because I’d like to know what’s going on
and why it is.

DanI and Daniel sat comparing notes on all the

events that had happened to them in the last few
days. It turns out the guardianship of the
magicians falls only to one family just like the
magicians are only in one family. Daniel said that
he too is waiting on some changes. His letter said
that he would be able to do whatever would need
to do according to the circumstances and loyalty
built through the relationship between guardian
and magician. Now we have to get close DanI
thought to herself. I’m still not sure about this guy
,this guardian someone I do know or trust yet sent
me. But Sir Phips said to trust my instincts
blindly. What if I’m torn between two thoughts ?
What then ?
Daniel asked if they could meet very late at night
somewhere between thei homes. Daniel did not
live in a privileged are like DanI. Instead he lived
in what is known as “The Jects”. That’s slang for
Government Projects or housing. it’s a bunch of
mean streets that never sleep. Gangs ,drugs ,and
crime of every kind. Daniel suggested a spot
closer to her than hum because of the area. He’s
already showing he’s protective of me DanI
thought. She wrote down the address and said
how about midnight. Midnight it is said Daniel. Be
careful and on time he said.

CHAPTER TWO
“The Encounter”
Midnight was coming up. Everyone is asleep and
Haas went to his room like a good boy. DanI
thought about taking him for protection but
thought of Sir Phips words “ trust your instincts
blindly”. She felt secure in her decision to go
without him. Although he was as she called him
“my best friend”. It was 11:35PM and she was
ready to sneak out. She brought her notebook so
she could write some things down if needed. It
was a cool night and clear. When she turned down
the street next to hers it was pitch black and she
was dazzled by the way the stars looked. She was
feeling like a warrior with a purpose and ready to
learn whatever was needed about her calling and
about the mission. She also found herself
wondering about Daniel. He spoke of the letter
and all that had happened recently but was
noticeably silent on anything else about him ,his
family ,or his past. She wondered why. She was
only about seven blocks from the place they were
to meet. They would meet at the payphones at a
convenience store just off the main road. What a
quiet clear night. The stars somehow reminded
her of that dream where she almost floated in
beautiful colors so clear and exciting. DanI was
lost in thought as she hustled to make it to the
store on time like Daniel said.
Are you lost sweets ? DanI heard from out of the
darkness. Who was there ? It definitely wasn’t
Daniels voice and she was still two blocks from
the meeting place and the presumed safety of her
guardian although she now could see three
figures in the dark. Three men of unknown intent.
She was scared. And DanI was not used to being
afraid. They had the street blocked in front of her.
DanI knew she was too far from the store for
Daniel to hear her scream. The guy that spoke
first came closer. He reached out and touched her
face. Why don’t you stay and play a little while.
DanI said I’m a minor and I’m meeting someone !
The same man looked at her while grabbing her
jacket and pulling her close. Did I ask you for an
ID sweets ? DanI repeated “I’m meeting someone”
! We will deal with them when they get here. Right
now your in my neighborhood so you’ll do as your
told. The guy stunk of cigarettes and booze. DanI
knew that this was a street gang and she was in
more danger than she’d ever been in. She was
almost speechless with fear. She begged them to
let her go. One of them grabbed the back of her
hair from behind and threw her to the ground. I’m
going to have some fun sweets, as a matter of fact
we all will. Even you sweets.
It seemed like everything was moving in slow
motion the men were taking their shirts off and
kicking her a little. Are we going to have trouble
out of you sweets ? Do you like trouble a voice
from the dark bushy corner. The men stopped and
turned towards the voice. Who are you ? Get out
of here ,go on before you get worse. Find your
own entertainment. We found ours. Softly the
voice came again. What if you are my
entertainment ? It was Daniel. DanI could hardly
believe the young man she had befriended had
stepped into this situation for her. He was smaller
than any of them and outnumbered three to one.
What was he planning ? DanI thought. She started
to get up and the loudest one pulled a gun and
dared Daniel to move. What happened next was
nothing short of amazing. Daniel moved faster
that he could be seen. Disarming the one and
hitting all three with such force they were
knocked off their feet. One went about three feet
in the air before landing in a clump beside the
road. Daniel where did you come from ? How did
you know I was in trouble ? Daniel walked over to
help her gather her things and stared at her again.
I felt your fear . It was overwhelming. I’ve never
felt anything like it before and hope I never have
to again. It was something from inside you to me.
I can’t explain it DanI. I just can’t.
For the next three hours they walked and talked.
Daniel was still not talking about anything that
happened to him before the letter. DanI just
couldn’t help but wonder why. He didn’t seem like
someone with anything to hide. I’ll respect his
silence for now thought DanI. She truly could see
him as a guardian for the first time. He was a real
life hero to her. Her trust in him was growing. The
encounter with three evil men on a dark street did
that. DanI deep inside was thankful for having him
in her life. I’m not ready to replace Haus with him
yet she thought.

The sun seemed to come up way to early. It was an

entruder in DanI’s room. I don’t want to get up. But I
hear Mom and Dad moving around downstairs. Time for
breakfast and then off to school again. She headed
down the stairs to the kitchen. Her father always fixed
her breakfast for her. He still cooked like a Kentuckian
not like a Harvard professor .

Good morning DanI. Her father said. How many eggs ?

Three dad as always. What’s going on today ? I hears
you guys talking about something tragic ,DanI said. Well
there seems to be some very bad things going on in the
world today. The head of NWU (New World Union) ,Sir
Edrick Von Burroughs is trying to have every country on
one currency. It would void part of our Constitution and
bring our standard of living down. Dad none of that
seems possible. We have a government that would stop
that immediately. After all we are America. One day DanI
you will have eyes to see some things for what they are
not what you are taught to think.

It was time to walk to school. I hope I can walk with

Anji, DanI thought to herself. DanI’s father did not trust
the government and questioned everything they did. He
believed that a few elite men ran everything behind the
scene. How plausible was that…DanI and her mom just
let him rant when he wanted to. He was surprised when
the NWU was formed ,especially with 90% funding from
the USA. I never gave it much thought but he thought
about it enough for all of us DanI mused.

Anji was just coming out as DanI was passing her

home. Great timing girl, said Anji. They walked and
talked. Anji, what do you know about Daniel ? DanI he
used to be the nicest boy, we were good friends. A little
over 2 years ago his mom was killed in a robbery at the
bank she worked at. The gunman killed her and injured
two more people. His dad’s never home. He works two
jobs and is gone from daylight to dark so Daniel had to
start taking care of himself. He became an angry young
man, very bitter. I feel sorry for him but he strikes me as
maybe being dangerous now. He’s been in several fights
that should have been avoided.

DanI’s first thought about Daniel’s past was that she

felt sorry for him. She then thought that maybe this was
what was necessary to train him as a guardian. But to
take his mother. Would whoever controls all this have
done that ? Are we the good guys or the bad guys ?
Wow I’ve never thought of that. It bothers me, she
thought. What if ? Well time for home room. School all
day ,every day. Would it never end…..

DanI barged into the house like she was on fire. So

much homework. She felt that it would be impossible to
get it all done. She said hi to Haus who was waiting at
the door when she came in. DanI was his whole world.
She stopped long enough to play with him for a few
minutes and went with him to their fenced in back yard
so he could get some much needed relief. He almost
danced when she came home. They ran around the yard
a little while. I have to do homework boy. Come on . He
went with her to her room. She sat on her bed
surrounded by books and notepads. This will take all
night. When do I get to rest ?

DanI looked at her clock, 10:34. She was beat and

done with her homework. She had a cheese sandwich in
her room for dinner and never stopped doing it. Finally it
was finished. She was too tired to feel any
accomplishment it would have brought her under
normal conditions. But this was far from normal. She
has stayed up with Daniel talking the night before so she
was too sleepy to do anything at the moment. Just
collapse and sleep. That’s exactly what she did.

DanI found herself in a dream like before. So vivid so

multi dimensional ,so more real than the world she lives
in. This time she did not see Daniel and she was lighter
than air. It was as if anything she thought she would do
or have. It was magical. It felt so right to be there. The
colors were almost textured ,they were so different than
the colors in the real world. She could smell the scenery
around her. It was a perfect place. No boundries as if it
went on forever. A place that has no beginning or end.
And DanI felt that she was the same way. She felt infinite
not finite . It was so different. So free. She was light, and
color, and scents, and and and. It could not be
described in human terms. But it was empowering and
restful ,exciting ,and alive. That’s it, everything from
colors to air was just alive and it made her more alive.
What a wonderful place. Just wonderful.

DanI awoke early. It was Saturday morning. The vivid

dreams gave her more energy and strength. More of
everything. She was just so much sharper than usual.
And it felt great. She bounced out of bed. Haus was tail
wagging happy. It was a beautiful morning and she was
going to embrace it with all she had. Shower ,a fast
breakfast ,and out she went. She put a leash on Haus
and away she went. Leaving two sleeping parents at
home. The sun was just coming up and it was a fantastic
sight. DanI didn’t take Haus out walking very often.
People were scared of him. It looked and felt like she
was walking a bear. He loved going for their walks
though. Haus lets go down to the waters edge. We’ll
look for boats coming through. She always loved that.

The water was slapping the breakers loudly. There was

a salt smell to the air. DanI noticed several boats so she
sat on the edge over the breakers and wondered what it
would be like to be on one of them. How grand. Her mind
drifted off in a daydream about the big white ship
coming through. What it must feel like to ride on it by
the edge watching the water being cut by the big ship.
She was lost in thought. The water was slapping on the
side of the big ship. DanI was there. Oh my goodness
she thought. How did this happen ? DanI felt lighter than
air like in the dream. She was floating in air above the
ship in the very spot she was wondering about just
moments before. What was going on ? She looked back
over to the shore and saw her and Haus sitting there.
She was having an out of body episode. That’s new she
said to herself. Not scary just new. She went back to
herself at that moment. What an adventure this is going
to be. What indeed ?

DanI went back up to the attic to see if there was

anything else she could learn about her new life’s
purpose. She wanted to know what to do next. Finding
more would prove to be quite difficult. After three hours
she gave up and went to her room to collect her
thoughts ,maybe even journal a little. It had been a while
since she did.
 DanI began writing ,trying to put into words what
happened by the shore with Haus on that beautiful
morning. “Dream travel “ were the only words that
seemed to fit. So now as her powers began coming in
she knew that they would be designed for her specific
mission. Dream traveling, language learning, the ability
to read a persons thoughts when necessary. All these
were getting interesting. More and more interesting.
Now how do I dream myself somewhere else ?