Night Owl

Chapter 7 - The Box of Rigspul

Chapter Seven

The Box of Rigspul

I had always been told our move to Piper Street, far away from Madison, was because my father had been offered a better job. Father told me we needed to move, see new things, new places. When Mother knew I was listening, she acted as if it were a wonderful and new adventure. I may have been only three at the time, but I remember a different scenario.

I remember her crying and Father being solemn as he hugged everyone good-bye. And after talking to Nash and Mina about that day long ago, I now know, Mother and Father had not been happy the day we moved.

They, along with everyone else helping pack, had been uptight and moving around quickly. Some said we didn't need to move. Others didn't know what to say. But my parents knew they had to take me away from the one place where my magical powers were sure to surface.

And though it upset them both, their love for each other and for me was so great, they didn't question what they had to do. So they bound my powers, including all memories of them, and when I turned three we left behind my grandparents and all of their friends.

My father had been a tall, nice-looking man with thick, jet-black hair. He had been a quiet and observant type person most of the time. He had gotten a job with a security company, which specialized in just that—security.

Wearing his everyday company uniform, khaki pants and the traditional company polo shirt, Father went into businesses or homes setting up security systems. He had been a well-known employee of the company. Everyone wanted him for the jobs. His specialty had consisted of "out of the ordinary" jobs. Of course, after talking to Nash and Mina, I now know just how "out of the ordinary" the jobs had been and what type intruders were kept out by the security systems.

My father had worked for the magical world, mostly on security systems that would sound off alarms when certain vampires, warlocks, witches, or even the Deathstalkers were within an hour of any of the destinations where the security systems had been installed.

We had the security system in our house. Father had also designed a getaway plan for each family and a place for everyone to meet lest the alarms went off. That's why several times, when I thought we were just going into town to shop, we ended up in a large secret room full of differently dressed people.

Father told me this was a special place for families to meet new friends or to sit and catch up with old ones while enjoying a meal and yummy desserts. Little did the other kids or I know that we were in a magical hideaway room, hiding from intruders and hiding from enemies who wanted to cause harm to our kind and others.

In the end, the Deathstalkers figured out an undetected way around the alarms.

***

All the memories of the house, my parents, and even the special times with Nash and Mina were spinning emotions in my head as I stood in the house on Piper Street. As I looked out the back door, I saw where Mother's beautiful garden had been. Nash and Mina had arranged for the magical garden to be safely transported to my grandparents. Unreal, huh? In the future, I'd love to care for the garden at my new home in Madison.

"We did have some good times here," Mina said tenderly, a warm smile spreading across her face, looking around the empty house as she reminisced. She pointed toward the backyard, laughing softly, "I'll never forget your father learning to cook on a grill in that backyard. It took all Nash and I could do each time to keep from bursting with laughter. Your mother would have to throw in a potion or spell every now and then when your father wasn't looking, because when he began grilling, he cooked the meat until it was black as coal. He did finally master the art, after many trials, and ended-up being a good cook."