Once Upon A Miracle

Chapter 4: The Old Lighthouse Cabin

An anxious silence descended as Blue and Miracle processed her words.

"He's still here," Blue abruptly pointed out, looking at Miracle.

"Yeah that's the thing. We were worried that you had disappeared too which is why..." Sherry paused, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment, "...we bullied Blue. Warren hoped that you'd show your face when you sensed him troubling a child. That's why we transformed into middle-graders and enrolled ourselves into Blue's school."

Blue flushed with anger. What--? So, she was their guinea pig? How was that fair?

Miracle seemed to reflect her thoughts because he glowered at Sherry. "That was highly unnecessary, Sherry."

Sherry shrugged. "It was the fastest way. And you know Warren; he likes to pull your socks."

Blue partially wanted to stand up and throw a good, solid punch at Sherry's nose but she restrained herself, mustering all her twelve-year-old willpower and resolve. "Why couldn't you guys use, I don't know, this thing called cellphone? It's really popular and works efficiently!" 

Sherry scornfully looked at Blue. "You don't understand. Electronics don't work with us. Maybe it's our powers. Or just simply our essence but they always go haywire, especially the more complex ones like cellphones, TVs, cars et cetera."

Blue let that sank in, although she was still seething. But she decided to be the bigger person and say, "Okay, well, fine. What do we do now?"

"We?" Sherry said in disdain. "Excuse me, Blue, but it would be way better if you stay out of it. I don't even know why you're here. I only asked Miracle to meet me here."

Blood rushed to Blue's cheeks in embarrassment and indignation when Miracle spoke up, his voice cold, "She is here with me. And she will stay, unless she herself didn't want to. If you want my help, you better get used to that."

Sherry looked cross. "Fine, do whatever you want. And besides, this isn't just about my sister. It's about the safety of each one of us. You, especially. Whoever is responsible for their disappearance will, no doubt, come for you next, Miracle."

"But how do we find out who is behind all of this?" Blue asked, crossing her hands on her chest.

"If it's even one person," Miracle added. "It might be a whole group of kidnappers."

"Why don't we inform the police?" Blue suggested, only for both Sherry and Miracle to burst in laughter.

"Blue, my Blue," Miracle said. "Calling the police is not an option. They don't even know the existence of our kind! Revealing ourselves to them would bring in a whole set of problems!"

"Besides, have you never read a book or seen a TV show? You never let an adult do the job. They always mess things up. It's the kids who must take on the responsibility," Sherry said seriously.

Blue was pretty sure that real life was vastly different from TV shows but, then again, all these people that she had learned about---Miracle, Sherry, Good Luck, Warren, Fair etc---weren't they as good and unreal as magic? As fantastical and impossible as the mythical creatures she had read about in her books? And hadn't she always yearned to go on an adventure of her own? So, why was she shying away now?

"What about Warren?" Miracle asked grudgingly. "What does he have to say about all this?"

Sherry shrugged. "As far as I can tell, he's pretty worried too."

Blue snorted. "Warren? And worried? About others? Blasphemous!" (Blue was more than pleased that she finally got to use the word 'blasphemous.' She had been dying to say it for quite a while now.)

"Look, I know he seems mean and cruel - probably because he is a little mean and cruel - but he isn't a bad person. A bit sadistic, yes, but not a bad person. I know it seems hard to believe, Blue, but he does care. And if it makes things better, he can't help what he is. It's his very nature."

"That makes about zero sense!" Blue cried.

"We can't fight our own nature, Blue," Sherry said, almost sadly.

Blue, though, wasn't ready to hear that. "Saying that is just lazy! It...it's cheating!"

Sherry sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly, not an entirely common gesture for a twelve-year-old and Blue was reminded again that they weren't really her age.

"You don't understand, kiddo," she said.

Blue was outraged at being called a kiddo, especially from the girl with three pigtails. She was ready to pounce on Sherry and show her who the kiddo is here but a cool hand wrapped around her wrist and held her back.

"Both of you, stop it!" Miracle shouted, his frustration palpable. "This is serious! It just occurred to me that..." he gulped. "If what you say is true, Sherry, then..."

"Then what?" Blue asked loudly, feeling the need to appear strong and loud to establish the fact that she was not a kiddo. Anything but a kiddo.

Miracle looked at her grimly. "If all the good ones are disappearing, it means nobody is there to carry out their jobs. Which in, in turn, means...

Sherry added darkly, "That people will start losing hope, love and all things that truly matter to them."