you’re the best. I was just going to
ask if you had any left.” Sandy gave her a quick hug.
They left the retail area and entered a small
room at the back of the shop. Three glasses of chocolate milk sat
temptingly on a wooden table, and the girls wasted no time and
claimed one each. They scooted their chairs around the table.
“How will we know if the Chancellors are
making a nightmare or if they’re just defending their kind?” Aspen
asked as she sipped at her drink.
“The Chancellors go into a dream state,”
Sandy explained as she played with her straw, “and we can actually
see the nightmare as it happens in front of them. That same
nightmare gets sent out to thousands of children at the same time.
If we can stop the Chancellor, the nightmare fades and the kids get
a good night’s sleep.” She took a long pull on her straw and then
pushed her empty glass closer to the middle of the table. “If we
don’t get to them, they multiply because of the children’s fears.
It seems to feed them and gives them strength to reproduce
themselves as brand new, fully grown Chancellors.”
Ginny grimaced. “The Chancellors casting the
nightmares are the dangerous ones. They can send the nightmare
straight at you. You’ve got to be careful of them, they are the
worst.”
“Yup,” Sandy said with a nod, “the nightmare
starts in a bubble, but once it becomes big enough, it leaves the
bubble and attacks you. We’ve tried to destroy the protective
shield that surrounds the nightmare but we can’t, so we’ve got to
wait until it’s fully formed and can get out. Your dad was the only
one who could break the shield.” She kept her eyes down and played
with the rim of the empty glass. “The nightmare can go back into
the bubble if it needs protection. I’m talking about lions, tigers,
spiders . . . anything.”
“Ugh.” Aspen shivered. “I know about the
spider nightmare. That’s just terrible.”
The sky lightened and moments later, the room
was bathed in yellow light again.
“Time for action, girls,” Sandy
exclaimed.
They washed their empty glasses in the sink
and thanked Mona for the milkshakes before leaving.
As they walked away from the village, Aspen
tried to aim at stationary targets. A tiny shrub exploded instantly
as it was struck by a well-placed bolt.
“Hey, watch it.” Ginny smiled. “You’re going
to set the place on fire.”
“Sorry.”
“Let her practice, it’s okay. She has to
learn how much juice she’s got before she can control it.”
“Well, in that case, how about that tree?”
Ginny pointed to the side.
Aspen focused on a gnarled oak tree with a
wide trunk and heavy branches. Tendrils of electricity zinged up
and down the skin on her arms, and the hair on her head rose.
“Burn that sucker!” she snarled.
“Whoa!” Sandy shouted in amazement as the
entire tree exploded instantly.
Jumping back in fright, Aspen dropped her
hands in a hurry. Blue flames shimmered on her arms before they
died out.
“Seriously, what was that?” Sandy stared at
her in amazement and Ginny sat down on the grass in awe.
“What, was that not normal?” Aspen asked.
Pieces of leaves and small twigs floated
around them in the air, and a huge hole was left in the earth where
the tree used to be. The smell of charred wood floated around
them.
“Not normal, not normal? That was absolutely
mind-blowing!” Sandy cried and hugged Aspen.
Ginny glanced over her shoulder and announced
calmly, “Don’t look now, but I think your blast got someone’s
attention. We’ve got company.”
Chapter 12
Practice Makes Perfect
Aspen whipped around with fists clenched, ready for
trouble.
The two sisters studied a stand of trees
behind them and smiled at the sound of horses trampling through the
undergrowth. Their hooves struck small rocks and stones while their
bodies broke twigs and branches, and they whinnied in excitement as
they got closer. A moment later three snow-white geldings
ask if you had any left.” Sandy gave her a quick hug.
They left the retail area and entered a small
room at the back of the shop. Three glasses of chocolate milk sat
temptingly on a wooden table, and the girls wasted no time and
claimed one each. They scooted their chairs around the table.
“How will we know if the Chancellors are
making a nightmare or if they’re just defending their kind?” Aspen
asked as she sipped at her drink.
“The Chancellors go into a dream state,”
Sandy explained as she played with her straw, “and we can actually
see the nightmare as it happens in front of them. That same
nightmare gets sent out to thousands of children at the same time.
If we can stop the Chancellor, the nightmare fades and the kids get
a good night’s sleep.” She took a long pull on her straw and then
pushed her empty glass closer to the middle of the table. “If we
don’t get to them, they multiply because of the children’s fears.
It seems to feed them and gives them strength to reproduce
themselves as brand new, fully grown Chancellors.”
Ginny grimaced. “The Chancellors casting the
nightmares are the dangerous ones. They can send the nightmare
straight at you. You’ve got to be careful of them, they are the
worst.”
“Yup,” Sandy said with a nod, “the nightmare
starts in a bubble, but once it becomes big enough, it leaves the
bubble and attacks you. We’ve tried to destroy the protective
shield that surrounds the nightmare but we can’t, so we’ve got to
wait until it’s fully formed and can get out. Your dad was the only
one who could break the shield.” She kept her eyes down and played
with the rim of the empty glass. “The nightmare can go back into
the bubble if it needs protection. I’m talking about lions, tigers,
spiders . . . anything.”
“Ugh.” Aspen shivered. “I know about the
spider nightmare. That’s just terrible.”
The sky lightened and moments later, the room
was bathed in yellow light again.
“Time for action, girls,” Sandy
exclaimed.
They washed their empty glasses in the sink
and thanked Mona for the milkshakes before leaving.
As they walked away from the village, Aspen
tried to aim at stationary targets. A tiny shrub exploded instantly
as it was struck by a well-placed bolt.
“Hey, watch it.” Ginny smiled. “You’re going
to set the place on fire.”
“Sorry.”
“Let her practice, it’s okay. She has to
learn how much juice she’s got before she can control it.”
“Well, in that case, how about that tree?”
Ginny pointed to the side.
Aspen focused on a gnarled oak tree with a
wide trunk and heavy branches. Tendrils of electricity zinged up
and down the skin on her arms, and the hair on her head rose.
“Burn that sucker!” she snarled.
“Whoa!” Sandy shouted in amazement as the
entire tree exploded instantly.
Jumping back in fright, Aspen dropped her
hands in a hurry. Blue flames shimmered on her arms before they
died out.
“Seriously, what was that?” Sandy stared at
her in amazement and Ginny sat down on the grass in awe.
“What, was that not normal?” Aspen asked.
Pieces of leaves and small twigs floated
around them in the air, and a huge hole was left in the earth where
the tree used to be. The smell of charred wood floated around
them.
“Not normal, not normal? That was absolutely
mind-blowing!” Sandy cried and hugged Aspen.
Ginny glanced over her shoulder and announced
calmly, “Don’t look now, but I think your blast got someone’s
attention. We’ve got company.”
Chapter 12
Practice Makes Perfect
Aspen whipped around with fists clenched, ready for
trouble.
The two sisters studied a stand of trees
behind them and smiled at the sound of horses trampling through the
undergrowth. Their hooves struck small rocks and stones while their
bodies broke twigs and branches, and they whinnied in excitement as
they got closer. A moment later three snow-white geldings
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