Linatza-second part

second part:

“So I’ve heard.” This really seemed to annoy Mrs. Johnson for whatever reason it definitely would not be a very good one. Lina sighed irritated that she didn’t just say something that would make herself look pathetic and make Mrs. Johnsons day. Mr. Johnson and Pete entered the kitchen both in bright green T-shirts reading junior Swimming club. Both grinning they sat down to eat breakfast, Lina suspecting that something was up.
“Good morning honey.” Mrs. Johnson greeted.
“And a good morning it is Merry!” He smiled at her.
“I’ll pack some lunches and a little prize for the winner.” She winked at Pete. “and we can be off at about twelve.”
“Lovely I took a personal day from work Merry, the office will do fine without me.” He smiled at her. Lina wondered where Mr. Johnson worked, he had never talked about it, but now she knew it was at an office. Every school day Miss. Dawnt came home school Lina, she was an elderly woman with short, thick, grey hair and a large nose. She would always wear pearl earrings and was granted a breath smelling rather like a sewer. Pete and Damien would have gone to school Mr. Johnson would go to work and Mrs. Johnson would disappear off into the town for the day, drinking tea with friends or doing some shopping. Mr. Johnson didn’t look like the type of person who would work in an office but she discarded this thought, of cause he could work with banking. Seemed like his type of work. She then decided to concentrate on the day and then it suddenly hit her, what was she going to swim in?
“Erm mam, what swimsuit do you have my size?” She doubted Mrs. Johnson had any.
“Oh my dear I’m sorry but we don’t have any, you’ll have to swim in one of Damien’s T-shirts and some shorts, I’ll find you something.” Mrs. Johnson would of cause try to find Damien’s biggest T-shirt and snap at her if she even commented it. Lina sighed and slid of her chair and crossed the kitchen to the sink. The Johnsons had started to discuss where to have their lunch, when Lina left the room. She decided to go outside and went to fetch a cloak in the cloakroom. She picked out one that she had used last year and a pair of wellington boots and a scarf. She heard the Johnsons having a new discussion on what type of sandwiches to bring and Pete was insisting on salmon. Mrs. Johnson didn’t have any salmon and Pete had started to raise his voice. Lina quickly slid out the door and looked out onto the soulless street. She prodded off towards the centre of the town in her slightly oversized boots. Wondering if her mother was safely back in her own world, attending the Meeting of Fire. Hadn’t the dragons seemed surprised when the Black dragon had announced the Meeting of Fire? She had ended up by a lake in the park and sat down leaning up against one of the many trees. The park was splashed with color from the autumn leaves. She didn’t usually think about dates and months when with the dragons. They would feel the weather and understand what was comeing, sun or snow. Lina heard some nasal voice calling her name in impatiens.
“Lina!!” it shouted, it was Mrs. Johnson. It was probably already twelve so Lina got to her feet and rushed out of the park towards the Johnsons house. She heard Mrs. Johnson again.
“Where is that stupid girl, running off like that.” She snapped. Pete was pretending to be really sad and Mrs. Johnson was getting terribly pepped up. Lina quickly rounded the corner and saw them packing the car with a picnic bag and some towels.
“I’m here mam.” Lina called, jogging towards them. She saw Mrs. Johnson turn around glaring at her.
“Well I never! We have been looking for you for ages!” She shouted. Lina looked at the watch on Mrs. Johnsons wrist, it was five to twelve.
“Why were you looking for me? Weren’t we meant to leave at twelve?” Lina said in wonder.
“Young lady don’t speak back to a me!” She snapped again and grabbed Lina by the wrist and jammed her into the car next to Pete who was smiling. Lina breathed deeply trying to control her anger, feeling horribly mistreated. Mr. Johnson put the last things in the car and then they were off, driving away from the town of Duns. Lina wasn’t quite sure where they were heading, but she decided to keep quiet. Pete was going on about the people who were on his swimming team and then he mumbled something about being the best, Lina had shut off from the sounds around her and was waiting for the humiliation of having to plunk into a pool fully dressed with a crowd of spectators. She shuddered at the thought. They soon enough reached the swimming centre called “Aqua dive” with a huge wave filling the white wall of the building. Mrs. Johnson pulled the towels out of the car and as Lina had suspected a great large T-shirt of Damien’s, with a pair of not to large shorts, which pleased Lina that she hadn’t managed to find anything better, or worse depending on how you look at it… Lina thought to herself.
“Well come along you two.” She called to Pete and Lina, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were headed for the entrance.
They stepped into the building, damping warm air blew into their faces smelling strongly of chlorine. To her right down some stone steps there was a large pool and to her left there was stationed a very large lady behind a glass window typing with two fingers on her keyboard. She filled her chair completely and her dark brown hair was tied back into a bun. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson purchased two tickets for Lina and Pete from the large lady and then went to sit down by one of the tables. Pete and Lina followed and sat down as well. The stone floor contained 5 wooden round tables where two of them were occupied by other families. Mrs. Johnson pulled out Lina’s swimwear and a towel.
“Here you go now. Get dressed and go have some fun.” She addressed them both and then she added;
“We will go down to the pool and wait for you now hurry up!” She smiled at them both. Lina looked down at her clothes and walked slowly to the women’s changing room, feeling quite self conscious. The room was filled with naked women and children walking around and Lina didn’t want to be squashed by anyone unclothed; so she quickly found a bench in a far corner and threw her things onto it. She didn’t want to look around afraid that they might think she was peeking so with eyes fixed onto her clothes she decided to swim in the T-shirt she was wearing; it was slightly smaller than the one Mrs. Johnson had given her. Then she pulled of her large jeans and quickly put on the shorts. She swore in embarrassment and then walked towards the shower trying very hard not to bump into anyone naked. Then while other people where looking slightly bewildered she pressed on one of the showers and her clothes quickly became wet and sticky. Her eyes constantly fixed upon the white, stone floor. Then when she was completely soaked she stepped outside the changing room, she did not want Mr. and Mrs. Johnson having the satisfaction of her looking small and scared so she pulled herself together and straightened up. Then when she had spotted the Johnsons and Pete in his swimming trunks she strode over in their direction. Then she heard Mrs. Johnsons voice.
“There she is, let’s get this thing started!” She said smiling down at Pete.
“Yer Lina we’re gonna’ Swim backwards and forwards 4 times I’ve decided, it’s called laps just so you know.” He looked extremely excited and Lina was dreading it already.
“Er… okay.” She replied.
“Now get in both of you, I’ll count down.” Mr. Johnson shouted from a few feet away. Lina closed her eyes and jumped into the water loving the cooling sensation. Pete had already splashed into the pool beside her.
“Come on Lina over here!” he called from the wall of the pool. Lina swam over next to him her back to the wall ready for the countdown.
“ready? Set! GOOO!” Mr. Johnson bellowed and she kicked off from the wall of the pool. Digging her hands hard into the water and pushing forward. Pete was slightly behind her putting up a right fight. Living with the dragons meant having to do quite a lot of things by yourself and even though her arms were small they contained quite a lot of power. She thought of the many hours spent with her mother in the sea. Holding on to her back while she swam downwards. She looked over her shoulder and noticed that she was quite a bit ahead and then she turned round in the water and kicked off to start her second lap. She was digging fiercely at the water and then her third lap had begun Lina had managed to swim a hole lap in front of Pete and then suddenly by some force she was pulled backwards in the water and she quickly caught sight of a coin in Pete’s hand shining before he put it back into his pocket. She started trotting water looking around for the source of the pull, when Pete was suddenly right behind her and bewildered as she was, she kicked off to not let him gain the front. But suddenly a whistle was blown and Lina stopped up seeing Pete had reached the end miraculously. Hadn’t he just been right behind me? She thought. She swam towards Pete who was smiling from one ear to the other, but Mr. and Mrs. Johnson looked very stern.
“Pete will you come with me for a moment?” Mr. Johnson said in a hard voice. Pete quickly got out of the water looking quite annoyed, but followed his farther a bit away from Lina and Mrs. Johnson.
“Come here Lina out of the water, you go get changed I think we’ll go somewhere to have lunch now.” Mrs. Johnson said nervously. Lina heard Mr. Johnson raise his voice and picked up the words;
“Oracle does not agree.” Then something about him not being schooled. Lina got annoyed; The dragons and the Johnsons knew about the oracle, she was frustrated with her lack of knowledge. She wanted to know and what was Mr. Johnson talking about, hadn’t Pete gone to school every week-day when she had been taught by Miss. Dawnt? Why was everything a secret!? Her insides shouted while she strode off towards the changing room. She quickly showered rushed to change still avoiding all the naked people in her way.

It was a hot day in the beginning of May. Lina had crawled out of her window and was lying on the roof of the dark blue house. She had brought out a towel so that she didn’t burn herself on the boiling tiles. She could see the park from the roof top and all the surrounding houses. Mrs. Johnson was in the kitchen cooking expecting guests at lunch and Lina could feel that she was anxious and even though she wasn’t allowed in the kitchen she decided to stay as far out of the way as possible. Pete was in his room and Mr. Johnson in his office. The birds were singing and somewhere a dog was barking. She was at peace with herself and thinking of her mother, worried that something might happen, she had taken in a human child. Lina just hoped the other dragons would be just as understanding. Lina loved her mother, like no one ells. She was the one person in her life that was everything she wanted. Lina pulled her mother’s tooth out of her pocket and slid her hand over the smooth surface. Lina heard that Mrs. Johnson called for lunch, which didn’t seem quite right; Lina frowned. The guests hadn’t appeared Lina would have spotted them or at least heard the car. She sat up and slid down to the bottom of the window and with an agility only attained by living your life with dragons she gripped onto the drainpipe and swung herself into the window, landing perfectly on Damien’s bajge colored carpet floor. Mrs. Johnson had forgotten all about moving Lina into another room and since she had free access to television she had decided not mentioned it to her. She walked down the stairs still wondering why the guests hadn’t arrived when Lina could hear two new voices from the kitchen. It was a man and a woman. She opened the kitchen door and saw a tall woman quite robustly built and overweight with a very flattering smile. Her hair was cut to her ears and her lips were colored with a dark pink lipstick. She and the man were wearing quite unusual clothing. Large king blue cloak decorated with golden leaves, underneath the cloak the man was wearing a pair of black trousers and a dark purple jacket. The woman was wearing a golden tunica with a black dress underneath that covered her legs. The man had black hair with streaks of gray and very bright blue beady eyes shining friendly. The whole company including Pete Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Johnson turned around and the woman spoke in a very straightforward and strong voice.
“Ah Speak of the devil, there you are Lina. My name is Jane Smith, it will be Mrs. Smith to you.” She smiled and she stuck out her right hand grabbed Lina’s shaking it while speaking.
“And I’m Mr. Evans.” The dark haired man said with a quizzical smile and shook Lina’s hand gently. The woman said;
“We are here to collect you Lina and invite you into a world you probably already have experienced a part of. Now that your mother is entering the meeting of fire which will…”
Lina was choked, how did this woman know!? Now the Johnsons knew as well!
“Now don’t look like that Lina, we know about your life with the dragons now please just listen. As I was saying she is entering the meeting of fire and we suspect this meeting will go on for the next half year or so.”
“No, why so long?” Lina was worried, she was already missing her mother and half a year was far too long.
“Well this meeting doesn’t normally take place, only in difficult times and so we expect like the other meeting before this one that it will last at least half a year, now the Johnsons have been very hostile.” She raised an eyebrow slightly, causing Lina to smile.
“and well no one can expect them to take you in for so long.” Mrs. Smith smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and then looked down at Lina. Her mind was racing her mother, her home.
“Where will I live?” Lina suddenly said slightly panicky.
“Don’t worry I have word from the oracle that you can come and stay at his university for as long as you’d like.” Mrs. Smith smiled warmly.
“She can’t possibly?” Mrs. Johnson started.
“Yes what about the code, we can’t let a human set foot on the universities grounds not even mentioning what…” Mr. Johnson was interrupted by Mr. Evans he raised a hand to silence him.
“Ah… you see we don’t believe that she is a human.” Mr. Evans smiled. Lina had decided to see where the conversation ended before asking all the questions exploding in her mind, she had nowhere to start.
“Not a… Not a human? Why did we then have to disguise all this? Why did we have to act like a normal family all those times? My dear Andrew could you please explain this!?” Mr. Johnson was going bright red and staring directly at Mr. Evans.
“No well…” He looked down at Lina.
“I’ll explain later Carl, now first, young lady it would deeply bewilder me if you didn’t have a large handful of questions now let’s sit down and eat and we’ll tell you as much as possible.”
They all sat down around the large oak table, Pete was looking terribly outshined. There was a roasted duck with a salad and bread. Everyone except Lina was helping themselves to the food.
“Er… Mr. Evans who are the humans?” Lina decided to start with the word used the most, hoping to understand more of their conversation.
“Ah the humans are the ones not gifted with magic, it’s quite silly really because of cause we are humans as well, and really just the same, we’re just much cooler.” He blinked at her.
Lina’s mind didn’t catch the last part, as soon as he had said magic she had lost the trail of conversation and a new question burst out.”
“You think I am gifted with magic?” She said hoping dearly for a yes, so she would finally have something attaching her to the dragons.
“Yes absolutely, now don’t get too excited, women don’t tend to get much magic and can only contain positive magic. There are the positive magic and the negative. Now men can have both and tend to become more powerful in both as well. We can contain more knots. That’s what our magic is measured in. But we have a problem with you young lady we can’t really get a clear picture of your magic and so you will probably know as late as you’re first school day, which is quite unusual.”
Lina was getting more and more excited by the minute, she wanted to know more of this world of magic, she believed in it. It was words she had all her life waited to hear. She then had another question she had to have answered.
“Who’s the oracle?” she asked, Mrs. Smith answered this.
“The oracle is not one person. There are seven and together they form what we call the oracle. Each of them rules one of the seven dimensions.”
“What are the seven dimensions?” Lina blurted out.
“Worlds created by ancient magicians.” Mrs. Johnson said impatiently as if it was something everyone should know.
“Wolds?” Lina made big eyes.
“Well imagine a bubble, these worlds are inside this invisible bubble.” Mrs. Smith continued mastering some patience.
“The largest bubble is the size of London and that is where our University is built. It’s called Vallanar University named after the Magician who died creating the world. There were not created more after the seven, well maybe one, but never more than that. The magicians realized that even the most powerful of them would die creating that amount of life.” Mrs. Johnson said slightly theatrical and then took a piece of duck into her mouth. Lina looked down into her hands. They were itching to use the magic inside her. Then she thought of the time in the pool.
“Pete was it magic you used on me in the pool?” Lina asked him curiously. He went bright pink and mumbled something about winning. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had stiffened at this question as well.
“He was just fooling around it won’t happen again.” Mr. Johnson said weakly. Lina was a bit scared had she caused Pete troubled? Well this was actually nice. She smiled slightly.
Mrs. Smith turned to Lina and said.
“We don’t allow magic to be used outside our worlds. Humans don’t know of our existence; we are the people’s guardian angels, if you’d like to name us. We try to create a peaceful world, but these hot headed humans sure make our jobs hard. Wars all over the place.” Mrs. Smith sighed.
“Our reason for not allowing humans to know of our existence is also because we can’t seem to live peacefully; a long time ago we live side by side. That’s where history speaks of witches being burnt on fires and wood stabbed into vampires. We can’t use our magic against humans as easily, something born within us shouts and screams when we throw any form of hurting spell at them. We are created to protect, we are the miracles they speak of. We went into hiding when we realized that we couldn’t live our lives the way they were. Constantly fighting against the people your body instinctively wants to protect. Many of us died that way, we were powerless and we didn’t want to kill.” Mrs. Smith looked down onto her plate. Lina thought about what she had said. It was true she had read stories about the things she was telling her. She had thought the people in those days had been superstitious, silly and vile.
“We won’t punish you Pete, but please respect everyone’s safety; you don’t want to live in that world.” Mr. Evans had said looking quite stern.
“Yes sir, I will of cause.” Pete said with a small voice.
“Now.” Mrs. Smith sounded happy and warm again.
“We are going to escort you to the university at the end of next week. Friday preferably.” Lina had stars in her eyes. She was ecstatic.
“Really I’m going to a world of magic!” She said and just to be sure that this wasn’t a dream, she pinched herself on her thigh.
“Yes, our school systems is different to the humans it’s from November to September. Students usually start at about twelve; you’ll be turning twelve in June if I’m not mistaken?” She looked at Lina smiling very warmly.
“Yes mam.” Lina replied her mind somewhere far away.
“How many years do I attend the university Miss?”
“That is quite different depending on your potential. Most women study for about four years. They normally will have 5 knots or below. The ones with six to seven knots study a year longer, that will be five years. The ones with eight knots and above study for 6 years. These classes rarely meet women.” Mrs. Smith had finished her food and Lina realized everyone ells had as well. Then suddenly Mrs. Johnson mumbled some words and as her emerald necklace lit up all the things occupying the table either zoomed to the sink or disappeared into the thin air. The food was the things doing the disappearing while the cutlery had cleaned itself and then stacked into each individual’s cupboard. Lina was baffled, but she loved it.
“This is why I’m not allowed in the kitchen!” Lina stated loudly.
“Well I wasn’t going to do it by hand even if I wasn’t allowed to show you magic.” Mrs. Johnson replied sternly, but one side of her mouth twitched and had nearly smiled.
“Now Carl and I, will be taking a leave, have to get back to the student’s, oh and Lina before I forget.” Mr. Evans pulled out from inside his purple coat a necklace with a raindrop in blood-red and a silver line through it. She had seen the pendant before. She couldn’t remember where though.
“Thank you, that’s far too kind of you” Lina said putting the necklace over her head.
“It’s not just a necklace, It’s what’s going to bring you to Vallanar the largest school out of the 4, how many languages do you think that makes? Well I can tell you quite a deal, it contains a strong magic that ensures you that whatever language someone speaks or writes it will end up being English. I can tell you it was hard convincing the French that English probably would be the easiest way to go.” She smiled, Mr. Evans said “Anyway we’re late, see you on Friday Lina.” He waved and Mrs. Smith smiled and waved and then poof. They had vanished.
The next few days rolled by like some sticky object, Lina trying to push through them as fast as possible. She would wake up with uncontrollable butterflies in every part of her tummy. They would continue fluttering until she fell asleep again in the evening. The Johnsons had started to treat her with an unusual kindness, but also started talking bad about the human race and how the magic race is inferior. She would at every mealtime walk into the kitchen spotting different object zooming through the air and Mrs. Johnson’s necklace shining bright green. They had told her about how every magician has one important object on them and that’s what stories would call the magicians wand. Though the object could be anything from a stick to a green necklace, as long as it’s very important to the person carrying it. Lina would spend most of her day sitting talking to one of the Johnsons about the 7 worlds; Dragillion, Vallanar, Faragor, Leon, Jiggers, Weathir and Shella. She was going to Vallanar and Pete could tell the most fantastic stories about a large tree as thick as a football field but only 300 m tall creating the illusion that the tree really just is a massive stump. She would listen and every single word would be sucked up like she was a great sponge and suddenly it turned Friday. Lina woke up more nervous than ever. She decided not to pack any of Mrs. Johnson’s horrible clothes but instead packed two quite neutral T-shirts of Seamus’ and two pairs of sweat pants. She hoped that she somehow could buy something new, when in Vallanar. All day she would look nervously out the window, pacing up and down the stairs. Mrs. Johnson kept asking her to say hello to Seamus and give different messages about how much his mother loved him. Lina decided to say the first part, but didn’t want to humiliate the poor boy. Seamus had gone on some patrol that all second years had to attend except his unfortunately was placed exactly in the two months all the other students had their main holiday.
Lina decided in the end to go down into the sitting room and relax. Mr. Johnson had come home from work and came in mumbling “darazam furio” while holding his black shiny stone. Fire sprang to life in the mantel piece. This had started to become a normal thing for Lina. Mr. Johnson would start the fire and Mrs. Johnson would keep it lit. Lina had never seen Mrs. Johnson use the “furio” spell herself.
“Erm… Mr. Johnson, how come Mrs. Johnson never lights the fire?”
He looked up at her and straightened his back.
“It’s because, Lina, that fire is connected to the negative magic and I control negative, Mrs. Johnson like all women is positive and therefore can use all the other elements.”
Lina thought a bit about that, she would far rather have a group of elements than just be able to use fire. Lucky thing that I’m a girl, she thought.
“So positive can do a lot more things.” Lina stated more than asked.
“Oh no no, we negatives control the 12 daemons. Well we only control 9 because it’s against the ML to summon the 3 strongest. ML stands for magic law.” He quickly added, seeing her confused face.
“What can you use daemons for?”
“Well shielding, to strengthen different spells, to have more people on the field if it for an example were a war. We can also use lightning through two of our daemons.”
Lina started to get the tickling feeling again as if something large and amazing was about to evoke.
“How do you summon a deamon?” Lina was burning to know, to see it with her own eyes.
“You have to be atleast a 6 knot magician to be allowed to summon the daemons on earth, they tend to get more uncontrollable. I’m an 8 knot so I would be able to show you. Let’s make a show of it after dinner.”
“Yes sir!” she said excited.
Lina was looking forward to hearing more about the positive magic as well, since that was the one she was going to be using for the rest of her life. Could she make a tree grow? As far as she knew the 3 other elements were earth wind and water. What could one create what would she learn? What element was Mrs. Johnson using, when making objects fly through the air? She was far away fantasizing about different spells long after Mr. Johnson had left the room.
At dinner Lina had started focusing on the closest excitement, the summoning of a Daemon.
“Yes I’ll be summoning a skliton, it’s the easiest to control and something all the boys learn in their first year.”
Mr. Johnson said while taking a bite of his chicken.
“Yeah Seamus told me all about the skliton last Christmas, he had already summoned one at the end of the 5th summoning lesson!” Pete said proudly.
“Yes our Seamus has quite the talent, he has already got 8 knots and he’s only ended his first year!” Mrs. Johnson smiled.
“If your knots go up don’t you then change class?” Lina wanted to know. She had already been told that students were mixed depending on potential.
“No because everyone usually goes up about 2 knots in a life time. One knot more doesn’t do the biggest difference in the classroom, but it does a great deal when in battle.”
“In battle?” Lina said
“We are trained especially in the two last years, in protecting and in war. We have a lot of evil creatures that we magicians don’t only protect earth from, but our own worlds too.”
Lina had started to wonder what sort of lessons she would be taking, what she would be taught and most of all meeting Leon Osar one from the Oracle. She had a feeling that she would see him at least on her first school day. The Johnsons did not talk a lot about him; she sensed something was between them. Though this only intensified her interest.
Dinner soon finished and like the last few days it was with talk and a good mood that everyone left the table, Lina having to quickly duck, not to get hit by a zooming plate. Soon the family was gathered in the white sitting room, either lying on the soft couch with all the feathery sheepskin rugs or perched on a soft white chair. The Fire crackling cozily in the dimly lit room.
Mr. Johnson cleared a space in the middle of a room and crouched down onto the floor, painting different symbols on his hands. It was a series of the same 4 symbols. He lay his hands around a small lit candle and then he said loud and clear to the hole room;
“I summon you, Skliton oh my skeleton derazam sklring.”
The last two words sounded exactly like; “come skeleton” in the dragon’s language except it was with a very strong human accent. Lina’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she saw something materializing from the small candle light, growing bigger and more solid. Finally a small human skeleton no larger than 10 thumbs was completely visible crouched together and suddenly it opened up a pair beautiful wings like a butterfly from a cocoon in rainbows many colors. It was amazing. The skliton changed from hovering on top of the candle to batting it’s wings to rise up towards the ceiling. Mr. Johnson stood up and the strange creature landed elegantly onto his shoulder.
“This Lina is a skliton. It’s what men use as their protective shield when in battle. Summon 4 of these and they can create a very usable shield. This however is not how I would summon a skliton today. It’s how new students learn to do it. Later on you’ll be able to summon one just calling its 3 names and making the 4 hand signs instead of drawing them like symbols on your hands.” He said while putting out his two hands. They were like she had seen a minute ago filled with a repetition of 4 symbols.
“Now our house is one out of the 400 magic secured houses in England, so you’re allowed to use your magic inside these 4 walls without any human noticing anything. So with this protection minors are allowed to use their magic, do you have an important possession that you would like to try your magic with?” straightaway Lina thought of her mother’s tooth. Nothing ells was in comparison to her love for that gift.
“Yes sir, I do! I’ll quickly go up and fetch it, it’s in Seamus’ room.” She called over her shoulder jogging out the room and up the stairs. She quickly took out the tooth from the leather bag she had packed earlier, and ran back down into the sitting room with it in her hand.
They were all waiting for her; Mr. Johnson had gone to sit next to his wife in the sofa the skeleton’s bones had attached themselves in a new position now looking more like a pig’s skeleton resting on Mr. Johnsons shoulder.
“Now Lina show us what you have chosen to be your object.” Mr. Johnson said. Lina passed him the tooth, not really knowing what he was checking it for.
“Merlins! This is a dragon’s magic tooth, isn’t it?”
Cripes Lina thought, it hadn’t crossed her mind that the tooth would cause a stir, she had been so wrapped up in the magic world that she had completely forgotten her oath to the dragon clan. Not telling anyone about them.
“Yes sir it is, it was a gift.”Lina said unsure of how much to tell.
“A very rare and expensive gift I must say!” Mr. Johnson said still sounding extremely excited.
“Yes my dear child you must know it’s illegal to kill a dragon and that’s usually the way this tooth ends up in mans hands, not forgetting how difficult it is to kill a dragon of that age.” Mrs. Johnson looked slightly worried. Mr. Johnson didn’t seem to see any consequence in her having the tooth he was mesmerized by the idea.
“Well well, I wonder how magic will respond to magic, I don’t think a dragons tooth has ever been used as a magicians heart before. I’ll look forward to seeing your progress with this” Finally he handed it back to Lina, still looking extremely interested. “Now just do the first spell that comes to your mind, it usually doesn’t work, but….”

Linatza-Just a story i'm working on

The Howling wind drowned the hysteric screams from somewhere within, the otherwise so solid seeming mountain. A closer look wouldn’t deceive the protected cave, but it was there. Far down and hidden from the human eye was a large opening in one of the mountains. Only one, who knew the location of the cave’s opening, would attempt to walk right into the stone wall. Past what seemed like a hallucination a great hall opened up within the mountain, and in the far corner sat a man and a woman. The woman being the source of the screams was clenching her bulging stomach in desperation. Sweat was trickling down her red face landing on the man’s scruffy looking shirt. He was supporting her with his right arm and caressing her face with the left, his dark, flickering, worried eyes were darting around the great hall.
The woman’s screams continued into the evening and was abruptly replaced by one far higher pitched. This scream was more of a pleading for warmth and love and seemed to have its demands followed, because soon after the sound died slowly out, the wind now being the main source of noise, howling its delight of a new born child. The man kissed the woman upon her forehead still with worried flickering eyes and then he opened his mouth where a horse voice, filled with sadness came over his lips.
“Please we must go, leave her here and let them take her, we can’t bond… it’ll be so much harder.”
The woman seized the man around his collar, sweat exchanged by tears rolling down her cheeks. Her voice very small and bore trace of her sadness.
“I can’t, I surely can’t leave her. What if they don’t take her?!” and then she said very quietly barely a whisper; “what if they kill her?”
The man looked at the woman, having a hard time formulating a comforting sentence and then seemed to have found one because he soon after opened his mouth
“She-ika has just lost her child, this foretelling came true. We must have faith in that the rest of it is truth, and think no more of the consequences of our actions, or our little girl will have no future… Now please put her down…”
The woman started to sob and while softening her grip on the little bundle she broke out into loud and clear ringing grief. The man brushed the little baby’s face with a loving touch and gripped the woman by her waist and started to walk towards the entrance half having to drag her. The hall was large and it took a great deal of effort to reach the cave opening. Both of them looked back at the little human lying bundled up in five different blankets and then hugging each other tightly stepped out and could no longer see the cave. There was nothing but a solid stone wall with tufts of grass hanging limply off it.


“Linatza do not go near there!” a melodic voice called, sounding like ringing bells. The girl, who seemed to be the one of trouble span hurriedly around, shocked that her mother had noticed.
“I’m not doin’ anything moth’a!” She shrieked, “I was just checkin’ if anyone was ou’ there…” she mumbled to herself. Knowing well enough that she would be heard however low her voice went. She looked up at her mother, her big yellow eyes in great disbelief and her long red tail curled and uncurled in impatiens.
“Linatza that is fifth time today, now stay inside at daytime it has never been up for discussion, as it has neither before been such a struggle for you to obey?”
The girl bent her head as a sign of respect, her thick hair falling forward, covering her marble white face. She was small and skinny, her white skin only darkened by few freckles upon her cheeks and specks on the long small nose. She swept the room with a quick glance seeing as expected all the yellow eyes shining with disapproval and a too well know disgust. Their scales glistening in autumn’s shades of color reflecting the evening sunset. She let out a sigh and strode over to her mother. One hour to go and the night would be upon them, Brockar’s rules were never questioned however unreasonable they may seem. Linatza was not allowed outside the cave before nightfall without another dragon’s supervision, the reason being Brockars unshakable pride concerning “life as a dragon”. He had once and only once been crossed by another dragon from his clan and that was by Linatza’s mother Sha-ika when taking in a human child. Now this was a great humiliation to Brockar and he had restricted Linatza to the outmost, so she had the crystal clear message of being the inferior to any other dragon in the clan. Brockar contained a great hate towards the human race for their suppression and in slavery of dragons. This hate was not only directed to the ones at fault, but to any human being, even Linatza. Her mother slid elegantly in her direction, the chiming of bells began.
“I apologize Linatza, please bear with Brockar, he is only concerned about the safety of us.”
Linatza looked angrily into the sunset, finding no comfort in her mother’s words.
“Now, now, what would Mrs. Johnson say to this mood of yours?”
“Dunno, they don’ really seem ta’ care much, probably Brockars idea all along ain’it?”
Linatza had spent every winter with the Johnson family since she could remember. Her mother and the clan flew back to their home at winter because no creature from outside could live in this world without retreating every once in a while to their original world, not even an immortal like the dragons, they grow weak. Lina had to stay in a little town on the border of Scotland and England with a horribly snobby family with no money to really be snobby about. These were the Johnsons and she had never understood why it couldn’t be any other family. Her mother didn’t seem to answer this question very fully, always something about that was what the stars read. The dragons and their stupid stars, Lina thought and spat at the ground. She knew her mother was only protecting her from the fact that Brockar had never agreed to her mother taking in a human child, but it had been so because her mother had tried all her life getting her own little child and fivehunderedandfiftyone years later this dream became reality. This joy didn’t last long; the child was poisoned by some unknown source and didn’t live till its first birthday. So when her mother saw a helpless baby she couldn’t restrain herself. Linatza caught the sad expression upon her mother’s face and sighed.
“I’m sorry mutha’ I didn’t mean tha’, it’s just like ya’ said, the Johnsons are just very diff’rent people…”
“I know and very soon you will find out why, I am quite sure that you have it in you and you might even straighten out that speech of yours it really is not pleasant.”
Linatza’s full lips broke into a broad grin.
“Ye’ I no’ but it’s the only harmless thing tha’ Brokar seems ta’ get annoyed by.”
Linatzas mother studied her eleven-year-old little daughters face. Linatza guessing that she was considering next month’s change. Winter was luring around the corner and the day of the migration was approaching slowly but surely. The dragons were preparing, Linatza could feel the magic they were building up through long meditation that any human would assume was sleep. Linatza tried to meditate herself into a state of full control, but it seemed to bear no fruit, she could meditate no more than her mother could sing, which is saying quite the deal. She had also practiced breathing fire, though of cause this isn’t physically possible for any human, but She-ika seemed to watch her each time with a flair of hope, that Linatza didn’t understand. She had one day against all natural laws managed to cough up a little cloud of smoke, thrilling her mother so dearly that she was chiming with different melodies the rest of the day, though not attempting to sing with her screeching bells.
But Linatza was no dragon and didn’t believe she would ever be accepted as an equal by any of the dragons within the clan, out ruling her mother of cause. Some days she would watch the two other dragon children from the clan playing, envying them for their freedom. Brockar had never said that she couldn’t seek company with the other dragons, but unfortunately it seemed that he had influenced the rest of the clan with his narrow way of seeing the human race. Linatza would often feel like she was tiptoeing on glass around the other dragons, they just waiting for her to slip. She lay down in her mother’s nest, curled up in the soft grass. Her hand disappeared into an opening in her ragged shirt and reappeared holding something that resembled the end of an elephants tusk. It was a dragon’s front tooth. She-ika had offered it to her and it was her dearest treasure. She remembered the conversation which brought her to the tooth. She was one day weighed down by all her watchers, tired of them waiting for her to do something wrong, give them an excuse to discard her. She was sitting in the corner that she had once heard She-ika say was where she had been found. She had looked up at her mother, focusing on her large face decorated with a pair of curled horns.
“What is the matter my love?” Her beautiful voice had rung
“Motha’ why did these people leave me? Did they think I was too diff’rent, or did they not luv me…”
She-ika had looked very hurt at these words and seemed for the first time not to have an answer. Her scales shifted on the great body like a wave that ended at the pointed tail shaped as an ankar. She then sized Linatza as though she was wondering to tell her something and seemed to change her mind with a flicker of her eyes.
“I believe any mother naturally and hole heartedly loves her child, it is without question a very powerful magic within us. I believe that your mother loved you and undoubtedly had an extremely threatening situation to leave something she held so dearly. Now I love someone the same way, so unconditional and pure like a mother loves her child.”
Linatza looked up into her mother’s beautiful shining red face, followed the two horns into their crooked spiky ends, the beautiful long neck flowing into a great big body. The aura around this magnificent creature was one of protection. Linatza wondered who this important person could be that She-ika was talking about. Maybe her lost child but she could not be sure, maybe it was herself.
“Motha’ who is this important person?” Linatza said tilting her head to the side in wonder. She-ika’s body was ringing with a deep echoing melody of bells revealing her mother’s humble laugh.
“Well of cause it is you my dear.” Her voice chimed
“Me!? But I’m just a human; I have no dragon inside me and let’s face it that cloud of smoke I managed to choke up wasn’t very impressive.”
Her mother’s tail went wondering into the nest and soon after slid out, the tip of the red tail curled around a white object.
“This Linatza is a dragon’s dearest possession. We lose our two front teeth once in our life time, while we round the 400 and the second while we round the 800. It contains a large amount of magic not even quite understood by dragons yet. ” Her tailed curled towards Linatza the object fell into her lap. It was a large tooth measuring from her elbow to wrist. She closed her eyes and could feel the strong vibration of magic within the smooth tooth.
“But motha’ if this is so important aint’ ya’ supposed ta’ keep it?” Linatza was quite confused; she could feel the amazing potential lying within this piece of bone. It was no wonder why the dragons kept these teeth; it was like a large container concentrated with magic. She-ika said;
“This is what humans hunt us for, they have no intention of killing us, but it is necessary because no dragon in their right mind would hand out something so dangerous freely. I am though a believer in that with understanding a caution is born. This is a symbol of your importance to me.” She blinked at Linatza and turned away. Linatza was filled with a happiness she had never before felt so clearly, like it was bursting from within her, finding a way out through her tears. She held the tooth tightly close to her heart. Thanking for such a wonderful mother, understanding that her birth mother could not have found a more special person to stand in her place.
Linatza was pulled out of her happy memory with an aggressive chiming of bells. She looked up and saw a dragon that was most certainly not a part of the clan. Standing in the caves opening dripping from the rain that Linatza could not remember had started. The dragon was black with two purple horns and a long tail ending in one large purple spike, the tail resembling more a large deathly spear. All the dragons from her clan had got to their feet and were sliding nervously between themselves, Brokar the only one standing as if planted to the ground started to chime.
“What are your reasons for this disturbance Dithlar, we are sooner than a month going to be back in Dragillion?”
Dragillion was the country of the dragons, but this was the first time she had heard any other dragon than her mother mention the name, obviously another way to indicate that she was not of the same breed. The black dragon chimed a dark and deathly grin.
“Ahh, Brokar is it? Well yes of cause, so easy to notice the stiff one. Now old friend why not let me in with an open warm hospitality that is so rarely seen from your side?”
Linatza was quite sure that old friend was not the best way to describe the relationship between the two of them. Forgetting a dragons name was a sign of a missing respect. This was an unwritten rule, but a rule one would do wise in following. Brockar was looking quite disturbed, unsure of what to do next.
“What message have the dragons wished to give me that would anger the oracles because no precaution was taken? I’m guessing you did not shield yourself on your trip, am I not right?”
Linatza was quite confused, the oracles? A dragon not shielding itself? Linatza had never thought about this before, but it suddenly hit her, why did the dragons not show themselves to the humans? Or at least why these important rules of precaution? Linatza had to make an oath on never to reveal anything from her life with the clan when living with the Johnsons or any other human. But she suddenly thought of what real reasons could there be for that, other than Brockars stiffness? The black dragon Began to chime once again.
“Oh stab a claw in it; I do not answer to the oracles I answer to the king.”
The other dragons from her clan started to hiss at the respect less tone of the black dragon. Linatza had never heard someone answer to Brockar in such a horrible tone. Her mouth had dropped a few inches, making her gape like a fish from out of water.
“What message?” Brockar started to sound dangerous; he was getting impatient with the black dragon.
“Oh well if you really want to know.” He started his creepy chiming of bells, indicating his joy with the whole situation.
“You have been called back early, the dragons are once again called to the Meeting of Fire.”
The whole cave was filled with a mumbling of nervous chiming bells, the dragons gliding confused around each other. Brockar seemed to show a glimps of hesitation.
“What does this concern?” He asked all the deathliness of his voice had disappeared.
“Ahh that my dear friend you will have to discover for yourself. I have no instructions to tell you this none other than you must leave tomorrow morning by the break of dawn, any later and you won’t reach Dragillion before the gates close.” The black dragon scanned the room and stopped at Linatza, looking quite confused. The only thing that had yet managed to shake his façade.
“What on earth is this? A human? Oh this must really be killing you Brokar!” He said with an evil thrill of bells. The black dragon seemed to be quite amused. Linatza could see the humiliation in Brockars face. He bent his head.
“She is She-ika’s child no more no less.”
Linatza didn’t believe her ears. He had never, not once mentioned her to the other dragons without pressuring his chiming voice up on the word human. Linatza looked up and saw that he was not protecting her, he was protecting the whole clan and suddenly she understood a tiny part of Brockars behavior.
“Now we have a lot of precautions to take,” He glimpsed at the black dragon as to show that their behavior was more preferable and then added.
“You may leave.” He turned his back as to say the conversation was over and when Linatza looked back to where the black dragon had stood, the entrance was empty. She had not heard the slightest whoosh of his wings, nothing, a dangerous soundless retreat. Like a reminder of what he is capable of if anyone crosses him and the king’s orders. Linatza stood up and strode to the nest where her mother had just laid down.
“Motha’ does this mean I’m leavin’ now?”
Her mother looked at her, seeming quite occupied by her thoughts and hadn’t noticed Linatza. The rain hammering more persistently than ever.
“Oh, yes my dear I am sorry, but it would be best if I drop you off now…” She looked out into the rain. Then She-ika stood up and glided towards Brockar. She placed the tip of her tail on his forehead and Linatza knew they were having a silent conversation. Then Brockar nodded and She-ika slid back.
“Quickly pack whatever you would like to bring and then we will be off.” She chimed.
Linatza rumbled though the grass of the nest and pulled out several books that she had managed to slip into her bag when leaving the Johnsons. Then she took her mother’s tooth and placed it into a large whole inside her shirt making it bulge. She quickly swept her eyes over the nest as too see if anything was forgotten, then she stepped out of the nest and looked up at her Mother with a sigh.
“Right I’m ready.” Her mother lowered one of her wings and when linatza stepped up onto it, the wing flipped up with an incredible power so Linatza like countless times before landed elegantly on top of her mother’s back between the two wings.
“I’ll be back and then we can finish things Brockar.” She chimed over her shoulder and walked out of the cave and into the rain. Linatza peered back behind her and saw as expected the stone wall of the great mountain. Her mother batted her enormous wings stretched out like two large pairs of thin leather. Then the most amazing sensation began. Her tummy doing a row of summersaults, she couldn’t keep her bad mood up and instead broke into a broad smile. The wind and rain whipping against her face as the earth below them slowly became more and more unclear. Then the earth disappeared and a huge landscape of water opened up below, continuing for what seemed like miles out into the distance. Linatza started to freeze and lay down on her mother’s heated back. It was like mixing ice and fire. The average speed of a dragon was exactly 500 km/h, but Linatza had the slightest impression that her mother was able to go quite a bit faster. They flew towards England like a canon, Linatza loving every part of the jurney. Then when she could make out land beneath her she wished she had another month with her mother. She-ika slowly started to circle while closing in on the land. She-ika took the precautions Brockar mentioned and shielded her whole body. The shield was slightly like becoming invisible. The landscape of what the dragon took up from anyone’s point of view would be re-pictured in her scales. So that Linatza could by looking into her mother’s back see the houses they were passing. Then ahead a deserted field came into focus and soon after She-ika had landed on it. Linatza glided slowly off her mother’s wing and on to the ground. Her mother chimed Linatzas favorite melody, one that reminded her of love and comfort.
“I’ll miss ya’ motha, let’s hope winter doesn’t drag on this time.” Linatza smiled sadly, talking to the air in front of her. Then Linatza felt a warm hug suspecting it being her mother’s tail wrapped around her. She felt heavy at heart, dreading what was waiting.
“Me to my dear, I’ll miss you.” She chimed and then Linatza’s hair was blowing in the sudden hard wind and she knew her mother had left. She started to walk towards the town, her bare feet becoming very wet in the grass. The Rain hadn’t reached England yet, but the night had planted dew on the surrounding plants. She started to jog and came soon enough to the road leading into the town of Duns. It was quite the small town only consisting of about 500 people. Each house was very individual, but all in different shades of dark colors. She was aiming for the first house on her right made visible by a flickering street lamp. It was a simple house slightly larger than the ones surrounding it, built in dark wood and decorated in a dark blue decorated with a horrid screaming green around each widow frame, giving the clear impression of the type of people within the house. Linatza felt suddenly quite embarrassed about arriving so late at night. It was surely past eleven, but she had no other choice, so she walked up to the front door and knocked 3 times. She saw some lights turn on in the room above and heard a woman’s mumbles. Soon after the door was opened and Mrs. Johnson’s face appeared. Her mousy brown hair in quite the disorder and her small brown eyes looked blurry and like always wearing the emerald-colored necklace around her neck.
“Who’s there?” She called and then looked down at Linatza, her eyebrows pulled together.
“Hello Mrs. Johnson I have come to stay for this summer.” Linatza said trying to sound very English and put on a strained smile.
“Oh it’s you Lina, what in mer- I mean Gods name are you doing here, I can’t possibly let you in?” she sighed stopping in the middle of a thought and opened the door in an inviting gesture.
“Well come on in, we’ll talk tomorrow you can sleep in Damien’s room tonight his… erm gone to a boarding school, that’s right, anyway his bed is made so no job in that.” Linatza’s name meant moon in the dragon’s language and the Johnsons only knew her as Lina. She didn’t look forward to sleeping in Damien’s room, if he in any way had thought that she would be sleeping in his bed, there most definitely would be some nasty surprise. Lina stepped into the house and looked straight ahead where their carpeted staircase led upstairs to the bedrooms. She was carrying all her belongings in a leader backpack, a present from the Johnsons on her 10th birthday.
“Now I don’t know why you’re parents have chosen to move the date of your return, but don’t think I won’t forget this!” she snapped
“Yes mam.” Lina put her bag down on top of a small tall table by the door and then looked round in the dimly lit room. The Jonson had numerous pictures all over their walls, all picturing their two children. The younger of the two boys was called Pete and he slept in the room next to Damien’s. Damien could push Pete to do nearly anything and once where Linatza had been late home from the shops they had arranged a bucket of porridge above her door. Now this seemed quite harmless, because Linatza could easily just avoid the bucket when she saw it, but for some reason it tipped before she even touched the door and had spilled all over her. Linatza pulled herself out of the memory once again and had not noticed Mrs. Johnson sizing her up with a very critical look.
“Oh my, oh my, you’re a dirty little thing aren’t you? Your parents seem to neglect you quite the deal. Well well, but you would do well in telling whoever you come from, in dressing you quite the lot nicer. Go take a bath I’ll throw some clothes into Damien’s room so you can go clean into bed.”
Linatza had never quite understood the reason for the Johnsons taking her in each winter; they didn’t even seem to like her. She never told them about the dragons, though they seemed to know something. She had once found a letter in Mr. Johnson’s office, very short and she knew it had been with her the first time the Johnsons had taken her in. She had read;
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Deint Johnson. I am going to from here on out, give you the custardy of this child. You may never ask from where she comes and must let her each summer disappear, this is safety regulations for you and this child. This ordeal will be further discussed with me next Friday at 10 am.
Yours sincerely James Patrick Leon Osar
And at the bottom was a little symbol of a tear with a line through the top and a black dot in the middle. Linatza had heard Mr. Johnson in the next room and had jumped to her feet and quickly left the office feeling very naughty having gone through his private belongings. She too came back from this memory frustrated with her wondering mind. Mrs. Johnson had disappeared and was now reappearing with a towel draped over her left arm and some clothes hanging beneath.
“Now go to the bathroom and take a shower, I’ll be going back to bed don’t disturb me or anyone ells till tomorrow morning, is this clear?” she said her slightly nasal voice pounding on Linatza’s eardrums.
“Crystal mam.” She replied and hurried up the stairs with Mrs. Johnson behind her. When she reached the landing Mrs. Johnson passed her the towel and scurried off into Damien’s room. Linatza turned left and walked past Pete’s door and opened the door at the end of the landing. She walked in to a comfortable sized bright blue bathroom. Every single little detail in this room was in different light shades of blue, even the sink and taps. Linatza Pulled her ragged clothes of and threw them in the blue toilet bin and then stepped into the bright blue bathtub and went underneath the shower hose. Soon after she smelled like a thousand different flowers and was slightly sickened. She draped the towel around herself and walked out of the bathroom passing Pete’s room and grabbed the second door to the left by its handle. The door was colored by a big sign reading KEEP OUT in big letters animated with blood. Linatza went into the room and found some clothes lying on top of the green bed spread. There was a nightgown and some tasteless pink and white clothes preferably to wear the next day. Linatza had only once before been in Damien’s room, and could note that he had changed all the toy cars out with a large flat screen television and a play station. His many shelves that before had been filled with children’s books and other junior entertainment objects, had instead been filled with CD’s, DVD’s and play station games. His room was very tidy, but Linatza suspected that this was Mrs. Johnson’s doing, not Damien’s. She pulled on the nightgown; it was a horrid yellow color and was probably one Mrs. Johnson had used a long time ago. Linatza looked down at the tasteless gown, a very, very long time ago, she thought; it looked almost ancient. She sighed to herself and pulled the soft covers to the side and crawled tired into bed.

The next morning Linatza woke up listening to the birds singing outside the window. The room was brightly lit by the sun, and she felt fresh and well rested. She pushed the covers off herself and dressed into the extremely girly clothes with a large pink bow at the back. Lina hating every part of the outfit. She left the room and went down the staircase, turned left on the dark wooden floor, feeling the two boys watching her through the pictures. She could hear voices from behind the door in front of her and pushed it open, entering a large kitchen. Everything was already cooked and prepared, like always; Mr. Johnson sitting at the end of the table in his leather coated chair and Pete sitting on a bench his back to the large kitchen window. Mr. Johnson looked up from his newspaper.
“Ah, good morning. Now Merry told me you came last night, I told her that you first were due for at least another month, but still here you are.” He said in quite an accusative tone. This did unexpectedly make Linatza feel quite bad, eating their food and taking up space, that she had been told by her mother never to question.
“I am sorry sir, I had to leave early something came up.” She bent her head, it being an automatic reaction having lived so long with the dragons.
“Ah something came up now did it?” And then he mumbled something about unreliable creatures, making Linatza look straight at him. She heard extremely well and guessed that she wasn’t meant to have heard the last part.
“Sorry sir, what creatures?” Linatza asked, slightly scared if it was she who had indicated something and given him a hint of where she really came from. Mr. Johnson started choking on his food quite shocked that it had been heard and when he had managed to swallow the food he said.
“Oh sorry nothing, I was just thinking about something I read in the newspaper. Come sit down have some wheatabix!” He slightly squeaked having still some food clogging up his airway. Linatza decided not to pursue the matter; Mr. Johnson was a very hot tempered man. So she sat down on the chair at the other end of the table. She looked up at Mr. Johnson and caught him in quickly looking away, his Brown eyes slightly nervous. Mr. Johnson was quite an attractive man compared to his age. He had buttery blond hair streaked with grey and a sharp pointed nose. He was sadly developing a beer belly with the years, but it was clear that he had once been very athletic. Linatza reached for the wheatabix and grabbed for a big porcelain bowl decorated with yellow flowers. Pete was looking at her smiling quite unpleasantly and then looked away. Pete looked a lot more like his mother, mousy brown hair and chestnut eyes, though having inherited his father’s pointed nose.
“Say err… Lina, Have you had a nice summer?” Mr. Johnson was quite easy to read. He didn’t ask these sorts of questions unless he was trying to hide something, maybe trying to make Lina forget his mumbles, but she played along.
“Oh yes very nice, I wasn’t allowed out much though, but I did a lot of swimming.” She hoped saying swimming wouldn’t reveal the caves location, but decided that that was silly, it was impossible with so many lakes and seas in the world.
“Oh swimming have you? Pete’s a good swimmer, aren’t ya’ boy?” Mr. Johnson said, beaming proudly at his son.
“Oh yer I’m well good. I came in first doing crawl last month, bet ya ain’t that good uh?” He said straightening up in the too well known Johnsons fashion. Linatza tried to ignore him and just answered.
“I don’t really know, I’ve never entered a competition.” This seemed to annoy Pete, but he seriously didn’t expect her to say she sucked, did he?
“Hmf, well let’s make one then, next month you and me take two lengths in the pool?” He said looking terribly confident.
“Oh what a lovely idea! Let’s make a day out of it.” Mr. Johnson said. Lina really didn’t care who was best at swimming it seemed such a stupid idea whatever, but she knew she couldn’t turn Pete down without being tormented each second, the best she could do was agree then win and get it over with.
“That sounds like fun.” Lina said with a very false delight, a bit too false because when Mr. Johnson got up to leave the kitchen he put his hand on her shoulder and looked stern at her.
“Very fun indeed.” He whispered digging his hands into her shoulder. Making Lina clench her teeth in pain and then he let go and patted on the head and left the room. Pete was now smiling very sweetly to Lina and she actually believed he was being nice when her second mouthful of wheatabix was very crunchy and bitter. She spat it out into her hand and found a great big beetle, bitten in half.
“What the..!” She shouted while filling a glass with orange juice to rinse her mouth. She quickly took her bowl and scraped what it was containing into the bin and stamped out of the room glaring back at Pete who was on the kitchen floor snickering horribly. Lina went into the sitting room hoping to find a book to read and disappear until lunch. The sitting room was large and bright, probably the only really bright room in the house. It held a great snow white couch and a wooden floor hidden by dozens of sheepskin rugs. A television as big as Damien’s, was perched on top of a table in the corner. The fire was lit in the mantelpiece and the whole sitting room actually felt very cozy. Lina went over to the far wall covered in bookshelves. She picked out a book named “The royal family.” It was all about the different kings and queens of England and how they had ruled the country. Lina decided to sit in the sitting room instead and found a windowsill covered in silver pillows and started to read. Mrs. Johnson came in to the room once in a while, to check up on the fire, but didn’t seem to have anything to say to Lina. The next few days passed like the previous. Reading, tormented by Pete, snobbish comments from Mrs. Johnson; which were mostly concerning the type of household that would dress a girl in such a careless fashion. She sounded more degrading than worried. Lina however thought Mrs. Johnson was being quite unfair, because the clothes she was wearing weren’t exactly a caring way to dress a girl either. Suddenly a month had gone and she found herself worried about what creative things Pete could think of to throw her of course in the swimming pool. She got early out of bed checked her clothes before pulling them on and checked the door before opening it. Every single thing Lina approached she checked. She had to wait this morning to enter the kitchen; Mrs. Johnson never let her in while preparing the food. This had always wondered Lina and she once asked Mrs. Johnson why, but all she did was snap at her calling her impatient and badly brought up. When breakfast was ready this too was thoroughly gone through for each mouthful. Mrs. Johnson was watching her while eating her bacon and eggs on toast. The Kitchen smelled delightful this morning and while Lina had nearly finished her breakfast in the usual silence Mrs. Johnson started to speak.
“Well then are you looking forwards to this afternoon Lina?” She said straightening up in her chair and lifting her head high.
“My son you know is quite the good swimmer.” She tested. Lina really did not care; I mean enough with the swimming! Her head screamed. Instead she answered.