Page 28 of Twisted Legacy

You sprinkle magic, then I sit in silence and don’t make a sound until you make me real again

That’s right, baby girl. So I’m gonna make you invisible and I wanna see how long you sit in silence and don’t make a sound this time.

I can be invisible a long time

Really? She says, like she doesn’t believe me.

Yes mama, really. I’m a big girl now.

Okay, but the last time you only stayed invisible for ten minutes, and this time I need you to do it for a looong time.

How long?

Very long. Like twelve minutes.

That does sound long. The last time I was invisible, my friends were outside playing, and I wanted to play too. This time I don’t have friends so I can do it

I can do it mama. I promise.

Okay, baby girl. And I’ll help you. She takes my hand and pulls me into the house and down the hall, pointing to a door. “You see this door?”

“Yes.”

“This is a magic door. It helps with invisibility. I’m gonna put you inside and sprinkle you with magic dust and it’s gonna keep you invisible for a long time.”

“Twelve minutes?”

“Yes, maybe even longer if I do the spell right.”

Okay mama, do it right. I wanna do the longest time ever.

Are you sure, baby girl? This is very important. If you can’t do it, then we can play another game.

Mama told me when she says the magic word important, I have to listen extra hard because I’m her special helper.

I want to help mama. “I can do it. I can be a good helper.”

“Good girl. Okay, let’s go potty and then into the magic door.”

I don’t remember how long I was behind the magic door. I remember sitting quietly, then getting thirsty, and hungry, and crying softly to myself. I didn’t want to be invisible anymore, even if it was important, but I couldn’t turn the knob to get back on the other side of the magic door.

Eventually I fell asleep and when I woke up again, mama was there carrying me to go potty and then she tucked me into bed. She smelled like barbecue, but I was too tired to ask if she had eaten it without me.

The next morning, we went on a new adventure. Hiking and camping in the woods and mama taught me how to spell my name and I memorized my birthday.

That memory morphs into another one.

It’s founder’s day in Nags Creek and mama came home from work early to surprise me. We’re going to the parade. We drive to the busiest part of town, and I’m in awe of all the colorful decorations. The car stops with a lurch; the seatbelt pulls tight around my waist, digging into my stomach. It was already hurting because I haven’t eaten today. But mama said I’d eat later.

Her door opens and I watch as she gets from behind the wheel and grabs the brown bag with the bottle in it. She usually keeps the bottle covered, but this time she pulls it out, and flashes it around for everyone to see. It makes me feel funny. Mama’s not acting like herself. Mama never lets people see her drink in public.

I get out of the car too. I have to help mama and hide the bottle. I ignore the people staring at us. When I get to the front of the car, I see that it’s smashed in. Mama ran into the fire hydrant, that’s in front of a fire station. There’s glass on the ground. It’s red. I’ll always remember the way shards reflected the lights from the cop cars that pulled up. And the way mama held up a piece of glass, cutting her hand, ordering people to stay away or she’d cut them too.

I’m crying for her when the cops grab her and throw her into the back of the police car. They can’t take my mama away. I have to go with her too, but they won’t let me. No matter how much I tell them, she needs me.

“Mama!” I pull away and run to my mother. Someone grabs me, holding me back.

“You remember what I told you, baby? Don’t let them catch you. Never stop moving, Thea.”

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