Raeven and Makenna spent a chunk of Thursday in Freshfields, getting Makenna ready for the dance. They entered the Peyton Williams Jewelry shop and examined the various necklaces and bracelets on display. Makenna had performed the Sunset Delay spell, so she was back in her human form.
Raeven, who hid in her hair, shook his head every time she came across something he didn't like.
At one point, Makenna found an adorable bracelet and reached for it, but Raeven shook his head no and flew down to her hand, biting it.
"Ow!" Makenna yelped, pulling away from the bracelet.
People in the store stared at her.
Noticing them, Makenna chuckled nervously. She left the store promptly and pulled Raeven out of her shirt. "What was the meaning of that?" she asked. "That was unnecessary!"
"I didn't like what you were choosing from," Raeven explained, "so I, bam, bam"—he acted out a few punches—"attacked! I am a very nice bat, Makenna. I just crawl here, here, and here, all over your body! That's how we bats show affection toward other bats. We, bam, bam, attack, and then we—"
"Shut up!" Makenna shouted at him. "I understand what you're saying, Raeven, but we have to come up with another plan that doesn't involve you biting me with your little bat teeth! I'm not another bat! I'm a person. Hm." Makenna tapped her chin. "Maybe Mom can help. She works with animals. She's a veterinarian. Yeah, okay, I'll do that." Makenna turned on her heel and jogged toward Freshfields's exit.
Soon flying beside her, Raeven said, "Whew, you sure are one desperate big bug. Where do you think you're going?"
"Home," Makenna replied, continuing to run.
"Home?" asked Raeven. He almost crashed into another building but managed to avoid it at the last second. "Wait up!" he called to Makenna, catching up to her again. "Sorry, Makenna, my ears have cotton balls in them. Did you say that you were going home?"
"I did," Makenna answered.
"But there are humans at your house!" Raeven yelled. For some reason, he looked terrified, as if he had done something wrong.
"I know," said Makenna. "I am well aware of that, Raeven, but my mom's a vet, so I'm sure she can help us out."
"I personally don't find vets all that wonderful," Raeven admitted. "They're loud, scary, and don't even get me started on their hygiene. Why don't we stay here?"
"Oh, Raeven," chuckled Makenna, "why do you seem so frightened just to talk to a vet? We're only going to ask her for ideas about how we can succeed in this mission."
"Ahh!" a woman yelled behind them. "It's a bat!"
Makenna and Raeven twisted their heads and looked over their shoulders.
A shoe box flew right toward Raeven. "Yipe!" he yelled. "Oh, sweet mamma!" He quickly moved out of the way of the box.
"A bat!" another woman shouted, and another box flew by him.
Raeven, finally having had enough, stopped and turned to the two women. Now hovering, he lifted his claw. "Threaten me again, and I won't be so nice."
"Ahh!" yelled the women simultaneously. "It talks!"
"Put up your dukes," Raeven told them next. He clenched his feet and held them up. "Sweet llama-ma-god, you humans are insane."
"Raeven!" Makenna shouted. She turned, wrapped her hands around him, and jerked him out of the sky. "Sorry," she added. "My ventriloquism got out of hand."
"Ventriloquism?" questioned one of the ladies. "Wait a minute, you're a ventriloquist?"
Makenna shivered. Uh oh. Her and her big mouth. "I-I am," Makenna lied, holding Raeven before her. "Thi-This is Raeven."
"Oh wow!" yelled one of the women. "A ventriloquist! Young lady, do it again! Make that bat speak! You made it sound like it really was talking last time! You even changed your voice! Do it again!"
Makenna froze. "Now you've done it," she whispered to Raeven.
The woman who had requested her to perform another ventriloquism trick turned to a few other people wandering Freshfields and called, "Check it out, amigos! We've got ourselves a ventriloquist here!"
"Ventriloquist?" asked the roaming people. They approached Makenna and Raeven, and before long, a group of people surrounded them. "Speak, speak!" they chanted. "Make that bat speak!"
"O-Of course," Makenna nervously spoke. People thought she really was a ventriloquist, and it was all because of Raeven, that loudmouth, good-for-nothing bat! Makenna quickly whispered to him, "Say something!" but Raeven didn't speak.
He huffed, closed his eyes, and turned his head away from her.
Peering into the crowd surrounding her, Makenna nervously chuckled. "Sorry, he's a little shy."
"Make it say something!" shouted a little, blonde-headed girl, who held a stuffed dolphin under her arm. "Please."
Makenna sighed and cleared her throat. "Raeven"—she turned to him and held him like a dummy—"did you hear that theory that if you help a certain someone, they will give you a giant pile of fruit afterward?"
"Fruit?" Raeven asked.
"Yes, yes!" Makenna spoke. "Some bat species, like you, my friend, are fruit-eating bats. They're known as Megabats. You really do not want to let your partner down, right? Think about that giant pile of fruit. Think about the wonders of its taste. Mmm."
"Mmm," Raeven repeated after her. Drool dripped from his mouth, and he licked his lips. "Fruit."
The people surrounding them watched, intrigued.
"Yes," said Makenna, nodding, "and all you have to do to earn that special fruit platter is to say just a few words."
"Very well," Raeven told her through telepathy. "You better be right about this, though." He cleared his throat. Raeven next turned toward the audience and asked, "What's the password? What's the password to get by me, Raeven the Megabat? Come on, come on. Throw out some guesses."
The audience smiled, and they immediately started to play along.
Another young woman raised her hand and asked, "Copperhead, as in the Copperhead Snake?"
"Oof," said Raeven. He shuddered. "No, no, let's try again."
"Clue, clue!" yelled a few children.
"Clue?" Raeven asked. "As you wish." He again cleared his throat. He then reached for his eyes and yelled, "I'm blind! I'm blind! My eyes are fried!" He gasped and took his claws away from his eyes. "Wait a minute! No, I'm not! It's a miracle! This should be known as a Miracle in Freshfields! I'm going to make the front page!"
"Blind?" asked the little, blonde-headed girl. "Is blind the password?"
Raeven turned blue. "Dang it," he said, releasing himself from Makenna. He let himself drop to the ground and landed on the yard's grass.
The audience, including Makenna, peered down on him, and they blinked. After a bit, all of them looked up and met each other's eyes.
Makenna chuckled nervously and said, "Ta daa."
All around her, the audience cheered and clapped. "Bravo! Bravo!"
Makenna sighed and relaxed her muscles. "Thank you," she spoke in a low voice. She peered down at Raeven again, but suddenly, she gasped and fell to her knees. Makenna felt drained of energy. Was it her magic? She hoped not. While Makenna rested, she took deep breaths.
The audience stopped clapping and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"
Makenna forced a smile. "Yeah." She picked up Raeven and stood back up. "Sorry, I just felt exhausted all of a sudden. But I'm fine." Looking at Raeven, she noticed a worried expression on his face. Makenna winked at him and mouthed, "I'm all right. Promise."
Raeven smiled and winked back.
"Can I have my picture taken with you?" The little, blonde-headed girl held up a camera.
Makenna stared and stammered, "Uh, sure."
"You are a very skilled ventriloquist," complimented a man in the audience.
"Thank you," said Makenna.
***
Raeven and Makenna returned to Makenna's house five minutes before her mother, father, and Caleb.
Makenna, holding Raeven, carefully opened the front door and poked her head inside. She searched her empty house. She then said, "Clear," and slipped inside.
Makenna shuffled over to the kitchen and, upon entering, set Raeven down.
He watched, his wings pulled close, as she hopped all over the kitchen, picking up numerous fruits, including apples, bananas, and pears. Once her hands were full, she sauntered over to Raeven and said, "There you go." She plopped the fruits down before him. "You've done your share. Here's your reward."
Raeven's eyes brightened. "Oh, sweet mama. Thank you, Makenna." Instantly, he dove into the fruit and started to eat.
Makenna chuckled. While Raeven ate, she next sauntered into the living room to pick up a magazine for her to read until her parents and Caleb got home, but just before she grabbed the one she wanted, the rays of the sun slipped through the curtains and landed on her hand.
"What?" Makenna asked. She took her hand away from the magazine and approached the window. Makenna pulled the curtains apart and peered outside. She sighed. The sun was setting. It was sunset.
Letting the curtains go, Makenna left the window and went over to a mirror that stood in the corner of the living room. She examined her reflection and waited.
From the kitchen, Raeven, who had already finished his pile of fruit, turned to her and asked, "What's up, Makenna?"
Makenna didn't answer. She watched as sudden, blue sparkles circled her from head to toe, and when they left, she was back in her Level 2 fairy form. Makenna sighed at the sight of it. She felt like the Swan Princess. However, this time, it was reversed, and she was a fairy by day and a human by night. Makenna was getting tired of constantly repeating the Sunset Delay spell. She no longer liked her Level 2 appearance. With every passing minute, it grew paler and paler. Makenna knew she was being drained of magic, but was too shy to admit it.
"That's your transformation?" Raeven asked her from the kitchen. "Hm, I remember it being a little more colorful."
"Shut up, Raeven," Makenna spoke. "Don't you see?" She clenched her fists. "I'm dying; that's why my transformation is pale, and it's all because of my foolish mistakes."
"Have you ever heard of something called the Confidence of the Megabat?" Raeven asked her. "It says that if you give me more fruit, then you will regain some of your confidence and hopefully help you understand that yes, you are meant to wear this circlet." Makenna's Level 2 crystal circlet rested beside him. Raeven placed his foot on it.
Makenna turned toward the kitchen and entered it, approaching him. "You are impossible." She reached for an apple resting in a fruit basket that sat on the countertop, but just before she picked it up, she heard car doors slamming shut from the kitchen's exit in the garage.
Makenna gasped. Her family! Her family was back! Oh, snap.
From the garage, Makenna next heard Caleb's voice. "Mother, it was the most incredible thing! Today at school during lunch, I spoke the words to the Paintus Completeness spell, and it worked! It messed up Fiona's headdress!"
"Oh no!" Makenna whispered from the kitchen.
"Who's that?" Raeven asked her.
"Shh!" Makenna whispered. She grabbed Raeven by the wing and carried him over to the cupboard. Opening it, she threw him inside and yelled, "Stay there! And don't ya try anything stupid!" Makenna slammed the cupboard shut and turned toward the door that led out to the garage.
In the cupboard, Raeven knocked on it and scoffed. "Well," he spoke, crossing his wings. "I guess I don't get any second helping of fruit."
Makenna approached the door that led to the garage and brushed herself down. Her wings fell limply behind her, and Makenna found it a little hard to lift them. She gulped. However, she continued to pretend that everything was fine.
Makenna took a deep breath. Once she was ready, she reached for the doorknob, but the door opened first and smacked her in the nose. It pushed Makenna up against the wall.
With her face squashed between the door and wall, she mumbled, "Excuse you."
Mrs. Delling, Caleb, and Mr. Delling entered the kitchen, and Mr. Delling told Caleb, "Oh, Caleb, that must've been amazing! It's almost as if you, too, are becoming a fairy!"
"You know," Caleb spoke, "you're right, Father!" He pointed at Mr. Delling. "Amazing! Before long, Makenna and I will be fairies together!"
"Speaking of Makenna..." voiced Mrs. Delling. She placed her bag down on the kitchen countertop. "Where is she? I knew she'd be gone for a while, but I didn't think she'd be gone this long. Oh." She brought her hands to her heart. "I hope she's okay. Makenna, Makenna, where are you?"
"I'm right here," Makenna grumbled from where she was trapped.
"Huh?" asked Mrs. Delling. She turned her head toward the door.
"Huh?" Mr. Delling and Caleb repeated after her. They, too, turned to the door.
There was silence, and then Mrs. Delling broke it by saying, "Oh, jelly beans, I've gone insane. I thought I just heard Makenna's voice coming from behind that door."
"You did," Makenna grumbled. She pressed her palms against it.
That time, Caleb, Andy, and Michelle together asked, "Huh?"
"I'm here," said Makenna. "Can you please get this door off me?"
"Makenna!" Michelle yelled. "Oh no!" She hurried to the door and pulled it open. "Makenna!"
Makenna rubbed her nose and asked, "Mom, do you know a plastic surgeon around here? I think my face needs to be replaced."
"You're back!" yelled Michelle. She pulled Makenna into a hug. "You've made it back! We were starting to worry about you! Oh, look at your transformation." She examined Makenna's fairy form. "It's so pale. Why is it so pale?"
"Oh," Makenna stammered, "you see, funny story, Mom. I'm being drained of magic."
"Drained of magic?" Michelle yelped. "Why? It's not going to kill you, though, right?"
Makenna lost her words.
Raeven, still trapped in the cupboard, placed his ear to it. "Who are these other voices?" he asked. "Are they prowlers, burglars, hippies? I must protect Makenna!" He prepared to push open the cupboard, but just before he did, his nostrils picked up the scent of something.
Raeven sniffed the area. "It smells like..." He turned away from the door and continued to sniff. After a bit, Raeven seemed to smile. "Fruit!" He had picked up the scent of a Fruit Loops box that rested against the cupboard's door. At the sight of it, Raeven started to drool. "Ooohh," he spoke. He made his way toward the cereal box, licking his lips, and held out his claws. "Come here, baby. Come here."
Outside the cupboard, Mrs. Delling pointed at Makenna and snapped, "You have some explaining to do, young lady! You are in so much trouble! First, you didn't leave a note, and second, how come that during dinner last night, before the storm, some lad named Peter Nelson rang the doorbell and told us that he had taken you out to go shopping and that he's your date to the Spirit Week Dance?"
Makenna gulped. "What? You mean he came here?"
"So, you do know about this boy!" Mrs. Delling said. "He's the one you've been sneaking out to see lately, right?"
"Sneaking out?" sarcastically questioned Makenna. She scoffed and held her pale hands before her. "Now, why would I do that? Peter Nelson? I've never heard of him."
"You're a liar!" Mrs. Delling yelled. "I'm so sick and tired of your lying, Makenna! Tell the truth! Who is this boy? Talk!"
Makenna didn't. She sealed her lips shut and threw away the key.
Mr. Delling also glared, but Caleb didn't.
Instead, he said, "Ugh," and did a face palm. "Don't mind me, I'm just going to get a bowl of cereal." Caleb shuffled over to the cupboard and reached for it.
"Makenna Angelia Delling!" Mr. Delling yelled at Makenna. "Silence is not an answer! You have some serious explaining to do! We'll wait here for a thousand years if we have to, but we won't leave until you talk to us! So, I suggest you do!"
"Hm," said Makenna. She rubbed her chin. "But where should I start, Daddy? Should I start with the fact that Tracey's wings are broken or with the fact that he'll never fly again?"
"I don't want to hear about Tracey!" Mr. Delling barked. "I want to hear about Peter Nelson!"
"But I don't even know who he is."
"You're lying!"
"Maybe, but I thought you would want to hear more about Ninja Boy than my imaginary boyfriend. He's from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. His name is Bloo."
"You're lying!"
"Oh, no, I'm not, Daddy. Yeah, Bloo and I are a couple, but we're only a couple in our minds. Trust me, I have a much better story that revolves around Tracey. His wings are broken. Boo hoo, who cares, but I just wanted to let you know. Now, if you'll excuse me. Bloo and I have a date with Forrest Gump." Makenna started walking away, but Mrs. Delling blocked her path.
"All right, that's it," she snapped. She held her index finger up to Makenna's chin. "From this point on, you're grounded! You're forbidden to leave this house for two whole weeks! That means no going to the pep rally and Spirit Week Dance, no visiting Freshfields, and no surfing and ballet! And once your punishment is over, Makenna Angelia Delling, you will never see that Peter Nelson or Tracey ever again!"
Michelle got Makenna there. "What?" she asked, eyes widening. "You can't take my surfing and ballet away, Mom!" She raised her voice. "I have to go to the dance! It's the only way I'll earn my third transformation! Mom, you don't understand! None of you do! Please, you can take Peter Nelson away from me, but not Tracey. Not Tracey! He's sick! His wings are broken, seriously broken! He needs me! I'm sorry."
"Sorry won't cut it!" Michelle snapped. "You will never see Tracey and Peter again! I don't even trust Tracey! I'm sure he's making all this fairy and Merlin's Island nonsense up, so you will think he's your friend!"
"He is!" Makenna shouted. "Tracey is my friend, Mom! He would never do that to me! You weren't there when he broke his wings! I will not let you take him away from me! After the dance, after I earn my third transformation, mark my words, I am going to return to Merlin's Island, and I am going to stay with him until he recovers, and you can't stop me."
"Why do you have to go to that stupid dance in the first place?" Andy crossed his arms.
"Because Raeven told me to!"
"Raeven? Who's Raeven?"
Caleb was trying his best to ignore the argument. Pretending not to care, he opened the door to the cupboard and reached inside, grabbing the box of Fruit Loops. However, he gasped when Raeven popped out from inside the box, stuffing Fruit Loops into his mouth.
At the sight of Caleb, he jumped and chuckled nervously. "Hi." Raeven waved. He stuffed more Fruit Loops into his mouth. "These are very good."
"Ahh!" Caleb screamed, dropping the box. "Bat!"
"Caleb!" yelled Mrs. Delling. She, Makenna, and Andy turned toward him, and Michelle added, "What in the name of pickles is going on?" Hers and Andy's eyes landed on Raeven, who crawled out of the box, wearing Fruit Loop rings over his claws.
They, too, screamed and yelled, "Bat!" simultaneously. They immediately grabbed pots and pans and threw them at Raeven.
He yelled and flapped his wings, moving out of the way.
"Stop!" Makenna shouted. She grabbed her parents by their elbows. "Don't hurt him!"
They ripped their arms free and continued to throw stuff at Raeven.
Makenna tried lifting her wings, but couldn't. "Stop!" she again yelled.
Raeven had been chased into the living room. He fell to the floor, and Makenna's parents held pans over him.
Before they struck, Makenna appeared between them and held out her arms. "Cut it out!"
"Move out of the way, Makenna!" yelled Mr. Delling. "We will not have a bat in this household!" He and Michelle attempted to push by Makenna, but she grabbed and stopped them.
A wrestling match began between her and her parents. It went on for a couple of minutes, but before Makenna gave her parents a good hit of the Paintus Completeness spell, the doorbell rang.
Everybody became quiet, and all heads turned toward the door.
Makenna picked up Raeven and hugged him to her chest.
Mrs. Delling pushed her toward the bathroom and shoved Makenna inside. "Keep quiet!" She slammed the door shut and locked it from the outside.
From the other end of the door, Makenna banged on it and yelled, "Mom!"
"Shush!" she shouted.
Mr. Delling picked up pots and pans and dragged Caleb toward the kitchen countertop.
Mrs. Delling turned on a casual act and fluffed her hair as she approached and opened the door. "Peter Nelson!" she shouted. Indeed, it was Peter Nelson she was looking at.
He stood in the rays of the setting sun with his parents, Liana and Cody, on either side of him, and told Mrs. Delling, "Sorry, Mrs. Delling, am I interrupting anything?"
"Oh no, no, no!" Mrs. Delling spoke quickly but casually. "We were just putting together dinner."
"Is Makenna here?" Peter asked. "I thought you would want to meet my parents before you let me take her to the dance."
ns216.73.216.103da2
and then Add to home screen.