Dark Realms Read online

  She smiled. “I know, right? Mark is so cute. I can’t believe he’s even interested in me.”

  My sister obviously wasn’t even aware of how pretty she was. And as far as I was concerned, Mark was a real tool; even if he’d apologized for being a jerk earlier.

  “He’s only cute if you like assholes who like to torment people,” I snapped.

  “Seriously? He was super sweet in History class today. To everyone, even Bonnie Hanson.”

  That was a surprise, considering he used to pick on her all the time because of her height. She was less than five-feet tall and he used to rip on her all the time. Another reason why I hated him with a passion.

  “Fine. Well, have fun,” I said, walking away before I missed the bus and she talked him into giving me a ride too.

  I got on the bus and was turning on my iPod, when someone sat down in front of me.

  “Hey,” said Tyler, sitting sideways so he could talk to me. As usual, he wore his shades.

  “Hi,” I said, removing my earphones. “You missed a very boring class last period.”

  Tyler smiled. “I actually like English, if you can believe it.”

  I wanted to ask him why he’d missed it then, but I didn’t want him to think I was nosy.

  “So, what are you doing after school?” he asked.

  I raised my eyebrows – I’d never been asked that question from a guy. “I um, I don’t know, why?”

  He smiled. “You should stop by my mom’s shop. She just opened it last week and there are some pretty cool things in there.”

  “Your mom owns her own store? What kind?”

  He removed his sunglasses and his hypnotic eyes caught me off guard once again. “It’s called ‘Secrets’ and it’s filled with the wonders of the universe.”

  I stared in awe at his eyes, wondering if he wore some kind of colored contacts. “Wonders of the universe?”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “No, I’m just messing with you. She sells aromatherapy, incense, oils, and a bunch of other stuff.”

  “Oh,” I answered. “Well, that kind of sounds… interesting.”

  He nodded and put his sunglasses back on. “There’s something for everyone. My mother has traveled the world to fill her store with all kinds of odds and ends. Anyway, you should stop by. It’s right on Main Street.”

  I’d remembered seeing the new sign on one of the storefront windows. It was within walking distance from my house and I didn’t think my mom would have a problem with it. If anything, she’d be happy I was getting outside to walk.

  “I’ll see if I can stop by later today,” I said, unable to wipe the smile from my face. I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous and totally excited at the same time.

  The bus stopped at his stop and he stood up. “Sounds good. I’ll be there all night. See you later, Kendra.”

  Chapter Five

  “Where’s your sister?” asked my mom the moment I walked through the door by myself.

  “Oh, she’s with this poser named Mark Davis.”

  “Stop running in the house,” ordered my mom as two little girls chased each other out of the kitchen.

  “Mom, I’m going into town. There’s this new shop I want to check out,” I said quickly.

  My mom cocked an eyebrow. “You want to check out a new shop… interesting. What is it – a new bookstore?”

  I loved reading books and that was usually the only type of store I visited without being dragged, kicking and screaming.

  “I suppose there could be books there. It’s called ‘Secrets’ and it’s on Main Street.”

  My mom nodded. “Yes, I remember seeing it when I drove home from the market the other day. I’m not sure what they sell, but when you find out, let me know.”

  I nodded. “Okay, see you later.”

  “Whoa…you’re not leaving yet, my dear,” she said. “Make your bed first.”

  “Fine,” I groaned, turning away.

  “Hey, Kendra?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You never told me how your first day of school went.”

  I shrugged. “It was okay.”

  “Okay? Well I guess that’s a whole lot better than last year’s answer of, ‘it sucked’.”

  I smiled. “Last year really did suck, mom.”

  She chuckled. “So… what time is this poser bringing your sister home?”

  “Later,” I called, leaving the kitchen.

  “Great, that tells me a lot…”

  I ran upstairs to my bedroom and threw my bed together as quickly as possible.

  “Kendra!” called my mother as I was about to walk out the door, fifteen minutes later.

  “What?”

  She walked over to me and handed me a bagel. “Here, I saved this for you.”

  It was a little stale and I’d lost my appetite, but I smiled anyway. “Thanks.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” She reached into her pocket and handed me ten dollars. “Just in case you find something you like.”

  “Thanks, mom.”

  She kissed my forehead. “Hurry back and let me know all about the store. I’d come with you, but these parents won’t be back until suppertime.”

  My mom was a shopaholic. If she could have found someone to watch all eight kids, I’m sure she would have come with me.

  “I will,” I said, walking out the front door.

  It didn’t take me long to walk into town and find Secrets, which had actually been a tobacco shop before. As I approached the building, I noticed that it had been freshly painted from its original mustard-yellow color to a bright white with purple shutters. In front of the shop was a mixture of exotic flowers planted in a large black pot that almost looked like a witch’s cauldron, which I thought was pretty cool.

  “Calm down, idiot,” I mumbled to myself as my heart began to race. “He just invited you to check out his mom’s store. He’s much too cute to be interested in someone like you.”

  Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the entrance and into the dimly-lit store. It was cool inside and smelled strongly like vanilla incense, which made perfect sense.

  “Welcome,” said the woman behind the counter. She was tall with long, brownish-red hair and a friendly smile.

  “Thanks,” I said softly, stuffing my hands into my hoodie pockets.

  I gazed around the store and noticed there were only a couple of other people inside, one of them old Mrs. Buchaard, who was in her seventies and a little creepy. She’d never seemed to like children much and had always kept to herself. Some of the kids in my neighborhood used to claim she was an old witch. I didn’t really know one way or another and didn’t really care.

  “Is there something I can help you find?” asked the woman.

  “Um, no,” I said, walking towards some dragon figurines. “I’m just looking around.”

  She smiled warmly. “Well, if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”

  I nodded and started wandering through the aisles. The shop wasn’t anything like I’d expected. There were large bookshelves and glass cases throughout that held everything from candles and colorful crystals to books that appeared to be hundreds of years old. It almost felt like an antique shop, without the usual junk.

  “I have some lovely handmade jewelry in the front of the store,” said the storeowner, suddenly standing next to me. She smiled again and I knew at once where Tyler had gotten his vibrant green eyes, although hers weren’t quite as penetrating. “That is, if you’re interested.”

  “I’ll help her, mom,” stated Tyler, coming out of the backroom wearing a different pair of dark sunglasses this time. In this dimly-lit store, I wondered how he could even see anything.

  His mother studied me closely for a minute then went back behind the counter. “Okay, have fun.”

  “Hi,” he said, standing over me. He seemed taller and even more mysterious in the shadows of the store.

  I licked my lips. “Hi.”

  “Find anything interes
ting that you just have to have?” he asked.

  Besides him?

  I just smiled. “I don’t know, I really just got here.”

  Then he surprised me by grabbing my hand. “I’ll show you around.”

  My heart was doing flip-flops in my chest at the feel of my hand in his warm one. I cleared my throat and grinned like an idiot. “Okay.”

  “So tell me, do you believe in witchcraft?” asked Tyler as he pulled me towards the back of the store.

  Chapter Six

  I stopped I my tracks and laughed. “Witchcraft? Like in casting spells and stuff? Let me think about that. Um… no.”

  “Why not?” he asked, a serious expression on his face.

  I snatched my hand back. “Not you, too? Listen, witches aren’t real and either is magic, so quit teasing me.”

  A slow smile spread across his face and he removed his glasses. “Everything is real, Kendra. It’s what you believe in that brings it to life or lays it to rest.”

  His eyes were hypnotizing me again. “What are you doing to me?” I asked hoarsely. “Your eyes…”

  “Oh, sorry,” he answered, replacing his glasses.

  I took a step backwards, feeling the hair stand up on the back of my neck. “Maybe I should just go.”

  He grabbed my left hand again and gave me a sheepish grin. “No, not yet, please. I have some really cool things to show you.”

  How could anyone resist that smile?

  I nodded. “Well, alright.”

  He let out a sigh of relief. “Cool. Okay, this way,” he said, pulling me towards the door to the backroom. “Back here is where the magic begins,” he said all mysteriously.

  My eyes widened in surprise when we entered another dimly-lit room. This massive area was closed off to the public but it had to be twice the size of the regular store, which seemed impossible. My eyes gazed around the room, which was filled with hundreds of different boxes and containers, in different stages of being unpacked.

  “Oh,” I said as a white cat pressed herself against my legs, purring. “Who is this?”

  “That’s Sicely,” smiled Tyler. “She’s my mother’s cat.”

  “She’s adorable,” I said, petting her soft fur.

  “Believe me, she knows it,” he said.

  The cat meowed and took off.

  “We used to have a cat, but she disappeared last year,” I said softly. My mother had cried for days.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “His name was Salem and mom had him for years. He was a little testy, but we still loved him.”

  “Cats are pretty cool. Um, sorry it’s such a mess back here,” he said, swatting at some cobwebs. “I’ve been trying to help her unpack everything, but as you can see, it’s a lot of work.”

  “How can you have such a large warehouse back here?” I murmured looking around in wonder. “The shop doesn’t seem this big on the outside.”

  His lips twisted into a sardonic grin. “Don’t ever be deceived by what’s on the outside.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah…I know, “Looks are deceiving.”

  “More than you could ever imagine.”

  “You’re so dramatic,” I stated, walking around the room. “I keep waiting for a sinister laugh from out of nowhere, or a loud clap of thunder whenever you hit me with your idioms.”

  He burst out laughing. “Sorry, I drive my mom crazy, too.”

  Tyler was definitely an odd character. But he was also super cute and nice to me, so I didn’t really care about his silly quirks.

  “So, what did you want to show me?” I asked, trailing my finger along a dusty old book about crystals.

  “Well, I was looking for it when you arrived but still haven’t located it yet,” he answered, pulling down a box from a metal storage shelf.

  “Oh,” I said, lifting up something that looked almost like a magic wand. “So, your mom collects some pretty interesting stuff.” I began waving the stick around.

  “No!” shouted Tyler, lifting is hands in the air. “Put that down, please, very slowly.”

  I giggled. “What? Am I going to conjure up something or make you suddenly disappear?”

  He stepped towards me with a stern expression. “Give it here.”

  When I handed it to him, he let out ragged breath, then put it away in a glass case and locked it.

  I stared at him in amusement. “You’re kind of serious about this stuff, aren’t you?”

  His look was pensive. “You… have no idea.”

  “Oh, this is cool,” I said, picking up an ornately designed owl. “I kind of like the stuff your mom’s selling. It’s really different.”

  He smiled and then grabbed another box. “There are a lot of cool things, just don’t touch them unless you check with me first. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  I shrugged. “Fine.”

  “Is everything okay back here?” called his mother from the doorway.

  “Oh, mom, I almost forgot, let me introduce you. This is Kendra.”

  “Hi, Kendra,” smiled his mother. “My name is Rebecca.”

  “Hi,” I answered. “I love the interesting things you have here.”

  “There are some great finds back here. Just be very careful how you handle them,” she answered. “Some of these items can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  I looked at Tyler. “Yes, I’ve already been warned.”

  “I’m watching her,” said Tyler.

  She smiled wryly. “You be careful, too, young man.”

  He snorted. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

  The bells at the front entrance jingled and Rebecca excused herself.

  “Your mom is very pretty,” I said to Tyler.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled. “It gets her into trouble sometimes.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Let’s just say she receives a lot of unwanted attention. And that’s the last thing she needs, right now.”

  I snorted. “Why, is she running away from someone?”

  He froze and turned to me, his expression unreadable. “What makes you ask that?”

  I smiled. “Sorry, I was only joking. Lighten up.”

  He opened his mouth to say something but then seemed to change his mind.

  “So,” I said. “I’d better not stay too long. I can come by tomorrow if you still haven’t found the thing you wanted to show me.”

  He crouched down and opened up another box. “To tell you the truth,” he said, looking up at me, “it might take me awhile to find it in this mess.”

  I looked around. “I can imagine.”

  He stood up. “Here, I’ll walk you out.”

  “Okay.”

  As I turned to walk away, I almost tripped over one of the open boxes. I knelt down and picked it up. “You might want to find a better spot for this box; it looks like you have some breakables here.”

  “Okay.”

  I glanced inside and noticed several colorful bottles with labels. I smiled as I read some of the bottles. “Oh, what are these? Magic potions?”

  He moved beside me and picked up one of the bottles. “Promotes hair growth,” he said, staring at the label.

  I noticed a purple bottle labeled “Promotes Thinness”, and grabbed it. “Wow, I wonder if your mom would sell me this.”

  He sighed. “You don’t need that,” he said. “You look good. These potions are too dangerous to mess around with anyway.”

  I laughed. “Magic potions? You really think these are magic?”

  “Let’s just say, I know they work. At least the ones I’ve used.”

  “Oh,” I said, trying to hide my smile. “Which ones did you try?”

  He grabbed a brown bottle and showed it to me. “See, this one kills trolls.”

  “So, are trying to tell me that you killed a troll?” I laughed.

  He stood up straighter. “No, I killed three, in fact.”

  His expression was so serious that
I began to wonder if he was a little too caught up in all of this witchcraft nonsense.

  I took a step backwards. “Well, I suppose I’d better go.”

  He removed his sunglasses. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t frighten you.”

  “No.”

  But he was definitely starting to freak me out.

  “I’m just saying these little bottles work, and some of them are very dangerous. My mom will be the first to tell you.”

  “Well, if a little bottle like this can help me get thinner, it’s worth checking out,” I said, deciding to humor him and his belief about potions. I grabbed the purple bottle again.

  He grabbed my wrist. “Seriously, Kendra… you don’t need that bottle. It might actually make you too thin. Besides, you look perfectly fine the way that you are.”

  I was flattered that he thought I looked “fine”, but the threat of looking too thin wasn’t helping his case one bit. I smiled and pinched my fingers together. “Listen, I’ll just try a little.”

  He frowned. “Don’t play with these things, Kendra. They can be very dangerous. You heard what my mom said.”

  “Well, let’s just go talk to her then,” I answered, turning towards the exit leading to the shop. He followed me as I walked through the main store and towards the register, where his mother stood reading some kind of book about “enchantments.”

  “Hey, mom.”

  “Hi,” she said, putting the large book down. She looked at the bottle in my hand. “Did you find something that interests you, honey?”

  “Yeah, I found this bottle and was wondering how much you’d sell it for?” I asked, holding it up.

  She looked at the bottle and her face darkened. “Tyler,” she said, turning towards him, “where did you find this?”

  “It was in a box on the floor.” His lips thinned. “Kendra actually found it.”

  Rebecca turned to me. “This potion isn’t something to mess around with, young lady. It can get you into big trouble if not handled properly.”

  I smiled. “Okay, I’ll be extra careful, I promise. Is it for sale?”

  She sighed. “Although something tells me I’m going to regret this, I will sell it to you, but only if you promise to follow the directions exactly. We don’t want you losing too much weight.”