Bronston, Present Day, Shay

The train's brakes squealed as it came to a stop. Shay looked out the window as she waited for someone to announce that everyone getting off at that stop to disembark. It was a city. A proper city with high rises that seemed to touch the sky. It wasn't what she'd expected. All her life, her mother had moved them to cities like this. Places people went to get lost. Her mother had always said that it was because they were so different from her home.

Her grandmother was waiting for her at the train station when she got off. There was no reason for her to be so surprised by that, but she still was.

“Shaylyn,” her grandmother called. When Shay looked at her, she saw that her grandmother was so excited to have her there that she was practically jumping out of her skin. It made her smile as she walked over with her two carry-on bags. She pulled her granddaughter into a tight embrace.

“It's Shay,” she said.

“Oh,” she said. Her face had dropped and there was an inquisitive look in her eyes. “Is that all you brought?”

“There’s a suitcase, too. And Mom is sending a box of stuff, but the rest is going into storage with her stuff.”

“Oh, okay. Well, let’s go get your stuff.”

Shay followed her grandmother, trying to remember her name. Patty, she thought. Patty looked a bit like a traditional grandmother but also like something strange and bizarre. Her hair was long, grey, and braided. It reached down to the small of her back and as Shay trailed behind her, she saw the large clip that was decorated with amethyst. She wore Mom jeans that had dirt on the knees from gardening and a t-shirt that was so old Shay could only see the faint outline of the lettering that had once been there.

However, she walked, carrying the two bags that each weighed the same as a small child, as if she was a queen. There had been times, growing up, that Shay had noticed her mother walking the same way. Somewhere along the line, her mother had turned that walk into more of a prowl. So much so, that she often felt as if she couldn’t take her mother anywhere.

Patty led the way to where men were pulling belongings out of the luggage car. Many passengers had gotten off at this stop so the station was packed but people seemed to move out of the way for Patty, though Shay couldn’t decide if that was true or simply her perception.

Her suitcase had been a generic black but a few years ago, every time they moved, she had started adding bumper stickers. Now, the suitcase was covered. Her mother had never noticed, but her grandmother gave her an inquisitive look when she pulled her bag away from the others.

Neither of them said anything as her grandmother drove them home. The train station was in the metropolitan section of the city. However, her mother had said that her grandmother lived a neighborhood that was houses.

When the car reached the neighborhood, Shay didn’t need her grandmother to tell her so. It was like a gated community within a city, just without the gates. Even the streets were brick instead of asphalt. The houses had small yards and weren’t connected like the brownstones just two streets over. It was like a suburban neighborhood that the city had formed around.

One of the houses had a basketball hoop that seemed out of place in the nice neighborhood. A group of boys were playing but quickly scattered to let the car through. Patty waved and a few waved back but mostly they stared curiously as Patty parked her car along the curb.

“It’s a good thing that you don’t have a car. Otherwise, we’d have to find you somewhere to park.”

“What’s this neighborhood called?”

“The Prairie. This all used to be prairies.” Shay nodded, her gaze moving back to the group down the street. None of them bothered to hide that they were staring. “Don’t mind them,” Patty said. “You’ll be big news. We don’t get new people here very often.”

“Okay,” she replied, but it didn’t stop the suspicion that there was something more in their gaze. Instead of dwelling on her suspicions, she followed her grandmother into the house with her bags.

“Who was that?” one of the boys asked.

“It must be her granddaughter. I heard from my mom that she had one. Maybe she’s coming to live with her now,” another boy replied.

“Should someone tell Carmen?” The group looked at one another and quickly said ‘not it.’ It was decided that Carmen’s younger brother, the youngest of the group, would be the one to tell her that Patricia Castor’s granddaughter had moved to the Prairie.

“This will be your room. It was your mother’s. I was going to put you in the guest room, but this one has so much better light than the other.”

The room was freshly painted with a wallpaper feature wall of mint and brown. There was a canopy bed that her mother had told her about and a large wardrobe since the house had been built without closets. The best part was the large bay window with a window seat. The bottom section was empty cubby-holes for her books, not that she’d brought many with her.

“I know that it’s kinda blah now, but once we get your stuff in here, we can go shopping for more knick-knacks and the like. If you want.”

“That sounds nice,” Shay said. She dropped her stuff in the room and sat down on the bed which she proceeded to sink into.

“Your mother liked her bed soft. I hope that’s okay. We can switch it with the guest bedroom if not.”

Shay laughed. “Actually, it’s perfect.” Patty’s face lit up. “A couple of years ago, Mom bought herself this new mattress. It was like sleeping on a cloud. Except she only bought herself one because the maker didn’t make twin beds. We fought for days because I’d insist on sleeping with her. I was around eleven, I think. Way too old to be sleeping in her bed. Finally, she decided I was old enough for a double. But mostly she just wanted me out of her bed.”

Patty laughed. “That sounds like her. Will you tell me how she’s been?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Good. It’ll be over dinner. Let me get ready and you can finish unpacking.” Patty left and Shay started unpacking, thinking about the last conversation that she’d had with her mother.

Vivian sat down on the side of the bed. The movement woke Shay up and she rolled over to look at her mom. Her mom brushed her overlong bangs out of her face.

“What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Are you sure you want to move in with your grandmother? We can still get you a ticket and call your grandmother and tell her that you changed your mind. I mean-”

“Mom,” Shay interjected. “What wrong?” Shay watched the different emotions cross her face. For reasons that her mother would never tell her, Shay had never been to her mother's childhood home where her grandmother still lived. Instead, her grandmother had always been forced to visit them. Though Vivian would never admit it, that's why they always had three bedrooms.

“I can’t decide that I would rather have my daughter with me?”

“Of course you can. If that’s all it is.” Shay moved over so that Vivian could lay down next to her. “I don’t want to move to China.”

“I know. Me neither.” Vivian’s new husband was a business man. He had just been given a promotion to take over the offices in China. “It’s just you’ve never spent this much time with your grandmother. You’ve never even spent the night with her alone.”

“I know, but I’m a big girl. I think that it’s just time. Time for one of us to go back.” Vivian didn’t say anything and they laid in the bed thinking. “Mom, I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Vivian sat up and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Good night, Thumbkins.”

Shay kept staring at the ceiling after her mother left. She was happy that her mom seemed happy with this new guy. Yes, she was married this time, but her mother had divorces that took longer than the marriage.

While Shay unpacked, Patty changed into clean clothes. She understood why Shay had been standoffish at the train station. She was a mess.

Figuring that Shay would be done already, Patty walked to her granddaughter's room. The door was cracked open enough that she saw a good amount of the room. In the room, Shay was singing to music blasting from her phone as she unpacked her clothes, dancing around as she did.

Patty stepped away, confused at what she saw. The house phone was in the kitchen, hanging on the wall where her mother had put it in the seventies. She dialed her daughter, expecting to leave an irate message on her voicemail.

“Hello?” Vivian screamed over background noise.

“Viv? Aren't you supposed to be on a plane?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, it's been delayed. What's wrong, Mom? Did something happen to Shay?”

“No. She's fine. Except that she's-”

Suddenly, there was a louder background voice and the muffled sound of the phone being put down. “Wait, Mom. I gotta go.”

“Vivian!” Patty yelled into the phone before slamming it down.

Something had hanged about her grandmother’s mood when Shay walked back downstairs. Patty was sitting in the living room, scouring over a book in her lap.

The living room was a comfy looking space. The couches were cream and plush. Something that she could get away with since there weren't any kids. Almost the entire wall behind the couch was filled with photographs and even a few sketches. She knew from her mother that the house had been built in the 1700's and had always been filled with her family. Something that she'd feared was that the house was decrepit in some way, but it appeared as if it was constantly being remodeled.

The fireplace had built-in shelves on either side filled with books and other knick-knacks. Earlier, she hadn't given the books too much thought, but now she saw that many appeared rather old. Patty looked up as Shay reached for one of the books.

“Shaylyn,” Patty barked, making Shay jump. “Sorry, but for now you should leave those books alone.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Shay dropped her hand but glanced back at the books.

“There's a pizza place across the street. A lot of the kids eat there. Does that sound good?”

“Um sure.”

The boys were back playing outside. Now two girls were sitting on the back of a car watching them. Something about how the girls eye-balled her made her feel as if they'd been waiting to see if she left.

“As I said, you're news,” Patty reminded her.

The pizza restaurant was just outside the neighborhood. It felt young and old all at the same time. It was obvious that it catered to teenagers with arcade games along one wall, a large number of booths, and rather cheap prices. It felt old because she suspected that it was the place that had been the center of her mother's stories. The few that she'd told her anyways.

There was a counter with a register and three pizza warmers half filled with various pies. Patty and Shay ordered their slices and sat down. The table was glass-topped with a collage of photos. Shay looked at the pictures, wondering if her mother was in any of them.

Patty saw her looking and looked also. “This one,” she said, tapping a picture. It was a group of three girls. Shay recognized her mother by her crooked smile and the up-turned eyes that she'd inherited. The difference was the color. Vivian's eyes were the same cerulean blue as her grandmother but Shay's eyes were hazel, most of the time. Like her hair, Shay's eyes couldn't seem to decide what color it wanted to be.

“That's Lena. She's dean of the school you'll be going to.” The woman had a bit of red hair sticking from underneath a stocking cap. Her eyes were bright blue that stood out against her inordinately dark and thick eyeliner. “And that one is Corrine. Your mother and her had a big fight. Probably not too long after this was taken.” Corrine had darker hair than her mother and darker skin but otherwise they looked surprisingly similar.

“Mom was into the grunge look?”

“Yes and I hated it. Which of course just made her want to dress like that more. I'll show you more later.”

“Good. I'll need that for blackmail later.” Patty laughed. Shay took a bite of pizza and continued to study the picture. “They look alike.”

“They should. They're cousins.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Well most of the Prairies are loosely related. If you hadn't returned, Corrine and her daughter would have taken my spot on the board.”

“'Board'?”

“How much do you know about the family history?”

“We were gypsies, right? I always thought that was cool.”

“We were gypsies,” Patty confirmed. “We settled for a time in Germany. Then the plague hit and we were forced to keep moving. We were called the seven families because of the seven original families that formed the natsia. When we settled in Germany, there was about fifty people. By the time that our ancestors paid for the ship to bring them to the new world, there were over three hundred.”

“Wow. How big is the Prairie?”

Patty drew imaginary lines on the table. “This is our street. Then there's another one behind us. Then the school. Then two more streets. Then this one that runs the length bordering the park. Of course there's family members that live in the city proper and some who live in the brownstones bordering the Prairie.

“The school is for anyone who lives in the Prairie. It's k through twelve. It used to be exclusively for the kids of the Prairie, but the board realized they could make extra money by allowing outsiders. People have been trying to get in for years since it's one of the best in the country.” Shay didn't say anything, but she noted the use of the word 'outsiders.'

They ate in silence for a few minutes until Patty asked, “Your mother is married now, right?”

“Yeah. They eloped while I was working at a summer camp.”

“You worked at summer camps?”

Shay laughed. “Yup. It's because Mom would always try to move in the summer. Then two years ago, a summer camp was hiring and their age requirement was fifteen. I figured if Mom insisted that we moved, at least then she'd have to pack my stuff too.”

“Did it work?”

“Not that year but the last two years, yes. Though, I think that Lewis was part of that too.”

“That's the new husband?” Patty asked.

“Yes. He's a nice guy. Has an awesome job.” Patty sighed, her shoulders dropping in relief. Shay pulled out her phone, found a picture of the two of them, and passed it to her grandma.

The picture was of them smiling at her while they'd been at the beach. Her mother had long brown hair that was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was squinting in the sunlight. Lewis was an olive-toned Italian with perpetually messy black hair and dark eyes.

“He's handsome.”

“Yup with 'soulful, poet's eyes.'” Her grandmother gave her a weird look. “Mom's words, not mine.”

Patty laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like her.”

“Grandma, do you know anything about my father?”

“I'm sorry, no. Your mother found out she was pregnant and then less than week later she was gone. I didn't hear from her until you were a toddler.”

“Oh. It's part of why I wanted to come back. To find out about him.”

“Your mother never told you about him.”

“No. I think she was scared of him though. Of him finding us.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The year that it didn't work, I was working at the Smithsonian. The kids spent a day in each of the museums and the zoo. My job was to help corral the kids. One day, after the kids left, I wondered around and met this guy: Oliver. He was cute and we hung out for a while. He was in DC for some future leaders of the world type of thing. I brought him home one day. Mom's cool with things like that, but the moment he said he was from Bronton, Mom couldn't get him out the door fast enough. Woke me up early the next day and announced that we were moving.”

“I'm sorry.”

“It's not your fault. I just wish that I knew what she was running from.” Neither of them said anything else, but they were both thinking the same question. It was the same one that Shay had wondered since her mother had offered her the compromise: why, after all this time, had her mother decided to allow her to go to Bronton?

When they walked back home, Shay noticed that the other teenagers were gone. Apparently, it was finally dinner time. It surprised her how relieved she was to know that.

“I'm gonna hang out in my room. After all, tomorrow is the first day of school.”

“Are you sure that you'd like to go tomorrow? We can wait a little while.” Shay arched an eyebrow at her grandmother.

“No. It's all right. I'd rather not miss the first day.” Shay walked up the stairs, changed into some pajamas, and flopped on her back. She rolled over to plug her phone into its charger and stared at it as if thinking to call someone. However, there wasn't really anyone for her to call so it surprised her when it started ringing in her hand.

“Mom? Why aren't you on a plane?”

“Bad weather. It's delayed until tomorrow. How are things there?”

“Good, I guess. It's weird here.”

“Oh, I know.”

“Mom, why'd you leave?” she asked, not really expecting a different answer than any of the other times that she'd asked that question.

“I don't know. I just knew that I need to.”

“All right, Mom. I should go to bed.”

“Good night, Thumbkins. I'll call when we land in Shanghai.” Shay dropped her phone and looked up at the gossamer canopy.

When her mother had offered to let her come to the Prairie, she'd jumped at the chance. If for no other reason than to answer at least one of the ever present questions of her existence. Now, she felt as if she had more.

Shay woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. It took her a minute to remember that she was in Bronton, in her mother's childhood bedroom and house.

She followed the smell downstairs to the kitchen where her grandmother was already dressed with a plate of pancake and bacon. Patty was still standing at the range cooking eggs.

The kitchen was the room that showed the signs of the house having been a family home. The room was decorated traditionally with wood cabinetry and light stone counter tops. It was large with plenty of counter space. The island in the middle of the room had stools. There was also a breakfast nook with large windows and bench seating.

“Last time I saw you, you were living off coffee,” she said without looking up.

“Still do most days. Coffee makes me happy. Or at least keeps me from being homicidal.”

Patty turned to give her an arched look but didn't say anything. “Don't expect this every day but-”

“-It's the first day,” Shay finished. “Mom did this for the first day too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Sometimes, I think that it was an apology for having to change schools so often.” Patty scooped the scrambled eggs out of the pan and into a dish and motioned for Shay to make herself a plate.

“I'll walk you over to the school,” Patty announced once they were seated with their food. Shay frowned but Patty smiled. “Don't worry. I'm not going in with you. I just want to make sure that you get over there all right, okay?”

“Okay. Is there a dress code?”

“Nothing special, I don't think. It's a private school so they don't tend to force too much onto the students in that sense. Then again, it's been twenty years since your mother went there.”

Shay made a mental note to mimic the dress code of a public school until she knew what was expected. It occurred to her that her limited wardrobe might stand out. As much as she loved clothes, Shay hated packing so she'd stopped buying much in the way of stuff years ago.

“We can go clothes shopping,” Patty offered, as if reading her granddaughter's mind.

“I'd like that.”

A shower later, Shay was back downstairs where her grandmother was waiting in her usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Shay was in a skirt, a striped tank top with a camisole, and Converse high-tops. “Do you think this is okay?”

“You look very cute. Here,” Patty said holding out a necklace. “When your mother left, she left this also. You should take it.” The charm was five stars that connected at the points with a pentagonal opening in the middle. “It's the Castor family symbol. Just in case someone forgets who you are.”

There was something ominous in her tone of voice, but she couldn't figure out the underlining meaning.

“Is that a possibility?”

“Anything is possible.”

The walk to the school wasn't bad but slightly embarrassing. As her grandmother had kept repeating, she was news so everyone they passed stared. It didn't seem to faze her grandmother who just pointed out houses that belonged to people that she needed to remember.

As she'd said, the families that owned the Prairie had been there for hundreds of years. The city of Bronton had been built around them but had never been able to encroach on the Prairie's territory. That in itself was impressive. Of course, now the entirety of the Prairie was considered a historical landmark.

The school was a regal looking building. The school that she'd gone to for fifth grade had been a courthouse originally. This one looked like it should have been.

It, like most of the Prairie, was built with stone. There was a large archway over the front door made of a lighter colored stone. That same stone was used around the windows. On the corners of the building were gargoyles. Along the perimeter were hedges and working its way up the walls was ivy. Most of the parking was along the road since the one parking lot had a 'For Teachers' sign that Shay guessed was from when it was only Prairie kids who didn't need to drive to school.

“Wow,” Shay murmured not meaning for her grandmother to hear her.

“I know. Now, there's signs to steer you to the office. Say hello to Lena for me.”

“Okay.” Shay left her grandmother and walked up the stairs, repeating under her breath, “I can do this.” As many first days as she'd gone to, she couldn't understand why she felt so nervous. Maybe it was something underlining the school. Like something ominous compounded against all of the other mysteries she'd faced since arriving.

“Shay?” someone said. The voice was deep and distinctly masculine. She turned to look at the man. Her brain processed his appearance as if he'd stepped out of a romance novel. He was ginger with so many freckles that were only a few shades darker than his skin tone that it was hard to differentiate. On anyone else that wouldn't have been nearly as attractive but somehow it worked for him. He was obviously muscled but it was lean.

She had no idea who it was and she was absolutely certain that she'd have remember him.

“It is you, isn't it?” he asked.

“Do I know you?”

He frowned and his bottom lip jutted out as if he was pouting. That looked oddly familiar. “Oliver. Oliver-”

“Heca,” she finished, finally recognizing him. “Wow. You've changed.”

“Thanks, I think. You look the same.” That wasn't really true. She'd slimmed down so that the features in her face and curves had become more pronounced. It was her hair that he'd actually recognized. It was black, blonde, brown, and red all at the same time. He remembered her describing her hair as being as if it couldn't make up it's mind when she was born. “It would be weird to ask for a hug so I'll settle for a handshake.” He held out his hand. “So what are you doing here?”

“I've moved in with my grandmother. She lives in the Prairie,” she replied as she shook his hand. He stared a bit. Confusion crossed his face soon followed by concern.

“Your grandmother is Patricia Castor?”

“Yes. You remembered my last name?”

“Not really. You're news. I guess I just assumed-” He didn't finish the thought. “Do you need someone to take you to the office?”

“No. I think I'll manage. Can you point me in the right direction?”

“First hall to the right then it's another right, then a left.” Shay left and Oliver pulled out his phone.

“Hi, Mom. I just met Shay Castor.”

“What's she like?” his mother asked.

“She doesn't have any powers.”

“Don't be ridiculous.”

“She should get to you in a minute. Make her another schedule, please. Try and keep her away from Carmen.”

Lena looked up from her cell phone and gasped when she saw the young woman walking into the office. Vivian had always had that x-factor. It was virtually impossible to explain that to anyone. It was an appeal that drew people to her.

Her daughter didn't have it. There had always been this slight question about who her father was. It had been something Lena and Corrine had argued about. However, looking at her, there was no question to Lena who her father had been.

“Hi. My name is Shaylyn Castor. I'm here to get my schedule.”

“Do you have a picture ID?” she asked, even though she was certain. When her hand grazed Shay's, she felt the emptiness that Oliver had called about. Trusting her son, she had made a few adjustments to her schedule.

“You're Lena, aren't you?”

“Yes. I knew your mother,” she said, finishing Shay's thought.

“Maybe you can tell about her. Later, I mean.”

“I would like to hear how she's doing now.” Shay saw the spooked look on Lena's face but chose not to comment on it as she left.

“I'll be right back,” Lena said to the secretary a few minutes after Shay left. The secretary, a woman a few years younger than Lena, glanced in the direction that Shay had gone.

“Is she one of you?”

“She's supposed to be.” Lena left and walked over to the Castor home.

“Come in,” Patty shouted after Lena knocked. Lena wasn't surprised to find the grandmother sitting on the couch with open books covering the coffee table. “I know,” she told Lena without preamble.

“Why didn't you keep her home?” Lena demanded.

“She's the only child in the world that wouldn't jump at the chance to skip school. I didn't want to arouse her suspicions until I could figure out a way to fix it.”

Lena sat down in the chair by the door. “So she doesn't know that she's a witch?”