We stayed in the tipi like thing for another day. We didn’t have much to eat but we found some berries and nuts. At sundown we had finished the grave for dad. We spent the rest of the night crying and grieving and hating.

"Dad’s resting in peace now." I said breathing in deeply to rid of my tears. I have to be strong for Axel. "Let’s open the bag now ’kay?" I suggested with a weak smile. Axel just nodded glumly. I pulled the leather satchel toward me and lifted the flap. Inside were the passports and the tin can I put in 2 days ago. I opened the tin can and inside were 4 muffins, some hard candies an apple and 3 envelopes. I looked at Axel he dove his hand into the can and grabbed one of the muffins. When he bit into it his eyes widened.

"It’s still good. It’s not stale. Why?" Axel asked surprised.

"I’m...I’m not sure..." I said uneasily. It was almost like he knew he was going to die. What did he know about Ayla and Lillian? I grabbed a muffin from the can and bit into it. I then reached for the envelope and tore it open.

Dear Audrey,

My dear, if you are reading this the worst of the worst has happened. I know you must be confused and scared but I will try to explain everything. I hope by now that you know you come from a long line of very powerful witches. If not then you are. You are magic. You and your brother. I suppose you realized that your sister, Ayla and your mother, Lillian have turned. I found out when you and your brother were away at camp. They threatened me with your life so I swore not to tell. I hope you and Axel are safe. I have registered you and Axel into a witch group home. You will practice magic and learn of the world dangers. It is called, Lucere Agri, Shine Shire. That is all I can say for if this not falls into the wrong hands. I hope you stay safe. Remember I’m always with you. Find the other envelopes. Inside you will find some parting gifts from me.

I love you and Axel with all my heart.
Lots of love,

Daddy xoxoxoxo

P.S. Clues to L’Agri--Hairy colours

My eyes were wet with tears. But they weren’t sad tears they were happy tears. I was happy. I grabbed the other envelope addressed to me and gave the other to Axel. We opened them and gasped. Inside were identical necklaces. Only his was shorter. Mine was silver with a vine curled around the heart charm. Axel’s was a clear cylinder with silver dots encircling the star. I smiled at him. He finally looked happy, hopeful.

"What did the note say?" He asked me. His voice was hoarse but there was a faint trace of a smile stained his face. I glanced down a t the note again.

"He loves us and he registered us for a group witch home." I replied. "It’s called Lucere Agri wich is Shine Shire in latin. Also it says, Clues to L’Agri--Hairy colours" Axel nodded.

"What do you think it means?" I shrugged.

"Can we head out tomorrow? To Lucere Agri. I-I don’t want to stay here anymore." He glanced out the entrance in the direction of our father’s grave. I nodded,

"Sure buddy. Let’s go through the bag though." Axel reached over and handed me the bag. Inside were clothes, wigs and make-up. I realized that each costume matched up with on of the people on the passport.

"These are disguises." Axel said. I nodded shocked. There were seven foreign character’s I’ve never heard about,
-Jessi Morau
-Jordan Pesster
-Melissa Charcenter
-Darren Mince
-Regan Weatherspoon
-Eva Ralt
-Buster Collon

"I think I know what the clue means. The wigs...are all different colours. And they’re hairy. Maybe the clue is written in them somewhere." I suggested. Axel nodded and flipped them all inside out. Written inside where coordinates.

We walked to a nearby gas station and bought the world map. Trying to find the coordinates for Lucere Agri. I was never the best student in school. Sure I passed, but if I could avoid doing extra work I would. Axel on the other hand excelled in school. He got very high marks and his favourite subject was geography, which, in this case is very helpful. I handed him the paper with the coordinates on it.

"Thanks." He muttered, his eyes still glued to the map. It took him about thirty minutes to find Lucere Agri. It was in Caborca, Mexico near the border of Mexico and the U.S.. 

"That’s about 1,634 km or 19 hours and 16 minutes away by car." Axel added after a quick look on his phone.  I sighed. I have my license and all but the problem is that I don’t have a car. My Silver Audi A3 was parked in the driveway of the house and was now probably burned up by now.

"We don’t have a car." I said bluntly.

"We could take a plane. It’ll probably only take a couple of hours and we have all these cool disguises and passports." Axel suggested excitedly. He had never been in a plane before. He had always dreamt of being a pilot as a kid. I hated to crush his dream but,

"Tickets cost thousands of dollars and we don’t have that money." I reminded him.

"Right." He sighed. "How ’bout a car rental place? We can rent one and then return it to one of the ones in Caborca."

"That just might work" I mused. We fell asleep more hopeful than the last two nights because we had a plan.

’Tomorrow we start a new chapter. A safer one.’ I thought as I drifted off into a dreamless slumber.... or so I thought.

~~~

"Audrey. Audrey! AUDREY!" The sound of someone calling my name awoke me. The voice sounded familiar and not at the same time. My eyes adjusted to the dark room. There was a small circular window in the center of the back wall and a bright red door with a lion’s head on it. I stepped forward tentatively. I reached my hand to grasp the knocker but it went right through.

’What the--’ my thought was cut off by that familiar but hollow voice saying,

"Come in my dear. Come in my dear Audrey."  

I walked forward heastently. I put my hand to the door and it went right through the sturdy looking scarlet door. I moved forward walking through the door. It felt as though fire was spreading over my body. Which triggered not-so-pleasant memories.

"Am-Am I in heaven?" I asked foolishly when I saw the person who called me.

"No, my dear. I called you to the spirit world." my father said in the same sick, hollow voice. The room I now stood in reminded me of a library. There were rows and rows of  shelves. Only the were stacked with documents, rather than books. There stood, in the corner of the room, an oak wood desk, cluttered with papers and garbage. The desk lamp was placed on top of multiple thick novels.

"Look past these walls and imagine yourself placed on the most earthiest hill, looking over a small village. You can see faint puffs of smoke coming from the chimneys and the purple and blue flowers blooming beside you. You now walk and sit down underneath a blossoming cherry tree. You close your eyes, what do you see?" My father asked. His eyes had a faint white glow to them. "Enter the realm of the spirits."

My eyes shut and I could faintly smell fresh bread as the wind carried the smell from the village and to the hill. The soft breeze was refreshing. I turned around and gasped. A dark creature beckoned for me to follow. We walked quickly along the dirt road. We approached a small shack with the same deep red coloured door with the lion head knocker.  The trees were dead and covered in a thin layer of white frost. Everything seemed more menacing. The calm, more happy atmosphere of before had faded. The creature walked straight through the door. I followed silently. Inside were a single couch with many holes. The fireplace was lit and emitted the smallest flame. Mostly smoke. My eyes watered as I remembered they were doing this not only three or four days ago. 

"Come." The creature said. Its mouth did not move, nor did eyes. He only stood staring. I walked over. "Look." He commanded, pointing at the smoky fireplace. I swallowed  and leaned over the fireplace.

I saw a girl with dark hair and highlights being tortured strapped to a chair, helpless. She didn’t scream or flinch. A boy with black eyes. He fell to the ground, withering in pain. A girl with a cold stare looked over at another boy warily before kneeling down to the  boy on the ground. 3 more teenagers and a young girl and boy sat on a rounded couch all laughing at something. The girl with black hair with highlights ran into the room pointing in behind her gasping for air. Their faces grew grim and solem. The youngest fell into her brother’s arms crying. The girl with the cold stare picked her up and brought her to a room with mats strewn everywhere blood staining the ground. I saw Axel and Ayla dueling. Ayla had a manically expression while Axel’s was grim and fearful. A cry for help from the young boy brought Axel’s attention away from Ayla. He swung a shard of ice at the boys attacker. Ayla swung her sword and pierced him in the side. His screams echoed throughout the stone courtyard. Bodies littered the ground. An older man I hadn’t seen before approached him waving a hand over his wound. The young boy and one of the other fighters came over and finished off Axel’s attacker. The dark skinned girl came rushing over. She formed a purple energy ring around  Axel and the older man with greying hair. The boy with soot coloured hair smiled sadly and left a lingering kiss on her lips. Glowing red eyes flashed and yanked her away from her brother...

The scenes  changed.

Axel and  the younger boy were laughing at something on the computer. The dark skinned girl was shopping and smiling and talking animatedly to the person beside her. The girl with the cold stare smiled and nodded along with what the black eyed boy said. All the girls were in the kitchen singing and dancing while baking goodies. Gifts were exchanged between people and glitter and crumbs fell to the floor. The couple shared a gently kiss under the moonlight as stars appeared in the dark sky before their eyes. The young girl successfully created a full hologram. A round milky coloured stone being presented to Axel and the young girl. The old man sharing an old legend. My uncle Jim giving us hugs and presents. The boy with soot coloured hair asking for a dance...

~~~

I woke up. Gasping for breath. My eyes wide in fright.