Foreverafter: An Odd Adventure (Combined Edition)

Copyright © 2018 by K.J. Quint

All rights reserved.

Editorial Services by:

Rita Beth Ebert

Quill Pen Editorial, quillpeneditorial.com

Published by Atthis Arts, LLC

Detroit, Michigan

www.atthisarts.com

Cover design copyright © 2018 Jennifer Zemanek

Seedlings Design Studio

This is a work of fiction.

ISBN: 978-1-945009-27-3

A special thanks to the student editors at Roosevelt Elementary School, West Bloomfield School District, Michigan.

Dedicated to my Grandfather: my first fan and my first editor. And to my friend Sean, who taught me the value of saying outright insane things—that’s where a lot of creativity lies. And lastly, to you the reader. You’re all supporting my dream right now.

Part One: Crash Landers

Part Two: Guardians

Part Three: Run-away Runaways

About the Author

A young man named Kite stood on an overturned crate, making a miniature stage in the cobblestone street that cut through the middle of town. He cleared his throat and fixed a banner to the wall behind him that read: Real Magic Show! It took a few minutes, but soon a crowd began to gather around him. He puffed out his chest and straightened the dusty cloak he draped over his shoulders and pulled out an umbrella to give his face some shade. He scanned the crowd, which he decided was a generous term. It was no more than ten or fifteen people stopping to look on, after all. His gaze lingered on the girl who stood at his side on the ground, who looked up at him through her messy sand-colored hair. All right, he thought. Showtime.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! He shouted out. I’m happy to see that so many of you fine people would stop by to see my humble performance. Really, I’m touched! One of the people who stopped to watch turned and walked away. He tried to match the grin of the young lady at his side anyway.

"Er, ahem! As many of you know me, my name is Kite, a frequent and charming visitor to your town. And this is my lovely assistant Miss Audrey Reece, or as most of you know her: Odd." He gestured to her, and she hopped up and waved in response.

Now that the introductions are out of the way, I’ll give you what you all came to see! The marvel of human skill . . . He twisted his umbrella between his fingers and let it swish lightly in front of him and off the stage, revealing a short knife in his other hand . . . as well as a bit of magic. He fanned the single blade into many. The remaining crowd was silent.

Oh, are we not impressed? How about . . . this! He dug through his pockets and produced a small orange feather. The crowd groaned in disappointment. Don’t you give me that noise! You don’t even know what I’m going to do with it yet! Kite gestured with the feather, wiggling the fluffy tip at the crowd accusingly and earning a chuckle.

Odd took this time to wade through the crowd, asking for objects that they wouldn’t mind being used in the act, with the precaution that they would not be getting these items back. After she got a few things, she returned to the side of the crate.

Thank you, Odd, Kite whispered as he took the items from her arms. "And thank you, to those of you who volunteered your possessions. As she informed you all, you won’t be getting these things back, but I assure you that you will not be disappointed with how I put them to use!"

"First up, we have a dried gourd. Then we have a . . . bundle? Bale? Yes, a bale of clipped garden stalks. And lastly . . . he trailed off as he lifted the third object. It was a bag, the contents of which gave off a fetid stench and dripped a milky fluid from its moist bottom. Uh, let’s just call this a sack of rubbish. Thank you, whoever generously handed this over.

Now that I have your assorted garbage, let’s see if I can’t get rid of it. He motioned for the crowd to stand back, and he made flashy movements to place the three items before him as he tried to hide the act of placing the orange feather on his tongue. The crowd began to murmur in confusion. Once again he saw Odd’s wild, wide grin, and his own lips started to curl into a crooked grin.

He dove from his stage and turned on his heel to scoop up the gourd, bale, and sack and hurled them straight up. The crowd fixated on the items as they soared into the air, a few even shifting to avoid being hit from above. Kite whipped his arm, and the objects spun suspended in midair. Then, with a flash of orange, they exploded into a shock of flames that fell back to earth.

It was over in an instant, the people’s collective gaze following the objects back to the stone street, but they were now just smoldering embers standing on the ends of Kite’s knives in the dirt. Silently, Kite stepped back onto his stage. He cleared his throat and gave the crowd a deep bow. He raised his head to see them all looking on in awe.

"Ta-dah!" he said with a devilish grin, a lick of flame escaping his mouth. A roar of applause replaced the stunned silence as Kite stood and bowed again and again in different directions as he plucked his throwing knives from the street.

"That’s all for today’s act everybody, I’m happy you all got to see a glimpse of what real magic is!" Odd yelled to the crowd as she herded Kite away from his new fans. Before they turned the corner he looked back one last time and blew a kiss to the people in a ring of smoke.

Odd rubbed and pat Kite’s back as he painfully hacked and wheezed around the corner from the makeshift stage. The cloak that made his shoulders look so broad now sagged off one side weakly. He scrunched his face in disgust as he pulled the orange feather from his tongue and put it back in his pocket with his throwing knives. Odd shook her head and stepped around him.

Ugh, I hate that acrid smoke taste. I’m gonna cough up smoke and ashes all night, he groaned. That’s the price of being able to breathe fire I guess.

Odd silenced him by shoving the broken handle of his umbrella in his face.

Oh, thanks.

Not a problem, she said with a grin as they started walking.

And thanks also for, you know, playing along with the whole assistant thing. She ignored him and continued to walk while staring wistfully ahead. Are you okay?

Hmm? Oh, yeah, of course I am, she said, still looking ahead. It’s just that no matter what I see you do on stage, it always looks so amazing to me—like when you breathed fire earlier.

You were supposed to look at the stuff I threw—it’s misdirection. I’m not really supposed to be advertising the fire-breath thing. And anyway, that whole shtick is just the feather; I’m not doing anything. Odd raised her eyebrow at him and he looked back sheepishly.

"What? Do you suddenly dislike performing now?"

No! I love performing for people.

But?

But . . . well, I have a pretty tame act, right? My so-called magic could be done by a regular knife-thrower with a mouthful of turpentine. The girl’s intense look did not waver. It just makes the applause I get seem kind of cheap, that’s all! I mean, compare my performance to that of true magicians and it’s obvious that I’m just a normal guy who’s been eternally tagging along with the circus gods!

It was true that his act was nothing special where he came from. His whole life, Kite had lived and traveled with a circus which was noted for housing actual magic in its acts, rather than simple illusions and tricks. In fact, it was for this reason that the young Kite had first begun to take detours away from his circus family to visit Odd’s small town, so that for once it would be his act that was considered amazing.

It doesn’t matter what those other circus performers do, Odd reasoned. I mean, what is it that makes their acts so great? Kite rolled his eyes and made a show of mockingly counting on his fingers.

"Oh, I don’t know: there’s a contortionist who turns his whole head around! Instead of lions and bears, we have trained frumpkins and snurrs! The fireworks grand finale is lit by lightning! Lightning the crowd just saw the ringmaster catch! It’s the kind of stuff nobody else does," he finished, still trying to meet Odd’s glare. She finally blinked and huffed as she turned away.

Well then, you have an act just like that.

How do you figure?

"Simple. Even if you do live with them, nobody else in that circus is Kite. And none of them come to visit me out here." She grinned triumphantly before turning to walk away.

"I—that’s not—ugh . . . This! This kind of thing is why everybody calls you Odd instead of Audrey, you know!"

Don’t care! she yelled back. Stepping back into the street, Odd sighed as she saw her mother huffily jogging towards them in her frumpy house dress.

Hi there, Mrs. Reece, Kite called out, waving to her when he spotted her unmistakable golden head. Out of all the women in the town, it was only Odd and her mother who had their particular color of hair. While the blonde didn’t seem outlandish in color at first, it had a strange way of making other blonde heads look shiny platinum or outright muddy by comparison.

Odd! I haven’t seen you all day, she scolded her daughter. I should have known this little ruffian wandered back into your sights.

Sorry about that, Mrs. Reece. I didn’t realize that she had snuck away from you without a word. The woman rolled her eyes at him. Unlike her daughter, who wore trousers and kept her hair relatively short, Mrs. Reece wore a modest house dress with her long hair held up in a bun.

I’m just teasing you, Kite, no need to be so formal. You’ve been coming by for so long, it’s a wonder we don’t always have a place set at our table for you.

If I wasn’t so formal, I wouldn’t be able to charm my way into your home for a free meal!

Kite and Odd’s mother kept talking, but Odd began to block it out. It was the same sort of exchange they always had: Odd’s mother pretended she didn’t always prepare for Kite’s company, and Kite pretended he had to sweet-talk his way to dinner. It was like their own little greeting, which was nice but Odd had something else on her mind.

As she looked into the sky, through the market road that cut through the town, and past the road that forked away from there, she spotted a little black speck. She blinked a few times to make sure it was real; that black dot remained. Some sort of feeling welled up in her chest as she kept her gaze fixed upon the speck.

 . . . Odd? Audrey! Kite snapped her out of her trance and she looked back at him, unsure of what her face was doing.

Are you okay? her mother asked. We were talking and then you just started getting this really creepy smile.

Oh, that’s right, she said, feeling her cheeks as she realized she was still smiling. "It’s just . . . I think something big is coming! Look, it’s right down there!" She pointed to where the dot stuck in the air, and both her mother and Kite squinted to see what she saw.

What are we looking for? Kite asked.

You don’t see? The black spot. It’s just sitting there in the sky.

"What is that?" They both asked in unison, now staring at the mysterious dot.

That’s when the sound came upon them, a great shriek paired with a deafening bellow that drowned all other noises. As the wind rushed through the town, dust and debris kicked into the air in thick clouds with the overwhelming flood of wind.

Thick, filthy dust clouded the air around Kite as the enormous gale pushed over the town. He coughed and swiped at the air, trying to get just one clear breath of air. Through a window in the dust, he spied Odd. She stood still, clean of the groping fingers of dirt that swarmed the air. Her eyes were open defiantly wide, and in the light, her brown irises shone piercing and gold like a wild cat’s. The blood drained from Kite’s face and his stomach sank into his shoes as he finally made out the mysterious dot in the distance.

Straight across the town, the shadow painted pitch-black swathes across the ground. Floating in the air above it, in utter ignorance of gravity, was a great big enormous lump of dirt. This thing just sat there—a floating island—a sight to behold right down the market row of the town, up so high that nobody could see the top of it.

Then came what couldn’t be described as a breeze, but rather, a shift in the atmosphere that moseyed and rolled over the three of them. It was less than enough to move one’s hair. However, in that fearful silence that choked the town, that wisp was enough to whip people into a panic.

When Kite turned, desperate to get Odd and her mother out of the chaos, they were already gone.

Where—? Kite spun in a circle until he spotted Odd storming down the street, straight towards the floating island and into the oncoming crowd that fled from it. Luckily, Odd’s mother was hot on her heels, making the two women the only ones headed the opposite way.

Kite pushed a shaky breath from his chest and crouched down on one leg. He looked up in time to see Odd and her mother disappear into the crowd. He breathed in. Showtime.

He let his breath go and his legs rocketed him forward into a sprint. Even as he ran headlong for the crowd of trampling feet that ran towards him, there was no doubt in his mind that Odd’s curiosity had her heading straight for that thing in the distance.

Sorry, oops! Ouch! Sorry, Kite apologized as fast as he could as he slammed into people. Those that saw him looked back in confusion or tried to grab him to take him with them. He broke his way to the side of the road to try to find where Odd had gotten to, but the bustling crowd made it impossible to see. He grumbled to himself as he only now wondered how many people actually lived in this town.

Ahead of him, the crowd parted to move around the stage from his show. The flipped crates were pushed to the side of the road, but it would be the perfect way for him to leap beyond the frantic masses. He broke into a run again, and stepped onto the stage, and stepped higher to the wooden stalls that lined the market row. He wobbled on the thin wood roof that threatened to give out any second. But he kept with his momentum, hopping from stall to stall as the roofs behind him clattered and fell.

From above the crowd, he could finally spot them: the sole pair of sand-colored heads. He sped up to catch a glimpse of their faces; Odd’s held more excitement than he’d ever seen it display before, regardless of her mother’s efforts to pull her back. Even while everything was in chaos, Odd still beheld with delight that something amazing had come to her town.

Unfortunately, Kite spent a moment too long staring at Odd, and the world rose to meet him as his pathway of stalls ran short. Careening to the ground, he caught himself, rolling on his side as he tried to protect his face, then into a ball to a pathetic stop.

"You can’t just run off on your own, Odd! I know that you’re curious, but this stupid adventure obsession is going to get you killed!" Mrs. Reece screamed ahead of him, holding onto Odd’s arm with a vice-like grip. Odd refused to make eye contact with her mother as she continued to scold her.

Yes ma’am. I’m sorry, she mumbled.

Kite groaned as he stumbled to his feet behind them. As it turns out, they had actually stopped before the edge of town. The thing must be bigger and further away than they assumed, Kite thought.

What are you doing, Kite? Why are you so filthy? Mrs. Reece turned to him, still using her angry-mom voice.

Uh, I was . . . coming with you? To stop Odd, of course, Kite said with an unconvincing grin. And then I fell down in the street. He felt incredibly childish having to explain himself. He brushed himself off and turned away to hide his embarrassment.

It was amazing, Odd said, paying no attention to her mother or Kite. I saw it move really fast when that big wind came, but just now it didn’t move an inch. Maybe the wind was moving it? Or did it make the wind?

Doesn’t matter. It could be dangerous, Mrs. Reece scolded.

Dangerous how?

"I don’t know, maybe it could fall and crush us! It’s strange and foreign and we have no idea what it is. Amazing or not, we’re staying far away from it."

Fine, Odd huffed.

I’m glad that’s settled. How about we head back for that dinner now? Kite changed the subject.

Back at Odd’s home, Kite balled up his cloak and stuffed it and his umbrella into a corner. Their house was near the edge of town, out of the way of the market row, though the entryway of it was still set up as a waiting room for customers. Here, Odd and her mother made their living with tailoring, the tending of garments and making repairs and alterations to clothes. It was the only tailor’s shop around, so while they didn’t make much, they did well enough to support themselves.

Past the front room was the modest den, where a table covered in scraps of cloth stood outside the kitchen. Pushed back against the far wall was a mountain of various sizing tapes, curtain rods, and even an old-fashioned pedal loom. The familiarity of the place was refreshing to Kite, who had grown used to not having a single place to call home.

Make yourself comfortable, Mrs. Reece said. Dinner will be ready in a little while. She, too, looked relieved to be back as she and Odd both kicked off their shoes. Like her trousers, Odd’s shoes were also a boy’s style, though they were modified with a higher heel by her mother.

So did you see anything new while you were gone? Odd asked. You were going to tell me something about the animal-guy this morning, but we never got to it.

"I believe the proper term is beast-tamer, dear. I’m sure Kite’s friend wouldn’t like being called animal-guy."

He’s not as noble to make that distinction, Mrs. Reece. He’s practically one of the animals himself. Kite said. Odd took off her vest and joined her mother in the kitchen, grabbing an apron from a hook on the wall.

I, however, am no such beast. And I would be a complete ingrate if I didn’t at least help you out with cooking. I’m no chef, but I can follow instructions pretty well. He stepped into the kitchen and was ignored by the two ladies that scurried about. He tried not to get in their way as they moved around.

Kite stood next to Mrs. Reece and watched her tap an egg against her forehead. Like magic, she pulled the exactly separated shell apart and poured the yolk into the bowl before her. Kite followed suit and grabbed an egg. It slipped from his fingers as he tried to tap it against his forehead, and smashed into gooey shards on the floor. With a sigh, Odd tugged him away from the kitchen.

Just clear and set the table, please, she ordered. He could feel his face glowing with embarrassment as he busied himself with moving the assorted pieces of cloth. As he worked, another set of hands appeared, gathering up another handful.

Odd? What are you—? He bit his lip to silence himself. Odd avoided eye contact as her own face was flushed red, globs of yolk and eggshell stuck to her forehead and bangs.

Okay, so this isn’t the first time I’ve told you guys about our beast-tamer, but this is something new I think you’re gonna enjoy, Kite began. Mostly with this stuff I’ve told you about random little animals, and I think I’ve mentioned the giant with the funny accent.

Boscov!

"Exactly, Odd. You see, besides having an accent, Boscov is our beast-tamer. Or animal-guy. In his language, there’s some ridiculous word for it I can’t pronounce, but it’s all the same thing."

Alright, so what about him?

"Well he’s been telling me about this one animal he really wanted for his act. It’s rare, too. Not just foreign from a different country, but magically rare, see?"

You mean like those long-haired mountain horses? Mrs. Reece asked.

"Not quite as tame as a llama, ma’am. In fact, this creature is so rare, I’ve never actually seen one, so I’ve only heard this story second-hand from Boscov himself. And the thing with this beast is: if he couldn’t tame it properly, or if he ever left it alone for too long, it would eat the other animals in his act in a second!"

Now, what was it called . . . Kite wondered aloud, rubbing his chin as if trying to remember. "Ah yes. He called it ze great gobber! He imitated the beast-tamer’s thick accent poorly. What? Not impressed? Well, listen up anyway, because he told me about this legend known among his people. They were like walking natural disasters, some real-life monsters. All they did was eat and eat, gobbling up anything and everything that they could get into their mouths."

Goats do that too.

But goats don’t get big enough to tear through houses and buildings! Kite said and stretched his arms far out to his sides. "Their heads are this big, and all mouth! They have no eyes or faces, just a big set of teeth with an appetite on legs."

How does something like that live? Odd asked. Taming something like that sounds impossible.

Boscov would agree with you. If he had any notion of how to tame it, I would be telling you about his act with it. He also made it sound like the story he was reading cast these creatures in a very sad light.

It sounds more like a horror story.

The story said that they are terrifying, true. In fact, it said that because the gobber had no faces, they were called ugly, and so they became jealous of things that were beautiful. But I think that is just in their nature, and they have no idea that what they’re eating is a landmark or a home.

That does sound sad.

Yeah. It even went on and on about how people hated these things so much that they were driven into caves and deserts away from people.

Sounds like a cursed existence, Odd said gloomily. They all sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on the story.

Whew, I think that got a little too serious! Kite finally broke the silence. Is the food ready yet? I’m starving.

Although the supper took two extra eggs to make and was cold by the time Kite had finished his story, it was a good meal. After they finished, Kite insisted on taking on the clean-up by himself as an apology for his lack of skills in the kitchen.

So are you staying in or are you gonna try to find someplace to camp out again? Odd asked Kite as he dried his hands from washing the dishes. "You don’t have to camp out all the time. We do have a cot for you."

What do you take me for? Kite scoffed. I am a gentleman, and a gentleman could never impose himself on two young ladies like that! He winked back to Odd and her mother. He grabbed the messy bundle of his cloak and laid it flat on the floor, and carefully folded the cloth until it returned to its usual shape: a knapsack that Kite slung over his shoulder. As he began packing his things, which he had left at the house earlier that day, he stopped as he grabbed his one source of light in the darkness, a candle. Sadly, the wax was already burned down to less than an inch tall, nearly useless.

I don’t suppose that that same certain gentleman could borrow a lantern for the evening?

As always, Kite would hear nothing of staying the night, as he took his borrowed lantern and made for the door, slipping on his shoes clumsily hopping on one foot.

You know that our door is always open for you if you get cold out there, Mrs. Reece said as he stepped out into the night.

I know it!

You shouldn’t make an old woman worry! She yelled out to him.

He stopped in his tracks