YOU'RE ALL MINE - ch 4

YOU’RE ALL MINE - ch 4

(the magic of Midnight)

^ ^

Mia’s parents had gotten used to hearing her one-way conversation with Midnight. They fully understood that their daughter, in reality, heard spoken words from the feline, not just the meowing sounds they heard.

“It still boggles my mind,” her father said to her mother.

“Brian, I know the feeling. I’m the elf in the family; you’re the witch. You’re supposed to have a familiar, just like Mia but I’ve never seen you with one. To be honest, until Mia brought home Mo deas, her first familiar, I never thought to ask you why you didn’t. Isn’t it normal for your family?”

Before Brian could answer, there was a knock on the door. As Morena called out a ‘come in’ welcoming, a swish of air blew open the door and in walked Finola. Brian smiled and teased his aunt. “Aunt Finola, do you ever walk or is all you do ‘glide’?”

Finola walked to her nephew and as he began standing to give her a lovingly hug, she playfully slapped the top of his head. “Brian, I walk when I must and I’ll walk for exercise but if I can get away with gliding, then glide I will. You should try it sometime.”

Morena laughed. “Aunt Finola, Brian has never been what you might call the graceful type so I really don’t think gliding is something he would ever accomplish.”

The back door closed, and they heard the unmistakable stomping of Mia’s boots as she kicked off dirt and mud. She saw Midnight take off like a bullet to greet Finola and smiled as she thought, “figures. That silly cat wants all the attention.” In mid-run, she heard her say, “naturally!”

Mia walked over and gave her grand aunt a hug, “Hi Aintin. I was hoping you’d stop by. You need to see my garden. It’s absolutely amazing.”

“Indeed, I shall, mo ghra, but I have a feeling it’s time I have a talk with your dad about his parents.”

Mia laughed and asked, “Will this involve me?”

“No, mo bhinneas (my sweetness), not directly.”

“Good, then I’ll go to my room and get some homework done. Come on, Midnight!”

She laughed when Midnight answered, “Oh lordie! Another dull afternoon. This girl really needs to be more adventurous.”

An hour later, Mia and Midnight bound down the stairs. “Hi Aunt Liz, Uncle Ian. Mickey are you ready?”

While Finola smiled, the other four adults looked at Mia with a puzzlement. “Mia,” Morena began to ask, “where are you and Mickey going.”

Mia put one hand on her hip and looked sternly at her cousin, “Mickey didn’t you tell them?”

“Uh, no, Mia. I thought you could tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Liz questioned, abruptly.

“Mickey and I are taking the path down to the river. We’re meeting a few classmates. And decided to build small campfire so we can toast marshmallows.”

Midnight pranced and Mia heard her say, “That’s my girl! Have some fun for a change.”

But her mother said, “Mia, it’s already three in the afternoon. There are no lights down there. Don’t you think it’s a bit too late in the day to go romping on a beach?”

“Mom!” Mia began with an exasperated tone in her voice as she rolled her eyes. “First of all, we all have very strong flashlights. Sharon and Henry are bring outdoor torches and matches. I’ve been up and down that stone pathway more times than I can count. I can probably walk that path blindfolded. Plus, we’re not going to be ‘romping.’ We’re going to just hang out and toast marshmallows. Although Sharon did say something about smores. There’s also a full moon tonight. We’ll be fine.”

Before any adult could respond, Mia and Midnight walked out the door with Mickey following quickly behind.

Morena said to no one in particular, “There are times when that girl really worries me. She’s only thirteen and yet she seems so much older. I know I can’t and shouldn’t control her, but I do worry.”

Finola took a sip from her teacup and as she slowly lowered back on the saucer, said, “Morena, my stor (my dear), you needn’t worry so much. She has draiocht an mhean oiche (Midnight Magic). She’ll be fine. Every girl needs to expand her horizons. But you’re quite right. While she’s only thirteen, she has an old soul. It’s still developing but you’ve already noticed that she knows things, that her age, she shouldn’t. She needs this night. Sit back, pour us all a neat glass of your fine Guinness, and let me continue with the lives of Brian and Ian.”

^ ^

Meanwhile, Mia and Mickey met their friends who, because of where they lived, needed to take the longer patch to the private beach. They spread the blanket on the beach as did their friends while a few of the boys wedged the torch poles into the sand. Each of the six young teens began to scour the beachfront for driftwood to use for their campfire.

Before they actually began, Mia and Mickey, who rarely left her side, heard one of the other girls cry out in pain.

As they rushed to Adiran’s side, she sat in the sand holding her foot and crying out. “It hurts! It bloody hurts! What the blue blazes did I step on?”

They all turned on their flashlights and looked around, but it was Mia who spotted the culprit. “Adrian, let me see your foot. Quickly!”

Upon examining her friend, she said, “Adrian, you stepped on a sea urchin. I need to get you to the clinic, like NOW!”

Adrian looked painfully in Mia’s eyes and said, “Mia, none of us are old enough to drive and besides, we’re at the bottom of a cliff!”

Mia only smiled and said, “Adrian, have you forgotten I’m an elf? Do you have an aversion to flying?”

To which, Mia heard Midnight say, “That’s my girl!”