Seaside Magic: Seaside Magic, #1

By Vianlix-Christine Schneider

The secrets of Magic will change everything

 

Fourteen-year-old Caroline Smith's life has always been filled with secrets, but nothing can compare to her accidently discovering that her whole family has magical powers. She is thrilled to learn how to use the powers that she never knew she had. But that joy melts away when she realizes someone is using magic who wants her dead. A masked man—with strong, dark powers—will do whatever it takes to end every Smiths' life. With the help of her grandmother, Caroline trains in hopes of saving her family, staying alive, and stopping the masked man once and for all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vianlix-Christine Schneider
• Release date: Feb 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201185756

Book preview

Chapter 2

1953

Caroline pulled her knees up to her chest as she tried to find a comfortable sitting position on the train. She had been sitting in the same seat for the past five days. The train seats dug into her back and her legs no matter how she sat. She looked out the window, trying to take her mind off her back pain.

A bright red farm sat in the middle of the greenest field she had ever seen. The cows chewed on the grass as it dangled from their mouths. A farmer rode a lovely white horse in the distance with his small dog running next to him. She smiled as she watched them before the train window showed endless trees once more. The sun flashed through the branches and into the train.

She looked back down into her lap. During her five days of travel, she had seen many people come and go with such different stories. She couldn’t care less as to why they were traveling and never asked, but many of them would tell her anyway.

I’m on my way to my best friend’s wedding, one lady, who smelled like mothballs and cake, had said.

I’m heading to New York to see my sister, another had told her. She just got in her first Broadway show.

A man, who kept bouncing his knee and picking at his fingernails, had told her, I have never been on a train before. I’m a bit nervous. The Washington DC train crash that happened in January made me never want to ride in one of these death boxes, but I have to travel for work. No one died in the crash, but forty-three were hurt. Who wants to live through something as scary as that?

Long after the man had raced off the train, she let his words sink in. She had not thought about the fact that trains could crash.

Another person sat next to her soon after. I am on my way to ask the love of my life to be my wife. He showed her a big, shiny ring he had in his bag.

I’m selling my pigs, an older man had said as he held a medium-sized cage with two loud, smelly pigs inside.

I’m going to Florida to take over my late father’s fitness shop, one man had told her. I grew up in Florida. He ate from a small peanut bag and offered some to her, she took a few in her hand as she sat as close to the window with its dusty green curtains as she could. This man was easily the largest man she had ever seen in her short fourteen-year life. He took up his entire seat and most of Caroline’s, making her feel crammed. My dad passed away a few days ago. He had been sick for a while with pneumonia. A hint of sadness traveled in his voice. So, I’m moving back to my hometown to take over his little shop.

Caroline looked down at her lap. Her heart felt for this gentle giant. She knew that pain far too well. She had lost her parents when she was young. Soon after, she moved in with her mother’s sister and would have nightmares. It took her almost two years to understand that she would never see them again. She could always relate to others who lost their parents because she remembered how she felt when she knew her parents had died. I’m sorry that happened to you, she had told the man in her most understanding voice.

Me too, but there is nothing I can do about it. He was a good man, and I’m grateful for the time we had together.

She sighed. Life was like that: one moment you could have everything, and the next you could have nothing.

Why are you traveling? he asked as he handed her the last few peanuts from his bag.

She took them as she thought of a lie. I’m moving in with my grandmother. Well, it wasn’t a lie; she was moving in with her. But she wasn’t about to tell him the reason she was moving in with her and why she was all by herself as she traveled across the country.

I bet you’ll love living with her, he said with a smile.

I hope so. She sighed as she looked back out the window. She had never known her grandmother. The last time she had seen her grandmother was at her parent’s funeral. But that had been ten years ago. She would always remember sitting across the room from her, wondering if she would get to live with her, but that never happened. Growing up, she would wonder why she never heard from her and would think she must’ve done something wrong. But as she got older, she stopped thinking about her, deciding that someone who didn’t reach out was not worth her time or thoughts.

As the large man wished Caroline a good trip and got off the train, she thought about why she was so far from Washington, her home state. She knew she had it coming. Being sent off across the country was the least her family could’ve done. It could’ve been much worse.

Pack your bags! Aunt Mia had yelled at Caroline. You have a train to catch tomorrow! I can’t wait till your voice won’t fill this house.

Caroline had looked out the window, trying to ignore her aunt, but it seemed almost impossible. She ran a hand through her brown hair. The sun hit her pale skin through the old room’s window. Birds flew through the sunrays. Kids played together and laughed. Dogs ran, and a family enjoyed a walk together in the nice weather. Then Caroline saw her own reflection in the window, and a sudden sadness grew within her.

Whenever Aunt Mia would yell at her, she felt helpless as she took her insults. She would sometimes wonder how she had become such a bother to her. Uncle George had married Mia five years ago, making her Caroline’s aunt. The day they got married, Mia had ignored her the whole night, talking to everyone but her. Her other uncle, Edmund, had told her not to worry about it, but her aunt’s mood only got worse toward her when she moved in with them two years ago. Caroline would hold back tears as her aunt called her horrible names or laid a hand on her.

She knew that there was no one else she could live with though. After her parents passed away, she had been passed around to each family member. No one wanted her for longer than a few years. After ten years of living with each of her family members, she ran out of people who wanted her.

Aunt Mia and Uncle George both had never wanted kids— never wanted her—but she had somehow ended up in their house. Since she knew she was unwanted, she gave them reasons to hate her. She had done many, terrible things. She flooded the bathrooms, drew over their history books, and flushed her aunt’s pills down the toilet. Once, she had put frogs into her aunt’s bedroom. She had never heard Mia yell so loudly till that day. She ran out of her room and into the library, screaming for George. I-I was sitting on the bed, and a frog jumped on my head!

What? he asked, holding her close. It was clear that he wasn’t sure how a frog could get into the house, let alone the second floor. He looked over the stairs as a frog jumped down the last step and onto the hardwood floors.

Mia yelled again, rushing behind her husband.

Caroline walked down the stairs, trying to hide her smile. She kept her voice calm. What’s wrong, Mia? Are you alright?

It took George and Caroline two hours to find all sixteen frogs she had brought into the house. Afterward, they had her stay in her room for two weeks to think about what she had done.

Deep down, she wanted them to act like a happy family. She missed having a family so much. But at times, acting up was the only thing she could do to get them to look her way.

But now as she sat on a train heading across the country, she knew she had crossed a line. She could not help but laugh at the memory of Mia’s fearful screams when the frogs hopped throughout the house. She always knew she was in dangerous water, but she never thought they would send her off to live with her grandmother in North Carolina.

She didn’t want to feel sorry for herself, but she did. She worried about living with a stranger. But every few minutes, she would think that maybe—just maybe—she would enjoy living with her grandmother. At least until her grandmother would grow tired of her like everyone else.

Chapter 3

As the sun rose over the mountains, it shined into the train. Caroline covered her eyes with her hair to go back to sleep, but pain shot through her back and her neck. With every bump, the train would move her just enough to give her pain. She hadn’t slept well up against the window all night. She couldn’t wait till she was in a good bed again. She ran her hand down her dress, making it lay flat, and fixed her hair. Looking around the cart, she found that most people were still sleeping or doing some light reading.

She bent over and reached under her seat for her bag. She pulled it out just enough to open the bag and take out her grandmother’s letter.

Caroline,

I have never been so happy to read a letter in my life. It’s so nice to hear from you! How are you? I would love to have you come here to Duck, NC! The sooner the better. Most of the summer fun is about to start, so I know you’ll love it here. I already have a room for you. The house has always felt so empty since my girls moved out. It would be nice to have someone to share it with.

I can’t wait to give you a big hug. Sending all my love and praying for a safe trip. See you soon!

Lots of love,

Julia (Jewel)

XOXO

As she reread the letter, she remembered how much she had waited for it.

Her grandmother was her last and only hope. Mia had written to her, demanding that Caroline move in with her. That same night, Mia had said that if they never heard from her grandmother, she would send Caroline off to an orphanage, where she could be someone else’s problem.

Caroline had waited night and day for that letter. She hadn’t been sure she would get one though since her grandmother was kind of a mystery. No one ever talked about Julia. She had always found it weird, but maybe her grandmother was just as misunderstood as she was.

Either way, she knew that when she got to her grandmother’s house, she had to keep her walls up. This lady seemed sweet on paper, but she could be different in person. The only reason she might have wanted Caroline was because she either felt sorry for her or wanted to make up for lost years. Plus, every time Caroline had her walls down, it ended badly.

When she went to live with her Aunt Tilly—her mother’s sister—she was just four years old. She had let all her walls down, trusting her. She never thought her aunt wouldn’t care about her. But a wild Caroline had done the unthinkable to get her aunt’s attention after just one year.

Five-year-old Caroline had walked into Tilly’s bedroom, holding a doll. Tilly? Can you play with me? she had asked.

Tilly didn’t even look toward her as she folded clothes on her bed. I’m busy. She kept her eyes on a dress and turned to hang in the closet.

Caroline looked down. She held the doll close to her chest as she turned and left the room. She wanted her aunt’s attention more than anything. Luckily, she had the perfect plan to get her attention.

You set my oven on fire! Tilly yelled.

Caroline sat on the ground, looking down at her small hands.

I was trying to make bread like mommy did, she mumbled.

Tilly put her head in her hands like she was praying. She wanted to like her sister’s child so badly. Caroline was all she had left of her sister, but she was too much of a troublemaker. She always wanted her attention, which was difficult with the few children she had to look after and with so much housework she had to do. She didn’t have time for the young girl. So, she had sent her off to one of Caroline’s uncles on her dad’s side.

She then lived with Uncle Edmund and his big, happy family for seven years. He had married a sweet woman named Mary, and they had nine kids when Caroline had arrived. By the time she moved out, they had twelve. Laughter and fun always echoed in the halls. The house got a little chaotic at times with all the kids running around, but Caroline was never lonely. She always had a cousin to talk to or run around with.

Caroline! Norna, one of Caroline’s older cousins, had called once. She lowered her voice, clearly not wanting her mother to overhear and stop the plan. So, everyone is planning on dumping a bucket of water on dad after he gets home from work.

Everyone? Caroline had asked.

Yes. You want in? she asked with a wicked smile. Caroline nodded, and her cousin took her to where her nine other cousins waited.

As soon as they filled the bucket with water, Edmund pulled into the driveway in his 1947 Chevrolet. He jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. As he walked up to the front door, Norna and another cousin held the bucket out the second-story window and dumped water onto their father’s head. He yelled out in surprise as everyone laughed from the window. He smiled as he looked up at his laughing kids.

Dinner was served late that day because Edmund called the children down, grabbed the yard hose, and chased them around for hours. Each young child laughed and ran as fast as they could. Caroline screamed as he picked her up and spun her.

Each night, Edmund and Mary would go from kid to kid and kiss them good night. They loved and cared for Caroline as if she was their own. She truly felt loved.

But when she was twelve, out of nowhere, they had told her that she’d be living with her Uncle Robert. Robert was Edmund’s younger brother who lived five hours away. She had only seen him on holidays before. She begged Edmund and Mary to let her stay, but they said no and never gave her a reason for it. At night, she would lay awake, wondering what she had done wrong.

I don’t want you to leave, Norna had said while sitting on Caroline’s bed one night. They had shared a room for the past seven years, and Norna had told her she was not looking forward to having the room back to herself.

Caroline’s eyes filled with tears. Write me every day. They hugged, holding onto each other tight.

Leaving that house was the hardest thing for Caroline. She never wanted to say goodbye to the only home she knew.

After a few hours in Robert’s house, Caroline had gone into the kitchen and mixed a few random foods together. It all exploded just as Edmund was saying his goodbyes. The adults rushed into the kitchen and found a mess all over the countertops and floor.

Uncle Robert gasped.

My kitchen! his wife cried out. Little did Caroline knew how much she loved her kitchen.

Uncle Robert turned to his brother and said, You’re taking her with you!

She smiled, knowing her plan had worked. She’d go back home with Edmund.

But it didn’t work that way.

Instead, Edmund took her to Uncle George and Aunt Mia’s house, which was even further away from Edmund’s house: a full seven hours. She would always remember how hard she had begged him to let her stay.

Please! she had sobbed, grabbing onto his arm once they pulled up to George’s house. Whatever I did, I’m sorry!

Edmund had tears of his own but blinked them away. Get your things, he whispered.

Caroline felt like she had hit a wall. They must’ve never really saw her as one of their own, even though they were her parents in her eyes. She told herself that she would never ask him for anything ever again as she watched him get in his car and drive away.

He had never come back to see her after that day. She never even got one letter from Norna, despite the letters she sent her. Edmund didn’t even send her anything on her birthdays. Now, two years later, here she was halfway across the country because he had left her with George and Mia. It made her never want to think about him again.

The train slowed for its stop in a few miles. One of the railroad workers walked into the cart and stood at the front. He was tall and skinny, reminding Caroline of a baby giraffe. Next stop is Asheville, North Carolina! If you are getting off at this stop, please have your bags ready. Also, have your ticket in hand to show one of the workers. We thank you for riding with us. He smiled, turning on his heels before going back to the other carts to repeat the message. Caroline looked down at her only bag that sat at her feet. She put her grandmother’s letter back inside and pulled out her ticket. She didn’t want to look for a bus to take her to Duck, but she also loved the idea of finally getting off this train and stretching her legs. Her nervousness grew with every bump. She hoped her grandmother was nice, cooked amazing food, and would pinch her cheeks. She smiled but stopped. She didn’t have time for such dreams because she knew dreams were just that—dreams.

Chapter 4

As Caroline stepped off the train, she took a deep breath of fresh air. The train had been so stuffy, making the air heavy. Her window had only cracked open, not giving her much air throughout her trip.

Next! called out a man, who stood by the train. He looked down at each ticket as passengers stepped off the train. With his bright red face, he looked hot under the summer sun.

She walked up to him and handed him her ticket without saying a word.

He looked down at it for a long while, making her wonder if something was wrong. After a while, he wrote something over it with a marker and handed it back to her. Have a nice day kid.

Caroline sat on the curb next to the bus stop, looking for a bus to take her to Duck. A few buses drove by, but they were all going elsewhere. The sun beat down on her as she waited and waited. Her skirt stuck to her legs. She moved it around her legs in hopes of getting some air moving, but it didn’t help much. She fanned herself with her grandmother’s letter, but that didn’t help much either.

Two hours later, a bus showed up, making the loudest noise ever as it came to a stop. Thank goodness, Caroline said as she read a sign that said Duck in the windshield. She picked up her bag and waited for the bus door to open.

You’re going to Duck? asked the bus driver as he turned to look at her.

From where she stood, the bus’s