Place Where Magic Lives: Walking the Plank

By Lisa Colodny

Their grandfather’s farm has always been a magical place for eleven-year old cousins, Liam and Samantha. Even before the wormhole in the woods transported them to the magical world of Nelliah where they encountered a variety of magical creatures with special powers, they’d known the farm and surrounding area was unlike any other plac

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kingston Publishing Company
• Release date: Feb 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645330691

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Copyright

Into the Woods is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

INTO THE WOODS: A NOVEL

Copyright © 2019 by Lisa Colodny

All rights reserved.

Editing by KP Editing

Cover design by KP Designs

Published by Kingston Publishing Company

The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Acknowledgements

Dedication

To my cousins: Roger, Joann, Randy, Kelly, Oopie, Sherry, Cindy, Tonya, Kim, Teresa, Scott, Allison, Jordan, Debra, Cherida, Shannon, Danielle, Allen, Gail, and Leoda.

I loved the magical places of our youth.

Chapter 1

Liam toed the soft mud with the tip of his sneakers wishing the trail between his house and his Grandfathers had more gravel and less dirt. Rain had been plentiful over the long cool months of spring and left thick patches of black mud as a calling card. In addition to the mud, the lower branches of the trees were curtained in damp, fat leaves that smelled like laundry detergent, not the flowery one his mother sometimes used. The branches smelled like the soap his grandmother used most of the time. It smelled like rain.

Reaching up, he yanked a thin branch from the tree ahead of him and held onto the limb for as long as he could, letting it snap back in place once he’d passed under. Liam laughed aloud wishing there’d been someone behind him so that he could have benefited from the prank. It wasn’t any fun unless the leaves brushed against someone’s face. He smiled, it would have been perfect if his cousin, Samantha, had been following behind him.

Of course, that just meant she’d spend the next day or two looking for a creative way to pay him back. He knew he was fortunate, his cousin was his best friend. He loved the time he was able to spend with her.

Hey there, little red bird, he said to a cardinal as it jumped delicately from a lower tree branch to one just slightly higher. Liam stopped and watched the bird, thinking of Pap’s story about the red birds and how they are angels of loved ones lost. He thought of his uncle who never returned home from the service. The thought left him sad and happy at the same time.

Descending the hill to Pap’s was challenging, his feet slid down the muddy decline until his sneakers collided with the wooden planks of a homemade bridge. It wasn’t very wide, there was just barely enough space for Pap to get comfortably across. Of course, Pap was a big man, bigger than any other adult Liam knew.

Liam grabbed the wooden rail of the bridge, pushing his weight onto his arms and swinging his feet out in front of him until he dropped against the surface of the wooden floor making it whine and vibrate under his feet. No matter how many times he made the short walk to his grandparents, his eleven-year-old legs never got tired. Every time Samantha visited Pap, it was an adventure. He couldn’t wait to see where this weekend might take them.

Liam watched his cousin as he made his way closer to Pap’s house. Samantha was walking behind a car as it pulled away from the house and down the winding driveway before grinding its gears and trudging back up the steep hill that went into town.  She waved frantically at the back of the car to her parents, his aunt, and uncle. He was lucky, he didn’t have to choose between seeing his parents and seeing his grandparents. Liam and his family were just next door.

Liam! she screamed after seeing him, her arms dropping to her sides as she ran closer. Pap wasn’t sure you were going to be able to join us this weekend. She looped her arm through his, careful not to disengage the bracelet from her wrist. He thought you might be grounded.

I’m on parole, he answered, pulling his arm away from hers.

Careful, don’t break my new bracelet. She held it out for him to inspect. "You know what it is? Where it’s from?

No. Looks like an old silly bracelet to me.

It’s from a pirate treasure ship. She admired it again. I got in when we went away over spring break. It’s been laying on the bottom of the ocean for hundreds of years.

Really? His interest piqued. A real live pirate ship?

Well, she explained as only another eleven-year-old could. The pirates died many years ago and the ship sank as well, but it was excavated by some divers.

Do you know what ship?

Daddy bought it when we were in Key West. It’s from the Atocha. A treasure hunter named Mel Fischer found it.

Liam pulled her wrist closer for a better look, wishing he was good in school like Samantha. She was always reading a book or studying something in a magazine. For sure, she was the smartest six grader he knew.

She fished in the front pocket of her jean shorts and pulled out a small coin about the size of a quarter. Daddy thought you’d like this. It’s from the same wreck.

Thanks! He took the coin holding it up closer to his face to get a better look. Remind me to thank Uncle Wade when he comes to get you.

I will.

He pocketed the coin and followed behind Samantha coming upon Pap as they rounded the side of the house and stepped up on the big front porch.

Did you make bail or break out? Pap asked, smiling as he asked the question.

Mom didn’t want Sam to be alone over the weekend. Liam looked away not making eye contact.

She wouldn’t be alone. Pap pulled Samantha into a bear hug. Ma and I would have come up with something to entertain her.

Liam laughed watching Samantha struggle to slide under and out of Pap’s arms. Finally, jumping in to assist her, it was a battle they’d engaged in before and seldom won. Within minutes, Pap had them both wrapped under his big arms. Say, uncle, he laughed.

Uncle, Samantha relented first, sliding from his grasp and dropping to the concrete porch.

Me, too. Liam joined her, sliding close to her and laying back on the porch with his arms folded under his head as if he was on a sandy beach.

What happened? she finally asked, her breath coming in great gasps from her failed attempt at escape.

Wasn’t nothing, really, Liam responded before looking anxiously back to Pap. There were no secrets between the two houses on the hill. Liam knew his grandfather already knew what had happened with his friends and the drug store in town.

I don’t think I remember you ever being grounded before Liam. She stated in a way that made Liam think she’d make a good lawyer when they were older.

After baseball practice, some of us went into town to get an ice-cream from the drug store.

His pause was so long, it seemed he might be finished with the story and wasn’t going to tell what else had happened.

Instead, he went on. After we finished eating the ice cream, we were just sitting in the back booth talking.

Talking? About what?

Baseball, the monster truck rally coming up next week at the fair...

Doesn’t sound like any of those things would get you grounded.

Before we left the store, James asked if I wanted to be in their group.

What group? She sat up before turning back to look at his reclining figure.

Kind of like a club. They go to movies, bowling, and carnivals together. Whenever I see them, they are always together, always having a good time.

Sounds fun, maybe I’ll join, too.

I don’t think so, His response was curt. I’m no longer it in either.

Why? She spun around to face him.

To be in the club I had to pocket something from the toy aisle and leave the drugstore without paying for it.

You mean you stole it. He didn’t need to ask how she felt about the event. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was disappointed.

It was just a tiny car, sold for less than a dollar.

Why didn’t you just buy the car if you wanted it?

I didn’t want it. It was a piece of junk. James chose it as part of the initiation.

Into the group?

Liam nodded.

Was it worth it?

"No, mom made me take the car back and apologize to Mr. Davis. I’m sweeping his floors for the next two Saturdays for free and I have to