The Magic Locker 2: The Disappearing Cabin

By Elara Dunn

It's been three months since magic was revealed to the world.

Ellie McNeil and her band of bullied misfits have been searching for their missing school coun

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pacific Teen
• Release date: Apr 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9781922936677

Book preview

Contents

Dedication

Copyright

Officer Ramirez

Prologue

1.Meet Genevieve

2.Keeping With Tradition

3.Viva, Warrior Queen

4.Ellie’s Unrequited Optimism

5.The Betrayal

Interlude 1: Wayne

6.Scroll Through Those Emotions

7.Glitched

8.Embrace Your Power

9.Puerco, the Electric Pig

10.Winston Willifer Warlock

Interlude Two: Leon

11.The Witch Known As Eliza Fritz

12.Genevieve And Luz

13.The Unluckiest of Chapters

14.Viva IRL

15.The Tale of Creeping Lily

Interlude Three-Javier

16.Indescribable Sadness

17.The Disappearing Cabin

18.Ghost Vs. Witch

19.Redemption

20.Chapter Three Rewind

21.Castle Hexx

Epilogue

About The Author

Dedication

For Julia and Maya

My love knows no bounds.

For anyone who knows grief

You are not alone.

Embrace Your Power

Elara xoxo

Copyright © 2024 by Elara Dunn

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Officer Ramirez

Officer Ramirez kicked down the door to the rickety old cabin, gun drawn in one hand, flashlight in the other. It was a routine disturbance call, but something felt off. The woods were silent. Even the trees stood still. Not an animal was in sight. The bright light of the winter moon illuminated the first few feet inside the cabin. He slowly crept inside. As he moved through the entryway, he observed antique furnishings. " Probably some gimmick to lure tourists," he thought. He heard the faint sound of music coming from the room around the corner. He moved steadily toward the sound, expecting to find some strung-out teenagers, but prepared for danger just in case. As he rounded the corner, he aimed his flashlight into the darkness. The music was coming from an old phonograph. There was a Rosemary Clooney album sleeve on the floor next to it. The record was skipping, repeating the phrase stars in your eyes . Ramirez approached the corner for further examination. He stood as still as possible, trying to detect any movement inside the cabin. He turned slowly, flashlight revealing a fireplace, a closet, and then the kitchen. Stars in your eyes continued to repeat as he walked toward the kitchen. A shadow passed by the window, disrupting the moonlight. Whether the figure was inside or out, Officer Ramirez did not know. He cautiously entered the kitchen. His flashlight came upon the face of a woman on the floor. He realized with horror that her body was badly decomposed, her checkered dress and apron stained with blood. Stars in your eyes, stars in your eyes, played through a piercing shriek as the scene before him vanished, melting away the cabin’s façade until Ramirez found himself standing alone in the woods. In a state of shock, he barely noticed the shadowy figure of a woman approaching him through the snow. She silently crept toward him with an unnatural gait, blonde hair billowing around her like a cloak caught in a tornado. The last thing he saw as he fell dead to the ground was her decomposed face, checkered dress, and stained apron.

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Prologue

Ellie McNeil sat on her bed, contemplating life while organizing the sketches she’d drawn of the metaphysical universe. It had been three months since the existence of magic had been revealed to the world, and, quite frankly, not that much had changed. Ellie didn’t know if it was because there really weren’t that many magic users in the world, or if other magic users were afraid of showing their powers.

Ellie wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting after the reveal. She was mentally prepared for a dramatic shift in the cosmos. Of course, there was the initial excitement and panic from the ordinary world. When it first happened, several magic users, dubbed Wielders by the media, appeared on television programs to showcase their powers. Magic was all the rage. But after a while, the newness of it wore off, and people returned to doing what people do. Ellie’s parents continued to go to work, the kids in town spent their summer on the beach or at the movies, life went on. Of course, there were still conspiracy theorists, attempts to control the use of magic, protests opposing Wielders, protests supporting Wielders. Even that had faded surprisingly fast. When Ellie’s father had stopped asking her to levitate the dirty dishes into the dishwasher using her power of telekinesis, she knew even her parents had become used to it.

As for Ellie and her friends, they were as far removed from normal life as possible. They had spent the past three months searching for Dr. Sophia, their school guidance counselor, wielder of empathy, and possible international spy. Okay, not that last one, but Ellie still held on to the image. Dr. Sophia had sacrificed herself to save Ellie and the Witch known as Eliza Fritz. Ellie couldn’t bear the thought of Dr. Sophia being helpless and alone, trapped inside of a metaphysical prison, or anywhere else she may be stuck for that matter. No one knew for certain where Dr. Sophia was. All efforts to find Eliza Fritz had also failed. If anyone knew how to get Dr. Sophia back, it was her. But Ellie became increasingly concerned that the witch, herself, may be lost. Ellie had assumed Eliza Fritz was trying to find her father, who was Eliza’s last surviving family member. All Ellie knew was that there had been no trace of the witch since the day that Dr. Sophia was sucked into oblivion.

So, to try to find any trace of the doctor in the metaphysical universe, Ellie poured over her sketches of the Never-Ending Forest, golden fields, magical lands, and the terrifying monsters they had encountered there. Ellie searched day after day for any hint of the whereabouts of Dr. Sophia, Eliza, or Mr. Fritz. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. But what?

The summer was over in a blink. Their friend Kat had left for college the previous weekend. Ellie already missed her. Tomorrow was the first day of Ellie’s sophomore year at Cecilia Payne High School. Ellie wondered if a new student would gain magic. She hoped it would be a power they could use to help find Dr. Sophia. Combined with Ellie’s power of telekinesis, Chris: super-senses, Nicole: shapeshifting, and Kat: teleportation, perhaps a magic formula existed that would finally free the doctor.

Where did Ellie and her friends get their powers from? Well, I’m glad you asked. They got them from The Magic Locker.

Chapter one

Meet Genevieve

Genevieve Espinoza headed to school for her very first day as a freshman at Cecilia Payne High School. She had previously mapped out her route as soon as she moved to this crappy little town with her father over the summer. She would not have the other kids see her vulnerable, especially not on the first day.

She had woken up early that morning to play a few hours of Castle Hexx with her online gamer friends. She loved the gaming world. In there, she was Viva the Warrior Queen. There, she was judged on her performance, not her appearance. There, she was always in control. It had taken her over a year to achieve her coveted position in the game, and Genevieve did not regret a single second of it. In Castle Hexx, she was a leader.

But she had to get back to real life, a world Genevieve positively detested. With a heavy sigh, she logged off of the game to get ready for school. Ugh. She grabbed some ripped jeans off the floor and gave them a quick whiff for freshness. Good enough. She paired them with a vintage tee and combat boots. After a long look at herself in the mirror, she brushed her hair up to form two top buns. She put on her fingerless leather gloves and headed to the kitchen. Her father had left some raisin bread next to the toaster for her with a note which read "Go get ‘em, Peanut". Genevieve couldn’t help but chuckle at her father’s ridiculous but well-meaning enthusiasm. She touched her fingers to her mother’s portrait and put on her headphones to drown out any further thought of sentiment.

When she reached the school, Genevieve paused across the street from the entrance to observe the other students for a moment. She had heard rumors that there were some Wielders at this school. A bitterness came over her that she quickly pushed away. She told herself she was already tough and in control. Genevieve didn’t need magic like those losers. She blew an audible raspberry and proceeded down the ramp to the crosswalk.

Oh, sweetheart, do you need any help? the cross guard asked in a nauseatingly sugary tone of pity.

Nope, I’m good, replied Genevieve through clenched teeth, shouting a little too loud over the music coming out of her headphones. She propelled her wheelchair down the crosswalk. She was out in the open now, for all to see. As usual, she was met with a mix of staring, pointing, laughter, and people trying so hard not to stare that they almost walked right into her. As she approached the school’s entrance, she stiffened her lips, hoping there were no steps once she got past the doors. There was only so much information she could gather about her route on her reconnaissance mission. The gates had been locked at the time. Genevieve was in uncharted territory now.

I am Viva, Warrior Queen, she thought to herself while seeking out her locker, ignoring the stares from the other students. Ah, there it was, G2, all the way at the end. Mission accomplished. Genevieve confidently entered the combination. It didn’t work. She tried again. Nope. She begrudgingly pulled out the slip of paper with the number and combination on it. Weakness, she thought. After confirming the locker number, she tried once more. The locker didn’t open. With an audible sigh of frustration, she headed back down the crowded hallway to the front office. May as well let everyone see her now anyway to get it over with.

Oh, hon, how can I help you sweetie? the receptionist asked like she was talking to a five-year-old.

My locker combination isn’t working, Genevieve answered flatly. She hated it when people treated her like a child, even when she was a child.

Oh, well let me see if I can help you with that, said who Genevieve assumed was Miss Pat Griff, based on the name plate on the desk. Miss Griff took the locker slip from Genevieve and proceeded down the hallway toward the locker. Okay, so here is your locker, Miss Griff explained unnecessarily, pointing to make sure Genevieve clearly understood that