The County Fair (Dubois Chronicles 1.22)
DJ Dubois
Originally Written April 1987; Revised August 2005

Rating: T (Teen--language)

Notes: The characters from Xena Warrior Princess belong to StudiosUSA and MCA. The characters from Smallville belong to DC and the WB. The characters from Forever Knight belong to Sony Tri-Star. All other characters and poems are mine. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com .
 
 

Introduction [Amazon Village, c. 90 AD]

Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons, writes….

The final year at the “upper academy” started relatively well for David and his friends. He had his horseless carriage, his work, studies and time with Karen. Of course, there were flies in the ointment. (When isn’t there where David’s concerned?)

During that first month, David, Karen and Janet attended a festival in a neighboring area and had some much needed enjoyment. Much needed indeed especially where a familiar face from the future was concerned.

Xena, I see you smirking in the corner. <sigh>

   
Chapter 1 [Mid-September—three weeks following “Back to Packet Place”]

[Library]

Dave pulled the last card out of the typewriter for the evening, setting it on the pile beside his arm. Typing subject access cards for the Card Catalog didn’t really rank that high on his list of exciting projects but it did give him spending money. After skimping for two years, the extra income sure came in handy. Besides, he loved being in the library and around the staff again.

Ms. Parsons walked out of her office and over to the desk where he worked away. “How’s it going?” In the three weeks since his return, she had seen how much more cheery he was. I can definitely see a difference.

“I just finished,” he replied, motioning to the stack.

“So I see,” she concurred, inspecting a couple of the completed oak tag slips. “Very nicely done. I’d say you’ve done enough for today.”

“I could do Paul’s shift at Circ,” he volunteered.

“I appreciate that but we’ve got it covered. Get yourself a coffee or something at the Express,” she advised. “See you on Thursday, Dave.”

“Right. Thanks again for the opportunity to do this,” he expressed.

“You’re very welcome. It is good to have you working here again,” she assured him while watching him head toward his bicycle.
   

****
 
[Cappuccino Express—twenty minutes later]

He stepped off of his bike and took a deep breath of the early autumn air. At the slight crisp undertone in the air, he felt refreshed. Summer was fun but I’m definitely in the mood for some apples! He opened the door and headed into the half-empty café. What the?

[“Welcome to the ghost town,” his girlfriend quipped telepathically.] From the counter, she motioned to him to come over. “This is something else, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he replied, surveying the place. “They probably saw me coming and took off.”

“Stop that,” she insisted. “Honestly, Dave, you’d better be kidding.” Seeing him smirk, she added, “All right then. By the way, Mrs. Campbell brought something I know you like.” She held up a warm coffee pot with brown liquid in it. “First hot cider of the season. Don’t say I don’t look out for you.” She poured them each a cup. “On the house. April’s waiting in the corner. I’ll be right there.”

“You got it,” he agreed, taking a big mouthful of the spiced goodness. “Mmm!” He closed his eyes and allowed a big smile onto his face.

“Glad you enjoy it,” she cracked.

He made his way over to the corner booth where April concentrated on her physics homework. “That looks painful.”

“It is,” the florist in training agreed, sliding over to let him sit down. “Just finish at the library?”

“Yeah. Lots of typing. Fun stuff,” he replied dryly. “I do love being there though.”

“I imagine you do. I’m glad you got that job back at least for a while,” she indicated. “I don’t know how you balance everything though.”

“Lots of studying just like you,” he admitted. Between French, Trigonometry, Spanish, AP English and the new American Colonies class, he felt at his wits end to stay on top of things. “Miss Gatchell’s really getting on my nerves though.”

Thinking of how the American history teacher enjoyed giving him a hard time, she nodded. That woman doesn’t understand that she’s going to set off the powder keg if she goes too far. “Give it time. You’ll win her over.” She looked pointedly at him. “By the way, how did you know about that whole thing with the book in Quebec?”
 
“Long story, April. Some day I’ll tell you all the whole story,” he indicated cryptically, effectively cutting off discussion on that topic. How do I tell them that the prisoners were Lichtenfeld’s ancestors? Or that I know what happened to the woman who disappeared into the woods? He shuddered while remembering Nikki’s warning about the Ur-Witch.

“It’s okay, Dave,” Karen advised, coming right over. Unlike the other members of the Cadre, she and Garth had a good idea of why he knew that information. Dr. O’ Connor must have told him something. It’s nice to have Garth to talk with about these things too. “With her going over the Southwest and Jamestown, we won’t get back to Salem until almost Halloween. What about Miss Jenkins’ class?”

“Nice to see that some things don’t change,” he chuckled. “We knew she would make it tough. She’s doing that all right. I really detest Orwell.”

“Figures that you would,” April replied. “Don’t change, Dave. By the way, guys, I have a spare feature story.”

“You do? What’s it on?” Karen inquired.

“County fairs. Most of them are over here but there’s one in New York State that would fill the bill. What do you think?” the Features Editor queried.

“Depends upon which end of the state it’s on,” he assessed.

“It’s in this little town in the middle of nowhere. Wa-something,” April told them. She pulled her notes out and a flier she had received in the mail. “Wabash. It’s outside of Albany.”

Karen looked over the promo materials carefully. “It would take us about five hours to get there, April. Besides, Dave’s got to work on Saturday.”

“Polly owes me a shift. Let me see if I can get her to cover me,” he suggested, taking another sip of his cider. “What time do you get out of here?”

“I work until 5 on Friday. That would mean that we wouldn’t get there until 10:00. Is there a hotel or something we can get into?” Karen worried.

“Separate rooms, I presume?” their friend teased.

“Of course,” he agreed albeit reluctantly, recalling the night he and Karen had returned from the Cape. He’ll insist on a chaperone. While he wanted to get away for even a night or two, he knew it would be almost impossible to get someone for the following week that they could deal with.

“This is a business trip,” Karen added.

“Just keep saying that to yourselves,” April continued, smirking as she said it.

“Oh brother!” the waitress sighed, getting up. “Dave, see you at home. See you in class tomorrow, April.”

“I’d best be getting to my homework too,” he indicated.

“Guys, I was teasing,” April pointed out.

“We know. We’re all busy.” He shrugged. “Besides, I want to try an idea out tomorrow night. If it works, I’ll be in touch.”

Karen looked curiously at him. What now?

April nodded. “All right. Can’t wait to see what that devious mind of yours comes up with.”

He waved to them, heading out the door and biking into the darkness toward the Alvarez house. Let’s hope this works!

   
Chapter 2 [Ludlow—Masters’ House about 6:30 on the next night]

For much of the previous day, Karen had wondered about Dave’s plan. Finally, as he drove them to see Gram that evening, she asked, “So what are you planning?”

“Nothing much,” he replied. “I’m going to kill two birds with one stone. We need to get away. With the Witch’s garbage infecting Gram, who knows how many more falls she’ll see? This may be her last chance to go to a county fair.” He felt his eyes water. “She took us a couple of times to Middlefield.” He smiled. “She loved the crafts and candied apples.”

“That’s really nice, Dave. Leave it to you to think of this,” she admired.

“Let’s hope that Dad’s not a complete jerk about this,” he noted as they pulled up in front of Peggy’s house. He got out and held the door for her.

“Thanks,” she expressed, taking his hand while he closed the door with his other one. “We can hope.”

Peggy opened the door and grinned at them. “Right on time! She’s waiting for you in the living room.”

“How are you doing, Peggy?” he inquired.

“Fine. School’s a drag but you know how that goes,” their hostess agreed.

“We’re going to get a dose of You-Know-Who’s history and a teacher who thinks it’s a big joke,” Karen lamented.

“Big joke? Look, Karen, I’ve seen that hag and her father in that creepy place. Seeing Mrs. Dubois’ pain in there is real enough!” She pointed to his hand. “And there’s that thing.” Peggy ground her teeth. “I will never forget that day when I saw you with the ashes, Dave. Never. Joke indeed!”

“All right. That’s enough. I don’t want this upsetting Gram,” he insisted. “Not when I have something that will cheer her up.” He felt his head starting to go numb. “Come on.” He led them into the living room where Janet enjoyed a cup of tea. “Looking good, Gram.” He kissed her cheek and handed her a rose. “For your room.”

“Thank you. That’s sweet of you to remember,” she informed him. “How are you doing?”

“Hanging in there between work, school and the paper,” he answered, knowing better than to lie to her.

“You’re both keeping your grades up, Karen?” the elder woman wondered.

“We are,” Karen assured her. “It’s nice to get a break though.”

“Speaking of which, think you’re up for a drive next weekend?” he inquired, sitting down next to his grandmother.

Janet looked at him curiously. “Dave, what are you getting at?”

“April talked to us about this county fair about an hour outside of Albany. I went over the fliers and it seems like a lot of fun. I know how you like going to them,” he explained.

“I do,” she agreed, recalling the small fairs she had gone to earlier in her life. “That’s a long way to go though for a fair. What is April getting out of this?”

“She wants us to write a story on it. Dave and I would like to take a drive up there. We figured you might want to go too,” Karen added.

“That’s pretty rural country if anything were to happen,” Janet declared. “Still, I could bring my medicine with me.” She chuckled as a thought popped into her head. “You know Dr. Alvarez is going to want a chaperone for you two, don’t you?”

He conceded, “That too but who better, right?”

As much as she thought he was pushing his luck, the elderly woman could see the other reasons he still wasn’t mentioning. He won’t say it but he knows how cooped up I’ve been. He wants to spend time with me while I can still do it. Besides, he and Karen want to enjoy themselves without her parents there. Dave, you are so transparent. “I’ll talk to your father, Karen. Besides, I’d like to ride in that new car of yours. Maybe we might stop in Granville too?”

“He’s ready for an apple fix anyhow,” Karen teased.

“If we don’t go picking next weekend, we will go soon after,” he promised. “I do want some apples.”

“Wonderful,” Janet agreed. She looked at him again. “There’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?”

Before he could stop her, Karen revealed, “It’s our American Colonies class.”

“Here it comes,” he muttered, running his hands through his hair.

“What happened?” his grandmother asked.

“Nothing happened…yet,” he pointed out. “There’s this new teacher at the school, Miss Gatchell. Anyhow, she’s getting into the nitty-gritty of colonial history and you know what that means.”

“What’s come up about the Witch?” Janet asked, seeing where this was going.

“We’re not up to her yet. We did cover her family though,” Karen detailed. “They were refugees in Quebec. Anyhow she joked about how people believed in curses and scoffed at the whole legend.”

“Not everyone’s going to believe it, Karen, even when the evidence is there in front of their eyes,” Janet lamented. “You might want to talk with your father though if she’s cracking jokes.”

“There’s a great suggestion,” Peggy chimed in.

“Wish we could,” he expressed. “We have to keep her secret per higher orders. However, these continued cracks could provoke a visit if you get my drift.”

“I’ll let Daddy know that she’s making comments in class,” his girlfriend proposed. “If it’s tied to the house, he’ll stop it quickly. The last thing we need is for Her Creepiness to show up and one of your episodes.”

“And after I’m done with her paper, she’ll know differently,” he declared.

“Dave, what?” his grandmother wondered.

“I’m going to research the hag’s family…at least as much as I can on a high school budget,” he revealed. “I’ve had enough of not knowing who our Mystery Man is.”

“Umm, Dave, that might not be such a great idea,” Peggy doubted. “That creep doesn’t seem like the type to welcome snooping.”

“Meddling begets meddling,” he countered. “Anyhow, I’m not talking about crossing the Atlantic. Just a road trip or two.”

Janet rolled her eyes. “When you take a road trip, the whole world shudders.”

“We can talk more about this around Christmas time,” he noted. “Meantime, you keep your chin up, all right?”

“You bet,” his grandmother concurred, smiling warmly at both his initiative and positive attitude. Let’s hope this continues…..

     
Chapter 3 [Thursday night—Alvarez House]

Dave packed a few odds and ends for the weekend into his duffel bag and set it down beside the closet door. The week had proved slightly easier except for the library where students congregated to study for their assignments. Maybe I’m just getting into the routine. It almost seems too easy.

Then he heard a knock at the door. “It’s open.”

“Hi, Dave, got a minute?” Dr. Alvarez asked, walking into the room.

“For you, always. What’s on your mind?” the teenager asked although he suspected the other’s rationale.

“I was just curious about this road trip of yours to New York. Kind of unusual, isn’t it?”

“Maybe. I wanted to get away and think for a while. This might also be Gram’s last chance to see a fair like this if the pattern holds,” Dave indicated.

“Pattern?”

“Her cancer.” The teenager paced the room and looked back at his host. “She’s getting weaker. I’m hoping she makes it until New Year’s.”

“We can hope. This is a nice thing you’re doing for her. I know Karen’s excited too. You sure there isn’t an ulterior motive though?” Dr. Alvarez probed.

“Excuse me?” Dave queried, somehow keeping a straight face. “I’m not going to hurt her. You know that.”

“I know.” The superintendent studied the young man, figuring that something had happened. I shouldn’t question it because both he and Karen have been in a great mood. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“I appreciate that,” Dave replied. “It’s been a long time since I felt that I can do that with anyone.”

The elder man mentioned, “There is the history class. Why didn’t you tell me about Miss Gatchell’s remarks?”

“I figured I could handle it. Karen said something?” Dave noted. “I didn’t want to come off like a baby.”

“Trust me; you aren’t a baby. Given what the school’s been through, I’d like to head off any potential crises,” Dr. Alvarez assured him. “Karen did speak with me because she cares about your feelings. I also heard from Steve and Garth as well. I spoke with Miss Gatchell by the way.”

Great. Here it comes. “And?”

“I advised her to keep the remarks to a minimum. She still thinks the ghost is a myth,” Dr. Alvarez reported. “You handled yourself very well.”

“The Canada lesson gave me an idea for the class paper,” Dave revealed.

“Your grandmother mentioned that to me too. Quebec City isn’t exactly an average daytrip.”

Dave took a deep breath and scratched his chin. “I know. But I think the answers I need are there and Danvers. I just need a few gaps filled in.”

“Wait. You said gaps?”

“Right,” Dave indicated, opening his desk drawer and pulling out a folded piece of parchment paper. “This is a rough sketch. I don’t have names but here’s what I’ve reconstructed.”

The paper had lines and question marks. However, a direction came out: from a French ancestor, five children. From two of the offspring, other lines branched out: one red and one purple.

The red one stopped abruptly in 1720 with the ghost’s execution.

The purple one kept going, mentioning “Current”.

“The purple line is current? You know that?” Dr. Alvarez inquired.

“Absolutely. Laura and Nell Potter are the last living descendants. It came right from Lichtenfeld herself,” Dave replied frankly. “Laura shared this with me while we were at the Cape.”

“It is a long way to go but if you think there are answers, we can make a family trip out of it,” the superintendent agreed.

“Dr. Alvarez, I can go….”

“Dave, I applaud your wanting to get to the bottom of this mess. I admit that I’ve always wanted to tour the old city. Granted, it’s going to be freezing but I guess that’s par for the course. I have an old friend up who owns a guest lodge. At least, we can be up there to give you moral support,” the older man declared.

“Fine by me. You all can tour. I need to spend time in the archives,” the teenager commented. “When we get closer, I’ll contact Dr. O’ Connor and see if he can get me in.”

“An archaeologist? No offense, Dave, but what’s his connection to those archives?”

Dave shrugged. “Maybe nothing. The man does surprise. Can I get you a cup of coffee? I was going to make myself one.”

“That sounds good. Thanks,” Dr. Alvarez agreed. As he followed the teenager downstairs, he wondered, What are you getting yourself into, Dave?

   
Chapter 4 [Friday afternoon—4:00 PM]

Dave pulled up in front of the Express and looked around. Just ten minutes before, Karen had sent him an empathicgram saying that Mrs. Campbell had found someone to cover her shift. We can leave a little sooner. Cool! He looked at his watch. We get to Ludlow and then catch the Pike west. I just hope April’s directions are good.

[“Hey, Chief, wake up,” she gibed while rapping on the glass]

He opened the door and let her in. “All set?”

“I am. Mrs. C. had Rebecca cover me. I have to get my bike back home then we can go,” she agreed.

“Just a minute,” he told her while getting out and opening the hatch. He took the bike and carefully laid it on its side before managing to close the lid. “There!”

“Cut it close there, Smartie,” she noted.

“It’s in there.” He got behind the wheel. “Sooner we’re there, sooner we’re on the road. After the last couple of weeks, I’m ready for a break.”

She nodded as they headed for the house. You and me both. I hope this drive helps you to relax. “Mom offered to cook dinner for us if we’d wait.”

“I wish we could but we’re not going to be there until 8:30 as it is,” he commented as they pulled into her driveway. “I have my stuff in the back already. You need to take a shower?”

“It’ll just take a minute,” she agreed. Getting an arched eyebrow from him and a snort, she slapped him on the shoulder. “My bag’s by my bedroom door. Can you load it?”

“Sure,” he agreed, following her into the house.
 

****
 
[An hour later—Ludlow, Dubois House]

Dave got out of the car and took a long look at his father’s house. “We really shouldn’t be here.”

“How else is Gram going to get her things? Come on, Dave. We’ll be in and out in ten minutes,” she assured him, knocking on the door.

Randy opened it. “Well, look who’s here! On a date, are we?”

“Actually it’s a trip for Gram and it’s something nice. You might want to try it sometime,” Dave rebutted, storming past his difficult sibling and into the house. “Gram?”

“Right here,” Janet agreed, laboring into view. “Randy, help Dave with my bags.”

The younger man glared at the older woman behind her back but did as she said.

Of all the nerve! Karen crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Don’t bother.” She ripped the second bag from his grasp. “Anything else, Gram?”

“That should be it. You brought my pillow?” Janet requested.

“It’s right here,” the younger woman assured, helping her into the car while he put the bag into the trunk space. She made Janet comfortable, smiling warmly at her. “We have a blanket for you too.”

“Maybe a little later. Thanks.” Janet expressed. Calling to Randy, she added, “Randy, let your father know we’ll be back on Sunday evening. I left the hotel number on the refrigerator.”

“Whatever. Don’t let them do anything I wouldn’t do,” Randy scoffed.

“As if you could imagine what that would be?” Karen retorted sarcastically as she climbed in the front passenger seat. “Let’s go, Dave.”

Snapping the buckle in place, he agreed, “I’m ready to hit the interstate. This is going to be great!” He turned the key and drove them away from there.
   

****
 
[Albany—Roadside Inn—2 hours later]

After making great time down the Mass Pike, the trio stopped at a four-star restaurant just beyond the toll plaza. They enjoyed the rustic backdrop, relishing the pine and granite décor with antique portraits and a large fireplace.

“This is a little much, Gram,” he declared.

“Let me be the judge of that, Dave,” the older woman assured him.

“Meantime you enjoy this whole thing, Pal,” his girlfriend added, rubbing his shoulder. “Let’s relax.”

“Sure.” He flipped through the menu. “Pork chops look great.”

“Get whatever you want, you two. I want you both to have everything,” Janet declared, squeezing their hands. “Especially after what we’ve been through.”

“We do,” Karen agreed. “I have a good home, great friends and a guy that cares for me.”

“I’m content too. At least, I feel somewhat secure. I just wish you weren’t sick, Gram,” he added.

She sighed, “I guess we need to get this out of the way at some point. Dave, life happens. Promise me you won’t bring that up again, okay? I want to enjoy this weekend with you both. Let’s enjoy it. I want to remember you both happy and in love.”

“I want that too,” he concurred, stealing a kiss off of his girlfriend’s cheek. “We definitely need to savor this whole thing.” Seeing the waitress coming toward them, he continued, “Time to order.”
 

****
 
[Parking Lot—after dinner]

Janet reclined into the soft material of Bessie’s backseat, feeling great about the meals she had paid for. The restaurant sure lives up to its reputation. “How were your meals?”

“The steak was great,” Karen expressed.

“So were the pork chops,” Dave agreed. “Gram, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I have to say that Lillian and your father made a good choice, Karen,” Janet complimented.

“We think so,” he interjected, patting the dashboard. He turned the key in the ignition. “Which way?”

“There’s a state road heading to Wabash. We’re about 45 minutes out,” she noted, pointing at the sign across the street.

“Gotcha,” he agreed, turning onto that road. “Want a coffee or something, Ladies?” As they both shook their heads, he added, “Fine. Here we go.” With that, they took off.

       
Chapter 5

[Next Morning—Trailways Inn]

Dave rolled around on the cot, trying to get comfortable on it. He looked at the ceiling and finally gave up trying to sleep. The back’s going to kill me.

[“It’s not the Rowenshire woods,” Karen soothed.]

He blinked the sleepiness away, rolling over to face her. [“Easy for you to say. Let’s hear it for trying to respect your father.”]

[“Not to mention Gram?” she supposed, grinning at him.]

“Yeah that,” he muttered, getting up and stretching. [“Want some coffee?”]

[“You know it,” she agreed, grabbing her robe. “Morning.”] She kissed him. [“Should we let Gram sleep in?”]

“Nice moment,” Janet indicated. They turned to see her sitting up in bed. “Good morning. You both all right?”

“Fine,” he told her, adding a hug. “Fair opens at 10. Let’s get our showers and some breakfast.”

   
****

[A/N: Now this scene is brand new (at least in writing; it’s based on earlier notes). Three guesses where we go next. <heh>]

[Blackwell Farm]

On the other side of Wabash, a small farm bustled with activity in both the house and barn. A small family, a late forty-something couple and their teenaged daughter, worked at their chores, trying to get them done before heading over to the fair and their activities there.

 
****

In the barn, Angela finished changing the hay in the stalls, watering the animals and making sure the feed bins had plenty of food in them. As with every other day, she fussed over these tasks because she only wanted the best for the animals who happened to be her best friends in the entire world.

“Better?” she asked, straightening her mussed auburn hair.

Ralston, her father’s prize cow, looked gently at her and clanked its bell.

She rubbed its side. “I’m glad. At least I know you won’t laugh at me.” She frowned, recalling how everyone ignored her in school. She felt insecure around her classmates especially where the guys were concerned. “Today, Sam and I are going for a ribbon even if the others don’t think I can do it.”

“They don’t matter, Angel,” her father assured her. Bill Blackwell wished he could do more for her. Still, he knew this simple life would make his daughter appreciate things. At least she gets along with her boss at the diner in town. “Mom and I are really proud of you.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” she replied, hugging him tightly. “I know something’s special about to happen.”

“That’s my girl. Breakfast is waiting so why don’t you go ahead? We need to be at the fairgrounds in an hour,” he reminded her.

“Goodness!” she realized, rushing to the house in a panic.

He chuckled good-naturedly. “She never changes.”

 
****
 
[Kitchen—Farm House]

Meantime, Angela hustled into the house. “Sorry, Mom!”

A woman with a stout figure and a brown ponytail shrugged. “You’re fine, Angie. Just take your shower and relax. Your oatmeal will be on the table in ten minutes.”

Angie ran up the stairs. After undressing and grabbing her robe, she made her way to the shower. Within ten more minutes, she had dried off, dressed in her best white blouse and gray riding slacks and straightened her hair. Looking at her reflection there, she hoped, “Here goes nothing. Hold yourself together, Angie. You can do this.” She took a deep breath and tried to ignore how anxious she felt. “Smile.”

When she did, her braces came into view.

“Great. Just what I needed,” she muttered, heading downstairs. “I appreciate this, Mom.”

Jennifer Blackwell grinned. “Our riding champ’s big day. There’s your oatmeal just the way you like it.”

She saw the brown sugar and bananas topping the hot mix. Maybe I should remember how lucky I am. Suddenly feeling better, she sat down and dug in.

 
****
 
[Wabash Fairgrounds—10:30 AM]

Dave escorted the two ladies into the organized frenzy. He smiled to himself while taking in the whole scene. People like the bigger scenes. This is where the real stuff is.

“Hey, Space Cadet, where are you?” Karen teased.

“I was just thinking about how fairs like this are better than that big thing going on this weekend back home,” he revealed.

“You can say that again,” Janet agreed. “I wanted to go see the pies and craft exhibits at some point.”

“Then let’s do that,” the younger woman agreed. “I want to watch the horseback riding later.”

“Fine by me. You owe me a ride on the Ferris wheel later though, Miss,” he retorted.

“Sounds great,” his girlfriend concurred as they entered the crafts tent.

Booths lined the sides of the area containing all sorts of homemade quilts, figurines, paintings, needlepoint items and a thousand other things.

Janet took the time to look at each thing separately and talk with each exhibitor for a minute before moving on. She was in her element, recalling the days when she sat on the other side of the counters at the hill town fairs twenty years earlier. It seems like yesterday.

“Seems like old times, doesn’t it?” he inquired.

“It makes me feel nostalgic for the old days. I don’t want to bore you, Kids. We can move on if you want,” Janet offered.

“Take your time, Gram,” he assured her. “This is worth it. You enjoy yourself.”

“We’re having fun watching you enjoy yourself,” Karen agreed.

“I appreciate that,” Janet expressed. How many other teenagers would be so good to me? Dave, you’ve chosen well. She stopped in front of Jennifer’s booth and admired the pieces there. “This is very precise. Well done.”

“Thank you,” the farm wife replied with a warm smile. “It took more than its share of afternoons last winter but it’s like poetry.”

Thinking of the process that Dave went through when producing a piece, Janet nodded. “It takes time to come up with the right elements and structure. Good luck.”

“Thank you. You’re not from around here, are you?” Jennifer wondered.

“We’re here from Ludlow for the weekend,” Janet replied. “We had heard about this fair and wanted to take it all in.”

“It is the best fair in this part of the state,” the exhibitor bragged. “The crafts and horseback competitions are second to none.” She blushed. “Sorry, my daughter’s competing this afternoon for a state-level blue ribbon. That probably doesn’t interest the kids though.”

“Actually, Ma ‘am, we were heading over there next,” Karen pointed out. “Say, would you and your daughter mind doing an interview?”

“Interview?” Jennifer wondered.

“We’re editors for our school newspaper,” Dave explained. “Actually, we’re writing a story about our experiences here this weekend. People don’t see enough of these events anymore.”

“They sure don’t,” Jennifer agreed. “All right. Meet me back here after the competition. I’m sure Angie can say a few words. I’ll warn you though. She is shy.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure her riding will tell the story,” he agreed. “Maybe we’ll see you there.”

As Dave and Karen helped Janet out of the tent, Jennifer admired the scene. Those two are something else. I wish there were more like them. Angie, I hope you aren’t panicking too much.

Chapter 6 [Faerie Realms]

Even as the events occurred at the fairgrounds, the Faerie Empress and Pauline observed through the former’s mist portal.

“How can this be happening?” the priestess wondered.

“I told Cybelle before that the girl would play a part in her brother’s future. This is only the beginning.” The Elf-Queen considered the events, keeping most of them to herself. “Still, none of them must know. And Angela Blackwell is not to know his secret. Not yet anyhow.”

“Why would she? Lichtenfeld’s there?” Pauline asked anxiously.

“Wherever the teenagers go, she’s never far behind. I want you there in that hamlet tonight, Pauline. Usually the ghost makes her appearances after sundown.”

“As you wish,” Pauline agreed before disappearing into the mists.

Let’s hope I’m right, the Empress mused.

“The girl will make a discovery. One you cannot stop,” Nai-Jin announced from the doorway.

“What is that, Nai-Jin?”

The Amazon bowed as she entered the chamber. “The girl of whom you speak. She will make a discovery. That’s all I know.”

“What type of discovery? I don’t have time for the cryptic clues,” the Empress pressed.

“You know when the goddess speaks, she doesn’t reveal everything,” Nai-Jin advised. “I relay what I know.”

“Of course. Let’s hope that is enough,” the Empress indicated. “Thank you, Nai-Jin. If you don’t mind, I need to think on this.”

The other nodded and departed.

Doesn’t reveal everything? Why doesn’t the goddess share these things with me? The Empress continued to watch through the portal, feeling angry that she didn’t know what would happen next.

 Onto Part 2