Enchanted High Book I
Chapter Fifteen: The Rungee Desert

June felt herself being whooshed away into a black hole. Darkness painted her vision from one side and there was a blinding light at the back. She didn’t close her eyes; the journey wasn’t nauseating – it was strangely peaceful.

And then, almost suddenly, she felt her head lurch backwards; she was gaining speed. And she felt herself drop into a soft moving ground so hot that when she touched it she heard herself scream –

June yelled, wiping her hands on the material of her shorts.

Dominic joined in from beside her. ‘Yikes!’

The sun shone directly on the two of them. The only other sign of life was a nearby dried bush; which hardly provided any reassurance. Heat struck at June’s skin, making her feel contained. She was seeing red already, dehydrating. She had no idea how quickly the weather would affect her ... she reached into the backpack for water, almost swallowing the bottle as she drained every last drop. She stared at it, watching it re-fill. At least she knew they still had a signal to Enchanted High. To home.

Nicole landed on the sand moments after. She stood up, dusting herself. She looked around, covering her eyes with her hand. ‘Where’s James?’

‘I thought he was with you,’ said Dominic.

‘Over here.’ They heard a groan from behind the mini sand dune.

June rushed to him and saw his face buried into the sand. ‘James,’ she aided him into a sitting position. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ he said, wiping sweat off his forehead. He stood up, limping. ′Ow!′ He had just only taken a few steps when he fell back onto the sand.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked June.

‘My leg –’ June checked his ankle and there she found a thick line of red across it. She searched the area where he had fallen; a horde of sharp pieces of glass was scattered across the sand, glinting maliciously in the sun.

‘Bottle pieces...’ she gazed around. As far as her eyes could take her, all she saw was sand, mounds of sand across the landscape like great masses of giants sleeping on a never ending beach. ‘Somebody’s been here before,’ she decided.

‘Well, when we meet them I’ll say hi,’ said Nicole drowsily.

Dominic asked, ‘Where do we start?’

Breaking the momentary silence that followed, they heard a static sound, and a familiar voice:

‘Unfold the hovercraft,’ said the voice.

James shifted. ‘Charlie, is that you?’

‘Yes it is – look in the back pack.’

Dominic unzipped the bag and pulled out the walkie-talkie. ‘Charlie?’ he spoke into it. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

‘Yes,’ came the static filled reply. ‘Did you reach the desert?’

‘Looks like we did.’

‘Great!’ yelled Charlie, but all they heard was more static. ‘Is it the same place as the picture?’

‘Uh,’ Dominic looked around. ‘Seems like to me. That bush that we saw is here.’

‘Good; it must be the place.’

James lifted himself from the ground. ‘Ow. Ow. Ow.’ He said, taking each step.

‘Unfold the hovercraft,’ Charlie instructed. Dominic began fidgeting in the bag for the hovercraft.

‘Nicole can you pass me the water bottle...’ James asked, cringing at the sight of his blood.

‘There’s no need for that,’ Nicole replied, burying her hands in the bag. ‘Charlie put in a first aid kit.’

‘First aid kit? Who’s hurt?’ Charlie yelled.

‘James, he’s cut.’ Nicole explained.

‘Ow.’ James hissed as he dabbed a cotton wool on the wound.

‘Ta-da!’ Dominic gestured to the hovercraft parked in front of them. ‘Opened it myself. Isn’t she a beauty?’

It was a sleek metallic vehicle, contrasting with the background yet still seeming right at home, with a frame that made Dominic sigh with longing and cling to the bonnet. It had no wheels; it just lay on the sand, firmly, and although it must have been heavy, it looked as light as a feather.

James reached out his hand to open the door, which apparently was rather rough for Dominic to handle, because the moment he did, Dominic let out a shriek.

‘No!’ he yelled, eyes widened with shock. ′Slowly ... otherwise you’ll damage it.′

James nodded and apologized. ‘You’re right. And because you taught me so much – I should drive.’ He walked to the driver’s door but Dominic beat him to it.

‘Not on my watch,’ he said. ‘I’ll drive her.’

And so, with a lot of insisting, June and James sat in the back, Nicole jumped into the passenger’s seat while Dominic happily slid into the driver’s seat. Before June could jump in, she caught sight of her reflection on the craft’s window; her black hair, already tangled, was in a ponytail; her clothing clung to her skin with sweat.

‘Where are we headed to?’ Dominic spoke into the walkie-talkie.

‘Right – destination; there’s a sandstorm heading your way,’ Charlie replied. ‘Go east.’

Dominic checked his watch for the direction and boosted the engine. ‘Everyone in?’ He turned around to check on James and June. They stared at him in dismay.

‘You seem to be the only one enjoying this,’ said Nicole from the front seat. ‘Not everyone likes the heat.’

‘I can’t help it – it’s my habitat.’ Dominic shrugged and accelerated forward.

‘How long more, Charlie?’ Dominic asked.

‘There’s an abandoned village just a few miles from where you are,’ Charlie’s static voice filled the craft. ‘We can begin the search there.’

June stared out of her window.

This was what she always longed for; an adventure. She dreaded being in the human world. She dreaded school there. And worst of all, the people dreaded her. She had no intention of fitting in with them either; she realized it was hopeless; she didn’t belong there. She didn’t; she didn’t; she didn’t. No matter what. But she was happy, because her home was a place where the humans would never get to see in their short, miserable lives. As long as the thought of Audrey being around remained, of Enchanted High, of Comikaycrest, of magic, remained, she was re-assured.

James looked down at his new shoes that Charlie gave him. Then his gaze ran over to his new wound. His bad luck followed him everywhere. This wasn’t what he was expecting. He was sure it was just the human world that gave him bad luck. But he was wrong. It tailed along to Enchanted high and even a faraway desert. He was accident-prone. But whenever he did something wrong in the human world, they’d just laugh. He actually missed that place. Many friends, many memories were left behind – all for the greater good, and he knew that for a fact.

Dominic clutched the steering wheel and stared ahead. This was his home, the place he felt most comfortable. Then why did he feel so uncomfortable? It must be the silence. Why was everyone so quiet anyways? Then again, there wasn’t anything to talk about. Not Charlie, not the awesome gadgets, not the hovercraft that easily carried them over the desert – not even the beautiful sunset they’re witnessing. Deep down, he actually felt a little sad. But he chose to ignore it. Sadness was an unnecessary feeling.

Nicole watched as they passed sand dunes one after the other. There was a slight breeze as the sun came down, but the air was still dry. She wasn’t sure they had deserts in the human world. She always lived in the magical world. But she often wondered how it was with the humans. Living a normal life without magic. She knew she would fulfill this dream one day; to live a normal life there with her dad. That thought always put a smile on her face. But now, she had a mission and she had to forget about her dreams for the moment.

When Charlie spoke, a static sound erupting from the walkie-talkie that Nicole held, it halted everyone’s thoughts with a jerk.

‘You should be at the village any second now.’

June observed the environment. Now there definitely was not a single sign of life, not even a dried bush since the last one, only sand and sand and more sand. It almost felt as if they were in a huge bowl filled to the brim with sand and it made her feel trapped.

June didn’t see any village.

Dominic cleared his throat. ‘There’s nothing here.’

‘Don’t tell me I’m wrong,’ Charlie said. ‘I know where you are and what is around you.’

‘Charlie, there really isn’t anything here.’ Nicole added.

‘Jump out and look outside.’

They stepped out and took a look at the sand below them. They were standing on the top of a very steep sand dune. The last of the sun rays were vanishing slowly, leaving the four of them in darkness. A few stars came into view.

‘What are we looking at?’ James asked.

‘There should be buildings exactly where you are standing ...’ Charlie was beginning to sound skeptical.

June spoke into the walkie-talkie. ‘There’s nothing here besides sand.’

‘But – I don’t understand...’ Charlie began.

James took a couple of steps towards the bottom of the sand dune. He liked the feeling of the sand slipping from underneath his feet. The night was cool after the hot day; it reminded him of the early mornings in Enchanted High.

‘Look around again...’ he heard Charlie saying.

James stared into the sky above him. It was so pollution free he could reach up and pluck the stars out. No cars, no factories, just nature by itself. This was the way he liked it; this was the way it should be.

‘James, what are you doing?’ He turned around to see June at the top. Her eyes, reflecting the stars, were staring down at him questioningly, her skin somehow emitting a magically radiant glow. He smiled to himself; his heart elated.

‘Just looking around.’ He took a few more steps deeper down into the pit.

‘What’s on your left?’ He heard Charlie question – much to Dominic’s frustration.

‘Sand and nothing else.’ Dominic replied without even glancing.

James’s back hit something solid.

He spun around to see what it was and to his disbelief – there was nothing. All he could see was the steep hill of sand on the opposite side.

‘What’s below you?’ Charlie asked again.

Dominic sighed. ‘Sand.’

James retraced his steps and, once again, he collided with something solid, face first. His skin stung.

June noticed him feeling the air like a mental person. ‘James?’

He turned to see the other three staring at him, frowning. He looked back at the space, and realized how stupid he must seem to them.

‘There’s ... something here,’ he told them, pointing.

Nicole gasped sarcastically. ′Not the air molecules?!′

James frowned at her. ‘No, it’s something solid, come look.’ He waved his hand and pointed to the air next to him.

Without questioning, June obeyed. She carefully stepped down into the valley, leaving a trail behind her. Her footsteps joined with James’s. She stood beside him, watching him feel the air.

‘Put your hand like this,’ James placed his palm flat against the air. June copied him and her palm landed on something, like brick or a cement statue; it was rough and bumpy.

‘Hey –’ It was there alright. Something was there.

She felt her way around it. She reached her hand as high up as she could, the solid wall, she guessed, was taller than her. Then, with James following, she leaned against it and started walking sideways. A few meters to the left, she felt a corner. To the right, James turned at another corner, and more down, found one more.

‘I’m guessing it’s a whole building,’ June said to Nicole and Dominic, who were now also feeling their way around it.

‘And it’s a quite big building,’ Dominic added from the other side.

‘But we can’t see it,’ said Nicole.

‘What? What can’t you see? Is someone blind?’ Charlie flooded with questions.

‘No, we found something. It’s like a building, an invisible one.’ Dominic spoke back.

‘Hmmm,’ Charlie hummed. ‘An invisible building? Never heard of it.’

‘It could be the place you detected and we couldn’t see it,’ said June.

‘But that was a village not a single building.’

‘There’s only one way to find out,’ said Nicole. ‘We have to make it visible again.’

‘Great!’ They heard Charlie clap. ‘Do you know any anti-invisibility spells?’

Dominic looked at the others questioningly. They shook their heads.

‘Uh, no, we don’t,’ he whispered.

‘What?’

‘We didn’t reach that section yet in Sorcery.’ June defended.

Charlie let out a lot of breath, which, through the walkie-talkie, sounded as if he was rubbing two polystyrene cups together. ‘Fine, let me look for something in the library, if I find something I’ll let you know immediately.’

‘What should we do?’ Dominic said, glancing at the hovercraft parked silently at the top of the sand dune. ‘It’s already dark.’

‘Unfold the tent and wait until I find a spell.’ With that, Charlie left the walkie-talkie down and escaped to the school library, leaving the four of them in silence.

Quick tip: don’t ever be left in silence - it makes your mind look for a sound. And when it does, it wants an explanation for that sound. And usually, these explanations are terrifying. What’s that clicking noise? Who’s flipping pages? Did someone whistle? Can you hear that growling?

Love from all the noise I made to distract myself,

--THUG.

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