Evils of the Night-Chapter 4

Just Friends

Sylvia left the tree early the next morning. Jayden walked her home.

“Sylvia, I should tell you something about the moon ball.”

“What's that?” she asked.

“Well, you've never met a fairy. Watch out.”

“I thought they were our friends.”

“Fairies can sometimes get a little carried away, especially when they've had too much moon juice. They can get a little crazy.”

Sylvia laughed. “I bet any of us could get crazy if we had too much moon juice.” she'd tried moon juice the night before, and had loved it instantly.

They had reached the house. Sylvia's dad wasn't due for another hour, but Sylvia liked to be home long before him. They were standing on the front steps leading up to the screened in porch. Sylvia had one hand on the door handle, and Jayden stood on the step below her.

“I'm just warning you. I've only been to one moon ball, but Cynthia will tell you the same thing I am.” his deep blue eyes stared into hers. Suddenly Sylvia was overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze, and she dropped her eyes to her shoes.

“Sorry.” he muttered, then walked down the stairs and Sylvia entered the house.

“That was weird.” Sylvia said out loud to Sebastian, who was still in her room.

Her dad arrived home just as Brett showed up on his ATV. They entered the house together.

“Hey Syl.” Brett said.

“Hey darlin'.” Mr. Evans greeted his daughter with a kiss on the forehead. “I'm off to bed, but Brett says he's got plans for you today, so have fun.”

“Dad, do you mind if Brett and I went camping out in the woods by the creek?”

Mr. Evans looked back and forth between Sylvia and Brett, then smiled. “Yeah, sure. Just don't expect me to help you. I'm going to sleep.”

Sylvia laughed. “How many times have we gone camping, Dad?”

He chuckled and hugged her. “I know. Have fun. And goodnight.”

When Mr. Evans was gone, Sylvia headed for the door. Brett caught her arm.

“Camping?”

“OK, so we're going to sleep in a tree, but it is by the creek.”

“What's the occasion?”

“The Moon ball.”

“The what?”

“The moon ball. We'll finally meet the fairies!”

Brett smirked. “Well, I was planning on taking a trip to the tree today. I'm supposed to meet the other water elves.”

“I already met the night elves. There's seven of us. Although Cynthia told me there is more, but they rarely spend time at the tree.”

“Nice. The only water elves I know are Devon and Isa.”

“What's Isa's power color?”

“Power color?”

“Nevermind.”

Sylvia and Brett arrived at the cave where they changed and rubbed the dog tags together, then they hurried to the tree before they were seen. It was still too early for elves to be out.

Brett was intercepted at the water elves' home by Isa and Devon, while Sylvia continued up the stairs to the night elves' level.

“Oh, you're back!” Cynthia squealed, jumping off the couch, where she sat reading. “I've got the perfect dress for you!”

Sylvia allowed Cynthia to drag her into the bedroom. She was met with a spectacular sight. Hanging up on one of her pegs on the wall was a deep purple dress. It was short, with a flowing skirt. There was one thick strap going over one shoulder and a thin one over the other.

“Your accessories are all in black and silver too.” Cynthia said. “Isn't it perfect!?”

Sylvia was awestruck. “It is! Oh it's perfect!”

“Oh! Let me show you mine.” Cynthia bubbled. She pulled out a deep blue dress. It went all the way to her toes, with a brown cinch in front, and a white, off the shoulder collar. “All my accessories are in brown and white. So, what do you think?”

“It's beautiful Cynthia.”

“I have privileged information for you. Jayden is wearing purple tonight. Oh, and do you think you could introduce me to your friend Brett?”

“Sure, why?”

“Because, his color's blue, and I know every person in this tree with the power color blue.”

Sylvia laughed. “Alright.”

The two girls went down to the water hole. Brett was sitting on the couch, and it looked like he was sleeping.

“Brett!” Sylvia called.

He sat up. “What?”

“I want you to meet Cynthia. She's a blue, and she wanted to meet you because you're a blue too.”

“I know every blue in this tree, and it would be a shame if I didn't make your acquaintance too, especially because you're Syl's friend.”

A muscle in Brett's jaw tensed when she called Sylvia Syl. He smiled, shook hands, and when Cynthia went upstairs again, he pulled Sylvia over to sit next to him.
“Why did she call you Syl?”

“Because that's my nickname, duh.”

“That was my name for you, Syl. I've always called you that. What does your dad call you?”

“Sylvie. Or Sylv.”

“What did your mom call you?”

“She always called me Sylv.”

“What do your other friends call you?”

“Sylvia.”

“Anyone else ever call you Syl?”

“No, I guess not. I don't get what the big deal is, Brett.”

“I've always had that name for you, Syl. We've been friends since we were three, and no one but me has ever called you that.”

“So you're jealous.”

“No. I mean yeah. I mean no. I-I guess...yeah, I am.”

Sylvia put her hand on Brett's shoulder. “You're my best friend, Brett. If you want your name to be special, I'll ask Cynthia not to call me Syl, OK?”

Brett smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.”

Sylvia stood up. “I better go before Devon sees me.”

“Hey, um, could you go to the ball thing with me tonight?”

Sylvia smiled. “Sure. We go to every dance together anyways. Why should we change tradition?” and she went up the stairs.

“It'll never work out Brett.” Isa said, coming out of the girls' room.

“What?”

“You and Sylvia. It won't work.”

“Why not?”

“Because in our world, she's above you. Your power colors aren't even the same.”

“Me and Sylvia? You think I have a crush on her?”

“You just asked her to be your date.”

“Isa, we always go to dances as friends.”

“That's not what that means here. If a boy takes a girl to a dance, they're dates. Not friends, dates. It'll cause a fuss.” Isa sighed.

Brett slapped his hand to his face. “Now what do I do?”

As if on cue, Jayden came down the stairs. “Is Devon there?”

“No, Jayden. C'mon in.” Isa said.

“I'm just passing through. I just thought I'd make sure my life wouldn't end if I came down there.”

“We need you to take a message to Sylvia.” Brett said. “I asked her to go to the ball with me, not realizing it would break a whole bunch of rules and stuff, so I have to tell her...”

“I got it.” Jayden interrupted. “I'll take care of it.” and he ran back up the stairs.

“Guess he forgot what his errand was.” Isa said.

Brett leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes again. Isa looked at the floor, then at him. It was strange how this human made her feel so strange. She'd never felt so strange before. All elves knew what elvish love was, but this wasn't it. It was, in a way, stronger.

Jayden reached the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. He pushed open the trap door and entered the living space. He was about to knock on the girls' door when it suddenly opened and Lucia came blazing out. She plowed right into him and they both fell over. He landed on top of her, braced on his hands.

“Well, hi there Jayden.” Lucia said in a voice as smooth as silk.

“Sorry Lucia.” he said, getting up. “Didn't expect that.”

“No I'm sorry. I knocked you down.” she said, accepting the hand he offered. He pulled her to her feet.

“Is Sylvia in your room?”

Lucia's eyes darkened a little. “Yes, but if you're thinking about asking her to the ball tonight, don't. She's got a date.”

“No, she doesn't. I just talked to him. There was a bit of a traditional issue. But, since he's a water elf, he can't come up here.”

Lucia drooped a little now. “Oh. Well, OK.” and she walked away.

Jayden shrugged and knocked on the door. Cynthia opened it.

“Oh hi Jayden!” she said, in that happy way of hers.

“Hey. Sylvia, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure.” she got off her bed and followed Jayden onto the balcony.

“Um, there's a bit of an issue with you and Brett going to the ball together.”

“There is?”

“Yeah, there's a lot of rules and traditions associated with this ball, and by you guys going together, you wouldn't be going as friends, you'd be going as dates.”

Sylvia made a face. “Me? Brett? Dates? No.”

“That's what he thought.”

“So I guess Cynthia and I will go together as was originally planned.” Sylvia smiled at Jayden. “Thanks for that heads up. I would hate to have everyone think that Brett and I were a thing. No way.” and she walked back into the room, leaving Jayden alone on the balcony.

Evils of the Night-Chapter 3

A secret to keep

Sylvia got up around noon the next day. As she lay in bed, thinking about the previous night, she suddenly wondered where Jayden lived. She grabbed her phone and called Brett. He answered, but it was obvious she'd woken him up.

“What?” he moaned. It sounded like he'd picked up, then flopped back onto his bed.

“You have to help me find Jayden.”

“Who? Oh, right, him. Not now, OK?”

“No, Brett listen to me. I have to find him.”

“Why?” he whined.

“Because...I just do.”

Brett groaned. “If you were in my room I'd throw something at you. You woke me up for that?”

“Yes, yes I did. You should be up anyways. Meet me at the library in 15 minutes.” and she hung up.

Sylvia had never gotten ready so fast in her life. She threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then grabbed her flip-flops on the way out the door. She opened the barn door, grabbed her keys and pushed her ATV out of it, closing the door as she left, leaving her dad's dirt bike alone in the barn.

She hopped on and started it up, heading for a trail that was the back way to the library. As she expected, she got there first, so she parked the quad and headed inside, shoving the keys into her pocket. When she walked into the library, she was greeted by the head manager.

“Good afternoon, Sylvia. What are you looking for today?”

“Um, I'm waiting for Brett, but do you know anyone named Jayden? He's got dark hair and dark eyes, about this tall...” she raised her hand about six inches taller than her own head “he's kinda quiet and mysterious too.”

The manager stroked his chin. “There was a boy like that in here yesterday. I remember taking note of some dog tags he wore. I asked him about them, and he said they were his dad's.” he furrowed his brow. “But there was something about him when I asked. He just clutched them and stared at me as though I'd asked him to tell me his deepest secret.”

“That's him.”

“Oh? Well, don't ask him about his dog tags if you see him. He won't talk to you. Anyways, he told me his name was something Walsh. I guess his first name is Jayden. I hope you find him.” he handed her a piece of paper. “He got a library card yesterday. I assume that's his correct address. I think Brett just walked in.”

Sylvia turned, and there was Brett, looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. When he walked up to her, she couldn't help but tease him a little. “You look awful.” she said.

Brett just glared at her. “You find anything?”

“Yeah. His name's Jayden Walsh.”

“Oh that helps.” Brett quipped sarcastically

“I suppose you could've thought of a better way to get his last name.” Sylvia retorted. “As it happens, Mr. Gordon here just gave me his address, so let's go.”

The two of them went outside, to Sylvia's ATV. Brett's was parked next to it now. They climbed on and Sylvia headed toward Jayden's house.

It was a country house, just like every other house in the small town. They parked the quads behind a camper that was stationed in the driveway and Sylvia headed toward the front door. She knocked.

A very messy little girl opened the door. “Who're you and whatcha want?” she demanded.

“Um...” Sylvia stuttered. A woman came to her rescue. She looked tired and worn down.

“Hi. Can I help you?”

“We're looking for a Jayden Walsh.” Brett interrupted Sylvia before she could begin.

“Oh, Jayden lives here, yes, but he's not here now.”

“Do you know where he is?” Sylvia asked.

The woman shook her head. “He went out last night and didn't come back. I'm not worried though. He always comes back. He's mysterious.”

“Darn right he is.” Brett muttered.

“What's your name? I'll tell him you came when he comes back.”

“I'm Sylvia Thompson.” Sylvia said. She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “Here's my number. He can get in touch that way.”

The woman smiled. “I'll tell him. Thanks for stopping by.”

Sylvia and Brett turned to leave and the woman closed the door. When they were back at Sylvia's house, lounging in her room, Brett had a question.

“Why was it so important that we found Jayden?”

“He and I are somehow connected, Brett.” Sylvia said, playing with a shadow she'd created. “We have the same powers. I want to learn everything about them.”

“Is that the only reason?”

Sylvia turned to look at him. “Should there be another?”

Brett shook his head. “Just wondering.”

Sylvia shook her head and returned to the book she was reading on elves. When the phone rang, Brett answered it.

“Hello, Thompson's...”

“Brett?”

“Oh hey, Mr. T.”

“Is Sylvia there?”

“Yeah.” he passed the phone to her. “Your dad.”

“Hey dad.”

“Listen, honey, I can't come home tonight. I have to work an extra shift.”

“That's fine. I'll go over to Brett's or something.” she flashed him a grin. He made a face and shook his head.

“Just don't get into trouble.”

“Do I ever?”

“I'm not answering that. I'll see you in the morning.”

“OK dad.” they hung up.

“Guess I'm going back to the tree tonight.” Sylvia said.

“I'm coming with you.”

“You don't have to. Besides, your parents don't have to work the night shift tonight.”

Brett couldn't argue with that, but it seemed like there was something she was hiding from him. At about 5, Brett headed for home, while Sylvia prepared to spend a night in the forest.

Sebastian was scratching at her window just as she was about to leave. She sighed and let him in.

“Behave.” she said, closing her bedroom door.

Sylvia locked up her ATV before leaving. Then she struck out toward the cave. Once she reached it, she pulled her dog tags out from under her shirt.

“Sylvia!”

She jumped and turned around. It was Jayden.

“Why didn't you just call me?”

He looked confused. “Call you?”

“I left my number with your mom or whoever that was at your house.”

“Oh. I haven't been home. Sorry.”

“It's fine. Are you headed to the tree?”

“Yes. I was planning on spending the night there tonight.”

“Really? So was I.”

Jayden smiled. “Great!”

Sylvia smiled back, and Jayden pulled out his dog tags. “Let's go.”

In a flash, both of them were night elves once more. Jayden led the way to the tree. Since it was daylight still, the tree wasn't as lit up. The wood elves were all out doing their tasks, the water elves were out for a swim, and the night elves were in hibernation until sunset. Jayden and Sylvia went upstairs to the night elves' quarters. Damian was sitting in the darkened room, reading something. Two other night elves were sitting there as well. Damian looked up when they entered.

“Ah, you have returned. Good! Sylvia can meet the rest of the night elves.” he turned to the other two. “On the right is Lucia, and on the left is Cynthia. Lucia, go get Felix and Alex.”

The elf stood. She was gorgeous, with hair like black satin streaming in loose curls to the waist of her black dress. Deep blue eyes lined with long black lashes shot a flirtatious glance at Jayden, then dainty black flats carried her slight form into another adjoining room.

Cynthia had dark brown hair, and sweet, ocean blue eyes. Her dark blue dress was smoothed over her knees, which were barely visible because of the tall, dark brown boots she wore. She smiled at Sylvia and patted the seat on the couch next to her.

“Come sit with me, Sylvia.” she said. Something about her made Sylvia trust and like her immediately, so she accepted the invitation.

Jayden smiled, and seated himself next to Damian just as Lucia emerged from the room followed by two elves who were obviously Felix and Alex.

Felix was taller than Alex, and had light brown hair and laughing hazel eyes. He wore brown instead of black, and smiled all the time. Alex was quieter than Felix, and his black hair hung over one eye, leaving the other sending forth a dark brown stare. He wore black, like Jayden and Damian, and his lips were set in an unmoving line.

Once all the elves were settled, Damian introduced them all, then told Sylvia that besides her and Jayden, Lucia and Alex were human as well. Sylvia sent a smile at Alex and Lucia. The former was unmoved, but the latter returned the smile with an icy edge.

“Sylvia, when you stay here, you'll room with Cynthia and Lucia in the girls' room. Cynthia, show her around, will you?”

“Come on, Syl. I can call you that, can't I?”

Sylvia smiled. “Sure. My friend Brett does.”

“Brett? The new water elf?”

“Yeah.”

Cynthia closed the door to the girls' room and bounced on one of three beds in the room. “This is my bed. That one in the corner is Lucia's, and that one in the other corner is yours. I hope you like it. Damian told me your color was purple.”

“My color?”

“They didn't tell you about the colors? For shame. OK, so here's the thing about colors. All of us have power colors. Mine is blue, Lucia's is black, and yours is purple.”

“Power color?”

“It makes you more powerful than any other color. So if you wore green, your powers would be slightly weakened. At least when you're an elf. When you're a human it doesn't matter.”

Sylvia smiled.

“Oh, and if you change something about yourself as an elf, it won't transfer to your human form, and vice versa.”

“So if I dyed my hair purple as a human...”

“It would still be that gorgeous black color it is now when you're an elf.” Cynthia said.

“Okay. That's good.”

“Oh, one other thing.”

“What's that?”

Cynthia hopped onto Sylvia's bed. “I think Lucia has a thing for Jayden. It won't work out though, so don't sweat it, but if she thinks you're moving in on him, she'll hate you.”

“Two questions. One, how do you know she likes him, and two, how do you know it won't work out?”

“Same answer to both questions. My primary power is predicting the future. That and their power colors don't match. I forgot to mention that the only way you can date someone is if your power colors match. A night elf that has a power color of green could date a wood elf with the same power color. Since my color is blue, I could date a water elf whose color is blue. But since your color is purple, you're pretty much restricted to a night elf whose color is purple.”

“What're the night elves' colors?”

“Let's see, Damian is blue, Felix is green, Alex is purple, I'm blue, Lucia is black, you're purple, and Jayden is purple.”

“But Jayden and Alex wear black, and Felix wears brown.” Sylvia said.

“Jayden, Alex, and Felix are special. Especially Jayden. They all wear the color that will make them unnoticed, but it doesn't really affect their powers. If we ever went to battle, though, they'd wear their power color.”

Sylvia felt like a lot of information had just been dumped on her. “Battle?”

“Yeah. I suppose I should tell you that if you die in an elvish battle, you will just be instantly returned to your human form. If you die as a human, you'll be turned into an elf forever.”

“Can you become an elf again if you die as an elf?”

Cynthia shrugged. “I don't know. If it is the will of the moon.”

“Elves are really controlled by the moon then?”

“Yeah, sort of. Especially the night elves.”

“What about the fairies?”

“We are allied with the fairies. We're also good friends. Every month around full moon time, we have the moon ball.”

“Moon ball?”

“It's a dance, silly! It's tomorrow night. That's why Lucia is being all flirty with Jayden. See, the rules are that you have to go to the ball with someone. It could be with your friends, or with a date, but if you're going with a date, the guy has to ask the girl. It's tradition.”

Sylvia laughed. “I see. So that's why Lucia doesn't like me.”

Cynthia shook her head. “She knows your power color is the same as Jayden's.” then her voice changed from grave to fun-loving. “So, since you're obviously coming to the ball, we have to find you something to wear!”

“Wait a minute! What about my human life?”

“Find a way to get out of the house for a night. Sleepover maybe?”

Sylvia smiled. “I'm all yours, Cynthia.”

Evils of the Night-Chapter 2

Night Elves

Isa took Sylvia up a lot of flights of stairs before they reached a level of the tree that was completely isolated from the rest of it. It was clearly a place for wood elves.

“This begins the sleeping quarters. Here's where the wood elves sleep. Next up is water.” Isa flung her arm toward the wood elves' quarters, then continued on up the stairs. “This is the water hole, as we call it.” she smiled. “This is where you'll stay if you ever decide to sleep over, Brett.” she then turned to Isa. “The night elves are on the next floor. I'm not allowed up there, but that's where you'll find Jayden.”

“Why aren't you allowed?” Sylvia asked.

“There's a hierarchy of importance here. The wood elves are the lowest, that's why they're on the first level. It's only because they're so common. If you hadn't been changed in the water, you probably would have been a wood elf. The water elves are next up on the totem pole. We're more rare than wood elves, and we have more powers. But it's like I said to you earlier, night elves are extremely rare. And one with powers like yours...well, you heard Frederick. But we water and wood elves aren't allowed up in the night elves' quarters. So you'll have to go alone. But don't worry, Jayden's great.”

Sylvia looked up the stairs. There was a purplish glow coming from the top of them, and it made her feel peaceful.

“Hey, night elf, what're you doin' down here?” a water elf demanded.

All three of them turned to look. A boy stood in the main living space for the water elves with his hands on his hips.

“Devon, take a chill pill. She's just passing through.”

No one heard another elf approach until he spoke. “It is the right of a night elf to go into places that are below him, but it is not permissible for those lower to trespass upon a night elf's territory.”

They all jumped and whirled around. There was a very tall night elf standing behind them.

“Damian...” Isa breathed.

The elf smiled at Isa, then turned to Sylvia. “Come, Sylvia. Jayden just received word that you were to come to him. He waits for you now.”

Brett scowled, and as Sylvia and Damian went up the stairs, and Devon relaxed on a bluish couch, Isa sighed dreamily and flopped onto a sofa.

“Isn't Damian just somethin'?” she sighed.

Brett said nothing, but sat in a chair. Devon snorted. “Lovesick much? He is so out of your league.”

“I know he's a night elf, but he's so...perfect.” she sighed again.

Sylvia didn't really know what to make of Damian. But she forgot all about him when she saw the night elves' living space. It was dark, of course, but it was illuminated by soft purple lights. The only colors to be seen were dark purples, blues, and greens, and the occasional accent of silver. They were situated at the very top of the tree, and a huge window let in the light of the full moon. The middle pane of the window was actually a door to a balcony that rested in the tree branches, and on that balcony was another elf. Sylvia guessed it was Jayden. She was right.

Jayden heard Damian and Sylvia come up, and he turned to meet them. When he caught Sylvia's eye, she thought she saw a glimmer of something flash through them. What he saw in hers was a sliver of sadness that was hidden behind a blanket of happiness.

“Jayden, this is Sylvia. Sylvia, Jayden.” Damian broke through each of their thoughts.

Jayden stepped forward. “Nice to meet you, Sylvia.” he said, shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you too Jayden.”

“Thanks, Damian.” Jayden said. “I'll let you get back to that...whatever it was.” Jayden grinned.

Damian smiled and tousled Jayden's hair. “You'll never know.”

“You know I wouldn't be caught dead in the water elves' territory.”

When Damian had disappeared into one of the rooms that went off of the living space, Jayden turned to Sylvia. “I suppose you think I think I'm better than the water elves.”

Sylvia shrugged. “They didn't want me in their territory.”

Jayden nodded. “I got in a fight with Devon one day because of that same thing. Devon doesn't like the hierarchy, but it's been in place since even before Frederick was born, so he really doesn't have a say.”

Sylvia smiled a little. She and Jayden sat down on a sofa and Jayden began.

“Well, Sylvia, I suppose Frederick told you that your powers are pretty rare. Not all the night elves can control the night.”

“I don't know what that means.”

“It means you can control a lot of things about the night, like shadows, sounds, stuff like that. You can't control when night comes and goes, or when the moon comes up and what phase it's in, but other things. Electricity is pretty simple. See that glass of water there?”

“Yeah.”

“Watch.” and Jayden raised his hand so his palm was facing the glass, and he twitched his fingers ever so slightly. Blue streaks of lightning came from the palm of his hand and zapped the glass. The water began to steam after a few seconds, and Jayden lowered his hand. “Touch it.”

Sylvia looked at him, then touched the water. “It's hot.” she said, jerking her finger back.

“Yes. That's electricity. Telepathy is pretty easy too. It's just being able to communicate through your mind instead of using words.”

Sylvia nodded.

“You try. Do electricity first.”

Sylvia raised her hand and a few sparks of bluish lightning came from it. She bent her fingers ever so little, and lightning bolts flew toward the glass of water. Soon it was steaming again.

Jayden smiled. “Good! That's good for now. Try making a shadow now.”

Sylvia focused her energy on creating a shadow of Sebastian. Soon a shapeless blob appeared on the floor. She tipped her head to the side and moved her fingers around a little bit, and soon a squirrel's shape appeared on the floor. Jayden laughed.

“That's good for now.” he said. Now, I think we can venture down to the water hole and get your friend. Isa and I have to show you how to change from human to elf, and back again. It's tricky.”

“But Isa isn't a human.” Sylvia said.

“I know, but she knows the water elf way better than I do. I'm a human too.”

“Really!?” Sylvia exclaimed.

“Yeah. Let's go.”

Once the four of them were outside again, and headed back to the pool, Brett finally decided that Jayden was alright. He accepted that he'd be around a lot, and that Sylvia would be talking to him a lot.

Once inside the cave, Isa spoke. “I don't suppose you noticed anyone wearing these did you?” and she pulled out of her bag two sets of dog tags.

“No...” Brett began.

“OK that's fine. But these are your tickets back to elf-form.” she said.

Jayden pulled his out from under his shirt and let them hang over it. Brett and Sylvia put theirs on.

“So, how do we do it?” Brett asked.

Jayden smiled. “Rub them together. It recognizes whether you're a human or an elf and it changes you from one to the other.”

“As a water elf, though, you have to put a little water in that one.” Isa said. “Otherwise it won't work.”

Brett dipped his fingers into the pool and let a drop fall onto the tag that had a drop of water engraved on it. Then Isa left and Jayden, Sylvia, and Brett all rubbed the tags together. In a flash, the world was back to its normal size and it was well past 2am.

“We'd better get going.” Sylvia said. “Dad gets up in two hours and if I'm not in bed I'll catch it.”

“You should know that you still have control over your powers in your human form.” Jayden said. “I'll see you around.”

The three parted ways. Sylvia arrived in her room before her dad got up, and she was only too glad to tumble into bed.

When Jared Thompson looked in his daughter's room, he saw her sleeping soundly, covers pulled up to her chin and face buried in her pillow. He smiled and left, closing the door behind him.

Evils of the Night-Chapter 1

Midnight Magic

Picture this: a serene night in the middle of July. Fireflies are flitting around trees in a forest. The full moon rises over the tops of the highest branches, and crickets sing merrily in the bushes.

It was a night like this that drove Sylvia Thompson into the forest that night. She and her father lived in a small cabin in the forest, and Sylvia had learned its trails and passages by heart. Her faithful follower, Sebastian, leaped through the trees above her as she ran down her favorite trail. He was a gray squirrel she had rescued a year ago. As she ran, her bare feet made no noise on the hardened earth. In fact, the only sound other than Sebastian and the crickets was that of the little creek that ran through the forest.

As she ran, Sylvia looked at her phone. It was 12:15. She smiled. Perfect. She continued to run alongside the creek until she reached it: a cave entrance. She slowed to a walk and entered. Inside the creek gathered into a serene pool. She stopped and looked around. This was her special place. It was were she felt safe and happy. The clock now read 12:30. She watched as the full moon rose. She had never been here at night, but Sylvia decided it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Sebastian came creeping in and climbed up on a rock ledge.

Sylvia laid down on her stomach next to the pool, dipping her fingers into it and watching the drips make little ripples in the water. There was the sound of footsteps at the entrance, and she looked up. It was Brett Evans, her best friend.

“I can see why you dragged me all the way out here.” she said, turning back to the water.

He grinned and sat down next to her. “Isn't it beautiful?”

She nodded, almost mesmerized by the clear blue of the water.

Brett sighed and laid back. The moonlight came in through a crack in the roof of the cave, sending a soft blue light reflecting off the walls.

“Hey, Syl,” he began, “c'mere and watch the moon with me.”

She wriggled around until she lay next to him. The moon was just appearing in the crack. Suddenly, ripples of rainbow light began whizzing around the cave. The water in the pool, once as smooth as glass, now churned like it was in a pot on the stove. Both of them jumped up. Then, out of nowhere, water began to rise from the pool. It looked like a woman, but with wings. Rainbows rippled through her watery form. As soon as she was fully formed, she looked at Sylvia.

“Brett? Why is she staring at me?”

Brett said nothing, just squeezed her shoulder. The water woman reached out her hand to Sylvia. Brett pulled her back. The woman looked up at the moon, which was beginning to slip away, then looked back at Sylvia with panicked eyes.

“I think she wants me to go with her.” Sylvia said.

“No.” Brett hissed.

“Then come with me.” she replied, reaching out to touch the outstretched hand. The woman reached out and grabbed Sylvia's hand, pulling her into the water. Brett grabbed Sylvia's other hand just in time to be swept along with them. They disappeared into the pool just as the moon vanished, leaving the cave in almost complete darkness.

The water woman disappeared as soon as Brett and Sylvia were submerged deep in the pool. They both tried to swim up to the surface, but they seemed to be sinking farther down. Finally, they hit the bottom of the pool. Sylvia looked around. She was standing on the bottom of the pool, her feet slightly buried in the soft sand. For some reason she wasn't dying for air. She looked at Brett, who was making the same discovery she did.

Suddenly, Brett looked at Sylvia, and she thought he looked like he was about to pass out. His eyes got wide, and he pointed at her. She was confused. Then she saw it. Only not about herself. It was Brett. His cargo shorts had changed into long black pants, and his t-shirt was now a black, almost flowing shirt with strips of dark purple and dark blue floating off the sleeves. What Sylvia didn't know is that her own shorts and t-shirt had been changed into a short, flowing blackish-purple dress, with the same tattered purple and blue strips. Her hair was no longer free, but done in a messy yet elegant up-do. They stared at each other for the longest time, forgetting that they were still submerged in the pool. Finally Brett looked up and pointed toward the surface. This time, they were able to swim up.

When they reached the surface, Sylvia looked around. “Um, Brett? Is it just me or is this place bigger?”

“It's bigger.” he replied. “And we can't get out of the pool now.”

Well, they managed to get out, but the world itself was bigger now.

“What happened?” Sylvia asked.

“I dunno, Syl. Somethin' isn't right about this.”

“Brett! Sylvia! Come here!” a voice hissed through the grass that was now as tall as they were.

They both whirled around. There was a girl about their age wearing almost identical clothes as Sylvia. She was motioning them over to her.

Brett went first. “Who are you, and how do you know our names?”

“I'm Isabella. But call me Isa.”

“So what happened? Why is the world so big?”

Isa laughed. “The world isn't big. You're small!”

Sylvia wasn't impressed. “Look, we got pulled into the pool in that cave and we came back up and the world grew.”

Isa stopped laughing. “Oh. I see. You're special then.”

“What?” Brett asked, totally confused.

“You've been changed.”

“What are we?”

“You're elves.”

“We're what!?” Sylvia and Brett shouted.

“Elves. Same as me. There's water elves, wood elves, water fairies, and wood fairies. And, of course, there's night elves and night fairies too. They're all good. The bad ones are the swamp elves and fairies, and the owls.”

“Owls?” Sylvia asked.

“They eat us.” Isa said nonchalantly. “But anyways, the elves changed by water in that pool are either water elves or night elves. I'm a water elf.”

“OK, so we're tiny little elves?” Brett finally found his voice.

Isa laughed again. “Yes! You're elves!”

Sylvia smiled. “Sweet!”

“But we have to take you to be tested. We have to find out if you're water or night elves. You're probably water elves, because night elves are extremely rare.”

So Sylvia and Brett followed Isa into the underbrush. She brought them to a very tall tree that had an elf-sized door in it. She opened the door, and they were greeted by a spectacular sight.

All the way up the tree were stair cases, lined with lights and miniature ivy winding its way up. It was bright and filled with elvish music. Elves climbed the stairs to the different levels of the hollow tree, where there was dancing, food, and drinks. Isa took them to the other side of the ground floor and opened a door on the other side. She grabbed a light from the wall and led them inside.

When Brett shut the door, the jubilee on the other side died away into eerie silence. Isa walked silently down the tunnel until they reached yet another door. It was here that she stopped.

“When you go in, say nothing. Look at the floor. Let me do the talking.” and she walked into the room.

Brett and Sylvia saw nothing but the silvery floor. But really, the room was a dark blue with silver stars and moons painted on the walls. There was an opening in the ceiling, and the full moon was just beginning to peep into it. On a throne above them sat an ancient elf. The only reason Brett and Sylvia knew he was there is because Isa addressed him.

“Frederick, I have brought two elves to be tested.”

“The full moon has not yet reached its peak.” the elf protested.

Isa glanced at the opening. “It will in a matter of moments. It will take long enough for you to get down here, so the moon's position should not be a problem in the slightest.”

A snort turned into a chuckle. “Your wit, Isabella, is marvelous. I am coming.”

“You can look up now.” Isa hissed to the other two.

Sylvia now saw everything I have described to you. She looked first at the moon, just coming into view.

“This room is the moon room. Frederick tests the new elves here by moonlight on the full moon.” Isa explained.

“What does this testing involve?” Brett asked.

“When the moon shines down in here, its light searches for new elves, and it reveals their power to Frederick.”

“Isa? Are you human as well?” Sylvia asked.

“No. I am a full elf. The human elves are rare, as most get changed into fairies, and most won't tell you anyways, because they don't want anyone to know. You also must keep quiet while you are in the world as a human.” Isa's voice was grave.

It was as Isa predicted. It took Frederick a long time to get to the bottom of the stairs. In fact, the moon was almost in prime position when he hobbled over to them. Sylvia thought he looked like a wizard, with his moon-and-stars gown and his pointed purple hat.

Sylvia instantly liked the old elf. He peered at them from little eyes, squinted and surrounded by laugh lines and wrinkles. His little spectacles perched on his pert little nose, and the way he stroked his beard as he peered was so comical that Sylvia almost laughed aloud.

Finally Frederick looked up at the moon. “Come on, moon! Even I am faster than you these days.”

As if the moon really listened to and understood Frederick, it moved ever so much over the opening in the roof and the room began to change. The silver stars and moons on the walls began to glow, and moonlight filled the room. Frederick's moons and stars glowed too, and Sylvia noticed that the color of her dress was changing. It went from dark purple to a deep blue, then pitch black, then the darkest green, then back to the original blackish-purple. Brett's color changed as well. Only his went from black to green, then to blue, and back to black.

Frederick closed his eyes and opened his arms to the moon. Then it passed and the room went back to normal.

Isa was impatient. “Well, Fred?”

“Most unusual.” Frederick mumbled. “Most unusual indeed.”

“What!?” Isa asked again.

“What are your names, elves?”

“Sylvia and Brett.” Brett said, totally confused.

“Brett, the moon has revealed that you are a water elf. Your power is telepathy and you can control most forms of water. Sylvia.” he paused. “I have seen only one elf like you in all of my 142 years. You are a night elf, but your powers are phenomenal. You have telepathy as well, but you control electricity, wind, you can control things with your mind, and you can control the night. Isa, take Sylvia to see Jayden. He'll know what to do. Brett, hang with Isa. She's a water elf too, and she can teach you to control your powers.

Official Blog

This is the official blog for my progressing novel Evils of the Night.  For chapters, sneak peeks, information, fan art, and other news about the story, keep an eye on this blog, rather than my other blog, www.mutteringsanmusings.blogspot.com.  :) 

I'm thinking about maybe starting a Google+ page for the story if it picks up enough popularity.  So tell your friends about this blog, and maybe someday I'll be persuaded to actually publish. ;P  Please enjoy the story! 

Copyright 2014 to Alison Smith.  Please don't copy my work without permission.  I've worked really hard on this and I want the credit for it.