Annie Barrows - The Magic Half

The Magic Half

ANNIE BARROWS

NEW YORK BERLIN LONDON

For Jeffrey

Table of Contents

CHAPTER
1

ONLY MIRIHAD NO TWIN. People always said, Two sets of twins! That must have been quite a surprise! They would smile at Miris parents and shake their heads in wonder.

When she was younger, Miri had been proud of it. After all, as her father loved to remind them, only one in fifty thousand families had two pairs of twins. It was like being world champion of something. But after a while, Miri noticed that none of the smiling people ever looked at her. Their eyes moved from Ray and Robbie on one side to Nell and Nora on the other, slipping right over Miri in the middle.

What about two pairs of twins and an extra? Miri had asked once. She was curled up on the old blue couch in her fathers cozy office. How many families have that?

Her father had turned a slow circle in his swivel chair before he answered. I dont think they have statistics like that, baby. But youre part of a special family.

Ha, she thought, burrowing into the faded pillows. Im just the extra, not the special.

Now the couch was gone, and she missed it. It had been sold, along with all the other things that Miris mother had decided werent good enough to move to the new house. It would probably be months before the new owner of the couch discovered that Miri had cut a hunk out of the bottom of one of the cushions to remember it by. Miri smiled craftily at herself in the bathroom mirror.

She had to admit that the new house wasnt all bad. The bathroom mirror was tinted pink, for instance, which made her look good. The bathroom door locked, too. Since they moved, Miri had spent a lot of time in there. Hello, me, she said pleasantly to her pink reflection. She had toothpaste on her nose. She wiped it away, and a little breeze wafted a piece of hair over her forehead. The new house was full of breezes that seemed to come from nowhere. Were going to freeze this winter, Miri told her reflection. Like an answer, another gust ruffled her hair.

Miri shook her half-straight, half-curly hair over her face. Her glasses glinted through the strands, so she took them off. Im the Wolf Princess, she thought, cursed to take on wolfish form when the moon grows full.My terrified family locks me in the bathroom, fearful of thedestruction I may cause. Miri paused to snarl wolfishly and then continued, Shut up and forgotten, I spend yearsin solitude, eating bread that my family shoves under thedoor. But one night, as the full moon rises, I escape out thewindowMiri squinted at the bathroom window. She thought it looked big enoughand tear throughthe countryside, causing mayhem among the villagers. Onlyone person is bravebrave enough to pursue the WolfPrincessand his name is

Miri! her mother called down the hall. Have you seen the girls?

Miri put her glasses back on. No.

There was a pause. What are you doing in there? asked her mother, outside the bathroom door now.

Nothing. Even in her human guise, the WolfPrincess had long, silvery hair that shone strangely in themoonlight.

Come down and have some breakfast, then.

Farewell, Wolf Princess, said Miri silently and opened the door. Her mother looked at her with a questioning smile. You okay?

Dont you think Id look cool with silver hair?

Her mother considered. At sixty, yes. At eleven, no.

The big, square kitchen, filled with summer light, was empty. But Nell and Nora had been there: an almost-empty ice-cream carton lay in a thickening mint-chip puddle on the counter. Miris mom walked to the stove and poured herself a large cup of coffee. She contemplated the mess gloomily. Those girls are a menace, she said.

Miri stood next to her. Its not so bad, she said. Remember the time they cut the eggs with scissors?

Her mother giggled. Youre right. That was worse. I guess theyre trying to tell me that theyre tired of cereal. She opened a cupboard and scanned the shelves. Theres nothing else to eat, though. I should go to the store today. But what I really should be doing is setting up my office. She tapped her fingers against the cupboard door. I wish your daddy wasnt at that stupid conference. I dont see why anybody needs to talk about geothermal energy for ten days, much less a man who Oh my God!

Miri looked up, startled. Her mother was gazing in horror at the back porch. Standing outside the screen door were Ray and Robbie. Their T-shirts were streaked with mud and dust. Their hair was thick with cobwebs, and their faces, underneath smears of grime, were blazing with enthusiasm. Hey! Ray yelled. Youll never guess what!

What happened to you? What are you doing out there? Dont come inside!

Guess what, Mom! Ray bellowed. Theres stolen stuff! In the house!

Robbie nodded, beaming.

Excuse me? said Miris mom.

We met a guy! Who told us! Ray hollered, as if they were miles away instead of just on the other side of the screen.

Stop! ordered their mother. She looked sternly at her sons. Ray, please stop yelling. Robbie, can you tell mequietlywhy youre filthy and what stolen stuff youre talking about? And who this guy is? She nodded at Robbie. Begin.

Miris mother was on a campaign to get Robbie to talk more.

Robbie was having none of it. He jerked his head at Ray. Let him tell.

Ray smirked at his mother and continued, As I was saying, we got up superearly this morning, like so early the sun was rising, cause were going to do track when school starts, and we thought we should start training today. So we decided to run to the creek, swim around in the swimming hole, and run back. He slapped himself proudly on the stomach. Cross-training.

And then? prompted his mother.

And then, Ray continued, we ran through the woods. We did great. Except Robbie tripped on a root or something and cut himself because hes a dweeb. Robbie smacked his brother on the back of the head. Get out, said Ray, smacking him in return. Anyway, we were trying to run without any sound, like those Indian dudes, but Robbie made a lot of noise when he fell and Mr. Guest heard us.

Miri imagined running from tree to tree, silent as air. Maybe sometime she could go along with them. Whos Mr. Guest? she asked.

Hes the guy! Ray said impatiently.

Which guy? wondered Miri.

But Ray was continuing, He said we scared all the fish away when we were running around in the woods, even though we didnt really make that much noise. Anyway, hes this old guy, like really old, whos lived in the valley for a million years, and you know what he says? He says

He says theres stolen stuff under our house! Robbie blurted.

Under this house? said Mom doubtfully.

Well, it might be under the house, Ray said. Mr. Guest said on the property. But no one knows where. He says way back in the twenties or something there was a guy who lived here who was a thief, and he buried the junk he stole here, and after he was gone, nobody ever found it. It could be jewelry, he said. Isnt that sick?

His mother smiled at him. Thats pretty sick, all right.

Maybe its bones, said Robbie in a dreamy voice.

It better not be, said Mom firmly. Solet me guess how you got all those cobwebs in your hair. You crawled under the house to look for this stuff. Right?

Yeah. So far, though, we only found a rake, said Ray. Were going to look some more after breakfast. Were starving, he added.

Robbie nodded vigorously.