The Feud

            Once upon a time there were two groups that performed magic.  One was the red and the other was the blue magic.  They were great friends until a member of the red killed a member of the blue.  Till this day they are in a feud.  I am one of the blue and I belong to the Wempe family.  My best friend Casey belongs to the Dvorak family and my other best friend Robin belongs to the Hoebbel family.  On the red side the families are the Schnells, the Gajeweskis, and the Holtermans.  This feud began when I was four years old.  The grandfather of the Holtermans and my grandfather Levis Eaton Wood were taking a walk together when my grandfather said something causing the Holterman’s grandfather to stab him in the heart with a hidden athima.  He left him for dead.  That was nineteen years ago.

            It is June 21^st and my sister wants something that only the entire family can give and she not only was thinking it, but she had to ask me when we were in our shared room.

“Do you know what I want for my birthday?” asked Nicole looking at me while sitting on her bed.

“A case of Mike’s Hard Grape Juice,” I said pulling a case of it from under my bed.

“I may be 21, but that was not what I was talking about.  Read my mind,” she said glaring at me and I glared back.

“I already have, but no.  Just tell me,” I said smiling.  “I would rather hear it.”

“Only the whole family can give it including the Dvoraks and Hoebbels.  I want to create a huge storm that will totally devastate the red magic,” she said.

“Really?  You have got to be joking.  I don’t know if that is such a good idea,” I said with a fearful look in my eye.

“You just said that you heard it in my head, so it cannot be a lie.  I’ll go ask Mom and Dad!” she said with excitement and ran out of the room.  I sat there in shock and I didn’t want to do it.  Why should we cause them pain?  I know they killed our grandfather, well the Holtermans did.  The Schnells and Gajeweskis didn’t do anything to us.  They don’t deserve this and for some odd reason I didn’t think the Holtermans deserved this either.  I was starting to question what happened between our grandfathers and if the feud was based on a lie.

            Later that night the three families put their hands together and started building a storm.  I stood on the sidelines and watched them create this evil.  I refused to hurt people that didn’t even do anything wrong.  Everyone told me they would deserve it for starting this feud.  Like I said I was questioning the truth.  I wanted to hear the other side of the story.  I went to bed that night feeling sorry for something I couldn’t control.  Something that I couldn’t stop alone.

            The next day Casey, Robin, and I went into town to do some selfish shopping.  We drove up in our purple PT Cruiser, pink mini cooper, and pink Volkswagen beetle.  Once we met up at the entrance to St. Vincent de Paul we looked at the sky.  The blue tinted storm that we created last night was headed toward a red tinted storm.  They knew.  Of course they are not stupid to let a storm that we created get them.  Maybe we are the bad ones . . .

“They created a storm too,” said Robin her smile fading.

“Ours will over power theirs,” said Casey confidently.

“I don’t know,” I said and we walked inside.  We separated once we got into the store.  Robin went to look at the clothes, Casey went to look at the adult books, and I went to look at the children’s books.  I was able to find Animorphs and Cirque du Freak.  I couldn’t find Pendragon or any other children’s book that I like.  So I headed to the adult books where Casey was to look for Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but I got distracted by a stuffed animal in another aisle.  I headed out of the books aisle and walked straight for the white teddy bear that I saw running into someone.  It caused me to drop the books I was going to buy and mixed it with his.  Once I started picking up the books and he handed me my last one, we looked into each other’s eyes.

“Sorry Kim,” he said and his beautiful blue eyes twinkled.

“T-Thank you,” I said and I walked around him.  When I looked back, he was looking at me.  He was a beautiful blonde boy with blue eyes, but he was a Schnell.  The oldest son and he is the same age as me.

            I turned around and went for the stuffed white teddy bear.  When I turned back he was gone and I walked over to Casey.

“Have you found what you’re looking for?” I asked.

“Nope.  Still looking,” Casey said with nothing in hand.

“Ok.  I’m going to check out,” I said trying to spot Robin.

“Alright.  See you at home,” she said with her eyes on titles.  I walked to the clothes aisle where Robin still was and she was holding three pairs of Capri pants.

“Still looking I see,” I said.

“Are you checking out?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said with a nod.

“See ya at home,” she said and I went to check out.  Once everything I bought was in a bag I walked out and I glanced at the storm as I headed to my pink Volkswagen Beetle.  I stopped in my tracks.  The two storms had converged together while we were inside and it was no longer tinted red or blue.  Not even purple.  Of course it was green and I also could see a funnel cloud and the air was completely still.  I ran inside.

“There is a tornado forming outside!” I yelled as I saw Casey, Robin, and the blonde boy.  Suddenly we all heard the tornado siren.  I looked over my shoulder and I saw the tornado headed this way.

“Everyone to the basement!” yelled one of the cashiers and those that were here including the blonde boy, Casey, Robin, and I ran to the basement.  I let everyone else in first and I got to see the tornado rip through the front of the building before Casey pulled me down the stairs.

            Casey and I were holding each other tightly once we were all in the basement.  My hand was in Robin’s hand.  We could only hear wind above us and Casey was shaking.  There were many things that were running through her head and guilt was mainly all of it.  All I could hear in her head was we’re going to get buried alive and it would be our fault.  I looked over at the blonde Schnell boy and he was talking to a female Gajeweski who looked around the age of my mother and a female Holterman who looked as old as one of my older cousins.  I thought of something.  We created this storm didn’t we?  That means we can stop it.  I mean, one person could if they wanted to kill themselves, but two people could do it.  Robin looked at me and shook her head.

<It would be suicide!  We should wait till it ends.> she thought.

<What if it doesn’t?>  I am going to stop it, but not alone.  I let go of Casey and stood up addressing to everyone.

“I know there is a tornado out there, but I think that someone can stop it.  Like me, but I need one other person to help me,” I said looking towards the three red magical people.

“Are you crazy?!” freaked the cashier that got us here.

“She’s a Wempe,” I heard the Gajeweski whisper to the blonde Schnell and the Holterman.

“Will anybody be willing to help me?” I asked.

“I will,” said Schnell standing up and I immediately ran up the stairs.  I could feel him following me.

“How exactly are we going to do this?” he asked once we got to the top of the stairs.

“Magic. . .Spin it the other way and clear the skies,” I said with my hand pointing at the tornado and my hand began to glow blue.  I was on one side and he was on the other.  We pushed it away from the building and his hand had begun to glow red.  I concentrated on getting rid of the tornado that I began to forget about him and where I was.

            After a while all I saw was the blue hand against the spiral of hot air.  The tornado went back up into the sky and the dark clouds dissipated.  Instead of dark color tinted clouds they were white clouds and the sun was shining.  I felt my hands finally drop to my sides and I sighed.  Everything went to complete darkness as I felt myself fall backwards.  While I was unconscious I could hear voices in my head.  It was like I was dreaming, but all I could see was darkness.  Once I started listening to the voices, many were distant.  One of them was my mother, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying.  Two voices were closer, but still faint.  Casey and Robin.  They were complaining about me because I heard them mention my name in heated speech.  One voice was much closer than any of them and it belonged to a male that was right next to me.

“You didn’t conjure the storm with everyone else did you?” he asked and I wanted to answer back, but I couldn’t speak.

“Well, I didn’t.  I think we were framed and you guys were lied to.    You guys are mad at us, but we didn’t do anything except protect ourselves,” he said with sadness in his voice.  “Your grandfather tried to kill the Holterman’s grandfather with an athima, but John got the athima away from your grandfather and used it to protect himself.  He didn’t want to hurt his lifelong friend, but he was afraid he would kill the rest of the red.  John died of a broken heart that night and only told me this.  He felt I would bring peace or something.  Whatever.  You probably can’t hear me anyway. . .”

            I blinked my eyes open and I saw someone looking at me with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Erich.

“I’m glad you’re ok,” he said and got off his knees walking away towards the store entrance.  I sat up and turned to where he went.  I thought that I wanted him to wait.  I got up off the cold cement and ran after him.  I put my arm through his arm and held onto it.  He kissed me on the cheek.  I heard him before and I heard him again.  He thought of the time we first looked into each other’s eyes.  I looked up at him and I kissed him on the lips.  I thought in my head that I didn’t do it either and he smiled.  I jumped in his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist.  He wrapped his arms around me as we kissed and I put my fingers through his hair.  I pulled away as I thought to him.  I need to get my stuff and you can come to my place.  He smiled and nodded.

            While he waited outside for me I went to the disheveled place and I thought of it being perfect again.  Of course the next moment it was.  I found my bag of purchased items with everyone else in the basement.

“It’s all clear,” I said with satisfaction grabbing my bag.

“Kim wait!” exclaimed Robin and Casey, but I ran out to Erich before I heard any more.

“Where are our cars?” I asked.

“The tornado probably took them,” he answered.  We searched the parking lot and the buildings.  Nothing.  I closed my eyes and I tried to feel the presence of my car and when I opened my eyes I reappeared in an open field after hearing Erich say wait for me.  His orange mustang and my pink Volkswagen beetle were sitting tires to the ground unharmed.

“Let’s go!” I exclaimed and we hopped into our vehicles riding to my home. 

            We both knew we were going to get hell.

            Even though we were in two different cars we could hear each other’s thoughts.  Do you think this is what John was talking as a peaceful act I thought toward him. 

I don’t know he thought back.  Maybe it is and I hope your family and the other two families are willing to listen.

I hope so too I thought.  If they don’t I hope they don’t disinherit me.

They won’t he thought.

            Next thing we knew we were at our mansion and I could see the amazement on his face.  His thoughts confirmed it.

Nice place he thought.

Thanks I thought back. 

I looked into his eyes and I asked him something that I had been meaning to ask him since he saved my life.

“How is it we are able to read each other’s mind even though we are from two different magic?” I asked once he opened the door of my car for me.

“I don’t know, but it’s still different.  I can read everything that the red think whether they like it or not, but with you I can only hear what you want me to hear,” he said smiling.  “I like it.  Those girls that I was with always annoy me when I hear them.”

“It’s nice to talk sometimes,” I said hopping out of the car.  He continued to smile.

“Right.  Just what I was thinking,” he said shutting my car door.

            I could feel eyes on me when I walked through the front door with Erich following me.  All I could hear was their angry thoughts all at once and I fell to my knees grabbing my head once I walked in the door that Erich left open for me.  I could hear nothing but their voices.

<Whose that?> thought Robin’s great grandmother.

<A Schnell?> thought the Hoebbel and Dvorak grandparents.

<How could you bring him in our house after what he did?> thought my grandmother Gloria pulling out her hair.

<Why the man with the name of quick?> thought my grandfather Erich jokingly.

<Why him?> thought my grandmother Corlyn quietly.

<Of all people to bring the enemy to the house.> thought aunt Carol shaking her head.

<Of course you choose him.> thought my cousins Renee and Richy.

<Let’s bring the fire. . .> thought uncle Carl trailing off.

<We thought we would bring in the enemy.> thought my cousins Justin and Jen.

<Why did you bring a Schnell into our house?  If you’re getting married so help me we will disinherit you.> thought my father crossing his arms.

<Why is he here?> thought my mother silently.

<Thank goodness it wasn’t Robin bringing him home.> thought Robin’s parents.

<Of all people I thought it would be Casey.> thought Casey’s parents Scott and Carol looking at each other.

<Why did you bring Erich here?> thought my sister with hatred.

<Why did you have to bring trouble?> thought Casey’s brother Tim.

            Erich ran to my side and I barely felt his hand on my shoulder.  I barely even heard his whisper in my ear, but he silently thought to me too.

“What are they doing?” he whispered in my ear, but I couldn’t answer.

“I- You- E. . .” I tried to speak.

“Will you stop and listen for a second!” yelled Erich looking at everyone.

“Why should we listen to you Schnell?  One of your beloved red friends killed Levis!” said my sister angrily.

“John was only protecting himself just like we did with the storm,” Erich said with his hand continually on my shoulder.

“What do you mean?” my mom asked coming forward.

“I’ll explain once you free Kim’s mind.  You’re all hurting her.  If you would listen to what she is thinking and my own thoughts you would all understand why this feud was a lie,” Erich said and I felt my mind relax.

“We can’t read Red Magic’s mind,” said my grandma Gloria crossing her arms.

“Yes you can,” I said and everyone looked at me.  “Try reading it once and you will find the truth about everything.”  I grabbed Erich’s hand as he pulled me up into his arms and we felt everyone search our minds of the whole truth.  It seemed through every thought and memory they began to relax.  They felt bad for every wrong move, word, or action that they did since.

“We never wanted to be the ultimate and only power,” said my grandpa Erich.

“We are all sorry about everything.  Levis, the storm, and the tornado.  The storm was my bad idea,” Nicole said looking at the ground.

“John really loved Levis didn’t he,” said Casey’s father Scott.

“Yeah, but all Levis saw was power,” said Robin’s mother Jill.

“What do you want so you can forgive us,” said Casey’s brother Tim as Casey and Robin walked through the front door.

“You are all already forgiven and I have found what I want,” Erich said looking into my eyes and squeezing me.  I felt Casey and Robin read my mind for an explanation.  I felt them smile.

“Why don’t we go have a reunion with the Red,” suggested Robin coming beside me.

“Yeah.  A party,” said Casey putting her arms around my neck as I stepped aside from Erich.

            All the females ran back to their rooms to make themselves presentable and once everyone was ready we all took our own cars to drive to the Red Magic’s mansion.  Erich lead the cars and I was right behind him.  Once we got there we explained ourselves and all was forgiven.

“I guess John was right when you would bring peace to us,” Taylor Holterman said to the two of us.

“That’s not all I am going to do,” Erich said and he got down on one knee.  “Kimberly Jean Wempe.  Will you marry me?”

“Of course.  Yes,” I said as he put a diamond ring on my finger and we kissed.

<How did you learn to conjure?> I thought knowing he didn’t have that in his pocket this entire time.

<Practice.> he thought.  <I’ll teach you.>

            So we all were friends again and the bond became even closer once we married.  Now it all is just a memory and we all know it is the truth.

The End