My legs were getting even more cramped (if that
was even possible with a five hour drive straight, and my legs got cramped the
first hour) from sitting in the hot, stuffy, packed car with my baby siblings.
I finally asked, “When are we there?”

 
“Almost there, Adam, about another five minutes,” My step-dad said as we were
driving up a huge hill (I could swear it was a mountain) with the most amazing
trees you could imagine. It was growing closer to mid September (but we were up
north so it was a lot colder than what it’s like down more southern), so the
leaves were all different colors. There was red with a hint of orange on the
edges of the leaves to my left, mixed in with some pine trees. And on my right,
I saw marvelous green with a touch of yellow right in the middle, with some
added brown touches. All the trees seemed to make a roof over us as if they
were protecting us or they could be bowing down to us as if we were royalty
going to a grand coronation.

 
I gasped when reached the top of the mountain/hill thing. I was looking at my
grandmother’s new house for the very first time. Her driveway (can you believe
that was her driveway?) was magnificent as it was, but her house was a whole
different story.

 
First let me introduce myself. I’m Adam Thomas. I have so dark brown hair that
you would believe that it could be black with bangs that always hang in my
face. You know how there’s always that “awkward teenager” in your grade? Yeah,
that’s me. I’m super clumsy and I always get impulsive because of my stupid
ADHD brain. I usually can’t sit still for more than an hour at a time, and
whenever I do something I really like, (for instance, basketball) I have this
hyper–focused brain where I can not get distracted (which is very
unusual for me).

 
I like basketball shorts, and t-shirts. I’m a Tomboy and I love fantasy books.
You could also call me a complete geek, nerd, dork, weirdo, or all of those at
once. I’ll just take it as a complement.

 Anyway,
my grandma’s house looked plain majestic. I was awestruck with my grandma’s
driveway, but it was nothing compared to this. Her house was a five floor
mansion (unless it had a basement, then six floors) for starters, but then
there was this room that looked out at the driveway that I guessed was the Sun
Room. The windows didn’t have a scratch or fingerprint on them, and there were
windows that started at the top of the room and went all the way to the bottom.
The whole house was practically glass itself, but it also looked like
extraordinary pearly, white, glossy marble.

 
We got ourselves out of the car (except the babies got help), and I turned
around and saw this funny shaped wood on a tree. It looked oddly like a face,
but I spun around when I heard a voice behind me.

 
“Ah, I see you have taken a liking to the man in the tree.” It was my grandma!

  “Grandma, oh your house, your
yard, it – it’s – it’s so – so indescribable! I love it! It’s majestic, like I
fallen into one of my books!”

 
“Ah, Adam, I knew you’d like it. Now come inside and we can catch up.”

 
She led me through her captivating blue sapphire doorway, and her house got
better than that. All around us were stuffed animals in the all of the rooms
and I swear that when ever I looked at one, it moved like it was trying not to
get seen, like a kid playing hide-and-seek. There was a pig in mud to indicate
that the room I walked in was the mud room. The closet was huge; there were
labels on everything from “summer shoes”, to “outfits to wear when seeing
grandchildren”.

 
I took my shoes off and followed grandma through the mud room which led right
into the kitchen and dining room. In this room there was the mouse from “If You
Give a Mouse a Cookie” with a chef’s hat perched upon its right brown ear. I
thought that this one turned its head to look away so it wouldn’t smile (not
that it would)

 
“Grandma, this place is stupefying. Do you mind if I go explore? Please?”

 
“It’ll be alright with me if it’s alright with your parents.” My grandma looked
at me and wrinkles of kindness were at the edges of her eyes, like they always
show up when she smiles, “Let me show you something first.”

 
“What is it?” I asked with curiosity.

 
“This,” she said as we walked outside her house. She pointed to… our car.

 
“Grandma… this is our car.”

“Exactly,”

“Uh, not to be rude, but
what can it do, exactly?” I scoffed at her.

“Do? Well it can do just
about everything.”

“It’s a car.” I
repeated.

“Oh my, it’s getting
late!” Grandma exclaimed as she looked at her watch.

“It’s only noon,” I told
her.

“Yup, I know, Adam. We
need to get you on board.”

“Wait, on board?” I had
questions rolling through my head.

My grandma snapped her
fingers and the front door of the house flew open and my luggage came out of
it.

I was stunned. “H-how
did you d-do th-that?” I was speechless.

She drew a stick from I
don’t know where. It was like those cartoons where the character put their hand
behind their back and magically grabbed whatever they needed, except, this was
real.

“Charlie, this is Adam.
Take good care of him and make sure he gets to Sekeria safe.” My grandmother
told the car. As if in reply, the car flashed it’s headlights and honked. “That’s
a good car,” My grandma told Charlie like you would talk to a dog.

“Grandma, are you
feeling okay?” I asked grandma with uncertainty.

“I could be a wild
baboon I’m feeling so awesome!”

“You realize those are
endangered.” I implied.

“Tomato tomahto,”
grandma said carelessly, “Now dear,” she said more importantly, “here are some very
important envelopes from your parents and I, and promise to be good.”

“I will if you tell me
what’s going on!” I had the urge to kick something right now.

“David!” My grandma
hollered for my dad.

“Yes, ma,” my dad
materialized out of nowhere.

I pointed and stuttered,
“How – how did you do that?”

“Just your intermediate
emergence spell, oh hey, Charlie,” the car honked in reply as my dad waved his
hand carelessly as if he could be talking about the weather which was very
beautiful anyway.

“David,” my grandma
always likes to call us by our full name, “It’s time you give her the letters.”

“Oh, you’re right. Now,
my boy, these three letters tell you everything you need to know about the town
of Sekeria, the school and more complicated issues that I dare not speak about
aloud right here. Now, let’s go in and say good-bye to everyone.”

Because I’m just that
good natured son that every family longs for, I followed my dad reluctantly,
still not knowing what’s going on. We walked in the house, and my mom gave me
an almost bone crushing hug and said that she’ll see me next summer (“Next
Summer!” I interrupted), and that mushy stuff that all mothers say next to the
“Be Good” lecture that I hear every single time when I go over to my friend’s
house (76 and counting).

My step-dad just said be
good and follow in his footsteps with my mothers brains. He also gave me
another envelope that said it might answer some (and by that he means all) of
my questions with even more directions. Then he gave me a hug, messed up my
hair, and told me the same stuff as Mom, but not as mushy and without the
tears.

My grandma gave me a
small ocean blue wrapped package with a sandy colored ribbon that reminded me
of the beach or ocean, and it also smelled of salt water and fresh water combined.
My grandma said she’ll write (Where am I going?) and that she’ll miss me and
she’ll send me pictures. She also gave me one of those prescription medicine
bags with photos in them. Some of my cat, Calvin; my English springer spaniel,
Tigger; of me and my cousins; and more of family and stuff that clearly means
something to her.

“Time to get you in
Charlie,” My grandmother said.

That sounded really weird I thought, but I grabbed my luggage
anyway and headed towards “Charlie.”

The windows of the car
rolled down though no one was in it and the radio turned on. “Hello Flora,” The
radio said in various voices. I think that this car used the radio to talk.

“Bumblebee?” I
whispered.

“What’s that dear?” My
grandma asked.

“There’s a transformer
named Bumblebee and it was the only transformer that couldn’t speak for its
own. It had others speak for him, in means of the radio. Do you mind if I call
you Bumblebee for the rest of my life?” I added to the car.

The radio said in
various voices that were cutting out so that I just barely heard, “Sure, go
ahead. I’ve been called lots of names. Some that I might not want to repeat – “

“Okay, Bumblebee it is
then!” My step-dad cut him off.

“Anyway dear, take some
food for the journey and I’ll see you on the holidays I hope!” Grandma said
before the conversation turned bad or awkward.

“Bye!” I called, “Though
I feel like I’m a hostage not knowing where I’m going and you all sound like
it’ll be a blast.” Though I don’t like
how you said ‘I hope’, grandma I added in my head.

I got into the passenger
seat (“No way,” said my mom as she pointed to the back, “back seat.”) with my
entire luggage when my mom handed me one more package. It was badly wrapped
with more blue wrapping paper tied with a bow that looks exactly like a bird
feather – cool! It was also shaped oddly like a bird cage and I could hear
something moving inside.

“Take care,” she said

I closed the door and told
Bumblebee to go when my dad stopped us. He gave me yet another package. Good
grief! What is it with packages these days! I opened this package and a note
fell out of it, but before I read it, I looked at the actual package and saw
that it was a digital camera. I got out and asked if they could all get in
front of the house for one quick picture, and with a click, I was already in
the car going down her humongous driveway. I was taking pictures at the
beautiful scenery with the deer, the birds, the rabbits, and all sorts of
animals.

  “So… Bumblebee, where are you taking me?” I
finally asked after five minutes of awkward silence (is it possible to have an
awkward silence with a car?).

“Read those letters your
dad gave you.” He replied with various voices.

I first opened the
letter that came with my camera. It had two sheets of paper the first one was
like a recipe, but not a recipe that I have ever seen before. It looked like it
was ripped out of a text book with faded words and it read:

  One cup of
frog spawn

  Two cups of
water

  Stir two
times counterclockwise than once clockwise

  Four drops of
a rat’s blood

  Wave your
wand and let it sit for a half hour then wave your wand again

The second letter wrote
this time in my dad’s messy blue ink handwriting:

  Adam~

You are probably as befuddled as I was, but we have to do
everything secret now – I’ll tell you in other letters. Even the trees could be
listening. Anyway, take lots of pictures and put in the Animato Potion (the
recipe I gave you) and see your pictures come to life. Then make copies if you
want and send them to us with letters.

See ya buddy,

Dad

Great, I thought. Thanks dad, that really
helps