Gnomes of Suburbia (4 page)

"How could that happen? How is that even possible?” She shook her head and kept it down.

"Well, he absorbed your magic and it animated him. It really is not that complicated."

Horror covered her features, she could feel her skin pale. “What do you mean
absorbed my magic
? I don't have any magic."

"I beg to differ. You are a Nexus and by your very existence magic will enter the world.” He seemed formal, as if his declaration was some kind of judgement, handing down a sentence that she wasn't going to be able to dodge.

"What the hell is a Nexus? And why are you talking like you know what's going on? I don't even know what's going on.” The high-toned shriek that she heard could not possibly have come out of her mouth, but the sore bits of her throat let her know that she owned the scream.

"I would tell you to calm down, but this is exactly what I am referring to.” He gestured to the workroom door that now had light knocking on the other side. She heard more than one little arm hammering at it and closed her eyes.

"This can't be happening. Magic doesn't exist and gnomes don't come to life.” She repeated it both out loud and in her head, but it didn't stop Xander from opening the door and letting out her gnome companions.

She was immediately swarmed by the crowd of tiny creatures who all wanted to give her a hug. Her heart was pounding, but the calm hugs of the gnomes stilled her frantic mind. A cuddle with Ruffles, a snuggle and a mussing of her hair from Mitsy, who also helped Bitsy up onto the couch so he could wrap his little arms around as far as he could. Skint was the only hug she had to debate returning. What had possessed her to make a nude gnome? Everything she touched was naked flesh.

"How are they doing this?” She turned her head to ask Xander and her gaze ran smack into his smiling eyes.

"They aren't. You are. Your fear or excitement or adrenaline is causing you to release magic. I can feel it spilling out every time you move.” He took one of her kitchen chairs and put it in front of her so that they would have direct eye contact. “I am here to help you get control of your triggers. So that you can summon extra magic at will and not leak it everywhere."

"Leak it?"

"When you don't control the dispersal, the effect will be to animate objects, cars, houses, anything that you are near when your power runs amok."

"Then why didn't my coffeemaker come to life?” Now she was just being picky.

"Your gnomes were more personal to you. You had a connection to them and the power flowed through that connection."

That made a horrible kind of sense. She did think of the gnomes as her children. Sort of. They were certainly her own creation, no wonder she would be tied to them.

In the mean time, what was she supposed to do with them? Hmm. Her backyard was fenced, would they go out? “Come on guys, you can get some fresh air and enjoy yourselves. Knock if you want to come in, okay?” She moved slowly through the small bodies and opened the sliding door onto the deck. With tiny squeals of joy, there was a gnome stampede and she and Xander were alone once again.

She turned to him with a welcoming smile. “Get out of my house."

"What?"

Silently she walked calmly to the front door and opened it. “Get out."

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"All righty, Laura, I am here for my first swimming lesson. Please don't drown me.” Digging out a swimsuit had not been easy, but her stepsister's insistence on beaching herself with Abby as an audience had finally come in handy. She had a suit that she hadn't worn in three years. Luckily, it still fit.

"Oh, I have no intention to drown you, in fact, it is why I asked you here. I want you to be able to swim. Especially with that wide river in your back yard.” Laura looked fantastic, as always. Not a hair out of place. “Now, shall we begin your instruction?"

Laura turned out to be quite an excellent instructor. She went over the basics at poolside and then took her slowly to the shallow end. “It's a saltwater pool, so don't worry about chlorine, and I will jump in if you need me."

"Uh, okay. Let me know how I am doing.” Slowly, and with a sense of dread, she took a firm grip on the ladder and lowered herself one step at a time. Every one of her nooks and crannies was now water cooled. The salt water had more buoyancy than she had anticipated, it was easy to stay afloat. With only a few corrections to her technique, she was soon making her way slowly but surely from one end of the kidney shaped pool to the other. “Can I stop now?” Her limbs were exhausted.

"Sure, I have some drinks and snacks ready.” Laura waved her over. “Come on out."

Shaking with fatigue, she clumsily moved up the ladder and onto the concrete tiles that rimmed it. She flopped down like a beached dolphin. Swimming was exhausting.

"Come on, Abby, you did great. Here's a nicely warmed towel.” Laura was being very kind, but as Abby lunged up to grab the fabric, it snagged on Laura's leg and when she stepped forward, she fell headlong into the pool.

The shock of the splash of the water was second only to the shock of seeing the blue shimmering tail breach the deep end and propel her host to the shallows.

Smiling apologetically, Laura slid out of the pool effortlessly and immediately resumed her legs. She had been wearing a sarong, so Abby was spared the full mermaid on land experience.

"Uh, you weren't supposed to see that yet.” Laura retrieved another towel and began to dry her hair.

Slightly numb, Abby mimicked her movements. “Yet? There was some kind of schedule?” She finished fooling with her hair and wrapped the towel around her.

"Uh, well. There are a few things that you need to be informed of, but we aren't sure how far along you are.” She looked frustrated at having to keep to such a vague description.

"Well, if I didn't hit my head, I brought six statues to life this afternoon. How is that?” She felt a little bit smug as Laura's eyes went wide, but then she realized that it was because Seesee had come into the yard.

"So, Abby. How are you enjoying the neighbourhood?” Seesee was chipper and carrying a box of something that smelled amazing.

"Well, apparently I exude magic, animated my garden gnomes and my next door neighbour is a mermaid.” Abby was still not on her feet and she blinked rapidly. “Anything that you would care to add?"

Seesee looked her over carefully. “You need to get some sugar and some food into you before you get any more news bulletins from Oak Point Way."

Mute, Abby went to the table that was set with snacks and tucked in. There was a sampling of fruits, crackers and cheeses. When Seesee unloaded her box of goodies, there were also miniature cheesecakes and tiny strawberry shortcakes.

The only sound was a steady munching, occasionally broken by
oohs
and
ahhs
. When her belly was full and her hand no longer shook when she picked up the teacup, Abby decided that it was time for a few pointed questions.

"So how many magical creatures live on Oak Point Way? Are there any others like me?” Abby's question broke the quite camaraderie of hungry women.

"Like you? No, there are no others like you. In the magical community, you belong to the most rare of all the talents. The rarest creatures. I suppose that Xander has told you that you are a Nexus?” Seesee's direct stare held Abby hypnotized. Her hair was moving gently in the wind, except there was no breeze. The air was silent.

"Yeah, but I still don't know what it means. I can bring my sculptures to life, but can I do anything else?” Since she was trapped through the looking glass, she may as well enjoy the experience.

"You brought your gnomes to life? Cool!” Seesee's enthusiasm was contagious. The ends of her hair lifted and began to writhe in the air. She wasn't wearing braids today and her wavy tresses still hung in locks. Moving locks.

"I am not imagining that. Your hair is actually moving, right?” Abby blinked slowly, not sure if her eyes were playing more tricks. She almost hoped that when she woke up, this wouldn't be a dream. At the same time she was terrified that it wasn't and she would wake up tomorrow with her gnomes in her room looking at her.

"You are going to need an ophthalmologist appointment every week if you blink that much every time you see something new. You are in a whole new world now, Abby. And there is no way out.” Laura's pronouncement sounded sinister and light hearted all at the same time.

"You mean, I just can't stop doing this? It won't just go away?” Her frustration was evident. “It isn't just a phase?"

Seesee and Laura shared a long look. Seesee finally spoke. “I know that it's hard, but once the magic starts to flow, there is no stopping it. I am a gorgon by birth. When my hair came alive, I freaked. I did everything I could to keep it under control, even a buzz cut. Finally, I accepted that it was part of me and that it was my own magic that animated it. So what I feel, it feels. It can also pick up lightweight objects and occasionally a large one. So it's really handy when I go shopping and bring in the groceries.” As she spoke, her hair unfolded from behind her head and reached a length that covered her to her rib cage. Her hair was swirling happily around her and Seesee's smile was brilliant.

"There is only one moderately talented person on the street and you have already met her. Randy is an unpowered woman raised in a higher level magical family. She is also a kickass Real Estate agent."

A strange new feminine voice rang out, “And she is standing right behind you."

"Hiya, Miranda! It's nice to see you again!” Abby's greeting was genuine, Miranda had been a calm and knowledgeable source for the steps that Abby had to go through to get her house. She had helped her navigate the endless documents and insurance forms that had led to her ensconcing herself here on Oak Point Way.

"Nice to see how well you are fitting in to our little gathering, Annabeth. How have the ladies been treating you?” Miranda moved smoothly into a chair and poured herself a glass of wine. It was turning into quite a ladies night.

"Everyone here has been most hospitable. It is the friendliest neighbourhood I have ever been in. I just wish that the circumstances were different.” She shuddered lightly and felt a small tingle. Abby flexed her fingers and then wove them together in her lap. “This is too much weirdness for me."

Laura gave her a straight stare that had her squirming in front of the other magical women. “You will have to adapt to it. It isn't going to go away."

"But why me?"

Seesee looked calmly at her. “Why not you? Let me guess, you were creative early in life, always making things with your hands or writing?"

"How did you know?” She didn't think she had shared any of her childhood memories with them, but maybe they could read her mind? Yet another chilling thought for her to cling to.

"It is the hallmark of a Nexus. You create magic and life even before you are able to share your magic with others.” The snake-like locks on her head hissed in agreement. They flared out and formed patterns around her that had them in hissing giggles.

"If it wasn't for Nexus’ being born every few generations, wild magic would cease to exist. It's wild magic that enables the fairies, pixies, gnomes and sprites to exist. They generally congregate around an area where a Nexus once resided.” Laura and Miranda were letting Seesee do all the talking, and no wonder, her hair was hypnotizing.

"Does your hair always move like that?” Abby gestured to the rhythmic sway that the impudent strands had taken up. She was pretty sure that it was responsible for Laura's sudden silence.

"Knock it off!"

Abby blinked, but then realized that Seesee was talking to her hair.

"Sorry about that. It is one of the problems with being a gorgon. The hypnosis is what happens when I am not paying attention. I have lost more boyfriends that way.” She shrugged. “And when they realize what has happened I have to deliberately enthral them to make them forget."

"So that is an example of magic being out of control?” That weird tingling feeling was growing within her again. Her skin felt electrified, like a static charge before the big zap.

Laura shook her head and laughed lightly, apparently this had happened to her before. “A minor one, yeah. But I suppose that it is a good way for you to start out. Anything larger might spook you more than you already are.” A light hand on Abby's shoulder was meant for comfort, but the shock of power that leapt from Abby to Laura was enough to slam her backward.

Laura's tail was really very pretty and very full, however Laura looked very disconcerted at the change that had come over her without her will.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry Laura! I don't know what happened.” Abby was on her feet and humming with the surge of adrenaline that the transfer had caused. Ironically, she now felt more charged than she had before Laura touched her.

"Seesee? Can you roll me into the pool? I seem to be stuck in this form.” Laura was very calm. And rather iridescent. There was a shine to her that hadn't been there the first time she changed. “Oh, and throw that fish mobile from next to my backdoor into the pool. I don't think that they want to be out of water for a while."

As one, the dry ladies turned to see the swimming fish on the wind chime actually swimming. Abby backed away from the activity. It was too much.

The fish were trying to swim while still on strings, Laura was stuck in her mermaid shape, Seesee's hair was going wild and Miranda was looking at her like she was a freak.

What else could she do? She ran home and hid under the covers.

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The gnomes trooped gleefully into the backyard, chortling amongst themselves as they enjoyed their first moments of life. They chuckled and hugged as they gathered in their yard, rejoicing in their sentience and mobility.

As the eldest, Harbinger took it upon himself to begin organizing their community. Names were on the agenda as he thought the names of some of his brothers and sisters slightly silly. “Ladies and gentle gnomes. I know that our mistress has named us according to her whim, but would any of you care to be known amongst your brothers and sisters by another name?"