Thursday, July 14, 2011

Entry #17

Shadow and Light
by Rita L. Smith


Shadow and light played across the wall effectively freaking out Miranda. She grabbed Walter’s arm, “Make it stop! I promise I won’t do that again.”

“Miranda, you conjured it. Now you need to concentrate and let it go.”

“I can’t! I don’t know how!”

“Miranda, you have been studying this for a year now. You can stop it. Just concentrate.”

As Miranda squinted her eyes and wrinkled her brow, Walter guffawed.”

“What?” Miranda asked.

“You looked silly scrunching up your face.”

“I was concentrating.”

“On wrinkling your skin before you turn twenty?”

“Ooh, just shut up. Okay? Or make that stop.”

“Concentrate without the funny faces.”

“That is how I concentrate.”

“It’s not. Act like you’re studying the problem and then just release the spell.”

“Okay, but don’t laugh at me.”

“I won’t even look at you, I promise.”

Miranda thought about the spell and the counter spell. She worked through both problems in her mind. She gasped as clarity hit her. Miranda’s hands danced in a series of complicated gestures that were the exact reverse of the ones she’d used to create the illusion in the first place. When she completed them, she said, “Extinguere!”

“Bravo, Miranda, bravo.”

Miranda blushed. “I should have been able to do that sooner, but I forgot to reverse my hands before.”

“We all make mistakes. Shall we try again, this time without your hands?” Walter asked calmly as the lesson continued.

16 comments:

Aimee Laine said...

Ah ... I talk with my hands, too. It's hard not to! That's going to be a tough one for her to not do. :)

Michele Zugnoni said...

Your metaphorical use of hands is intriguing. In a magician's world, symbolism plays such an important part. I get the feeling that Miranda has learned more than just hand usage; perhaps she's discovered a piece of herself as well. I really enjoyed the dialogue here; it made clear the close relationship between teacher and student.

Thank you for sharing!

Jade L Blackwater said...

ah, the early spell weaving missteps. I think it was Anne of Green Gables and Mildred Hubble that made me fall in love with clumsy, hapless heroines!

Aniket Thakkar said...

I really loved the dialogues here. They provided effortless reading. I never realized when I reached the end of it.

Thanks for sharing.

PJD said...

They make a delightful pair, don't they? Pleasant and amusing, this bit.

fairyhedgehog said...

I feel like I'd like to read the larger story that this could be part of!

My crazy life said...

Wow, thank you all for the kind words. I am blushing. I loved writing this story, though sometimes I don't know where the words come from.

Rita

Unknown said...

Spell conjuring, a hazardous profession. Nice!

Dottie :)

Old Kitty said...

Magical!! take care
x

bluesugarpoet said...

Fun dialogue! ~Jana A.

Richard Levangie said...

I thought this was a fun post, and the dialogue was sharp!

yamini said...

magical..

loved it!

Chris Alliniotte said...

I love the idea of magical instruction as something between intimate friends. This works.

Linda Ryan-Harper said...

I guess for some young conjurers of magic, grasping hand gestures is the same as young mortals grappling with mathematical word problems. This sounds like you had a lot of fun writing it.

JaneyV said...

Rita - i love your easy-feeling, naturalistic dialogue. You managed to convey the Miranda's personality and that of her patient teacher in a gentle and totally unforced way. I admire that skill.

Anonymous said...

A slice of life vignette in witchcraft. Solid dialogue. Well done, especially in pacing and storytelling!

Congrats on Forties Club!