Surprisingly, I didn't hear laughter and peeked up at Adam from under my lashes. His gaze was still serious, and I found myself bolstering in confidence. I am a witch, and although I shouldn't tell Adam or anyone, it was the truth. Eventually, powers would be as common as the sun, so it wouldn't need to be kept secret for too long.

I could feel a smile on my cheeks as I repeated, "I'm a witch. I have traps in the forest and used them to buy time for the police to come."

There was no hint of mockery or laughter in his gaze as Adam held my gaze, and I could feel myself relaxing more.

"Do you have a last name so we can track Gavin?" Adam said, and I blinked at how smoothly Adam moved back to the topic of Gavin.

"No, but he didn't spook like the others. He was more level-headed and kept them moving forward. I'm sure he just decided it wasn't worth it anymore by the end." I said with a twist of my mouth. Gavin was suspiciously calm the entire time.

"I'll let the proper authorities track him down. If he was guiding the thieves, he's most likely a well-known associate of the four."

I gathered up all of the documents and slipped them back into the envelope. When I was done, I swung my legs and pursed my lips, "No comments about my being a witch?" I grinned at him, trying to hide my nervousness about his reaction.

"I've seen what you've done with your limited resources. Things just seem to fall from the heavens to aid you, Wendy. If you're not a witch, you're the luckiest girl in the world."

I laughed at his words, not surprised that he noted how suspicious some of my luck had been. Cheekily, I said, "You fell from the heavens one day, too. That was pretty lucky."

A smile, a big one this time, grew on his face, and I froze. I needed to take a picture in my mind to keep for later. Adam really needed to smile more!

"More like you fell from the heavens in front of me." He said.

I laughed again, "I did go flying." Of course, that was due to the car accident. But I did. "Are you able to stay longer?"

"No, I must return to my uncle's for my lessons. I wanted to come over and deliver you the good news. They won't be able to bother you again."

I made a face, "They're going far away but only for four years." It was a simple petty crime, after all.

"With records like that, do you think they can stay on the right path and stay out of prison?" Adam asked with a wry slight twist of his lips.

No, the only reason they'd be able to escape hard time is because of their family. Their pull in Green's Mountain can no longer serve them in the big country prison. Mary had more pull, and so did Adam to get them serving a hard time. The odds were they would fuck up and stay gone. At least long enough for the world to go to shit, and in that case, I'll be stronger and ready if they dared to come back.

I handed the envelope to Adam and paused. I knew he had to leave, and I needed to thank him, but would it be presumptuous to thank him? What if Adam had nothing to do with sending them away and just managed to get ahold of their records? My love of plot brought this line of thinking, but it could be wrong.

But as I looked into his eyes, I dismissed that thought. Why did I feel he had handled it and could do even more if the need arose? It was a strange concept to swallow. The way he seemed so dependable. I picked up a mini-boss for a friend!

Still, even if this was just my love of plotlines speaking, I needed to thank him for handing me this file and giving me closure over it all. Mary was very tight-lipped about it. "Thank you, Adam. I feel more relaxed about it. I was worried about them coming back. No one told me what happened to them, just that they were gone." I said, even more grateful that he was my friend. I could sleep a little better tonight.

"I told you you're not alone." Adam's voice relaxed the last bit of tension I didn't even know my body held. It felt good to be able to rely on someone to feel safe. Sure, I felt safe with Mary, but this was different. I didn't want to examine why, so instead, I gave Adam a hug. Every hug I've ever given him before was stiff. He never responded, except this time, I felt his arms wrap around me to reciprocate. I found myself laughing merrily as I squeezed him tightly.

"Neither are you. One day, I'll return the favor." I think he said something in return, but my braid muffled his mouth. When we pulled away, I was unsure what to do with myself, so I hastily left the car. I still felt strangely vulnerable, and since he needed to go and I wanted to hide, it was best to run away.

"See you Friday," Adam said, and the car drove away. Damn, maybe I really am the luckiest girl.

When I got home, I ensured the plants and the animals were doing fine. I checked in on the mama cat and saw she hadn't started giving birth. She seemed content and mewed at me as I stroked her fur. I wish she wasn't so high in the treehouse, but she didn't like dogs. With how much Nips wanted to nip, I could see her concern. "Hang in there, Big Mama. I'll keep checking in on you."

I went inside and started watching silly cooking shows with Grandpa Evans. I could see he was relaxed with the extra people out of the home. I even caught him humming the show's theme song, and my mouth dropped open. I started receiving grunts as answers, a half smile, and now humming? I could feel warmth bloom in my chest. Maybe the little things I was doing for Grandpa Evans were really helping? It was too soon to see, and depression wasn't something simple. There was no one answer, and I struggled to feel like I was helping him. These little steps were like treasures dotting the horizon and made me feel better.

The rest of the day passed without much to note, and the kittens were born on Tuesday. I checked on them after lunch and was happy to see two babies suckling on her. Old Tom was with her, looking mighty proud as he napped as if he had done the work. I laughed and checked on the nursing mama and her babies. Given that she was nursing and barely awake, I felt she was done having the kittens. Two Babies was a small litter, but it was not bad. One was orange, and after a quick check, I saw it was a boy. "Lil Tom." The name came to my mind and out of my mouth immediately. It was perfect for the little one that looked like his dad. The other one was a girl who took after her mom. She had dark, inky fur and white on her face. I couldn't get much of a look before Big Mama stirred. I could see her protective gaze on me and backed away respectfully.

I wasn't about to get in between a mama and her babies. "I'll come back to check on you guys later." I stepped down the ladder and headed inside to let Grandpa Evans know. He could hold one once they were big enough, and maybe I'd see an even bigger smile than before.

Wednesday came, and with it, Mary. She brought Wyatt and his friends, and I took special care when getting dressed. I could crochet scarves and sweaters with Mary's help and my nimble fingers. As I progressed, I could stitch together clothing and was decently good at it. So I wore one of my new outfits that would work for fall and with some layering for winter. The sweater dress I crocheted would one day become just a sweater as long as my legs continued to grow. Under it, I wore green leggings that I bartered for. My hair was braided into two plaits, and I pinned them back to keep them out of my face. Today was a test. I needed to see how quickly Wyatt and his friends could learn and if we could mesh. As annoying as I found Wyatt, he was helpful around the homestead. I hoped his friends would be as well. If things worked out, we could keep this up for years; they could move in when things went horribly wrong.

I sat on the couch in the TV room, swinging my legs. "I'm a bit nervous," I told Grandpa Evans. "Wyatt and his friends are coming over. They may stick around a lot more if it all works out." Grandpa Evans looked at the door, and my smile split my cheeks. "You have to be comfortable with them as well. You seemed to like Wyatt." The kid had sat next to Grandpa Evans and talked for hours. Grandpa Evans didn't shift or look uncomfortable like he had when Bill and others spoke to him. That was a positive reaction for Grandpa Evans. He grunted, and I bounced a little in my seat. It was amazing how well things were going overall. Maybe too good? I shushed that negative voice in my head.

There was a knock at the door, and I opened it, knowing who it was immediately. Mary wore a beautiful light green sweater over an orange and brown pumpkin dress. Her hair was pinned up, and her smile brought forth a matching one in me. She had little decorative leaves in her hair, and I ran to give her a hug. Behind her was Wyatt, wearing his typical shit-eating grin. I barely gave him a look and instead looked at the two new kids.

One was a girl, and the other was a boy. They both had caramel-matching skin, deep black hair, and hazel-blue eyes. It was a fascinating combination, and given their similar colors, my first guess was that they were siblings. They couldn't be too far apart in age, or they were twins. Cool.

"Hi, I'm Wendy," I said cheerfully, greeting them after I parted from Mary.

"Good morning, I'm Lucia, and this is my brother Lucas." The girl's bright eyes were shy as she introduced herself. Given the similar-sounding names and their appearance, my hunch was correct.

"I'm Wyatt!" Wyatt spoke up unnecessarily, and I gave him a look as I thinned my lips.

I rolled my eyes as I snipped back, "We all know who you are." There was scattered laughter at my words. Wyatt smiled the hardest, strange kid.

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"Let me show you around the house. We have goats, dogs, ducks and more. Big Mama just had her kittens, and they're so cute!" I clasped Lucia's hand and led her outside. Her brother and Wyatt followed while Mary got busy in the kitchen.

I pretended not to notice the basket and bags she brought, but my mouth watered. Mary will make some amazing things today, and I could finally enjoy everything.

We barely got a few feet outside the mudroom before we were bombarded with love from Nips. The traitor started to give me love, but when he spotted Wyatt, she turned tail right to him. I gasped and tried not to overreact. Molly, the more loyal dog, greeted me, and I praised her hard work.

In the days following Wyatt's absence, Nips had become more of an outside working dog. I preferred to keep him next to me, but the pup was determined to work. Scaring off predators was a job he was already bred and ready for. Having the intruders sparked the need to make it a twenty-four-hour job. I had hoped that he would work during the days while Molly rested for the night. No ciggy.

"This is Nips and Molly." Wyatt was too busy laughing and petting Nips. I noticed that Lucia had a trace of fear in her bright eyes, but her brother was stoic. His stance was protective, and I smiled wistfully. She was lucky to have such a brother.

Brother. My heart picked up speed as I remembered my own. How could I forget the jerk for even a second, let alone days! It had been months since I entered the book, but I was extremely comfortable now.

I nibbled on my lip nervously as I mentally kicked myself in the butt. How could I forget? I got so caught up in ensuring we had a sustainable farm that I forgot why I was here doing this work.

"What do you need us to do?" Lucas spoke up, and our eyes connected.

He had an emotion in his gaze that spoke of advanced maturity. A kid shouldn't have clouded eyes like that! He reminded me of Adam at this moment. Wyatt had a similar feeling in his eyes when he dropped his mask before. The only normal kids seemed to be Lucia and me at this point. Why were all of these kids so jaded and mature in this world?

What an awful writer making a world where children couldn't be carefree!

"What can you do? What sort of odd jobs do you normally pick up?" I countered. Wyatt and I had set up the deal before but still needed to hash out the finer details.

"We can tend gardens and crops. We are usually a set of extra hands for the run-of-the-mill farms. Lucas and Wyatt can carry heavy things and or transport them with barrels. More often than not, I bake and babysit for families with babies." Lucia spoke up, and I shifted my eyes to her. She looked sweet and kind; what was she doing with Wyatt?

"I won't need baking or babysitting. I mostly do farm work with animals, transporting crops to the basement, and animal care. I'll finish giving the tour, and we can go from there." I showed them the growing fall crops: goats, chickens, quails, ducks, and ponds.

"Most of what I will need help with this year is harvest. Come spring, it will be planting. I have enough rooms upstairs for each of you to have your own bed when you can help." If these three provided extra hands

We all shook on it, which was a cute moment where I felt my age mentally. I was typically a little immature, especially since I came into this world, but this was good. This was the start of something. We got to work, and I showed them all the little tricks and tips on caring for the animals and what to look for.

Once the animals were cared for, we picked apples for a couple of hours. I used this chance to get to know Lucia. She was the first girl my age I had come across in Green's Mountain.

I sent Wyatt and Lucas off to do the heavy lifting we needed, like moving the compost around and whatnot, so Lucia and I could pick apples and get to know each other.

"We could make pies, tarts, and even muffins with these," Lucia said before me, and her bright eyes gleamed excitedly. A fellow foodie!

I had to stop my drool, "I'm learning how to bake, but apple muffins?" I loved blueberry muffins, but I have yet to try apple muffins.

"They're delicious."

"You'll have to show me how," I said, imagining what they would look and taste. There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes before I broke it, "How old are you and your brother?" I didn't want to ask why they were orphans, but I was curious.

"We're thirteen." Lucia smiled, "How old are you?"

"Twelve." How are they thirteen? Lucia and her brother were both taller than me! Not fair genetics, not fair.

Lucia's eyes widened with surprise, "You're twelve?"

Sensitive, I bristled a little, "I'm still growing, so I'll get taller."

Her laughter sounded like a bell, and I found myself smiling with her, "No, I'm just amazed at how much you've done even though you're so young." Lucia said as her eyes curled up into sweet crescents.

I had done a lot and should be proud, but "I'm not sure it's enough." I said with a sigh.

Lucia's eyes widened into confused miniature moons.

"I need to make sure everything is running smoothly. This is just the first year. It's too early to tell." I said before abruptly changing the subject.

So we talked about farms, people in Green's Mountains, and everything else we could think of. The only subjects we didn't touch on were the orphanage and the church that ran it. I was burning to understand why these kids were running around. How exactly did the system work? However, this was the first day, and I could see how gentle and sensitive Lucia was. So we spent hours going through apples, picking them, and setting them aside for storage. After that, cracking chestnuts and other nuts and other goodies ready to eat.

By noon, I was grinding my teeth, hungry, and we called a break to go inside.

Mary had prepared a feast of creamy potato soup, freshly baked bread, a spinach egg bacon salad, and a sweet potato pie for dessert.

There were six chairs if the table wasn't extended and chairs brought up from the basement, and the seating went as follows. Mary and Grandpa Evans sat at the head of the table. I was overjoyed that he joined us since he only moved from his chair to sleep, wash himself, and use the bathroom. Lucia sat next to Mary, and on her other side was Lucas. Next to Lucas was Grandpa Evans. On Grandpa Evans' left side, I sat, and next to me was Wyatt. He was across from Lucia, and I noted how Lucas and Wyatt exchanged looks before they sat. A silent understanding passed between them. I was the last to sit because I was paying so much attention. Lucas wanted to make sure he was on one side and Wyatt would be on the other side of Lucia before Mary plopped down.

The evident protectiveness of the two boys over her made me concerned. Just what had these three gone through? I couldn't ask very well, though I was dying to find out. However, I wanted to avoid touching the dynamic with a ten-foot pole. They'd been together for who knew how long and had formed their little pack.

I watched as Lucas and then Wyatt filled up Lucia's plate. At any point, she would ask for something; another stepped in to help. It was sweet that she didn't even seem to notice. This must be a common occurrence.

I listened to everyone talk and enjoy themselves as I shoveled food into my mouth. I spent a lot of time talking before, so it was nice to listen to them chat amongst themselves for once. Also, it gave me a chance to examine everyone. Lunch wrapped up as I watched the undercurrents like it was TV as I filled my belly.

Wyatt and Lucas barreled in the apples to the basement as Mary, Lucia, and I worked on quilting. It was getting colder, and the best time to have more blankets was now. I was able to finish up my current quilt, and Lucia was able to start hers.

Her eyes gleamed with joy that she could come back and finish it. I told her to take it with her, but she said working on it with me would be fun when we complete most of the hard work during the day.

To my surprise, Wyatt was good at crocheting and winked as he settled beside me and started making a scarf. The only one who didn't join in on the crafting was Lucas. I noted that he disappeared outside. I didn't pay much attention. I was more focused on pushing Wyatt off of me. Why did he lean on me so damn much?

Time passed, and eventually, Mary gathered the three kiddos, and they left. I got a lot done today around the home and have energy left to experiment with my powers. Since almost all of the leftovers had been sent off with Wyatt and the twins, I pulled out two grilled salmon wraps from my space. The tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and onions smelled so fresh I was tempted to eat them now. I needed to wait, however. I knew that since I was going to overwork my abilities, I needed to have dinner out and ready just to eat. I slipped the wraps into the fridge and kissed Grandpa Evans' head.

"How do you feel about them coming over more often?"

He made a noise and met my eyes. I stood as still as possible, and once I could start feeling the strain of it, I miraculously heard, "Fine." My heart skipped before pounding with joy. I tried to contain this happiness and managed to stop myself from squeezing him into a hug.

"I'm glad they'll be over more often. Maybe for longer if things go well." This was just the start, and as lovely as extra hands were, extra hands meant extra mouths to feed.

I headed down to the basement where the apples had been stored. It was chilly down here, and the root cellar that I had planned needed to happen. A natural fridge that I wouldn't need to pay for. With a wave, I eyed the barrels and boxes of apples we packed today and slipped half of them into my space. There were well over five hundred apples in my space now. Three apple trees that I could boost with my powers were easy pickings.

A third of spring's harvest was in my space. One-third had already been canned, juiced, or prepared in some way. Half of that yield was in the space. The rest was here in the basement on the shelves. I took what Grandma Carol left behind and expanded on it. We were starting winter in a good position. Grandpa Evans and I didn't eat much, and we still had fall harvest to add to the space and the basement.

If things were going so well, why couldn't I stop feeling like it wasn't enough? I had dreams where I found out there wasn't enough food. I was haunted by these fears. My fingers twitched, but I stopped slipping more food into my space. If we were going to have more people over, I had to be more careful about how well-stocked things were. People would notice. Excuses could only go so far. In a town this small, I couldn't claim that I sold things nonchalantly. People saw everything in Green's Mountain.

I headed up the stairs, and after patting Grandpa Evans' shoulder in passing, I left the house and entered the forest. I needed to find a way to connect with all the plant life in the forest. If I could expand my power of plant manipulation, I would be able to keep the line of communication open all the time.

I walked to the biggest tree in my pentagram, Originis. I touched the stiff bark, inhaling and exhaling deeply. I watched the cold bloom my breath before me and plopped my butt on the ground. I flipped and laid my back against the tree, dug my hands into the dirt, and connected.

It was the strangest feeling. I was used to the controlled flow of literary magic. The flow of literary magic was direct and like a math equation. The written word could have nuances and twists, but everything was still organized and controlled. The filtration process meant that power was contained and managed. Literary magic was chaos turned into order by the power of words. When I tapped into that ball of magic power inside of me, it gave me a way to sift the world into order.

Plant manipulation was something else entirely. Primal, instinctual, with no clear rules or guidelines. It was brimming with energy, and I was merely a conduit given access. Like any visitor, I had no real control when tapping that power ball.

And yet, I felt more empowered by plant manipulation than I ever have with my literary abilities. Literary magic gave me absolute control, yet my new power emboldened me.

I grew hot as my mind drifted through the forest, ping-ponging off the vast plant life. I spoke to everything my mind touched. I pushed power into every leaf, branch, and root to grow and stay strong. I fed the forest all I could to better my understanding and connection.

I'm not sure how much time passed as I connected, but I was barely able to keep my eyes open when I slipped back into my body.

I stumbled into the house out of energy and could barely open the fridge to give Grandpa Evans the plate of wraps. I shuffled to my bedroom and passed out on my bed. It was more than worth it, but once again, I overdid it.