Chapter 14

Perfect Pancakes—and Other Mysteries

image [https://i.imgur.com/okMxY2N_d.png?maxwidth=520&shape=thumb&fidelity=high]

Sophie finished her prayers early that morning, for an irresistible smell was coming from the kitchen. She got up from her desk and tiptoed to her bedroom door. Slowly, she opened it and peeked outside.

Her mother was cooking her favorite breakfast. There was batter, blueberries and maple syrup on the counter. Samson was standing on his hind legs trying to reach the bacon. There was also a tray of freshly-baked cookies. They were white, with even whiter icing on top! Gooey strawberry filling dripped down the sides! She licked her lips and wondered how she might acquire one without being caught.

Our heroine peeked up at the clock. It read 8:13. Then she looked at her mother. She was strolling around the kitchen, stirring the batter in a little bowl as she checked all the ingredients. She stirred it seven times every six and a half seconds. Then Sophie closed her eyes and just listened. She heard little birds chirping . . . the wind chimes clinking and clanking. She thought about all the other mornings she’d come out to the kitchen. Then, she thought some more. Somehow, reader, in the span of only a few seconds, our heroine could predict the exact moment her mother’s back would be turned. Samson watched in awe and with burning jealousy as she casually strolled up and popped a cookie in her mouth.

“Oh! OH! That blasted girl! Why does SHE always get away with everything? Hey, down here! I want a cookie too!”

“Good morning, mother,” said Sophie picking up a napkin. Her mother’s name was Julie. Apart from her being a grown up, the two of them looked almost identical. Even their voices sounded the same.

“Oh, there you are,” she replied. “Good morning! Did you sleep well?”

Sophie wandered over to the piano and started playing a little tune.

“I had another odd dream . . .”

“Really? What was it about?”

“I don’t know. Something about birds in a nest arguing . . . a grumpy ape . . . a wolf . . . a bear and . . . and . . .”

“And?” asked her mother.

Sophie thought about it and shrugged.

“I guess I forgot.”

“You’ve always had such interesting dreams. Ever since you were little!”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“When I can remember them!”

“Hey, what song is that you’re playing? I’ve never heard it before.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure!”

“Is it one you wrote?”

“No, I think it was in the dream.”

“Sounds a little sad.”

“Yeah, maybe . . .”

“Well, perhaps it would be a good song for one of your plays this year!”

Sophie closed the piano and went over to set the table. Houses were quite a bit smaller and simpler back then. Everything was made of wood, metal or stone. Rooms like the kitchen and dining room were usually joined together. It also took a long time to wash dishes and clothes because everything had to be done by hand. Instead of driving cars, people rode horses or bicycles. But they did have one thing that we don’t. These were special gems called Terra Crystals.

“Can you pass me a yellow, darling? I need to set the timer.”

“Sure!”

There were six different kinds. You could find them scattered around the earth, usually deep underground. Each was a distinct color and had a unique power that could be harnessed.

The yellow ones were a little like batteries. You could power a clock, lamp or lighter with them. If you held one in your hand for too long, it would make your hair stand up. If you banged two together, you would see a spark and feel a little shock. Blue Terra Crystals cooled air around them and purified water. The greens made cuts and bruises heal faster. They also made plants grow taller. Red crystals were warm and could catch fire easily. They burned for a very long time without creating any smoke. In winter, people put them in their pockets to keep their hands warm. But you had to be very careful where you left them out. Sophie saw one on her counter that morning a little too close to the sunlight. She hurried over and put it back in the drawer.

Last, there were pink and purple crystals. These were a little different from the others. The purple crystals were called “Chaos Crystals.” They were known for causing problems, like mutations and certain kinds of illnesses. This is a part of why no one in Sophie’s village ever went over the mountains towards the middle of the continent. Legend had it that a giant Chaos Crystal asteroid once crashed there, giving the continent its strange crater-like shape. The shards in the soil seemed to make the climate more extreme there and attract the most violent, unpredictable storms. It made the trees grow tall and strange, and could make animals unusually strong. As far as anyone on the coast knew, there weren’t any people in the middle. Certainly, no little boys!

Pink crystals didn’t really do anything on their own, but they counteracted the purple crystals and could borrow the power of any crystal they were touching. Folks often wore them around their neck for good luck, or slept with them under their pillows for pleasant dreams.

“Expecting someone?” asked Julie, noticing Sophie setting the table for one more.

“Most certainly. Mr. Stanley will be here soon . . .”

Julie looked outside the kitchen window but didn’t see anyone. Then she looked out another. Still no one.

“Mail on Sunday?”

Sophie shrugged. She was too focused on making the tea. Mr. Stanley liked it at precisely eighty-seven degrees, with no less than one and three quarters scoops of sugar, except around the holidays. A pretty blue crystal helped Sophie cool it to exactly the right temperature. After she poured the tea, she brought it over to the table. No sooner did it touch the coaster than they heard a knock at the back door.

“That’s odd,” said Julie.

Our heroine smiled.