Chapter 8

’Ingredients: These are all and any item used in a spell, whether a simple cantrip to a major ritual. They may be natural or artificial. A crystal, a candle, a mirror, biological material, or minerals— it does not matter. In most cases, these items will be symbolic in nature in their use. This is one reason why the Magical Arts have grown so far beyond what it was only a few hundred years ago.’

Over the next few weeks, Katy kept very busy with her athletic endeavors, the track practice, and finding a dojo for her to learn the martial arts. She was really surprised to learn how many were in their small town. Her Dad went with her to check all of them out. Katy did the actual choosing of the dojo. Most of them, the teacher or sensei paid more attention to her Dad than they did to her.

One really stood out in the impression she got from it. The teacher was an elderly Japanese man. When he found that she was going to be the student, he examined her closely, then he had her stand up and move. He had her take her shoes off and walked her through the method of approaching the training area. It began with bowing before stepping into the area and showing respect to all the instructors.

He then walked her through a couple of basic moves: how to break a hold and moving out of the way of a punch. Later, back in the office, he sat down and faced both her Dad and her.

“I will take her as a student 1 hour a day after six so not to interfere with her school. Also, 4 hours every Saturday morning. If she really works, she will be examined for a black belt in six months. If she does not get it, she will be dismissed from the school. She will learn self-defense moves in the first 30 days with some basic Kata forms.”

“I will charge $150 a month plus gear. A gi, head gear, hand protector, shin, and feet protector. For her gender and size, that will cost another $400. If weapon training, the cost for the weapons will vary, and those are a matter of taste. I will give the address of a place that supplies them. If advance training for weapon or belt is desired, another six months at $200 a month would be needed.” He pulled a stack of forms from a drawer and handed them to her Dad.

That evening, she and her Dad sat down and went over a martial arts supply catalog. They compared prices for gear and found that Master Genwa’s prices were right on the money. Her Dad filled out the forms and signed the contract he then wrote out. He then wrote a check for the gear and six months of training.

“Katy, this is going to be a lot of work. Will you be able to give it your all? I really like Master Genwa’s attitude. He is not going to put up with any slapdash effort. You are going to be pushed to your limits and beyond.”

She sits there listening to her father. Her life had been turned around completely since she opened that book. It would never be like it used to be. Heck, she had barely seen, let alone talked to, her brother and sister since her birthday. That was something she could do something about.

“Yes, Dad, I will give it my best, then give it some more.”

“Okay, girl, then go for it. After school tomorrow, go by Master Genwa’s dojo and give him these papers and the check. Talk to him about weapon training and determine what you want. We can then fine you what you need.”

She picked up the papers and check. She got up and kissed her Dad on the cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”

Katy went immediately to her room and placed the papers in a new manila folder she had. She stapled the check to the inside of the folder, then placed the folder inside her book bag.

She then made the first step in correcting a problem she had spotted. She went to her brother’s room and knocked on the door.

“Yo, I’m decent, so enter at your own risk.” She heard her brother from inside.

She opened the door and stuck her head inside. “Tom, do you have a few minutes?”

“Help! It’s the giant midget!” Katy froze in the doorway.

“Get in, girl. You’re all grown up now, so you need to learn when a joke is a joke and not take it personally. You are going to be seeing more people doing more things, so quit being so sensitive about things. Most of the time, it’s just noises that people say because they don’t know what else to say.”

“That said, how are you? When are you planning on shrinking back to your normal size so I can pick on you again?”

“Well, I hope never. I really like being as old as I am, really.”

“Yeah, I can see that. I punched one of the guys in my class over you, making some wise crack about your body.”

“You are really looking good.”

She blushed; a compliment was the last thing she expected from him. “Well, I guess I clean up pretty nicely now. Before, I had nothing to dress up and show off.”

“I hear that you are really getting your act together. Rumors have it that you are really something on the track.”

“I like to run now. But I still think it’s a mistake.” She paused.

“Tom, how about this? I never hear anything. This is your last year; what about next year?”

“I think I have two scholarships tied up. Football at one, the minor state school, and a minor one for engineering at an engineering school of my choice, which just so happens to be the state school. That will help Mom and Dad out. Dad was hoping I would go for a law degree, but I have no interest there at all.”

“Egh. I’m sorry, but could you imagine anything more boring? So, he is going to have to wait until at least Jenny goes to college. Maybe we should suggest that he begin trying to get her interested.” Katy joked.

“Well, I will leave you to your dreams.” She turned to leave.

“Hey, Katy, what are you up to in the basement? I tried to go down there the other day and could not open the door.”

Katy stopped and looked over her shoulder at her big brother. “That’s my lab; everybody needs to stay out of it. It’s getting really dangerous to stumble around in it.” She snapped her finger and held out her left hand. There just above her palm, a glowing ball of flames appeared.

She stepped out of his room, pulling Tom’s door shut behind her. The silence was so loud it echoed. She snapped her fingers again and closed her hand into a fist, and the ball of flames disappeared.

She walked down the hall to Jenny’s room. A quick knock, and she opened the door. “Shut that door, this is my room!”

“It’s okay, troll, it’s only me.”

“Well, you’re not welcome either!”

“Hun? Why?”

“You’re just not! One day I’m bigger than you, then you go to the hospital, and they do some weird experiments on you, and you come home a different person. You’re not my sister; you are some kind of pod person that they made in the hospital.”

“What? Are you serious, Jenny? I’m still your sister, Katy!”

“Oh? Is that makeup on your face?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Are you wearing a bra?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Are you wearing some nice new shoes? Not your old, worn-out sneakers?”

“I out grew my old shoes.”

“Are you really on the track team at school now?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Help, Mom, Dad, the pod person is in my room!” She screamed.H”Help.”

Katy stood there in shock, watching Jenny act crazy as a bedbug. She wondered why bedbugs were crazy.

Her Dad rushed up the stairs, and Mom came out of her bedroom.

“Katy, are you picking on your sister?” she asked.

“What’s wrong, Katy?” her Dad questioned.

“Jenny has gone bonkers. I’m not sure if she is serious or just pretending. She claims I am not me but some pod person that they made in the hospital.”

Her Mom pushed past her into Jenny’s room while her Dad stopped behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder.

“Jenny, stop that foolishness, right this minute, girl.” She stood there a minute, listening to Jenny rave on.

“I think it’s time to start some corporal punishment around here.”

“Yes, yes, and start right there with that pod person.” Jenny was pointing at Katy.

“No, Jenny, I think we will start with you. Shut up right now. Katy is not a pod person. Though, I am not sure if that would not be an improvement. She simply entered puberty and grew up almost overnight. It will happen to you one of these days also.”

Jenny stopped like a cork was shoved into her mouth.”Me? It’s going to happen to me?”

“Yes, dear, it’s just the process of growing up. Hopefully, it won’t happen for two or three years.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Katy, but you are so strange and different than you were before your birthday.”