Spoken Magic

Case Number: KI 10/01/07/180 Date: 1/9/2167

Reporting Officer: Officer Emmett Mendez

Incident: Kidnapped Infant

At about 2105hrs on 8 January 2167, I was called to the local hospital on a report of a kidnapped infant. Arriving on-site the nursing staff and doctors were in a frantic state of mind. A newborn baby girl was missing from the nursery for over an hour and a half. The on-duty nurse found a baby bunny in the infant’s bed, protocol stated to search the hospital and to call in the local authorities.

Entering the nursey I had a full view on the missing child’s bed, a small white and brownish bunny was inside the blanket bundle. The baby bunny was very small, looking like a newborn as well. One of the nurses approached the bed while I was speaking with another nurse that was in the hall during the time of the disappearance. An electrical charge could be felt within the room, then the one nurse screamed. Everyone ran including myself to the small infant’s bed and the missing child was there laying inside the blanket. The case was resolved, thinking that it was a prank on the staff.

*

Jocelynn watches her mother from her seat at the kitchen table, peeling potatoes in the sink for dinner. The delicate motions of the blade removing the rough texture from the surface, her hand never slipping and cutting herself. Jocelynn likes to watch her mother make lunch or dinner for their family while she does homework on the table. Her mother, Eleanor looks up at the clock above the sink seeing the hour hand move closer to noon. Eleanor shakes her head and goes back to her work on the potatoes. Jocelynn knows everyone’s routine in the house so her brother should be home soon and then her father.

The front door bangs open with a loud thump and the sound of shoes hitting the closet wall beside the door. Jocelynn and Eleanor can hear Jackson’s voice from the entrance, “Mom, is lunch ready?”

Eleanor shakes her head and turns to look at Jocelynn while she is placing the potatoes into a pot, “Can you talk to your brother for me? I’ll grab the sandwiches from the refrigerator.”

“Sure mom,” Jocelynn says scooting her wooden seat back from the surface of the table.

Jackson walks into the kitchen from the living room, his shirt is covered in sweat and his knees are covered in mud. Jocelynn looks at her younger brother, her eyes measuring him up and down. The two regard each other with mutual respect with they’re personalities and ages being different. Jocelynn is seventeen years old while her younger brother is three years younger than her.

Jackson plops himself in a chair across the table from Jocelynn, taking a quick look at the table surface. “What are you working on Joce? Homework,” Jackson rolls his eyes at the notebook and textbook in front of his sister, “It’s Saturday sis, why don’t you go have fun outside or go hang out with your friends from school?”

Jocelynn shakes her head at her brother, pulling her chair back up to the table to continue to work on her reading. “Mom said that we’re having sandwiches for lunch, and you shouldn’t shout from the front door. You know mom doesn’t like that when she is preparing dinner.”

“So what, who cares? Joce you are a goody-good that has no fun,” Jackson gets up from his chair, seeing that their mom is walking over with the plate of sandwiches. “I’m starving, those guys in the park played a rough game of basketball. I’m famished.”

Jocelynn watches her brother remove the plastic wrap and shove a sandwich into his mouth. Eleanor hands one to her and grabs one for herself, walking back over to the sink. Jackson grabs another sandwich from the plate, engulfing it with a few bites.

“Jocelynn, Jack leave some for your father please.” Eleanor says from the sink, washing off a plate and putting it into the dishwasher, “He should be here any minute.”

Jackson nods his head, “Yeah mom,” he grabs two sandwiches from the plate. “What are you looking at,” he looks over at Jocelynn, “I’m doing what mom asked.”

Jocelynn stares at her brother, “Mom said to leave some for dad, I didn’t even get a second sandwich yet neither did mom. You already had two and there are only two left on the plate, Jackson put those two back.”

Jackson shakes his head, “Can’t do Joce, I’m really hungry more than you can believe. I burnt more energy than you and Mom today so I deserve these sandwiches, Dad can get something else if he’s still hungry.”

Jackson starts eating his third sandwich while holding the other in his hand. Jocelynn jumps up in her seat to reach across the table to take the sandwich from his hand. She gets a hold of half the sandwich, and Jackson pulls on the other pulling the sandwich apart. Jocelynn smiles in her victory and eats the half she has in her hand.

“Joce, that was my sandwich, you don’t get how hungry I am,” Jackson says a slight whine in his voice, “I’m so hungry I can eat a horse.”

An electrical charge rushes into the room, the hair standing up on end and quickly disappearing within a matter of seconds. Jocelynn looks over at her sibling no longer sitting on the wooden chair, a miniature horse’s head resting on the surface of the table instead.

“Mom, Jackson did it again,” Jocelynn closes her eyes and shakes her head, “maybe he just likes being an animal.”

Eleanor turns around to look at her son, now a horse. “Jackson, when are you going to learn to watch what you are saying.” Eleanor comes over and kneels down beside Jackson.

Jackson’s hoofs clip on the tile flooring as he turns to face his mother. His long face coming off the table to rest in her outstretched hands.

Jocelynn closes her notebook and textbook, “You know Dad’s not going to like this. This is the second time this month. And the twentieth time this year that he’s done this.”

Eleanor nods her head, “Jackson, your father is not going to be happy with your appearance. Jocelynn, could you take your brother outside before your father gets here?”

*

Case Number: AA/AD 03/08/04/917 Date: 7/25/2168

Reporting Officer: Officer Emmett Mendez

Incident: Animal Attack/Animal Disappearance

At about 700hrs on 23 July 2168, I arrived on the scene at the local zoo where the head keeper of the lion enclosure found a dismembered male body. No ID was found on the victim, claw and bite marks littered the corpse. The cause of death was excessive blood loss from multiple injuries inflicted by the lions within the enclosure. No evidence of foul play, there was no evidence of breaking and entering the enclosure.

The head keeper reported that a male lion was missing from the enclosure as well. The lion had just arrived the day before in good condition from a person’s apartment. Animal Control had secured the animal and brought it to the zoo. The owner was not home at the time of detaining the animal to be transported away from human citizens.

*

The side door opens with a squeak of the hinges, Eleanor and Jocelynn look over to see Emmett opening the door. Jocelynn watches her father put his coat and lieutenant hat on the counter. Emmett’s face instantly lands on Jackson beside his mother on the tiled floor when he looks up from the marble countertop.

Emmett looks over at Jocelynn then down at Jackson, “Jackson, what have I told you. You can’t be careless about what you are saying, you could very well injure or kill someone if you change into a massive animal. Or very well hurt or kill yourself.”

Jackson neighs, throwing his head up and down. His hoofs clicking on the tile as he shifts his weight around with his head movements. Emmett walks over to his wife and his son, kneeling beside Eleanor. He places a hand on the side of Jackson’s muzzle, near his wife’s hand. Eleanor lowers her head, her shoulders shaking with tears as they stream down her face.

“Jackson,” Eleanor cries, “Why do you keep doing this to us?”

Jackson shakes his head loosening his parent’s hands from around his face. Jocelynn looks at Emmett and Eleanor hovering over Jackson. A frown spreads across her face but quickly disappears, a slight smile taking its place but also disappears.

Eleanor shakes her head, and quickly stands up, “I’m sorry Emmett, I can’t-”

Eleanor walks away, her footsteps sounding off the floor as she rushes up the stairs to the master bedroom. The slamming of the bedroom door shakes Jocelynn and Emmett still in the kitchen. Emmett slowly gets up from the floor, taking the chair that Jackson had previously been sitting in. Placing his head in his hands, Emmett looks away from his children toward the floor.

Jackson moves his head toward the table, getting his muzzle halfway on the table surface. Jocelynn gets up out of her chair and moves to stand beside her father. She pushes Jackson’s muzzle off the table, moving the plate of sandwiches farther into the middle.

Jocelynn places her hand on her father’s shoulder, “It’s not your fault dad, Jackson knows the rules. This phenomenon has been going on for a decade now, he’ll learn sooner or later.”

Emmett lifts his head, looking directly at Jocelyn, “You should go talk to your mother Jocelynn. I’ll stay with your brother until he changes back, I’ll have to call into the station to let everyone know I won’t be back for a couple of hours.”

“Dad, you don’t have to do that. You should go comfort mom; you’ll make her feel better. I’ll stay with Jackson so you can get back to work,” Jocelynn says, “even though he’s a baboon.”

An electric charge spreads through the room the hair on everyone’s skin standing up on end again. Jocelynn looks over at her younger brother as he quickly shifts into a different form. Jackson changes into a real-life baboon, squatting on the floor. His eyes are locked on his sister and father, a high vocal noise erupts from his mouth.

Emmett looks at Jackson and then Jocelynn, “Jocelynn, ” Emmett says standing up, “great now your brother is a monkey. What else can go wrong today?”

Jackson jumps up onto his father’s leg and climbs up on to the table. Grabbing the plate of sandwiches and scarfing the remaining two down. Jocelynn tries to shoo her brother off the table but she misses him. Jackson shows his fangs at her as he licks the plate clean.

Jocelynn shakes her head, “Dad, I’m sorry, I meant buffoon, not baboon.”

“Don’t apologize to me Jocelynn,” Emmett says moving away from the table, “You need to apologize to your brother. I’m going up to be with your mother to calm her down before she has an anxiety attack like last time. ”

Jackson and Jocelynn watch as their father walks out of the kitchen. Jocelynn turns to her brother who is moving around on the table surface, licking the crumbs with his tongue.

“Jackson, let’s go outside for a while so Mom and Dad can relax without seeing you for a little bit, okay,” Jocelynn says moving toward the side door, “I am sorry, but this fits you better than a horse for sure.”

Jackson leaps off the table, running toward his sister and climbing up her leg. Perching himself on her back like a piggyback ride and screeching in her ear as he holds her.

Jocelynn shakes her head, feeling his monkey paws around her sides and her neck as she opens the door. The two walk outside the sun still high in the sky and the weather being slightly cold but not that warm either.

*

Case Number: AD/MF 06/01/02/337 Date: 12/20/2170

Reporting Officer: Lieutenant Emmett Mendez

Incident: Animal Death/Mass Fatalities

At about 1430hrs on 19 December 2170, I arrived on the scene at the Tri-Hill Building Complex where a Whale was reportedly resting on the ground floor. The Whale had been out of water for two hours, the skin dried up and frozen in some areas with the tail being pushed out of the windows.

Many personnel working at the complex had suffered injuries with the windows breaking, debris falling on them and some were crushed under the Whale. Approximately the number of injured was over a hundred or so personnel. The number of dead was approximately fifty personnel varying in different injuries.

*

Jocelynn walks beside Jackson as they walk farther away from the house. Jackson now on his own two human feet with his change back a half hour ago as the two walked the trail behind their house. Walking the different trails of the Seven Mountains that reaches the highest elevation in their area. The leaves are changing colors above them as the two progress through the wilderness. The reds gradually getting darker the farther October ends and the leaves starting to fall to the ground too.

Jackson and Jocelynn reach a small stream that intersects their path on the trail. Jackson moves away from his sister, finding a stoned wall of rocks that is built like a damn.

“Jackson, don’t go far,” Jocelynn says finding a huge rock on the side of the stream to sit on, “we’ll have to go home soon.”

Jackson shakes his hand, “Yeah, yeah, I’m looking to see if there are any fish. Maybe I can find you a friend in this stream, Joce.”

Jocelynn clenches her hands, “Jackson, I have friends. Just because I don’t like going out at night doesn’t mean that I don’t have any.”

Jackson jumps into the water, using his foot to knock over the small damn, “That’s not what I heard. That girl you were hanging out with a few weeks ago just came up missing, Dad told me that her parents don’t know where she is.”

“When did Dad tell you this? I haven’t heard anything from anyone about her, I thought she moved or went on vacation since she hasn’t been at school.”

“It was a few days ago that Dad told me, he didn’t want you to worry about it,” Jackson says throwing a rock into the water, “I told him that you wouldn’t be worried since you two weren’t even really friends, you just hung around together from time to time.”

Jocelynn stretches her legs out on the rock, “Are you done yet, Jackson? I want to go somewhere before we head to the house.”

Jackson pushes the rest of the damn apart, and comes over to his sister, “Yeah I’m done. Do you think we could go swimming before it gets too cold, Joce?”

Jocelynn stands up from her rock to stand beside her brother. “You’ll have to ask mom and dad, Jackson,” a slight smile crosses her face, “you’re like a fish out of water Jack.”

Jocelynn feels a slight electric charge through the trees, she looks toward the ground where she sees a small goldfish flopping in the leaves and rocks. She reaches down and gently picks up her brother now a goldfish by his tailfin.

“Oh, I’m sorry Jack. I should really watch what I say,” Jocelynn says hovering Jackson over the surface of the water in the stream, “the same goes for you I guess, right. You should know not to say specific words, your not a child anymore.”

Jocelynn pulls Jackson up higher from the water, watching him flop and his gills move as to try to get air into his lungs. Slowly Jocelynn walks away from the stream, heading in the opposite direction from home toward the base of a rock formation farther away. Jackson moves back and forth in his sister’s fingers, not getting any leverage to get out of her grip.

“It’s going to be okay Jack,” Jocelynn says her eyes narrowing to see the rocks ahead of her, “just think you don’t have to change into any other animals from now on.”

Jackson’s body goes still in Jocelynn’s fingers, she lifts him up to look at him closer. The gills on the sides of his body open and close then stop for the last time.

Jocelynn moves Jackson’s body into the palm of her hand to carry him farther into the woods. Stepping over rocks, tree limbs and around trees to get to the base of the rock formation, Jocelynn enters a small opening that is covered by a fallen tree trunk. Holding his body close to her as she enters the opening into a small open area between the rocks. Little sunlight penetrates the space of the opening, Jocelynn approaches a hole in the ground in the far corner.

“Here Jack, you’ll make mom and dad happy now,” Jocelynn says throwing Jackson’s fish corpse into the hole, “they don’t have to worry anymore about you changing into an animal and now you can finally meet all of my friends.”

Jocelynn looks down into the hole, there are multiple bones, decaying corpses of animals and people in the small cavern space. Bodies of wild creatures contrast to the human remains of old bodies piled on top of each other within the small hole.

“I’ll come and visit, Jack,” Jocelynn says moving away from the hole, “I’ll bring a new friend the next time I come to visit. You should look like your normal self by then, the human you. And don’t worry about mom and dad, I’ll tell them you turned into a dog and ran off.”

Jocelynn gets halfway through the opening, placing her hand on the trunk of the tree. Her head moving back to look at the small opening of her hiding space.

“Sorry Jack, you had too many chances to learn your lesson after these ten years. I have to fulfil my objective, staying true to my beliefs. Purge the weak and stupid that allow themselves to be changed,” Jocelynn says exiting the small tunnel into the darkening evening of October, “no human shall ever become an animal again with their descend into the ground.”