I don’t really remember what happened after I whited out. I came to a couple of times, but I always slipped back into unconsciousness after a few seconds. It felt like my entire body was burning from the inside out, starting at my head and making its way down the rest of my limbs. I faintly remember being awake enough to hear a conversation between two people.

“This is a mess! How do you expect us to explain this to the public?”

“I know, I apologize.” The voice was Mr. Terrell. He sounded worried. “We were waiting for her powers to manifest, but we never expected this to…”

“Why does any of that matter? She blew a hole in the magic history exhibit!”

What were they talking about? Magic history exhibit? Powers? I think I would have known if things like that existed. I drifted off before I could think about it any further.

Finally, I awoke completely. I wasn’t sure how long I had been out. My vision was blurry, making it hard to tell where I was, and my head was still pounding. I sat up and tried to feel around my surroundings. Two chairs had been put together and a blanket draped over them to create a makeshift bed. I definitely wasn’t in an infirmary. I could make out the vague shape of a desk. I was in an office, and a messy one at that. Even without my full vision, I could tell that papers, books, and pamphlets were strewn across the place in a haphazard way.

It was then that a door next to me opened. Two people walked into the room having a very heated conversation.

“I promise that we will help with the restoration of the exhibit, but you can’t hold her accountable!” It was Mr. Terrell again.

“Of course I can! She nearly took out half of your group!”

“It wasn’t her…”

A hush fell over the room. I could tell that they had noticed I was awake. Mr. Terrell rushed over to me.

“Alex!”

“Mr. Terrell, what’s going on? Where am I?”

“In a whole lot of trouble, missy.” The other person chimed in, a southern accent pushing the words through gritted teeth. It was hard to see, but I got the idea that he was wearing a suit, or at least some sort of formal attire. He was probably the one in charge. This must have been his office.

“Don’t listen to him, Alex. What do you remember?”

“Umm…I remember catching up with the group. And you were there talking about an exhibit. And…”

It all came rushing back to me. The purple-skinned demon. The giant, bull-like creature. Mr. Terrell’s angry face telling me to go. My entire body tensed and I started to scoot away from him. I couldn’t see his face, but my mind plastered the angry look I remembered onto it. My heart was beating heavily. Small pin-like needles were still poking into my head.

“Can you leave us for a moment, please?” Mr. Terrell asked the manager.

“Excuse me? You think I’m going to leave this girl alo…” Something caused him to stop speaking. I’m not sure what it was, but I saw a faint green glow. Without another word the manager exited the door and was gone, leaving me alone with Mr. Terrell.

“Alex, I’m not going to hurt you.”

That didn’t really make me feel any better.

“Y…you were angry. You yelled at me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I was…surprised. I needed to get you out of there before you…”

“Exploded?”

He tilted his head in confusion.

“I overheard a bit of a conversation. I blew up a magic history exhibit?”

There was a long, pregnant, pause. I heard him take a deep breath, as if he was unsure of what I knew until this moment, and he didn’t like what he heard. Maybe I should have just pretended I didn’t know anything. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

“Alex, are you okay? Your eyes look glazed over.”

“Um, my head hurts. And my vision is a little blurry.”

He started to reach out his hand, and I instinctively pulled away, bringing my knees up close to my chest and curling into a ball. I didn’t think that Mr. Terrell was a scary person, but his angry face wouldn’t stop going through my mind.

“I’m going to help you. Please trust me.”

Trust was not coming too easily at the moment, but I pulled my knees down and watched the blurry shape that I assumed was his hand cover my eyes. I winced a little cause his hands were cold, but after a moment a weird green glow flooded my eyes. There was a warmth, like drinking a nice cup of hot chocolate, that rushed through my body. When he pulled his hand away, I could see, though it was as if someone had turned the brightness all the way up. Everything was glowing, but at least it wasn’t blurry. My headache was gone too. I was staring directly into Mr. Terrell’s face, and he was smiling. That normal smile during class that always put me at ease. I could almost pretend nothing had happened.

“What was that?” I pondered.

“Your photosensitivity spiked, making you more sensitive to light. It’s…normal for those with light-based abilities. Your eyes will adjust to the new sensitivity, but I sped it up enough for you to at least be able to see.”

Okay, now he was speaking nonsense. I couldn’t help it, but the anxiety and tension burst all at once as I started to laugh.

“Light-based abilities? You’re kidding me. What, did I get transported to a video game? Next, you’re going to tell me that dragons and wizards exist too.”

I stopped laughing pretty suddenly when I saw his face. He looked away, not answering the question. But it was enough.

He was serious.

 

***

---

Mr. Terrell sat there in a chair on the opposite side of the room as I attempted to process what he had just finished telling me. Magic was real. Dragons were real. Elves, dwarves, minotaurs, demons, all of that stuff that you would only see in video games and Tolkien novels. I tried to explain it to myself. Maybe he’s just really into role-playing games and has finally gone crazy, but his face said otherwise. I could tell he was serious. He wasn’t lying. There was something about his eyes that when I looked into them, I knew. Wait…

“Your ears!” I stammered, suddenly noticing that where the tops of his ears should have been rounded, instead they collapsed into a small point. “You’re an elf?”

“Half, but yes…” He was being very cautious, as if walking around a landmine ready to explode at any moment. I guess I had, in fact, already exploded.

“You seem to be taking this information very well.” He continued.

“I mean…I’m still not sure that any of this is really happening. I’m not sure that this isn’t just a dream and I’m going to wake up in my dorm any second.”

He chuckled.

“I can promise you this is real.”

“So then that student I saw, she was a demon?”

“That’s…a derogatory term.”

I covered my mouth, “Oh…I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s okay,” he replied, “You didn’t know. She was a Kinder.”

He seemed like he was about to explain further, but the door opened and the manager waltzed through, stroking his beard and sighing heavily. Now that I got a good look at him, I could tell that his skin was an almost grayish tone. And he was short. His shoulders protruded out, making the suit that he was wearing look as if it was two sizes too small. The hair on the top of his head was thin, with a receding hairline ending in a large widow's peak at the forehead. His beard was long, almost down to his chest, with an auburn red color. A dwarf I guessed, based on the initial descriptions that Mr. Terrell provided. He was so deep in thought that It took him ten full seconds to notice the other two people in the room.

“You’re awake! Good.”

He proceeded to walk around the room to his desk and grab a healthy stack of paper from his top drawer, a pen, and some odd device that looked a little like a harmonica. He used a clipboard to hold the papers and walked the materials over to me, shoving It directly in my face without another word. Assuming he wanted me to take it, I reached out my hand and grabbed the clipboard. It looked like an essay with the amount of words on the first page. I started to read…To whom this document may concern, pursuant to article 214, section g, of the Layman Safety Act, the defendant…

“You’re suing me?!”

“Yes, young lady. You destroyed a good portion of the exhibit, and we require compensation.”

The horrifying, yet slightly funny, thought of my dad learning that I was being sued by one of the biggest museums in the country was interrupted by Mr. Terrell getting up from his seat and coming to the rescue. He gave me a look that said, I’ll handle this, and proceeded to start yet another heated argument with the manager. I’ll admit I kind of tuned out at this point as my thoughts turned to my dad. How was I going to explain any of this to him?

Mr. Terrell had told me that normal people, that is people without magic, are called Laymans, and that they can’t see magic because of something called the Veil. That’s why I kept seeing odd things throughout the museum. My mind was trying to make sense of something I wasn’t supposed to see. But then how was I supposed to explain blowing up the museum if my dad wouldn’t even be able to understand? I mean he surely wasn’t magic. My dad, the same guy who couldn’t even boil water on the stove without somehow starting a fire. The same dad who dressed up in a horrible pink tutu in order to take me to “mother/daughter day” at ballet class. He couldn’t have magic…right?

“Alex.”

I realized that Mr. Terrell had already called my name a couple of times. As I focused back into reality, the manager was sitting at his desk, looking at the now glowing harmonica intently. Mr. Terrell was sitting next to me, those papers under his other arm. I guess he had figured something out. Maybe Harmony Hills was going to pay for it. Maybe my dad wouldn’t have to even know anything happened.

“It’s time for us to go. Can you walk?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

I was a bit wobbly, but if I held onto Mr. Terrells’ arm, I was able to at least stand up straight. As we walked towards the office door, I could only think back to the exhibit. Seeing all of those creatures…no…people. Seeing all those different kinds of people was enough to send me over the edge, apparently. So what was going to happen when I went out into the real world? I closed my eyes as we walked out into the hallway, but I was surprised by the sound I heard. Or the lack of it.

I opened my eyes and looked around. The hallway extended in either direction about 30 feet. One side ended in a door marked “Storage”, and the other end looked like it opened into the main lobby. I couldn’t see anyone walking around. How long was I out?

Walking in that direction, It became obvious that it must have been hours because the place was completely empty.

“What time is it?”

“Around six thirty.”

“You mean I was out for five hours? What about the bus? Going back to…”

“It’s okay. They all went back already. I got you a ride.”

That sounded vague, but I wasn’t really in the mood to argue with him on the specifics. Instead, I kept quiet as we walked into the main lobby. Everything was mostly the same. The dinosaurs in the front fighting with each other. The circular information desk, the corridors leading off to the different sections of the museum. What HAD changed, however, were names. I looked at the sign above the information stand that normally said “The Museum of Natural History”, but now it stated “The Museum of History and Magic”. I almost laughed. Looking beyond the desk, I could see that the exhibit I had wandered into was labeled “Magic Throughout History”. It had yellow tape surrounding the entrance to make sure no one would be able to go in.

“What did I do?” I asked, turning towards Mr. Terrell

“What do you mean?”

“Like, I know I ‘exploded’ or something, but you haven’t really explained how that happened?”

“It’s…complicated.”

“I just got sued by a dwarf at the ‘Museum of History and Magic’…try me.’”

He sighed and stopped walking. He was trying to form the correct words to make sure I could understand. He was honestly a great teacher. I was glad to have him of all people explaining this stuff to me.

“I explained the Veil to you.”

“It’s something that keeps people from seeing magic, right?”

“Yes.” He continued to walk as he spoke, beckoning me to follow along. We were heading towards the revolving doors leading out to the front of the museum. “Rather than a force, you can think of it literally. A cover for someone’s face.”

“Like a bridal veil?”

“Exactly. That’s how they got their names. All Laymans are born with a Veil. Magi…those who use magic…aren’t.”

“Makes sense, but that doesn’t explain why I went boom.”

“Well, it’s possible to place a Veil on someone even if they weren’t born with one. Typically it’s used as a form of punishment, for those who misuse magic. But sometimes…”

“Sometimes…” It was as if he was trying to hide something. Or at least he was talking around something. A revelation. Maybe he was hoping that I would come to the conclusion on my own. It didn’t really make sense to me. Why would someone choose to live life without magic? But then I remembered my explosion. Luckily no one was hurt, but I imagine that a world filled with people who could blow up at any moment would cause all sorts of havoc.

“Maybe it’s better to be ignorant?” I asked, hoping to answer his question.

“Exactly. You really are taking this better than I anticipated.”

It’s not like I had much of a choice, though maybe I wanted this to all be true. I had spent my whole life thinking that something was wrong with me. Thinking that I was a burden for those around me. I wanted something to change.

“So what are you trying to say with all this?” I asked.

“You have magic, ” he continued, “which means that you were born without a Veil.”

“So one was put onto me.”

“Yes. Veils that are put onto Magi are typically weaker and require constant care as the person becomes more and more resistant to its effects. It’s rare, but sometimes Veils can break in moments of great stress.”

“I certainly was stressed out.”

“When you were surrounded by magical things in the museum, your head went into overtime trying to make sure you weren’t seeing it, but it couldn’t keep up. The overload of stimulus caused the Veil to break, and your powers manifested all at once.”

“And I exploded.”

“Exactly.”

“But why did someone put a Veil onto me?”

“That person didn’t want you to grow up knowing about the existence of magic. It was most likely your parents.”

“But my dad doesn’t have magic.”

“It could also have been your mom.”

“I guess…”

“Do you remember much about her?” He said it softly. In that same tone that everyone used when talking about my mom. That pitiful tone, like someone finding a wounded bird on the street and going, aw, well let’s get you to safety. I was sick of that tone.

“I don’t care about her. She’s gone. That’s all that matters.”

There was an awkward moment of silence as we exited the revolving doors and into the fresh air. The sun was just starting to set as a cold breeze swept through the streets. It made the hairs on my arms stand straight. Looking around the city, not much was different. It was the same New York, but I did at least notice new people walking along the street. I saw a large burly figure wearing a suit jacket, but it looked like he could burst out of it at any moment. Fur all over his face, which was in the shape of a bull. Short horns sticking out of either end. A Minotaur. There was also a cat-like person, a Najiir, selling hot-dogs on the other side of the street. I wondered for a moment how they keep hair from getting in the food, and whether I had unknowingly eaten any from somewhere else.

Before I could get sick to my stomach with that thought, Mr. Terrell led me down the steps and into the main courtyard with the large green statue. Getting a good look at it again without the Veil, it was obvious that I had seen it correctly the first time. There was a woman riding a horse, elaborate robes flowing in the wind; literally moving as if made from cloth. She wore a large-brimmed hat and was holding out a staff with a jewel embedded at the end. The jewel seemed to glow every second or so and then dim back out. Taking in this moving statue, there was only one thought running through my head. Magic is cool.

There was a plaque in front of the statue that read “Allya Holden, daughter of the great William Holden, and co-founder of the Sanctum.”

“What is the Sanctum?” I asked.

“It’s a school for teaching young students how to use magic.”

“There’s a school dedicated to that?”

“Yes. In fact, I—” He was about to finish his sentence, but a voice yelled from behind him and farther down the steps towards the street.

“Alex!”

I looked past Mr. Terrell and was shocked to see my dad running towards us. The freckles on his sunburnt face were wrinkled with worry. His long red hair was blowing directly into his face, but it didn’t seem to matter to him.

“Dad?”

He barreled into me, lifting me up and giving me one of his signature bear hugs. He was burly and wide, with a beer gut to match, but he was much stronger than your average guy. For someone with a personality as intimidating as a teddy bear, he looked like a lumberjack.

“Oh, god, Alex. I was so worried.” He sounded like he was almost in tears. I hugged him back, feeling a twinge of heat in my face as my cheeks flushed.

“Dad, please put me down. There are people here.”

He set me down, grabbed my cheeks, and started to inspect me all over.

“Are you okay?” He said, grabbing my shoulders and twisting me around. “I heard what happened and rushed over here as soon as possible—”

“Dad.”

“—the traffic coming down here was terrible, so I ended up parking two blocks up and running down here—”

“Dad…”

“Do you have any scratches? Broken bones? Let me—”

“DAD!”

He stopped talking and stared at me. He had those puppy dog eyes that he always got when he was worried about me. He looked on the verge of crying.

“I’m okay, dad.”

A wave of relief washed over his face as he brought me in for a more normal hug this time. It was hard to say no to him when he was like this, and this time I embraced it. I could feel the emotions of the day rushing back up into my throat as I croaked out,

“I’m glad you’re here.”