The Adventures of June Wonder by Jeanne Esterhuizen (carter reed TXT) 📖

the basics, a wand, amulets, D.Bs and HDAS. Know where I can find some?” she said smiling like it’s very normal. Sven was looking confused. “June, what’s D.Bs and HDAS?” Sven asked her. She looked at him for a moment and started giggling. Hennaed joined in with a hearty laugh. “D.Bs” June said wiping away a tear “is short for Death-Blows. And HDAS are short for Healing Drinks And Stuff. Its wizard stuff, we don’t expect you to understand” she said Hennaed beckoned at them “Follow me, I want you two out of here quick, it’s not as safe as it used to be” and led them down the hallway. Everything looked so grey. Even the colourful fliers littering the streets looked kind of grey. People, dressed in rags, came out of the shadows, looking at them, eyeing June. They crawled towards her, pleading with their eyes. They surrounded her, grabbing her feet and mourning in a language she did not now. A well dressed man came from where he was leaning against the wall of a shop. “Do you see these poor people? Can you see what you did to them? You broke them and their families. It was YOU who killed all those people when you were born. But now it their turn to be on top. They are going to have their revenge and they’re gonna enjoy it. Now, ATTACK!!!” he shouted. The people straitened up and threw back their shawls too reveal that they all are holding machine guns. One in each arm. A mean grin spread around the man's face. “Who are you? What is your name? And by-the-way, like I could have helped it! Tell that to my parents, man!” she said fiercely. “My name is Gillian Shoe” he said. “Well, my name is June” she said and turned around. She looked over her shoulder and said to him just before she ran: “Remember my name; you’ll be screaming it later”

*

June was standing with her back to the wall. She was panting and there were a few streaks of sweat on her forehead. Her hair had gotten messed up, revealing her wolf ears. “I think we lost them” Hennaed said, looking over at June. His brows furrowed and he looked confused. Just when he was about to ask, she held up her hand and said: “Long story” “Ah” he said and stood up from were he was sitting on the ground. “Let’s get going, you need those things” and led them towards a brown door in the wall. From the outside it looked as if the shop will be small and crowded, but once inside, it was enormous. It stretched out for miles, maybe even kilometres. The first part of the shop was book cases and many, many books. The rest of the store they could not see, it was covered in a sort of mist. Somewhere in it an owl hooted and a monkey screeched. ‘Hmm, a jungle’ June thought. A small man with grizzled hair came out of the mist. When he saw June, he folded his hands and looked her strait in the eyes. “So, it is that time already” he said in a voice no one, not even June, expected from him. Sven and June looked at each other. The man gave a short laugh and took June’s hand and led her into the mist. Sven made to rush after her, but Hennaed put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “This she needs to do on her own, otherwise it may end disastrous.” He said looking at the shadow of June being pulled forcefully by the strange man. All Sven could do is look helplessly after her, longing not only for her, but for her protection too.

After a long while June returned. She had many bags in her hands and a few on her back. Sven was sitting in a chair and Hennaed was leaning against a wall, hands in pockets. There wasn’t many socialising between them. Someone made a comment about the weather and there was a lot of sighing but that was it. When June came in, looking very funny not using magic, Hennaed’s emotionless face burst with excitement. “Hey, June, I have a great idea! I’m ganna buy you a present. You know, for all the birthdays I missed. Come on, this way!!” he said, eyes wide with excitement. He led them down the passage again but it looked strangely different, a bit more cheerful. “I wonder where we are going” June thought out loud. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough. Just another right here and then seventh door on the left” Hennaed said. So they went right at the corner and walked further on. June tried to spot the seventh shop but the left side of the street had many clothes shops and they displayed some clothes outside on stands in the air. “Ok, we’re almost there so…” Hennaed said and whispered something on Sven’s ear. Sven nodded and went over to June. He looked her in the eyes and then closed her eyes and said: “Heya No Reada” June couldn’t see or read their minds. Hennaed nodded at Sven, walked a bit further and disappeared into a shop.

“Hey June” someone said in the darkness. “Why don’t you go home, Hennaed will take me home” it was Sven. “Uh-huh” June replied. She visualized the apartment and *POP* she was there. Someone gave a startled cry and June opened her eyes. Cole was lying on the bed reading a magazine. Mary poked a head out of the shower at the sound of a POP. Near June’s feet, Azura half sat, half lay, on the floor. She had her hand half way to her mouth. It was made into a soft fist. She looked quite shocked. Cole had looked up when she appeared, but returned to his magazine after a while. Mary was back in the shower again. But Azura stayed in that odd position. June strode away, head held high. ‘I think I might have landed on her’ June gloated. She waved a hand over her shoulder at Azura and flopped down on the bed opposite Cole. Azura had moved a bit. Now her legs were under her, hands on the ground. She had a slight frown on her face, like she was thinking very hard. Which she was. June put her hands on her stomach and laughed at the sight of Azura thinking. It was five and grey outside already. Someone knocked on the door. Azura looked up. June wasn’t planning to open it; she had closed her eyes and crossed her arms under her head. Azura stood up and opened the door. She backed away from the door so quick, she tripped herself. Hennaed came in. He had to half bow when he came through the door. Behind him Sven trotted in, a big smile on his face. In his hand was a huge bird cage. In it, was an owl as white as fresh snow. The only place that was not white, was his face. At the outsides of his eyes, up over them and down his beak was grey. He also had a single silver grey star on his forehead. June stood up and looked at the bird. Ever so slowly she touched the star. Outside lightning flashed. The owl looked at her oddly, opened its mouth and… licked her hand. June pulled her hand back sharply. “Bad choice Hennaed, it’s as daft as an ass” she said and flopped back on the bed. The owl turned its head. “Actually, I’m quite educated. More, in fact, than most of the population” it said. June gazed awestruck at the owl. He could talk! And is probably more magically than anyone would think This made June very excited, if this simple owl could speak human, what other animals could talk?! ‘Oh wow!’ June thought,’ this is the best birthday presents ever!’ And smiled from ear to ear, almost glowing with happiness.

Chapter 11: Bad sushi

June wasn’t feeling too great. They had eaten sushi the previous night and her stomach didn’t agree with her mouth. She spent most of her morning with her head down the loo, much to the disgust of the rest of the group. She was also shaking a bit and had the feeling of something bad had happened. So, when she wasn’t in the loo, she was racking her brains down the many years in her life to find the reason why she was feeling the way she was. Then it struck her after many hours of brain-scrambling hard work, she found the reason why. Today a year back was the day she departed from her well loved friend Jenny. And Jenny’s twin sister, who is nothing like her, Jo. Later the same day that she departed, the law enforcers looked at her, as if she’s the one who murdered someone! How… crude of them. She was still day dreaming when Sven burst in, out of breath and looking as if he’s panicking big time. “June, oh and the rest of you too, pack your stuff, the cops are after us.” He panted. Everyone panicked except June and Cole. “Well, what do they want with us?” June asked calmly “They want YOU!!” Sven shouted. Flashes out of the past flashed in front of June’s eyes as she remembered her past. Somebody sang ‘we only have four minutes to this’ in the background of chaos. “Not again” June kept murmuring to herself as she packed. As they rushed out the police stood waiting for them barricading the way to stress-free freedom. ‘Uh-oh’ all of them thought

Chapter 12: The prince of darkness

After being beaten several times and hung in a filthy cell for several days, everyone except June was shipped to a secret place so they would not know where June was. June’s mouth was bound with a rag and a charm was put around her neck that prevented her powers from working. And it was shafting her neck, cutting deep into the flesh. Blood had long since dried but every now and then it bled fresh again. The door to the dark cellar suddenly swung open and in strode the man June never wanted to meet, the most insane and evil man on earth, the man out of her past, the man in working with E3L., an evil origination. Trench Futurele.

Chapter 13: June’s labour and another crazy girl

“Faster!!” the rough man barked at June, bringing down the whip on her back. She screamed in pain and dropped to her knees as the red mark spread over her stinging back. “That’s quite enough now Morris, remember, she’s still only a girl. Even though some would think she’s an old hag. So when’s your 340th birthday huh June?” Trench said in that spiteful snippy voice. June glared up at him from where she stood on hands and knees. ‘How were we so stupid to stay so long in one location?’ June thought bitterly to herself. She was Trench’s slave. Her job at the moment was to push a heavy wooden wheel that crushed corn into flour for bread. Sometimes Trench was nice to her, sometimes flirty and then other times so mean she wanted to claw his eyes out. Today, it seemed, he wanted to be a whole different mood. “Morris, let her go to the winery, the flour is done. Good job!” he said and strode away, his long black coat swishing in harmony with his grey hair. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t old, he coloured his hair for the effect of terror. ‘Does he mean me or him? And, does he like to party? ’cause, he wants wine and bread? Something smells fishy, and not just because I had to chop fish heads…’ June wondered as she