Gum was disgusting. Gooey. Worse than glue. And full of someone else’s germs too. Sarah was working to peel the gunky glob out of her hair but somehow it was multiplying–sticking onto her fingers and still stubbornly remaining in the matted tangle at the base of her neck. 

It probably hadn’t helped that her hair had already been windblown, curls messily pulled up into a top bun, tendrils constantly being tugged out by the gusts whipping between the apartment towers and office high-rises, only to be haphazardly stuffed back into the nest of curls and tangles after each crosswalk. By the time she’d flopped back in the bucket seat at Wrigley Field during the bottom of the 8th, slouching down with frustration and a strong desire to cry but refusing to do so in public, her hair looked like she’d been living feral on an island for two months–but, that was just what her curls did on a humid July afternoon when the wind was coming in strong off The Lake. After days like this it was just easier to hop in the shower and liberally apply conditioner than it was to try combing it out dry.

But there had been gum. Thick, gooey, mushy gum. The enthusiastic–and drunk–fans sitting behind her and Brad were effusive in all their reactions to the game. And while it was certainly not from altruistic motives, the food in their hands had been freely shared among their neighbors. There had been mustard splatting, beer sloshing, and gum falling out of mouths to get stuck on chairs in the row beneath them. Gum–waiting for Sarah when she slouched into her chair and slid down the seat. Gum–snagging deep into her curls that she hadn’t noticed until she was already driving herself home, trying hard not to cry while managing I-90. Somewhere past O’Hare she’d tried to straighten her bun and found the foul mess well-mashed into the tender hairs at the base of her neck.

Sarah wasn’t sure how it’d happened really: the break-up. Scratch that, she wasn’t sure how the relationship had turned into “not a relationship”. Leaning forward above her sink she turned her head sideways and rubbed more peanut butter into the knot she couldn’t see behind her head. 

Was it when Brad had stopped arranging Saturday brunches? It used to be that when he had to be out of town over the weekend for a work trip he’d call her and chat in-between his sales pitches, and then he’d make it up to her with a Monday night date. Then he said he was too busy with the start of the week to make Monday nights. Fair enough. Honeymoon periods eventually end, right? Then he’d said he was too busy to call between his weekend sales pitches. Well, he was working more leads, working hard. Working hard and saving up money. Money for their wedding. 

Okay, fair enough. They weren’t engaged yet. But they’d talked about it. Talked about the timing. And the money. And the things Brad would need to settle with his pipeline before he could focus on a wedding and a new home. Brad needed a secure sales portfolio. Which meant travelling. Which needed to happen before he could focus on Them.

Oily clumps of peanut butter and disintegrating gum fell into her hand. Sarah wiped the squishy mess onto the paper towel sheets she’d set beside the sink. 

Sarah caught a glance of her raccoon eyes in the mirror and hastily looked away. She needed a shower. She smelled of beer and ballpark. All she wanted to do was curl up and go to bed.

What was left of the disintegrating gum finally did seem to be working itself out of her hair. Thanks for the tip, Google. Unfortunately, it had been pre-tangled and re-tucked before all this. Now, after the peanut butter massage, it was even more mangled.

This was all such a mess! Why had Brad thought that a ball game was a good time to say, “I don’t think this is working any more. Anyway, it’s not working for me”? Why had she suggested they finish the game before talking about it? Why hadn’t she said something sooner? Like when Brad started being too busy to show up for their couples therapy? Why?

Dang it, she knew why. It was because she still loved him. And that made her feel sick–the still loving him part. Her stomach wanted to turn itself inside out, borrow the tongue scraper sitting beside her toothbrush, cleanse every curve, rinse off with some mouthwash, and shake itself off like a wet dog before going back into her gut, tucked right-side in. Honestly? She should’ve called it off five months ago. She saw that. Saw that Now. Clear as the brown and white gelatinous glop sitting on the countertop. 

Using a handheld mirror and standing with her back to the vanity mirror, she also saw the nasty mat she’d hoped wasn’t as bad as her blind fingers had hinted it might be. Yep–it was worse. The size of an egg. Truly knotted beyond repair. The fine strands invisibly twined from repeated tugging and “fixing”. 

Sarah felt the sting of mascara pooling in her eyes as the tears coursed down her face. Seemed like her face had been wet ever since she’d slammed the door on herself and drove away from Brad in the parking garage. 

Her hair. And her heart. Such a mess.

With a shaky breath Sarah forced herself to look at her own eyes in the mirror. 

She. Could. Do. This.

She knew she could. She would get through this.

Sarah reached inside the drawer on the vanity. Her fingers rummaged around, finding the plastic handles she was looking for. She pulled out the short tool. With her left hand carefully holding the knot away from her scalp, she raised the scissors with her right hand, nosing the blades to find the taut strands. 

She began to snip.

“Have a seat,” Maggie nodded to the chair across from her. The wood paneled conference room was cool, but the warmth of the late afternoon sun could be felt through the windows.

“Where’s Mrs. Garrett?” Alexa’s tone was defiant.

“She had another meeting.”

“My lucky day, I get the rookie,” her eyes sparkled to match her smirk.

Maggie Straus had been a guidance counselor at the Harper Reform School for Girls for just two weeks. She was already very familiar with Alexa’s file.

“We’ve already spoken with Felicity. Now it’s your turn.”

“She stole my necklace. Can I go now?”

“I need details.”

Alexa crossed her arms, but seemed relaxed, extremely comfortable in the hot seat. Maggie saw so much of herself in this girl. She also grew up with a chip on her shoulder, always a step away from a fight. At least until someone cared enough to show her the truth, how to deal with her wounds and get a path to a real future.

“What did the new girl say?” Alexa sat forward, pointing to the laptop.

“Your story first,” Maggie tapped the conference table where just two days before their team discussed Alex’s future at the school; the same day Felicity moved in.

“She was in my room.”

Maggie typed as Alex spoke. Interesting, Felicity claimed she found Alexa in her room when she went to get her notebook after lunch.

 “What was she doing there?”

“She said she was lost.” Alexa’s tilted her head, “Then the next thing I know, I see her wearing my necklace in the hallway.”

Maggie didn’t know Felicity yet, but Alexa was known to be a bully. These girls were street smart. Stealing from someone during your first week was risky.

“Is that how the fight started?”

“What was I supposed to do, let her get away with it?”

“Who threw the first punch?”

“She did.”

“That’s not what Mr. Baker said,” Maggie knew getting a straight story would be a challenge. “Start from the beginning.”

Alexa looked around the room intently, staring at the whiteboard and then out the window. It was a classic stall technique, then she tried changing the subject, “Might rain today.”

Maggie was not impressed. “Why did you go back to your room instead of class?”

“I forgot something.”

“Something?”

 “My sweater.”

“She was there. When you got to your room?”

“Yep, looking in my drawer. She said something about being lost and ran.”

“Did you see the necklace?”

“Not until I saw her wearing it in the hall.”

“That’s when you confronted her?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get the necklace?”

Alexa squinted, as she paused to think. “My sister gave it to me for my birthday. Are we done here yet?”

“Not yet,” Maggie said. “Felicity says the necklace is hers.”

“She’s lying,” Alexa was incredulous.

“I still have a few questions.”

“Of course you do.”

“You went to get your sweater, right?”

“That’s what I said.”

“You found Felicity in your room, looking in your drawer.” Maggie paused before continuing, “Why didn’t you punch her then?”

“What?” the question caught Alexa off guard.

“Well, you didn’t hesitate to hit her when you saw her wearing the necklace. Sounds like you let her off easy for snooping around your room.”

Alexa thought before responding. “I guess I wanted to give the new girl a break.”

“I see.” Maggie typed some more. Then asked, “Where’s your sweater now?”

“My what?”

“Didn’t you get your sweater?”

Alexa looked around like the sweater would magically appear. “I must have forgot it after finding that thief my room. Maybe she took that too?”

“Hmmm…” Maggie looked over her notes. “Did your sister visit for your birthday, or did she mail the necklace?”

“What does that matter?”

“It doesn’t really,” Maggie smiled. “I was just curious. Such a nice gift.”

“Now are we done?” Alexa looked toward the door.

“Almost. I need to explain all this to Mrs. Garrett,” Maggie turned her eyes back to the screen. “You saw Felicity wearing your necklace in the hall, confronted her, and then she punched you?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“What did you say to her?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Really, such a heated moment and you don’t remember anything?”

“I called her a thief and told her to give it back.”

Maggie could sense Alexa’s story was unraveling. “Wait, tell me again, did you punch her first?”

“Of course,” Alexa snapped, “I mean she did.”

“I see.”

“One more thing, can you describe the necklace?”

“It’s a silver locket, heart shaped.”

“And the pictures inside?”

“Easy, a little girl and an old lady.”

“Family members?” Maggie followed.

“I don’t know. My sister didn’t say where she got it.”

“What about the initials on the back?”

“Initials? Umm, umm,” Alexa didn’t know how to respond. To heck with it, confidence is key. “A.R.”

“There are no initials on the necklace.” Maggie said matter-of-factly.

Alexa was silent for brief moment, before smiling, “You got me, rookie.”

“It’s Miss Straus.” Maggie corrected.

“Am I getting kicked out?”

“It’s not my decision to make. I’ll be discussing our conversation with Mrs. Garrett.”

“Would I go to juvey?”

“Most likely. Does that bother you?”

“It was bound to happen anyway,” Alexa slumped in her chair, defeated; for the first time looking vulnerable.

“Nothing’s decided. Why were you snooping in her room?”

“Just checking out her stuff. I was looking at the locket when she caught me.”

“So why start the fight?”

“Because it’s who I am.”

“No, darling, it’s not,” Maggie sighed. These girls all needed some hope.

Later, as Maggie typed her final report for Mrs. Garrett, she knew she was already attached to this girl. She recommended that Alexa stay at Harper School so she could try to reach her, to break through the tough exterior. She wanted to unravel the web of lies and help Alexa find healing and a path to a brighter future.

Once upon a time there was a man who lived in the forest by a magical lake. And he kept a flock of unicorns. And one was the specialist who seemed to always understand his feelings. One night he was writing a love letter to his wife, who was away for a time, and he went outside to do his chores for the unicorns, like feeding them and brushing them and making sure their horns don’t break. And then he read mythical books to them. 

One day a mail lady came through town and gave the innkeeper his letter. The innkeeper was in love with Dave but he had refused her. The letters were lavender-scented love letters to his wife.  Then she recognized it.  She had bought the lavender scented cards and given them to him! And he was using them for his wife! The innkeeper smiled and waved goodbye. Without the mail lady noticing, she quickly snatched the card when she walked out the door. The innkeeper eagerly opened the card. When she read it, she was not happy. She picked some petals of extremely poisonous flowers. Then she went to Dave’s home and knocked on it at night when it was raining. He offered her to sit and eat with him. When he got up to get tea, she quietly slipped some flower petals under his food. And when he took a bite of his food, he fell out of his chair. She raced out of the door. 

“Finally,” she thought, “I have had revenge on him.”

But then the unicorns saw it and came and healed him and revived him. And Dave and the unicorns and his wife lived happily ever after. 

Magic is very common where Silva, a tree nymph, lives. I say “magic” in the sense that sitting down and knowing if you should go into the forest, start a barber shop in a neighboring town, or settle down where you are is magic. But there was a problem. Silva only got magic in pieces. Once she was persuaded that she should go, but another time her magic told her to settle down. She sighed and stood up. Silva was in a meadow not far from Westborrow Village, her home, but she wasn’t going there. She was going to a hidden clearing with a hidden church in the middle of it. Silva was going to be late for service. She heard the bell that starts church just as she stepped into the dappled sunlight of the clearing. Good. Silva wasn’t as late as she thought she’d be. She sat in the fifth pew from the front, beside her best friend Aqua. 

“Took you long enough!” Hissed Aqua as she elbowed Silva. 

Pastor Brown took his place at the pulpit and asked them to rise for the call to worship. The service wore on as usual, with Pastor Brown telling them that “Christian” means “little Christ” and they got that name because the Romans teased them with it, which he’d told them a million times already. Then Pastor Brown said something that got Silva’s full attention. He said, “We are so focused on things that go wrong or don’t make sense that we miss what went right or made sense!” Then he closed the service with the words, “May God bless you and keep you, May God make His face to shine upon you and give you peace. Amen.” Silva suddenly knew what her magic was trying to tell her. She would go into the woods. 

The next day was full of goodbyes and packing. Most people, like her friends Maddie and Mason, took the news about Silva very well. Aqua, on the other hand, didn’t.

“YOU’RE LEAVING!?!?”

“It’s okay, Aqua!” Silva soothed. “Your magic told you to find a waterfall in the woods, right? We can travel together.”

Aqua seemed to contemplate this for a bit. Then a look of fear came into her eyes. “And what about bears and those little green-clocked creatures?”

“”You mean Ewmekas? I don’t think we’ll run into any of those. And bears…nevermind them.” Silva looked up hopefully.

“I’ll come.” Aqua whispered.

After all the goodbyes were made, the two friends waved farewell to the village. Their moms cried and their dads looked proudly on, though Silva saw they were just as sad as she was. The faintest tinge of doubt wriggled into her heart as she walked away from her church, her friends, and her family. But she had to because she was going to unravel her magic. 

Both Silva and Aqua knew that rain was coming, but the storm came faster than expected and they had to find cover. Aqua stopped abruptly at the edge of a meadow with an uncertain look on her face. 

“I can’t go out there. There’s pollen.” She said matter of factly.

“Well, I don’t see any canary yellow flowers that could potentially kill you.” Silva pointed out. 

Aqua scanned the field. “I’m not colorblind, unlike you.”

“Well? Are there canary yellow flowers that could potentially kill you?” Silva asked impatiently, ignoring the fact that Aqua had insulted her.

“Nope.” Aqua said at last.

“Good. Then let’s get a move on!”

Together the two friends dashed into the meadow. When the storm had passed, Silva and Aqua became hungry and stopped for lunch. As Aqua was commenting on the storm, Silva hushed her with a hand and whispered “Waterfall.”

“I hear it.” Aqua replied.

Both girls gathered their things and stood up. They exchanged a meaningful look and made their way toward the sound of rushing water. After a while, Silva and Aqua found a river and followed it. The river eventually widened and turned into a sparkling lake with a beautiful waterfall at one end. As soon as Silva’s foot touched the ground, she knew that her magic was unraveled for good. No more guesses. No more bits and pieces. Glancing at Aqua, Silva could see her friend agreed. They both sat with their feet in the water and Silva wrote a letter to her parents that said: 

Dear Mom and Dad, 

Aqua and I have found a waterfall and are going to settle down here. I will probably come and visit soon. You will be glad to know that my magic is no longer dappled. I would write more, but we have a home to improve. 

Your daughter, 

Silva

The End

“YEOWCH!!!” 

The cry came from the living room. I, Sophie-Grace Taylor, detective extraordinaire, ran in to see what was the matter. The rest of my siblings weren’t far behind. Dad was hopping around the room, muttering under his breath, and as we got there he tripped over the basket of yarn, got his foot tangled up in an unraveling ball of cotton, and fell to the ground with a THUD! that shook the house, accompanied by another loud yell. 

“Gosh, Dad,” said Davie, the oldest. “Are you OK?” 

“What happened?” I asked. “Did the cat trip you again?” 

“No, I stepped on (ow) Trisha’s toy unicorns (ouch). Then I tripped over (yow) Mom’s basket of yarn.” Dad sat on the floor clutching his injured foot. 

Just then, Mom walked in, looking annoyed. “What’s all the commotion? Are you okay, John? And has anyone seen my basket of yarn? Oh, you found it!” She said, glancing at dad’s foot, to which the basket was still attached. She dug around for a while before frowning and looking up. “Has anybody moved my ball of yarn I got yesterday? I can’t find it in here.” All of us shook our heads. Mom sighed and said, “Well, keep an eye out please, because I need that yarn for a project I’m working on.” She helped Dad up and they walked out of the room. 

I signaled to my brother and sister and we dove behind the couch to hold a Very Important Meeting. “You saw the look on Mom’s face,” I said. “She’ll be in a very bad mood in no time at all if we don’t do something.” 

Trisha looked worried. “What should we do then?” she asked. 

“We should split up and look for it,” said Davie, who isn’t nearly as dumb as he looks. 

“Let’s spread out over the living room,” I suggested, “and whoever finds a clue will give the owl hoot.” We all nodded and crawled over and under the coffee table, Dad’s easy chair, and the window seat, until finally I found something. 

“Hoo, Hoo!” I called, and the others came running. We all knelt by the couch, examining a long piece of yarn that wound around the room before continuing through the hallway. The reason no one had seen it before was because it blended into the carpet. 

“Thith ith tho cool!” Trisha whispered. She tended to develop a lisp when she got excited. 

“I feel like a detective!” Davie grinned. “We’re unraveling the mystery of the ball of yarn!” 

We all cracked up then. When we stopped laughing like maniacs, we agreed that we should follow the trail of yarn to see where it led, and then we would present it to Mom. I led the band of intrepid explorers through the hallway, past the laundry room, and down the steps and stopped in front of the door to the… 

“Guest room?” I wondered aloud. “Now why would Mom’s yarn be in the guest room?” We all looked at each other and shrugged. We pushed the door open. There, in the middle of the room, sat the ball of yarn. Then we all looked up and there stood…

“GRANDMA!!!” We all yelled, and rushed over to hug her. 

We heard Mom and Dad laugh, and I whirled around and said, “You planned this from the beginning, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” 

“We wanted it to be a surprise,” Mom said. “We knew our Sophie, detective extraordinaire, and her assistants Davie and Trisha would solve the mystery in no time. Besides, we didn’t plan for Daddy to trip over the basket!” We all laughed again and did a big family hug. 

“Best mystery unraveling ever!” I said.  And it was.

THE END

Once upon a time there was a kingdom without a princess. Actually, there had been a princess. The King and Queen had dismissed her nanny, because she had been found in the castle dungeons practicing black magic. On the night before the princess was to turn three years old, the witch used her magic to cloak herself and stole her away. In her bed, a note read: 

Your Royal Highness,

I have waited for this moment for a long time!

My life has unraveled because of your selfishness. 

Now, I will take what you prize most 

and what I have longed for with all my heart - your little girl!

To prove to you I am more honorable than you,

I will return her on her 13th birthday. She will be

somewhere on the Royal grounds for you to find; 

however, if you do not find her by noon, 

she will be mine forever.

How the king and queen grieved for their little girl, Selah. They had their entire Royal Guard out searching for her, but she was nowhere to be found. 

Five years went by, and while the search continued, they welcomed a baby boy - Prince Tobias. As he grew, they told Tobias stories about his sister so he would know all about her. Family was very important to the royal family, so important that they found and hired Constance, the witch’s kind and good sister, to be Tobias’ nanny. She agreed to help in any way she could to help find Princess Selah, including praying for help from God above.

When Selah’s 13th birthday finally arrived, five-year-old Toby - affectionately known by his mother - was sent outside to play with his dog, Rascal. The Royal family, along with the servants and Guard, began searching the entire grounds for the Princess. Constance was to follow through with her duties of watching over the young prince.

Toby loved throwing a stick and watching Rascal chase after it into the garden then bring it back to do it all over again, but he became concerned when Rascal didn’t come back right away. He called the dog’s name, then heard Rascal bark, so he ran in that direction. He spotted Rascal sitting at the entrance to the garden maze, and that’s when he also saw what appeared to be a glowing ball of yarn on the ground in front of Rascal. Constance called for him, and he yelled, “I’m over at the maze! Come and see what Rascal has found!” 

When Constance reached Toby and Rascal, she started reminding Toby that he was not to go into the maze without an adult. That is when she saw the glowing ball. 

Just then, Rascal gave the ball a push with his nose, and it began to unravel into the maze. Rascal trotted after it, with Toby trailing right behind. Constance gave a little smile and followed. The ball unraveled this way and that, in and out of the hedges which made up the maze. Eventually, they saw the last of the ball stop right in the center of the maze. There they saw a figure lying on the ground in front of the bush. 

“Wow!” exclaimed Toby.

“Woof!” wagged Rascal.

Constance just smiled.

The figure began to moan and move. Then she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw the three staring at her and was startled. 

“Don’t be afraid, my child,” Constance quietly said. “Where did you come from?”

Standing up and brushing off, the young girl answered, “I live in a village down over the mountain,”. She went on to ask, “Who are you, and where am I?”.

“My name is Constance, and this,” she replied, “is Prince Tobias. You are in the middle of the Royal Family Maze located on the grounds of the palace.”

“The palace?” the girl exclaimed. “How did I get here?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” countered Constance.

“What’s your name?” asked Toby

“Ayla,” the girl answered.

“Oh,” Toby replied, disappointed. “I thought maybe you were my sister. But her name is Selah.”

Constance interrupted, saying, “You must be hungry, young lady. Why don’t we find our way back out of this maze and into the palace where we can get you cleaned up. Breakfast is already set up. Tobias, why don’t you grab onto that yarn and start leading the way out of here?” 

Finally out of the maze, the three could hear the calls for the princess. It was then that the queen saw the four figures coming toward the castle where she was standing. Bowing, Constance spoke.

“Your Grace. I would like to introduce to you Ayla, a young lady of the village. I believe you would be very interested in getting to know her.”

Ayla bowed and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.”

The queen extended her hands to Ayla’s, and that is when she saw the crescent-shaped birthmark on the inside of the girl’s wrist. Gasping, the queen knelt down to her level and wrapped her into a fierce hug, crying, “Oh my sweet Selah! Constance, quickly go let the Guard and the King know that the princess has been found.”

Ayla pulled away, confusion written all over her face. The queen realized her confusion and invited her into the castle where they were joined by the king. It was there that they retold the story of who she really was and what had happened to her eight years before. Then the king asked Constance, “How and where did you find her?”

“Your Highness, I had found a specific kind of yarn that would appear to glow, whether the moon or the sun shone upon it, to help find where the princess was located. Somehow the ball of yarn ended up at the entrance of the maze where Rascal had located it and, subsequently, found where my sister had hidden the princess.”

The witch was eventually found and arrested, and the Royal Family lived happily ever after.