Wintermint Cookie

As the sun set, I walked onto the balcony. I stared at the wall and my kingdom. I saw the merchants packing up their supplies and loading their things into their modes of transportation. I went back inside to my bedroom.

The day had been so complicated. I sat down on my bed and thought. Then, the urge came. I couldn't avoid it. I succumbed to the terrible visions.

Visions from the past this time. Some were familiar, like the announcement that came when Sweet Caramel had died, or the deaths of my mother and father. Then the next one was new. A very small child wandering the streets of Sodapolis. A little girl. She had the traces of tears on her tiny face. She was calling for her father. I knew where her father was. He died during the battle at the wall. She called for her father, and she never knew that he had gone somewhere where she would never see him again. The girl sat at the base of a wall, rocking back and forth. She cried herself to sleep. She woke up the next day and journeyed to the palace, hoping to find refuge. She met the Soda Sorcerer's advisor, and he shooed her away and told her that she should go back to the street, where she belonged.

The vision ended there. I felt a rush of pity for the girl. I so wished that I didn't have my family curse. I reminded myself that my family 'gift' has also kept me alive. I know when things are going to happen. I can sometimes control what will happen. I know crucial stories from the past that will help me.

I can will small things to happen in my favor. I remember the day, very vividly, when I almost died. I was eight years old, celebrating my birthday in an orphanage. I was taking a bite out of my small cake when I heard something. The eerie fizz of soda. The orphanage director instructed us to hide and wait for it to be taken care of. We heard the sirens of the Savorian police. They had come.

From my gift, I knew that the fizz of soda had come from a Sodapolian spy. The Savorian police outside were knocked out. The spy was coming. He crept into the orphanage, and when the orphanage staff attempted to fight him, he used acid made of disintegrated sugar and soda to burn off anything the acid touched. The orphanage staff backed up. The acid eventually cornered them. They all died. The spy turned to find me. I was his target. The Soda Sorcerer had sensed my magic, and he wanted to eliminate any threat I had to him. The spy looked around and laid his eyes on me. He didn't know what I looked like.

He announced, "I want the young girl by the name of Wintermint Cookie. Give me her, and you shall not be harmed. If you do not, however, I will destroy all of you."

All of the children at the orphanage stayed silent. They admired me because of my magic, and they felt I should be the next Empress of Savoria. I couldn't have them all lay down their lives for me. I stood and revealed myself. The spy's eyes widened and a cruel smile crept onto his face.

"Aha. I see. Little Wintermint. You have too much magic. The Soda Sorcerer fears you. This is a compliment."

I stiffly nodded, being careful to stay silent.

"Unfortunately, this has been a curse for you. The Sorcerer wants you dead."

My muscles tightened.

"You have come too far. You have become a threat to the noble Soda Kingdom."

I felt the magic empowering me. I had to fight, even if there was no hope left. I had a feeling that even if I did die without a fight, he would still kill the other children in the orphanage.

"Enjoy your last few seconds of life, little girl."

He took out his acid and a weapon made of hardened soda shards. He threw his weapon at my head. I dodged in time, but it had grazed my face. The weapon came back to him. I wiped the blood off my face. He poured the acid and threw his weapon once more. It hit my left arm. I was in pain. Death rang in my ears. Then I knew what to do.

Before thinking, I shot out magic. I had never done it before, and it was a pearlescent blue-ish minty green. The magic hit the spy in the face, knocked him unconscious, and I was able to call for help.

A new force of Savorian police came and confiscated his acid, and a few other weapons he had on hand. I was lucky to be alive. They safely cleaned up the acid and took all of us children to another orphanage. They tended to my bleeding face and arm, and I recovered unnaturally quickly.

I realized how late it was. I laid on my bed, thinking. Then I slept soundly. It had been years since I had slept soundly. Normally, I would have more visions of terrifying things, but no, not that night.