Zoe versus the sparkles

Zoey opened her eyes and saw the boy, looking as terrified as she felt, holding on to her shoulder. She looked around and discovered that they were standing on the same spot where she’d first seen him, the huge sparkle still spread across the sidewalk in front of her.

“Th - thank you," she said to the boy, her whole body sagging with relief. His response was in a strange language, and she couldn’t understand any of it. She shook her head to indicate her confusion, and the boy sighed.

Zoey spoke before he could do anything, the thousands of questions flooding her mind finally having a place to go.

“How did you do that? How did you get us there? How do they work? Can you make them send you wherever you want?”

The boy shook his head just as she had a moment ago, then pointed from Zoey to the house just off the sidewalk and raised an eyebrow as if asking a question.

“Yes.” Zoey heaved a mighty sigh and nodded. “I do want to go home now.”

The boy smiled and reached for Zoey’s hand. Once she gave it to him to hold, he stepped onto the huge sparkle.

Blink.

Zoey and the boy were now standing just up the street from her house.

How had he done it? How did he even know where she lived?

Before she could ask any of these questions, he gave her a big smile and a wave, then stepped back onto a sparkle and was gone.

The thousands of questions she’d been trying to answer now doubled. Or tripled. It was hard to figure out how many there were when they came and went so fast. The one that kept coming back was … you can take people with you through the sparkles? Was it anyone? Or was it only someone who could see them? Could she take Sara on an adventure? After she learned how the boy had done what he did of course. It would be a little too much of an adventure if they just blinked off to somewhere neither of them knew!

“Zoey,” Her mother called when she walked into the house. “You’re early.”

Zoey checked her phone and found that she was almost five minutes early getting home.

“I’m feeling all energetic, mom,” Zoey answered as she tugged her boots off. “I must have walked really fast.”

“Very fast indeed,” Mrs. Solis chuckled when Zoey entered the kitchen. “Come on over. You can help with dinner.”

“I can?” Zoey asked. “Or I have to?”

“Fine,” her mother said and laughed. “You have to. Come peel carrots.”

They spoke about school, homework, Sara getting home today, and the book Zoey was reading while they prepped for dinner. Then Zoey went to do her homework before dinner, or at least try to do it. She still couldn’t concentrate. Her English and physics homework were shoddily done; she was only really happy with her math assignment.

She slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning with dreams of sparkles and the strange boy. 

She was just as distracted through school as she had been the previous day, watching windows carefully through every class though the boy didn’t appear again. 

Zoey was on the way home, only a few minutes away from the school, when the boy appeared on the sidewalk a half block ahead of her. Just popped out of nowhere. Flashed into being, then waved happily to her. When they closed the distance between them, he pressed a hand to his chest and spoke.

“Akatendeka.”

“Aka … tan … ” Zoey mumbled.

“Aka,” Aka said through a loud laugh.

“Zoey,” Zoey said, pressing a hand to her own chest.

Aka then pointed to his chest then pointed to a house then tilted his head as if asking a question.

“Do I want to see your home?” Zoey asked, knowing that he wouldn’t understand. Where did he come from? How far was the trip? Could he get her home on time? Did any of that even matter?

“Where?” she asked him, opening her arms wide and gesturing around.

“Zimbabwe,” he said after a few moments of watching her.

Zimbabwe? In Africa? That’s … thousands of miles! With an ocean in the way. He was going to sparkle them all the way there? But, if it was his home, he had to have made the trip at least three times now.

“Yes!” Zoey nodded quickly, and the boy reached out to take her hand. With a big smile, he stepped onto a tiny little sparkle, one that would send her a couple of blocks! Even as Zoey was opening her mouth to scream at the size of the sparkle - 

Blink.

Zoey had about two seconds to look around before the heat hit her. Gosh, it was hot! She quickly took off her jacket and sweater, but it was still a lot hotter than home. The boy laughed as Zoey took off her heavy clothing, his warm grin showing that he was laughing at the situation and Zoey joined in.

The village was a lot like what she’d seen in documentaries about Africa. It consisted of several round huts of differing sizes, each with a thatched roof. People were all over doing all kinds of things, from cooking to mending clothing.

Aka led her towards a building and, before they arrived, a couple were charging out towards them, arms waving and voices raised. They began pointing at Zoey and kept yelling.

The boy smiled and replied to them, pointing to Zoey, then to a sparkle on the ground nearby. 

Both adults stopped speaking suddenly and turned to stare at Zoey.

At the sudden attention, Zoey offered a stiff little smile and the two adults started talking all over again. Aka took Zoey’s hand and pointed to a little sparkle off to the side. Zoey hesitantly stepped onto the sparkle.

Blink.

They were still holding hands and were off in the middle of a huge field of some green plants. Aka laughed and searched around for a sparkle. Once he found one, he stepped onto it.

Blink.

They were back in front of the two adults … who immediately began laughing and smiling and patting Zoey’s shoulders.

Eventually they were left alone, and Zoey remembered her fear when they made the first teleport and had to have an answer.

You … she pointed at Aka.

Little … she pinched her fingers close together

Sparkle … she searched around and eventually found one to point at.

Big teleport … she arced her arm from one spot to another, reaching as high as she could.

“Ahhhh!” Aka laughed then started miming just as Zoey had.

He pointed at Zoey … me … or you.

He tapped a finger to his temple … think? Probably think.

He held his arms wide apart … big? Must be big.

He flexed his arms and put on a power face … strong?

You think big strong. I think big sparkles are stronger!

Zoey nodded. Yes. The small sparkles only sent her a short way. She’d avoided bigger sparkles for just this reason.

Aka laughed again, then shook his head and started again.

“Mweya’” Aka said, circling his arms to touch his fingers together. All? Mweya means all? Zoey took out her phone and, having no service, typed the word into her notes.

Aka then held out his hands side by side, wobbled them a few times, then stopped them when they were even.

Equal? The same? All are the same? How can that be?

You … he pointed forcefully at Zoey.

Strong … he flexed his arms again.

I am strong? The strength comes from me? What does he mean?

“Kufamba,” Aka said, mimicking Zoey’s teleporting movement.

My strength makes us teleport?

Zoey shook her head to express her lack of understanding, then glanced down at her watch. 

She should be getting home right now!

Arrgghhh!  The frustration at being so close to the answers she’d been seeking for as long as she remembered was enough to almost make her scream. She had so many questions left to ask … but no time to ask them!

“Aka!” She said, pointing to her chest then to one of the buildings.

Aka nodded and reached for Zoey’s hand. He led her off towards the edge of the village and found a sparkle.

Blink.

They were back on the sidewalk just up from her house.

Aka waved happily, then took a few steps to a sparkle and blinked out of sight. Zoey turned and, struggling into her sweater and jacket, ran for home.

Chapter the Eighth