The Society of Imaginary Friends (Book 1 of The Conjurors Series)

Chapter 36

For dinner, Valerie, Cyrus, Kanti, Gideon, and Cara went to a popular restaurant that served Earth food, and Valerie relished her hamburger and fries, which were as tasty as any that she had eaten on Earth. It was nice not to be a newbie in Messina, like she was when in Arden where every new feat of magic astonished her but didn't make anyone else look twice.

After they finished their milkshakes, they headed back toward the car. "It's a little early, but why don't we head over to the Where-o-well for the party? It's less than a mile away," Cyrus said, pointing.

"Yes, I ran past it last night while scouting. Since it's close, I'll run over," Gideon said. "It will give me a chance to make sure the surrounding woods are safe. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes."

With that, Gideon took off at a speed that Valerie would have sworn required magic, if she hadn't known that he didn't have a power. A twinge of worry pinched her as she watched Gideon race off. She and the rest of the group piled into the car.

"Where-o-well is such a funny name. What is it? A park?" Kanti asked.

"Actually, it's one of the most famous landmarks in Messina. It's the only magical place on the whole island," Cara said importantly. "It appears to be a normal stone well, but it's filled with magic, not water. Eighteenth birthdays here are marked by a special ceremony. The birthday person jumps into the Where-o-well. Instead of hitting the bottom, the well spits the person out at a random location somewhere on the Globe. Then they have to find their way back to Messina with only what is in their pockets. It's kind of a rite of passage to prove that you're an adult. By coming back, you're saying that you accept the rules of Messina and you want to live here. Of course, some people can't wait until they turn eighteen to jump in," Cara said, grinning at Cyrus.

"What does she mean, Cy?" Valerie asked.

"It wasn't my fault! When I was six, I was visiting the Where-o-well on a fieldtrip. When the guards weren't watching, I sneaked past them so I could peer down the well, because I was curious about the magic in there. Well, I leaned over the edge, and sort of fell in. I wound up in Arden. Luckily, Azra found me and delivered me to an aunt who lives there. But as soon as I saw Arden, I fell in love and never wanted to leave. My parents finally let me go to school there because I kept trying to run away after I came back."

"I can't wait till it's my turn!" Cara said excitedly. "You're supposed to make your mind completely blank, so that the Where-o-well sends you where fate says you're meant to be or something. But I'm going to think of Arden, and hope it sends me there!"

"So you can control where it sends you?" Kanti asked. "I thought you said it's random."

"It's only a theory, but some people say that they concentrated on a certain spot, and they wound up there. But it doesn't always work. It's definitely not a reliable way to travel. No matter how hard you concentrate, you could always wind up in the middle of the desert." Cyrus explained.

"I totally want to see this weird well," Kanti exclaimed.

"Me, too," Valerie said. The idea of the Where-o-well intrigued her. If she made her mind blank, would fate send her to someone who could help her find Henry? Then she shook her head. Even Cyrus didn't know exactly how the Where-o-well worked, and the last thing Henry needed was for her to wander around a desert or some remote forest where she couldn't help him at all.

Cyrus pulled into a parking lot at the edge of a large park with an immense expanse of bright green grass bordered by a dark, dense forest. Valerie could see the Where-o-well in the distance, a cylinder of neatly packed stones about twice the width of her arm span. The park was mostly empty, except for three guards in grey uniforms. They were talking to a group of girls having a picnic while another group tossed around an oddly shaped ball nearby.