June 2020

You can read the first two installments of Hannah’s novella, which placed third in our 2019 book contest, in the April and May 2020 issues of Stone Soup. This is the final installment. CHARACTERS – In order of appearance ELANA (Uh-LAY-nuh) A young furow girl who is the Chosen One MS. SMIT Elana’s science teacher, who later reveals a secret identity HENRY A tiny, green-haired fairy who guides Elana CASEY FLUMPTON An evil rock star and Elana’s mortal enemy ASTREA, DANIEL, HERA, ALLEN, and SOPHIA Henry’s friends TWEETLE and TWOOTLE Casey’s messengers TOONA A Neptune devil MRS. RICHARD Elana’s writing teacher MOM, DAD, MARY, DAISY, JOHN, FIONA, and EDGAR Elana’s family KĀLEKA CAKE (Kay-LEE-kah), TAFFY CRUSTULUM, MEL LIMBUM, SUGAR SWEET, CHOCOLAT TREAT, COCO SCELERISQUE, and VANILLE GLAÇAGE Gingerbread workers in the Palace of Honey GALETTA A snappy owner at a bakery in Sugar Top BUBBLES, GUMMER, LICORE, and CHOCO Workers at the Background Theater SPOTS Coco’s pet dog PRANKSTER Vanille’s pet cat HALLOWEEN and EASTER Bubbles’s pets FILLINUS The ambassador of light HAU’OLI A girl who befriends Elana in Casey’s palace PHILADELPHIA Hau’oli’s pet rat CAPTAIN HAWKINS The police chief MR. REMY and MR. SAGARD Two police officers XIII: Speaking to Casey on the Telephone StoneSoupMagazine · Elana: Chapter 13 by Hannah Nami Gajcowski, 9 Elana knew that there was a high chance of somebody finding her. If only I could hide my bright red hair, she thought. Then she came up with a great idea. She sat on the ground, made a bunch of lightning rope appear, and began to weave. Elana didn’t know how to sew, but she was an excellent weaver. Soon enough, she was finished with her new work: a wig! Elana put the wig on her hair and tugged on it. Some strands of her hair peeked out, but she figured it just looked like red highlights against the wig. Elana didn’t worry about her face; she didn’t think anyone would recognize her. Elana hurried along the hall and suddenly came to a stop when she saw a maid who was about her age. The girl had long, curly black hair and a patchwork dress. She wasn’t looking ahead and ended up bumping into Elana. “Oh!” the girl exclaimed in a startled voice. “Didn’t see you there. Well, I thought you didn’t notice me either. After all, when you get blinded by the lightning that Casey makes, you are instantly under her command. If the lightning doesn’t strike you, she’ll come after you and try to put you under her mind control.” Elana froze as the talkative girl carelessly babbled on. “Now she’s trying to get this girl named Elana in the dungeons, but she must’ve escaped. I mean, she’s not in there anymore. Have you, perhaps, seen her? She has red hair, blue eyes, and a high-pitched voice.” Elana froze in terror. She hoped her disguise worked. Then, using her deepest voice, she lied. “I saw her in the kitchen. She was trying to help the house staff polish the silverware.” The maid grabbed a hidden phone from her pocket and then said, “Casey, someone knows where Elana is.” She paused, waiting for an answer. After a few seconds, the maid said, “Okay, okay, I’ll ask her.” Then, speaking to Elana, she inquired, “What’s your name?” “El—” Elana paused. What name would she say? Elana knew she had to think of one fast. Without thinking any further she blurted out, “Elmaña!” “Do you mean El Maña?” the maid asked, pausing between “El” and “Maña” for emphasis. “That sounds kind of like ‘the hand’ in the human language Spanish,” she remarked. “No,” Elana answered, lowering her voice again. “Elmaña,” she bellowed a bit more confidently. “Her name’s Elmaña,” the maid said into the phone. She paused again, then said, “I’ll hand her the phone.” Then she gave the phone to Elana. “Hello?!” Elana called, using her deep voice. She paused expectantly. “Can you give me some details?” Casey asked on the other end. “Yes,” Elana answered quickly, then explained. “I was there to clean the kitchen, and then I heard someone. She was dressed up in rags, and I asked her what her name was. She said ‘Elana.’ I asked her what she was doing in the kitchen, and she told me she was trying to surprise you by polishing the silverware.” “Why didn’t you put her in the dungeon?” Casey demanded. “I didn’t know that she was supposed to be there,” Elana responded, as innocently as she could. “Okay, then. Bye,” Casey answered in a why-didn’t-you-do-that tone of voice, then hung up. “What did she say?” The maid asked. “Just asked some questions, and then she hung up.” Elana answered. “That means she’s mad at you!” the maid explained in a terrified voice. “Do you like her?” Elana questioned. “Like her?!” the maid screeched. “Of course not! But that’s not the point. If she doesn’t like you, she’ll send your most horrifying dream at you!” Elana quickly changed the subject by asking the maid’s name. “Oh, sorry I didn’t tell you that before. I’m Hau’oli (HOW-oh-lee); it means ‘joyful’ in Hawaiian. Are you . . . Elana? I remember all the names of Casey’s house staff, and Elmaña is not one of them.” “Yes, my name is Elana,” Elana replied truthfully. “Sorry I didn’t tell you; I thought you got blinded by the light and were under Casey’s orders.” “Um, no,” Hau’oli replied. “I’m kinda like you—all my folks are under Casey’s orders. How are your friends and family?” “I don’t know about my family, but my friends are in the dungeon,” Elana replied. “Do you know why? . . . Wait! I also have another question! How did you get to talk to Casey? Because you weren’t under her command? Wait! Is it okay if you answer this one too—why were you babbling about random stuff when you met me? I could’ve been someone else—like Casey!” “First I’ll answer question one, and