Archie Smith, Boy Wonder

A tiny voice asked, "Is he the one?"

By Zoe Kelley Illustration By Harris Burdick #1 in the Burdick Mystery series

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Archie Smith. He was no regular boy. Not at all. Why was he special? Because he could feel the presence of a living thing. But no one knew. He never knew why he had this power, but soon he would find out. He was not that popular. When he told the kids at school his power, they just laughed. The meanest kid, Gibbson Maxwell, said, No one can do that! Your just lying to make yourself sound cool! Liar, liar, pants on fire! Archie started to sob. This girl he liked, Sammie Kohl, spoke up. Stop it! For all you know he might be right, you dummy! Sammies presence, it didnt feel like a humans. More like a magical creatures. Archie didnt know why, but again soon he would find out. Now our story really begins. Archie was fourteen, and it was summer break. Archie walked on the edge of the pond as the stones scraped his feet. The lake was surrounded by forest, and, of course, the path that Archie got there through. But something else, too. This, Archie would find out soon enough. Archie kept on walking till he felt a presence. Then he stopped. It felt like Sammies presence. Like a magical creatures. But he hadnt seen Sammie since sixth grade.