Sophie Mae rubbed her palms and snickered at her opponent across the formal dining table. With her index finger, she slid the red checker to the enemy line. “King me!”

Dink huffed and placed a similar checker on top. The new king piece essentially ushered in the end of the game, as Dink expected to be chased around the board until cornered.

Careful to lift both pieces of her king, Sophie Mae moved to jump over the lone black token on the board, but the pieces flung from her grip at the trumpet of an elephant through the open double doors.

Sophie Mae hurried to the doorway as George paraded through the garden on Mary Louise’s back. Leggy and the newest member of the family, Gus Grizzly, followed close behind. Sophie Mae had yet to meet the flying bear who wore a long, red leash to keep him from flying away.

George waved like a showman introducing his band of trained animals. “Good evening! Amazing night for a stroll downtown.”

“What’s he doing?” Sophie Mae asked Dink who was collecting the game pieces.

“Oh, he’s taking them for a walk through town. They like the change of scenery, so they go at night when it’s safer. Mary Louise might be invisible, but she can still cause a lot of damage. Gus only learned to fly this morning, and if you ask me, Georgie is asking for trouble taking him out so soon.”

“Mr. George!” Sophie Mae yelled from the double doors. “Mr. George, can I go with you?”

Dink stood and walked next to her. “You don’t want to do that. As much as I like to leave the house, that’s too much excitement for me.”

George tipped his hat, bowing ever so slightly. “Of course.”

Sophie Mae rushed to Mary Louise and waved goodbye to Dink.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

The chill in the night breeze gave Sophie Mae goosebumps. After living in hot, arid Drycrop, it made a nice change of pace. The road passing in front of the estate was empty, and they walked wherever they pleased.

“The city is marvelous at night,” Mary Louise said. “Just being in the open and charting my own course makes my escape from the circus so rewarding.”

“How often do you leave the estate?” Sophie Mae asked.

“Every Sunday night, at least,” George replied. “More, if we can manage. Life at the Gardenia House has been hectic.”

The shopping district of Evenland, with its tall buildings, offered goods and services on the first floor of the buildings, while the second and third floors were living quarters.

Sophie Mae marveled at the storefronts, each filled with a specialty product. Her mouth watered at the shop that displayed swirled lollipops and rainbow gumdrops hanging from the ceiling on curled ribbons.

“Thomas Candy Shop was my favorite,” George said. “I used to browse the aisles at least once a week. I try to remember the sweetness of chocolate-covered raisins, but it’s a struggle.”

The clopping of Leggy’s hooves stopped, and Sophie Mae grew concerned. She turned to find Leggy ripping and chewing the blooms off a garden of pansies. The next store over, Gus Grizzly smirked and stuck out his tongue in the glass to his own amusement. He crossed his arm over his chest. “Thank you all for coming out this fine night. I’m Gus Grizzly, and these are my illustrious companions.”

Adrenaline raced through Sophie Mae. “He’s talking too loud. You’ll get caught.”

“Let him scream to the rooftops if he likes. The potion masks our voices. What good is being invisible if people hear you coming?”

“But how—”

“Magic. Remember?” George winked, looking behind. “Leggy! You need to catch up. You too, Gus!”

Leggy’s spindly legs galloped to Mary Louise’s tail, which she clamped with her teeth.

“Do you mind?” Mary Louise cried. “I would like to keep my tail attached to my bottom, thank you very much.”

Sophie Mae’s seemingly one-sided conversation with George attracted the attention of people rushing home for the night. An older man in a stuffy, black suit marched to the street and grabbed Sophie Mae by the arm. “The middle roadway is no place for a young lady. Where are your parents? You should have a chaperone.”

His unpleasant behavior confused her. Sophie Mae turned to her traveling partners, remembering their invisibility. Most adults believed a young lady walking alone to be rebellious. Grandma Hattie would throw a fit if she saw me now.

George the Great slid from Mary Louise’s back, willing himself visible. He approached the angry resident and pulled Sophie Mae to his side. “I’m right here. Is there a problem?”

The man’s eyes rounded as if he’d seen a ghost. “You’re the man from the posters. The killer.”

His wild pointing and accusations proved a distraction for the traveling animals. A newspaper delivery truck barreled down the street, honking at the gathering crowd. Sophie Mae tucked her head into George’s arm, but the car swerved toward the invisible Mary Louise. Oh, no! The driver can’t see her!

Brakes screeched, and the speeding car rammed into the surprised elephant. The shattering of glass echoed off the buildings. Her body fell with an enormous thud and slid several feet over the rough brick road.

From the shattered window climbed a grumbling man who pounded his fist on the dented hood. He searched the street for the culprit, confused at Sophie Mae’s slight frame.

Sophie Mae fidgeted her hands as sweat covered her temples. George held her by the shoulders. “Return to the house and make sure no one follows you.”

Her legs threatened to buckle as she crossed the major road and blended with the locals. She kept a close eye on her surroundings, noticing a man ducking in and out of doorways, following her down the street.

Hurrying past the gates of the Gardenia Estate, she marched ahead, not wanting to reveal where she lived. Panic brewed in her mind, and her brisk pace turned into a jog.

“Miss. Miss. Please wait,” the suspicious man called out.

Now at a full run, she tripped to the ground as he tugged her arm. “My apologies, miss.”

He offered his hand, and Sophie Mae pulled herself to standing. She remained still, like a trapped animal, as he tugged the cuffs of his blue pinstriped jacket. “Thank you for stopping, I don’t think I could have followed much longer. Might I have a word?”

Sophie Mae recoiled at his directness. “I haven’t the time.”

“It’ll only take a moment, miss. See, I found this necklace in the street, and I thought it might be yours.”

A heart-shaped locket, like the one in Drycrop, dangled from his fingers. Paleness replaced the flush of her cheeks.

Scooping up the necklace, she opened the heart and lingered over the picture of her grandma inside. Her brow tensed. How did he get my locket?

“You must be her, Catherine Gardenia’s great-niece.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not who you—”

Ernest held his fedora to his chest. “Understandable. It’s not safe to air your personal details these days. We could learn from the grand estate we just passed. Dreadful things happened to the woman who lived there.”

Sophie Mae moved closer, wanting more information.

“The tale is as old as time itself,” he said. “She was an old movie star who fell from grace. Family members tried to steal her wealth, so Ms. Gardenia fled Hollywood and moved here to hide. I heard, mind you, these are only rumors, that she was ill for months before her demise and not by natural causes, if you take my meaning.”

“That can’t be true? I know—”

“Oh, I’m positive! I find it important to keep up with the town’s news, and the papers extensively covered the spectacle of her death. Haunted House Kills Woman, Evil Spirits Commit Homicide. You know the papers love drama. Anything to make a nickel.”

Sophie Mae returned the locket to protect her identity. “I must be going.”

“If you’re ever in need of assistance, Wade’s the name, Ernest Wade. I own an accounting business here in town. Stop by anytime, my door is always open.” He bowed and placed his hat on his head. “Have a good evening, miss.”

His hands slid into his pockets, and he set off down the road, whistling a tune as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Despite his harmless behavior, Sophie Mae watched his every move until he turned off two blocks away.

She turned and walked back to the estate where she lived. Perhaps the term lived was far too generous of a word. Though the residents were friendly, Sophie Mae felt like a house guest after her encounter with Ernest.

Goosebumps lined her arm as she plucked each of the cool metal rails of the fence like the strings of a harp. The faint ring of the vibrations helped her to think. Ernest didn’t act corrupt, but instead seemed helpful. Her run-ins with beggars and thieves back in Drycrop made the accountant look like a saint.

At the last rail of the fence, she spotted a wanted poster nailed to a tree. The image was of George the Great, a copy of the circus flyer she’d seen in the basement. She ripped it from the nail and folded it into her pocket.

Betrayal stung her core, though her short-sightedness was her own. His enthusiasm for chemistry was borderline obsessive, and his admission of being fired from the university had waved like a red flag. Maybe George is not telling the truth. Did he use Aunt Catherine just as he did the university in his quest for cures? He could be lying to me and everyone else in the house.

Sophie Mae opened the tall, arched gate of the estate and shuffled along the winding pebble roadway. Electric lights wired along the ground shone on the brick house and produced deep shadows under the window sills, giving the house an ominous feel.

Recalling her box travel from the train station twisted her gut. She’d wanted to return to the estate, but the box had given her another choice. Why would it offer Drycrop when my mind was set on the Gardenia House? Did the box know I was making a wrong choice? Was it trying to warn me about Mr. George?

Sophie Mae lowered her face as she passed from the dark of night into the brightness of the delivery door’s flood lamp. Moths circled and dived into the glass cover, and she waved them from her face as she opened the door.

The kitchen was still. A lamp hung over the sink, and her eyes adjusted to the faint light. Sophie Mae found a large slice of chocolate cake covered by a glass dome. Birthdays long passed danced in her mind. A note was attached.

Sophie Mae,

I hope you had a fun night downtown.

Enjoy this devil’s food chocolate cake.

I made it just for you, my dear.

- Mrs. Worthington

The rich dessert flooded her with memories of birthdays past. Tears welled as it seemed to mock her wish for a normal life which, just like the cake stuck under glass, had obstacles.

The shuffle of bare feet along the stone floor grew closer, and Sophie Mae hid behind the counter, flinching at the tap on her shoulder.

“Hey, stranger,” Dink said. “I haven’t seen you for a while. Did you run into any trouble?”

“Why would…I mean… no. Mr. George protected me.”

Dink sat on the counter. “I don’t think he likes me much. He’s always telling me what to do and giving me the most awful chores. He never protects me.”

“Oh, well, there was an accident.”

“What?”

“A car hit Mary Louise and maybe Leggy. I didn’t have time to look.”

“How’d she get hit by a car? She’s the most careful one in the entire estate.”

Sophie Mae hung her head. “It was my fault. Mr. George left the others to stop a man from harassing me. It all happened so fast.”

Dink hopped down and crouched to her friend. “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault. You weren’t the one driving the car. Is Mary Louise okay?”

“I can’t say. The front of the vehicle didn’t fare well. She must’ve been hurt.” Sophie Mae wiped a single tear. “Everyone thought I was alone. They stared and pointed. I became a spectacle to those people. What’s so wrong about being alone? Lots of people are alone these days.”

“It’s better than being erased from memory. When my family was normal, everyone in town knew us. My mom volunteered at soup kitchens, and in the winter, she made the homeless warm sweaters and scarves. We were forgotten after the potion. Be thankful you’re not like us.”

“You’re right. I’m not like you. I’m not like anyone.”

Dink embraced Sophie Mae, but it didn’t bring comfort. “I’d like to go to bed if you don’t mind. It’s been a long evening.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll see you in the morning then.”

Sophie Mae half smiled and left the kitchen for the main stairs. Each step to the second floor felt heavy and clumsy. She fell onto her bed. The plush stuffing of the mattress cradled her like a fragile statue ready for transport. A tear streaked her cheek. Where do I belong?