Mariel's Magic Pt. 01

When she woke, she went immediately to her parents, who then gathered the others. Mariel described what she saw in her dream.

"What does it mean?" asked Trista. "What's coming for us?"

"I don't know," Mariel replied, "but I believe it's dangerous. I sensed a dark being, one more powerful than I have ever felt."

"We have been seen by the evil ones," said Hana.

"We have to prepare for anything," said Jonathan. "Mariel, do you think they are going to attack our show? That seems to be the easiest way of getting at us."

Mariel closed her eyes and examined her memory of the dream. She remembered the wall with the little holes in it and the dark magic pouring through. "Yes, I think so," said Mariel. "They're going to do something so that dark magic gets into our show."

"Right," said Jonathan, who turned to Avery Chew.

"I agree," Chew said. "We need to protect our systems and content. We will need more money and more staff."

"Okay," said Jonathan. "I'm going to ask Sawathi for cash to hire new staff. Just let me know what you need."

He contacted Sawathi, who immediately recognized the danger. Up until recently, Mariel's Friends was a beautiful program that reached such a limited audience that it did not concern the big players in social media. All of a sudden, however, it had grown to have millions of followers, and this immediately attracted people who would use the program for their own purposes or attack it because they had a competing message. Sawathi realized that they should have been taking steps to protect it from the beginning, so he agreed to cover the cost of doing so, whatever it was.

Chew remained at the Ranch but opened an office in Palo Alto. He hired two more people and with them set out to harden the Mariel's Friends social media pages. Jonathan warned them that an attack on the site was imminent, so they worked around the clock to put a solid wall around the site.

Each post by the Family received many comments, initially almost all positive. Now, many of them were starting to be filled with dark magic, aimed at hurting the program and intimidating other followers. Chew and his team used automated methods and AI to block these comments. Chew also recruited a team of moderators, many of them volunteers, to rid the threads of dark messages. Additionally, Chew and his team worked to take down social media pages that pretended to be Mariel's Friends' pages and carried horrible images. Soon, the assault on their social media was halted.

Satisfied with their efforts to protect the social media pages from attack, the Family then spent their time expanding the reach of Mariel's Friends. Their efforts were successful, and they quickly saw a 500% increase in engaged users.

Seeing the reach of Mariel's Friends and the possibility of expanding its influence, Jonathan had the idea of an interview program, also under the name of Mariel's Friends, using Trista as the host. Trista would interview people, including politicians and social activists with views similar to theirs on the treatment of animals and the care of the planet. Trista was very attractive and now had a sufficient command of white magic, that her program became quite popular, and many politicians sought to gain access to their audience. They were quite selective, however, and insisted on talking personally with each potential guest. It was quite easy for Trista to weed out those who had traces of dark magic.

Atop his office tower, the High Master, with eyes like smoldering coals, was furious that the initial attack on the Family had failed. He saw the Family's audience grow and watched as politicians started using the interview program as a way to get their message out. The High Master also saw the approval rating of his own favored political candidates fall. It appeared that fear, hate, and greed were not the only things that motivated the public.

"The light burns too bright in Mendocino," he said, his voice steeped in malevolence. "Mariel and her friends have to be stopped. Their message is like a plague that spreads unchecked."

His acolytes screamed their hate for the girl and her friends, while the High Master looked on with approval. Then he raised his hand for silence. "Fear not, for I have seen the path to our victory. Mariel's light shall become her undoing. We cannot attack her directly because she will see the dark heart of any one of us who approaches. Our weapon must be someone with a pure heart."

Pressured by the High Master, a local television station dispatched a female journalist, Peggy Adams, to interview Mariel and Trista at the ranch. Peggy was an unwitting pawn in the High Master's plan, and because neither Mariel nor Trista could discern any evil intent in her, they let her come. Jonathan felt it was a good idea, which would help them reach a wider audience.

Peggy, a seasoned television news reporter known for her interviewing skills and compelling stories, arrived with a sense of curiosity and anticipation. She had watched many Mariel's Friends shows and Trista's interview show and was eager to see what was happening there.

Peggy felt the magic of the Ranch as soon as she arrived. The drive there took three hours, and she was worn out by the time she approached the place in her car. But as soon as she walked through the front door, she felt revived.

"This place... it's like stepping into another world," she said to herself.

When Mariel and Trista approached, their smiles welcoming, Peggy extended her hand in greeting. "Mariel, Trista, thank you for inviting me." It was then she caught what seemed like a slight glow that surrounded the little girl, and a sparkle that played around the tips of the child's fingers.

Mariel, who felt relaxed in the presence of the reporter, replied, "I'm glad you're here, Peggy. I hope you like animals."

Trista, with her shadowy past, caught a whiff of darkness around Peggy, but not coming from her. It was like the residue of dark magic from another person that had rubbed off on the reporter.

As Peggy was introduced to the many creatures that wandered about the property, she could see there was a real bond between them and Mariel, and to a certain extent, Trista. She had come to the interview thinking that what she saw in their videos and podcasts was in some way the result of camera tricks or clever editing. It was not.

Looking at Mariel with surprise, "The way these animals respond to you, Mariel, it's like they understand you when you speak to them, and you understand them. How do you do it?"

Mariel, her eyes twinkling with an unspoken secret, simply said, "I just listen and treat them with kindness."

Peggy was moved by the simple purity of the message and realized that this was more than just a group of people providing entertainment and looking for an audience. As she shot videos, capturing the magic of the Ranch, the people, and the animals, Peggy knew that this story would touch the hearts of viewers in a way that few others could.

"Your Ranch, Mariel and Trista, is really amazing," Peggy said as the interview ended. "Thank you for reminding us there is still beauty and kindness in the world."

A week later, the story aired, to the shock of every member of the Family. As the story found its way to the editing room, under the show's producer, Jackson Stall, the narrative was maliciously transformed. The words of Mariel and Trista were cleverly cut and edited to make it sound like the two were only out for money and cruelly coerced the animals into performing tricks.

Pictures and videos, supposedly taken behind the scenes, showed animals living in squalor. This supposed behind-the-scenes content was, in reality, from scenes of animal cruelty uncovered by the police or animal protection agencies. When the piece aired, the serene world of the Family was painted in strokes of malevolence and deceit.

Peggy, watching the final cut, felt the sting of betrayal. She went straight to Jackson and protested, her voice filled with anger and disbelief. Jackson, under the control of the High Master, merely offered a cold rebuke. "The story is what it is, Peggy. The public needs to know the 'truth' about Mariel and her so-called friends."

"What do you mean, 'the story is what it is'?" Peggy said, her eyes blazing. "This is nothing like the story I did. It's a complete hatchet job done on some nice people! It's not my story!"

"What do you mean, not your story? Nothing we show here is your story, you idiot! I'm the producer. Things go on the air the way I want them to, you know that. You made this bunch look like angels. Nobody's an angel, Peggy, don't you get that? They scammed you. Anyway, our audience doesn't want to see angels. What you shot up there -- 'your story' as you call it -- would put them to sleep, and nobody would believe it anyway. My story makes them angry and keeps them watching."

Peggy turned, walked away, and left the building, disbelieving and not knowing what to do.

After that, the fallout was swift and severe. The public, fed on a diet of lies masquerading as truth, cried out for the punishment of the Family. Comments from viewers expressed outrage, horror, and a sense of betrayal at having been lied to. And comments on the Mariel's Friends social media pages were full of hate.

The Family was besieged by the storm of public opinion, and their former sanctuary became the center of a maelstrom of hate and anger. The High Master, watching from the shadows, reveled in the chaos he had sown. He smiled in satisfaction as he witnessed the first cracks in the fortress of light that Mariel and her Family had built.

The evening after the show aired, the Family sat shocked and unable to understand.

"I felt no darkness around Peggy," said Mariel. "Why would she do this?"

"There was darkness in people around her," replied Trista. "I felt traces on Peggy. It was they who did this. We need to find out who it was and try to fix this."

Even as those words left Trista's mouth, the front doorbell sounded. Jonathan went to the door and saw a distraught Peggy standing there, with tears in her eyes.

"May I come in?" she asked.

Jonathan nodded and led her into the living room, where everyone was sitting. Mariel saw her and felt darkness clinging to her. She jumped up, ran to Peggy, and took her hand. Then she made her sit down on the couch beside her.

"I'm so sorry about what happened," she cried. "I was shocked when the program came out. I had no idea they were going to do that."

"We know," said Adriana, with Mariel, Trista, and Hana nodding in agreement. "Somebody wanted to make us look bad and used you to do it. We can see that you could not have known. Is there anything we can do to fix this? Can we get the station to retract it?"

"I don't think so," said Peggy. "Not unless you are magicians. The person who did this is Jackson Stall. He's the producer and has the final say on everything that gets aired. He did all the edits, and he's the one who added all the fake pictures and videos. He is always about doing whatever it takes to keep our viewers engaged and grow our audience, but he has never done anything like this."

Jonathan, his voice steady despite the tumult of emotions, responded, "We trusted you people to share our story, our true story, Peggy. To see it distorted in such a way..."

Peggy said, "I don't know what to say, except that I'm sorry."

"Can you do anything, like go on air and tell them the truth?"

"I could if Stall would let me, but he won't. If I spoke, they'd discredit me, label me a liar. The only path to make this right lies with Jackson," Peggy admitted, a note of sorrow in her voice. "He created this 'hit job.' Without his consent, any kind of retraction or confession on my part would mean nothing."

"And it would ruin your career," said Adriana. "We don't want that. But there are things we can do, with your help."

"What things?" asked Peggy.

"Well," said Trista, "you've seen how Mariel can communicate with animals. We, Mariel, Hana, and I, can also communicate with people, in special ways. It may be possible for us to change Jackson Stall's mind on this."

"What do you mean?" asked Peggy.

"It's difficult to explain," Trista replied, "but can you stay with us for a few days? If you are willing, you can give us the information we need to... make Stall see the light."

Peggy nodded. "Yes, if I can help, then I'll stay."

The next morning, Peggy called in sick and said she would be out for a few days. Then, the Family spent hours questioning her. She was surprised by the questions. They were not as interested in what Stall did as they were in who he was and what he was like. As she described him in detail, Mariel, Hana, and Trista all sat with their eyes closed, seeing what Peggy was seeing as she described the way he walked and talked, and what he did each day. She described in detail what his office looked like and what he had on his desk and walls. They wanted to know what he ate and how he ate. They asked for descriptions of his friends and his enemies.

Finally, Trista said, "So, Peggy, if you are willing, we are going to talk to Stall tonight, and you can help us."

"You're going to call him?" Peggy asked.

"No," said Hana, "we will speak to him in a kind of dream. In this way, we can get the truth from him, and maybe even get him to produce a retraction."

"In a dream," asked Peggy, wide-eyed. "How is that possible?"

Here Mariel spoke up. "The three of us have this power. I can't explain it any better. Do you trust me, Peggy?"

Peggy nodded. "I do trust you, Mariel. I trust all of you."

At midnight, Hana woke Peggy, who had been napping, and brought her into the ranch meditation room. There was a single candle in the middle of the room, and Trista and Mariel were already sitting on either side of it on cushions.

Hana sat down as well and pointed to the fourth cushion. "Sit down there, dear."

Peggy sat down, looking at the three others, and wondering what was going to happen. "Close your eyes, Peggy, and hold hands with us," said Trista. Peggy took Mariel's hand and Trista's, closed her eyes, and waited. She then heard Hana say, "Peggy, no matter what happens, what you hear, or what we say, keep your eyes closed and do not let go of our hands."

After a minute or so, Peggy heard the three others intone a low sound or song. She both heard it and felt it as its vibrations seemed to fill her body. She was surprised to discover that she had joined in the song with the others. She watched as the vibrations of the song seemed to open a gateway or tunnel of light, and then she passed through it. The passageway had a strange feel, and she knew that if she let go of the hands, she would fall out of it, so she held on.

At the end of the passageway, she saw Jackson Stall sitting at his desk, talking to someone on the phone. Jackson was startled when a voice told him, "Hang up the phone, Jackson, you have work to do." He looked up, not seeing anyone, and then resumed his conversation. The room then began to shake, like there was an earthquake, and he put down the phone and stood up. While the room shook, the voice sounded again, "Hang up the phone, Jackson." This time he did as he was told, and the room stopped shaking.

"Why did you hurt me?" asked the small voice of Mariel. It was the tone of an injured child who could not understand how a grownup would do such a thing. "Please tell me why, Mr. Stall." Jackson looked all around the room and saw nobody there. He went to his door, opened it, and nobody was there either.

Then came the voice of Peggy. "Why did you hurt me, Jackson, and our television station? You know it was wrong, and you know the truth will come out and people will blame you. What did you have to gain from it?"

Jackson, now looking wildly from side to side, opened his mouth to speak but could not. "I... I... I did... did... did it because..." Then he fell to his knees, panting. "What is happening to me?" he cried.

Trista, as she sat in the circle, sensed the mass of dark magic that enveloped him. She said, "Show us the sign," and now all could see the dark cloud that surrounded him.

"He is trapped," said Hana. "It is a powerful dark spell, and if we do not act now, it will smother and kill him."

"Together, on three," said Mariel. "One, two, three!" And the three sent as much white magic energy as they could through the passageway and into Stall's office. The light, soft yet unyielding, began to intensify, filling the room with a brilliance that seemed to touch the very essence of Jackson's soul. As the light grew, it seemed to pierce through the veil of darkness that shrouded Jackson's spirit, illuminating the crevices of his mind where fear and greed had taken root.

"Look within, Mr. Stall," said Mariel, "and see the light that resides in the heart of all beings, the spark of compassion and truth that you have veiled with shadows."

Overwhelmed by the purity of the light, Jackson felt an unfamiliar warmth spreading through him, a sensation that seemed to wash away the fear and darkness that had clouded his thinking and had been his constant companion.

Mariel said, in a voice that was gentle yet carried the weight of power, "You have wandered far from the path of truth, Mr. Stall. The tales you told and the shadows you cast upon my family are reflections of the darkness that has ensnared you."

Jackson, his usual veneer of confidence shattered, felt the weight of his actions bearing down upon him. "I... I can't remember... Why did I...?" His words trailed off, lost in the tide of revelation that the light had unleashed within him. The dark feelings that had been smothering him and which had driven him to betray his integrity were now distant echoes.

"He came to me and did something to me," Stall said quietly. "I don't know what it was. He made me order people to insert lies about Mariel into the program. I saw myself do it, and heard myself do it, but I couldn't stop it. He told me that he would give me money for my services. I told him I didn't want the money, and that I wouldn't do it. But I just kept doing it."

"Who did this to you? Show us. Think of him, what he sounded like, what you saw, everything," said Hana.

Stall brought the High Master to mind, and they all gasped at the dark magic that he held in his hands. They could see he had a lot of power.

"He has much power," said Trista, "but not enough to directly challenge us. If he had that kind of power, he would have already come for us."

"I agree," said Hana. "There have been others like him. They have enough dark power to intimidate, and I can feel that he has others around him who also wield dark power. He can intimidate each one of his followers, and he can scare people like Stall. His followers cannot challenge him individually, and cannot join together to challenge him because that is the nature of dark power. Each wielder of dark power is greedy and selfish and cannot join with others to amplify that power."

"For us, however, it is the nature of a wielder of white magic to share it with others, and thereby to increase the power available to all. We can defeat this High Master, as he calls himself, with our combined power."

"The threats of the High Master are built upon sand, Mr. Stall. Fear, hate, greed--these are the chains that he uses to bind you," said Mariel. "You are free from the High Master now. Do not be afraid. He cannot touch you now." Stall heard the little voice and believed what she said. The darkness surrounding him was gone, and he could breathe again.

"Thank you, Mariel," he said. "Thank you so much. I'm so sorry about what I did. I'll fix it, and I'll help you spread your message."

"I knew you would do that, Mr. Stall, because you're a good man. We're going to leave you now. Before we go, do you want to say something, Peggy?"