Kennedy soon settled into her new 'normal'. Every morning she would cover herself with Lion Tamer and made sure Winston was never late so she could arrive at school without losing her breakfast. In class Kennedy endured Summer's rude comments (Isn't Kennedy a boy's name? What new language did your aunt speak today? Your nose will grow if you keep lying.) One day Summer made her so mad even the Lion Tamer didn't work. Kennedy accidentally, but sort of on purpose, turned Summer's yogurt into toothpaste. Aggie helped her make a stronger dose of Lion Tamer after that.

Her evenings were filled with homework, both for school and magic training. Aggie gave Kennedy a book called Essential Spells For the Novice Elf, it was full of beginner spells for opening and closing doors, levitation, element manipulation and illusions.

"Soon you won't even need the elixir." encouraged Aggie. "With practice you will gain confidence and self-control."

Over time Kennedy did begin to see an improvement. Other than the incident with the yogurt, she wasn't having as many accidents and her nervous sneezing fits became less frequent. In fact, she hardly felt nervous anymore. What did she have to be nervous about? Aggie had everything handled.

On the weekends Kennedy was free to spend time with her friends. Everyone soon warmed up to Aggie, including Mrs. Kapoor. One night Aggie invited everyone over for a four course meal. Mr. Nash nearly choked on his tomato soup when he saw Aggie chug her bowl in no less than three gulps. As Aggie tore through all four courses, Kennedy heard Mr. Kapoor whispering to his wife that it might be best to buy two turkeys for Thanksgiving.

The weeks came and went. Everything was good and Kennedy enjoyed the peace of her newfound life.

But nothing good lasts for long.

A cool autumn chill set in, the changing leaves brought hues of gold and crimson to the town. Kennedy snuggled into the purple scarf Aggie made her as she walked briskly up to the house. During dinner time she gushed about the upcoming Halloween festival. Kennedy had never been allowed to go before, too big of a crowd. But this year Aggie said it should be fine with the Lion Tamer. Kennedy, Reggie and Avi all decided they would be zombies. Aggie said she would give them something special to help them win the costume contest.

That night, as Kennedy pulled back the covers and got ready for bed, an uneasiness came over her. Like someone was watching, but who? For the first time in months, she left her bedroom door open and left a few of her ceiling stars on as a nightlight. Hours later she woke up with a start to an all too familiar feeling. Slowly she turned to face the closet.

Her breathing became raspy as she stared at the two black foxes on either side of her closet door. Why? She had not had this dream since the night before Aggie showed up. Why had this nightmare returned without warning? Kennedy got her breathing back under control as she reluctantly sat up in her bed. The foxes never took their eyes off of her. They were definitely the same ones from before.

"Go away!" She yelled in a loud and firm voice. "You're..... you're just a dream. A bad, bad dream. I'm happy now and....... I'm not afraid of you!"

Kennedy was surprised by how bold she sounded. Then a creepy laugh echoed from inside her closet. Chills vibrated up her spine as the unmistakable arm of the shadow person stretched out from the closet. She jumped from her bed and darted towards her bedroom door. She almost made it, but the door slammed shut. Kennedy frantically pulled the knob but it was no use. She gathered her thoughts, took a step back and tried the Liberate spell. To her relief it worked and she dashed out the door.

"Aunt Aggie!" Called Kennedy as she ran down the hall.

To her dismay something tripped her, the shadow. The pain of hitting the floor flat on her face was enough to convince her once and for all this was no dream. This was real and she was in real danger. Before she managed to stand back up, the foxes bit down on her pajama bottoms and began dragging Kennedy back to her room.

"Aunt Aggie! Help!" She cried again. The shadowy figure let out another eerie laugh just as the foxes pulled her feet past her door frame.

"Radiate!" Yelled a voice from the hallway.

Suddenly a bright white light came shooting down the hallway, illuminating the entire second floor. The foxes let Kennedy go with a foul screech and followed the shadowy figure as it retreated back into her room. At the other end of the hallway Aggie steadily held her hand up in front of her. The light appeared to be shooting out of her palm. She lowered her hand to her side and the light vanished. She slumped over, exhaustion painted across her face.

"Are you hurt, querida?" She asked as she knelt down beside Kennedy.

Kennedy shook her head no as her aunt looked her over. Aggie gave her a quick squeeze before she staggered back up to go inspect her room. Kennedy stood on shaky legs and inched her way to the door. Aggie walked around, checking every corner for the strange creatures. Kennedy turned on the lights. Nothing out of place except her disheveled bed. When Aggie finished checking the room, she walked towards the closet door, now closed, and flung it open. nothing. Aggie began rummaging through the closet but something was off.

"A....Aunt Aggie, how did you know to check the closet?"

Kennedy had shared several secrets with her aunt, but she was sure she hadn't told her about the nightmare or that the creatures came from the closet. Aggie abruptly stopped, she let out a long sigh and closed the closet door.

"Neither of us will be able to sleep right now, so no sense in trying." Said Aggie in a somber tone. "Come downstairs querida, we need to talk."

As she drifted past Kennedy the sound of her sluggish steps was unnatural. So much had happened in such a short time that it took Kennedy a minute to process before following her aunt downstairs. Noises were coming from the kitchen and Kennedy walked in to find Aggie making coffee. How could Aggie want coffee at a time like this?

As the coffee started brewing, aunt Aggie turned around to face Kennedy. "Sit querida." She said pointing to the bar top across from her. "That spell I used takes a lot of energy, I need something to drink. Would you like something? This may take a while."

Kennedy nodded her head no as she sat in the chair, no way she could stomach anything right now. She twiddled her necklace around her finger as the aroma from the coffee began to fill the air. Aggie leaned against the kitchen island, looking down at the ground struggling to find the right words.

"The strange creature that came tonight, has it been visiting you long?"

"Yes, before I came to live with you. I thought I was having a nightmare."

"No Kennedy, I am afraid to say this is no nightmare."

"Yeah, I know that now. But before when those things would visit me in Reggie's room I would sit up and scream at them to go away. Reggie never woke up, so I thought I was dreaming. It started with the two black foxes. The last night they came was the night before you arrived. The shadow came out and a stranger-"

Kennedy stopped, the stranger who saved her that night used the same spell Aggie used moments ago. Radiate. Kennedy's eyes grew wide.

"It....it was you that night. You were in Reggie's room."

Aggie gave a short nod. "Si querida. I received the address to your friends' house the morning before I came. I decided to come a day early and have a look around, see what kind of people your friends were."

Aggie's eyes grew worrisome. "But when I got to the house, I got a tingly feeling like something wasn't right. I stayed and kept watch until it got late. Just as I was about to leave a green light flashed from an upstairs window. I peeked inside and could see the sign on the closet door. I needed to do something."

Kennedy frowned, "I don't remember seeing anything on the closet door, or a green light."

"You were still asleep." Continued Aggie. "The creature who attacked you, the shadow....that was a boogeyman."

A dead silence fell over the room as that last word hung in the air. Boogeyman. A thing that sent every toddler running to their parents bedroom at night in a fit of tears. But Kennedy was ten years old, not a toddler.

"I.... I thought boogeymen were, you know.....make-believe."

"So are we to many people." pointed out Aggie. "You said several times that you knew there were other Lorians but you've never met one. Well, tonight you met one and the night before this too."

"How do you know it's a boogeyman?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"Boogeymen make themselves look like shadows. And that green light is not really a light, but a glowing mist." explained Aggie. "Your friend, Reggie. You said she would never wake up when the boogeyman came sí?"

Kennedy nodded. "That is the effect of the mist." Continued Aggie. "The boogeyman sends mist through the cracks in the closet door. It has magic that spreads through the air, silencing the room and putting others around you in a deep sleep. You could bang a marching drum and no one would wake up. When I saw that mist I knew it was a boogeyman, that and the eye on the door."

"What eye?" whimpered Kennedy.

" A drawing of an eye, the eye of the boogeyman. A mark for its prey."

"Prey?" Groaned Kennedy. "Why? Why would I be marked as prey?"

"Because that is what boogeymen do." Said Aggie with a shrug. "They hunt people but not to kill them. They feed off the fear of children. Once they have given someone a fright they leave and move on."

"How come you never told me you had come to the room that night?"

"I did not think you would remember, and most children are like you. They think they are having a bad dream. I didn't want to worry you because I thought I'd scared off the boogeyman.They're usually easy to get rid of and harmless but sometimes.....they are not."

Kennedy gulped. "What makes them not harmless?"

"That is what is so troubling, querida." Said aunt Aggie in a grave tone. "Boogeymen only stalk prey for a few nights, trying to find what scares them in order to get a more filling 'meal' from their fear. But you say this boogeyman visited you longer than that. Not a good sign. And the boogeyman returning after all this time might mean they are trying to kidnap you."

The coffee maker beeped as it finished brewing. Kennedy rested her hands on the bar top hoping its cool surface against her skin would calm her nerves.

Aggie reached across the bar top and gripped her hand. "You will not be kidnapped, Kennedy. It is my job to protect you not only as your aunt, but as the family guardian."

Boogeymen, green mist, an eye on the closet door, kidnapping. As she replayed this new information in her head, several questions kept popping up.

"Wait, how did you get into Reggie's room that night?"

Aggie walked towards the coffee maker and began fixing herself a cup. "There was a port-o-potty at the park behind the house. Not my first choice for a door but in a pinch it'll do."

"Why not use Liberate?"

"Other that your own home that spell only works in common areas or in abandoned locations."

"How come the green mist didn't work this time? I yelled and you heard me."

"I sensed you were in trouble from your necklace." Explained Aggie as she took a sip of her coffee. "Remember how I said you could use it to call on me? I sensed it that night several months ago too. It also also helps that I have many protection charms on the house. Magic from a stranger or enemy loses its effect in our home and on our property. I do wonder how the boogeyman still managed to come in through the closet. It's likely they found a counter spell to pass through. I'll have to put stronger charms now."

"What was the spell you used tonight?"

"Radiate, the spell absorbs all the natural light around you no matter how little of it there is and shoots a ray of pure light from your hands. Boogeymen are nocturnal creatures and aren't fond of bright light. But it takes a lot of energy out of you and it's a tricky spell to master."

"Oh please teach me!" Begged Kennedy. "I don't care how hard it is, I need to learn so I can fight next time."

Aggie smiled as she walked over to Kennedy and gave her a tight squeeze. "Of course querida. I will do anything to protect you. That boogeyman has another thing coming if he thinks he can take you."

Kennedy hugged her aunt back. She was still very frightened, but Aggie's comforting words reassured her that no matter what she wouldn't have to face it alone this time.