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Middle Grade Fantasy
Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions, Book 1
Publisher: S.A. Prasad Publishing
Published: October 2018
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An Adventure of Modern Magic
Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy longs for a better life. She lost her parents at age seven and her aunt at nine. Her uncle also enforces unfair rules. But Alyssa discovers something she has never thought existed beforeโ€ฆ magic. A wicked sorcerer hunts her down. He kidnaps her from her ordinary New Jersey town to Yanowic, an enchanted island in Fiji.
Alyssa is trapped in the country due to a giant shield covering it. She must defeat dangerous creatures and the evil wizard in order to leave. But with sorcerers and enchanted technology getting in her way, can Alyssa succeed?
Originally published in 2013, the book has been updated to its full potential with edits, while keeping the storyline the same.
Rain banged against the window. Alyssa looked up from washing her lunch dishes and stared at it. At least she could daydream while no one else noticed. After all, how else would she spend life without family funโ€”or even love? Her uncle enforced strict and unfair rules. Alyssa longed for the kind of life sheโ€™d lived before her parents had died in a car crash five years ago. Sheโ€™d only been seven at that time, and now she couldnโ€™t experience things like many children her age. Unless . . . she could find her godfatherโ€™s phone number and secretly call him. She hadnโ€™t talked to him ever since sheโ€™d also lost her aunt three years ago. But she recalled his kind attitude. Her parents had even designated him as a legal guardian. But something seemed off with the raindrops. They turned grayish blue and darkened into black, looking as if ink fell from the sky. Alyssa leaned closer, squinting to determine the shapes it formed on the window. The rain formedโ€”letters. No. That couldnโ€™t happen. But a message formed as the rain plopped on other parts of the window. Nature couldnโ€™t change its laws, right? Yet, the message finished putting itself together. Alyssa gasped at what it said.
 Your life will never be the same again, Alyssa McCarthy, as magic will interfere.
 What? Alyssa had never believed in magic. Sheโ€™d been told at a young age that it hadnโ€™t existed. Everyone on Orion Street was ordinaryโ€”at least, Alyssa had thought that ever since sheโ€™d moved here, right after her parentsโ€™ deaths.   Turning around, she saw her babysitter, Mrs. Hutchinson, examine the kitchen floor. Alyssaโ€™s eleven-year-old cousin, Hailey, watched the progress. Hailey had mopped the floor. Would she earn a break now? Ever since her uncle, Bruce, had hired Mrs. Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson had admired the way Hailey had done her chores more than Alyssa.  โ€œHailey, you can take a break until your next chore,โ€ said Mrs. Hutchinson. โ€œAlyssa, get back to work. Youโ€™ve been staring at the rain for too long.โ€  โ€œOkay.โ€ Alyssa turned backโ€”only to see the message gone and the rain back to its normal transparency.   โ€œWhat did I say?โ€ asked Mrs. Hutchinson.  Alyssa sighed. โ€œFine, Iโ€™ll finish washing the dishes.โ€  She scrubbed her dish and glass with soap under warm running water. Her eyes focused on just those. No way would she want Mrs. Hutchinson to catch her looking out the window again. Mrs. Hutchinson was only in her sixties, but sheโ€™d sometimes seem to forget that was 2010 and not 1960 with her guidelines. Yet, it had taken Alyssa a while to realize that she wouldnโ€™t even tolerate the mildest kind of nonsense, such as getting distracted by a windowpane when having to perform chores.  Now that she finished washing her dishes, Alyssa put them to the side and grabbed some paper towels to dry them.  โ€œWhat do you think youโ€™re doing?โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson asked.  Alyssa stopped. โ€œIโ€™m justโ€”โ€  โ€œThe last few times I was here, you left little bits of food on your dishes.โ€   โ€œBut they were stuck.โ€
 โ€œLet me inspect them. Also, if something is rubbery, you have to wash it again.โ€  โ€œWhy?โ€  โ€œBecause clean dishes arenโ€™t supposed to be rubbery. And boy, did you do such a sloppy job. Look at that stain on your sweater.โ€  Alyssa looked down.  โ€œThat looks like chocolate.โ€   Alyssa blushed and arched her eyebrows.  โ€œHeyโ€”itโ€™s just water.โ€ She covered the stain at the bottom of her sweaterโ€™s V-neck.  But Mrs. Hutchinson waved her index finger. โ€œDonโ€™t you โ€˜heyโ€™ me, Alyssa. Thatโ€™s rude. In my days, kids respected their elders. We never would dare talk to them that way unless we didnโ€™t mind them smacking our bottoms.โ€  โ€œThings change.โ€   โ€œNot when Iโ€™m here, they donโ€™t. Now let me do my inspection.โ€  Greatโ€”an inspection! How long would Mrs. Hutchinson take? She might spend a couple minutes or maybe twenty. Alyssa crossed her arms and tapped her foot. She wanted her break now. She wished to read, rest, do a small craft, like lanyardsโ€”anything but wait for Mrs. Hutchinson to finish her task.  โ€œMrs. Hutchinson?โ€ Alyssa asked.  โ€œWhatever you need to say, wait till Iโ€™m done,โ€ she said.   Alyssa sighed. She continued to watch Mrs. Hutchinson run her finger down the middle of the front of the dish. She then rubbed it back and forth. When she put it down and nodded, Alyssa figured out that the dish had nothing on it.  Mrs. Hutchinson spent a few minutes of running her finger down the glass. She put it down and turned to Alyssa. โ€œYouโ€™re good. Now what did you want to tell me?โ€  โ€œUm . . . if I tell you, can you not give me a hard time?โ€   โ€œOkay.โ€  โ€œThere was writing on the window.โ€  Mrs. Hutchinson pursed her lips and tilted her head. โ€œReally?โ€  โ€œYeah.โ€  โ€œNonsense.โ€   โ€œNo, really, it was there.โ€   โ€œThere was nothing there when I came, and thereโ€™s nothing there right now. So donโ€™t tell me stories.โ€  โ€œBut itโ€™s not a story.โ€  โ€œI donโ€™t want to hear any more. Now itโ€™s time for your next chore.โ€  โ€œAw, but I wanted my break.โ€  โ€œToo bad. You have to go vacuum the living room.โ€  Alyssa dragged her feet toward the living room and took the vacuum from the corner. She cleaned and thought about that writing as well as how Mrs. Hutchinson wouldnโ€™t believe her. Would a nicer babysitter have believed her? Mrs. Hutchinson had watched her and Hailey for three years, and not once had she smiled or assisted with anything.   After vacuuming the carpet for about five minutes, Alyssa decided that she had tidied the floor enough. So she stopped and put the vacuum away.  โ€œHailey, you and Alyssa need to go get the mail now!โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson called, facing the staircase.   โ€œComing!โ€ cried Hailey.
Another rule Uncle Bruce had placed on Alyssa and Hailey was they could only go outside together. He worried about people taking them or something, even though Alyssa would turn thirteen next month. But that rule had been placed because a few months ago, Uncle Bruce had heard about a seventeen-year-old boy who had been shot while skateboarding in his neighborhood. Violence could even happen here in Bursnell, New Jersey.  Hailey and Alyssa headed to the closet and put their raincoats on until Mrs. Hutchinson said, โ€œIt stopped raining outside.โ€  โ€œAlready?โ€ asked Alyssa.  โ€œYes.โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson went to the bathroom.   The girls walked outside toward the mailbox. Alyssa pulled the mail and headed back toward the door. But mud bubbled from the ground near the house. It piled up, looking like horse manure, and grew as more soil emerged. Alyssa dropped her jaw and stared at it.  โ€œAlyssa, whatโ€™s going on?โ€ Hailey asked.   โ€œNo idea,โ€ said Alyssa.  The dirt stopped piling up, but it continued to bubble, and the effects spread throughout the whole pile. The bubbles stopped popping up and down. Alyssa and Hailey gasped as they expanded. They kept their mouths open as the bubbles merged together, each one attached to another, forming a single bigger shape. Alyssa and Hailey stepped back as the now giant bubble swelled. And it . . . popped! Particles of exploding mud landed on the girls. They shrieked.  The front door opened to reveal a glowering Mrs. Hutchinson. โ€œWhat the heck have you two been doing?โ€   โ€œT-the mud . . . it e-exploded,โ€ said Hailey.   โ€œNonsense!โ€ growled Mrs. Hutchinson. โ€œGet inside!โ€  The girls returned inside, pulling and wiping the mud out of their hair. Alyssa could spot the mud in her straight pale-blonde tresses, unlike Hailey, who likely needed more patience to search for globs in her elbow-length red locks. But Alyssaโ€™s hair fell a few inches past her hips, so cleaning out the mud would take longer, even with the shorter layers in the front.  โ€œHow could dirt explode?โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson stomped.   โ€œI-I think it was magic!โ€ exclaimed Alyssa.  โ€œThereโ€™s no such thing as magic!โ€ screamed Mrs. Hutchinson. โ€œAlyssa, youโ€™re twelve years old. Youโ€™re too old to say things like that!โ€  โ€œBut nothing else can make mud explode!โ€ Alyssa said.  โ€œMrs. Hutchinson, we swear it did!โ€ whined Hailey.   โ€œEnough!โ€ snapped Mrs. Hutchinson. โ€œYou and Haileyโ€”go upstairs and take showers!โ€  Alyssa followed Hailey up the stairs and heaved a sigh. How else would the mud have splattered all over them? Mrs. Hutchinson couldnโ€™t have thought theyโ€™d play in the mud like small children.  โ€œAlyssa, can I shower first?โ€ asked Hailey.   โ€œSure,โ€ said Alyssa.  As Hailey strode into the bathroom, Alyssa walked into her room. She scratched more mud off her skinny jeans (the only jeans sheโ€™d worn ever since theyโ€™d come into style) and the back of her hand. She stood by her bed since she wanted to keep it clean.  She considered the writing on the window and the exploding mud. Someone wanted magic to interfere with her life, but who, and how come?
 Also, why hadnโ€™t she ever seen wizardry before? Why would her parents and others tell her that it hadnโ€™t existed? Did sorcery just start on earth? Had it hidden somewhere? There had to be some reason why no one had ever believed in it.  Alyssa thought about the possibility that maybe magic might only interfere if she stayed here in her uncleโ€™s house. Maybe if her godfather could arrange with his lawyer to let her move in with him, sorcery would hopefully leave her alone. However, unlike science, anything could occur with magic, which meant that it could follow her wherever she went.   The sound produced by the bathroomโ€™s running water ended, which let Alyssa know that Hailey had finished. Now she could have a turn.  After about five minutes showering, Alyssa stepped out and headed back to her room. She put on leggings and a long shirt. But she gasped at something appearing out of nowhere on her bed. Now that had to have come from . . . magic.  Approaching it, she saw that it was a folded piece of paper. She opened it and read it. Hello Alyssa McCarthy, You must be wondering about the writing on your window, the exploding mud, and the note that appeared here. Who was responsible for them? Youโ€™ll find out at some point. Anonymous
 Anonymous? How dare someone create incidents and not say his or her name! Alyssa needed to know his or her identity in order to report him or her. She didnโ€™t want strange, magical occurrences to keep happening.  Regardless of that, now she had proof to Mrs. Hutchinson that the writing and exploding mud had occurred. Mrs. Hutchinson had seen her write before, and this looked nothing like hers. She handwrote in a half-print and half-script style. This, however, was pure print. Alyssa jogged down the stairs and carried the note. โ€œMrs. Hutchinson, I have something to show you.โ€   โ€œNot right now, Alyssa.โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson left the kitchen. โ€œYou and Hailey have to go wash my car.โ€  โ€œBut itโ€™s quick.โ€  โ€œYou can show me after youโ€™re done with my car.โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson turned to Hailey, who emptied the dishwasher and put dishes away. โ€œAre you almost done?โ€  โ€œI think so,โ€ said Hailey.  โ€œHow many dishes do you have left?โ€ asked Mrs. Hutchinson.  โ€œUh . . .โ€ Hailey looked at the top rack. โ€œFour.โ€  โ€œOkay, hurry up.โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson turned to Alyssa. โ€œWhy donโ€™t you go put that piece of paper away?โ€  โ€œBut this is what I need to show you.โ€   โ€œDo I have to repeat what I said before?โ€   โ€œButโ€”โ€  โ€œAlyssa, do as youโ€™re told.โ€ Mrs. Hutchinson pointed to the staircase.  Alyssa sighed. This note contained so much crucial information. Only that paper itself had evidence to show that those incidents had occurred.
 After putting the note back in her room, Alyssa headed down the stairs and walked with Hailey toward the garage. The two grabbed sponges, buckets, and soap for washing cars. They filled the buckets with water and scrubbed Mrs. Hutchinsonโ€™s car.  โ€œI wish we had another babysitter,โ€ muttered Alyssa.   โ€œWhat was on the piece of paper?โ€ asked Hailey.  Alyssa told her.   โ€œWho wrote it?โ€  โ€œThere was no name on it. Just โ€˜anonymous.โ€™โ€  A girl whistling turned Alyssaโ€™s attention away from the car. She leaned her head toward the sidewalk and saw her friend from grade school, Madison Jennings, riding her scooter.  โ€œHi, Alyssa,โ€ said Madison. The wind blew her long dark-brown waves across her face. She stopped at Alyssaโ€™s driveway, and her hair went limp. Hailey and Alyssa ran up to greet her and ask how sheโ€™d been.  โ€œI just moved onto Draco Drive a few days ago,โ€ Madison referred to a road off Orion Street.  โ€œSo how do you like the middle school?โ€ asked Alyssa.   โ€œOh, I go to Catholic school now,โ€ said Madison. โ€œWhat about you?โ€  โ€œHailey and I are homeschooled now,โ€ said Alyssa. โ€œI never got to tell you.โ€  โ€œThatโ€™s okay,โ€ said Madison. โ€œSo you guys want to come over to my house on Saturday?โ€  โ€œWhat time?โ€ asked Alyssa.  โ€œIโ€™ll ask my mom and let you know,โ€ said Madison. โ€œOkay, bye, guys. Nice seeing you again.โ€ She rode back in the direction sheโ€™d come from as Hailey and Alyssa waved goodbye to her.  After washing the car for another ten minutes, Alyssa and Hailey cleaned up and walked back inside. A snore suggested to Alyssa that Mrs. Hutchinson slept. Huh? She never napped while babysitting.  Alyssa strode toward the living room and saw Mrs. Hutchinson asleep on one of the couches. Hailey followed her. โ€œWhy is Mrs. Hutchinson sleeping?โ€   โ€œI donโ€™t know,โ€ said Alyssa.  โ€œCan you show me the note?โ€  Alyssa nodded and led her up the stairs. She opened her door but gasped at what she saw. The note that sheโ€™d left on her bed was gone.  โ€œWhereโ€™s the note?โ€ asked Hailey.  โ€œIt was right there,โ€ Alyssa pointed to the bed.  But another piece of paper appeared onto the mattress. Alyssa picked it up and read it.
Hello again, Alyssa,
I have put your babysitter to sleep to reveal magic to you. Youโ€™ll find out why she is sleeping later. Anonymous
 โ€œNot again,โ€ mumbled Alyssa. โ€œWhy wonโ€™t they say their name?โ€ She showed the note to Hailey.  โ€œLetโ€™s go call my dad before anything happens,โ€ said Hailey.
 How much worse could this get? Alyssa thought as she followed Hailey down the stairs. 
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 photo unnamed 2_zpsi2th9fpa.jpgSunayna Prasad has published a few books between her late teens and her mid-twenties. She has won a Pacific Book Review Award for her novel, Wizardry Goes Wild, which will return as a new edition, like From Frights to Flaws. Sunayna also has a blog on different creative and entertaining topics, including writing and fiction. It is called โ€œSunayna Prasadโ€™s Blogโ€.

Aside from writing, Sunayna also likes to cook, do art, and watch videos online. She has graduated from college in May 2017 and is looking to continue more writing as well as hold a graphic design job soon. Sunayna lives on Long Island, NY.
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