Solarcharm

 Photos littered my apartment floor. Snapshots of birthday parties sulked beneath the table, and a pile of headshots spilled its guts onto the kitchen tiles. I flicked through the ones in my hand and let them fall to join the others, snatching up my Polaroid camera as if it would give me answers. At a loss, I did what came naturally to me; I raised the camera and took a shot. The image of a dirty, photo-strewn apartment slipped from its belly a few moments later. I let it fall to join the rest. My phone buzzed. I frowned at the screen, but my options were growing few. Ignoring the text from my service provider reminding me of my dwindling

 “You know, I really need to stop doing this kind of thing,” Eva said as she peered down the dark stairwell. Cars hummed on the street behind her. “How many times can I follow strange animals into the unknown before I get myself killed?” The crow on her shoulder clucked its tongue. Eva pulled out her phone and waved it at the bird, her finger hovering over the “send” button. “Remember, one wrong move and I bring a vengeful angel down on your tail feathers,” she said. “Ha!” Sighing, she plunged into darkness. Her phone provided little light, but it was enough to stop her from

 Photos littered my apartment floor. Snapshots of birthday parties sulked beneath the table, and a pile of headshots spilled its guts onto the kitchen tiles. I flicked through the ones in my hand and let them fall to join the others, snatching up my Polaroid camera as if it would give me answers. At a loss, I did what came naturally to me; I raised the camera and took a shot. The image of a dirty, photo-strewn apartment slipped from its belly a few moments later. I let it fall to join the rest. My phone buzzed. I frowned at the screen, but my options were growing few. Ignoring the text from my service provider reminding me of my dwindling

CHAPTER 1     "Do you believe in magic?"     I jumped as the sudden question shattered the silence around us and turned to stare at my friend. His eyes were facing towards the horizon, taking in the view without further comment, but the question still hung in the air. I sighed, knowing the peace was lost, and answered, "Isn't that a song?"     He scowled, "Emma, I'm serious!"     "Alright, alright, keep your pants on." I muttered with a smirk, looking back to the sky. My back was warm from the leftover heat that still lingered on the roof tiles even though the sun was no longer high enough to provide warmth, one of the advantages of b