First Frost by Liz DeJesus Page B

said.
    Bianca sighed, disappointed. They looked in every box and trunk in the attic and still…nothing.
    “Yeah, I’m not finding anything either.”
    “Basement?”
    “Yeah.”
    So off to the basement they went. This time they didn’t need flashlights because there was electricity in the basement, and they were able to turn on some lights. There were boxes everywhere, twice as many than what was in the attic.
    “Don’t worry. We’ll find it. Stop looking as though someone just ran over your puppy,” Ming said.
    “I wish,” Bianca muttered. She was worried that they would never find the book in that mess. Nothing was labeled. It would take all night to look through all the stuff in the basement.
    “If you were an evil spell book, where would you be?” Ming wondered aloud.
    “In my hands so we could get my mom back,” Bianca replied.
    “Well, it’s not in your hands yet, and we’re not going to find it by standing around looking depressed.”
    “You’re right.”
    “Of course, I’m right. Come on, you take that half and I’ll take this one,” Ming said as she went to the left side of the room.
    Bianca took a deep breath and continued her search for the spell book.

    It was several hours before either of them realized what time it was. They had missed dinner and were getting more and more frustrated as time crawled by. Bianca took a quick break and stretched her back. It was beginning to cramp from all the time she had spent hunched over the boxes on the floor. She wiped the sweat off her forehead when she noticed a loose brick on the wall. Bianca squinted as she tried to figure out what it was.
    Ming noticed her squinting and gently chided her, “Put your glasses on, Bianca.”
    “I don’t like them,” Bianca complained. She had been nearsighted her whole life. It wasn’t until she was eight years old that her mother had realized she couldn’t see things very well. The doctor had called it “low congenital myopia;” Bianca, however, liked to call it “a pain in the butt.”
    “Then wear contacts,” Ming argued.
    “Yeah, not gonna happen. Can’t see the point of poking myself in the eye…on purpose…with glass.” Bianca shuddered as she thought of wearing contact lenses. She made a point to leave her glasses at home whenever she could. She hated wearing them; she thought it made her look nerdy. Of course, Rose always carried a spare pair of glasses with her in case Bianca “forgot” them.
    “You’re hopeless.” Ming rolled her eyes.
    “Enough about me, come here and take a look at this.” Bianca pointed at the brick on the wall.
    The brick was the exact same color as the others. The only difference was that it was slightly loose. She could tell that it was separated from the others because there was no cement around the edges.
    She pulled on the brick until it came out and found a letter resting in the empty space.
    Dearest Bianca:
    I’m afraid if you’ve found this letter, then the worst has happened. I wish we had more time together and more time to prepare you for what’s to come. If you find my journals, they may offer you some advice and further insight to what you may face in the future. They are in the small trunk under my bed.
    As for the spell book…you can’t let Lenore have it, no matter what she says or threats she throws at you. She’s a vicious woman and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
    I can’t tell you exactly where it is in case this letter falls into the wrong hands, but I will leave you with a clue so that you know where it is for future generations to come. This is all I can give you right now. Remember that I love you. You are and always will be the greatest joy of my life.
    Love,
    Mom
    The letter shook in her hands. Her vision blurred as tears pooled in her eyes. A single teardrop splashed onto the letter. The black ink swam inside the little tear as Bianca reread the letter a few more times.
    She carefully folded the letter and put it in