Chapter 14
Thanks to Jack’s tip the friends made it to Gretchen’s hidden cave in record time. Now the tiny creatures guarding the place glowed bright red. It seemed they were expecting him. Their droning told they were preparing for another attack. Lawrence held the staff up high, watching it shimmer eerily in the rising moon. This made the creatures even angrier, though none were brave enough to approach him now. Their furious buzzes shot back and forth, vibrating around his head. Lawrence’s left ear went deaf, and the other made strange popping noises like gigantic waves crashing on a beach.
Lawrence gulped and moved towards the entrance. Without being asked the magic staff created a small umbrella of light underneath, just enough to fit them both. Slowly they edged inwards. Behind them the dangerous force field dropped down again, humming powerfully.
One short passage led into a small cave. As they stepped inside the wall dissolved, and a weird green light glowed, revealing a very thin and very long room, stretching way off into the distance. Gretchen’s floor was lined with weirdly cut red stone, and her room’s furnishings were made of wood, wicker and bone.
Signs of black magic lay everywhere. Vases brimming with disgusting powders, bottles of strange swirling liquid, books on dark energy - this was a witch’s hideaway alright. So much had been packed in there it was hard for Lawrence to work out what may be useful. Brandice May’s item of power had been her prized cauldron. What might Gretchen’s special magical item be that stored her power? There probably wouldn’t be time to look through much either as the evil witch could return at any moment.
Lawrence hurried down the room, hoping her magical item may give off some clues. The magic staff pulsed as he passed some very odd and lifelike statues. Vibrating faster at a certain spot, it begged to be let down. Sneaking out his hand, it floated a few inches above the dusty floor. Lawrence had another look around the spot. Placed carefully on a polished stand sat a large human skull, grinning horribly. Its eye sockets glowed evilly as if it were still alive and planning to attack at any moment. The top of its head had been removed and filled with fistfuls of bright orange pebbles. Witches really were very odd. Of course, screaming skulls, that was it! This was what Gretchen was famous for!
Lawrence wondered how to destroy it. He’d learnt these things couldn’t be damaged simply by dashing them on the floor. Only magic itself, or a holy item could destroy magical objects. And more powerful ones could only be trapped for short periods. There didn’t seem to be anything here to help, and the silver staff just floated there humming.
Further down the room Lucy meowed in surprise. Lawrence ran over. Gretchen had placed dozens of tall, rusty cages in long lines on both sides there. Most were empty or had mouldy skeletons of all shapes and sizes littering the floor. One cage at the end held a very thin young girl who shivered uncontrollably on the cold floor. Even the noise of his shoes seemed to cause her pain.
“We’ve come to help,” Lawrence whispered, “Are you Willow?” The girl nodded weakly. Her hair was all tangled and dirty and bits had fallen out. Far from being fattened up to eat it looked like cruel Gretchen had been starving her. Lawrence and Lucy couldn’t understand how some creatures could be so heartless. Lucy slipped inside the cage hoping to heal Willow a little with her magical warmth, but the sick girl didn’t have the strength to hold on. The poor soul may not have long left if they didn’t leave right away.
Then an annoying buzzing echoed down the room. This must be the force field being lowered at the entrance. Gretchen had returned! Lawrence tried to creep behind a bench, hoping to sneak back to the staff. He’d barely had time to move when a black mist swirled towards him like a mighty whirlwind, throwing items high into the air. It was evil Brandice May!
“Don’t you know it’s rude to trespass, you horrible little sneak!” she screamed, looking even angrier and uglier than ever before. Her pointy hat grew so hot and tall it scraped off the roof, showering burning splinters everywhere.
“REVENGE!” she screamed so loudly the room vibrated violently, sending ripples along the floor that swept Lawrence off his feet.
“Now is my time!” she screamed again, firing streams of poisonous green fire. Lucy leapt in front, reflecting them off her glowing fur. Their sheer power pushed her to one side, singeing her coat. Lucy knew she wouldn’t be able to take much more of such powerful magic. Rushing between Brandice’s legs, she headed straight for the staff. Lucy whirled round it, hoping it would follow her commands. It burst into life, sending a small pocket of protective light towards Lawrence who crawled inside. Brandice didn’t care and carried on attacking him furiously. Soon the staff’s light started fading and another safe haven blinked on a few metres behind him. Lawrence had just enough time to run to the next circle as its light faded. Brandice May’s attacks grew stronger. Each time the shielding light faded quicker, pushing Lawrence further backwards. Dozens of lights had lit, yet the witches rage grew wilder still. Her head rolled uncontrollably and her bony fingers twitched violently. She’d never give up!
Now her spells had evil little creatures crawling inside them, gnawing and gnashing rotting teeth inches away from his face. Behind Lawrence the incredibly long room was finally coming to an end. Within minutes there would be nowhere left to retreat! If just one of those spells hit him Lawrence would be vaporised instantly.
At that moment Gretchen floated through the ceiling. She whirled round the fight, screeching like a madwoman. Her face burned black and her cloak fizzed angrily, showing she was still full of dark energy from her night’s attacks. Gretchen proudly floated next to Brandice, spied her precious magical skull, raised her hands and shrieked some strange phrase. An army of tiny screaming skulls rose from inside, spinning round her head in a fiery circle. Some lit up in flames, exploding against walls, but others kept swarming out the skull with loud whooshes. There seemed to be no end to them.
Despite all the magical mayhem, Lawrence had a brainwave. If the staff could give out all that energy it must be able to absorb it too. Lawrence remembered his training. With a series of expert dodges and a mighty leap, he grabbed the staff. Lucky the second he touched it Lawrence became invisible, because Brandice and Gretchen weren’t far behind.
Brandice whirled round, shooting everywhere in blind rage. Furniture flew to pieces and books melted away into bubbling slime. Gretchen and her flaming skulls started stalking Lucy, who was arched up against Willow’s cage hissing loudly.
In those few breathless seconds Lawrence’s plan came together. Gretchen’s power lay in the skull from stealing daylight and draining the hopes of the villagers. Brandice had extra power from using the dreadful time spell. The magical staff still held some power, and Lucy must have a little left. If he could absorb all at once and use it in the waterfall cave that may be their one chance to escape! The moment he moved Lawrence became visible again. He shouted to Lucy, “The skull!”
Lucy jumped up on the bench and grabbed it, holding it as high as possible. Brandice saw her chance, arcing a spell towards her. “NO!” Gretchen screamed, but it was too late. A tiny part of her spell brushed the side of the skull. Feeling the great heat Lucy dropped it over the side of the bench, watching it spin round in mid air like a raging ball of fire.
Brandice turned to Lawrence, casting another spell. Her magic bounced off the staff, nudged Lucy, hit the skull and returned to the staff in a flash of bright white light. Everyone was blinded for a second.
Lawrence slowly opened his eyes. Brandice and Gretchen were patting themselves down as if they’d lost something and peering round the room nervously. Strange grating whines shot through the smoky, choking air. The two witches looked completely surprised as they shrunk smaller and smaller. Soon they became the thickness of paper and vanished through cracks in the roof. Lawrence had just scraped through this one!
Lawrence and Lucy had to work quickly. Those two could still return again when they’d built up enough power. They had to get Willow back to the villag
e, then run to the waterfall cave. Lucy yowled with dismay finding the staff had vanished as well. Lawrence had read sometimes certain magical items could sense the user’s intent and act for them in times of great need. Lawrence prayed it had found the cave. If it hadn’t, all hope would be lost – they’d never return to their own time.
Lawrence broke the cage’s rusty lock easily, releasing Willow who collapsed into his arms.
Lucy had a final plan and sat on a stack of expensive silk material in the corner, concentrating. A tiny spark smouldered slowly as she sprang off. Lucy looked very pleased with herself.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lawrence cried.
Lawrence carried the still girl quite some distance over the fields as fast as he possibly could. Back at the village he became so tired he could hardly speak and almost collapsed. Jack opened the door before they got there as if he’d sensed them. Scooping Willow up, he carried her carefully inside. The big man was even more upset than Lawrence and Lucy at the dreadful state of his daughter.
Shortly afterwards a swinging lantern moved down the hill in time to a cheerful song. Jack’s good friend Jof had arrived. Seeing the grave situation indoors the clever man took charge. Jof knew much of sickness, but even he looked very worried indeed. The wise old man pursed his lips in concentration and gave each of the family an important task.
Lawrence hovered near the door. He really didn’t want to leave just yet. He felt very sorry for Willow and hoped she would be alright. It would be terrible for the kind family if she didn’t make it. Lucy sat at the door restlessly, trying to make him understand they had to hurry. Their only chance could slip away anytime now. For all she knew it may have gone already.
On the bed Willow seemed to be getting worse. Her eyes glowed bright red. Jof said the witch’s evil had poisoned her body, so it didn’t react as well to his nursing skills. Lawrence stood helplessly at the door as the family prayed the terrible disease may pass. He still couldn’t decide the best thing to do. Turning back, he slipped dad’s ring into Jack’s pocket. It wasn’t worth much money back home, but here the little gold in it would do an awful lot of good.
“Hope it helps Jack. I wish there was some way we’d know she’d recovered.”
“Thanks lad, your folks have taught you all you need,” Jack said, not realising what he had been given just then. Understandably his attention lay elsewhere.
Lawrence waved and ran into the night. Far off over the hill in the western sky, a giant orange glow rose higher and higher. Lucy meowed happily - Gretchen’s home was blazing fiercely. How the heroes got back to the waterfall cave in the dark so quickly neither knew.
Both let out a loud sigh of relief at finding the staff inside, floating next to the stream. Magic power it possessed must have sensed them, because it lit up in a whirling pillar of silver. From deep within came speech speeded up so much it became gibberish. Lawrence picked Lucy up, hoping for the best. Both knew it was now or never as they stepped into the beam and vanished. Not long after a neatly dressed lady appeared at that very spot. Her magical staff flew to her, squeaking gratefully.
In the thick dark of night two brave time travellers woke back in the hidden cave. Their journey back to the present day had pumped them full of energy. They felt overjoyed to be home. Lawrence followed Lucy as fast as he could through the darkness to the edge of the forest.
Mr and Mrs Davis were pacing up and down at the old oak tree. Luckily only thirty minutes had passed. At that very moment the couple had been about to leave to tell his mum everything and beg for her forgiveness.
Lawrence ran up to tell a second incredible tale that day. Mr Davis praised Lawrence for his quick thinking during the fierce battle. He confessed he may have frozen up under similar circumstances.
Mrs Davis wondered how Gretchen looked younger, yet Brandice appeared uglier and older. Mr Davis said no human could properly explain such a complicated thing as time travel. Weird as it sounded Gretchen and Sally probably didn’t exist anymore in our time. Brandice could exist in both worlds because she’d gained extra power from the earth spell, and had travelled back through time as well. Mrs Davis still didn’t understand, so he promised to find her some books.
Everyone felt very sad hearing about Willow. Sadly her future didn’t look good. Mr Davis admitted he was very sorry to hear about her, but the two of them should be very proud as they’d done all they possibly could. At least her family got to see her in the end. True, it was a big shame life didn’t always work out exactly the way we wanted. However, as long as people tried their best, that was all that truly mattered.
Back home mum listened to Lawrence’s adventures, smiling happily at his imagination.
“After all that I should think it’s time for bed my hero!” she laughed.
Next day Lawrence woke up early, still buzzing with energy from last night’s excitement. Lucy had been up for a while, gazing dreamily out the bedroom window down the lawn. Hearing Lawrence stir behind she purred in happiness and lay back down to sleep. Lawrence had a good look out there too. Keen to grab some air he opened the window and breathed in deeply. Ah, beautiful! The woodland smelt of sweet pine needles and blooming flowers – all clean, fresh and new. Bright orange sunlight sneaked over the forest, drizzling red ribbons across the garden. Between the oldest trees a beautiful willow fluttered her branches happily in the warm morning breeze.