Chapter 20
Now only two bubbles were left nearby - light and dark, bouncing around aimlessly near the mountain. Lawrence wanted to try the golden coloured bubble. Lucy had other ideas, snarling at the darker one.
“Okay Lucy, that one it is then!” Lawrence said, laughing as the staff flew them over there in long flashes of steam that hid bizarre creatures. Things were dreadfully dark and foggy inside. Lawrence had to concentrate very hard indeed to clear it. Eventually Lawrence and Lucy floated just inside the bubble, peering down curiously at a beautiful young lady walking through black and empty woods.
In her dream she’d been caught in a particularly harsh autumn. Lush trees had shaken off their colourful dress and wet, muddy ground had rotted its fine green carpet. Tree trunks had become mouldy and twisted, allowing strange, sinister shadows to form amongst the knots. Weird shafts of black light shot down from above, creeping along branches and trapping tiny wilting buds in dark, depressing prisons, adding an evil menace to the spooky scene.
Because of the bare emptiness it took some time before the two curious observers recognised certain unusually shaped trees and an ancient section of woods where a tiny stream sneaked through. Of course, they’d been there once before! This girl must have reached her late teens, and now Lawrence recognised her as well – it was Brandice May when she was truly young! Why didn’t he guess earlier she may have something to do with this terrible mess?
Brandice stopped abruptly, glancing round suspiciously, sending the staff bursting out the bubble just in time. Lawrence had been about to jump straight into her dream to confront her. Lucy meowed a warning to keep quiet and watch. Often big battles were won by carefully gathering vital intelligence first. Surprise was on their side tonight, since one thing the evil witch hadn’t realised was Lawrence held a magic staff allowing him to see her dreams.
Both dreamers pressed their faces as far into the bubble as they dared, without breaking the thin seal and revealing themselves. A little known fact about light or dark witches is many are able to dream of past life experiences in great detail. And more gifted ones can learn to dream in sequence too. Tonight Brandice dreamt over her life since those early days way back when she was still young, kind and pretty. By blocking out all other thoughts, really concentrating and piecing sections together, Lawrence and Lucy learnt much of her they’d never guessed before.
Brandice May had been born in 1602 at Rooksbridge Down, Somerset. Her dreams were pleasant when she first set out in life and played hide in meadows with friends. Miss May was a sweet, clever girl back then and her selfless good deeds were many. But as soon as she turned into a teenager she grew moody and sullen, becoming wildly upset at the slightest thing.
Weeks later a wandering peddler had stolen precious items from her home that could have saved her dad, who’d fallen sick from eating rotten meat. Because her dad passed on Brandice had been left all alone in a tumbledown shack deep in the woods, with only black thoughts for company.
From that day onwards she vowed to become as powerful as possible, to make sure no one dared steal from her again. If only Brandice had been lucky enough to have someone wise to talk to, she would have grown to be the kind and beautiful person Lawrence saw way back then.
One fateful day while trapping squirrels the vulnerable girl met the younger Gretchen Moll and Sally Sourbridge, who were also running wild back then. Folk often say evil is strongly attracted to those who’ve lost their way in life. That theory certainly rang true for Brandice May. And now, after four hundred years of evil deeds, the unnaturally old witch had lost all trace of goodness long ago.
Brandice’s wild dreams reached right up to the present day, proving her as clever as she was evil. No wonder her latest sly plan spoke of genius. Like Lawrence she’d realised long ago that a full on attack wasn’t always the best tactic to suit her needs.
Using the last of the power from her evil banishing spell, under the guise of a white witch Brandice invaded the human land of dream, hoping to tap the powerful magic from the original staff of dreams. Luckily the staff’s spirit sensed her intentions as soon as she broke into the temple, vanishing from her grasp in a puff of green smoke. Lucy guessed it lured the magical blue moon to Lawrence’s home, before retreating to a place of safety. It seemed their reputation had grown quickly in the magical world. Now the two brave friends were marked as a safe haven, even for such important matters as this.
In frustration Brandice changed tactics, smashed the unsuspecting Dream Keeper to pieces and had been draining negative energy created from villagers weird dreams ever since. So it wasn’t surprising that poor family’s dreams had gotten worse over the last few weeks.
Fortunately for the innocent people of Somerset, the Dream Keeper had proved harder for Brandice to destroy than she first thought. After some time she’d still only managed to scatter his weird parts over places near the mountain. Apparently the ancient creature had a powerful magnetic, magical bond to that sacred place, which proved incredibly difficult to break.
By the time anyone of any importance or magical power realised Brandice’s selfish deed, she’d stored more power in the past than ever. It was a sneaky plan sure enough, because few magic's could reach her in the land of dream. Of course, as soon as she’d built up enough magical essence, she’d dispose of Lawrence and that magical cat without too much difficulty!
After seeing a touch of Brandice’s painful past Lucy did feel a little sorry for her, learning not all wicked people were born that way. Sometimes circumstances and a wrong choice of friends played a large part. Nevertheless, that didn’t excuse Brandice’s evil actions since. She could have chosen to change at any time, but didn’t. And after tonight news she certainly couldn’t be allowed to continue tormenting innocent village folk.
Lawrence had to think fast. For all he knew Brandice may wake at any time, leaving them powerless to stop her returning to the land of dream at will. He didn’t even know whether she was still living in the year 1692 after their last violent meeting. Unfortunately there were no clues hinting where her body may be, so this could be their only chance to cut off her power supply and banish her spirit from the land of dream.
Luckily the staff still seemed pretty powerful, as the dreaming Brandice made no pretence of seeing them hovering above. Lawrence decided to stay as himself. Seeing his face again would send her into a blind rage. Like last time her dreadful temper may lead her to make a mistake. Lucy opted to take the form of Lenora the magician, hoping this would frighten Brandice into giving up her false claim on the land of dream.
Lawrence swooped down in front, making distracting noises. Lucy glided silently into a tree behind her to get a good view of the situation first. Brandice looked puzzled until she glimpsed the dream staff. Cruel smiles traced across her thin, cracked lips. Very quickly the clever witch formed a plan. If she could grasp the lad’s staff she may be able to turn it against him. That way she wouldn’t even have to use her own power, and her evil plans could continue undisturbed.
Brandice hummed a tune she’d learnt long ago. Its evil rhyming words reminded her of a spell that she chanted over and over under her smelly breath. Traces of her real, ugly face flew faintly across her features, often making them wider and longer. Once her head shrunk to the size of a pea. Her best efforts jerked and warmed the dream staff in Lawrence’s hand for a few worrying minutes. Finally it pulsed red, shook violently, then turned to a far brighter blue.
Pah, her best attempt had failed! Still, the lad was alone, and here in spirit form she could summon up almost anything she wanted! Tonight, thinking she was safe from outside influences, Brandice felt more confident than ever before.
Lawrence wasted no time conjuring monsters from his imagination. Powerful trolls poured from beneath the ground, vicious bandits leaped from trees and mighty dragons swooped from the sky. “Tsk, party tricks!” Brandice sneered, letting them line up to attack her. A single snap of her fingers turned them all to dust,
which blew away on the strange, growing wind.
After that performance Lawrence realised only good could come from good, so changed tactics very quickly, calling magicians of light currently visiting the land of dream to capture her. Four in training who dreamt that night heard the staffs call, heeding its solemn words. Forming a wide circle between trees, they attempted to cast a spell forcing the witch’s spirit back to her body, whilst being blown about like rag dolls in the rising storm.
Joined together by a circling beam of light, the novice magicians moved in for the difficult spells final act. Brandice flailed around, pretending to be affected as they decreased the magical ring around her. One made a mistake by rushing in too eagerly, breaking the weak bond. Brandice cackled, blinked, and laughed merrily as each apprentice disappeared back into his own dream. This witch certainly wasn’t going back to her body till she was ready!
Lucy watched very carefully. Brandice kept Lawrence busy dodging magical attacks, using the most amazing acrobatics he’d ever performed. It felt very weird indeed being attacked by such a young, pretty girl.
Having learnt a little about evil magic from Caspar, Lucy knew the unnatural wind was actually evil magic being channelled from Brandice’s time. Gretchen and Sally must be helping her now. Gusts from the very edge of the bubble grew bigger and bigger all the time. Without warning they turned into a roaring tornado that tore down trees in lines wider than fields. A very thin Gretchen and a very fat Sally flew out in a whirl of choking smoke, reuniting the feared Rooksbridge Coven once more.
“Welcome sisters!” Brandice cried, “Come join me one last time!” she screamed, whirling round crazily high in the air. Instantly Lucy sensed Brandice was trying to send them back to 1692 once again, except this time they’d never leave! Things had gotten serious very quickly here. If only Lenora could cut off the coven’s growing power somehow.
Sally Sourbridge eagerly joined Brandice in her mighty whirlwind. Her chubby hand got a good grip, allowing their magic to start to combine. Great pulses of dark energy shot into remaining trees. A few elderly giants groaned and fell flat. Others snapped in two like twigs, sending huge logs and deadly splinters flying across the battlefield.
Then a disturbing moaning pierced the bubble, rattling over the hills, sending chills down the dreamers’ backs and sending the coven into a magical frenzy. For a few moments the two witches almost joined evil spirits, which would have caused an almighty explosion.
Lucy whirled down, planning to distract Gretchen, knowing it would be a total disaster if the entire coven combined. Lawrence and her would be forced to retreat then, and all hope would be lost. All the witches sensed a great power growing inside Lenora. Being a master of illusion herself, Gretchen recognised Lucy first.
“My precious house, you burnt it to cinders!” she screamed, coughing up black soot as proof.
Lucy smiled, replying wisely, “A home is a gift Gretchen, you misused yours.”
“Come together sisters, we can defeat them! This dream world shall be ours!” Brandice roared like a mighty lion.
“Join us Gretchen, we shall wreak revenge together!” Sally bellowed like an angry giant.
But, in a blind rage Gretchen ignored them, releasing her most powerful spell yet with a piercing scream so loud it shook the dream world like a mighty earthquake. Every dreamer in Somerset heard it - many even jolted awake in fear.
Her evil magic was so powerful and so full of hate it pinned Lucy up high against the only surviving tree. Even Lucy’s powerful golden glow struggled to keep her safe from such a vicious blast. Worried Lawrence watched the entire dream bubble turn black, and a thick dark film sweep down the sides, turning bright daylight into black, depressing darkness.
All the battles so far had never been as terrible as this. Lawrence understood he had to act fast. Clearly the Rooksbridge coven were truly crazy and would do anything to win. Faced with such ruthless opponents Lucy and Lawrence couldn’t afford to lose either. But this time Lawrence’s mind stayed blank.
Fortunately Lenora herself spoke weakly within him, only her anxious voice became mixed up and far too faint. “I can’t hear you, speak up!” Lawrence cried urgently.
Gretchen finally stopped screaming and floated over to join the coven. Realising her revenge could wait a little longer, she decided it would prove much more fun torturing the magical cat slowly. Meanwhile Brandice and Sally’s magic blended together further, creating floating walls of ice, gigantic fireballs and twisting portals to evil planes. The slightest touch by any of these would be enough to send their enemies back home or far worse.
Lucy dropped down from the tree, desperate to gather some energy before the evil magic circle became complete. Lenora changed tactics just in time, speaking through Lucy instead. Even then she only got a few stuttering words through.
“You control my staff here, so you control the dreams. Great power has been entrusted to you from afar. Tonight you are The Dream Keeper - think!”
Lawrence finally understood despite the coven’s great power, he had the advantage. Using the staff he could control not only where the fight took place, but with whom and when! All was not lost yet. Lawrence concentrated on remembering scenes of young Brandice seen earlier before she turned evil, with no luck. This wasn’t easy amidst noisy, flickering dark and choking dust. Pictures flicked through his mind so quickly they made him dizzy, so he tried concentrating on a memory of hers that was as early as possible.
Glimpsing her some time later before she’d turned too ugly, Lawrence decided there was no time left, so he’d have to choose that dream. Wild scenes inside the bubble dissolved instantly, restarting at the beginning of his chosen picture. Because the coven hadn’t properly formed then Brandice was alone, but still aggressive, because she was set to attack a small village. Naturally the villagers were terrified. Being simple folk they couldn’t stop her.
“Stop!” Lawrence commanded, “As lawful keeper of the staff I order you to leave this place. You shall never again enjoy the great privilege of visiting the land of dream! Only those whose souls are pure may enter.” Brandice’s spirit scowled evilly, but didn’t dare attempt another confrontation.
“Go!” he said, raising his hand to blot her out of sight. When he lowered it not a single trace of Brandice May remained. Strange magic had awoken the witch, and the powerful staff of dreams had gone.
Lucy appeared by his side. Having changed back to normal, she purred proudly. Lenora’s faint voice drifted over the dissolving countryside. “Excellent - both of you. Now the original dream staff should return to the temple and your dream world will begin repairing itself. Friends, I wish to leave you a gift. Tell old Orthaniel you met me, he will...”
As happens far too often in the land of dreams her words came just a fraction too late, because they awoke sweaty and breathless to the trilling alarm clock.
Understandably it was a very weary Lawrence that trudged down the school corridor one hour later. Mr Davis guessed it had been a very tiring night for the two dreamers, so was content hearing a shortened version of their adventure.
“Excellent once again Lawrence, I knew you could do it. Thank Lucy for me as well; I may not get to see her for a few weeks. I suspected this may have something to do with Brandice, wrongly hoping she’d been dealt with for the time being. It seems we cannot dismiss such evil quite as easily. Brandice has been alive for three hundred years now, which gives her a big advantage when it comes to thinking up evil plans. I don’t think she’s ready to give up on her revenge yet, maybe she never will. We’ll have to have a long think later about how to stop her for good. After all, we cannot have her interfering with your lives much longer. Who knows, one day she may seriously hurt one of you. That’s the last thing we want. I’m afraid I haven’t any idea who Orthaniel is, nor what Lenora’s gift may be. I bet you have fun finding out though!”
Mrs Davis appeared, proudly pushing her twins down the corridor. Lawrence had to leave for class,
so Mr Davis quickly told her the good news.
“Sweet dreams Lawrence!” she called after him with a beautiful smile.
Mrs Davis’s kind words must have helped because Lawrence’s dreams are much sweeter now and improve every night. Some are incredibly bizarre, though always remain fun.
One month later Lawrence caught Lucy staring out the bedroom window longingly, feeling a little sad their latest adventure was over.
“I know Lucy. I wish I could go back there too. It’s such a shame we never got to find out more about the mysterious Dream Keeper,” Lawrence agreed, petting her to sleep.
“Anyway young lady, you and Caspar will have such a lot to do soon - you’re going to have lots of kittens,” he laughed, checking her swollen belly.
That very night Lawrence and Lucy swooped atop the mountain of dreams one last time. Lawrence’s tiny sprig of willow had sprouted into a strong young sapling already, and proudly cast a protective shadow over the mountain. The lively tree must love such magical surroundings.
As the night’s colourful mist cleared it revealed the sacred temple fully repaired in finest marble. Tonight it looked truly magnificent in the hazy blue light. A freshly carved door swung open, showing a very strange creature whose eight spindly legs worked a bizarre machine furiously. So this is what the Dream Keeper actually looked like! He was half the size of Lawrence, so had to sit on a big golden stool to reach the extraordinary amount of odd levers and buttons. Such a peculiar character boasted so many shiny parts it was impossible to count. Still, it was awfully nice seeing him safe and well.
In the centre of the room a tall green staff lay proudly in its stand, pulsing in time with the Keeper’s wild movements. Lucy thought its spirit truly beautiful and knew it sensed them.
Lawrence watched the Keeper working, fascinated by his weird, jerky actions. The faster he worked the more his curved back glowed silver. Sometimes the shine became so intense it shot out across the sky in a brilliant trail of stars. Some lucky dreamer was about to get a very pleasant surprise!
Perhaps the creature sensed them, because he stopped for a moment to glance their way. Lucy loved how his golden eyes sparkled like the midday sun. The mysterious Keeper raised a single arm in salute and gurgled rather weirdly, then they whirled back home.
Since those magical nights our two brave adventurers haven’t been allowed back to the Dream Keeper’s temple, which is probably for the best. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of experiencing white magic agrees the ancient land of dream should always remain ever changing and fun. In order for this to happen, ancient tradition should be allowed to run smoothly, which means leaving our tireless Dream Keeper to weave his strange magic in peace.
But all is not lost - someone out there still thinks fondly of the two friends. For once, on a very special night, when a magical blue moon floated across the starry sky Lawrence and Lucy dreamt visions of utmost happiness. And on that rare night they were allowed to sneak a tiny peek outside their dream bubble, seeing the giant bubble had gone. Other bubbles sprung up everywhere, bouncing around, but always keeping a safe distance from each other.
A bright silver light swooped past, granting fleeting glimpses of a towering mountain, a thriving willow, the flashing gold of a fabulous temple and a dancing green light glowing strongly through the magical mist.