Chapter 28
Magical smoke cleared, leaving Lawrence and Lucy just outside their own sleeping village. It was still very early in the morning, very quiet and confusing, and suspicious shifting mist patches still swept the fields. Lawrence was incredibly fit, yet felt drained like never before, just wanting to sleep. Lucy felt weary too, but glanced back once or twice, thinking deeply. Our tired travellers passed Mr Davis’s house, when he appeared at the front door. He’d been kept up with his hungry twins and was very surprised to see friends out at this late hour.
Lawrence’s tired teacher had just been thinking about the empty parcel mum got last week. Mr Davis had been so busy lately he’d only come up with an answer an hour ago. There wasn’t time to explain about their amazing journey, because he told them to go straight home and double check their magic barriers before going to bed. They ran flat out across the fields to save time. “Remember the Trojan horse Lawrence,” he called through thickening fog.
Back home they found mum missing. Lawrence knew she’d never leave them alone at night, so something serious must have happened.
After frantically searching their house for clues, they ended in the bedroom, looking up at suspiciously dull stars. Lucy caught sight of a dark, morphing shape shifting down the grass. It was Brandice May, meaning the evil witch must have kidnapped mum! In order for her magic to gain a foothold an evil gift had to be freely accepted into their home, which was exactly what had happened. That explained why all magical barriers had failed miserably. This was the worst thing to happen since all this mysterious business started.
Lawrence and Lucy rushed outside, spying crooked footsteps leading down the lawn. Every few steps deeper marks stood out where a lame heel had dragged. Ah, Brandice was finally here in her body again. That was one good sign. She’d been injured somehow as well - they couldn’t afford to lose this chance.
Brandice peered from behind a tree, lighting up weakly. Laughing and cursing, she took off on a wild ride through the dark confusing woods. Only a short time later her deep black robes blended into the murky night. Darn it, they’d lost her! How frustrating. Even Lucy’s keen nose couldn’t pick up her trail.
Lawrence shouted out hopelessly in anger till mum’s weak voice drifted through the trees.
“Lawrence I’m here, help!” But where was she? Her urgent words grew fainter and whirled round inside their heads. Lawrence looked up, seeing Brandice’s weird, shady outline staring down at them. Before they could think she made off at high speed, giggling insanely. The horrible witch treated the nasty experience as some sort of twisted game. This could be an evil trick, but they had no choice other than to follow.
Chasing Brandice’s shadow sent them plunging through deep, swampy water and scrambling over high cliffs that Lawrence never even knew existed. In deep ravines giant boulders rained down on them, but neither gave up. Once she led them into deadly quicksand, disguised as ordinary soil. Luckily Lucy sensed the danger and carved a safe path over, before allowing Lawrence to follow her dainty steps.
Finally, after covering a wide circle they arrived at Brandice’s cottage. Despite the dull, hazy light the terribly old building still looked amazing and very peaceful, till it flashed rhythmically, revealing the true ruins behind.
“I might have guessed she’d head here,” Lawrence said. Lucy chided herself as well. Around the clearing air grew cold, damp and lifeless. Only rumbling storm clouds far away broke the eerie silence. Without warning Brandice grabbed Lawrence from behind, spinning him round against a tree. “This is where it all ends tonight!” she screamed wildly. Before Lucy could help Brandice whisked him into the cottage.
Lucy sprung onto the pulsing windowsill, hearing the evil witch’s angry threats. Mum was in there too, sounding quite unwell – the poor thing. Lucy sneaked a look through a paper thin gap in the rotting curtains. Vicious imps made of oily black fire had pinned Lawrence in a corner, while Brandice ranted crazily in dozens of different voices.
Shuffling over to where her cauldron used to sit, she pretended to stir vigorously. Fire crackled below her, sometimes shooting to the ceiling, where black tongues of flame formed in growing circles. Bigger, twisted shapes dropped silently to the floor, looming over the room. These frightening creatures were much different than imps and far more evil. Lucy shuddered, acting fast.
She’d learnt a weak spell from Caspar, which took power from curiosity. Rather cleverly its real strength came from using a victim’s own magic against them. Lucy drew her claws down the window three times. Only Brandice heard it. Like a hungry fox drawn irresistibly to squeals of a distressed animal, the witch sprung over there, pressing her long slimy nose against the pane. Her ugly face stuck fast and started to wobbling and warping violently into shapes of evil creatures. More she struggled, more she stuck.
Lucy dashed round back, finding the tiny window jammed fast. Brandice had protected it using powerful magic, because it flickered so fast it blurred. Somerset’s last grand witch must have put all her power into this last act of madness. Of course the front door was also barricaded just as tightly.
In a terrible fit of anger Brandice broke free from the trap, forcing Lucy over the gate with a venomous blast. She burst outside, screaming wildly as Lucy rolled over and over. At the tiny gate Brandice became distracted at some strange far off noise, and her garden became enveloped by thick, menacing fog. In the confusion Brandice snuck back into the cottage, barricading herself in again.
Lucy called for urgent help from Jasper and Lenora. Her special collar magnified her thoughts millions of times, though no answer came across the great vastness of time and space. All fell unusually quiet. Time passed incredibly slowly. Where were they? They’d promised to join her by now. Nothing happened for a few long, precious minutes. Then, in the shifting shadows of the trees a strangely shaped face lit up dimly.
“Over here, this is our chance!” Lucy purred quietly. But the figure didn’t move. Lenora may be waiting for Jasper. Because he was a little eccentric, he’d probably gone off track. A massive pile of leaves grew a distance behind Lucy. It bulged outwards, rose up, rustled loudly and two big round eyes lit up, which just stood there staring too.
“Now!” an evil voice croaked viciously.
In a flash Gretchen slid across the forest floor, leaving huge trails of burning debris piled up at the sides. “You called?” she mocked, bending down to slaver right into Lucy’s face. “Others can hear your message as well, fool!”
“Your friends have been held up, so they sent us instead!” Sally bellowed from the other side. Her massive belly heaved leaves up and down as she waddled closer. This was terrible news. With all three members of the Rooksbridge Coven here, things could turn disastrous. Like in the land of dream, the witches would try to unite their power. Lucy acted swiftly, tripping Sally up, feeling ground pound in pain at her great weight. Sally wallowed in the mud like a giant pig, snorting loudly while trying desperately to get up.
Gretchen made a wild grab for Lucy’s collar, leaving her scrabbling in the mud too. Lucy flew high up the nearest tree, jumping down on her. Her jolt of defensive magic sent Gretchen into such a frenzy she almost pinned Sally against a tree using magical snaking rope.
Sally went utterly wild then. Revenge was all that mattered to her now. Snapping a massive branch off with a mighty grunt, she flailed it about very close to Lucy’s head. Sally’s magical touch meant the log learnt from Lucy’s moves. In seconds it grew extra branches to cut off possible escape.
Meanwhile Gretchen set up an invisible trap between trees, which fat Sally herded Lucy towards. Lucy tried her best, but evil spells stopped her climbing trees above head height, and now fiery skulls and fat, bloated imps bore down on her from all directions.
Then an unnatural dullness lit the cottage, sending eerie shafts of green swarming out the chimney. Demonic screaming grew within, bulging the walls like horribly bloated toads.
“Inside sisters!” Brandice s
creamed urgently, stopping their attacks dead. Ignoring Lucy, the witches turned towards the gate. Just what was going on in there?
Just in time Lenora arrived, stepping out a flash of purest white. Her fading body flickered and shone mysteriously, exploding all imps instantly. Gretchen and Sally advanced on her menacingly.
“Leave, now,” Lenora said calmly, standing perfectly still.
“Hardly,” Sally scoffed, swinging her mighty club dangerously and changing it to a wild snarling bush of poisonous thorns.
“Where’s your friend, the stupid old man?” Gretchen cackled confidently. Lenora just shrugged. Yet when the arrogant witch saw through the magician’s clenched fist she winced painfully, shooting a knowing look of terror at Sally.
“Brandice, flee!” she hissed loudly, backing away in fear.
“We will meet again my sister!” Sally coughed, bowing to the cottage. The two witches held hands, disappearing in smelly black mist.
Just then Jasper arrived between. He’d gone to Lawrence’s house first by mistake.
“So sorry we’re late Lucy, we’ve only just returned from the Elder Council. Sometimes I think they talk too much,” he confessed, floating into the clearing.
“Later Jasper, we need to concentrate,” Lenora said, nodding firmly at the flickering cottage.
“Quite right friend. Thinks she can keep me out does she? I practised for these days for centuries. Well, there’s only one way to make sure this time.” Jasper glanced up at the night sky, watching it clear slowly. Noting the position of the moon and stars he raised his hands high, almost like trying to touch them. The wily fellow pointed at the cottage roof once, silently mouthing a powerful magical mantra.
Something ancient stirred far off in the forest. Instantly it felt as if trees, air, plants - the whole countryside answered. Tremendous whooshes of hot air shot into the clearing, sucking the four elements into a weird column of dancing leaves. Powerful hums built quickly within, exploding outwards across the countryside. Instantly the tense atmosphere in the clearing froze, becoming so quiet and still even Lenora wasn’t sure what to think. “Jasper?” she whispered, raising her eyebrows high.
Jasper didn’t answer – his whirring mind was far away, listening carefully. The old magician smiled just before ground quaked and groaned. Inside the clearing sections of earth rose and fell, feeling looser beneath their feet. Small erupting pits of soil appeared, sending dust bubbles high into the air, drawing their gaze upwards where tiny specks of fizzing light rushed across the sky, lighting the moon an eerie yellow. Shapes strewn across its surface looked like shadowy outlines of strange new countries. Soon the whole sky was alight with magical moonbeams and dancing streaks of colour. Folk way off in the village saw the amazing sight too, thinking them unusually bright shooting stars.
“How!?” Lucy asked, in awe at the talented magician’s great power.
“Every world has at least one guardian spirit asleep far beneath the earth, till it’s truly needed.”
“So you woke it up?” Lucy said, very impressed.
“No, that was simply yours stirring in her dreams,” Jasper said, watching trails of light rain down on the trees, setting the roofs thatch on fire and forming a sparkling circle round the clearing. Hundreds of tiny dots of black shot out from within the cottage, trying uselessly to smother it.
“Fooled her! See, her foolish imps have sacrificed themselves,” Jasper cried, watching them burst apart. At exactly the same time the door disintegrated.
“Out!” Jasper commanded. Immediately a wriggling and very angry Brandice burst out, tethered to an invisible line binding her hands fast. “Fiends! Release me!” she shrieked, spinning round like a top and kicking out wildly. At the flashing gate invisible chains bound her legs tightly as well.
“In good time Miss May, you have terrible crimes to atone for,” Lenora said firmly, opening her hands slowly to reveal a tiny pulsing crystal. It shot into the air, spinning round till it became naught but a blur.
“What...what are you going to do?” Brandice croaked, trembling. Her precious cottage lay in ruins again. For the first time in four centuries the mighty Brandice May had been trussed up, stripped of evil magic and felt truly scared.
Because tonight had drained him Lawrence still felt very tired and weak. He’d only just managed to carry mum outside so far, leaving Lucy to decide Brandice’s fate.
“Lucy, we grant you the final decision. Her evil mind has affected your family the most, so it’s only fair,” Lenora said wisely.
Lucy voted eagerly for plan b. Jasper thought it an excellent idea, admitting he expected no less from such a gifted spirit so full of life. Lenora nodded, smiling happily. “Lucy, in terms of kindness, I shall always predict your choice.”
“Lawrence, now you’ve used your gift I can tell you it can only be used once a year. Though each time it will do something entirely different,” Jasper explained.
“Good luck you two!” Lenora cried happily.
“Goodbye friends,” Jasper smiled. Three figures faded into the background. Jasper and Lenora were gone, perhaps forever.
Not one of the tired family remembered making their way to the forest edges. Still, it was another thirty long minutes before they arrived home. Lawrence and Lucy made sure to tuck mum up safely in bed.
“Lawrence, you must tell me at once if anything like this happens again, promise. A mother’s job is to help keep her family safe you know.”
“Don’t worry mum, Brandice has gone for good, and Gretchen and Sally won’t dare attack us now.”
“Goodnight you two,” she gasped faintly, falling fast asleep. Lawrence and Lucy felt exactly the same, so went to bed too.
Lawrence knew he’d eventually find out what happened to Brandice. For now he was happy to watch Lucy sleep. From her contented purrs he guessed his kind friend had made an excellent choice. Lawrence was right – Lucy was asleep far away, imagining the secret place her friends spoke so highly of. She felt glad knowing that -
Far across the bounds of time and space, further than the land of dream and further still beyond the world of light and shadow, lies the beautiful magical land of Ib. Floating in the centre of a vast and timeless ocean of mystical energy sits an isle of such great beauty and splendour, the blessed few who first heard tell thought it fable.
Waves of energy nudge each other playfully, eager to be first to scale her gold dusted beaches, sparkling water scrambles up her talkative trees, and magical winds carve wispy trails between her cloud topped mountains. Even the sun and moon strive to linger longer amongst the mysterious atmosphere and peer down in wonder at her endless beauty.
This unique isle’s inhabitants known as Assai, are truly ancient creatures. Most probably these spirits were the very first to inhabit Ib countless aeons ago. Once thought common long before the Elder Council formed in earth’s galaxy, these first true mystics taught earth sages much through the wonderful gift of telepathy. Now long in retirement, only a lucky few glimpse a spirit of the noble Assai during ancient festivals, in rare, enchanting dreams or powerful magical visions.
Rumoured to be particularly kind, tremendously gifted and extremely generous to those deemed worthy, these spirits use their infinite knowledge wisely; sending out warm spiritual waves to pierce the cosmos, so those without may glimpse a fraction of their learning.
Because the Assai pass teaching in secret to but a chosen few, few truly know of their existence. Therefore fewer still know that on their heavenly island paradise there lies another. Sheltered from the rest, yet no less beautiful, this small, delicate isle floats quietly in the centre of a sparkling lake. Built of pure thoughts, it was once used by the wise and graceful Assai as a place of relaxation and learning. However, these enlightened spirits have no real need for it now, having learnt much of life and magic travelling the cosmos, communing with spirits of the universe and talking with the Gods.
And so now there dwells a pretty young girl, living in perfec
t bliss with her very elderly father. She suspects not that ancient magic far older than any mountains holds her there, for it is an exact copy of a world she left long ago. Of dark magic, revenge and previous lives she remembers naught, for her days are full of fun, friendship and spent casting spells to heal, teach and nurture.
When darkness falls, wonders of the day fade, allowing magic of the night to hold sway. Ghostly streams of energy flash through the meadows, shooting past homes, renewing the countryside and dancing gracefully amongst the trees. While villagers sleep peacefully, other stranger magic flits among them too, as the young magician’s joy still runs freely. For in her enchanting dreams she roams their thoughts, creating powerful visions of light, of good, and of selflessness.
And in the time that others truly sleep, this fledgling angel plans great deeds for the future. During these brief moments of blissful calm she yearns for the blessèd morn, when trees bow in greeting and the whole world laughs, dances and plays under a golden and magical sun.
END
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The Phantom of Pilberry Place
Into The Light
Sir Ian Peters
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