even help?
Field trip! Seth cried.
Grandma eyed them lovingly. You kids are growing up
so fast, she sighed.
The Forgotten Chapel
As the sun hesitated above the horizon, Kendra stared
out the side of the wagon, watching the trees streak
past. She remembered staring at trees out the window of
the SUV on the way to the preserve with her parents. This
ride was much noisier, bumpier, and windier. And the destination
was much more intimidating.
Hugo pulled the oversized rickshaw. Kendra doubted
that a team of horses could have matched the tireless speed
of his loping strides.
They reached an open area, and Kendra saw the tall
hedge that surrounded the pond with the gazebo boardwalk.
Strange to think that Lena had once lived there as a
naiad.
Before they had boarded the wagon, Grandma had
commanded Hugo to obey any instructions from Kendra
and Seth. She told Kendra and Seth that if things went
wrong, they should make a hasty retreat with Hugo. She
also cautioned them to be careful what they told Hugo to
do. Since he had no will of his own, the punishments for
his actions would fall upon the heads of those issuing the
orders.
Grandma had changed out of her bathrobe. She was
now dressed in faded jeans, work boots, and a green top ——
clothing scavenged from the attic. Seth had taken great
satisfaction in her choice of a green shirt.
Seth clutched a leather pouch. Grandma had explained
it was full of special dust that would keep undesirable creatures
away from them. She told Seth he could use it in the
same way he had used the salt in the bedroom. She also
warned him to use it only as a last resort. Any magic they
used would only lead to less tolerable retribution if they
failed. She had a pouch of the dust as well.
Kendra was empty-handed. Since she had not yet used
magic, Grandma said it would be a mistake for her to start
now. Apparently the protections of the treaty were quite
strong for those who totally abstained from magic and
mischief.
The wagon jolted over a particularly rough spot. Seth
caught hold of the side to avoid falling. He looked over his
shoulder and smiled. We’re hauling!
Kendra wished she could be so obliviously calm about
the whole thing. She was getting a sick feeling in her
stomach. It reminded her of the first time she had to sing a
solo in a school play. Fourth grade. She had always done
fine in the practices, but when she peeked out past the curtains
at the audience, a queasy feeling began brooding in
her belly, until she became certain that she would throw
up. At her cue, she walked out onto the bright stage, peering
into the dim crowd, unable to find her parents in the
throng. Her intro was playing, the moment arrived, and, as
she started singing, the fear dissipated and the nausea
vanished.
Would it be the same today? Was the anticipation
worse than the event itself? At least once they got there,
reality would replace uncertainty and they would be able
to do something, to act. All she could do at present was
worry.
How far away was this crazy church? Grandma said it
wouldn’t take Hugo much more than fifteen minutes, since
there was a decent road all the way. Although she kept an
eye out for unicorns, Kendra saw no fanciful creatures.
Everything was hiding.
The sun dipped below the horizon. Grandma was
pointing. Up ahead, in the middle of a clearing, sat an old
fashioned church house. It was a boxy structure with a row
of large windows fanged with broken glass and a single
cupola that probably contained a bell. The roof sagged.
The wooden walls were gray and splintered. There was no
guessing what the original color might have been. A short
flight of warped steps led up to an empty doorway, where
double doors had once granted access. It looked like a perfect
lair for bats and zombies.
Hugo slackened his pace, and they came to a stop in
front of the shadowy doorway. The church was completely
still. There was no sign anybody had been there in a hundred
years.
I’d rather have the sun, but at least we still have some
light, Grandma said, using a tool to set the silver-headed
arrow to the string of her undersized crossbow and pull it
into position. Let’s get this over with as soon as we can.
Evil likes darkness.
Why is that? Seth asked.
Grandma thought about the question a moment before
answering. Because evil likes to hide.
Kendra did not appreciate the tingles she got when
Grandma said that. Why don’t we talk about happy
things? she suggested as they climbed down from the
wagon.
Because we’re hunting witches and monsters, Seth
said.
Kendra’s right, Grandma said. It does us no good to
dwell on dark thoughts. But we do want to be on the road
and away from here before the twilight is gone.
I still say we should have brought some shotguns,
Seth said.
Hugo! Grandma said. Lead the way quietly into the
basement. Protect us from harm, but do not kill.
Kendra felt comforted just looking at the hulking
goliath of earth and stone. With Hugo as their champion,
she could not picture anything giving them much trouble.
The steps groaned beneath Hugo as he climbed them.
Stepping gingerly, he ducked through the large doorway. The
others followed, staying close to their massive bodyguard.
Grandma draped a red scarf over the crossbow, apparently to
conceal it.
Please let Muriel not be here, Kendra prayed silently.
Please let us just find Grandpa and Lena and nothing else!
The inside of the church was even gloomier than the
exterior. The decaying pews had been smashed and overturned,
the pulpit at the front had been thrown down, and
the walls were graffitied with maroon scrawlings.
Spiderwebs festooned the rafters like gossamer banners.
Amber light from the sunset found entry through the windows
and some irregular holes in the roof, but not enough
to dispel the murkiness. There was no token indicating
that this had once been a house of worship. It was just a
big, dilapidated, vacant room.
The floorboards creaked as Hugo tiptoed toward a door
on the far side of the chapel. Kendra found herself worrying
that the floor would give way and Hugo would take an
abrupt shortcut to the basement. He had to weigh a thousand
pounds.
Hugo eased the corroded door open. Since the doorway
was of a normal size, he had to crouch and twist in order to
squeeze through.
Everything will be fine, Grandma said, placing a
bracing hand on Kendra’s shoulder. Stay behind me.
The stairs wound down and ended at a doorway without
a door. Light poure
d through into the stairwell. Peering
around Hugo as he contorted to pass through the doorway,
Kendra glimpsed that they were not alone. As she followed
Grandma Sorenson into the spacious basement, the implications
of the scene began to register.
The room was cheerfully illuminated by no fewer than
two dozen bright lanterns. It had a high ceiling and sparse
furnishings. Grandpa Sorenson and Lena were each shackled
spread-eagle to the wall.
A peculiar figure stood in front of Grandpa and Lena.
Fashioned entirely of smooth, dark wood, it looked like a
primitive puppet not much shorter than Grandpa. Instead
of proper joints, the wooden parts were connected by
golden hooks at the wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, ankles,
knees, hips, waist, and knuckles. The head made Kendra
think of a wooden hockey mask, though that was not quite
right, because it was cruder and simpler. The unusual mannequin
was dancing a little jig, arms swaying, feet tapping
and shuffling, gazing toward the far end of the basement.
Is that her limberjack? Seth asked quietly.
Of course! It was Muriel’s creepy dancing puppet, only
much bigger, and no longer guided by a rod in its back!
At the far side of the basement was a large alcove. It
looked like someone had torn down some planks to access
the niche. A net of knotted ropes crisscrossed the alcove,
preventing a view inside the dismal recess. A dark form
loomed beyond the ropes. A tall, beautiful woman with a
lustrous cascade of honey-blonde hair stood beside the
recess blowing on one of the many knots. She wore a spectacular
azure gown that emphasized her seductive figure.
The striking woman was surrounded by what looked
like human-sized versions of the imps Kendra had seen in
Muriel’s shack. They were all facing the alcove, staring at
the ground. They ranged from five to six feet tall. Some
were fat, some were thin, a few were muscular. Some had
crooked backs, or humps, or horns, or antlers, or bulging
cysts, or tails. A couple were missing a limb or an ear. All
had scars. All had weathered, leathery skin and nubs
instead of wings. At the feet of the human-sized imps were
a multitude of the tiny, fairy-sized versions.
The air shimmered. A pair of black wings made of
smoke and shadow unfurled from the alcove. Kendra experienced
the sense of vertigo that had overwhelmed her
when they were changing Grandma back from being a hen.
It seemed like the alcove was growing more distant, like
she was looking at it through the wrong end of a telescope.
A burst of darkness momentarily eclipsed the steady luminance
of the lanterns, and suddenly, in the midst of where
all the imps were focusing their attention, a new human-sized
imp sprouted up.
Kendra covered her mouth with both hands. The beautiful
woman had to be Muriel. Bahumat was imprisoned by
a web of knotted ropes, similar to the rope that had trapped
her, and she was using wishes to increase the size of her
imps, gradually freeing the demon in the process!
Hugo, Grandma said softly. Incapacitate the imps
and capture Muriel, on the double.
Hugo charged forward.
An imp turned and let out a disgusting yowl, and others
spun to face the intruders, revealing cruel, devilish faces.
The gorgeous blonde turned, eyes widening in surprise.
Seize them! she shouted.
There were more than twenty of the big imps, and ten
times that many small ones. Led by the biggest and most
muscular of the lot, they rushed at Hugo, a motley mob of
wiry fiends.
Hugo met them in the center of the room. With fluid
precision, he snatched the leader by the waist with one
hand, seizing both feet with the other, and twisted briskly
in opposite directions. Hugo tossed the howling leader
aside as the others descended on him.
Fists flailing like battering rams, Hugo sent imps sailing
in wild cartwheels. They swarmed, making agile leaps to
land on his shoulders and scratch at his head. But Hugo
just kept twirling and twisting and heaving, a violent ballet
that sent as many imps as pounced on him careening across
the basement.
Some of the imps nimbly dodged around him to sprint
toward Grandma and Kendra and Seth. Hugo whirled and
charged after them, grabbing a pair of them by the knees
and then wielding them like clubs to swat others away.
The resilience of the imps was impressive. Hugo would
fling one into the wall, and the tenacious creature would
stumble to its feet and wade back in for more. Even the
burly leader was still in the fray, staggering awkwardly on
mangled legs.
Looking beyond the tumult, Kendra noticed Muriel
blowing on a knot. Grandma, she’s up to something.
Hugo, Grandma cried. Leave the imps to us and go
capture Muriel.
Hugo hurled the imp he was holding. The whining
creature skimmed the ceiling the entire distance to the
wall, where it impacted with a revolting crunch. Then the
golem dashed at Muriel.
Mendigo, protect me! Muriel squealed. The wooden
man, who still danced near Grandpa and Lena, sprinted to
intercept Hugo.
Free from the indomitable onslaught of the golem, the
injured imps converged on Grandma, who placed herself in
Grandma swung it so that it scattered a twinkling cloud of
dust. As the imps reached the cloud, electricity crackled,
hurling them back. A few lunged into the cloud, trying to
force their way through it, but electricity flared brighter
and sent them tumbling. Grandma spread more dust in the
air.
Great dark wings were spreading out from the alcove.
The air undulated. Kendra felt like she was viewing the
basement from far away, through a narrow tunnel.
Hugo had almost reached Muriel. The overgrown limberjack
dived at the golem’s feet, using both arms and legs
to entangle Hugo’s ankles. The golem toppled forward.
Hugo kicked free of Mendigo, sending the wooden puppet
skidding across the floor, then rose to his knees and
reached for Muriel. His outstretched hands were inches
from taking hold of her when a thunderclap shook the
basement, accompanied by a brief moment of blackness.
The massive golem crumbled into a pile of rubble.
Muriel brayed in triumph, eyes crazed, delirious at having
so narrowly avoided Hugo’s clutches. Off to one side of
the room, Mendigo sat up. The puppet had lost an arm at
the shoulder. He picked up the limb and reattached it.
Muriel’s eyes sharpened as she sensed certain victory.
Bring them all to me, she trumpeted.
A red scarf fluttered to the floor. Grandma Sorenson
raised the crossbow in one hand while scattering the last of
the contents of her pouch with the other. She discarded
the pouch and stepped forw
ard into the glittering dust
cloud, gripping the crossbow in both hands.
The arrow took flight. Mendigo sprang, desperately trying
to block the dart, but Hugo had knocked the puppet
too far away. Muriel shrieked and toppled back against the
net of knotted ropes, a manicured hand covering the front
of her shoulder. She rebounded forward, falling to her
knees, panting, still clutching her shoulder, black feathers
protruding between her slender fingers. You will pay for
that sting! she screamed.
Run! Grandma Sorenson shouted to the children.
Too late. Eyes closed, lips moving soundlessly, Muriel
stretched forth a bloody hand, and a gust of wind stripped
away the sparkling dust. The injured imps rushed in, seizing
Grandma Sorenson roughly.
Seth sprang forward, throwing a handful of dust over
Grandma and the imps. Lightning crackled and the imps
stumbled away.
Mendigo, bring me the boy! Muriel called.
The wooden servant charged toward Seth, racing on all
fours. The imps had fanned out, several clustering near the
door to prevent escape. Seth flung dust as Mendigo leaped.
The electric cloud repelled the puppet. At the same time,
an imp darted in from behind, knocking the pouch from
Seth’s grasp with a chopping motion.
The tall imp twisted Seth around, grabbed his upper
arms, and hoisted him into the air so they were staring eye
to eye. The imp hissed, mouth open, black tongue dangling
grotesquely.
Hey, Seth said, recognition dawning. You’re the fairy
I caught!
The imp draped Seth over its shoulder and ran toward
Muriel. Another imp seized Grandma to bring her to the
witch.
Kendra stood frozen with terror. Imps surrounded her.
Escape was impossible. Hugo had been reduced to a pile of
debris. Grandma had missed with the arrow, wounding but
not killing Muriel. Seth had done his best, but he and
Grandma had been captured. There was no more defense.
No more tricks. Nothing between Kendra and whatever
horrors Muriel and her imps wished to inflict.
Except that the imps were not taking hold of her. They
stood all around her, yet they seemed unable to reach out
their hands and grab her. They would lift their arms part of
the way and then stop, as if their limbs refused to obey.
Mendigo, bring me the girl, Muriel commanded.
Mendigo shouldered through the imps. His hand