Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve (3 page)

I
t was cooler outside now. Daylight was fading quickly. The wind had picked up.

“A grand adventure for us, eh?” said Teddy.

“Yes!” said Annie.

Jack was excited, too, but he had lots of questions. As Teddy started off through the oak forest, Jack hurried to keep up.

“What do you think our mission
is
exactly?” he asked.

“Merlin said we should bring order to the castle,” said Annie.

“Perhaps he wants us to mop the floors and wash the dishes,” Teddy joked.

“And make the beds!” said Annie. She and Teddy laughed.

“Our mission has to be harder than just doing chores,” said Jack. “What about the tunnel of fear?”

“Oh, you need not be afraid of fear,” said Teddy. “I know magic, remember?”

“Teddy, did you know any magic before you met Morgan and Merlin?” asked Annie.

“Ah, indeed. My father was a sorcerer,” Teddy said. “And my mother was a wood sprite from the Otherworld.”

“That is so cool,” said Annie.

They crunched through piles of dead leaves. A gust of wind shook the tree branches. Golden oak leaves spun to the ground.

Jack's thoughts were spinning, too. Merlin in the heart of the oak, sorcerers, wood sprites— none of these things would ever make sense back in Frog Creek.

At last Teddy led them out of the forest and into a clearing. “Halt!” he said.

They all stopped walking. Beyond the clearing was a small village of thatched-roof cottages. The cottage windows twinkled with candlelight. Chimney smoke rose into the dusky sky.

Teddy held up his lantern. “Onward!” he said.

They went down a dirt path that passed through the village. Several children in ragged clothes peeked out their front doors.

“Greetings!” called Teddy. “Can you tell us how to get to the castle of the duke?”

“The castle?” a boy said in a frightened voice. “'Tis just beyond the wood!” He pointed at a forest on the other side of the village. “Follow the path and you'll come to it!”

“Oh, but you mustn't go there!” a girl cried.

“Why not?” asked Annie.

“Something's been very wrong at the castle,” said the girl. “Ever since the ravens came!”

“Has anyone been there to see what's going on?” asked Jack.

“Only old Maggie, who used to work there,” said the girl. “Two weeks ago, she went to the castle as usual. But she came running back, scared out of her wits.”

“Maggie says the castle is all haunted with ghosts,” said a boy. “She keeps repeating the same rhyme over and over.”

“Ghosts?”
said Jack. His mouth felt dry.

But Teddy just laughed. “Ghosts don't scare me!” he said.

“Have you ever seen one, Teddy?” asked Annie.

“No! But I should like to!” Teddy said with a grin.

“Look!” One of the girls pointed at the sky. “The ravens are back!”

A flock of large black birds was flying low in the dark gray sky. The village kids screamed. Several grown-ups rushed out of their cottages.

“Go away!” a woman yelled at the ravens. She picked up a handful of stones and began throwing them at the birds. “Leave us alone!”

“Stop! Stop!” cried Annie. “You'll hurt them!”

A stone struck one of the ravens. It fell to the ground.

“Oh, no!” cried Annie.

The grown-ups pulled their children inside. Doors slammed and shutters closed.

Annie dashed to the fallen bird and knelt beside it.

Jack and Teddy hurried over to Annie and the fallen bird. The bird was crouching, slightly
spreading its wings. Its head was bowed as it made low, squeaking sounds. One of its tail feathers was bent.

“COO-COO!” Teddy said loudly. He looked at Jack. “I once journeyed to the Isle of Birds to study their language,” he said. “I learned a bit of Dove, but no Raven.”

“Don't worry,” said Jack. “Annie talks to birds and animals in her own language.”

“I'm sorry for what they did to you,” Annie said softly to the raven. She stroked its silky black head. “What's your name?”

“ROK,” the raven croaked.

“Rok? Your name is Rok?” said Annie.

“ROK! ROK!” croaked the raven.

“See, I told you,” Jack said to Teddy.

“Rok, they were afraid of you for some reason,” Annie said.

Rok made soft, bell-like sounds: “CRONG? CRONG?”

“Yes, that's why they knocked you out of the sky,” said Annie. “One of your tail feathers is bent. But your wings don't seem hurt.”

Rok fluttered his long black wings. He took a few feeble steps.

“Go on, Rok,” Annie coaxed. “You can do it.”

The raven flapped his wings again. “QUORK!” he croaked.

He lifted off the ground.

“Great!” said Annie, clapping.

Rok flapped his wings. He glided up into the twilight. He swooped with ease back down to Annie. “CAW! CAW!” he called, as if thanking her.

“Be careful, Rok!” Annie shouted.

They all waved as the raven sailed off into the sky.

Annie smiled at Jack and Teddy. “He was really nice,” she said.

“Indeed he was,” said Teddy. “I think your gentle words were healing to him.”

“I wonder why the people here are so afraid of ravens,” said Annie.

“Yeah,” said Jack. “And what was that stuff about ghosts?”

“Ghosts?” said Teddy. He smiled. “You needn't fear ghosts if you're with me.”

Jack shrugged. “I'm not really afraid,” he said.

“Not afraid?” said a feeble voice.

Jack, Annie, and Teddy whirled around.

An old woman stood in the dark doorway of a cottage. She leaned forward. In a cracked voice, she said:

Where is the girl
who spins wool into thread?
Where are the boys
who play chess before bed?
Where is the hound
who waits to be fed?

The old woman stared at them with a fearful look in her eyes. Then she stepped back into her cottage and closed her door.

A shiver went up Jack's spine. “That was strange,” he said.

“She must have been old Maggie, who worked at the castle,” said Annie. “I wonder what she was talking about.”

“I don't know,” said Teddy. Then he grinned. “But she was good at rhyming, eh?”

Jack nodded. “Indeed she was,” he said softly.

“Let's hurry along!” said Teddy. “Night comes fast upon us!”

Leaving the cottages behind, the three hurried on in the gathering dark. They left the village and followed the path through the woods.

Teddy held up his lantern to light their way. The wind blew the branches of the trees, making them whisper in the chilly autumn night.

When they finally came out of the woods, they all gasped in wonder.

“Oh, man,” said Jack.

Towering before them in the moonlight were the walls of a huge stone castle.

Demo version limitation

“A
HHH
!” yelled Teddy.

“
AHHH
!” yelled Jack.

“
AHHH
!” yelled Annie.

Still screaming, they all ran toward the door. The bone came after them.

Teddy led the way as they tore through the archway and scrambled up the winding staircase.

Jack looked behind them.

“It's still coming!” he shrieked.

“
AHHH
!” they all screamed again.

On the next landing, Teddy charged into a nearby room.

“Make haste!” he yelled.

He pulled Jack and Annie into the room and slammed the door behind them. Out of breath, they all leaned against the door, panting and trembling.

“Safe—” Teddy gasped. “Safe from the bone!” Then he started laughing.

Jack laughed, too. He laughed out of sheer terror. He couldn't stop.

“Listen, guys! Listen!” said Annie. “I hear a noise!”

Teddy stopped laughing. Jack clapped his hand over his mouth. He listened. He heard a faint clicking sound, but he couldn't see anything.

Teddy used the fire from his lantern to light torches near the door. Then they all looked about.

“Looks like a nursery,” said Teddy.

The torchlight showed a kids' room. The room had three small beds. Wooden toys were scattered across the floor. A long white curtain fluttered from an open window.

The clicking noise seemed to be coming from a dark corner.

“What
is
that?” whispered Annie. She started toward the noise.

Jack and Teddy followed her. Teddy held up his lantern. His light shone on a child-sized spinning wheel. It sat in the corner near a basket of wool and a tall, dusty mirror.

The spinning wheel was spinning thread. But no one was touching it.
It was spinning all by itself.

“Look!” whispered Annie.

She pointed to a low table near the spinning wheel. On the table was a chessboard. Large wooden chess pieces sat on the squares of the board.

But some of the pieces weren't just sitting!

As Jack, Annie, and Teddy watched, a horse piece slid slowly from one square to another. Then a queen piece did the same!

“Yikes!” said Annie.

“Ghosts!” said Teddy.

“Let's get out of here!” said Jack.