by K E O'Connor
She waved a hand in the air. “There are always interesting things going on in the house. It’s almost six-hundred years old, so it’s bound to pick up a few misbehaving spirits from time to time. But nothing like this. And the house was built on an old burial site, which stimulates the spirits during particular phases of the moon.”
Nugget shuddered. “This is going to be a nightmare. I can sense it.”
Ursa glared at him.
I hurried on, sensing these two would never get along. “The place has been haunted for as long as you’ve lived there?”
“It has. The family records show ghosts make a regular appearance. But we know not to be afraid of such things.”
“So why does this new arrival bother you?”
“This entity is different. It feels evil. Every time I sense his presence, I get cold and feel unwell. I weaken and get the shivers.”
“That’s because you’re living in a draughty house,” Nugget muttered.
“I could do with a few more draft excluders tucked at the base of my doors. If you’re a willing volunteer, I’ll turn you into a new furry draft excluder.” Ursa reached for Nugget, her eyes glinting with malice.
He dodged out of her reach and hissed a warning.
“Hey! No threatening my familiars, or we won’t help you,” I said.
Nugget flicked his tail, his fur fluffed out and his gaze fixed on Ursa.
She smirked as her gaze traveled from Nugget, to Hilda, and finally to Russell. “You have three familiars. How did that come about?”
“I inherited them from Magda. They came with the house, and I now own it, so we adopted each other.”
“It’s most unusual for a witch to have so many familiars. It suggests you have great power. I’m not so sure myself.” Ursa leaned closer and sniffed me. “There’s something unpleasant exuding from you. It’s possibly a whiff of the darkness you let in.”
I resisted the urge to sniff test my armpits. I knew how twisted my past was, but I didn’t think it made me stink.
We walked along in silence for a few minutes. Was it a coincidence Ursa’s troubles started only two days ago? That was when I’d chased the ghost out of Luna’s apartment. I’d hoped I’d banished it, but perhaps all I’d done was enrage it. Maybe it was now setting its sights on other villagers.
I glanced at Ursa. It must be one heck of a powerful ghost to think it could go up against her and win.
“Follow me along the garden path. And don’t annoy the gnomes. They hate strangers.” Ursa pushed open a creaking set of black gates and marched in ahead of us.
Hilda clung tightly to my left shoulder, while Russell rested on the other one. Nugget stayed close to my ankles as we hurried along a path which was overgrown with looming oak trees.
“There’s something watching us,” Hilda whispered. “Over to the left.”
“It’s probably just a gnome,” I said.
“Its eyes are glowing,” Hilda said.
Russell squawked and flapped his wings.
“Calm down, everyone. So long as we stay close to Ursa, we’ll be fine. She’ll keep her killer gnomes away from us.” At least, I hoped she would.
We emerged from the trees to find ourselves outside Gravesend Manor. There were no lights on in the house, despite it being late, and the front door squeaked open and closed on hinges that sounded like they needed a good oiling.
“Do you always leave your front door unlocked?” I said.
“Of course. Apart from your cat, who’d be foolish enough to try to break in and take anything from me?”
Something hard whacked me on the calf, and I yelped. I turned around to find a small stone axe by my foot. I picked it up and examined it.
“Give that to me,” Ursa said. “It’s just my garden guardians making sure you’re not here to cause trouble.”
“You mean the killer gnomes,” Nugget said.
“They only kill when they’re provoked or threatened, or it’s a full moon.” Ursa hunted in the bushes for a moment, before leaning in and pulling something out. She held up a small grubby stone gnome with a chipped red conical hat. His expression was contorted into one of rage, and one fist was curled and pointed in my direction.
“Thank you for your service, Digger. Indigo and her familiars are my guests. They’re here to deal with the ghost problem. No attacking them until I give the word.”
“Which you won’t be giving, I hope,” I said.
Ursa gave the gnome his stone axe, before setting him back on the ground. “Providing you get rid of this ghost, then we’ll have no problems.”
That was hardly reassuring. “I make no guarantees. I have no idea what we’re dealing with.”
There was a rumble of thunder overhead.
“It’s not supposed to storm tonight, is it?” Nugget said.
“I’m just displeased with you,” Ursa said. “Come inside before you get struck by lightning.”
“Ursa caused that thunder?” Hilda whispered.
“It seems I’m not the only witch around here who knows how to manipulate the elements,” I muttered. “We need to keep on Ursa’s good side.”
“No, what we need to do is make a run for it while we can,” Nugget said. “What’s to say she’s not going to get us inside that creepy house and then bury us in the basement? Or give us to the gnomes at the next full moon?”
“If she buries us in the basement, you’d dig yourself out and get revenge for us all, like a good familiar should,” I said.
“It depends what mood I’m in when I resurrect. I might leave you all there to rot and claim Magda’s house as my own.”
I wouldn’t put it past Nugget to do just that, especially since I’d been feeding him value store cat food recently, which he hated.
“Come along. No dawdling.” Ursa pushed open the front door and headed into a wide, dark wood paneled hallway.
I took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. It was cold inside the house. Colder than outside. My breath fogged as I breathed out.
“Is it usually this chilly in here?”
“I like to keep things cool. It helps me have a clear head. But since the ghost arrived, things have become a little too cold for my liking,” Ursa said.
I hurried past numerous large oil paintings of stern-faced family members and followed Ursa up the creaking wooden staircase to the second floor.
“The eyes on that painting just moved,” Nugget said. “It’s watching us.”
I glanced at the painting of a bald man wearing a velvet suit and a red silk cravat. “It’s probably just an artist’s trick.” I jumped as the eyes darted to me. “Or maybe not. Let’s not hang around to find out if this painting is possessed.”
“This whole house feels like it needs cleansing,” Hilda said. “That could be the problem. There are too many negative energies in here and it’s built up, and manifested into something cold and ill-spirited.”
“An exorcism, a deep clean, and some modern furniture. That would fix the problems in this cob-webbed filled nightmare,” Nugget said.
“Where do you feel the ghost energy the strongest?” I said to Ursa.
“It’s been appearing in my bedroom, but I’ve had experiences in several other rooms. Most recently, in my collection room. That’s where it lingers the most. I’ve had several unpleasant experiences in that space.”
“What do you collect?” I said.
“Porcelain dolls.”
I grimaced and shuddered. Of course, Ursa had to have a room full of dolls skulking about in the shadows and waiting for a chance to creep up on me.
“You’d better show me that room. We’ll start there and see how we get on.”
Something black darted out of the shadows in front of me and launched itself into the room to my right.
I stumbled back as a whiff of decay filled my nose. “Have you got a cat?”
“No. There are no cats living here.”
“I just saw something run past. It looked a
lot like a cat.”
“Oh, it could be one of the ghost cats. Once they move in here, they never want to leave, even when they’re dead. Follow me. My collection room is up ahead, on the right.”
I dashed after Ursa and waited as she pulled a small key out of her pocket and unlocked the collection room door.
She turned to me. “You must be careful in this room. I’ve grown this collection over decades, and some of the dolls have been handed down from family members. They hold great sentimental value and are also worth a lot of money. Only touch one if you absolutely have to. And ask permission before moving anything. There are cotton gloves inside you must wear if you handle the dolls. I don’t want you to leave your skin grease on my angels.”
“Understood. Don’t touch the creepy dolls.”
Ursa’s top lip curled. “And show some respect. This collection is one-of-a-kind.” She pushed open the door.
I stepped inside, and my jaw dropped. Multiple rows of shelving covered the walls, and every space was crammed full with dolls. “There must be at least five hundred dolls in here.”
“Six hundred and two,” Ursa said proudly.
“And they’re all staring at us,” Hilda whispered. “We could still make a run for it.”
Nugget strutted into the room. “I’m not afraid of these ugly, haunted dolls. What’s the worst they can do to me?”
“Capture you, strap a saddle on your back, and ride you around until you collapse with exhaustion?” I said. “Skin you, eat you, and then stuff what’s left of you and use it as a toy. Or—”
Ursa tutted. “My dolls don’t misbehave. Or they didn’t until two days ago.”
“They’re only dolls,” Nugget said. “Look at the size of you compared to them. What does it matter if they misbehave?”
“They may be small, but they’re mighty in number,” Ursa said. “Never underestimate my marvelous dolls.” She stroked the hair of a redhead porcelain doll, whose expression suggested she wanted to commit evil at the earliest opportunity.
I studied the mass of angry, bitter faces and took a step back. “You need to get someone else to look at this. I’m not all that into dolls. And if one of them is possessed, it could be too much for me to handle. I’ve never dealt with a possessed toy before.”
“These aren’t toys. These are treasures,” Ursa said.
“Even so, someone who doesn’t get the chills just looking at them would be better equipped to help you. Who else have you spoken to about your doll issue?”
“Given your dark leanings, you were the first person I thought of. And as an Ash witch, this should be a simple task.” Ursa pressed her lips together. “Unless, of course, you have no interest in keeping your whereabouts hidden from the Magic Council.”
So, I had two lousy options in front of me. Get blackmailed by Ursa and face off with the evil dolls, or risk getting arrested by the Magic Council. Neither choice was great.
“You’ve got this.” Nugget nudged me with his head. “They’re just dumb dolls.”
Russell squawked his agreement, but had yet to leave my shoulder, suggesting he didn’t think much of the dolls either.
“If you don’t think you’re witch enough for this job, I’ll simply get in touch with the Magic Council and be done with you,” Ursa said. “No one wants a useless witch to remain in the village. Especially not one with such a bad reputation. But if you help me, it could be looked on favorably. And I have the ear of one or two members of the Magic Council. I could put in a good word for you.”
I sighed. This clearly wasn’t the first time Ursa had blackmailed someone. I had to do this, or she would land me in a world of trouble. And, as Nugget said, they’re just dumb dolls.
“I’ll do what I can,” I said. “Let’s start by you telling me what’s been going on in this room.”
Ursa did a slow turn, looking around the room. “Normally, my dolls are happy to see me. I spend hours with them, changing their clothes and making sure all their needs are met. But in the last two days, every time I’ve been in here, I’ve had an... accident.”
“What kind of accident?”
“I’ve tripped over, and things have been thrown at me. I’ve even been cut.” She pulled up her sleeve. Her arm was covered in what looked like small cat scratches.
“The dolls did this to you?”
She pushed down her sleeve, and lifted her chin. “Yes. I fell over something and several of them jumped on me. I don’t think they meant any harm, but they got a bit rough. They were very playful.”
“Those marks on your arm show they meant you harm. You shouldn’t come in here if it’s not safe.”
“It’s safe. Or it will be once you get rid of the ghost messing with them. That has to be what this is. An evil entity is possessing these dolls and making them do things they’d never normally dream of.”
I looked around. Although none of the dolls’ expressions were happy, I sensed nothing too dark in here. I went to touch a doll.
“Wait!” Ursa tossed a pair of white cotton gloves at me. “Put these on. Remember, finger grease is a bad thing. And don’t touch any of the dolls on the right-hand side of the room. They’re the most valuable.”
I put on the gloves, then walked around the room. I picked up a couple of dolls and turned them over under Ursa’s glare.
I wasn’t sensing anything like I’d experienced in Luna’s apartment. This must be a different ghost. Or maybe not a ghost at all. Or the dolls had just gotten bored with Ursa and wanted to escape her suffocating mothering behavior.
A loud, low clanging noise made me jump. “What was that?”
“Just the doorbell. Whatever’s the matter with you?” Ursa walked to the window. “Oh. We may have a small problem.”
“Who is it?” I hurried over to join her.
“Your friend, Olympus Duke, is outside.”
I stared down at him. He had a ball of light glowing over his head and was peering through the window on the ground floor.
“What’s he doing here?” I turned to Ursa. “Did you contact the Magic Council without telling me? Is this a set up?”
“Of course I didn’t. You agreed to help me with my problem. I always keep my word.”
I wasn’t certain if Ursa was telling the truth. “Do you think he’s following me? He saw us coming here and wondered what I was up to.”
“His visit probably has nothing to do with you. Stay here. I’ll get rid of him.” Ursa marched out of the room, slammed the door shut, and locked it.
I raced to the door and tried the handle. There was no way I wanted to be locked in with all these creepy dolls, but the door wouldn’t budge.
I turned slowly and plastered my back against the door. Death by deranged doll wasn’t how I wanted to die.
Nugget mooched around the room, sniffing several dolls. He knocked a few down with his paw.
“Don’t annoy them,” I said. “There are way too many of them to take on at once if they turn nasty.”
“They don’t bother me,” Nugget said. He squeaked as a blonde-haired doll dropped off the top shelf and landed on his back. It wrapped its arms around his neck.
“Hey! Hands off my cat.” I hurried over and grabbed the doll. She turned her head and hissed at me.
I staggered forward as I was whacked on the back as more dolls descended on top of us. They slammed into me with their hard little heads and fists.
Something cold and sharp jabbed into the back of my hand.
“We’re under attack! Russell, take down any dolls attacking from above. Hilda, I need you to stomp on the enemy.” I placed her on the floor, touched her back, and stepped away as she grew into a huge, magnificent, hairy spider with giant fangs to match.
She nodded at me and then slashed her limbs through the mass of dolls descending upon us.
“Nugget, destroy everything that moves,” I yelled.
A blast of orange magic shot out of him, and a dozen dolls exploded.
I ducked to avoid
being sliced to death by the porcelain sailing through the air.
I stumbled back and tumbled over a mass of waiting dolls behind me. They jumped on me as I hit the floor and stabbed me with their little hands, the air full of hisses and tiny screams of anger.
Above the noise of the fury-filled dolls, there was a high-pitched squeaky sound.
I peered at the shelves to see one doll sitting on a small gold throne, with several other dolls surrounding her like they were her personal guards. She was pointing at the others and babbling so fast I couldn’t make sense of her words. It looked like she was in charge of this attack.
I yanked several dolls off my head, losing hair as I did so. I rolled onto my hands and knees, grabbed a doll and slung it at the door, just as it opened.
The doll smashed into Ursa’s chest and dropped to the floor in pieces.
Ursa blinked rapidly as she bent and picked up the ruined doll. She pressed her lips together as she took in the carnage in the room.
“Before you turn me over to the Magic Council for destroying your dolls, they attacked first.” I pulled a doll off my arm and dropped it to the floor.
Ursa’s cheeks flushed bright red and her jaw trembled. “You’ve... you’ve ruined my collection. My beautiful dolls. You’re a monster.”
“It was ruin them or be killed.” I extracted Nugget from a pile of dolls and held him in my arms. “Where’s Olympus? You didn’t invite him in, did you?”
Ursa simply stared at me, horror written all over her face.
“Ursa! Where is Olympus?”
She swallowed. “I... I sent him away. I brought you here to help me.”
Russell squawked and settled on my shoulder, and Hilda scuttled over. I touched her back, and she shrank to her normal size.
“My collection.” Ursa staggered into the room and sank to her knees. “This was my life’s work, and you’ve destroyed it in only a few minutes.”
“What was I supposed to do?” I said. “Let the dolls take me and my familiars out? They wanted blood. Some of them got it.” My hands were covered in small, stinging cuts.
“My dolls are worth more than the life of a single, damaged witch.” Ursa crawled around, collecting pieces of dolls and setting the ones that weren’t too damaged back on the shelves.
