The Fog Boggarts

by Linda Chapman

  Sam swallowed. “And she’s keeping us all in here so that no one gets in their way. Sounds like we’d better go and have a look around.”

  Sophie nodded. Taking care not to be seen, they dropped to their hands and knees and edged their way to the door. Mr Bryan was sitting beside it.

  “We’re just going to the toilet,” Sophie said to him as they ducked past. The head teacher nodded. He seemed much too interested in gazing adoringly at Miss Waters to worry about them.

  Sophie and Sam emerged into the corridor between their classroom and the art room. With everyone in the hall, the school felt eerily quiet. The open drama cupboard was at the end of the corridor, the stage lights on their stands half in and half out of the store.

  “Isn’t it dark?” said Sam, glancing around them. “It’s really weird, the way the lights went out just when Miss Waters arrived. I bet it has something to do with her.”

  Suddenly it all came together. “Sam, that’s it!” gasped Sophie, clutching his arm. “The Fog Boggarts must hate bright light! It was your torch that scared the one in the woods off – and that’s why Miss Waters has done something to the lights in the school!”

  Sam’s mouth fell open. He hit himself on the forehead. “Of course! Light burns away fog – why didn’t I think of that?”

  Sophie was just about to reply when she glanced through the window into the classroom. “Look!” she exclaimed in horror. The room was full of swirling fog!

  Chapter 7

  Fog Boggart Attack!

  As Sophie and Sam watched, the white mist changed into nine tall, thin Fog Boggarts. All had long fingers, grey skin, large mouths and deep, dark eyes. But it was the one in the middle of the room who drew Sophie’s gaze – the one who was holding a glowing iron key in his bony hands!

  “It’s the Fog Boggarts!” Sophie whispered frantically, pulling Sam down under the window.

  “Loads of them. What are we going to do?” demanded Sam.

  The Guardian powers pounded through Sophie like a drumbeat. What had she been scared of? She wanted to leap, fight, attack! She jumped to her feet. “Come on, let’s get rid of them!”

  Sam yanked her back down. “Wait, Soph! You can’t just march in there. Your kicks can’t hurt them, remember? We need to think of a plan!”

  Reluctantly, Sophie stayed where she was. Pressing against the wall, she could hear the Fog Boggarts’s voices through the bricks.

  “It must be here somewhere! Queen Spindle Fingers told us the key glowed when she came into this room yesterday.”

  “Our queen looks good as a human, doesn’t she?” she heard another say.

  “Almost good enough to swallow!” said the first voice.

  “Hur! Hur! Hur!” The sound of laughter echoed from the room.

  “Let’s find this gem, Bone Cruncher. Hold the key up.”

  There was a pause and then the voices got louder. “It’s glowing brightest over here, near this wall.”

  Sophie frowned. “They think the gem’s in the art room because the key’s glowing, but how can it be? The clue said it’s behind a locked door.”

  Sam looked at the open drama cupboard beside them. “That’s usually locked!” he pointed out. “The gem could be hidden inside, and that’s why the key’s glowing when it’s near this wall.”

  Sophie’s pulse leapt as she suddenly realised: In a place where playtime dwells… “Sam!” she cried. “Playtime! Drama is all about putting on plays!”

  Without waiting for an answer, she lunged for the drama cupboard and started pulling things out. A dusty crown… a telephone… a plastic skull…

  Search in a corner, she thought, remembering the clue. Pushing aside a cardboard box full of clothes for dressing up, she scooted all the way into the cupboard and ran her hand along the dusty shelf. At first there was nothing, and her spirits sank. Then she felt something small and round and closed her fingers around it. A blue gem sparkled in her hand!

  “I’ve got it!” she whispered, holding it up in triumph.

  Sam’s face lit up. “Now all we need to do is get rid of the Fog Boggarts!”

  Sophie nodded worriedly as she tucked the gem safely into her pocket. “If only we had your torch – lots of torches, in fact!”

  Sam grinned suddenly. “We might not have torches, but we’ve got something even better!” He pointed at the two stage lights.

  “Brilliant! Come on!” Sophie said.

  They crawled over. The stage lights were massive, and were on metal stands with wheels. Silently, they pushed the lights towards the art room door.

  Sam plugged the lights into the socket in the corridor wall. “OK, I’ll turn the socket on and at the same moment you push both lights through the door. Let’s see how the Fog Boggarts like this!”

  Sophie could hear the boggarts moving about in the classroom, still searching for the gem. Thank goodness everyone else was in the hall! “Are you ready?” she breathed. Sam nodded.

  “One… two… THREE!” Sophie gave the stands a push and the bulbs burst into blinding light. “Take that!” she cried.

  “ARGH!” The Fog Boggarts staggered backwards as the light burst through the gloom in the art room. All nine of them retreated into the shadows, shrieking and covering their faces.

  “It’s working!” exclaimed Sophie.

  “But not well enough,” said Sam, chewing his lip. “It’s holding the boggarts back, but they’re not going away!”

  Sophie realised he was right. The boggarts were gathering together, pointing at the lights and whispering. Suddenly they started picking things up and throwing them at the lights!

  “They’re trying to break the bulbs!” realised Sophie. Her Guardian powers tingled through her. She leapt high in the air, twisting in a tae kwon do move as she kicked things away from the lights. Books, a toy tractor, a measuring jug and a ruler. Items from the art room went flying all around them as she spun, feet flashing.

  Sam was lunging and diving too, trying his best to bat things away from the lights. “We need another plan!” he gasped.

  “Yes, well spotted!” cried Sophie, bounding upwards again as a globe of the world hurtled through the air. She half-turned with a flying kick, sending it bouncing off the wall.

  The Fog Boggarts edged forwards, keeping to the shadows but throwing more and more things: a plastic dinosaur followed a set of scales. With a pair of spinning leaps Sophie kicked the items away and then raced for the lamps, shoving them towards the boggarts again. The creatures shrieked and shrank back, shielding their eyes.

  “I’ve got it!” burst out Sam. Sophie rushed to his side. “The Fog Boggarts hate bright light – well, what light is brighter than sunshine?” he hissed. “There’s been a fog here ever since Miss Waters arrived, and I bet that’s why. It’s protecting them! So why don’t we try to move the fog and let the sun shine down?”

  “Just one problem!” Sophie leapt in the air again, whirling to kick aside a wooden train. It crashed against the whiteboard. “How exactly are we supposed to do that?”

  “The wind turbine!” said Sam in a low voice. “You’ll have to do it, because you can move extra fast with your Guardian superpowers. Go up on to the roof using the fire escape. Then connect the turbine to the battery. Hopefully the blades will start to turn and that will blow away the fog!”

  Sophie glanced at the Fog Boggarts. They had edged nearer once more, so close now that she could see their long, spiny teeth. “But what about the boggarts?” she gasped.

  Sam took a breath. “Guess you’re going to have to leave them to me!” He jumped behind the lights and twisted them round again, aiming them right at the creatures. “Take that, you foggy freaks!” he yelled. They reeled backwards with snarls and hisses. “Go, Sophie! Go!” he urged.

  Sophie charged out of the classroom and out of the door into the grey, misty playground. Vaulting lightly over the gate, she leapt up the metal steps of the fire escape. In seconds she was standing on the school roof. The world seemed utte
rly silent. There wasn’t a breath of wind, and the blades of the wind turbine were completely still.

  Sophie saw the wire hanging down from the wind turbine, and remembered what Sam had told her to do. She quickly connected the wire to the battery and looked pleadingly at the motionless blades. Work, please work, she prayed.

  For a moment nothing happened… and then slowly the blades began to turn. Faster and faster they went until they were whooshing round, creating a fierce wind that blew Sophie’s fringe back from her face and made her trousers and sweatshirt flap. “Yes!” she cried.

  The wind started to move the fog away, first from the roof and then from the school. As the mist vanished, Sophie saw a patch of blue sky, and then suddenly the sun’s rays slanted through, bright and warm. The plan was working! But how was Sam coping with the Fog Boggarts in the classroom?

  Pounding back down the fire escape, Sophie sprinted to the art room. Bursting in through the door, she saw that one of the lights had had its bulb broken. Sam was backed up against the whiteboard, shielding himself with the remaining light while the boggarts threw things at it.

  “Well?” he gasped when he saw her.

  “I’ve done it!” she said. “The fog’s…”

  She broke off as the door opened and Anthony came in.

  “What are you two up to? What… WAH!” He broke off with a yelp as he saw the Fog Boggarts throwing things. “MONSTERS!” he yelled. A whiteboard rubber hit Anthony square on the head. He yelped and dropped to the floor.

  “Anthony!” gasped Sophie.

  Chuckling evilly, two Fog Boggarts edged through the shadows towards him.

  “Leave him alone!” cried Sophie. She might not like her brother, but she wasn’t going to let the Fog Boggarts get their hands on him. She leapt across the room, but at that moment a new figure stepped into the open doorway.

  It was Miss Waters! A shiver ran through the teacher and she transformed into a Fog Boggart herself. Her body stretched and her mouth widened.

  “Queen Spindle Fingers!” The delighted cry went up from the other Fog Boggarts.

  “Get them!” Miss Waters, also known as Spindle Fingers, snarled, pointing at Sophie and Sam.

  Sophie’s heart thudded. Oh, where was the sunshine? There was no sign of it through the windows yet. She had to do something! She pulled the blue gem out of her pocket and held it up. It sparkled in the dim light. “Here! Do you want this? Is this what you’re all after?”

  The Fog Boggarts reacted instantly.

  “The gem!”

  “Get it off her!”

  “Stop her!”

  “Come and get it!” Sophie sang. She raced outside with Sam following after, her breath short in her throat. Please, let it be sunny out here, she thought. As the Fog Boggarts burst out of the classroom and into the playground, the last of the fog blew away. Bright sunlight shone on the Fog Boggarts. They shrieked, writhing as their bodies began to dissolve in the light.

  Chapter 8

  Run for Your Lives!

  Sophie blinked as the Fog Boggarts evaporated. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a squat white figure dart out from the bushes and pick something up off the ground. She stared. It was an Ink Cap Goblin, she was sure of it!

  But there was so much else going on, it was hard to see exactly what was happening. All the boggarts were yelling, trying to run back into the school, but it was too late. The sun was burning them away, melting their foggy bodies.

  The Fog Boggart who had been Miss Waters hissed in fury and ran at Sophie, her mouth opening wider and wider. “You tricked us! You… you…” But even as she reached out for Sophie with her long bony fingers, the Queen of the Fog Boggarts melted away!

  Suddenly all was silent, apart from the sound of the wind turbine’s blades turning on the roof.

  “We… we did it!” Sam stammered in shock, looking round the empty playground.

  “And we got the gem!” cried Sophie. She jumped into the air, spinning and doing a flying kick.

  “What about the key?” Sam exclaimed. He started to hunt around on the ground.

  Sophie’s spirits leapt. If they could just find the key, this would be the most amazing day ever! In a frenzy, she helped Sam look, but the key was nowhere to be found. Suddenly Sophie remembered the figure she’d seen, and groaned aloud. “Sam! I’m sure I saw an Ink Cap Goblin run out of the bushes over there. I bet it was spying, and picked up the key.”

  The two of them stared at each other in despair. This might have been their only chance to get the key back again and now it was gone.

  Finally Sophie sighed. “Well, at least we’ve got the gem.” She slipped it into the purse belt she wore around her waist. “Come on, we’d better go back inside. This is the longest trip to the toilet ever!”

  As they shut the door behind them they heard a faint groaning noise. Anthony was standing up, swaying slightly and rubbing his head. “Where have the monsters gone?” he blurted out when he saw them.

  Sophie raised her eyebrows. “Monsters? What are you talking about, Anthony?”

  “There’s definitely no monsters here,” said Sam with a shrug.

  “But I saw them! We’ve got to warn everyone – quick!” Anthony ran back to the hall.

  Sophie and Sam chased after him. “Anthony! Stop!” yelped Sophie.

  But Anthony wouldn’t listen. “MONSTERS!” he screamed, bursting into the hall. “There are monsters in the school! Run! Run for your lives!”

  Everyone was working in small groups with different teachers. They all stopped and stared at him.

  “It’s real!” Anthony cried, waving his arms about and jumping up and down. “There are monsters. Great tall grey ones with big mouths!”

  Mr Bryan strode over. “Anthony, whatever are you doing? Be quiet and go back to your group, please.”

  “But Mr Bryan, there are monsters out there,” panted Anthony. He pointed towards the door. “They attacked me!”

  People started to giggle. Mr Bryan’s frown deepened.

  Sophie stepped forwards. “Um, Mr Bryan, Anthony got hit on the head,” she said quickly. “I was just coming back to the hall from the toilet and I saw him walk into one of the stage lights in the corridor.”

  Understanding dawned on Mr Bryan’s face. “Oh, I see, that explains it. Oh dear.”

  “I did not walk into a light, a monster hit me on the head with a board rubber!” Anthony said, stamping his foot.

  A ripple of laughter ran around the room. Even the teachers smiled.

  “Yeah,” called out Brett. “And I saw the Easter Bunny earlier!”

  “And Doctor Who landed in the playground,” said Chris.

  “Come on, Anthony,” Mr Bryan said in a soothing voice. “I think you’d better come to my office. I’ll ring your grandfather and get him to take you home.” He looked round. “Where’s Miss Waters?”

  “Um… Mr Bryan,” Sophie put in again. “Sam and I saw her going outside.”

  “Outside?” Mr Bryan echoed in surprise.

  Sam nodded. “She seemed to be leaving. She looked like she was in a hurry.”

  “Do you want me to go and have a look for her, Mr Bryan?” offered Miss Mayfield, the Class One teacher.

  “Thank you, Miss Mayfield,” Mr Bryan replied.

  “Watch out for the monsters!” cried Anthony.

  Everyone giggled as Mr Bryan hastily led Anthony away.

  The supply teacher’s disappearance became the talk of the school for the rest of the day. No one could work out what had happened to her, or why she had left so suddenly.

  “Fancy just going off like that,” Sophie heard Mrs Sheldrake, the secretary, saying to Mr Bryan at lunchtime. “No sense of responsibility.”

  “She seemed such a nice person too,” said Mr Bryan sadly. Sophie saw him crumple up the poem he’d written, shoving it away into his trouser pocket. “I guess you never can tell with some people.”

  Sophie’s class had their own theory about M
iss Waters’s disappearance.

  “I reckon she got eaten by the vicious whiteboard-rubber-throwing monster!” Jake laughed at lunchtime.

  “Monsters! Argh!” said Tara, waving her arms in the air like Godzilla. “Run for your lives everyone! RUN!”

  “Oooh, my name’s Anthony and I’m so scared of the monsters!” said Nasim in a high-pitched voice.

  Sophie’s class fell about laughing.

  “You know, something tells me that Anthony’s going to get some pretty monstrous teasing when he comes back to school!” Sophie said to Sam, as they left school that day.

  Sam grinned. “It serves him right for following us around.”

  “He might even leave us alone from now on,” said Sophie. She gave a happy sigh. “Everything’s worked out so well.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about Miss Waters,” Sam put in.

  “Don’t worry, I’m just glad you trusted me in the end.” Sophie looked at him curiously. “Why did you?”

  “I don’t know.” Sam frowned. “When you spoke to me, it was like a mist suddenly cleared in my head and I could think properly again. Part of me wanted to keep believing Miss Waters was nice, but when I looked into your eyes, I just couldn’t.”

  “Well, I’m glad,” said Sophie. “I’d never have thought about using the wind turbine without you! And now all the Fog Boggarts are gone and we’ve only got two more gems to find.”

  “We’ll find them!” Sam declared. Suddenly he pointed. “Look, isn’t that your grandpa by the school gates?”

  Sophie nodded in surprise. There was no mistaking her grandfather’s trim, black-clad form. They went over. “Hi, Grandpa. What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I wanted to check you were both OK,” Grandpa replied with a frown. “I knew something must be up when I heard that Anthony was talking about monsters, and Miss Waters had suddenly left. So, what’s been going on?”

  “Miss Waters was a shadow creature,” Sam said in a low voice. “Sophie was right all along.”